Wikipedia

26 facts cite this source

Sports Motorsport

Nobody is sure why the chequered flag means "finish"

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Society & Economy Crime

The first murder solved by DNA cleared an innocent man first

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Science The Scientific Method

A ship's surgeon ran one of history's first controlled trials — on twelve scurvy patients

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Science Physics

Particles can pass through walls they shouldn't

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Technology Transportation

A steel box cut shipping costs more than thirtyfold

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Technology Transportation

The SR-71's speed record has stood since 1976

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Culture & Arts Art

Ultramarine blue once cost more than gold, so painters saved it for the Virgin Mary

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Sports Motorsport

At Le Mans, the winner is whoever drives furthest in 24 hours

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Technology Engineering

The Falkirk Wheel Lifts Boats Using No Net Weight

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Sports Tennis

The fastest tennis serve ever clocked at 263 km/h

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Technology The Internet

The world's first webcam was invented to watch a coffee pot

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Nature & Animals Marine Life

The Greenland shark may be the oldest living vertebrate

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Nature & Animals Marine Life

The "immortal jellyfish" can rewind its own life cycle

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Sports Tennis

The longest tennis match ran 11 hours over three days

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Space Space Exploration

Humans have lived in space without a break since November 2000

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Earth & Climate Natural Disasters

The tallest wave ever recorded towered higher than the Empire State Building

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Culture & Arts Performing Arts

New York's Met is the largest opera house in the world

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Nature & Animals Marine Life

The mimic octopus impersonates other sea creatures on demand

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Nature & Animals Insects

No single monarch butterfly completes the migration

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Human Body & Mind Neuroscience

Nerve signals race through you at highway speeds

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Technology Transportation

Shanghai's maglev floated commuters along at 431 km/h

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Language & Communication Linguistics

On one Canary island, a whole language is whistled

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Human Body & Mind Anatomy

The smallest bone in your body sits inside your ear

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Geography Demographics

Over half of humanity lives inside one circle in Asia

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Geography Cities

Venice stands on millions of wooden piles

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Geography Demographics

Humanity passed 8 billion people in 2022

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