11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and ... fun.

1. A 16th-century German military expert believed that  weaponized cats could burn down enemy fortifications. (Learn more at National Geographic)

2. A door handle dispenses hand sanitizer to kill germs in hospitals. (Learn more at Gizmodo)

3. Barbara Walters's most flirtatious interview took place in 1982 with actor Clint Eastwood. (Learn more at AARP)

4. The rap group Wu-Tang Clan will make one copy of its next recording and hope it sells for millions of dollars. (Learn more at Mashable)

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5. A new app makes you look 15 pounds thinner in selfies.  (Learn more at  L.A. Times)

6. The website Twitspotting.com puts pictures of drivers who text on a San Francisco billboard. (Learn more at Twitspotting.com)

7. Japanese smartphone owners will receive an alert for incoming missiles. (Learn more at The Verge)

8. Older women who drink more than two diet sodas a day are at greater risk of heart attack, stroke and death. (Learn more at AARP)

9. Some employers consider autism a positive attribute in prospective employees. (Learn more at SFGate)

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10. A scrap metal dealer paid $14,000 at a junk market for a golden ornament that turned out to be a Fabergé egg worth as much as $33 million. (Learn more at Reuters)

11. Eating smaller, more frequent meals will  not help you lose weight. (Learn more at  AARP)

Bonus video: Adrianne Haslet-Davis, a dancer injured in the Boston Marathon bombing attack, is dancing again on a bionic leg. (Learn more at Re/Code or watch video below - Adrianne's story starts at 15:00 into the 19:00 video)

 

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 - Cat: Courtesy of University of Pennsylvania Libraries; Hand sanitizer door handle: Freshome.com; Wu-Tang Clan recording image - courtesy of Wu-Tang Clan; Skinneepix app via iTunes Store; Soft drinks: StudioThreeDots/istockphoto;  Fabergé Egg courtesy of Wartski antique dealers.

Music - Spinning by Alex Beroza via ccMixter

 

Also of Interest

• Open a Wine Bottle With Your Shoe and Other Things We Didn't Know Last Week
• Austin, Texas, and 9 Other Budget-Friendly Trips for 2014
• Get free assistance with tax-return preparation from Tax-Aide
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

 

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