Below are a few excerpts from the BBC’s 2007 year in review list, 100 things we didn’t know last year.
3. Adding milk to tea negates the health-giving effects of a hot brew.
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4. The word “jaywalking” came from the US slang “jay”, a term popular in the early 20th Century meaning a rustic newcomer unfamiliar with city ways.
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5. Cloudy apple juice is healthier than clear, containing almost double the antioxidants which protect against heart disease and cancer.
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6. Dishcloths are purged of 99% of their bacteria during two minutes in a microwave.
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14. Antony and Cleopatra were ugly.
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17. Two cups of spearmint tea a day is thought to control excessive hair growth for women.
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23. To be found attractive, women should sway their hips and men their shoulders (although researchers call this a “shoulder swagger”).
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26. Harvesting rhubarb in candlelight helps preserve its flavour.
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29. The average duvet is home to 20,000 live dust mites.
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31. There is mobile phone reception from the summit of Mount Everest.
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32. Anti-Americanism began in Paris in the 18th Century.
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34. Kryptonite exists.
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39. The secret to happiness is accepting misery.
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42. Nearly seven out of 10 (69%) of adults are still in touch with at least one childhood friend.
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45. Domestic cats can trace their descent to the Middle East.
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46. Peanuts can be made into diamonds.
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49. CDs were nearly called mini-racks.
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50. Left-handed people are called sinistral.
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53. Renowned atheist Professor Richard Dawkins likes singing Christmas carols.
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55. Books used to be bound in human skin.
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64. King Tut had buck teeth.
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66. Gun ownership per person in Finland is the third highest in the world.
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67. The brain can turn down its ability to see in order to listen to complex sounds like music.
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69. Dogs occasionally shoot their owners in the US.
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70. IP addresses will run out in 2010.
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72. Dumbledore is gay.
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73. UN population projections go as far as 2300.
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76. George Clooney and Pierce Brosnan have had Bell’s Palsy – a nerve condition that can result in paralysis on one side of the face.
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78. A bdelloid rotifer is a pond-dwelling organism that has survived 80 million years without sex.
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82. The children who sang on Pink Floyd’s number one hit Another Brick in the Wall (Pt 2) couldn’t appear in the video because they didn’t hold Equity cards.
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85. A 23.8lb baby was born in the US in 1879, but it only survived 11 hours.
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88. Deep-voiced men have more children.
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92. Zsa Zsa Gabor is related to Paris Hilton.
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97. There have been at least two children given the name “Superman” in the UK since 1984.
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100. Dogs can have two noses.
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