How ancient Egyptians used meteoric iron before the Iron Age

Ancient Egyptians used iron from meteorites thousands of years before the Iron Age

≈3200 BC

Nine iron-and-nickel beads found in Egyptian graves date to about 3200 BC, thousands of years before the Iron Age. The metal probably came from meteorites and was shaped by repeated heating and hammering. People could work iron long before they learned to make it from ore on a large scale.

Wall Street could insure the same mortgage risk many times over

Before the 2008 financial crisis, investors could buy credit default swaps that paid out if certain mortgage-linked securities failed. Multiple investors could take positions on the same underlying debt, multiplying the financial exposure without creating new mortgages. When losses mounted, AIG faced enormous obligations and required a US government rescue. The risk had spread far beyond the original loans.

Your eyes move even when you stare

When a person fixes their gaze on one spot, their eyes still make small movements. These movements keep the light-sensitive cells in the retina receiving changing input. Without that change, the cells would stop generating output.

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How ancient Egyptians used meteoric iron before the Iron Age

Ancient Egyptians used iron from meteorites thousands of years before the Iron Age

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