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The Great Wall of China Is Held Together with Sticky Rice
Workers in the Ming Dynasty mixed sticky rice soup with slaked lime to create an incredibly strong mortar. The amylopectin in the rice created a compound more durable than pure limestone mortar.
Why It’s Fascinating
This ancient composite material was so effective that some sections have survived earthquakes and are still standing after 600 years. Modern scientists have confirmed it is stronger than many contemporary building materials.
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Velcro Was Invented After a Walk in the Woods
Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticed burrs sticking to his dog's fur in 1941. Under a microscope he saw tiny hooks catching on loops of fur, and spent eight years perfecting the synthetic version.
Japan Has a Bullet Train That Was Designed After a Kingfisher
The Shinkansen 500 series had a noise problem when exiting tunnels at high speed. Engineer Eiji Nakatsu, a birdwatcher, redesigned the nose to mimic a kingfisher's beak, eliminating the sonic boom and improving fuel efficiency by 15 percent.
The Patent for the Fire Hydrant Was Lost in a Fire
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