In November 2025, Peloton issued a recall on more than 800,000 bike seats

Peloton paid a $19M fine for its handling of treadmill injuries

In 2021, a six-year-old died after getting caught underneath a Peloton treadmill. A federal investigation into the company revealed that Peloton knew about injuries on the treadmill as early as 2018 and failed to report the incidents to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The COVID-19 pandemic both boosted Peloton's business and shook it up completely

While demand for Peloton's at-home fitness equipment soared during the pandemic, the company didn't necessarily have the infrastructure to support the breakthrough sales. In 2021, Peloton bought Precor—a fitness equipment manufacturing company—to help boost domestic production and decrease a backlog of orders.

The fitness industry has seen a lot of fads—and Peloton might be one of them

Like SoulCycle and Tae Bo, Peloton has struggled to stay at the forefront of the fitness industry. Despite periods of incredibly high interest and high-profile users (like the Obamas), Peloton has lost many users since the pandemic ended—and has struggled to add more. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Peloton raised more than $300K in 30 days during its Kickstarter campaign

Peloton ran a Kickstarter campaign in 2013, hoping to raise $250K and ended the campaign with $307K. Peloton sold its first bikes during that campaign for $1.5K. Foley later said that most of the bike purchases came from investors, not necessarily new customers.

Peloton makes most of its money via monthly subscriptions

Peloton has two core revenue streams: the exercise equipment it sells and the company's monthly subscription that gives users access to its class library. More than half of Peloton's revenue comes from the company's core product, the monthly subscription. Its "Peloton App+" membership tier is $28.99 per month.

The controversial 'Peloton Wife' ad from 2019 cost the company more than $1B in market value

The 2019 ad of a man gifting his wife a Peloton exercise bike sparked a wave of controversy, with some calling the ad sexist and fatphobic. The ad's backlash decreased the company's market value by $1.6B.

Peloton, 'And Just Like That …,' and Chris Noth: all about Mr. Big's Peloton death and the following ad

In the "Sex and the City" spin-off "And Just Like That …", Mr. Big—played by Chris Noth—dies after having a heart attack after a Peloton class. In real life, the Peloton team had not been informed of the plot point. Peloton worked quickly to create an ad starring Noth in just two days in an attempt to get ahead of the story. But very soon after, Noth received public sexual assault allegations, leading to Peloton pulling the ad.

The word 'Peloton' comes from the word for the main group of riders in a cycling race

The word itself is French for "ball," but became the inspiration for the word "platoon" in the 17th century to describe a group of soldiers. Now, it's a common cycling term and the main focal point in cycling races.

Jenn Sherman was the first Peloton instructor

Jenn Sherman sent an email to Peloton with the title, "This is why you need to hire me." After auditioning, she became the very first Peloton cycle instructor. Since then, she's amassed a loyal following for her brash personality.

The human toll of the Philips' CPAP machine recall

A CPAP machine is an air pressure-generating motor that forces open the airways of those with sleep apnea, a condition that causes nighttime breathing interruptions. In 2021, Philips Respironics recalled millions of machines after finding the device's sound dampening foam was disintegrating, sending potentially dangerous particles and fumes into users' lungs. The company was warned thousands of times about the foam—something they hid from the public and government.

44 states in the US have implemented ride safety laws

Rides are developed and tested for years before they host passengers. Maintenance teams perform various tests every day before opening coasters to the public. The chances of risk are rare, as exemplified in 2019 when amusement parks saw .8 injuries per million rides.

The US FDA issued a 2025 warning about BPC-157 and other popular peptides

BPC-157, which mimics a naturally occurring gut peptide involved in soft tissue repair, has been marketed for various regenerative properties. But the FDA warned in July 2025 that it doesn't have enough data to assess its safety in humans and that such products may also pose risks related to contamination.

Six Flags’ now defunct Green Lantern ride was known to many as a ‘pelvic nightmare’

The Defunctland YouTube channel focuses on telling the stories of extinct amusement rides and experiences, like the ambitious “Green Lantern” coaster that ran from 2011 to 2024. Critics, enthusiasts, and casual riders alike seemed to agree the ride was the worst at Six Flags due to its discomfort on the lower body.

The Reevo hubless ebike, the industry's great failure

The Reevo hubless e-bike came out in 2020, touted as the bicycle of the future with no hubs or spokes, a GPS tracker, a fingerprint reader, and a uniquely futuristic look. With less than 3,000 sold, you've likely never seen one, but this bike reviewer shows off the bike's nightmarishly loud noise, terrible brakes, failed smartphone pairing, and more. Watch the full review here.

School buses are the safest vehicles on the road

Even without seat belts or airbags, the big yellow school bus transporting millions of students to school each day remains the safest vehicle on the road. A long history of tragic lessons led to today's highly tested school bus design, including the padded compartments created by school bus seats, multiple emergency exits, cross-view mirrors, and more.

