11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and ... fun

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1. Nearly half of people surveyed wrongly believe that their dogs are as smart as  3- to 5-year-old children. (Learn more at Time)

2. A big white rat is the newest star on Broadway. (Learn more at NY Times)

>> 12 Foods That Sabotage Your Sleep

3. People do a terrible job of predicting how long they'll live. (Learn more at Discovery)

4. Sixty-five percent of women say they favor sleep over sex. (Learn more from Today)

5. It's possible to feed yourself to an anaconda, and for both you and the snake to survive. (Learn more at Daily Mail)

6. Mormon church founder Joseph Smith had up to 40 wives. (Learn more at Vanity Fair)

7. Both coffee and tea are good for you, but, all things considered, tea is better. (Learn more at Salon)

8. Humans can land a space vehicle on a 2.5-mile-wide comet 311 million miles from earth. (Learn more at Washington Post)

http://youtu.be/NaIsq3w17cg

>> Get travel discounts with your AARP Member Advantages.

9. Americans consume about 66 pounds of added sugar each year. (Learn more at sugarscience)

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10. Butt augmentation is the fastest growing type of plastic surgery. (Learn more at Chattanooga Times Free Press)

11. A bike path in the Netherlands that captures solar power is the first step toward highways that can recharge electric vehicles. (Learn more at BBC)

Bonus Video: From the band OK Go! "I Won't Let You Down" — and they don't.

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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Images — Family with dog: iStock/Blend_images; White rat: iStock/tiripero; Sleeping couple: iStock/bowdenimages; Anaconda scene: Courtesy of Discovery Channel; Tea: iStock/Silberkorn; Sugar: iStock/mitrykim; Solar powered car: SolaRoad.

Music – Comet sounds: ESA via Soundcloud; 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

• Killer Hummingbirds and Other Things We Didn't Know Last Week
• 6 Places to Never Use Your Debit Card
• Get Involved: Learn How You Can Give Back
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

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