{"id":33871,"date":"2014-06-21T00:00:44","date_gmt":"2014-06-21T07:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=33871"},"modified":"2014-06-20T17:18:47","modified_gmt":"2014-06-21T00:18:47","slug":"weekly-wrap-volume-44","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2014\/06\/weekly-wrap-volume-44\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Wrap Volume 44"},"content":{"rendered":"
This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here<\/a>.<\/div>\n

\"sunrise\"<\/a>The Curious Case of Sun Sneezing<\/a><\/p>\n

Have you ever been in a dark place, say a movie theatre or a room with all the blinds close, and walked outside into the daylight when, all of a sudden, you begin to sneeze uncontrollably? You had no runny nose or desire to sneeze prior to this exposure to sunlight, but you just can\u2019t help that big achoo? If you answered yes, then you are part of the twenty to thirty five percent of the human population that are \u201cvictims\u201d of this not highly understood phenomenon, known as the \u201cphotic sneeze reflex\u201d or a \u201csolar sneeze.\u201d Why do certain people have solar sneezes? How does it work? Only in the past few years have scientists begun to understand this rather odd trait. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle in 350 BC asked the question… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"ECG-340x236\"<\/a>Hollywood Medical Myth: Shocking Someone Who Has \u201cFlat-Lined\u201d Can Get Their Heart Going Again<\/a><\/p>\n

It never fails. You\u2019re watching television and someone is circling the drain, in the toilet that is their life. The noise from the heart monitor affirms they\u2019re still alive, with its consistent, rhythmic beeps. All of the sudden, alarms start going off. On the monitor- the dreaded \u201cflat-line\u201d. Doctors begin rushing in. One of them always seems to yell, \u201cHand me the paddles; we\u2019re losing him!\u201d The machine is charged, and miraculously the heart is shocked back to life, saving the day! (But only after a suitably dramatic number of zaps and someone inevitably shouting \u201cLIVE… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"sleepwalking\"<\/a>Sleepwalking Murders<\/a><\/p>\n

Anyone who has ever tried to reason with a sleepwalker knows they can seem to be awake, yet have bizarre and irrational behaviors. Stubborn during the best of episodes, and inconsolable, unreasonable and intense in the worst, it is not hard to imagine these walking dreamers acting out nightmares, and unintentionally turning violent. In fact, the sleepwalker\u2019s lack of intent has been used successfully as a defense in several shocking murder trials over the years. Arising during deep sleep, sufferers can perform even complex tasks, and some have been known to leave their homes and… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"graduates\"<\/a>Why Graduates Wear Caps and Gowns<\/a><\/p>\n

Wearing academic robes is a tradition that dates back to at least the 12th century, around the time when the first universities were being founded in Europe. During this time, most scholars were also clerics or aspiring clerics, and excess in apparel was not encouraged. As such, in the beginning it is thought that there was little difference between what the academics were wearing and the laity, excepting that the academics and clergy tended to wear very plainly colored garb. Beyond that, the clothing was simply practical. When the universities were originally formed, they had no official buildings of their own to hold lectures in, so classes typically gathered in nearby churches. Their simple robes… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"coupons-340x353\"<\/a>Why Coupons Sometimes Say They are Worth a Fraction of a Penny<\/a><\/p>\n

Depending on where you live, you may have noticed that coupons have small print stating they are worth some fraction of a penny, usually something like 1\/100th or 1\/20th of a penny. In truth, the coupons really are worth this and if you wanted, you could redeem them for their cash value. Of course, you\u2019d need a large quantity of them to even reach a penny\u2019s worth. This goes up even more if you\u2019re interested in making a profit as you\u2019ll often need to mail the coupons in to redeem the value, depending on the company issuing the coupon. So why are they worth anything at all? This stems back to the days of trading stamp collecting. For those not familiar, the trading stamp system was a fairly brilliant customer loyalty program used by various businesses starting around the 1890s in the United States and later spreading to other countries. In exchange… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Bonus<\/span> Quick Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n