Cat Trivia Quiz
A Male Octopus’ Reproductive Organ Is One of Its Arms
Text Version: If you ever get tangled up with a male octopus, be careful which arm you touch. If you reach out to touch the third right arm, it’s more than just his arm, it’s also his reproductive organ, or “manhood”. The octopus uses this specialized arm called a ‘hectocotylus’ to insert ‘spermatophores’ which are packets of sperm, into the […]
Read moreToday’s Brain Teasers: Presidents Only Get to Keep This…
Presidents only get to keep this after they have given it. It is something they often give. But even though they are allowed to keep it after giving it, they rarely choose to. I have been observed by every human who ever lived. Yet no one has ever seen me in person and I’m replaced daily. I have a tongue, […]
Read moreInteresting United States President Facts Part 2 (13th-24th President)
This is a continuation of the four part “Interesting U.S. President Facts” series. If you’re interested in the other parts, you can find them here: Part 1, Part 3, Part 4. 13) Millard Fillmore Facts: Fillmore was the first President to have running water in the White House. While touring Europe later in life, the University of Oxford offered him […]
Read moreThis Day In History: November 5
On this day in history, November 5th… 1492 : Columbus was among the first Europeans to encounter corn(maize) from the Indians of Cuba. When Columbus landed in Cuba (claiming it for Spain) he had sent two Spanish scouts to explore the interior of the island. According the explorer’s journal that day, the Spanish scouts came back with stories about an amazing […]
Read moreBest of the Web: ‘Meat’eorites, Killdozers, Talking Elephants and More
I saw a peanut stand, Heard a rubber band. I saw a cuckoo wind up its clock. But I think I will have seen everything, when I hear an elephant talk… Without being trained to do so, Koshik the elephant has learned to speak five Korean words: “anja” (sit down); “aniya” (no), “nuo” (lie down); “choa” (good); and the one […]
Read moreWhy Meeting Notes are Called “Minutes”
Jesse asks: Why are the notes taken at a meeting called the “minutes”? Was this because the note taker records the notes along with the time? Not quite. In fact, the “minutes” here have nothing to do with time, but rather “small”, as in “minute” (my-newt). “Minutes” in this sense first popped up in the early 18th century, possibly directly […]
Read moreThe Russian Olympic Team Arrived 12 Days Late to The 1908 London Olympics Because They Hadn’t Updated to Using the Gregorian Calendar
Text Version: In the 1500’s most Roman Catholic countries & Scotland adopted the Gregorian Calendar (established by Pope Gregory XIII to compensate for the errors in time that had built up over centuries) over the Julian Calendar (introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC) . A lot of protestant countries however, ignored this new calendar for another 200 or so […]
Read moreWhere The Term ‘Skid Row’ Came From
Text Version: The term “Skid Road” or “Skid Row”, a slang term for a run-down or dilapidated urban area, was an actual road in Seattle, Washington during the late 1800’s. The real name of the road was Yesler Way (now better known as Pioneer Square), and it was the main street along which logs were transported. It soon became a […]
Read moreToday’s Brain Teasers: Cups, Containers, Caskets, and Cans
Cups, containers, caskets, and cans What do you fill with empty hands? Though everyone has had me, none has ever noticed when they lost me. I have feathers, but I don’t fly. I have legs, but I don’t walk. I am constantly being used and never get any rest. Yet no one ever says thank you. With bloodless strokes I […]
Read moreInteresting United States President Facts Part 1 (1st-12th President)
There have to date been 43 people who’ve held the highest political position in the United States since the founding of this republic under the current constitution. (And quite a few more Presidents under the old system, but we’ll ignore them in this piece.) Here now is a variety of interesting “President Facts” you may not know about every […]
Read moreHarry Potter Trivia Quiz
This Day In History: November 4
On this day in history, November 4th… 1842 : Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd, at the Edward’s home (her sister’s place) in Springfield, Illinois. Nicknamed Molly, Mary Todd first met Lincoln in 1840 when she was 21 and he was 31. Her family wasn’t too happy about the relationship because of Lincoln’s poverty & lack of political prospects. Nevertheless, she […]
Read moreRandom Trivia Quiz 2
Celebrity Trivia Quiz
Today’s Brain Teasers: Four Wings Have I…
Four wings I have, Which swiftly mount on high On sturdy pinions, Yet I never fly! And tho’ my body often moves around, Upon the same spot I’m always found; And, like a nurse who chews the infants meat, I chew for man before that he can eat. I am a precious gift. I have no beginning or end. In […]
Read moreNo Person Can Technically Be Arrested on the 4th Of July in Ohio
Text Version: According to a law made in 1953 in Ohio, no one can be arrested on the Fourth of July nor on a Sunday if they are on their way to or from a designated place of worship. In 1998, the Ohio Senate tried to repeal this law, but it failed to pass. Not only is the law still […]
Read moreChewing on The Bark of White Willow Tree Alleviates Fever and Pain
Text Version: Before aspirin was introduced, people would chew on the bark of the white willow tree to reduce fever and inflammation. White willow contains salicin, a chemical similar to acetylsalicylic acid found in today’s aspirin. In fact, in the early 1800s salicin was used to make Aspirin. The tree has anti-inflammatory effects and although it may be slower acting, the effects […]
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