375/601
Dr. Barry J. Marshall’s Bold Self-Experimentation

Australian physician, Dr. Barry J. Marshall, hypothesized that the bacterium H. pylori plays a major role in causing stomach ulcers. But the medical community rejected his hypothesis. Unable to carry out human tests, he drank cultured H. pylori himself, developed ulcers within days, and treated it with antibiotics. He went on to win a
Nobel Prize for his work.

374/601
Percentage of Americans Estranged from Family Member

Around 27% of Americans, at least 67 million, who are 18 years and older are estranged from at least one family member.

373/601
Wearing Black Makes You Attractive

There are studies confirming that wearing all-black makes you look more attractive, intelligent, and confident.

372/601
Keanu Reeves Gave Up on Millions to Bring in the Big Actors

Keanu Reeves often took pay cuts from his salary so that other notable actors could be hired with that money. For The Devil’s Advocate, he agreed to forgo several millions so that they could bring in Al Pacino, and he did the same for The Replacements so that Gene Hackman could co-star in the film.

371/601
Dr. Phil Has No Licence to Practice Psychology

Dr. Phil stopped renewing his licence in 2006 after he lost it. As the show was more about entertainment than psychology, the disclaimer signals “that his advice is not real medical or psychological advice at all.”

370/601
The Stunt that Almost Went Wrong in Dexter

While filming the third season of Dexter, actor Jimmy Smits accidentally picked a real knife and stabbed a stuntman in the chest. The stuntman was unharmed as Smits hit the Post-it-sized piece of plastic protecting his heart, which he had missed eight out of 10 times while rehearsing with a fake knife.

369/601
Norwegian Town that Brings Sunlight with Mirrors

Between September and March, the Norwegian town of Rjukan receives no natural sunlight because of the surrounding steep mountains. So, they installed three large mirrors powered by solar panels to track the Sun’s path every 10 seconds and reflect the light onto 600 square meters of their market square.

368/601
Anton Syndrome, a Rare Eye Condition

There is a rare condition called Anton syndrome in which a person who becomes blind would insist they can see despite clear evidence of their blindness. Their brains generate fabricated visualizations causing them to believe that they can see.

367/601
Over 90% of Guitar Buyers Abandon Practice After One Year

According to a Fender Guitars study, 90% of new guitar players abandon the instrument within one year. The 10% that don’t quit drive the hardware side of the business, spending an average of $10,000 over their lifetime to buy five to seven guitars and multiple amps.

366/601
Real Reason Behind Procrastination

Studies have found that procrastination is not a result of laziness or poor time management. It is a disruptive coping strategy for emotional dysregulation and linked to physical and mental health.

365/601
Canada’s Volunteer Service to Drive the Drunks

Since 1984, Canada has had a volunteer service known as Operation Red Nose that has been driving those who are too drunk to drive themselves during holiday seasons.

364/601
Daughters Increase Fathers’ Lifespans

According to a study, having daughters increased the lifespan of fathers by 74 weeks per daughter. In contrast, the lifespan of mothers decreased by 95 weeks per son or daughter.

363/601
Eating at all NYC Restaurants

It would take 73 years if you ate at a different restaurant every day in New York City.

362/601
Tri-point Border Picnic Table in Europe

This is a picnic table at one of Europe’s tri-points where people from Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary can eat lunch together without crossing their borders.

361/601
Chained Libraries of the Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, books were so valuable that it was common practice until the 18th century to chain them to bookshelves.

360/601
Symbiotic Relationship Between Birds and Ants

Birds often deliberately land on ant or insect nests in a behavior known as “anting.” The ants will invade their feathers spraying formic acid, which acts as an insecticide, fungicide, miticide, and bactericide, ridding the birds of all pathogens. It also helps supplement their preen oil and make the insects more edible.

359/601
Japanese Pruning Technique for Straight Logs

Daisugi is a Japanese pruning technique that gives a harvest of straight logs without cutting the entire tree.

358/601
Barbara Cartland’s Extensive Writing Career

English writer Barbara Cartland wrote 723 novels, an average of more than nine per year since she began writing. Nicknamed “The Queen of Romance,” she wrote as many as 23 novels in 1976.

357/601
Beards Lessen Impact From Punches

A study found that beards can absorb 37% more energy from a punch, decreasing the impact on the face. Researchers believe men might have evolved to grow beards to lessen the impact from getting punched.

356/601
Rome’s 2,000-Year-Old Road

The Appian Way is a road that held strategic significance as the main route for moving military supplies in ancient Rome. Built in 312 BCE, the road is still functional now, 2,000 years later.

355/601
World’s Deepest Underwater Postbox

The world’s deepest underwater postbox is located 10 meters below the surface in Susami Bay, Japan.

354/601
LifeStraw Water Filtration Device

LifeStraw is a water filtration device that allows the user to drink water safely. The suction of drawing water up through them causes the water to flow through hollow fibers which filter out items down to 0.2 micrometers, removing 99.99% of waterborne parasites.

353/601
Giraffes’ Crazy Sleeping Habits

Adult giraffes sleep just for two to four hours a day in a series of five- to 15-minute power naps to avoid predation.

352/601
Michael Sheen’s Charity Work

After selling both his houses to fund the 2019 Homeless World Cup in Cardiff when its funding fell through, Michael Sheen decided to turn himself into a “not-for-profit actor” and pledged to use his earnings to fund more charity projects.

351/601
Different Meals of Pilots and Co-Pilots

It is standard practice for pilots and co-pilots to eat different meals to avoid simultaneous food poisoning.