This Day In History: August 4, 1892 Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks; When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one. Most people know this rhyme about Lizzie Borden, but far fewer know the fact that she was acquitted of any crime. (The “whack” count is also over-stated, but we’ll get […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. Why Does Chemotherapy Make Your Hair Fall Out? Most cells in the human body divide using a process called mitosis. This process has 5 phases (prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telephase). It is preceded by interphase, and results in the cell dividing, […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn what the song the “Purple People Eater” and arguably the most famous scream of all time, used in over 200 major motion pictures (the Wilhelm Scream), have in common. [TRANSCRIPT] As mentioned in the episode, if you’re interested in getting your phone to do the Wilhelm Scream anytime it’s tossed, you can get […]
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Kerry asks: Who invented tequila? I was also wondering if they really put worms in it? Although tequila dates back only a few hundred years, people have long used the heart of the agave plant to make delicious, alcoholic beverages. Maguey (Agave) Cultivated from at least as early as 200 A.D. by the Zapotecs of the Oaxaca Valley of southern […]
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A neurobiological disorder that causes its sufferers to make uncontrolled sounds and movements, the symptoms of Tourette syndrome (not Tourette’s) can be so mild that many people who have the condition are not even aware of it. What is Tourette? Like many other psychological conditions, the syndrome is diagnosed after several symptoms have been observed, and they include: At least […]
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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 […]
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This Day In History: August 1, 1981 “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” These were among the first words spoken when MTV, or Music Television, debuted on the airwaves at 12:01 a.m. on August 1, 1981. The first video played by the fledgling channel described the effect MTV would have on the music industry accurately and succinctly – “Video Killed […]
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In this episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn about the curious phenomenon known as “stone babies,” and particularly a woman who carried one of this in her body for over six decades. [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 is a video from CGP Grey. If you’re a fan of TodayIFoundOut, I guarantee you’re going to love his YouTube channel, unless you just hate videos that is. (He also has a good podcast, Hello Internet, with fellow famous YouTuber Brady Haran. The two have a really great dynamic in the show and it’s a great listen when driving […]
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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 […]
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This Day In History: July 31, 1975 Controversial Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa was reported missing on July 31, 1975 after vanishing from a restaurant parking lot in Detroit, Michigan the previous day. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance still remain a mystery and have made Hoffa a permanent fixture of American folklore. Jimmy Hoffa showed exceptional leadership skills from a very […]
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In this episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn when people started smiling in photographs and the truth about why they didn’t before. [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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Marcus asks: Why do songs get stuck in your head? Whether yours is “Call Me Maybe,” “Who Let the Dogs Out,” “Mickey,” or something equally infectious, at one time or another, you’ve probably had a fragment from a catchy (or obnoxious) tune stuck in your head. Where Do Sticky Songs Come From? Due to the involuntary nature of songs getting […]
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Julie H. asks: How do fingerprints form? I’d also like to know if you burn or remove the skin will they regenerate? Emerging on the buds of fingers while the fetus is still in the womb, the whorls, arches and loops on the ends of digits are said to be unique to each individual. Durable as well, even when fingerprints […]
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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 […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn what actually happened to the famed library of Alexandria. [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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Despite ethnic, religious, regional and political differences, every now and then people are able to set aside disagreements, look to their common humanity, and make the world a better place. Perhaps one of the greatest and most inspiring examples of such global cooperation has been the eradication of smallpox. The Disease Caused by either of two related viruses, Variola major […]
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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 […]
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