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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 gray city pigeon walking along a sunny sidewalk mid-strideAmazing AnimalsScientists Put Pigeons on a Treadmill. Their Famous Head Bob Simply StoppedIllustration of an old glass thermometer resting on a wooden nightstandThe Human BodyDoctors Have Quoted 98.6 Degrees for Over 150 Years. Newer Studies Tell a Different StoryIllustration of an old handwritten manuscript with drawings of strange plants and unknown writingHistory's OdditiesTop Codebreakers From Two World Wars Tried to Read This Old Book. All of Them FailedA bright full Moon shining over a northern pine forest on one side and an Australian desert on the otherSpace & the SkyTravel to Australia and the Moon Looks Strangely Different. It's the Same Moon
Illustration of honey bees visiting pink and white blossoms on a flowering apple tree in springEarth, Nature & the OceanBees Don't Actually Keep Plants Alive. What They Really Do Matters Even MoreIllustration of golden roasted Brussels sprouts in a cast-iron panFood & Kitchen SecretsIf You Hated Brussels Sprouts as a Kid, You May Have Been Eating a Different Vegetable
Illustration of the black and white keys of a grand piano keyboard in warm lightInventions & Everyday ThingsMozart's Piano Had Far Fewer Keys Than Yours, and Composers Kept Begging for MoreIllustration of a green tunnel of trees over railway tracksStrange Places & GeographyIn a Quiet Corner of Ukraine, a Working Railway Runs Through a Living Tunnel of Trees
Illustration of a cheerful crowd watching a big clock strike midnight under falling confettiEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWe Count Down to Midnight Every New Year's Eve. The Habit Traces Back to Ancient RomeIllustration of a rabbit leaping over a small garden fenceAmazing AnimalsA Pet Rabbit Cleared a Bar Taller Than a Garden Fence. The Record Is RealIllustration of a pair of kidneys drawn in a soft anatomical styleThe Human BodyYou Can Live a Normal Life With One Kidney. So Why Were You Born With Two?Illustration of a squirrel on a power lineHistory's OdditiesOne Small Squirrel Knocked Out Power to the Nasdaq and Disrupted 20 Million Trades
Illustration of Earth in space with the Moon and a tiny rocky second moon nearbySpace & the SkyHeadlines Said Earth Got a Second Moon. The Real Story Is Smaller and Far StrangerIllustration of stalactites hanging in a softly lit caveEarth, Nature & the OceanEvery Cave Stalactite Started as a Single Drop of Water. Then Came Centuries of PatienceIllustration of a frosty glass mug of root beer with a thick foamy headFood & Kitchen SecretsRoot Beer Was Once Brewed From Tree Bark, and Its Famous Promoter Wanted a Different NameIllustration of a vintage reel push mower on a freshly cut green lawnInventions & Everyday ThingsA Machine From a Cloth Mill Inspired the Lawn Mower. It Ended Up Reshaping the Suburbs
Dozens of small rocky islands scattered across a calm blue northern seaStrange Places & GeographyThe Country With the Most Islands Isn't a Tropical Paradise. It's in Chilly ScandinaviaIllustration of a classic whistling kettle steaming on a stovetop burnerEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYour Tea Kettle's Whistle Comes From Tiny Spinning Rings of Steam You Can't SeeA sloth hanging from a tree branch above a calm jungle riverAmazing AnimalsThe Famously Slow Sloth Has a Surprising Hidden Talent UnderwaterIllustration of an old wooden radio with its volume knob turned all the way upThe Human BodyTiny Cells in Your Ear Let You Hear Music. Too Much Volume and They Never Grow Back
A Texas flag flying above the stone walls of a historic fort under a blue skyHistory's OdditiesFor Nearly 10 Years, Texas Was a Separate Nation With Its Own Embassies AbroadIllustration of the Sun seen from orbit above EarthSpace & the SkyEvery Child Colors the Sun Yellow. Seen From Space, It's a Different ColorA giant coast redwood rising through drifting fog in a California forestEarth, Nature & the OceanThe World's Tallest Tree Is Taller Than Lady Liberty, and You're Not Allowed Near ItIllustration of a steaming baked potato split open on a plateFood & Kitchen SecretsYour Baked Potato Stays Hot Long After Dinner Cools. Galileo Described Part of the Reason