Wacky Facts

Computers have calculated pi to more than 100 trillion digits; NASA needs only about 15 for spacecraft navigation.

Researchers recorded ultrasonic chirps from rats being tickled, which they compare to laughter.

A “peppercorn rent” is a token rent, historically a literal peppercorn, used to make a lease legally binding. Some leases still use it today.

Joseph Swan and others built working bulbs; Edison’s team made a long-lasting practical version in 1879.

A newborn has around 270–300 bones and cartilage parts. Many fuse together during growth — in the skull, spine and pelvis — leaving about 206 in an adult.

Archaeologists found popped maize in Peru dated to around 6,700 years ago.

Majuli sits in the Brahmaputra river. Erosion has shrunk it considerably over the last century.

Louis Braille, blind since childhood, developed his raised-dot system in 1824.

Joseph Weizenbaum’s program at MIT mimicked a therapist using simple pattern matching.

Its white marble appears pinkish at dawn, white at noon and golden in moonlight.

Several turtle species absorb oxygen through their cloaca, helping them stay underwater for long periods.

In 1952 Israel’s government offered Einstein the largely ceremonial presidency. He declined, saying he lacked the aptitude for dealing with people.

Astronauts returning from spacewalks have described a metallic, burnt or seared-meat smell on their suits, thought to come from reactive oxygen atoms and other compounds.

Only scientists and support staff live there temporarily; India runs the Maitri and Bharati research stations.

After learning something new, you notice it constantly — called the frequency illusion.

Experiments show goldfish can be trained to respond to sounds and remember tasks for months.

Similar sweets are called zalabiya in the Middle East; medieval cookbooks describe early versions.

Assam celebrates Rongali Bihu in spring, Kongali Bihu in autumn and Bhogali Bihu at harvest in January.

A googol is 1 followed by 100 zeros. The founders wanted to suggest huge amounts of information; googol was misspelled and the name stuck.

I and K for Ingvar Kamprad, E for Elmtaryd (his family farm) and A for Agunnaryd (his village in Sweden). He founded it at 17 in 1943.