Eleven thousand years ago, one saucy canine got busy and, as can happen with unprotected sex, gave its partner a venereal disease, although uniquely, this VD was cancerous. Over the course of the intervening millennia, that second dog, its partners, and its partners’ partners, all did what dogs eventually do, each spreading the disease, which has continued to retain some […]
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Today in History: April 28 , 1967 On April 28, 1967, Muhammad Ali, the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, refused to be inducted into the armed services after receiving his draft notice. He was charged with draft evasion and faced prison if convicted. Ali, who was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on January 14, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, claimed exception from […]
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In this weekend why episode, you’re going to learn why crackers have holes, and it turns out there is a really good reason. 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 Whys episode, you’re going to learn how Ferris Wheels came about and why they are called that. [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 weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. Was Colonel Sanders Actually a Colonel? Kentucky Colonel is the highest honor that can be bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. (Incidentally, if you’re curious: Why Colonel is Pronounced “Kernel”) To be named a “Colonel” is to be recognized for “outstanding service […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn what causes a hangover, why asparagus makes your pee smell, and methods for preventing a hangover. [TRANSCRIPT] This episode is brought to you by NatureBox, a subscription service for nutritious snacks, with new snacks introduced every month made from wholesome ingredients. NatureBox is currently extending a special discount for all our podcast listeners […]
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Today I found out the origins of the words “kitty-corner,” “catawampus,” and other “cat” words. The word “kitty-corner” has many different variations: catty-corner, caddy-corner, cat-a-corner, or kit-a-corner. They all mean the same thing: something that is directionally diagonal from a certain point. Interestingly, despite all of the “cats” and “kits,” the word has nothing to do with domesticated felines. Rather, […]
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Ian K. asks: Why are students called freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors? Rather than referring to a student’s year of study, in U.S. high schools and colleges, first year students are freshmen, second years are sophomores, third year students are juniors, and the most experienced are seniors. Yet although this practice seems uniquely American, its origins date back several centuries […]
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Skyrunner asks: Where do insects disappear to in the winter time? As ectothermic or so-called “cold-blooded” creatures, insects are particularly susceptible to winter’s freezing temperatures. To survive, this class of life form has developed a wide variety of adaptations in order to keep on keeping on. To begin with, perhaps the best-known tactic is simple migration, with the best known […]
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Today in History: April 25, 1792 At 3:30 p.m. on April 25, 1792, a robber and killer named Nicolas Pelletier was led to the scaffolding in the Place de Grave, where public executions were performed during the reign of Louis XV. Plentiful national guardsmen were on the scene to preserve order. The authorities were concerned that the crowd for this […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn how scars form and why the skin doesn’t simply heal without blemish, as well as why paper cuts hurt so much. This episode is brought to you by NatureBox, a subscription service for nutritious snacks, with new snacks introduced every month made from wholesome ingredients. NatureBox is currently extending a special discount for […]
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Today I found out the origin of the phrase “jump on the bandwagon.” For those not familiar, when you jump on the bandwagon, it means you begin supporting a hobby, idea, person, etc. after it has become popular or successful. The word “bandwagon” is the rather unimaginative name for a wagon that carried a circus band. It first appeared in […]
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For centuries, before refrigeration, an old Russian practice was to drop a frog into a bucket of milk to keep the milk from spoiling. In modern times, many believed that this was nothing more than an old wives’ tale. But researchers at Moscow State University, led by organic chemist Dr. Albert Lebedev, have shown that there could be some benefit […]
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Mindy N. asks: After a long run my leg muscles are tired, but my heart is not. Why doesn’t the heart need any rest? An average of around 60 to 100 times every minute of every day of every year of your ultimately meaningless life, your heart beats… until it doesn’t. Not long after it stops, all knowledge of your […]
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Today in History: April 24, 1479 BCE Tradition holds that by our modern calendar, on April 24, 1479 B.C.E the Trojans learned they should beware of Greeks bearing gifts, especially when they come in the form of large wooden horses. The story goes that after ten long years of warfare, the Greeks, unable to break through the city of Troy’s […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn whether or not handling baby birds will really cause the parent birds to reject it. You’re also going to learn just why one rotten apple can spoil an entire bunch rapidly. This episode is brought to you by NatureBox, a subscription service for nutritious snacks, with new snacks introduced every month made from […]
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Jan Zizka (aka Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha) is regarded as one of the single finest military minds in world history. He also had his skin turned into a drum. Before we get to his death, though, we want to discuss Zizka’s life, because well, frankly it was remarkable. For starters, Zizka, born in 1360, is generally considered to […]
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Remember that scene in the movie Trading Places where Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd bankrupted those two old rich guys by cornering the frozen orange juice market? It turns out that a guy actually once did make many millions of dollars by doing pretty much exactly as they did in the movie, only instead of orange juice, he bought onions… […]
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