Interesting Facts

It’s not possible to create a folder named “con” on a Windows computer.

Research shows that verbal intelligence is positively correlated with worry and rumination. Brain scans reveal that both high intelligence and excessive worrying share similar patterns of neural activity in the brain's white matter.

Taking a nap after learning something can help your retention of it.

Iceland has no standing army and has been ranked the world's most peaceful country every year since the Global Peace Index began in 2008.

Depression-era bank robber "Pretty Boy" Charles Floyd reportedly destroyed mortgage documents during at least one or two heists. While the legend claims he freed hundreds from debt, FBI historians note this was likely occasional rather than routine—but the rumors helped cement his Robin Hood reputation among struggling Oklahoma farmers.

Sectoral heterochromia is an eye condition where one part of the iris appears different to the rest. It's generally a result of excessive pigment.

Happiness and stress are contagious; surrounding yourself with happier people will make you happier too.

Facebook is blue because Mark Zuckerberg is color-blind and best sees the shade of blue.

Nobody really knows where strawberries got their name.

Most Japanese schools don't have dedicated janitors. Instead, children do the daily cleaning, which originated from the Buddhist traditions that associate cleaning with morality.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

Research has found that you're more likely to have a creative epiphany when you're doing something monotonous, like fishing, exercising, or showering.

Dogs often turn in circles before lying down, a behavior inherited from wild ancestors who trampled grass to create comfortable beds and check for snakes or insects.

A 2012 UK study by NCP car parks found that women scored higher than men on a parking skills checklist, despite taking about 20 seconds longer to complete the maneuver.

Money can buy happiness, but researchers have found that its emotional well-being benefits max out at a salary of about 75K a year.

Listening to music while working can boost mood and productivity, but the effect depends on the type of task and music—lyrics can interfere with reading or writing, while instrumental music often helps with repetitive tasks.

WWOOF is an international program that allows you to travel the world, with food/accommodations covered, in exchange for volunteer work.

Daizi Zheng, a Chinese designer based in London, created a concept phone for Nokia that would run on Coca-Cola. Her design used a bio-battery with enzymes to generate electricity from the sugar in the drink.

There are coffee houses in Russia where food and drink are free, but you pay for time.

On average, cats sleep for 2/3 of their life. This would mean that a 9 year old cat has been asleep for 6 years.

The fear of being tickled by feathers is known as Pteronophobia.

It would take 76 work days (8 hours a day) for the average person to read the Terms and Conditions they agree to in a year.

In Finland, fines are income-based. In 2002, a Nokia executive received a US$103,000 speeding ticket.

New Google employees are called "Nooglers", and are given a propeller beanie cap to wear on their first Friday.