Felix Haraldsen
Felix is a former archive researcher who treats every dusty footnote like a cliffhanger. He once spent six months proving a medieval pope had a pet ostrich.
Articles by Felix (27)
The Antikythera Mechanism Predates Computers by 2,000 Years
An ancient Greek device that could predict celestial events. Discover the surprising story behind the antikythera mechanism predates computers by 2,000 years
Bhutan Measures Gross National Happiness
Their constitution treats well-being as a national goal. Discover the surprising story behind bhutan measures gross national happiness in this in-depth Uncomm
Some Bees Get Addicted to Caffeine
And remember coffee-flavored flowers better. Discover the surprising story behind some bees get addicted to caffeine in this in-depth Funny Discoveries read o
The Mystery of the Wow! Signal
A 1977 radio burst from space looked exactly like a message. Discover the surprising story behind the mystery of the wow! signal in this in-depth Fascinating
Diamonds Rain on Neptune and Uranus
High pressure compresses methane into carbon, then crystals. Discover the surprising story behind diamonds rain on neptune and uranus in this in-depth Unusual
Stonehenge Was Built Without Wheels or Metal Tools
And nobody is entirely sure how. Discover the surprising story behind stonehenge was built without wheels or metal tools in this in-depth Fascinating Mysterie
A Cloud Can Weigh More Than a Million Pounds
That fluffy thing above you is hauling around the weight of a fleet of cars. Discover the surprising story behind a cloud can weigh more than a million pounds
Beavers Can Build Dams You Can See From Space
The longest known dam is over half a mile long. Discover the surprising story behind beavers can build dams you can see from space in this in-depth Funny Disc
The Highest Free-Fall Ever Was From the Edge of Space
Felix Baumgartner jumped from 128,100 feet in 2012. Discover the surprising story behind the highest free-fall ever was from the edge of space in this in-dept
The Bermuda Triangle Probably Isn't Magic
But its reputation refuses to die. Discover the surprising story behind the bermuda triangle probably isn't magic in this in-depth Fascinating Mysteries read
The First Computer Bug Was a Real Bug
A moth was found inside the Harvard Mark II in 1947. Discover the surprising story behind the first computer bug was a real bug in this in-depth Uncommon Know
Play-Doh Was Originally a Wallpaper Cleaner
It only became a toy when coal heating fell out of fashion. Discover the surprising story behind play-doh was originally a wallpaper cleaner in this in-depth
Pope Gregory IX Declared War on Cats
A 13th-century papal decree blamed cats for the spread of evil. Discover the surprising story behind pope gregory ix declared war on cats in this in-depth Str
Saturn Would Float in Water
If you could find a bathtub big enough. Discover the surprising story behind saturn would float in water in this in-depth Random Trivia read on dumb.today.
Sharks Existed Before Trees
Sharks were already swimming for 50 million years before the first tree took root. Discover the surprising story behind sharks existed before trees in this in
An Octopus Has Three Times as Many Neurons in Its Arms as Its Head
Each arm can solve problems independently. Discover the surprising story behind an octopus has three times as many neurons in its arms as its head in this in-
The Longest Hair Ever Recorded Was Over 18 Feet
Xie Qiuping of China holds the official record. Discover the surprising story behind the longest hair ever recorded was over 18 feet in this in-depth Bizarre
Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Are Not
Botanists ruined fruit forever and most of us never got the memo. Discover the surprising story behind bananas are berries, strawberries are not in this in-de
Quantum Particles Can Affect Each Other Across Vast Distances
Einstein famously called it 'spooky action at a distance'. Discover the surprising story behind quantum particles can affect each other across vast distances
Ireland Has No Snakes Because They Were Never There
St. Patrick didn't drive them out. Geography did. Discover the surprising story behind ireland has no snakes because they were never there in this in-depth Un
WD-40 Took 40 Tries to Get Right
The name literally stands for 'Water Displacement, 40th formula'. Discover the surprising story behind wd-40 took 40 tries to get right in this in-depth Odd I
There's a 'Door to Hell' That Has Been Burning Since 1971
A natural gas crater in Turkmenistan has been on fire for 50+ years. Discover the surprising story behind there's a 'door to hell' that has been burning since
There Is a 'Bone Wars' Period in Paleontology
Two rival scientists raced to name new dinosaurs in the 1800s. Discover the surprising story behind there is a 'bone wars' period in paleontology in this in-d
The Longest Hiccup Attack Lasted 68 Years
Charles Osborne hiccupped from 1922 to 1990. Discover the surprising story behind the longest hiccup attack lasted 68 years in this in-depth Bizarre Records r
The Most Expensive Pizza Costs Over $12,000
Louis XIII pizza requires 72 hours of preparation. Discover the surprising story behind the most expensive pizza costs over $12,000 in this in-depth Bizarre R
Spider Silk Is Stronger Than Steel by Weight
And tougher than Kevlar. Discover the surprising story behind spider silk is stronger than steel by weight in this in-depth Unusual Science read on dumb.today
Australia Once Lost a War Against Emus
In 1932, the Australian army deployed machine guns against birds. The birds won. Discover the surprising story behind australia once lost a war against emus i