For teenage boys around the world, those first few stubbly hairs on the chin or upper lip are a reason to rejoice and consider oneself suitably grown-up. Grow a sufficient beard and you might even be able to get into a bar without being carded, and don’t forget that ladies love a nice scruffy…
Have you ever wondered about whether or not your favorite newscasters are just hiding their regional accents, or if they really don’t have any distinguishing inflections? In reality, they’re probably just using a neutral-sounding accent, known in the US as the General American accent. The General American accent is the tone of choice for nightly…
If you ask your typical American which state is the flattest, there’s a good chance they’ll respond with Kansas. In fact, 1/3 of participants in an American Geographical Society claimed just that. Kansas, the Sunflower State, has the happy distinction of being “flatter than a pancake”: but just how flat is it? In 2003,…
If you’re locked in a debate-to-the-death over whether that nice, large body of water on the side of the highway is a lake or a pond, be prepared to throw down your weapons. The truth of the matter is: it’s both. Or, it’s neither, if that suits you better. The fact is that there…
Ask anyone and they can attest to the fact that of all the things we feel like doing when someone tickles us, laughing is probably one of the last on the list. Even if you don’t find being tickled downright unpleasant, you probably still feel that the sensation gets old pretty quick. Yet, tickles make…
Sometimes, you know exactly why you’re itchy: you have a mosquito bite, you had a run-in with some poison ivy, your allergies or eczema is acting up. But you know when you have an itch that seems to come from nowhere? You find yourself mindlessly scratching at the back of your hand, or your back…
As a vegetarian for over 13 years, please excuse me when I say that I hate the smell of bacon; as much as it sounds like heresy, hear me out. I hate the smell of bacon because it smells. so. good. It’s almost a universal constant that the smell of bacon will bring everyone in…
Any boy scout or girl scout worth their merit badges will tell you: when you’re lost in the woods without a compass, look for moss. As legend has it, moth only grows on the north side of trees, so by finding some moss you can find your bearings. Whether or not you’d know what…
Seal or sea lion: the question has plagued zoo-goers and amateur marine biologists for decades. They sure look similar, and does anyone even really care if you mix them up? Maybe not, but if you want to be able to impress your friends and family, here’s how you can tell the difference between a…
Tornadoes are among the most fearsome and recognizable weather phenomena, ravaging whole communities and homesteads on a yearly basis. They’re no joke, really: in 1925, the infamous Tri-State tornado was responsible for 700 deaths and 15,000 demolished homes in a single night, while 2014 saw the month of April ushering in a total of…
In America, a trip out West isn’t complete unless you take a drive through one of the majestic national parks of Wyoming and Montana, home to bears, wolves, eagles, and buffalo. Or bison. Or both? Aren’t bison and buffalo the same thing? The answer is a rather wishy-washy “yes and no”. It is perfectly reasonable…
When a sinkhole opens up in the middle of a college football field, people tend to take notice. When that sinkhole measures 30 by 50 feet across and 40 feet deep, that’s even more interesting. That’s the size of the sinkhole that opened up at Austin Peay State, and it caused a lot of…
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