This Day In History: June 5, 1968 The United States in 1968 was a country torn by violence and divided by a political chasm so wide and bitter that any positive, unifying force seemed unimaginable. Then an infectiously optimistic young Senator galvanized even the most disenfranchised among us with his vision of what America should, could, and would be under […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the little girl who named the dwarf planet of Pluto and how she came up with the name. You’re also going to learn why it is that movie advertisement clips that are often shown before movies are commonly called “trailers.” [TRANSCRIPT] *If you, like so many, are fed up with buying expensive […]
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Brian T. asks: Where do the Gypsies originally come from? They do not have a shared homeland or national identity. They are a people who are scattered across the globe and whose origins have always been shrouded in myth and mystery (among other reasons because they have kept no written records of their early history). Many saw them (and continue […]
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Today I found out what makes a boomerang come back. Non-returning boomerangs have been used for at least 20,000-30,000 years, with the oldest known example carved from a mammoth’s tusk. These non-returning boomerangs were used for hunting and were carved for straight flight and to stay in the air as long as possible when thrown correctly. The hunter was then […]
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This Day In History: June 4, 1912 The state of Massachusetts enacted the nation’s first minimum wage law on June 4, 1912. The law only protected women and children, but since these groups were the ones most often exploited by unscrupulous employers (relatively speaking), it made a huge difference to those toiling in sweat shops six days a week for […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the short, bearded, gray haired man who inspired the Beatles’ famous song, Sexy Sadie. [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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Bonus Fact From the Archives: Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double through the first six Harry Potter films, David Holmes, was paralyzed from the waist down during the sixth film while practicing a flying scene that included an explosion. The actress who played Moaning Myrtle, Shirley Henderson, was 37 years old at the time Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was […]
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This is a video from the very talented Brady Haran who, among other channels, produces phenomenal videos such as this one over at Numberphile, which you can subscribe to here. You can also follow Brady on Twitter here. If you liked this video, you might also enjoy: The Interesting Origins of the Words “Geek” and “Nerd” Why Superheroes Wear Their […]
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This is yet another great article from our friends over at The Medicine Journal Migraines are one of four types of primary headaches, and they come in two forms, those with an aura and those without. The other three primary headaches are tension headaches, cluster headaches and, the catch-all type known as, other primary headaches. These include things like exercise […]
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Candie asks: How is the Pope chosen? When a pope goes to his eternal reward or otherwise retires, there are certain traditions that are dusted off each time to elect his successor. Only the British royal family can rival the Vatican when it comes to (seemingly) ancient and elaborate rituals, so you know it’s going to be a big production. […]
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This Day In History: June 3, 1937 June 3, 1937 was the day that the British Royal family had desperately hoped would never come. For it was on that day that the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, took Wallis Warfield Simpson as his wife during a private civil ceremony in France. Prince Edward, or David as the Duke […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about a remarkable nineteenth century woman, Nellie Bly, and her undercover adventure in an insane asylum. [TRANSCRIPT] You can read more about Nellie Bly’s adventures in her own words: The Complete Works of Nellie Bly: Ten Days in a Mad-House, Around the World in Seventy-Two Days, The Mystery of Central Park, and Six […]
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K. Jones asks: Where does the symbol “Rx” come from? The phenomenon of ubiquitous prescription drugs (retail sales in recent years have topped $200 billion in the U.S. alone) is a relatively new experience in human history. However, its common abbreviation, ℞, has deep roots in the relatively distant (and some even claim ancient) past. Recipe for Wellness While there […]
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Kaiden asks: What causes the dark circles under my eyes when I’m tired? It is often claimed that periorbital dark circles are caused by tiredness or working too hard or even just staying up late. While this can be true, the truth is that your genes play a huge role here. So what exactly is happening when you get dark […]
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Today in History: June 2, 455 Rome was already taking its last breaths when the Vandals came to town on June 2, 455 C.E. and began the sacking of the dying city, something the Vandals proved to be very good at across the Western Empire: crush floundering cities and kingdoms into complete oblivion. And under Gaiseric’s very capable rule, they […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn why your eyes water when you’re cutting onions. [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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In this weekend why episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn about the evolution of the word “gay” and how it came to be applied to people who are homosexual. 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 weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. What Causes the Smell After Rain There are three primary sources of smells that commonly occur after rain. The first, the “clean” smell, in particular after a heavy thunderstorm, is caused by ozone. Ozone (scientifically known as trioxygen due to the fact […]
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