1323 facts
Gustave Eiffel designed the tower's four stone bases to distribute its massive weight over a large surface area. This results in a ground pressure of only 4.5 kilograms per square...
This happens because of thermal expansion. When the sun heats the tower's 7,300 tons of iron, the atoms vibrate more and spread out, causing the structure to physically expand. Thi...
The dairy industry produces millions of tons of acidic whey waste annually. Researchers use specialized microbes to ferment this byproduct into polylactic acid (PLA). The result is...
While studying at the University of Geneva, Stamen Grigorov used a microscope to identify a rod-shaped bacterium in his wife's homemade yogurt. Originally named 'Bacillus bulgaricu...
Yogurt contains lactic acid, a gentle Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) that helps shed dead skin. Unlike harsh physical scrubs, it lowers the skin's pH to loosen old cells without causing...
While Westerners often eat yogurt as a sweet snack, cultures in Turkey, Iran, and the Levant enjoy it as a salty drink. Ayran is made by whisking yogurt with water and sea salt, of...
While food processing usually reduces nutrients, yogurt is a rare exception. During fermentation, beneficial bacteria produce extra vitamins like B12 and folate as they grow. This...
Before refrigeration, people in ancient Persia and India used saffron to keep yogurt safe to eat. Saffron contains crocin, a compound that inhibits the growth of harmful molds and...
Kefir and yogurt may look similar, but their biology is quite different. Yogurt is produced by fermenting milk with specific bacteria like Lactobacillus. In contrast, kefir is made...
While yogurt has been around for millennia, it only gained mass popularity in America after Dannon's 1977 'Son of Russia' commercial. The ad featured active centenarians from Sovie...
Yogurt production relies on beneficial bacteria that turn milk into yogurt. However, tiny viruses called bacteriophages can infect and kill these bacteria. If a virus enters a fact...
While vinegar and lemon juice can be too harsh, yogurt contains lactic acid that slowly softens muscle fibers and collagen. It also contains calcium, which triggers enzymes in the...
Mongol warriors carried 'qurut,' a portable dried yogurt curd that was light, durable, and packed with protein. By boiling yogurt and sun-drying it into hard pieces, they created a...
The name comes from the Old Turkish root 'yoğ,' which describes something becoming thick or dense. Nomadic tribes in Central Asia used this term to describe how liquid milk transfo...
Isaac Carasso founded Danone in Barcelona to combat widespread digestive issues and malnutrition in children. Inspired by Nobel Prize-winning research, he developed a fermented mil...
The United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host the expanded 48-team tournament. While South Korea and Japan shared the event in 2002, this is the first time three countries hav...
During the final against Hungary, heavy rain turned the pitch into a mud bath. While the favored Hungarian team struggled for grip with traditional fixed-stud boots, the German pla...
Before 1970, soccer balls were typically brown or tan, making them difficult to see on monochrome TV screens. For the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Adidas introduced the Telstar, featu...
While giants like Germany, Italy, and Argentina have all missed at least one tournament, Brazil has a perfect attendance record. They have participated in all 22 editions of the Wo...
During the 1982 World Cup, West Germany and Austria played a match where a 1-0 German win allowed both teams to advance while eliminating Algeria. After Germany scored in the 10th...
With a population of just 334,000 in 2018, Iceland shattered the record previously held by Trinidad and Tobago. This tiny island nation has fewer residents than the city of Leicest...
Zagallo achieved this feat in three different roles. He won as a player in 1958 and 1962, as a manager in 1970, and as an assistant coach in 1994. Known as 'The Professor,' his tac...
Before 1970, referees gave warnings verbally, which caused confusion due to language barriers. English referee Ken Aston proposed a color-coded system after seeing a traffic light....
During the 2018 World Cup, goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary set a world record by playing at age 45 years and 161 days. He famously saved a penalty against Saudi Arabia in his final matc...
Known as the 'Mineirazo,' this match stunned the world as host nation Brazil suffered its first competitive home loss in 62 years. Germany scored five goals in the first 29 minutes...
