11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and ... fun

1. Long dismissed as a separate species of dinosaur, the Brontosaurus (Thunder Lizard) is enjoying a comeback among scientists. (Learn more at Scientific American)

2. A 100-year-old Japanese woman can swim 1,500 meters in record time. (Learn more at Washington Post)

3. Middle-aged night owls have a much higher risk for diabetes and some other health problems than early-risers. (Learn more at AARP)

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4. There are at least four good reasons why people in early photographs rarely smiled. (Learn more at Vox)

Library of Congress

5. Travelers left $674,841 in loose change at U.S. airport security checkpoints last year. (Learn more at Mashable)

6. Younger baby boomers (those born from 1957-1964) held 11.7 jobs from age 18 to age 48. (Learn more at Bureau of Labor Statistics)

7. The musician who gave Billie Holiday her nickname "Lady Day" got his nickname — Prez — from her. (Learn more at AARP)

8. Children's book author Joan Walsh Anglund, 89, is laying claim to the quote on the new Maya Angelou stamp. (Learn more at Washington Post)

9. There's life beyond earth, and we'll have proof of it within 20 years or so. (Learn more at The Independent)

10. Because of both nature and nurture, the Dutch are currently the tallest people on the planet. (Learn more at Discovery)

11. The cost of producing lab-grown meat has fallen from $273,000 for a prototype hamburger in 2013 to an estimated $36 a pound today. (Learn more at redOrbit)

Bonus video:

Cast members of Twin Peaks respond to the news that negotiations for David Lynch to direct the reboot have broken down.

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

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Images — Brontosaurus: DonkeyHotey/Flickr; Japanese swimmer: Japanese swimmer courtesy of Japan Master Swimmers Association; Night owl illustration: id-work/iStock; TSA checkpoint: David Prasad/Flickr; Billie Holiday: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Tall and short Dutch guys: ZeNahla/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

• New Species Discovered and Other Things We Didn't Know Last Week
• Serenity Now! 13 Simple Ways to Reduce Stress
• AARP Foundation Tax-Aide: Get free help preparing and filing your taxes
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

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