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Curious Facts

1007 surprising, true stories about animals, history, space, food and the everyday things around us. Each one checked against trusted sources.

Illustration of a large dog leaning against a person's legs on a front porchAmazing AnimalsWhen a Big Dog Leans Its Whole Weight Against You, It May Be Telling You SomethingIllustration of a person mid-sneeze in a gardenThe Human BodyYour Eyes Slam Shut Every Time You Sneeze. It Turns Out They Don't Have ToIllustration of a 1904 World's Fair stall selling waffles and ice creamHistory's OdditiesThe 1904 World's Fair Made Ice Cream Cones Famous. It Didn't Invent ThemIllustration of an old paper calendar with February 29 circled in redSpace & the SkyFebruary 29 Exists Because Earth Runs a Little Late Every Year. The Fix Took Centuries
Illustration of a field of colorful wildflowers with bees flying between themEarth, Nature & the OceanMany Flowers Carry Secret Patterns That Human Eyes Can't See. Bees CanIllustration of a beekeeper holding up a wooden frame dripping with golden honeycombFood & Kitchen SecretsHoney Is Famous as the Only Food Insects Make for Us. The List Is Actually Longer
Illustration of several sheets of sandpaper in different grits resting on a wooden workbenchInventions & Everyday ThingsSandpaper Got Its Name for a Reason. On Most Modern Sheets, the Sand Is GoneLarge stone moai statues standing on a grassy slope of Easter IslandStrange Places & GeographyThey're Famous as Easter Island's Giant Stone Heads. Dig a Little and You Find Bodies
A curious tabby cat peeking out of an old burlap sackEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Let the Cat Out of the Bag" May Come From an Old Market Scam Involving PigletsIllustration of a corn snake flicking its forked tongue on a tree branchAmazing AnimalsA Snake Flicks Its Tongue for a Reason, and It Has Nothing to Do With Tasting YouA passenger in a car looking out the window at a winding country roadThe Human BodyCarsickness Starts With a Mix-Up Inside Your Head. Drivers Rarely Feel It for a ReasonInflatable tanks parked in a field, drawn in a vintage wartime styleHistory's OdditiesIn World War II, a Unit of Artists Went to War With Inflatable Tanks. It Worked
Illustration of a damaged Apollo spacecraft drifting through space near the MoonSpace & the SkyAn Explosion Crippled Their Spaceship Near the Moon. Duct Tape Helped Get Them HomeIllustration of a single acacia tree standing alone in a vast sandy desertEarth, Nature & the OceanFor Decades, One Tree Stood Alone in the Sahara. Then It Met an Unlikely EnemyIllustration of a classic diner hamburgerFood & Kitchen SecretsSeveral Americans Swore They Invented the Hamburger. The Truth Is Still Up for GrabsIllustration of a 1940s family gathered around a large wooden radio in their living roomInventions & Everyday ThingsBefore TV, Families Gathered Around One Box Every Evening. It Changed American Life
Illustration of two shades of blue ocean water meeting in a visible line off a sandy pointStrange Places & GeographyTwo Seas Meet in a Sharp Line You Can See From the Beach. But the Mystery Isn't RealIllustration of a chocolate bar next to a box of tissuesEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSome People Sneeze When They Step Into Sunshine. Others After a Big DinnerIllustration of a rooster crowing on a wooden fence at sunriseAmazing AnimalsRoosters Greet the Dawn Right on Schedule. Who Gets to Crow First Is No AccidentIllustration of a plate with half a meal and a napkinThe Human BodyThat Moment You Push Your Plate Away Is a Message Your Stomach Sends to Your Brain
Illustration of a vintage square board game laid out on a wooden tableHistory's OdditiesThe Real Inventor of Monopoly Was a Woman, and Her Game Had the Opposite MessageIllustration of an astronaut in a cramped 1960s space capsule holding a small harmonicaSpace & the SkyTwo Astronauts Reported a Strange Object in Orbit. Then Mission Control Heard MusicIllustration of snowy mountain peaks glowing pink at dawnEarth, Nature & the OceanThe Top of Mount Everest Was Once Under the Sea. A Slow-Motion Crash Lifted It UpAn airline meal tray with a covered entree and small sides on a seat-back table beside a windowFood & Kitchen SecretsAirline Food Isn't Always the Problem. At 35,000 Feet, Your Taste Buds Change