Priya Kannan
Priya writes about the strange corners of culture, technology, and human behavior. She thinks raccoons should be allowed to vote.
Articles by Priya (32)
The Word 'Set' Has Over 430 Definitions
It holds the record in the Oxford English Dictionary. Discover the surprising story behind the word 'set' has over 430 definitions in this in-depth Random Tri
Iceland Has a Phone App to Avoid Dating Relatives
Small populations create big genealogical risks. Discover the surprising story behind iceland has a phone app to avoid dating relatives in this in-depth Uncom
We Don't Know Why We Dream
Theories span memory consolidation, threat rehearsal, and randomness. Discover the surprising story behind we don't know why we dream in this in-depth Fascina
The Average Cumulus Cloud Floats Because Its Mass Is Spread So Thin
A million-pound cloud is, locally, lighter than air. Discover the surprising story behind the average cumulus cloud floats because its mass is spread so thin
Some Turtles Breathe Through Their Butts
It is exactly as undignified as it sounds. Discover the surprising story behind some turtles breathe through their butts in this in-depth Weird Facts read on
Ben Franklin Proposed the Turkey as the National Bird
He thought the eagle had questionable morals. Discover the surprising story behind ben franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird in this in-depth Stra
The Apollo 11 Computer Had Less Power Than a Modern Calculator
The Apollo Guidance Computer ran on 64 kilobytes of memory. Discover the surprising story behind the apollo 11 computer had less power than a modern calculato
Someone Once Lived in an Airport for 18 Years
Mehran Karimi Nasseri stayed in Charles de Gaulle from 1988 to 2006. Discover the surprising story behind someone once lived in an airport for 18 years in thi
The Origin of Life Is Still Unsolved
Scientists know it happened. They aren't sure how. Discover the surprising story behind the origin of life is still unsolved in this in-depth Fascinating Myst
Pigeons Can Distinguish Picasso From Monet
They are surprisingly good art critics. Discover the surprising story behind pigeons can distinguish picasso from monet in this in-depth Funny Discoveries rea
The Longest Distance Ever Covered by a Cat
A cat named Howie walked 1,200 miles home in Australia. Discover the surprising story behind the longest distance ever covered by a cat in this in-depth Bizar
A Roman Emperor Made His Horse a Senator
Caligula is famous for this. He may have actually meant it as an insult. Discover the surprising story behind a roman emperor made his horse a senator in this
The Pet Rock Made Its Inventor Millions
Gary Dahl convinced America to buy stones in 1975. Discover the surprising story behind the pet rock made its inventor millions in this in-depth Odd Invention
The Internet Weighs About the Same as a Strawberry
Or maybe slightly less, depending on the math. Discover the surprising story behind the internet weighs about the same as a strawberry in this in-depth Uncomm
The Shortest War in History Lasted 38 Minutes
Lunch took longer than the Anglo-Zanzibar War. Discover the surprising story behind the shortest war in history lasted 38 minutes in this in-depth Strange His
Napoleon Was Once Attacked by a Horde of Rabbits
Yes, the emperor of Europe was routed by bunnies. Discover the surprising story behind napoleon was once attacked by a horde of rabbits in this in-depth Stran
Some Slime Molds Can Solve Mazes
Without a brain. Discover the surprising story behind some slime molds can solve mazes in this in-depth Funny Discoveries read on dumb.today.
Japan Has More Vending Machines Per Person Than Anywhere Else
Roughly one for every 23 people. Discover the surprising story behind japan has more vending machines per person than anywhere else in this in-depth Uncommon
Scotland Once Had Its Own Failed Empire
The Darien Scheme bankrupted Scotland in the 1690s. Discover the surprising story behind scotland once had its own failed empire in this in-depth Strange Hist
The Heart of a Blue Whale Is the Size of a Small Car
And it beats only about 8 to 10 times per minute at depth. Discover the surprising story behind the heart of a blue whale is the size of a small car in this i
Ducks Have Regional Accents
Cockney ducks quack differently than rural ones. Discover the surprising story behind ducks have regional accents in this in-depth Funny Discoveries read on d
The Largest Snowflake Was 15 Inches Wide
Recorded in Montana in 1887. Discover the surprising story behind the largest snowflake was 15 inches wide in this in-depth Bizarre Records read on dumb.today
Sound Travels Four Times Faster in Water
About 1,500 meters per second, compared to 343 in air. Discover the surprising story behind sound travels four times faster in water in this in-depth Random T
Why Cats Purr Is Still a Mystery
We can describe the mechanism. We don't know the purpose. Discover the surprising story behind why cats purr is still a mystery in this in-depth Fascinating M
There Are More Trees on Earth Than Stars in the Milky Way
Our home planet outguns our home galaxy. Discover the surprising story behind there are more trees on earth than stars in the milky way in this in-depth Weird
Scientists Once Trained Pigeons to Pilot Missiles
Project Pigeon was very real. Discover the surprising story behind scientists once trained pigeons to pilot missiles in this in-depth Funny Discoveries read o
There's a Genuine Scientific Field Studying Beard Microbes
And yes, beards can harbor unique bacteria. Discover the surprising story behind there's a genuine scientific field studying beard microbes in this in-depth F
There Are More Possible Chess Games Than Atoms in the Observable Universe
By a margin so wide it boggles statisticians. Discover the surprising story behind there are more possible chess games than atoms in the observable universe i
Velcro Was Inspired by Burrs Stuck to a Dog
George de Mestral examined the burrs under a microscope in 1941. Discover the surprising story behind velcro was inspired by burrs stuck to a dog in this in-d
Rats Can Be Tickled — and They Laugh
At frequencies humans can't hear. Discover the surprising story behind rats can be tickled — and they laugh in this in-depth Funny Discoveries read on dumb.to
There Are Glaciers Made of Salt
In Iran, salt behaves like ice over long time scales. Discover the surprising story behind there are glaciers made of salt in this in-depth Unusual Science re
Vikings Used a Sunstone to Navigate
On cloudy days, Norse sailors found the sun with a crystal. Discover the surprising story behind vikings used a sunstone to navigate in this in-depth Strange