11/10/26 - The Bean, Dinos on the Move, and Area Code Day

Tuesday 11/10/26

Celebrate:

Area Code Day

International Accounting Day

National Civic Pride Day

National Forget-Me-Not Day

National Vanilla Cupcake Day

National Young Reader's Day

Sesame Street Day

USMC Day

World Science Day for Peace and Development

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Bioengineers developed a flexible, thread-like solar material that can be woven directly into everyday backpack fabric or winter jackets. The ultra-lightweight material generates enough ambient electricity from natural sunlight to charge smartphones, flashlights, or wearable fitness trackers while you walk outdoors.

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Hundreds of Chicagoans showed up to Millennium Park Sunday to answer a call posted on an anonymous flyer asking for help pushing The Bean exactly seven inches to the left at the oddly specific time of 12:47 p.m.

The flyer began going viral on social media Saturday, leading to a sizable crowd that turned out in droves and worked as a group to move the Bean. The people, however, were simply no match against 110 tons of steel.

It’s the latest public stunt in a recent string of absurd viral gatherings that have included celebrity lookalike contests, performative male pageants and even a protest calling for the release of a man supposedly trapped inside of The Bean.

In fact, the anonymous person who appears to have organized the event called back to the man-inside-The-Bean meme with a salacious allegation of a hidden latch door.

“There is a man trapped inside the bean,” poster ‘gs’ wrote on the event’s Partiful page. “New research shows that there might be latch door under the right side of The Bean. If we move The Bean about seven inches to the left we might be able to access that door and give the man inside The Bean a pickle and other resources.”

The Bean, officially titled “Cloud Gate,” was designed by artist  Anish Kapoor and unveiled in 2006. It now sees about 20 million visitors each year — making it to the top attraction in the Midwest, the seventh-most-frequented spot in the United States and a likely landmark for viral meetups and meme events.

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Exercise physiologists published a study highlighting "exercise snacking"—taking short, 60-second bursts of brisk stair climbing three times a day. Researchers found these quick bursts offer cardiovascular and metabolic benefits comparable to a continuous 30-minute workout for sedentary office workers.

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Two California fishermen turned an ordinary morning into a miracle when they spotted and rescued a cruise ship pianist who had spent nine terrifying hours treading water in the Pacific Ocean 20 miles off the coast. The crew member was safely pulled aboard and treated for hypothermia.

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A new fall trend gaining momentum in suburban downtowns is the "Warm Drink Crawl." Instead of hitting bars on weekend nights, groups gather on Saturday mornings to stroll between local cafes, sampling mini-sized specialty hot chocolates, seasonal spiced ciders, and chai lattes while supporting small businesses.

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Two enormous green Sinclair gas station dinosaurs mysteriously vanished from their posts in Bozeman, Montana, only to reappear together on a popular hiking trail—dressed as a bride and groom. One wore a wedding veil and carried a bouquet; the other sported a dapper bow tie. A "Just Married" sign completed the scene. This was actually the second consecutive Halloween that pranksters hauled a Sinclair dinosaur up the College M Trail. Each statue weighs roughly 250 to 300 pounds, and the trail climbs about 750 feet above the valley. Surveillance footage showed two people carrying off one dinosaur shortly after 2 a.m., one dressed as Luigi from Super Mario. A cardboard sign left behind read: "Brought to you by the Class of '27." One gas station owner, whose dinosaur is worth about $6,000, wasn't amused—he said the statue sustained damage and wants those responsible to come forward.

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A quantum computing breakthrough has achieved 99.9995% accuracy, slashing errors by a factor of 10. The milestone follows September's record-setting quantum memory and computation results, marking another step toward practical, large-scale quantum computing. While the details are technical, the implications are enormous: quantum computers could eventually solve problems in drug discovery, materials science, and cryptography that are impossible for classical computers

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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - Area Code Day - created in 1947. The "0" or "1" middle digit rule: Until 1995, area codes had a strict formatting rule: the middle digit had to be either 0 or 1. Codes with a 0 (like 200 or 500) were assigned to entire states or provinces, while codes with a 1 (like 212 or 415) were assigned to smaller regions within a state.

Not all area codes represent a physical place. Toll-free numbers use codes like 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833. Meanwhile, 500 and 456 are used for non-geographic personal communication services and international network services.

Let's not forget the 555 area code for TV and movies!

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