Your chances of making it to 116 years old are...very slim

Your chances of making it to 116 years old are...very slim
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Speaking of age, on the other end of things, only one person in two billion survives to be 116.

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Sleeping burns more kilojoules than watching TV

Sleeping burns more kilojoules than watching TV
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Yes, you burn kilojoules in your sleep – and usually more than you do while watching the tube. The main reason for this is that our sleeping selves take in exactly zero kilojoules, but while we’re watching the tube, we often get tempted to eat. Commercials and product placement don’t help matters.

Don’t miss these weird tricks that really do help you go to sleep.

Video game soundtracks are the best music to listen to for concentration

Video game soundtracks are the best music to listen to for concentration
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Next time you really need to focus on a work project or notes for an upcoming test, try listening to video game music. This is because their purpose is to keep you focused on the task at hand, providing some atmosphere for the game without being overpowering or distracting.

‘Forty’ is the only word (in English) whose letters are in alphabetical order

‘Forty’ is the only word (in English) whose letters are in alphabetical order
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Not the most useful, sure, but it’s sure fun to think about! Try it with any other number. Any at all.

Check out these common words that used to mean completely different things.

‘Mouses’ is an acceptable plural for a computer mouse...

‘Mouses’ is an acceptable plural for a computer mouse...
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It’s no secret that English-language plurals can be very perplexing. Why is the plural for ‘house’ ‘houses’, but the plural of ‘mouse’ is not ‘mouses’? Well, in the context of a computer mouse, it is! According to Macquarie Dictionary, ‘mouses’ is an acceptable plural form for the technological use of ‘mouse’. (Though you can still use ‘mice’, too.) Whether you think that makes matters easier or even more confusing is up to you.

...and the speed of a computer mouse is measured in ‘mickeys’

...and the speed of a computer mouse is measured in ‘mickeys’
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Someone was having a little fun when they came up with this. And we love them for it. Technically, a ‘mickey’ is 1/200th of an inch. The speed can be measured in ‘pixels per mickey’, referring to how many pixels the cursor on the screen moves when the physical mouse is moved one mickey.

The odds of getting a royal flush in poker are 649,739 to one

The odds of getting a royal flush in poker are 649,739 to one
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When people say a royal flush is lucky, they aren’t kidding! Odds of getting a straight flush are slightly better, at 72,192 to one.

Do you have a lucky charm? Read on for the origins of superstitions and lucky charms.

There's a cat version of a Corgi

There's a cat version of a Corgi
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Oh yes, cat lovers. This precious ball of fluff is called a ‘Munchkin cat’ and, like the corgi and the dachshund, its short legs and long body are the results of a genetic mutation. If a cat possesses the autosomal dominant gene, which causes the leg bones to grow shorter, it can pass the trait on to its kittens.

Don’t miss these common ‘facts’ about cats that are actually false.

A banana is a berry (and a strawberry isn't)

A banana is a berry (and a strawberry isn't)
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Talk about berry confusing! This is because a ‘berry’ is technically a fruit with three distinct layers – a thick outer one; a middle one containing most of the edible fruit; and an inner one that contains the seeds. The fruit also must come from a flower with only one ovary. By this classification, grapes are berries as well, but strawberries aren’t. Botanists don’t seem to be particularly beholden to this naming system.

New York's famous Central Park's lamp posts have numbers on them specific to their location

New York's famous Central Park's lamp posts have numbers on them specific to their location
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Lamp posts in Central Park have numbers on them to help you keep track of where you are. If you’re lost in the massive park, take a look at the nearest lamp post. There will be four numbers on it. The first two are the digits of the nearest numbered street, and the second two reveal whether you’re on the east or west side of the park. Odd numbers reveal that you’re on the west side of the park; even numbers signify east. The numbers have been there as long as the lamp posts themselves – since the 19th century.

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