Biology / Computing / Earth & Space / Economics / Engineering / Food Science / History / Language / Maths / Mind / Music & Sound / Physics

Step away.
Come back smarter.

Short, interactive explainers for your break from work. Read one in thirty seconds, dive deeper if you like, then get back to it.

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Computing4 min read Why common letters get short codes in a ZIP file: Huffman coding ASCII spends 8 bits on every letter, whether it is a common e or a rare z. In 1951 a graduate student, David Huffman… Mind4 min read Why a blink of blank screen hides big changes: change blindness Show someone two nearly identical pictures with a blink of blank screen between them, and a large change can stay… Engineering5 min read Why a stone arch stands without glue: Hooke's upside-down rope A stone arch has no glue, yet it stands for centuries because every block is only ever squeezed. In 1675 Robert Hooke… Economics4 min read Why good used cars vanish from the market: Akerlof's lemons Why can a market of willing buyers and sellers fall apart? In 1970 the economist George Akerlof showed that when only… Food Science4 min read Why oil and water mix in mayonnaise: an egg yolk coats every droplet Oil and water refuse to mix, yet mayonnaise is about two-thirds to four-fifths oil and holds its shape on a spoon. One… Physics5 min read Why the bottom of a dropped Slinky hangs in mid-air: a wave has to bring the news Hold a Slinky by its top, let it stretch, and let go. The top rushes down while the bottom coil hovers, apparently…

Categories

01 BiologyCells, bodies, evolution and everything that grows. 8 breaks 02 ComputingThe ideas inside the machines we use all day. 7 breaks 03 Earth & SpacePlanets, weather, oceans and the sky above them. 7 breaks 04 EconomicsPrices, incentives and why markets do what they do. 6 breaks 05 EngineeringHow things are built, and why they don't fall down. 6 breaks 06 Food ScienceThe chemistry happening in your kitchen. 7 breaks 07 HistoryThe decisions, accidents and people that shaped now. 8 breaks 08 LanguageWords, grammar and how people make meaning. 7 breaks 09 MathsPatterns, chance and the numbers hiding in everyday things. 6 breaks 10 MindPsychology, perception and the quirks of the brain. 6 breaks 11 Music & SoundVibrations, harmony and why some sounds feel right. 7 breaks 12 PhysicsForces, light, time and the odd behaviour of the very small. 7 breaks

How it works

30 Second Break is a collection of short explainers for curious people of every age. Each break is one idea you can read in thirty seconds, with an optional deep dive that has its own interactive design.

01
Pick a topic
Browse by category, or hit Random.
02
Read for 30 seconds
Go deeper if you have a few more minutes.
03
Back to work
One thing smarter than before.