Facts & History

Jobs are plentiful today, but the cost of living is high. If you’re contemplating relocating to a more affordable part of the country, there are several factors you should consider. The average costs of food, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services, are the six elements that the Council for Community and…

In 1901, if you were lucky, you might have witnessed a startling scene on the streets of London—one which would quickly revolutionise how most of us clean our homes. Science Museum Group Collection Hubert Cecil Booth (1871–1955). Science Museum Group Collection Engineer Hubert Cecil Booth was rolling his new vacuum cleaner onto the wealthier streets of…

Gold coins, gemstones and jewels are just a few of the priceless treasures found at a shipwreck site in the Bahamas. (Image credit: ©Brendan Chavez/Allen Exploration) A treasure trove of gold coins, gemstones and jewels was recently uncovered at a 366-year-old Spanish shipwreck. In an effort to conserve what’s left of the ship and its prized…

In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan struck the Gulf Coast as a powerful Category 3. Homeowners like Jason Huffman (seen here) did all they could beforehand to prepare their homes to withstand the brunt of the storm. STEPHEN MORTON/GETTY IMAGES There’s not much that can rattle a New Yorker. Most have seen enough to know they’ve…

If not for the events of Nov. 22, 1963, Jack Ruby may have lived out the rest of his life as he did most of the first 50-plus years of it: as a nobody, an outsider looking in, a small-time crook desperately seeking to belong. As it happened, though that day in Dallas changed a lot…

he 20th century had no shortage of brilliant minds, but perhaps none had as significant an impact on our day-to-day lives as Alan Turing, considered by many as the founding father of modern computer science. Turing was a brilliant mathematician, before he’d even earned a Master’s Degree he wrote probably the second-most-important academic paper of…

Have you ever wondered what the net worth of Andrew Carnegie was? Andrew Carnegie has an incredible “rags to riches” story that led him to a net worth today of $310 billion. This is more than Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Jeff Bezos combined. In this post, we show you exactly how Carnegie built his net…

The source of a mysterious rumble recorded in the ocean in 1997 is now known to have originated from an icequake. “The Bloop” is the given name of a mysterious underwater sound recorded in the 90s. Years later, NOAA scientists discovered that this sound emanated from an iceberg cracking and breaking away from an Antarctic glacier. In 1997,…

Ocean salt primarily comes from rocks on land and openings in the seafloor. A brine seep located at the base of East Flower Garden Bank at a depth of about 240 feet. The seep lies within Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. It is formed from super-saline water flowing from under the seafloor. The image was taken by the…

  In places where it gets cold and snowy in winter, many meters of snow can fall. In some the following winter, adding a new layer to what was already there. Over hundreds to thousands of years, this process creates big sheets of ice called glaciers. Glaciers are found in the Arctic and Antarctic. They’re…

  Would you pay $10,000 for a feather? How about $1 million for a parking spot? Do you think $1.6 million is a fair price for a new bed? These are some of the most expensive items in the world. However, none of them come close to the price of the most expensive thing in…

    Ocean waters cover about 70 percent of the planet. On average, that water is 3,800 meters (almost 2.4 miles) deep. But in the deepest spots, seawater fills a mind-boggling 11,000 meters (6.8 miles) of space above the seafloor. As anyone who has tried diving to the bottom of a deep pool knows, all…

  People have always been fascinated by the Moon. We have plenty of good reasons to be! The Moon controls our tides, causes solar eclipses, and appears to have a face. To add to our fascination, the Moon even changes shape! If you’ve spent any amount of time looking at the Moon, you know that the shape we see…

  What do you dream of being when you’re older? Do you want to be an astronaut? A detective? An actor? Many people want to be teachers, architects, and engineers! Whatever your dream is, surely you’ll want fair pay for what you do. Have you ever WONDERed who decides how much people are paid? In many jobs, the employer has most…

  We asked a registered dietitian to weigh in. Recently, Jennifer Lopez took to social media to challenge friends to join her on a 10-day no sugar, no carb challenge. J.Lo challenged actress Leah Remini, producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Today co-host Hoda Kotb, to join on this 10-day journey. Every few days J.Lo posted gorgeous…

  When you look back over the best times of your life, what memories come to mind? The birth of a little brother or sister? That Christmas when you got a new bicycle? An amazing family vacation to the Grand Canyon? Memories are important. We’re lucky that our brains can hold so many important memories, so that we…

  It’s actually the sweetest thing. Before he became the princely half of perhaps the most-talked-about couple of 2018, Prince Harry was known to be quite the party guy. But since finding love with Meghan Markle, Harry seems to be changing his ways. In an extra-romantic gesture of solidarity, the Duke of Sussex has decided to…

