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Since 1768.
While working at Toronto’s Second City Theater, Catherine O’Hara was made Gilda Radner’s understudy.

When Radner left in 1974, O’Hara became a member of the company, and her ability to imbue her comedic characters with depth and humanity launched a decades-long career.
January 30, 2026 at 7:33 PM
An estimated one septillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) snowflakes fall worldwide every year.

We may have come close this week.
January 29, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Greenland sharks are believed to be the longest-living vertebrates on Earth.

Researchers have determined that one female is around 400 years old.

That means she was alive during the Napoleonic Wars, the Boston Tea Party, Charles Darwin, and ABBA winning Eurovision.
January 29, 2026 at 3:09 AM
For no reason at all: how does salt melt ice?

There is a layer of water above ice, which allows salt to dissolve into ions. Ions make it harder for water molecules to bond together into ice crystals.

This is called 'freezing point depression,' and no, SAD lamps don't help.🧵⬇️
January 22, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Turns out cows may have beauty and brains.
January 21, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Aquarius’s representation as a man pouring a stream of water out of a jug may be because in ancient times, the rising of Aquarius coincided with a period of floods and rain in the Middle East.

Another conspiracy theory for them to consider.
January 20, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Happy 64th birthday, Jim Carrey.
January 17, 2026 at 9:16 PM
When a container of mixed nuts is shaken, the largest nuts rise to the top.

This phenomenon is known as the ‘Brazil nut effect,’ and there are a couple of mechanisms at play.

Or: “Making physics fun with snacks.” 🧵⬇️
January 15, 2026 at 7:18 PM
A chicken can be placed in a hypnotic-like trance called “tonic immobility” by holding its head to the ground and drawing a straight line in the dirt from the tip of its beak outward on the ground.

We don't know what to do with this information, either.
January 14, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Protestors are currently flying an old version of Iran’s flag, both in Tehran and worldwide as their movement gains momentum.

Here’s some information on the old flag, as well as Iran’s current one.
January 14, 2026 at 5:01 PM
If lizards had legs, they'd kick you.
(they do and they would)
January 12, 2026 at 9:08 PM
The Mercator projection is widely used for navigation charts, but is less practical for world maps, because the scale is distorted and areas farther away from the Equator appear disproportionately large.
January 8, 2026 at 10:41 PM
A timeline of the January 2nd U.S. military mission to arrest and remove Venezuelan Pres. Nicolás Maduro and his wife. 🧵⬇️
January 8, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Loons feed mainly on fish, crustaceans, and insects, which you could say are their heated rivals.
January 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM
During his lifetime, Claude Monet painted more than 250 water lilies paintings, seemingly never stopping to say, “Enough. Enough for now.”
December 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Mistletoes are parasitic plants.

Some have explosive fruits; some fling their babies to new branches they can infect.

They can also cause abnormal growths called “witches’ brooms” that deform the branches and decrease the reproductive ability of the host.

Romantic.
December 23, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Florida upside down kind of looks like the Grinch.

Who knew the 27th state, consisting of mostly geologically young, low-lying plains, had such strong feelings about Christmas?
December 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM
FYI: “Capricornus” usually refers to the zodiacal constellation, and “Capricorn” usually refers to the astrological sign.

Capricorns would want you to get that right.
December 22, 2025 at 4:59 PM
December 21 is the winter solstice, which means that in the Northern Hemisphere:

- The path of the Sun is farthest south in the sky
- The Sun travels the shortest path, giving the day the least daylight and the longest night
- Things can only get lighter from here
December 21, 2025 at 5:52 PM
All I want for Christmas is…a painting of a mouse riding a lobster.

Christmas cards during the Victorian Era tended to be rather unusual, reflecting an offbeat sense of humor before Christmas iconography had solidified into what it is today.

Let’s shake this tree down. 🧵⬇️
December 19, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Feel free to use this as your OOO message for the rest of the year:
December 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Reindeer generally stick to a plant-based diet, and in winter, they rely on high-carbohydrate lichens called reindeer moss, which they reach by digging craters in the snow.

Bacon-wrapped scallops would certainly be a treat.
December 17, 2025 at 5:20 PM
During most kidney transplants, the diseased kidneys are not removed.

The new kidney is added to the lower abdominal area to allow easy connection to the bladder.
December 16, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Happy Hanukka/Chanukah/Hannukah!

Because it’s a transliterated word from Hebrew, there are many different spellings for the holiday (24, according to the OED).

All are acceptable, but if it’s spelled with a “Ch,” the first sound is still “H” (cc: Smokey Robinson).
December 15, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Happy 100th birthday to Dick Van Dyke.

Among his diverse jobs in show business, from 1947–53 Van Dyke and a partner played in nightclubs with a comedy pantomime act, billed as the Merry Mutes.

Lucky for us, he didn't stay mute very long.

www.britannica.com/biography/Di...
Dick Van Dyke | Biography, TV Show, Films, Mary Poppins, & Facts | Britannica
Dick Van Dyke is an American actor and comedian known for his affable charm, comedic timing, and loose-limbed physical comedy. He is most celebrated for his roles in the TV shows The Dick Van Dyke Sho...
www.britannica.com
December 13, 2025 at 9:39 PM