What are Smelling Salts?

David A. asks: What exactly are smelling salts? Do they really work to wake up unconscious people? Smelling salts have been used for everything, from reviving those who have fainted to athletes needing a chemically-induced “wake up.” But what are smelling salts? Are they actually an effective medical treatment? How do they work? Are they toxic and dangerous? Smelling salts […]

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Podcast Episode #319: An Epidemic

In this episode, you’re going to learn about a terrifying disease that swept across the world, directly after the even more terrifying Spanish Flu Pandemic, resulting in over a million people dead and many of the survivors being left without the will to move or really express themselves in any way. You’re also going to learn what researchers think caused […]

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Podcast Episode #318: The Paperclip

In this episode, you’re going to learn about the origin of the humble paperclip and how the commonly touted creator, even listed as such in many encyclopedias, actually had nothing to do with it. [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

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This Day in History: January 14th- Dr. Bennett and His Wife

This Day In History: January 14, 1794 On January 14, 1794, Dr. Jesse Bennett’s wife, Elizabeth, was suffering through a very difficult labor with their first child. Dr. Humphrey, her attending physician, determined the only options left after a forceps delivery failed were a cesarean section on Elizabeth or a craniotomy on the infant (removing part of the skull temporarily). […]

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What Do Cockroaches Eat and Where Do They Live When There are No Houses Around?

Soshi K. asks: What do cockroaches eat and where do they live when not in our houses? Sneaky and skittering, invasive and indomitable, the disgusting peridomestic cockroach is a formidable enemy for anyone unlucky enough to live among them. Interestingly, however, they are surprisingly delicate, and at least one species is utterly dependent on humans for its survival. Of the […]

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Why is it Called Area 51?

Michael S. asks: Why is it called Area “51”? Where are the other 50 areas? Despite the CIA’s release of previously classified documents in 2013 that acknowledged the existence of Area 51 as a top-secret U.S. government research facility, many questions about the site remain unanswered. One of the most innocuous, but nonetheless puzzling, is its choice of name. Although […]

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Is It Possible to Breastfeed with Implants?

Brandy R. asks: Is it possible to breastfeed after getting a boob-job? Given the well-documented benefits of breastfeeding to the long- and short- term health of children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusively breastfeeding infants for at least the first six months, and continuing to nurse, along with giving supplemental foods, throughout the first year of life. In […]

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The Origin of the Oreo Cookie

Harry K. asks: Who invented the Oreo cookie? In 1890, a group of eight large New York City bakeries combined to form the New York Biscuit Company and built a giant six-story factory in West Chelsea. Eight years later, they merged with their competitor, Chicago’s American Biscuit and Manufacturing to form an even larger conglomerate – the National Biscuit Company, […]

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