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Ants do not have lungs and instead breathe through a network of tiny tubes called tracheae that distribute oxygen directly to their cells via spiracles on the sides of their bodies.
Ants do not have lungs and instead breathe through a network of tiny tubes called tracheae that distribute oxygen directly to their cells via spiracles on the…
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Elevators fundamentally shifted the hierarchy of urban real estate by entirely reversing the social desirability of upper and lower floors in multi-story residential buildings.
Elevators fundamentally shifted the hierarchy of urban real estate by entirely reversing the social desirability of upper and lower floors in multi-story…
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Plato introduced the story of Atlantis in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias around 360 BCE as a fictional allegory to explain the hubris of nations and the superiority of his…
Plato introduced the story of Atlantis in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias around 360 BCE as a fictional allegory to explain the hubris of nations and the…
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Staten Island Ferry operators run a massive, heavily utilized fleet of passenger ships that shuttle nearly twenty-five million people across New York Harbor every single year for…
Staten Island Ferry operators run a massive, heavily utilized fleet of passenger ships that shuttle nearly twenty-five million people across New York Harbor…
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Piggly Wiggly made shoppers do work a clerk used to do.
Piggly Wiggly made shoppers do work a clerk used to do. Clarence Saunders's 1916 Memphis store organized grocery shopping around customers collecting their…
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Alfonso Cuaron demanded that the three main child actors in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban write essays about their characters to help them understand their changing teenage motivations.
Alfonso Cuaron demanded that the three main child actors in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban write essays about their characters to help them…
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A doctor used his own hands to test a warning about knuckle cracking.
A doctor used his own hands to test a warning about knuckle cracking. Donald Unger reported cracking the knuckles of one hand for decades while leaving the…
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Titanic offered a squash court in the middle of the Atlantic.
Titanic offered a squash court in the middle of the Atlantic. First-class passengers could use a swimming pool, Turkish baths and a gym as well as grand…
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Ryan Reynolds flat-out stole the incredibly expensive, custom-fitted Deadpool suit from the set on the very last day of filming because he had waited exactly ten years to get the movie made.
Ryan Reynolds flat-out stole the incredibly expensive, custom-fitted Deadpool suit from the set on the very last day of filming because he had waited exactly…
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Haitian Vodou features the concept of the bokor, a mystical sorcerer who supposedly resurrects the dead to use them as mindless, soulless laborers in the fields; ethnobotanist…
Haitian Vodou features the concept of the bokor, a mystical sorcerer who supposedly resurrects the dead to use them as mindless, soulless laborers in the…
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New York tried to make businesses stop women from smoking in 1908.
New York tried to make businesses stop women from smoking in 1908. The Sullivan ordinance targeted proprietors who allowed women to smoke in public…
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Operation, the anxiety-inducing board game where you use tweezers to remove plastic bones from a naked man, was invented in 1964 by an industrial design student named John Spinello.
Operation, the anxiety-inducing board game where you use tweezers to remove plastic bones from a naked man, was invented in 1964 by an industrial design…
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Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, but he was forced to drop out after the production team coated him in pure aluminum dust, causing his lungs to fail.
Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, but he was forced to drop out after the production team coated him in…
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British and German soldiers temporarily paused the horrifying carnage of World War I to celebrate Christmas together in 1914, singing carols and exchanging small gifts in the frozen mud of no man's land.
British and German soldiers temporarily paused the horrifying carnage of World War I to celebrate Christmas together in 1914, singing carols and exchanging…
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The Dow began by averaging just twelve stock prices.
The Dow began by averaging just twelve stock prices. Launched in 1896, the index included businesses such as a sugar producer, a leather company and a steel…
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Singapore's ultra-long-range A350 skips ordinary economy.
Singapore's ultra-long-range A350 skips ordinary economy. Its cabin layout contains business-class and premium-economy seats, without the usual…
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British road locomotives once had to follow a man carrying a red flag.
British road locomotives once had to follow a man carrying a red flag. The 1865 law required a person to walk at least sixty yards ahead, warning horse riders…
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Researchers counted selfie deaths by tracing the accidents in news reports.
Researchers counted selfie deaths by tracing the accidents in news reports. One study identified 259 deaths in 137 incidents between October 2011 and November…
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Sweating lets humans shed heat while they keep moving.
Sweating lets humans shed heat while they keep moving. Evaporation carries heat away from the skin, helping support prolonged effort in suitable conditions.…
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Irish folklore features mystical cursing stones, or clocha breaca, which were typically round rocks placed on rural altars that a person could turn while reciting a curse against…
Irish folklore features mystical cursing stones, or clocha breaca, which were typically round rocks placed on rural altars that a person could turn while…
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An early motorcycle carried a steam boiler between its wheels.
An early motorcycle carried a steam boiler between its wheels. Sylvester Roper's late-1860s steam velocipede used a purpose-built metal frame with…
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The French fry's name hides a disputed history.
The French fry's name hides a disputed history. France and Belgium both have deep claims to the fried potato's cultural identity, but the popular story about…
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A group photo can flatter a face without editing it.
A group photo can flatter a face without editing it. In experiments on the cheerleader effect, people rated faces as more attractive in groups than when shown…
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Maine lobstermen essentially operate an unspoken, decentralized cartel where they fiercely protect their fishing territories by cutting the trap lines of any newcomers who dare intrude on their aquatic turf.
Maine lobstermen essentially operate an unspoken, decentralized cartel where they fiercely protect their fishing territories by cutting the trap lines of any…
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