What Exactly Does Landing on Free Parking Do in a Game of Monopoly? (And Other Ways You’ve Been Playing Monopoly Wrong That Make It Take Longer)

Richard G. asks: I’ve seen so many different rules for it, but what’s actually supposed to happen when you land on free parking in Monopoly? Few board games have the ability to cause arguments like Monopoly, an unsurprising fact given the object of the game it was based on (see: Who Invented Monopoly?) was to send your opponent to the […]

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Tom Waits vs. the World (Of Advertising)

Tom Waits’ raspy, almost growl-like singing voice has become synonymous with the singer and has been variously described by critics as sounding like it was “soaked in whiskey” or alternatively like it was “hit by a car”. This distinctly recognisable sound combined with Waits’ vast back catalogue of hits has seen the artist approached numerous times over the years by […]

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That Stinking Feeling

The following is an article from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader As they conquered their way through Europe, the Romans left behind a number of souvenirs, like the (still-standing) aqueducts that used to bring water to homes and businesses. But the Romans also established a system of sewers to dispose of, well, you know. The sewers consisted of a network of […]

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Weekly Wrap Volume 124

This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. Why Gnats Swarm A common sight in the spring and summer, the seemingly unprofitable and pointless habit of gnats to hover in a cloud is, in fact, the single most productive thing they’ll ever do with their short lives. Although there […]

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That Surprisingly Recent Time in British History When Husbands Sold Their Wives at Market

The following is an article from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Let’s say you’re an 18th-century British peasant, and you and your wife just aren’t getting along anymore. What do you do? Divorce her? Too expensive. Kill her? Too risky. Oh, well, looks like you’ll have to auction her off. Welcome to the wacky world of wife selling! HARDY HAR-HAR Hands […]

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Why Do People Wear Black for Mourning?

Gary M. asks: When did people start wearing black to show they were mourning a death? Funeral rituals have been practiced since long before the dawn of civilization. For instance, Neanderthals are known to have intentionally buried their dead as far back as around 130,000 years ago.  (And if you’re wondering, see What Ever Happened to the Neanderthals?). As for […]

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Can a Vice Presidential Candidate or the Speaker of the House Really Be Elected President Instead of the Main, “Winning” Candidates?

Michelle S. asks: Is it actually possible for a vice president candidate to be elected president like on VEEP or were they just making that up? The season five finale of HBO’s Emmy-award winning comedy VEEP sure seemed like a Hollywood fantasy. Through a series of wacky situations, hilarious gaffes and complicated procedures, an obscure Vice-Presidential candidate was elected by […]

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The Difference Between Brown and White Eggs, Why We Have a Seven Day Week, Why Carbonated Beverages Called “Soft Drinks” and More

In this week’s “best of” our YouTube channel, we look at the difference between brown and white eggs, why we have a seven day week, the reasons carbonated beverages are called “soft drinks”, the reason pistachios used to be dyed red, why iodine is added to salt, and if one of the Bond Girls was really formerly a man. Click […]

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Why Doesn’t the U.S. Use a Popular Vote for President, Why Do a Donkey and an Elephant Represent the Democrats and Republicans, and More

In this week’s “best of” our YouTube channel, we are getting into the US Presidential Election spirit by looking at why the U.S. uses the electoral college instead of a popular vote, whether U.S. Presidents have to pay taxes on the various perks of the office, the fascinating story of the first attempt to assassinate an American President, why a […]

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Weekly Wrap Volume 123

This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The Secret Race to the Moon Not too long after 9:00 p.m. on the evening of April 11, 1961, a United States government listening post off Alaska picked up the sound of human voices speaking in Russian. That wasn’t unusual; in […]

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The Plot Against President Franklin D. Roosevelt

The following is an article from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Conspiracy theories can be amusing to read because they’re usually so bizarre and far-reaching that they couldn’t possibly be true. What’s even more fun is a conspiracy that’s not a theory at all. Here’s one that actually happened. ALL THE RAGE IN EUROPE In the 1930s, many Western countries suffered […]

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How the Practice of Putting Candles on Cakes for Birthdays Started

Heily O. asks: How did the tradition of having cakes with candles on them for birthdays start? For most of human history, ordinary people’s birthdays weren’t cause for much celebration. In fact, in the ancient world if you weren’t among the elite, odds are your birthday would have mostly just been noted for things like astrological purposes, rather than throwing […]

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The Origin of “That’s What She Said”, From Soccer Hopeful to World’s Angriest Chef, Has Anyone Ever Actually Been Poisoned by Halloween Candy and More

In this week’s “best of” our YouTube channel, we look at the origin of “That’s what she said”, the rise of the world’s angriest chef, and the time the BBC deleted almost every episode of Doctor Who. We then get into the Halloween spirit by looking at Dan Aykroyd’s fascination with the paranormal, why witches are often depicted flying on […]

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