Mad Honey Warfare: The Strange History of Hallucinogenic Honey in Battle
Discover mad honey—how toxic rhododendron nectar creates hallucinogenic honey used in ancient warfare, medicine, and modern curiosity.
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Grace Bedell: The Girl Responsible for History’s Most Famous Beard
Read more: Grace Bedell: The Girl Responsible for History’s Most Famous BeardAbraham Lincoln is one of the most-recognized figures in history. If you ask anyone to describe him, inevitably you will hear that he was tall, wore a stovepipe hat, and had a beard. Of those, the beard is the one that seems the most memorable. The beard for which he would be remembered did not…
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Acoustic Kitty: the CIA’s Failed Attempt to Train Cats as Spies
Read more: Acoustic Kitty: the CIA’s Failed Attempt to Train Cats as SpiesCats are fascinating animals that have attempted unconventional roles, including as spies in a CIA project called Acoustic Kitty in the 1960s. Despite significant investment, the program failed as cats proved difficult to train, culminating in one cat being run over during an initial test. The project was abandoned in 1967, confirming cats’ impracticality for…
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Ablaut Reduplication: The English Language Rule You Didn’t Know You Knew
Read more: Ablaut Reduplication: The English Language Rule You Didn’t Know You KnewYou may never have heard of Ablaut Reduplication, but it’s a grammar rule you follow without knowing why.
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Why Does It Take 300 Pages to Prove 1+1=2? The Story Behind Principia Mathematica
Read more: Why Does It Take 300 Pages to Prove 1+1=2? The Story Behind Principia MathematicaDiscover the fascinating story behind how Principia Mathematica took 300 pages to prove that 1 + 1 = 2, a mind-boggling proof by Bertrand Russell and Alfred Whitehead.
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How the Goverment Made a Huge Mistake By Selling $1 Coins for $1
Read more: How the Goverment Made a Huge Mistake By Selling $1 Coins for $1There is no one smarter, better experienced, or more capable of wise financial management than the United States government. Whoa! Mom wasn’t kidding when she told us what would happen if we told a fib! OK, let’s back up and clarify that earlier statement: Just about everyone is smarter, better experienced, or more capable of…
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Is Workplace Inefficiency Intentional? See the Secret Government Manual for Sabotage By Being Annoying and Unproductive
Read more: Is Workplace Inefficiency Intentional? See the Secret Government Manual for Sabotage By Being Annoying and UnproductiveDiscover the WWII-era secret government manual to sabotage the enemy by promoting workplace inefficiency. Maybe someone is using this strategy where you work.
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Colorado’s Constitution Describes the Wrong Boundaries
Read more: Colorado’s Constitution Describes the Wrong BoundariesIn the interest of full disclosure, the Commonplace Fun Facts editorial staff admits that we have a profound love of the state of Colorado. Its rich natural beauty and cultural heritage make it one of our favorite places to visit. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have some issues. Colorado has contributed more than…
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Colorado’s Constitution Requires Voters to Approve Nuclear Explosions
Read more: Colorado’s Constitution Requires Voters to Approve Nuclear ExplosionsIt’s probably safe to say that you wouldn’t want a nuclear explosion in your backyard. All things being equal, you likely would prefer that your neighborhood remain free of nuclear fallout. Would it be too much of an exaggeration to suggest that you’d like to keep nuclear detonations in your state to a bare minimum?…
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The Perils of Pilfering From a President
Read more: The Perils of Pilfering From a PresidentThe young man tried to be quiet as he rifled through the contents of the dresser drawer. He was desperate for funds to pay his way back to college. That desperation drove him to break into a room of the Willard Hotel in hopes of finding something of value. and searched for something of value…
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Healthy Humor Makes a Happy White House Marriage
Read more: Healthy Humor Makes a Happy White House MarriageSome of the couples who have lived in the White House have had what could charitably be described as “political marriages.” Husband and wife are united primarily by a shared desire for power rather than mutual affection. Such a description could not be attributed to the marriage of Calvin and Grace Coolidge, however. Their relationship…
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How Sherlock Holmes’ Author Was Tricked Into Believing in Fairies
Read more: How Sherlock Holmes’ Author Was Tricked Into Believing in FairiesHumanity has been looking for proof of the paranormal for a long time. Many people insist there is more to the world than the things most of us see. Skeptics need evidence, however. If only there were reliable photographs to support the claims about the paranormal, that would put a lot of doubts to rest.…
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How Much Do You Know About the Declaration of Independence?
Read more: How Much Do You Know About the Declaration of Independence?The United States of America celebrates its birthday on July 4. That day marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the formal separation of the colonies from Great Britain. But should July 4 really be the nation’s birthday? See how much you know about this founding document of the USA?
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William Wilburforce and the Apostle Paul: Deceptive Appearances By World-Changing Giants
Read more: William Wilburforce and the Apostle Paul: Deceptive Appearances By World-Changing GiantsThe lesson of not judging by appearance is highlighted in the contrast between Apostle Paul’s unassuming looks and his immense historical influence, as well as William Wilburforce’s physical frailty despite his pivotal role in abolishing the slave trade. These examples emphasize the fallacy of associating worth or potential with external appearance.
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Garrett Morgan: The Courageous Inventor Who Fought Fire and Prejudice
Read more: Garrett Morgan: The Courageous Inventor Who Fought Fire and PrejudiceDiscover the amazing contribution of Garrett Morgan, the African-American inventor who revolutionized firefighting.
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The Horrible Five-Week Visit That Destroyed a Friendship
Read more: The Horrible Five-Week Visit That Destroyed a FriendshipIt shouldn’t have been surprising that Chuck and John struck up a friendship. After all, the two men had a lot in common. They shared many of the same interests, a common profession, and were both highly regarded in their field. They first met at a social gathering where John appealed to Chuck’s vanity by…
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A Buttload is an Actual Unit of MeasurementFebruary 5, 2020
