It seems simple—two pieces of bread with something in the middle—but its namesake is anything but.

Some world records seem to stand forever, while others can fall multiple times yearly. We look at the reasons why not all records are created equal.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251003-the-maths-behind-world-records

https://www.history.com/articles/sandwich-inventor-john-montagu-earl-of-sandwich

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We don’t think twice about using a fork today, but our ancestors didn’t love it - and they were pretty sure God wouldn’t approve, either.

Since the 1950s, artificial laugh tracks have helped ensure that jokes land on sitcoms from I Love Lucy to Friends to The Big Bang Theory. Let’s meet the man responsible.

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Referred to as winged rats, pigeons aren’t often at the top of many favorite bird lists. They should be.


When would you guess the last Civil War pension check went out? You’re probably wrong.


What we wear has an impact on how people perceive us. How big an impact?

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Ever wonder why keyboards seem random rather than in alphabetical order? Hint: it wasn’t done to help you type quicker.

For 70 years, Publishers Clearing House knocked on the door of an unsuspecting winner and presented them with a giant cardboard check, granting them monthly payments for the rest of their lives. Things have changed.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/business/publishers-clearing-house-bankruptcy-winners-lose-prizes

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-qwerty-keyboard-will-never-die-where-did-the-150-year-old-design-come-from-49863249/

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Is Pig Latin a language? Is there a real pig involved? Why does Jay dislike it so much?

Most of us cringe when we hear a recording of ourselves. Why do we dislike it so much? Do other people hear us the way we hear ourselves?

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/12/the-real-reason-the-sound-of-your-own-voice-makes-you-cringe

https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/what-is-pig-latin

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The US Government once tried to ban sliced bread. That went as well as you’d expect.

For thirty years, a statue with an unsolvable puzzle has stood on the lawn of CIA headquarters. The answer is about to go up for auction.

Sources:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nobody-has-been-able-to-solve-the-cias-famous-kryptos-sculpture-soon-the-solution-will-be-sold-to-the-highest-bidder-180987200/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ridiculous-reason-why-the-us-enacted-a-wartime-ban-on-sliced-bread-salesand-why-it-didnt-last-long-180985834/

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Can you use up all the honk that’s in your car’s horn?

At one time the Olympics gave out medals for… architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature. Yes, we’re not kidding.

Sources:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-the-olympics-gave-out-medals-for-art-6878965/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/cars-trucks/do-cars-run-out-of-honk

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What would you want your last meal to be? Most of us will (hopefully) never be on death row, but how would your answer line up with real requests from death row inmates?

Only about 10% of people are left-handed. That can be good or bad depending on the task. + Why is anyone left-handed at all?

Sources:

https://choicemutual.com/blog/favorite-last-meal-by-state/

https://www.shoutoutuk.org/2024/08/13/its-time-to-address-the-left-handed-elephant-in-the-room/

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