The Editors at Very Cool Facts

Most wartime rescue stories focus on individuals who took enormous personal risks. Gilberto Bosques Saldívar operated on a different scale. His name is still unfamiliar to many, but his impact rivals some of the most celebrated rescue efforts of the twentieth century. Image: Gilberto Bosques Saldivar (Private Archive Collection, Mexico City) Gilberto Bosques Saldívar was born in 1892 and shaped by the political turmoil of the Mexican Revolution. He fought with the revolutionary forces,...

The Body's Hidden Power We often think of the immune system as something that only shows up when we are sick. This week’s research says otherwise. Scientists have uncovered new insights into how immune cells recharge, adapt, and even predict threats. There are two main types of T cells you’ll hear about in this issue. Killer T cells: attack infected or cancerous cells. Memory T cells: remember past threats so the body can respond faster the next time. It is a good week to feel impressed by...

How Architecture Outsmarted the Taxman Every time a government creates a rule, someone quietly starts designing a workaround. Today, that means paperwork. For our ancestors, it meant altering the shape of their homes to slip past the taxman. Here are some of history’s most committed acts of architectural mischief. Amsterdam taxed buildings  by the width of their facade, so every extra inch was expensive. Homeowners responded by building houses that were narrow in front and surprisingly deep...