The Wizard of Oz is a beloved cinematic classic. What happened behind the scenes was far from lovely.

The board game Guess Who has been a best seller for nearly 45 years. It’s the way that happened you’ll want to tell your friends about at your next social gathering.

Today, Donald Trump will be sworn in (for the 2nd time) as President of the United States of America. Like those before him, he’ll do it with his hand on a Bible. Is this a requirement?

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Did it take a cartoon mascot to convince the public to include five-digit codes on mailing addresses? 

When natural disasters strike, most people look to established news outlets for the latest updates. Others look to … Waffle House.

First Winnie the Pooh, then Mickey Mouse, and now our favorite sailor man enters the public domain. Why does this keep happening?

Sources:
https://zipcodes.org/blog/funny-facts-about-zip-codes
https://www.wafflehouse.com/how-to-measure-a-storms-fury-one-breakfast-at-a-time/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/happy-public-domain-day-popeye-rhapsody-in-blue-the-sound-and-the-fury-and-thousands-of-other-captivating-creations-are-finally-free-for-everyone-to-use-180985744/

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Some reviewers have called the recent remake of the horror classic Nosferatu “the perfect horror film.” However, its source material, a silent film from the 1920s, almost didn’t exist. This week, that complicated history and the story it tells us about the challenges of preserving films from the silent era.

We know a product or service can be trademarked, but can a smell? A toy from your past decided to try. 

Why is New Year’s Day observed on January 1st?  “Why not?” is not a sufficient answer.



Sources:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/nightmarish-classic-nosferatu-almost-destroyed-one-furious/
https://mashable.com/article/hasbro-play-doh-smell-trademark
https://time.com/6550127/new-year-celebration-january-calendar-date-history/

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It’s that time of year—Christmas trees, twinkling lights, too many sweets… and endless holiday movies! An update on one of our most popular segments tells how (and why) original holiday films are made.

Why are we supposed to kiss if we meet under mistletoe? Here’s everything you could want to know about the festive berries. 

Which U.S. state has the most holiday spirit? How about the least? You know someone has figured it out for us. 


Sources:
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1211596888
https://www.history.com/news/why-do-we-kiss-under-the-mistletoe
https://www.mentalfloss.com/states-with-the-most-and-least-christmas-spirit

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Judges surely get hangry in the afternoons, like the rest of us. Does that impact their job?

Banana candy, you’ve probably noticed, tastes nothing like banana. That’s intentional.

A collection of never-before-heard Michael Jackson songs were found in a storage unit. That doesn’t mean you’ll ever hear them. 

Sources:
https://www.randomactsofmedicine.com/p/are-hungry-judges-and-tardy-doctors
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140829-the-secrets-of-fake-flavours
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/unreleased-michael-jackson-tapes-found-130500824.html

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Helium, that we use to blow up parade floats and birthday balloons, is a uniquely one-of-a-kind element. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

What if we lived in a world where we wanted for nothing, where our every wish and need was cared for? Scientists ran an experiment and, as always, things did not go as expected. 

Ever tried to sneak a drink into the movies or some candy to a ballgame? There’s always that one guy who takes things too far. 

Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/01/775554343/the-world-is-constantly-running-out-of-helium-heres-why-it-matters
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-old-experiment-with-mice-led-to-bleak-predictions-for-humanitys-future-180954423/
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/20/americas/smuggler-tarantulas-peru-intl-scli/index.html

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More than three decades ago, the New Yorker Magazine printed a cartoon about the internet that is just as accurate today as it was then, setting records for reprints. It’s still setting records.

It’s after Halloween. What happens to all the pumpkins?

Porta potties - everyone uses them; no one wants to. We’ll tell you more than you ever expected to know, including how often, if ever, they’re cleaned.

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The film Sideways, about male bonding in wine country, was released in 2004. Twenty years later, it’s still has an impact on one industry. 

A scientific experiment taught rats to drive. That’s not even the most amazing part.

In the 1950s, Roger Bannister did what was previously thought impossible - run a mile in under 4 minutes. Why did multiple runners suddenly do the same just days later?

Sources:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/07/05/535038513/the-sideways-effect-how-a-wine-obsessed-film-reshaped-the-industry
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/11/08/driving-rats-anticipation-learning-neuroscience/
https://www.scienceofrunning.com/2017/05/the-roger-bannister-effect-the-myth-of-the-psychological-breakthrough.html?v=47e5dceea252

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Some corporate programs really do work. One has convinced millions of kids to read millions of books for more than 40 years by promising them the perfect incentive - free pizza.


Have you ever set out to buy one thing but ended up with something else? That’s what happened to Cecil Chubb, though his unintended purchase was a little bigger than typical.


If it seems the McDonald’s McFlurry ice cream machine is broken more often than not, you wouldn’t be wrong. America’s court system decided to do something about it. 

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/books/pizza-hut-book-it.html
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/man-buys-stonehenge-his-wife-she-not-pleased-180956719/
https://www.mentalfloss.com/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machines-government-ruling

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You may hear these days of unfair or too close-to-call elections, but this isn’t a recent development. 


It’s not the national anthem, but God Bless the USA sure feels like it could be … until you hear this segment. 


Everyone hates changing their clocks twice per year. More than 80% of Americans say we should stop. Why don’t we?

Sources:
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/presidential-election-1876
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/11/645270955/god-bless-the-u-s-a-a-country-anthem-with-enduring-political-power
https://www.nytimes.com/article/daylight-saving-time-questions.html

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