During the 1958 tournament in Sweden, Pelé set a record that still stands today. Despite a team psychologist labeling him too immature for the pressure, the teenager scored six goa...
Despite soccer's low popularity in the U.S. at the time, the 1994 tournament drew a record 3,587,538 fans. With an average of nearly 69,000 spectators per match, it still holds the...
During the 2006 World Cup, a Round of 16 match between Portugal and the Netherlands descended into chaos. Referee Valentin Ivanov issued a record-breaking 16 yellow cards and 4 red...
During the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, French striker Just Fontaine achieved a feat that remains unmatched. He scored in every single game he played, despite starting the tournament...
During the 1994 World Cup, Cameroon's Roger Milla scored against Russia at the age of 42 years and 39 days. He famously celebrated with a hip-wiggling dance by the corner flag, a m...
During the 2002 World Cup third-place match, Turkey's Hakan Şükür scored against South Korea in a record-breaking 10.89 seconds. He capitalized on a defensive error immediately aft...
After losing the 1950 World Cup at home to Uruguay, Brazil abandoned their traditional white uniforms, which were seen as a curse. A newspaper launched a competition to design a ne...
In a match between Croatia and Australia, Josip Šimunić received yellow cards in the 61st, 90th, and 93rd minutes. Poll failed to send Šimunić off after the second card because he...
In the 1930 final, Argentina and Uruguay each insisted on using their own ball. FIFA settled the dispute by using Argentina's 'Tiento' ball in the first half and Uruguay's 'T-Model...
Ottorino Barassi, vice-president of FIFA, secretly removed the Jules Rimet Trophy from a bank vault in Rome during World War II. Fearing Nazi soldiers would seize or melt the gold,...
Species like cichlids and groupers debunk the myth of the three-second memory. These fish can distinguish their owners from strangers and often display 'begging' behaviors or follo...
Commissioned by Prince Albert I and opened in 1910, this architectural marvel sits 279 feet above the Mediterranean Sea. Legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau served as its director...
Deep-sea creatures are adapted to extreme cold and darkness. If their water becomes too warm, their metabolism speeds up dangerously, which can be fatal. To mimic the deep ocean, a...
Standing 82 feet tall, the AquaDom held 260,000 gallons of water and featured a built-in elevator. In December 2022, the acrylic structure shattered, flooding a hotel lobby and rel...
Most corals rely on tiny algae called zooxanthellae to produce up to 90% of their food through photosynthesis. Since water filters out red and yellow light, corals have evolved to...
Biologists use positive reinforcement to teach sharks to associate specific colors or shapes with food. When a target is lowered into the water, the shark swims to it to receive it...
Before the 1850s, fish were kept in simple glass bowls where they died quickly from lack of oxygen. Naturalist Philip Henry Gosse revolutionized fishkeeping by discovering that aqu...
Moving the world's largest fish is a massive logistical challenge. For the Georgia Aquarium, whale sharks were flown from Taiwan to Atlanta in 6-meter steel containers equipped wit...
The name was likely coined by English publisher Johann Baptist Cramer to describe the music's majestic scale. Beethoven composed the piece in 1809 while Napoleon's army bombarded V...
Niccolò Paganini was the world's first musical superstar. His incredible speed and long, flexible fingers allowed him to play notes that seemed physically impossible. To build his...
Antonio Vivaldi's masterpiece is a pioneering example of 'program music,' where the composition tells a specific story. Each of the four concertos corresponds to a sonnet that desc...
In the late 1700s, live performance was the primary path to fame. Mozart composed complex concertos to showcase his unique keyboard skills and attract wealthy patrons. To protect h...
Paul Wittgenstein lost his arm in battle but wanted to continue his career. He commissioned Ravel to write a piece for only the left hand. Ravel used clever techniques to make the...
This dual meaning captures the unique relationship between a soloist and an orchestra. While they work together to create harmony, the soloist also 'competes' with the larger ensem...
In 2010, workers expanding the Sofia Metro unearthed the ancient city of Serdica. Rather than relocating the ruins, architects integrated them into the station to create a 9,000-sq...