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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 black-and-white dairy cow standing in front of a red barnAmazing AnimalsA Single Dairy Cow Can Make About 2,600 Gallons of Milk a Year. Here's the SecretIllustration of a person going cross-eyed while looking at the tip of their noseThe Human BodyYour Nose Is in Your View All Day Long. Your Brain Has Been Quietly Erasing ItIllustration of a woman rowing a small boat near a lighthouseHistory's OdditiesShe Rowed Out in a Snowstorm Without a Coat or Shoes. Two Soldiers Owed Her Their LivesIllustration of a planet circling its star with arrows showing a reverse orbitSpace & the SkyEvery Planet Around Our Sun Goes the Same Way. Astronomers Found One That Doesn't
Illustration of waves breaking on the rocky shore of Lake Superior under a wide skyEarth, Nature & the OceanThe Great Lakes Hold a Fifth of Earth's Surface Fresh Water. Ice Dug Their BasinsIllustration of a tall glass of buttermilk beside a plate of golden biscuitsFood & Kitchen SecretsButtermilk Sounds Rich and Buttery. The Name Actually Comes From What Was Left Behind
A fire hydrant with a colored cap standing on a city street cornerInventions & Everyday ThingsWe Picture Fire Hydrants as Red, but the Official U.S. Recommendation Is a Different ColorIllustration of brightly colored houses along a canalStrange Places & GeographyOn This Italian Island, You Can't Just Paint Your House Any Color You Like
A plate of leftover food rotating on a microwave turntableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsYour Leftovers Are Scalding on the Edges and Icy in the Middle. Physics Explains WhyA mallard duck floating on a pond with water droplets beading on its feathersAmazing AnimalsA Duck Can Dive Underwater and Come Up Nearly Dry. Its Feathers Hold the SecretIllustration of a person humming happily while gardening on a sunny afternoonThe Human BodyNearly Everyone Gets Songs Stuck in Their Head. Researchers Found a Simple FixTwo old steam locomotives facing each other on a railroad track in the Utah desert in 1869History's OdditiesThe Golden Spike That Joined America by Rail Didn't Stay in the Ground for Long
Illustration of the Moon's shadow passing across a map-like view of the United StatesSpace & the SkyMissed the 2024 Eclipse? The Next Total Eclipse in the Lower 48 Is a Long WaitIllustration of dry rocky cliffs where the American Falls usually flows, with mist from the Horseshoe Falls nearbyEarth, Nature & the OceanIn 1969, Engineers Shut Off the American Falls for Months. The Rest of Niagara Kept GoingIllustration of colorful lollipops in a jarFood & Kitchen SecretsA Famous Story Says the Lollipop Was Named After a Racehorse. The Word Is Much OlderIllustration of a green garden hose watering a colorful flower bedInventions & Everyday ThingsYour Garden Hose Has a Surprising Ancestor: Leather Tubes Built to Fight City Fires
Illustration of a rugged Alaskan coastline with rocky cliffs and evergreen forestsStrange Places & GeographyOne State Has More Coastline Than All the Other 49 States Put TogetherIllustration of a garden bursting into bloom with tulips and blossoming trees in springEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSpring Fever Is Real for Many People. But Some Folks Feel the Exact OppositeIllustration of a small songbird singing on a blossoming spring branchAmazing AnimalsSongbirds Get Louder Every Spring for a Reason, and Their Brains Change Along With ItSoft anatomical illustration of a human stomach showing its folded inner lining in gentle pinksThe Human BodyThe Cells Lining Your Stomach Last Only Days. Then Brand-New Ones Take Over
Illustration of an old ledger book and a quill pen on a wooden deskHistory's OdditiesAmerica's First Census Asked Just Six Questions, and George Washington Doubted the AnswerIllustration of a planet-sized body colliding with the early Earth in spaceSpace & the SkyThe Moon May Be the Leftover Debris of a Planet-Sized Crash Into the Young EarthTall redwood trees in a misty forest, one with a blackened, fire-scarred trunkEarth, Nature & the OceanWildfires Can Sweep Through a Redwood Forest and Leave the Giants StandingIllustration of a mug of spiced latte with cinnamon sticksFood & Kitchen SecretsPumpkin Spice Takes Over Every Fall, Yet the Classic Blend Contains Zero Pumpkin