7 THINGS WORTH KNOWING / 19 September 2026

Little Discoveries

Design · Philosophy · Plants · Curiosities · Words · Food · Cultures & peoples. 7 discoveries in this edition.

Rietveld: a chair you can see through

In depth · 2 min read

The Red Blue Chair brings planes, bars and empty space into conversation. Its famous colours came later: even icons have histories.

In depth · 3 min read

A dream does not prove that nothing is real. In the Zhuangzi, it raises a subtler question about where certainty comes from.

In depth · 3 min read

Its outline resembles a bird, but the discovery is botanical: shapes and colours accompany an encounter between flower and pollinator.

In depth · 2 min read

Bat wings are transformed forelimbs: elongated fingers support a membrane, while the thumb stays free. Familiar parts, remarkable proportions.

In depth · 3 min read

The Italian word cultura traces back to Latin cultivation. Its history connects personal learning and shared life without making them identical.

In depth · 3 min read

Water, starch and a strong outer hull explain the pop. A spectacular transformation begins with what is already inside a tiny kernel.

In depth · 3 min read

Handmade Japanese paper is not a single recipe. In Mino, moving a papermaking frame brings fibres and learned skills together.

Original writing and illustrations made with AI assistance. Each discovery includes its sources. Our editorial method