Every fact, in one place.

12 Rejections, 1 Billionaire

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by 12 different publishers before one finally said yes.

A Useless Fact

The official beverage of Ohio is tomato juice.

Hope Can Physically Heal You

The placebo effect is scientific proof that your hope for recovery can trigger actual, physical healing in your body.

Is Your Willpower a Muscle?

Psychologists found that willpower acts like a muscle; it gets tired from overuse but can be trained to become stronger.

Why You Forget Your Dreams

You forget about 95% of all your dreams shortly after waking up.

A Useless Fact

A rat can last longer without water than a camel.

The 'Helper's High' is Real!

Helping others triggers a 'helper's high,' activating the same brain areas as pleasure and reward.

The 20-Second Hug Trick

A 20-second hug releases the bonding hormone oxytocin, which helps lower blood pressure and reduce stress.

Ancient Greece's Two Kinds of Wisdom

The ancient Greeks had two words for wisdom: 'Sophia' (theoretical knowledge) and 'Phronesis' (practical wisdom).

The Art of Golden Scars

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, believing the object is more beautiful for having been broken.

A Useless Fact

"Go." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

Earth's Most Indestructible Animal

Tardigrades can survive the vacuum of space, extreme radiation, and boiling temperatures by entering a state of suspended animation.

Bananas Are Berries?!

Bananas are technically berries, while strawberries are not.

The Sweet Reward of Patience

The famous Stanford marshmallow experiment found that children who could patiently wait for a second treat had better life outcomes years later.

Da Vinci's Simple Secret

Leonardo da Vinci's motto, 'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,' was used in Apple's first brochure.

The Secret Psychology of Service

Your brain judges a service based only on its peak moment and how it ends, a bias known as the 'peak-end rule'.

Your Brain Tricks You Every Day

The 'illusion of explanatory depth' is the cognitive bias that makes you feel you understand a topic, like how a bicycle works, until you have to explain it.

Britney Spears vs. Pirates

The British navy used Britney Spears' music to scare away Somali pirates off the coast of Africa.

The Statue of Liberty's Secret

At the feet of the Statue of Liberty is a broken shackle and chain, symbolizing freedom from oppression.

Why Almost Winning is Better

Psychologically, a 'near miss' is a more powerful motivator for future success than an easy victory.

Broken is the New Beautiful

The Japanese art of Kintsugi uses gold to repair broken pottery, making an object's 'scars' its most beautiful feature.

A Useless Fact

There is no solid proof of who built the Taj Mahal.

The City Carved From Rock

The ancient city of Petra in Jordan wasn't built with stones, but was instead carved directly into giant red sandstone cliffs.

The 42% Goal Achievement Secret

Writing down your goals makes you up to 42% more likely to achieve them, according to a study by Dr. Gail Matthews.