Science & Industry
Why Do We Dial 911 for Emergencies?
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Article
When Americans find themselves faced with an emergency situation, they instinctively reach for their phones to dial 911. These three digits are ingrained in the collective consciousness. Even toddlers know the number — take, for example, the case of little A.J. Hayes, a 3-year-old who made a lifesaving 911 call after his father accidentally stabbed himself with a chisel. Today, it’s hard to imagine any other number being used in times of crisis. But not all that long ago, no universal emergency number existed in the United States. Instead, people had to call their local ...Read More
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Science & IndustryFact2Before the invention of price tags, shoppers weren’t used to fixed prices.
If you’re shopping for goods in the Western world, you expect to see a price tag on most things, whether it’s a secondhand toaster at a garage sale or a…
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Science & IndustryFact3The stethoscope was invented because a doctor felt awkward pressing his ear to a woman’s chest.
In 1816, a French physician named René Laennec found himself in a delicate situation. He needed to listen to the heart of a young female patient but didn’t have an…
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Science & IndustryFact1The invention of the leaf blower triggered legal action across the U.S.
The 1970s were an exciting time for suburbanites across the United States. Children plunged themselves into video games with the emergence of arcades and the first home consoles. Microwave ovens…
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Science & IndustryArticle25Unlocked: A Brief History of Keys
Well before there was a need to enter individual units of an apartment building or secure clothes inside a gym locker, people sought to keep thieving hands away from their…
