When we drive on the road, we can’t all just go every which way. We have to stay on one side, and wait our turn where roads cross. Stop signs help, but really busy crossings need traffic lights. The traffic light, that cute red, yellow and green trio, was patented (made official as an invention) on this day in 1923. Actually, the very first electric traffic light was invented in 1912 by Lester Wire, a policeman in Utah fed up with all the traffic; you can imagine, after hundreds of years of slow horse-drawn carriages, what it was like to have this speedy, loud thing called a car suddenly show up. So Wire borrowed the idea of railroad signals to make a traffic light, which had just red and green for stop and go. Then in 1920, Detroit cop William Potts built one with 3 colors (red, orange and green). As you see here, people have tried other designs, like this funny dial one from Australia, but the three-color light is what keeps most of us from crashing into each other today.
Waffles are yummy no matter what shape they come in. But it must be a lot of fun to eat keyboard-shaped waffles – especially when there are so many square holes to catch the syrup! Read on to eat up the math in this funky invention.
We’re always told not to play with our food, and especially not to throw it. But what if there was a national day that celebrated throwing fruitcake? Well there is! Read on for more about this crazy tradition, and do the math to see how far fruitcake can fly.
This sure is a strange looking bug. With its bristly hair, it’s hard to tell its front from its back. But this tiny, hairy bug actually exists! Read on to see the hairy numbers behind this crazy creature.
It’s fun to make a snowman when there’s enough snow. But it must have been even more fun to make a giant snow shark! Read on to see how one family scaled up the fun, and do the math by the shovelful.
Have you ever seen someone chop a wooden board in half with his bare hand? It probably looked like it didn’t even hurt. That’s because our bones are surprisingly super strong! Read on to find out just how strong your body is, and chop through the karate math.
Sheep are herd animals who just follow each other without asking questions. So we’re loving this video that shows a stream of sheep flowing from one grassy area to another. And when it comes to all these sheep, the math is boundless! Read on to count the sheep and discover the moving math.
Bedtime Math fan Arun W. just asked us a question we’d never thought about: how many Cheerios are in a box of Cheerios? Read on to find out, and add up the big fun in these little Os!
The New Year is a popular time to start “resolutions,” or promises to become a better person. But just how long does it take for that promise to stick? Read on to do the New Year’s math in resolutions!
You might stay up extra late on New Year’s Eve to celebrate it turning the next year. But if you do, you’re usually extra tired the next day, which causes lots of yawning. Read on to do the math on how yawns stack up when they go from one person to another – and even to your dog!