Kerry asks: Who invented tequila? I was also wondering if they really put worms in it? Although tequila dates back only a few hundred years, people have long used the heart of the agave plant to make delicious, alcoholic beverages. Maguey (Agave) Cultivated from at least as early as 200 A.D. by the Zapotecs of the Oaxaca Valley of southern […]
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A neurobiological disorder that causes its sufferers to make uncontrolled sounds and movements, the symptoms of Tourette syndrome (not Tourette’s) can be so mild that many people who have the condition are not even aware of it. What is Tourette? Like many other psychological conditions, the syndrome is diagnosed after several symptoms have been observed, and they include: At least […]
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On August 23, 1994, Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty set fire to, and completely destroyed, £1 million. What makes the story even weirder is that nobody, not even the burners, seems to really know precisely why. The K Foundation Beginning in 1987, under several different names including The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and The Timelords, Drummond and Cauty produced […]
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Sam asks: What makes snot yellow and green? Snot is an essential part of a healthy body (no, really), and its color and consistency can give you a lot of information about what’s going on in yours at any given time. What is mucus? Produced in the lining of the sinuses, nose, throat, mouth, lungs and even digestive tract, mucus […]
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Marcus asks: Why do songs get stuck in your head? Whether yours is “Call Me Maybe,” “Who Let the Dogs Out,” “Mickey,” or something equally infectious, at one time or another, you’ve probably had a fragment from a catchy (or obnoxious) tune stuck in your head. Where Do Sticky Songs Come From? Due to the involuntary nature of songs getting […]
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Julie H. asks: How do fingerprints form? I’d also like to know if you burn or remove the skin will they regenerate? Emerging on the buds of fingers while the fetus is still in the womb, the whorls, arches and loops on the ends of digits are said to be unique to each individual. Durable as well, even when fingerprints […]
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Despite ethnic, religious, regional and political differences, every now and then people are able to set aside disagreements, look to their common humanity, and make the world a better place. Perhaps one of the greatest and most inspiring examples of such global cooperation has been the eradication of smallpox. The Disease Caused by either of two related viruses, Variola major […]
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Today I found out about the presidents before the U.S. Constitution went into effect. Schools in the United States teach children from an early age that the first president of the United States was George Washington. But teachers often forget to mention a small, kind of important detail- George Washington was the first U.S. president under the current United States […]
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On January 27, 1964, then three-term Senator Margaret Chase Smith put the first crack in the “hardest, highest glass ceiling” when she announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. Although she never really came close to winning it, Senator Smith’s presidential campaign helped dispel centuries of chauvinism and paved the way for female political […]
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Mark K. asks: I was just wondering if a human ate another human in an apocalyptic scenario or something would this be unhealthy or just awful and gross? Yes. Unhealthy For the Devourer Depending on what parts are eaten (the most infected include the brain, spinal cord, bone marrow and small intestine), human cannibals run the risk of contracting a […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. What Ever Happened to Confederate President Jefferson Davis? Jefferson Davis was attending a Sunday church service in the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia, when he heard the news. Union General Ulysses S. Grant had broken General Robert E. Lee’s defenses in […]
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That the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is constant has been known to humanity since ancient times; yet, even today, despite 2000 years of thought, theories, calculations and proofs, π’s precise value remains elusive. Ancient Civilizations Babylonian By the 17th century B.C., the Babylonians had a relatively advanced knowledge of mathematics, that they memorialized into […]
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Ian K. asks: Why are taxes due on April 15th? As Ben Franklin wrote in a 1789 letter to Baptiste Leroy, “… in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Depending on your belief in vampires, this is most certainly true. But did you know that income taxes in the United States didn’t exist […]
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Very few people and even fewer brands have managed to become synonymous with pop culture in the 20th century. But in the last few decades, Nike has become a Titan of the sporting world, as well as part of the daily lives of millions of people everywhere. But during the 1960s, it was Germany’s Adidas and Puma sneakers that dominated […]
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Gloria N. asks: Why is the stereotype to give apples to teachers? Widespread publicly funded, mandatory education has only been around since about the 19th century. Before then, the responsibility of providing schooling to children fell primarily on their families. Upper- and middle-class families tended to hire tutors or send their children to a private school run by a schoolmaster. […]
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Jared L. asks: Why aren’t there apostrophes in the Don’t Walk signs by street intersections when it’s spelled out rather than using pictures? No one is sure when exactly the first WALK/DONT WALK style signs were installed. Even the Federal Highway Administration isn’t sure, though it is thought that the first such sign was likely installed sometime in the early to […]
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Cailin asks: What happened to Jefferson Davis after the Civil War? Jefferson Davis was attending a Sunday church service in the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia, when he heard the news. Union General Ulysses S. Grant had broken General Robert E. Lee’s defenses in Petersburg, less than twenty five miles from Richmond. By nightfall, the evacuation of Richmond needed […]
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Today I found out about a man who saved over two million lives just by donating his somewhat unique blood plasma. Australian James Harrison is called “the man with the golden arm” due to the unusual composition of his blood. Harrison’s blood contains an antibody called Rho(D) Immune Globulin that is used to treat Rhesus disease, a severe form of […]
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