The people of the United Kingdom town of Halifax had enough on their minds. War clouds were swirling, and there were fears that the country would soon be drawn into another great […]
Watching one’s weight is especially important during the holiday season. Lots of fad diets and dietary products promise miraculous results but ultimately prove to be mere illusions. There is, however, one illusion […]
An earlier post answered the question about what would happen if something happens to a presidential candidate during the election process. There, we discussed all kinds of scenarios, ranging from the time […]
Scientists, philosophers, and theologians have long pondered and theorized about dreams. What are they? What causes them? What purpose do they serve? The debates about dreams continue, but one thing is certain: […]
The Sisters of Plenitude are familiar to fans of BBC’s Doctor Who. The nuns lived on New Earth in New New York (technically, “New New New New New New New New New […]
Being the king of a nation generally brings enough wealth and power to meet most of a person’s wants and needs. Of course, there is the typical curse of affluence, when the […]
Children have been learning how to count with the help of Sesame Street’s Count von Count for nearly fifty years. The purple-skinned vampire is well named, since he derives much more pleasure […]
A new disease emerged from a remote part of the world. It started in an animal before jumping to humans. It was highly contagious, but many who caught the disease remained asymptomatic. […]
Think of the most vivid dream you can remember. Was it in color? If so, there’s a good chance you did not spend much of your childhood sitting in front of a […]
Atelophobia. Does it bother you if you don’t know the meaning of that word? Does that somehow make you feel inadequate or less than perfect? Does the very notion of being imperfect […]
Nikola Tesla is one of the most intriguing and enigmatic characters of the modern age. His genius and eccentricity have sparked countless discussions concerning his contributions to science and his wasted opportunities. […]
We at Commonplace Fun Facts are big fans of the Ig Nobel Prize and its mission to “first make people laugh, then make them think.” The list of 2019 laureates touched on […]
Certain prisons take on certain notoriety because of their reputation or place in history. Alcatraz, Sing Sing, and San Quentin all evoke images of forbidding institutions that have housed the most violent […]
If the findings of a recent study are accurate, the next time you order strong coffee, you might be asked if you want cream, sugar, or anti-psychotic medications to go with it. […]
If you are looking for someone who exemplified the art of subtlety, don’t spend a lot of time studying Tamerlane (1336-1405). He was also known by the name Timur the Lame, but […]
