##EMBED## The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair not only made Dr Pepper a national hit, but also was responsible for hamburgers, hot dog buns, and ice cream cones becoming national favorites. Sources and other Interesting Dr. Pepper Facts
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##EMBED## The name “dolphin” comes from the ancient Greek “delphis”, which means more or less “fish with a womb”. Sources and More Interesting Dolphin Facts
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Today I found out why leaves change color in the fall. The primary thing that triggers the changing of colors in leaves is the length of day. However, moisture and temperature play a role as well. For instance, an extreme drought in the summer can delay somewhat the changing of the colors in fall. Why this is the case is […]
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##EMBED## Click Here For Sources and for Interesting Facts About the Man Who Did the Voice for Yoda Text Version R2-D2’s name came from the movie-maker lingo “reel 2, dialog 2″.
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##EMBED## Click Here to Learn About Early Robots Text Version Leonardo Divinci designed and built the first known humanoid robot around 1495. This robot was an armored knight that could sit up, wave its arms, and move its head while opening and closing its jaw.
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##EMBED## While either mechanical pencils or regular pencils, with appropriately dark cores, will work on scantron forms, there is some evidence that mechanical pencils have an inherent disadvantage on timed tests that use scantron forms. This is because “regular” pencils have wider tips than mechanical pencils. Thus, the time it takes to fill in each bubble is significantly longer with […]
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##EMBED## Tootsie Rolls were named after creator Leo Hirshfield’s five year old daughter whose nickname was “Tootsie” (her real name was Clara Hirshfield). Hirshfield set out to create a chocolate that wouldn’t melt easily and eventually came up with the artificial “chocolate” candy the tootsie roll. This ability to not melt easily and to use artificial ingredients that weren’t being […]
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Today I found out why salt enhances flavor. This is partially simply due to the fact that “saltiness” is one of the five primary basic tastes the human tongue can detect. Those five tastes being: salt, bitter, sweet, sour, and umami (if you’re not familiar with this one, it is from glutamic acid, which is found in many foods, particularly some meats, and is […]
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Today I found out Velcro was modeled after burrs of the burdock plant that stuck to Velcro’s creator’s pants after a hunting trip. The inventor of Velcro, more generically known as a “hook and loop fastener” or “touch fastener” as “Velcro” is technically just a brand of that product, was Swiss engineer, Georges de Mestral. After going out on a […]
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Myth: The paperclip was invented by Johan Vaaler One very popular false origin of the paperclip was that it was invented by Norwegian patent office manager, Johan Vaaler. He was even granted patents in Germany and the U.S. for a paperclip of similar design as the Gem style paperclip, which is the most commonly used paperclip today, but which came […]
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Please help me welcome Scott as a regular contributing writer to Today I Found Out. Scott is a long time paramedic and fire fighter who has obviously particular expertise in the medical field and the human body in general. He also has an extensive background in physics, specializing in electromagnetism, gravity, and time. Check out Scott’s articles here.
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Today I found out the origins of the Jolly Roger flags. Ships throughout history typically stocked a variety of different flags used for sending a message, signaling other ships, and for identifying themselves. For instance, in the 17th and 18th centuries, English privateers were to fly a specific version of the Union Jack, distinguishing themselves from English naval vessels which […]
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Today I found out clownfish are all born males and the dominant male of a group will turn female when the female of that group dies. Clownfish, also known as anemonefish, are sequential hermaphrodites that first develop into males. In fact, they live in regimented schools made up of all males and just one female- the lone female being the […]
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Today I found out how rum is made. Rum was once used as a medium of economic exchange in lieu of money. At one point in Europe, Rhode Island rum was even used as an accepted substitute for gold in economic exchanges. This drink, which first began being made as we know it today around the 17th century, quickly became […]
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Today I found out about the Rule of 72, which is a very easy way to calculate in your head how long it will take to double your money or debt based on a given fixed interest rate, assuming the interest is annually compounded. Use of the Rule of 72 is very simple. All you have to do is divide […]
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Today I found out that Mexico is really called the United Mexican States or Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Specifically, there are thirty one states in the UMS, with 111 million people making it the 11th most populated country in the world. The United Mexican States was originally called “New Spain” around the time they won their independence from Spain. They then […]
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Today I found out Teflon was invented by accident. The man who accidentally invented it was Dr. Roy Plunkett. After receiving his BA, MS, and eventually PhD in organic chemistry, Dr. Plunkett took a job with DuPont, in Jackson New Jersey. He was subsequently assigned to work on synthesizing various new forms of refrigerant, trying to find a non-toxic alternative […]
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Today I found out the microwave oven was invented by accident by a man who was orphaned and never finished grammar school. The man was Percy Spencer. At the age of just 18 months old, Spencer’s father died and his mother soon left him to his aunt and uncle. His uncle then died when Spencer was just seven years old. […]
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