First introduced in 1954, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter looked like something out of science fiction. Designed by legendary aircraft designer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, mastermind behind the U-2, A-12, and SR-71 spy planes, the F-104 was built around the powerful General Electric J79 jet engine and featured an unusually slender, needle-shaped fuselage and short, stubby wings, earning it the nickname “the […]
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Karuika asks: Who was the first person to figure out what dinosaur bones were? From around 250 to 66 million years ago various dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Today the only dinosaurs left are birds, which are coelurosauria theropods- funny enough the same sub-group Tyrannosauruses belong to. (Think about that the next time you’re enjoying a McDinosaur sandwich or scrambling up […]
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In this episode of The BrainFood Show, we look at the fascinating and sometimes hilarious origins of four of the biggest companies in the world. We also discuss our new podcast format and wrap up the show discussing the Curse of the Colonel and other related bonus facts. If you could do us a huge favor and rate and review […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. Did People in the Middle Ages Really Throw Fecal Matter Out of their Windows? Although Medieval Britons weren’t exactly the cleanest lot by modern standards (though contrary to popular belief, despite some well-known exceptions, they did, in general, bathe in some form […]
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The following is an article from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader How real are the TV shows that focus on police and lawyers? A few go all out for accuracy, while others get laughed at by the professions they portray. But they’ve all had an impact on society…both positive and negative. FAMILIAR FORMULA If there were no cops, prosecutors, or defense […]
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The following is an article from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader One amazing woman in Poland—and four teens in Kansas who tracked her down and told her story. SENDLER’S LIST In 1999 a teacher at Uniontown High School in Kansas encouraged four students to do a project for a national History Day contest. Norm Conard told his 9th-grade students—Elizabeth Cambers, Megan […]
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In this week’s “best of” our YouTube channel, we discuss why people look more attractive when you’re drinking, why lead used to be added to paint, why zombies eat brains, why some Asian countries use chopsticks instead of more common eating utensils, and how much caffeine it would take to kill you. Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel […]
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Becky R. asks: Why do they use 21 guns in the 21 gun salute? The 21-gun salute that we know today has its roots in the ancient tradition of warriors demonstrating their peaceful intentions by resting the point of their weapons on the ground. The notion of making a soldier’s weapons useless to show that he came in peace continued […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The “Witch of Wall Street” Long before the likes of Warren Buffet, Hetty Green dominated Wall Street through extremely shrewd investing, frugality, and exploiting the lax investment rules of her age, managing to amass one of the greatest fortunes in history. Hetty, […]
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It wouldn’t be until the late 1800s when toilet paper would be first introduced in America and England and it wasn’t until the 1900s, around the same time the indoor toilet became common, that toilet paper would catch on with the masses. So what did people use before toilet paper? This depended greatly on region, personal preference, and wealth. Rich […]
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