Commonplace Fun Facts

Colorblindness: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why Your Charts Are the Problem

Explore colorblindness: what it is, common myths, causes, everyday challenges, and surprising advantages in this humorous, informative guide.

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April 4, 2026April 4, 2026

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If You Cut This Tree It Will Bleed

We all learn at a very early age that trees are living things and should not be cut down with wanton abandon. If you forget that lesson, you will get a vivid — and rather off-putting — reminder if you try to cut the tree that bleeds.
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A Chocolatey Collection Of Cool Kit Kat Considerations

The Kit Kat candy bar was introduced to the public in 1935 and has been a favorite of chocolate lovers ever since. It is distributed in the United States by The Hershey Company and everywhere else by Nestlé. While you might know enough about the tasty treat to know you wouldn’t mind one right now,…
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Visit the Birthplace — and Gravesite — of the First Nuclear Reactor

The first controlled nuclear chain reaction created a huge leap forward in scientific achievement. It also created an enduring problem: what to do with the world’s first nuclear waste. The achievement and the dilemma can be visited just outside Chicago, Illinois, at Red Gate Woods. Red Gate Woods is part of a forest preserve within…
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Where To Go to Get Away From it All

If you are looking to get away from it all, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better venue than Bouvet Island. Located at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, approximately 1,600 miles (2,600 km) south-southwest of the coast of South Africa and approximately 1,100 miles (1,700 km) north of the Princess Astrid Coast of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, it is officially the most…
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The Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial: the Monument to the Giant Octopus Attack — That Never Happened

Discover the surprising story of the Staten Island Ferry Disaster and the attack by a giant octopus — that never happened.
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When You Are Afraid Of Being Forgotten

Athazagoraphobia is the fear of being forgotten or ignored by someone you care about. Source
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The Father of an Empire Was Daddy to a Whole Lot More

A 2003 study concluded that as many as 16 million currently living men carry the Genghis Khan’s DNA. Within Mongolia, itself, as much as 8% of the population can claim genetic descent from the legendary 13th-century ruler of the Mongol Empire.
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May 1 — a Day for Kings

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When the French Have a Problem, it’s REALLY a Problem

When Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell said the famous line, “Houston, we have a problem,” the words triggered alarm throughout NASA and around the world. If Apollo 13 had been manned by French astronauts, the words might have evoked even more concern than news of an explosion in space. The French expression for “We have…
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George H.W. Bush and His Near Escape: Cannibals, WWII, and Political Survival

During WWII, George H.W. Bush narrowly escaped capture by the Japanese. Learn the shocking truth about his fellow airmen and the horrors of Chichi Jima.
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Lady Liberty Almost Ended Up in the Desert

The majestic image of the Statue of Liberty is so firmly connected with the United States that it is hard to imagine it being anywhere else. In fact, the USA received Lady Liberty only when its designer’s first choice rejected the gift.
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Floating A Difference Between Coke and Diet Coke

If you place a sealed can of Diet Coke in water, it will float. Regular Coke will sink to the bottom.
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Rhubarb: It Has a Sound, Even if it Doesn’t Sound Tasty

When it comes to rhubarb, few people are undecided. People either love its taste or they hate it. Voices on either side are so loud that they can easily drown out another sound: the sound of rhubarb growing.
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Do You Know the Real Names Of These Famous Fictional Characters?

Their faces are famous, and you may think you know their identities, but just how well do you these fictional characters? Test your knowledge of the full names of these famous figures.
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Not Only an Assassin; He’s a Book Thief, Too

As if assassinating President John F. Kennedy weren’t offensive enough, Lee Harvey Oswald has yet another black mark against his name. According to the records of the Dallas Public Library, Oswald checked out the book The Shark and the Sardines by Juan José Arévalo. It was already overdue at the time of Oswald’s death.
Read more: Not Only an Assassin; He’s a Book Thief, Too