Today I found out the origins of the names of the historic counties of Wales and Northern Ireland. WALES Anglesey Anglesey is believed to be a Viking place name. The Vikings denoted islands with the suffix “ey.” The best bet is that Anglesey started out as “Ongl’s Ey,” but no one knows who Ongl might have been. Brecknockshire Brecknockshire, as […]
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Shawn asks: Do cow farts really significantly contribute to global warming? There are currently approximately 1.3 to 1.5 billion cows grazing, sleeping, and chewing their cud at any given time on planet Earth. And these 1,300 pound (average weight for both a beef and dairy cow) animals eat a lot. Much like humans, when they eat, gas builds up inside […]
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Today in History: April 11, 1931 Dorothy Parker was a writer, poet and satirist whose quick turns of phrase made her a favorite among many prominent Jazz Age newspaper columnists. Along with Robert Benchley and Robert E. Sherwood, she was a founder of the legendary Algonquin Round Table, named in homage to the hotel where they met daily for lunch […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn where Caesar Salad came from and why it’s called that. You’re also going to learn why salt enhances flavor, as well as why salad is named that. 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 […]
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Today I found out the origins of the names of the Canadian provinces and territories. Alberta Princess Louise Carolina Alberta gave her name to this province when it was made a district in 1882 (later to become a province in 1905). Not only was she the daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, but she was also married to Lord […]
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Sue T. asks: My sister told me Sherlock Holmes was based on a real person. Is this true? In 1887, Doyle published the novel “A Study in Scarlet.” It was the first work to star Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. It was also the first record of a magnifying glass being used as a tool of investigation. “A Study in […]
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Today in History: April 10, 1834 On the evening on April 10, 1834, a fire broke out in an elegant three-story mansion in New Orleans’ French Quarter. The rescuers found a slave woman chained in the kitchen, who admitted to deliberately setting the blaze. She felt it was worth the risk of dying in a fire to escape further torture […]
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In this episode, you’re going to find out the somewhat stomach turning thing Worcestershire sauce is made of and when and how the sauce came about. You’re also going to learn why red meat turns brown when cooked. 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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The date was April 3, 1919. The location was the South Side Pavilion in sunny Jacksonville, Florida. The occasion was a much-hyped competition of gastronomical strength between Ping Bodie, the five foot eight and 190 pound New York Yankee outfielder, versus the “world’s greatest eater,” an ostrich named Percy. They were to engage in a spaghetti-eating contest to determine, once […]
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Continuing our jaunt around the English speaking parts of the globe looking at the origins of the names of major places: today I found out the origins of the names of the historic Scottish counties. Aberdeenshire The prefix aber means “the meeting of,” and usually represents a river flowing through the area. In Aberdeen’s case, it means “the meeting of […]
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Our resident medical expert, Scott, and a buddy of his recently started The Medicine Journal, where you can learn all sorts of interesting facts about all things medical related. Below is a sample article from their site. Vaporizing, and then inhaling alcohol has gained a lot of attention lately. In the 1950s it was introduced as a treatment for excessive […]
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Today in History: April 9, 1970 Paul McCartney’s announcement on April 9, 1970 that he would no longer be recording or performing with the Beatles was disheartening, but hardly surprising. Unable to agree on what direction the band should take, the four musicians had been pouring their creativity into solo projects. There were also arguments over who should manage the […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about Eric Clapton’s somewhat unique relationship with his mother and how the name for a certain genre of music came to be called “Rock ‘n’ Roll.” [TRANSCRIPT: Clapton | Rock ‘n’ Roll] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: […]
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Another great video from our friends over at TheMedicineJournal. Check out their YouTube Channel here for more interesting videos. If you liked this video, you might also enjoy: How the Human Body Creates Electricity Why Superheroes Wear Their Underwear on the Outside How Testosterone Affects Hair Growth Does Cauterizing A Wound Really Work? The Interesting Origins of the Words “Geek” […]
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Today I found out the origins of the names of England’s historic counties. Bedfordshire Bedfordshire is likely named after Beda, a Saxon chief who settled on River Great Ouse, which runs through the county. The settlement probably started as something like “Beda’s Ford” which was then shortened to Bedford. Berkshire When it was founded, Berkshire was Bearrocscir. Bearroc is thought […]
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Today I found out about the origins of the names of the Australian states and territories (and their capitals). Australian Capital Territory As you can probably imagine, this territory houses the capital of Australia, Canberra. Not very imaginatively named, the territory was a matter of debate for some time after Australia became a federation in 1901. At the time, Melbourne, […]
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Today I found out that camels were acquired by the United States military and played a role in the settlement of the American west. Camels are no strangers to war. They have been used in the Middle East for centuries. However, they aren’t exactly the creatures you think about when you think “U.S. Army.” In 1836, George Crosman, a U.S. […]
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Today in History: April 8, 1994 On April 8, 1994 Kurt Cobain, the reluctant messiah of the “grunge” phenomenon that dominated rock music in the early 1990s, was found dead from an apparent suicide at his home in Seattle, WA. The 27-year-old Cobain, leader of the wildly popular and influential band Nirvana, died from a single shotgun blast to the […]
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