30 Random Quick Facts
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Why Can’t You Have Fences Over a Certain Height in the Front or Backyard?
Glossyhorses asks: Why can’t you have your fences over 6 feet tall in the backyard and half that in the front? The primarily purposes of a fence include to keep animals in, people out, and perhaps even so others can’t see into your yard. But if this is the case, why are there laws that limit how tall fences can […]
Read moreA Brief History of the Ballpoint Pen and Whether NASA Really Spent Millions Developing a Pressurized Version Instead of Just Using Pencils
Kyle S. asks: There’s a story circulating around that NASA found out pens didn’t work in space, but still needed a writing device that would work there, so they spent millions of tax payer dollars developing a ball point pen that could be used in space. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, just used pencils. Is this true? Thanks! […]
Read moreThe Bum Brigade
On October 29, 1929, on what would become known as “Black Tuesday,” the stock market crashed. In one terrible day, the market lost fourteen billion dollars (about $188B today), signaling the beginning of the (roughly) ten-year-long Great Depression, with most of the last vestiges of the downturn only ceasing around 1939 due to the onset of World War II. Just […]
Read morePodcast Episode #208: What Causes Ulcers
In this episode, you’re going to learn the fascinating story of eventual Nobel Prize winner Dr. Barry Marshall and his lengthy fight against the general medical community who refused to accept his extensive research demonstrating the simple cause and easy cure of peptic ulcers. You’re also going to learn the gutsy (literally) stunt he pulled to finally get people to […]
Read moreWhy Deer Freeze in Headlights
D. Peterson asks: Why do deer always seem to freeze in headlights instead of keep running? Less a function of fear than bewilderment, simply put, deer freeze in headlights because they can’t see. Deer Eyes vs. Human Eyes The eyes of deer and people share a number of features, but they also have a few significant differences. Pupil Unlike human […]
Read moreWhere Did All the Neanderthals Go?
For over 150,000 years, our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis), thrived throughout Europe until, in the blink of an eye (geologically speaking), they disappeared off the face of the Earth. Several theories have been proposed to explain their extinction, although a consensus is growing that the primary factor was competition with us (Homo sapiens). Despite their annihilation, however, their […]
Read morePodcast Episode #205: TMNT
In this episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn how a chance doodle ultimately resulted in a billion dollar franchise. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
Read moreParrots, Peg-legs, Plunder – Debunking Pirate Myths
Pirates murdered, pillaged, raped, stole, and generally made the lives of others who stood in their way terrible. But despite these facts, books and, more recently, Hollywood have glamorized the “swashbuckler on the high seas.” In the process, a lot of fiction has been attached to the pirate mythos. For example, the rumor that pirates commonly made people walk the plank […]
Read moreIf You Own Land, How Far Above and Below Do You Own?
Guy C. asks: I live in America and was just wondering how far below and above my land do I own? On paper, the concept of land ownership sounds very simple- you pay money and in return you’re given unfettered access to a predetermined amount of land. But how much of that land do you actually own? Do you own […]
Read moreThe Mysterious Disappearance of Sister Aimee Semple McPherson
On May 18, 1926, Aimee Semple McPherson went for a swim in the Pacific Ocean at Venice Beach. An avid swimmer, Aimee loved to escape from her temple in Echo Park for a quick dip in the ocean. She was dropped off by her secretary, who then left to do errands. When the secretary returned, McPherson wasn’t on the beach […]
Read moreWhy the French-Founded Notre Dame School’s Athletic Teams are the “Fighting Irish”
Nathan K. asks: Why is Notre Dame’s slogan “Fighting Irish”? When the green and blue uniformed athletes of the University of Notre Dame run on to the field or court, their fans are rooting for the “Fighting Irish.” Represented by a small green leprechaun- hat tilted with his fists up, ready to fight- the athletic teams of this South Bend, […]
Read moreThe Time the K Foundation Burned a Million British Pounds for No Apparent Reason
On August 23, 1994, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty set fire to, and completely destroyed, £1 million. What makes the story even weirder is that nobody, not even the burners, seems to really know precisely why. The K Foundation Beginning in 1987, under several different names including The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and The Timelords, Drummond and Cauty produced […]
Read moreWhy Snot is Green and Yellow
Sam asks: What makes snot yellow and green? Snot is an essential part of a healthy body (no, really), and its color and consistency can give you a lot of information about what’s going on in yours at any given time. What is mucus? Produced in the lining of the sinuses, nose, throat, mouth, lungs and even digestive tract, mucus […]
Read moreThis Day in History: July 30th
This Day In History: July 30, 1898 Once upon a time, back in the late 1800s, people in the Western world would work themselves into a tizzy over the mere mention of masturbation. The practice was, at least publicly, long frowned upon, but Victorian priggishness coupled with religious revivals popular at the time provided a fertile breeding ground for anti-masturbation […]
Read moreThe Many U.S. Presidents Before George Washington
Today I found out about the presidents before the U.S. Constitution went into effect. Schools in the United States teach children from an early age that the first president of the United States was George Washington. But teachers often forget to mention a small, kind of important detail- George Washington was the first U.S. president under the current United States […]
Read moreA Brief History of Pi
That the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is constant has been known to humanity since ancient times; yet, even today, despite 2000 years of thought, theories, calculations and proofs, π’s precise value remains elusive. Ancient Civilizations Babylonian By the 17th century B.C., the Babylonians had a relatively advanced knowledge of mathematics, that they memorialized into […]
Read moreA Brief History of Taxes in the U.S. & Why They are Due on April 15th
Ian K. asks: Why are taxes due on April 15th? As Ben Franklin wrote in a 1789 letter to Baptiste Leroy, “… in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Depending on your belief in vampires, this is most certainly true. But did you know that income taxes in the United States didn’t exist […]
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