11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and ... fun

1. Planet Earth has a cousin - Kepler-186f - about 500 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus.  (Learn more at The Atlantic)

2. A disorder that causes you to act out your dreams is the best predictor of brain disease, says a new study. (Learn more at AARP)

3. A majority of American adults in all age groups now owns a smartphone. (Learn more at Time)

Matjaz Boncina (c)

4. Colorado boomers are the best educated; Maryland's boomers are the wealthiest.  (Learn more at AARP)

5. It's possible to dine at all 24 restaurants in Jenkintown, Pa., in a single day - just ask the mayor. (Learn more at Montgomery Media)

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6. America's middle class is not the wealthiest in the world. (Learn more at the New York Times)

7. The odds of surviving a long, high-altitude flight stowed away in the wheel well of a plane are about 25 percent. (Learn more at CNN)

8. Your preferred sleeping position with your honey says a lot about your relationship. (Learn more at AARP)

9. Two species of mammals survived at least 23 million years. (Learn more at the Washington Post)

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10. Considering yourself attractive leads you to believe you belong in a higher social class. (Learn more at Quartz)

11. As you age, you're likely to get nicer. (Learn more at AARP)

Bonus video: Please tell us why you think this video of a young man getting booted in the head by the driver of a passing train has more than 25 million views:

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:

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Credits - New planet: NASA; Selfie: mbbirdy/iStockphoto; Boomer map: AARP; Potato pancakes: Ed Foley/Twitter; Sleeping couple: bowdenimages/iStockphoto; Elephant-like creature: Benjamin Burger; Smiling guy with moustache: Kamyar Adl/Flickr;

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

 

Also of Interest

• Jet Lag App, Body Heat Generator and Other Things We Didn't Know Last Week
• Jerry Mathers and Other Famous Child Stars - Where Are They Now?
• Fight fraud and ID theft with the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

 

See the  AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more