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Life Archive

Archives for December 2014

Almanac
Google knows what your New Year’s resolutions are going to beGoogle knows what your New Year’s resolutions are going to be
Almanac

Let us start the storied annual tradition of dieting and then giving up

By Danielle Kurtzleben
Features
2014: The Year in Emoji2014: The Year in Emoji
Features

We took some of 2014’s biggest news stories and translated them into 2014’s universal language.

Life
How late the world stays up on New Year’s, in one mapHow late the world stays up on New Year’s, in one map
Life

Even Canada parties later than the United States. Canada!

By Sarah Kliff
Video
11 fascinating facts about currencies from around the world11 fascinating facts about currencies from around the world
Play
Video

These banknotes sure make the dollar bill look boring.

By Estelle Caswell
Life
Snowflakes come in 35 different shapes. And some of them are really odd.Snowflakes come in 35 different shapes. And some of them are really odd.
Life

Behold, the ultimate chart of snowflake taxonomy.

By Susannah Locke
Life
The science of actually keeping your New Year’s resolutionsThe science of actually keeping your New Year’s resolutions
Life

By June, six months into the New Year, only 40 percent of those who make a New Year’s resolution are still sticking with the goal.

By Sarah Kliff
Life
Why airlines bump passengers, and what you can do about itWhy airlines bump passengers, and what you can do about it
Life

If you get knocked off of your flight this weekend, here’s what you need to know about what an airline legally has to do for you.

By Danielle Kurtzleben
Technology
How David McCandless makes beautiful visualizations that go viral over and overHow David McCandless makes beautiful visualizations that go viral over and over
Technology

The secrets behind some of the web’s most popular charts and graphs

By Joseph Stromberg
Life
Can fruitcake last forever? A food-safety expert answers.Can fruitcake last forever? A food-safety expert answers.
Life

Welcome to the science of (non-)spoilage.

By Susannah Locke
Life
This is what happens when you put Werner Herzog quotes on inspirational postersThis is what happens when you put Werner Herzog quotes on inspirational posters
Life

Happy holidays, everyone.

By Susannah Locke
Almanac
Caganer — the strangest, most scatological part of Catalan nativity scenes — explainedCaganer — the strangest, most scatological part of Catalan nativity scenes — explained
Almanac

Defecation in the nativity scene doesn’t mock Christianity — it helps explain it.

By Brandon Ambrosino
Alcohol, explained in 35 maps and charts
Explainers

Learn about one of the world’s favorite beverages with these amazing visuals.

By German Lopez
Life
The latecomer’s guide to catching up on SerialThe latecomer’s guide to catching up on Serial
Life

If you’re traveling today or tomorrow, it’s a great chance to figure out what all the fuss is about.

By Libby Nelson
Life
7 fun board games that will make you smarter about economics7 fun board games that will make you smarter about economics
Life

Monopoly is an obvious pick, but Scrabble is up there as well...along with a few you may have never even heard of

By Danielle Kurtzleben and Dylan Matthews
Life
It’s time for the US to use the metric systemIt’s time for the US to use the metric system
Life

Everyone else is doing it.

By Susannah Locke