Today I found out why the number four is considered to be unlucky in some East Asian cultures (mainland China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, among others). In the Chinese culture, whether a number is considered auspicious or not typically depends on whether the number’s name sounds similar to other words with positive or negative meanings or connotations. With respect to […]
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Today I found out why garlic makes your breath smell bad. There are a few things going on to cause this bad smell, but principally the root cause is various sulfuric compounds from the garlic. Initially, most of the bad breath resulting from eating garlic comes directly from the sulfuric compounds introduced into your mouth. Not only that, but garlic […]
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Today I found out why Amish men grow beards but not mustaches. This tradition stems back to the early days of the Amish when wearing elaborate mustaches was common among those in the military. In their early days, the Amish and other Mennonites in Europe were often persecuted by these groups. In addition to that, the Amish, being a pacifist […]
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Today I found out why Pop Rocks pop. Much like other hard sugar candies, Pop Rocks are made primarily of sugar, corn syrup, water, and artificial flavoring. It turns out, what causes it to pop when it comes in contact with the moisture and heat in your mouth is not due to any ingredient. Rather, it is due to the […]
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Today I found out how the gun on the original Duck Hunt game worked. If you’ve ever played Duck Hunt or any of the other NES games that used the NES Zapper gun, you probably at one point or another wondered how the game actually knows where on the TV you are aiming the gun when you pulled the trigger. […]
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Today I found out why golf balls have dimples. It turns out, somewhat counter intuitively, those dimples significantly decrease the drag on the golf ball as it flies through the air, compared to a smooth ball. Not only that, but they also increases the lift somewhat. These two things combined can make the golf ball go as much as three […]
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Note: This is a guest article contributed by frequent TIFO visitor and owner of DumpADay, Jon. Today I found out that it is possible for a person to briefly remain conscious after being beheaded. When I first started to research this topic, I found it hard to believe. However, after sifting through numerous reputable sources saying that the beheaded person […]
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Note: This is a guest article contributed by frequent TIFO visitor and owner of StevenHumour.com, Steven. Today I found out what the eight juices are in V8 vegetable juice. The included juices in the original V8 100% vegetable juice come from tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, and spinach. The dominate juice in this mixture is tomato juice comprising […]
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Today I found out why paper cuts hurt so much. The generally accepted reason paper cuts are so painful primarily lies in the fact that you usually get them on your fingers, particularly your fingertips. Fingertips and hands have significantly more nociceptors (nerve fibers) per square millimeter than most of the rest of your body, such as your legs, arms, […]
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Today I found out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop. Obviously this depends somewhat on a variety of factors such as the size of the person’s tongue; whether they concentrate the licking on just one side; how hard they press with their tongue; amount of saliva; etc. In any event, […]
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Today I found out how an Etch a Sketch works. An Etch a Sketch is a remarkably simple device. The primary components are just a small sheet of glass; a stylus controlled by two knobs; very fine aluminum powder; and tiny plastic beads. The tiny beads are mixed in with the powder to make sure the powder will continue to […]
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Today I found out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created by the department store chain Montgomery Ward as a way to save money on one of their annual Christmas promotions. The year was 1939; Montgomery Ward, at that time, gave away coloring books to try to get more shoppers into their stores during the holiday season. Up to this point, […]
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Today I found out how the tradition of the Detroit Lions playing on Thanksgiving got started. In 1934, radio executive G.A. Richards bought the Portsmouth, Ohio Spartans NFL team, moved them to Detroit, and renamed them the Lions. Unfortunately for him, nobody in Detroit cared much for watching the Lions. Despite winning all their games but one before Thanksgiving, having […]
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Today I found out Ben & Jerry’s was originally going to be a bagel company. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield ended up changing their minds when they found out how much it would cost to get all the needed equipment for making bagels. Instead, in 1978, they both took a $5 correspondence course from Pennsylvania State University on ice cream […]
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Today I found out why Rice Krispies pop when milk is poured over them. Specifically, the popping is a result of the walls of the Rice Krispies kernels fracturing. There are two prevalent theories as to the exact process that results in this fracturing and it’s entirely possible that both are occurring. Rice Krispies, also known as “Rice Bubbles”, in […]
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Today I found out fifty percent of the ownership of Domino’s Pizza was once traded for a used Volkswagen Beetle. The year was 1961, just a little under one year after brothers Tom and James Monaghan had purchased a pizza restaurant, DomiNick’s, for $500. After eight months of running the business as a partnership, James Monaghan got the bright idea […]
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Today I found out why Swiss cheese has holes in it. The holes come from a byproduct of some of the microbes added to milk to make Swiss cheese. Specifically, there are three primary types of bacteria that are typically used to make Swiss cheese (these can vary slightly depending on the manufacturer): Streptococcus thermophilus; Lactobacillus helveticus; and Propionibacterium shermanii. […]
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Today I found out why there is Braille on drive-thru ATM machines. Mainly, it is because it is required by law, thanks to the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities. There are certain exceptions, in terms of these requirements, when it comes to drive-up ATMs vs. walk up ATMs, such as the differing requirements on the “Reach Ranges” in […]
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