Want to Visit Point Roberts, Washington? Bring Your Passport

There is a part of the U.S. that you can only get to through Canada.

The U.S. and Canada share the longest land border in the world.

And along any border that measures in the several-thousand-mile range, there are bound to be some quirks. 

The Real Person Behind Chef Boyardee

Chef Boyardee was a real person.

The world knows him as the jovial-looking fellow whose face has graced untold numbers of ravioli cans.

But to those who knew him in life, he was Ettore “Hector” Boiardi which is to say, Chef Boyardee was a real person. 

What City Will Soon Charge Tourists to enter?

Venice will soon become the first city in the world to charge visitors to enter.

There are some places in the world you just have to see to believe, and Venice is near the top of the list. 

Its incredible architecture coupled with its precarious placement in the Laguna di Venezia make it a truly one-of-a-kind location which is also part of a problem. 

What Chocolate Bar is Named for a Horse?

The Snickers candy bar was named after one of the Mars family's favorite horses.

While names like Hershey’s and 3 Musketeers (which originally included three bars) are fairly straightforward, some candy bar monikers are more elusive. 

Case in point: what, exactly, is a Snickers? Well, it’s actually a “who” — and not a human “who” at that. 

Are Mountain Goats Really Goats?

Mountain goats aren't actually goats.

When is a goat not a goat? 

When it can be spotted on a rail-thin rock crevasse at an altitude of 13,000 feet in the northwestern United States and Canada. 

That animal, while seemingly possessing the stubbornness attributed to the goats found at petting zoos, is actually the biologically distinct mountain goat, the lone extant species of the genus Oreamnos.

What Do Mangoes Have in Common With Poison Ivy?

Mango skin contains the same irritant as poison ivy.

Many experienced hikers are familiar with the phrase “leaves of three, let it be.” 

That’s because poison ivy and oak can be identified by their three-leaf clusters.

What 5 Countries Don't Have Airports?

Five countries don’t have airports.

The quintet of nations lacking their own airports: Vatican City, San Marino, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Andorra. 

They are all within Europe. 

What Barnyard Animals Don't Sweat?

Pigs don't sweat.

Although not the most glamorous of methods, sweating is a biologically ingenious way to keep cool. 

Our sweat glands employ energy. In this case, heat to evaporate water off our skin, which in turn cools us down. 

What Tool Was Once Called "the Puffing Billy"?

The earliest vacuum cleaners were horse-drawn.

In early 1901, English inventor Hubert Cecil Booth traveled to Empire Music Hall in London to witness a strange invention.

That was a mechanical aspirator designed to blow pressurized air to clean rail cars. 

Why Your Brain Uses Less Power Than a Lightbulb

The human brain runs on less power than a 60-watt lightbulb.

Some 500 million years ago, an ancient fish-like creature produced at least one offspring with a curious mutation — twice the number of genes. 

These excess genes began developing in new directions, eventually creating more and more complex brains.

What Animal Can You Hear From 5 Miles away?

A lion’s roar can be heard from more than 5 miles away.

It’s generally a good idea to keep your distance from lions, which is why it’s reassuring to know that hearing one doesn’t necessarily mean it’s nearby. 

A lion’s roar is so loud, in fact, that it can be heard from more than 5 miles away.

When Was a Pants Button a Life Saving Device?

Royal Air Force WWII uniforms included a pants button that served as a compass.

Tiny, hidden survival tools packed into the waistband of your pants may sound like something fantastical from a spy movie. 

But in the case of British wartime pilots, they were a reality.

What Breakfast Food Used to be a Gift for New Moms?

Bagels were once given as gifts to women after childbirth.

After a woman has had a bun in the oven for nine months, presenting her with a bagel might seem like a strange choice.

But some of the earliest writings on bagels relate to the idea of giving them as gifts to women after labor.

What Animal Has Been Around Longer Than Trees?

Sharks have been on Earth longer than trees.

Some species of trees that line city streets predate the dinosaurs by millions of years, but when it comes to the truly ancient, you need to look to the oceans. 

Sea-dwelling creatures have a many-millions-of-years head start on any terrestrial life-forms.

Take, for instance, the shark. This apex predator of the sea has been stalking the world’s oceans for upwards of 450 million years. 

A Newborn Red Kangaroo is Very Small

Newborn red kangaroos are less than an inch long.

A baby red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is about the size of a jelly bean. 

Born after about 34 days of gestation, it’s less than an inch long or 100,000 times smaller than its adult height (roughly 4 feet). 

What University is Older Than the Inca Empire?

Oxford University is older than the Inca empire. 

You might associate the development of modern universities with intellectual movements. 

But the first universities predate those major periods in history, not by years but by centuries.

Octopuses Don't Really Have Tentacles!

Octopuses don’t have tentacles. They have arms.

The most distinguishing feature about an octopus is its set of eight appendages — after all, they’re right there in the name. 

But don’t confuse that tangle of limbs for tentacles, because octopuses don’t have those — they have arms. 

A Cat Once Co-authored a Scientific Paper

A cat once co-authored a physics paper.

Cats certainly aren’t unknown in the world of physics. 

Isaac Newton had a cat named Spithead (and supposedly created a cat door for him), while Albert Einstein once said that only two things provided refuge from the misery of life: “music and cats.” 

What Creatures Can Only Taste Salt?

Dolphins and whales can only taste salt.

Compared to other members of the animal kingdom, humans are pretty good at tasting things. 

Our primate biology gives us the ability to detect five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (or savory).

What Fruit Was Once So Valuable People Rented Them for Parties?

Pineapples were once so valuable, people rented them for parties.

If you’re planning to throw a party, you might need to rent extra tables or chairs, perhaps even a tent or a tux. 

But in the 1700s, party hosts and guests looking to make a statement were in the rental market for an entirely different accessory: pineapples.