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11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and ... fun

Hieronymouse the Mouse - Dressed as Human

1. Brits are reviving an unusual hobby -  stuffing mice and arranging them in human-like poses. (Learn more at NY Times)

2. Men's faces evolved in a way that maximizes protection during fistfights. (Learn more at Washington Post)

Boxing Match - Hitting Face

3. A wool fitness mat with embedded sensors and LED lights can help you perfect yoga poses and record progress. (Learn more at Wired)

TERA Fitness Mat from Lunar



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4. Bulletproof blankets have been developed to shield kids during school shootings. (Learn more at CNET)

Bodyguard Blanket from ProTecht

5. An FDA official's letter that could stop cheese makers from using wooden boards for aging might end Limburger made in the U.S. (Learn more at NPR)

Limburger cheese with onions

6. Draining a severely injured patient's blood and replacing it with ice water might improve survival chances. (Learn more at NY Times)

7. Chimpanzees consistently beat humans in certain games of strategy. (Learn more at Futurity)

Chimpanzee

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8. The Paris bridge where lovers leave a padlock to demonstrate their amour is collapsing under the weight of 700,000 locks. (Learn more at New York Magazine)

Paris - Bridge Des Arts - Locks

9. Four in 10 Americans believe God created Earth 10,000 years ago. (Learn more at Gallup)

10. Father's Day generates $7 billion less in spending than Mother's Day. (Learn more at AARP)

World's Greatest Dad - Father's Day

11. A Japanese robot speaks 17 languages and can read human emotions. (Learn more at CNN)

Pepper the Robot

 

Bonus video: This Seattle Symphony concert featured hometown hero Sir Mix-a-Lot, 50, and his Grammy Award-winning hit: "Baby Got Back." You'll never think of a symphony concert the same way again. It's "safe for work" but don't watch this viral hit if you don't like a lot of singing and dancing in the name of ... there's no way around it ... big butts.


Learn something this week? Mail your ideas to 11things@aarp.org, and we'll try to include your story next time.

On Twitter, we're using the hashtag  #11things.

Let us read 11 Things to you:

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/153919912" params="color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

Images - Mouse: Suzanne Gerber/FlickrChad Runge/U.S. Navy/Flickr; Fitness mat: Courtesy of LUNAR Europe; Orange blankets: Courtesy of Bodyguard Blankets/ProTecht; Chimpanzee: Martin/Flickr; Pont des Arts: Domiriel/Flickr; Father's Day trophy: Tim Malabuyo/FlickrPepper the Robot by Aldebaran robotics, photo by Vincent Desailly

Music - Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra plays Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra - Blue Blazes by Sy Oliver, Creative Commons, courtesy of Smithsonian Remix project.

 

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