
The next time you grab a handful of cotton candy and subject your teeth to an onslaught of almost 100% sugar, you can thank a couple of dentists for inventing it.
The next time you grab a handful of cotton candy and subject your teeth to an onslaught of almost 100% sugar, you can thank a couple of dentists for inventing it.
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: […]
Few things are more distressing than an overflowing toilet. Aside from the utter revulsion at having one’s home invaded by the toilet’s contents and the need to get it cleaned up as […]
Percy reached in his pocket and retrieved a melted candy bar, and it changed the world. It may seem strange that such a seemingly-trivial event would have such profound ramifications. After all, […]
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) is known as the father of modern taxonomy. This accomplished botanist, zoologist, and physician developed the system used around the world to identify all living things by genus and […]
As summer ends and students return to school, it is appropriate to take a moment and reflect on one of the things that is as indispensable to studies as notebooks and backpacks: […]
They say some people are like Slinky’s — they’re not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs. If […]
When it comes to brand identification, few companies have been more successful than The Hoover Company and its sales of vacuum cleaners. In the United Kingdom, Hoover so dominated the vacuum cleaner […]
Archytas (428 BC–347 BC) was a mathematician and scientist of Ancient Greece. He was a member of the Pythagoreans. (Click here to learn how Pythagoras was killed by his phobia of beans.) […]
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. […]
War has been a blight on humanity for all of history, but it occasionally produces some good things. Such was the case when Napoleon’s problems with providing food to his troops led […]
What invokes happy memories of summer better than the popsicle? The cool, refreshing delight of a juicy frozen treat on a hot day can seem like manna from heaven. The next time […]
We are led to understand that the process of delivering a baby can be somewhat difficult. Fortunately, for expectant mothers everywhere, inventors George and Charlotte Blonsky have come to the rescue with […]
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 […]
Henry Ford was famous for promoting his game-changing Model T automobile, telling consumers they could have the car in any color, as long as it was black. There was another game-changing innovation […]