Your home for quirky, engaging articles about the natural world, human history, biology, and everything in between. Prepare to head down the rabbit hole and learn some fascinating new things along the way.

1
2 1
3 1
4 1
ocean life 4
rivers lakes
american history
earth geology
fish
amphibians
dinos
animals

A Single Pencil Can Write 45,000 Words

How far can a pencil write before it runs out? Just imagine – how many miles of writing could your pencil do? In 2007, Discover magazine made an interesting claim. They said a standard pencil could write 45,000 words and draw a line 35 miles long! Lots of people have repeated this as a fact. A quick Google search brings up all kinds of websites stating this incredible “fact.” But is it really true?

Continue Reading A Single Pencil Can Write 45,000 Words

Did Nero Fiddle While Rome Burned? Unraveling the Myth

The image of the Roman emperor playing music while his city goes up in flames is powerful. But is there any truth to it? Did Nero fiddle while Rome burned? This powerful imagery is widely used around the world in songs, comics, and books. At this point in time, the image of Nero fiddling while Rome burned is part of our zeitgeist. Yet, the actual history is a bit more complicated.

Continue Reading Did Nero Fiddle While Rome Burned? Unraveling the Myth

The Science of Pyramid Construction: Weighing the Great Pyramid

The Great Pyramid of Giza is an awe-inspiring example of ancient Egyptian ingenuity with pyramid construction. It was built around 2560 BCE during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu. And, it is the oldest and biggest of the three pyramids which make up the Giza pyramid complex. This colossal structure held the record as the world’s tallest human-made structure for over 3,800 years. This changed in 2010, when the UAE built the Burj Khalifa. The Great Pyramid’s precise construction uses an estimated 2.3 million limestone blocks and continues to baffle modern engineers and archaeologists. What they can all agree on, though, is that it is incredible.

Continue Reading The Science of Pyramid Construction: Weighing the Great Pyramid