Did you ever complain while doing your math homework and ask, “Why do I need to learn this?” Probably someone responded by telling you that no matter what you choose to do […]
The Ones and Twos of Going Number 1 and Number 2
How Thousands of Rubber Bath Toys Helped Unlock the Ocean’s Secrets
The container ship Ever Laurel was en route from Hong Kong to Tacoma, Washington. On January 10, 1992, it was only halfway to its destination when it encountered a violent storm. The […]
Some of the Articles We Never Got Around To
“How do you come up with ideas for articles on Commonplace Fun Facts?” Not a week goes by without that question being posed to members of the Commonplace creative team. The tone […]
Work Out and Lose Weight By Mouse Clicking
If your lifestyle finds you seated in front of your computer for most of the day, that’s no reason to give up the quest for physical fitness. You can turn everyday activities […]
Squeeze In a Visit to the Most Densely Populated Island on Earth
If you visit Santa Cruz del Islote, you will see a lot of things: people, friendly smiles, and beautiful Caribbean waters. What you won’t see is empty space, nor will it take […]
Can You Decode The Message Designed to Tell Aliens All About Humanity?
Assuming you are a person of reasonable intelligence, (actually, since you are a reader of Commonplace Fun Facts, we assume you are a person of extraordinary intelligence), what would you make of […]
A USB Drive Becomes Lighter as You Store More Data On It
Typically containers get heavier as you add to their contents. One notable exception to this is a USB memory flash drive.
Weight Reduction Through Optical Illusion
Watching one’s weight is especially important during the holiday season. Lots of fad diets and dietary products promise miraculous results but ultimately prove to be mere illusions. There is, however, one illusion […]
Pizza: The Mathematically Perfect Food
It goes without saying that pizza is the perfect food for almost every occasion. Did you know it is even the perfect food for math class? The formula for determining the volume […]
There’s No Match for the Chameleon Who Can Sit Atop a Match
When you imagine a chameleon, you picture a creature who eludes discovery by changing colors and blending into its surroundings. There is a newly-discovered member of the chameleon clan who employs an […]
How Did a 25-inch Parcel of Land Become New York’s Smallest Piece of Real Estate?
New York City is a place where everything is big. It is the Big Apple. It has enormous skyscrapers. It is the largest city in the United States. Its rental prices are […]
Sharpen Up Your Knowledge of the Pencil
As summer ends and students return to school, it is appropriate to take a moment and reflect on one of the things that is as indispensable to studies as notebooks and backpacks: […]
France Says Sacré Bleu! When it Orders the Wrong Size of Trains
If you accidentally purchase the wrong size of pants, it’s no big deal; as long as you have the receipt, you can exchange them for something that will fit. If only it […]
Some Slick Stories Surrounding the Slinky
They say some people are like Slinky’s — they’re not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs. If […]
Piercing the Penguin Poop Projectile Predicament
If we at Commonplace ever find ourselves at a loss for something to write about, the Ig Nobel prizes are sure to be a goldmine of inspiration. One of the 2005 laureates […]
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