You Can Wash Clothes With Liquid CO₂. So Why Isn’t It Everywhere?
September 24, 2026
Clothes really can be washed in liquid carbon dioxide instead of water. The idea was commercialized nearly 30 years ago but ran into stubborn problems
Collection: OBJAI Explainers
Why Were Mister Rogers’ Antiwar “Conflict” Episodes Removed? What Ms. Rachel Got Right About the Five “Lost” Episodes
September 24, 2026
Ms. Rachel is right about something many people have forgotten: Fred Rogers devoted five episodes of *Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood* to an arms race driven by
Was King Leopold II’s Congo a Genocide? Why the Answer Is Still Disputed
September 24, 2026
King Leopold II’s Congo Free State used forced labor, hostage-taking, mutilation and lethal violence on an enormous scale. But whether the system legally or historically
Green Day Was Told to Drop Pansy Division. They Threatened to Walk Instead.
September 24, 2026
In 1994, as *Dookie* was turning Green Day into one of the biggest bands in America, promoters twice tried to remove openly gay punk band
What Is the Red-and-Black Flag in Ukraine? Its OUN-B and UPA History, and What It Means Today
September 23, 2026
The red-and-black flag seen beside Ukraine’s blue-and-yellow flag has a complicated history. Its specific modern form traces to Stepan Bandera’s OUN-B in 1941 and later
Nolan Wells Grand Jury: Why the No True Bill Raises Serious Questions
September 23, 2026
The Nolan Wells grand jury needed only probable cause and 12 votes to indict, yet all 23 jurors who heard the case reportedly returned a
If the Speed of Light Is Constant, How Did Lene Hau Slow It to 38 MPH?
September 23, 2026
Physicist Lene Hau really did slow a light pulse to about 38 mph. But she did not change the universal speed of light, and “stopping”
Did Women Really Use Fake ‘Tradwife’ Profiles to Dox ICE Agents? What the FBI Memo Actually Shows
September 23, 2026
An authentic FBI memo warned that women were allegedly using fake “tradwife” dating profiles to lure and expose immigration-enforcement officers. Public posts confirm that dating
Why Does Primetime Make Chris Hansen Look Like the Villain?
September 23, 2026
*Primetime* deliberately turns Chris Hansen into a disturbing, morally compromised protagonist. Some of that criticism has a real historical basis. But the film also makes
Is Popcorn Shape Random? Why Some Popcorn Is Round and Some Has “Wings”
September 23, 2026
Popcorn really does have different shapes, and they are not simply random. Genetics, kernel structure, moisture, growing conditions and the physics of popping all help