10 Amazing History Stories (Part-2)
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Read moreMonthly Archives: October 2012
Alcohol Does Not Help Prevent Hypothermia, It Actually Makes It More Likely
Myth: drinking alcohol warms your body and can be used to prevent hypothermia. In fact, drinking alcohol helps lower the core temperature of your body. This myth likely got its start thanks to the fact that drinking alcoholic beverages will make you feel warmer as your blood/alcohol level rises. As the Director of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Iowa, […]
Read moreWho Invented the Emoticon?
This is a guest post contributed by Nissi Unger “Emoticons,” short for “emotive Icons,” (emotive meaning “appealing to or expression emotion” hence “icons that express emotions”) have been around in vertical form for some time. However, sideways emoticons seem to be a surprisingly recent invention, going back just about three decades. “B4” the days of LOL and apps to aid […]
Read more13 Quick Amazing Universe Facts
Note: This is a guest post contributed by List25.com. Venus’s day is longer than its year. Venus completes an entire orbit around the Sun before it manages to turn on its axis once. For reference, in Venusian time, World War II ended only 56 days ago. All the stars, galaxies, and black holes in the universe only comprise about 5% […]
Read moreSite Maintenance / Server Upgrade
I’m doing a little website maintenance this weekend, moving Today I Found Out to a more powerful server as the traffic to the site has grown beyond my old dedicated server’s capacity to serve without increased page load times, especially when there are large random surges of traffic *stares accusingly at reddit*. Even when not getting big surges, though, the […]
Read moreSteve Jobs’ First Business was Selling Blue Boxes that Allowed Users to Get Free Phone Service Illegally
Today I found out Steve Jobs’ first business was selling “blue boxes” that allowed users to get free phone service illegally. These boxes were designed in 1972 by Jobs’ close friend and future co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak. The idea to sell them was supposedly Jobs’. The two learned about blue boxes from famed “phreaker” (phone freak/hacker) John “Cap’n Crunch” […]
Read moreWhy Did People Once Think the Moon was Made Out of Cheese?
Ron asks: Why did people think the Moon was made out of green cheese? Because it was formed in the Milky Way… *crickets* In fact, nobody really ever thought the Moon was made of green cheese… Well, there are nutters out there, so it’s possible that there was at least one person who thought the Moon was made of cheese, […]
Read moreToday I Found Out Email Subscription Contest Winners
The first Today I found out email subscription contest ended October 1st. (If you haven’t already, you can subscribe here to be a part of future contests and get free interesting articles every morning in your inbox.) I’m still waiting to hear back from the two runner up winners ($50 VISA gift card going to both, so check your email […]
Read more10 Common Misconceptions Dispelled Part 6
Embed This Infographic Source: Today I Found Out More Common Misconceptions Dispelled 10 Common Misconceptions Dispelled Part 1 10 Common Misconceptions Dispelled Part 2 10 Common Misconceptions Dispelled Part 3 10 Common Misconceptions Dispelled Part 4 10 Common Misconceptions Dispelled Part 5
Read moreWhy are Carved Pumpkins Called “Jack O’ Lanterns”?
Scott T. asks: Why are carved pumpkins called “Jack O’ Lanterns”? The name “Jack O’ Lantern” was originally one of the numerous names given to ignis fatuus (Medieval Latin for “foolish fire”), another of which is “Will O’ the Wisps”, basically the odd light that can occasionally be seen over marshes, swamps, and the like. (See: What Causes Will O’ […]
Read moreHow the Marx Brothers Got Their Nicknames
Today I found out four of the five Marx brothers got their nicknames during a poker game. The famed Marx family comedy act was made up of Julius, Adolph, Leonard, Milton, and Herbert Marx. But to all of us who know and love this delightful comedy group, we know these five characters better as Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Gummo, and Zeppo […]
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