Almost Facts

Imagine waking up one morning without GPS. No “Hey Siri, where’s the nearest coffee shop?” No “Google Maps, show me the fastest route home.” Instead, you’re clutching a crumpled paper map, squinting at tiny road names, praying you’re not lost in the middle of nowhere. Sounds almost barbaric, right? But guess what — GPS, the … Read more

Imagine if William Shakespeare had never penned a single word. Scary thought, right? The Bard, whose works have shaped English literature for over four centuries, almost didn’t make it to the starting line. It sounds dramatic, and it’s true: Shakespeare nearly died before he ever wrote anything. That brush with death wasn’t the result of … Read more

There’s a moment in science that feels almost cinematic: when something totally unexpected happens, and instead of throwing it out as a fluke, someone leans in to see what the heck just occurred. Teflon—yes, that shiny, non-stick marvel that practically revolutionized kitchens around the globe—was born in one of those moments. Nobody set out to … Read more

Bananas are such a familiar staple that it’s hard to imagine anyone ever questioning whether they’re a fruit. We peel them, eat them, mash them into baby food, blend them into smoothies, and yet—if you had told someone a century ago that bananas might not even be fruits, they’d have blinked hard and asked for … Read more

Imagine someone setting out to reinvent the walls inside your home with a brand-new type of wallpaper—one that you’d want to touch over and over, maybe even pop for fun. Sounds like a dream, right? Or maybe a nightmare? Well, bubble wrap almost took a shot at becoming wallpaper, and you’d be forgiven if you … Read more

Imagine standing in Paris today and being told that the Eiffel Tower, that iron giant gracing the skyline, was almost torn down—not because it was unsafe or outdated, but purely because people just didn’t like it. It’s almost laughable, isn’t it? This icon, with its swooping lattice arms and unmistakable silhouette, was nearly lost to … Read more