  Chrissy Teigen’s experience with eating lots of sour candy is actually pretty accurate. In a video posted to her Instagram stories recently, supermodel and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen shared that her craving for sour candy during her third pregnancy had caused her tongue to peel. She also showed what she meant, and it was no joke!…

  On busy school mornings, it can seem nearly impossible to get up, get showered, and get out the door on time. Often, the thing we sacrifice when time is short is the most important meal of the day: breakfast. While it would be nice to sit down each morning to a plate of bacon and eggs or maybe biscuits and gravy, there’s no reason to…

  Do you love video games? Many kids couldn’t imagine a world without them! Video games weren’t always something you could play on your smartphone or at home, though. Years ago, you had to find an arcade where you could plunk quarter after quarter into large machines. That’s how people played classic games like Pac Man and Centipede. Have you ever been…

  What’s your favorite thing about the Fourth of July? For many kids, celebrating Independence Day means fun in the sun, a picnic on the beach, time with friends and family members, and pyrotechnics in the nighttime sky. Yes, we’re talking about fireworks! Of course, Independence Day isn’t the only holiday when people enjoy fireworks. You’ll also find plenty of fireworks in the sky on New Year’s…

  There are a few factors to consider when fueling during exercise. What if you get hungry during your workout — should you eat? If food is a good idea, what should you reach for? If you’re an avid exerciser, these queries have probably crossed your mind. It turns out there are several possible factors…

  Mobility isn’t a new concept, but you might be surprised to learn it’s more than just stretching. Mobility isn’t a new concept, but it certainly feels like the up-and-coming popular wellness buzzword — and for good reason. Mobility is more than just stretching. What Is Mobility? Mobility involves the joints and their movement in…

  Archaeologists have discovered six sacrificial pits containing about 500 artifacts, including gold and bronze masks, in the ancient Chinese city of Sanxingdui, according to news reports. The site is located about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) southwest of Beijing, Xinhua, China’s state-run press agency, reported. The artifacts date back around 3,000 years, to a time…

  A Kentucky man is invoking temporary insanity brought on by caffeine intoxication as his legal strategy to claim that he did not, as accused, murder his wife. Prosecutors allege Woody Will Smith strangled his wife to death with an extension cord on May 4, 2009, according to the Kentucky Enquirer. Smith’s lawyer claims that…

  You hear about it a few times a year: The Fed has raised interest rates, or the Fed delivered an interest rate cut after its latest meeting. Excited, you go to your local bank to check out its brand-new rates on car loans. To your disappointment, they’re the same as they were yesterday. What gives? The Fed, formally known as…

  Are you a movie fan? Do you like animation or live-action? Do you watch movies in 3D? It makes the special effects seem so real! Have you ever WONDERed how movie makers do it? It‘s not magic! Many times, they use Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). CGI is the use of computer graphics to make images and special effects.  Do…

  You don’t have to look far to find references to Voodoo in popular culture, especially in the Western world. Zombie movies, of course, have distant roots in Haitian Voodoo. Novelty stores sell pin-filled dolls to target anyone from miscreant romantic partners to unreasonable bosses. Even the Disney film “The Princess and the Frog” featured a Voodoo…

  Stagflation is term that describes a “perfect storm” of economic bad news: high unemployment, slow economic growth and high inflation. The term was born out of the prolonged economic slump of the 1970s, when the United States experienced spiking inflation in the face of a shrinking economy, something economists had previously thought to be…

  How long can you hold your breath underwater? The record is 24 minutes and 3 seconds. Most people can’t go more than a minute or two. What if people could grow gills? They could live underwater like mermaids! Humans might never grow gills. However, they may be able to live underwater without them. Technology makes new things…

  What are the most exciting two minutes in sports? Is it the last two minutes of the Super Bowl? Maybe those of Olympic gymnastics? Could it be the last two minutes of the Stanley Cup? No, the most exciting two minutes in sports are during the Kentucky Derby! The Kentucky Derby is the most well-known horse race…

  Our world is full of interesting questions. What happened to the dinosaurs? Are ghosts real? What about aliens? In Wonderopolis, we love making new discoveries. We want to learn something new about the world every day. However, there are a lot of questions that don’t have answers yet. What is dark matter? Can anything live inside a black hole? What caused…

  President Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court could force Republicans to choose between the often-nasty nomination battles that attend such weighty decisions and the potentially wide popular appeal of a Hispanic woman portrayed as one who understands and deserves some compassion. Should compassion be a qualification for a Supreme Court Justice?…

  Indoor cycling is a firm favourite with fitness fanatics – but which muscles does spinning work? Find out with our essential guide There’s no two ways about it, indoor cycling hurts all over – but which muscles does spinning work, specifically? This HIIT workout will definitely push your leg muscles the hardest, with your…