Severe cases of food poisoning have doubled even as food recalls dropped

Food recalls were down in 2024 by 5% as compared to 2023. But some researchers suspect that’s just because there were fewer inspections or fewer people reporting illnesses: Hospitalizations from food poisoning more than doubled during that same period, from 230 to 487, and deaths rose from 8 to 19.

How a bicycle inspired an iconic armchair

The Wassily chair, also known as the Model B3, is one of the most recognizable and mass-produced pieces of modernist furniture. It was designed by Marcel Breuer—a Bauhaus student in the early '20s who went on to lead the school's carpentry workshop—who was inspired by the modular tubes and simple construction of a bicycle he'd purchased.

Over 25% of Americans regret using BNPL due to unexpected costs

Almost 24% of buy now, pay later users have missed payments, with younger users (32% of 18- to 29-year-olds) being more likely to fall behind on payments than their older counterparts. (Only 12% of adults age 60 or over had done the same.)

How does muscle memory work?

Muscle memory is less about remembering how to ride a bike and more about what's happening in muscle cells. Increasing the cells' size, say by working out, leads to an increase in nuclei, which increases the production of mitochondria. When your fitness regimen falls to the wayside and you decide to re-enter the gym, these gains-based nuclei are already present to quicken muscle cells' adaptation to exercise.

Inside a recent Lyft lawsuit

Over the past few years, there have been a few lawsuits regarding the way gig workers are classified as employees. Specifically, these lawsuits aim to see if gig workers (like Lyft drivers, in one recent case) should be classified as full-time employees or independent contractors. For more information, read this article.

Honda and Yamaha have developed motorcycles with self-balancing systems

Honda's "Riding Assist Technology" was introduced in 2017 and maintains the motorcycle's stability by leaning away from the direction of the front wheel and adjusting the front fork's angle at low speeds. Yamaha's system uses actuators to achieve balance during stops and starts.

Strengthening your butt muscles can help protect against running injuries

More than 28 million people may go running in the US every week, yet people often get hurt—especially with knee injuries—and this podcast explores the science on what happens to our bodies when we run and the effects on our muscles and joints. It also discusses safety tips, including the need to only add more distance to your runs in tiny increments, and that strengthening glute muscles via single-leg glute bridges may be particularly protective against injuries.

Post-polio syndrome occurs decades after infection but isn't contagious

Affecting adults who contracted polio as children, this disorder can occur 15 to 40 years later, leading to slow, irreversible muscle weakening. Some research estimates that between 25% and 40% of polio survivors go on to develop this condition.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

How to safely dispose of every kind of battery

As lithium-ion batteries have proliferated in phones, e-bikes, power tools, and dozens of other devices, improper disposal has become a leading cause of fires in recycling facilities and garbage trucks. Battery Safety Now partnered with the US Forest Service's Woodsy Owl campaign to provide guidance on how to recycle batteries by type, including locator tools for drop-off sites.

Experts predict Republicans will gain seats from mid-decade redistricting in 2026

Analysts expect GOP-led states to net seats through mid-decade redistricting, while Democratic states face greater hurdles due to commissions and legal limits—tilting the likely outcome toward Republican gains in 2026.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

The 1987 Nintendo video game 'Stadium Events' isn't known for being particularly fun, but its scarcity has made it a highly sought-after item that has sold for up to $35K at auction.

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

SpaceX's S-1 or 'prospectus' revealed many previously unknown details about the company, including its unprofitability despite doing $18.7B in revenue in 2025, exactly how many voting shares Elon Musk will have in the company (roughly 85%), and more.

This real-time tracking of the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak in May 2026 offers a unique glimpse into the global reach of the outbreak and whether the virus sickened passengers and their communities around the world.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

In 2019, a laptop loaded with six of the worst malware in history and described as 'an exhibit of historical weaponry' sold for $1.3M.

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

Hear about the 250-year history of the United States Postal Service, complete with some of its strangest deliveries, important innovations, and the figures that made it an American institution.

A pickleball's loud 'pop' sound can reach 120 decibels, which is equivalent to a hammer hitting a nail

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

When you complete a CAPTCHA on a website to prove you are human, you may be unknowingly training algorithms for self-driving cars, whose systems require training data to help identify crosswalks, bicycles, and other outdoor objects.

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.

Massive 3D printers have been used to build homes by stacking layers of 'concrete toothpaste,' a fire-resistant material that effectively insulates against outside noise.

70 years ago today, city officials in Santa Cruz, California, banned rock 'n' roll to protect its youth from corruption after witnessing a 'provocative' concert the night before.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.

The identity of the Tank Man in the iconic photo from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests remains unknown and was possibly killed.

Some renewable energy sources may weaken the resiliency of electric grids by removing outage buffers provided by coal- and natural gas-fired plants, which provide the system with more time to find a new power source if a plant goes down.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'