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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 kangaroo standing upright in the Australian bushAmazing AnimalsKangaroos Are Built to Go One Way. Australia Even Put That on Its Coat of ArmsA dark bedroom at night with a glowing bedside clockThe Human BodyA Teen Stayed Awake for 11 Straight Days. Researchers Wrote Down EverythingIllustration of a vintage bowling laneHistory's OdditiesThe White House Has Had Its Own Bowling Lanes for Decades. Two Presidents Are Behind ItA field of young green sunflowers with their buds all turned toward the bright morning sunSpace & the SkyYoung Sunflowers Chase the Sun All Day. Grown-Up Ones Quietly Stop and Face One Way
Illustration of a rough, branching glassy tube lying partly buried in pale sandEarth, Nature & the OceanLightning Can Leave Something Behind in the Sand. People Call It Fossilized LightningIllustration of bright yellow lemon slices on a wooden cutting boardFood & Kitchen SecretsOne Bite of Lemon Scrunches Your Whole Face. Two Separate Tricks Are at Work
An antique toothbrush with a bone handle and natural bristlesInventions & Everyday ThingsFor Centuries, People Brushed Their Teeth With Hog Bristles From SiberiaIllustration of narrow blue-painted alleys and doorways in a Moroccan mountain townStrange Places & GeographyMorocco's Famous Blue City Is a Stunner. Nobody Agrees Why It Was Painted That Way
Illustration of a smiling grandmother hugging her young grandchildEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Apple in Apple of My Eye Was Never a Fruit. It's Something You're Using Right NowIllustration of an American robin pulling a worm from a lawnAmazing AnimalsThe First Robin of Spring Is Following an Invisible Line Across the MapIllustration of a cozy bathtub surrounded by glowing candles and a folded towelThe Human BodyA Warm Bath Before Bed Works Like Magic. The Real Trick Happens After You Get OutIllustration of a meatpacker standing beside wooden barrels stamped U.S.History's OdditiesThe Real Uncle Sam Didn't Wear a Top Hat. He Stamped Barrels for the Army
Illustration of the Sun's glowing surfaceSpace & the SkyEvery Second, the Sun Turns About 4 Million Tons of Itself Into Pure EnergyIllustration of a globe with sound wavesEarth, Nature & the OceanThe Whole Planet Is Quietly Humming Right Now, and the Ocean Is Behind ItMarshmallows toasting on sticks over a glowing campfire at nightFood & Kitchen SecretsThe S'more Got Its Name From What Kids Kept Asking For Around the CampfireIllustration of clean white plates and glasses lined up in a dishwasher rackInventions & Everyday ThingsThat Little Dishwasher-Safe Icon Under Your Plate Is Warning You About Something Specific
Illustration of a dark green pine forest seen from above, with a patch of yellow autumn trees forming a geometric patternStrange Places & GeographyFor Decades, a German Pine Forest Hid a Secret That Could Only Be Seen From the AirIllustration of a hand turning the hands of a clock forward by one hourEveryday Science & Curious CustomsMost People Think Daylight Saving Time Was Made for Farmers. Farmers Actually Fought ItA dark anglerfish with a glowing lure hanging in front of its toothy mouth in black waterAmazing AnimalsThe Anglerfish's Glowing Lure Isn't Powered by the Fish Itself. Something Else Lights ItIllustration of a person reading a book late at night by the glow of a table lampThe Human BodySome People Come Alive at Midnight. Part of the Reason May Be in Their Genes
Illustration of an old-fashioned pharmacy soda fountain with glass bottles and a marble counterHistory's OdditiesCoca-Cola Started Out at a Drugstore Counter, Sold for 5 Cents as a Cure-AllIllustration of planet Earth in space with a slight bulge around the equatorSpace & the SkyMount Everest Isn't the Spot Farthest From Earth's Center. A Volcano in Ecuador IsThe Nile River winding through golden desert with a strip of green farmland along its banksEarth, Nature & the OceanThe Nile Is Called the World's Longest River. Brazil Has Been Arguing OtherwiseIllustration of scattered rice grains on old stone church steps after a weddingFood & Kitchen SecretsGuests Showered Newlyweds With Rice for Generations. Then a Bird Myth Changed Everything