11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and ... fun

1. The extinct pelagornis bird had a wingspan as wide as 24 feet.  (Learn more at International Business Times)

2. The Nazi's "perfect Aryan" poster child was Jewish. (Learn more at The Telegraph)

3. A computer chip that delivers a contraceptive hormone can be turned off when a woman wants to get pregnant. (Learn more at CNET)

4. Scientists know where an on-off switch for consciousness is located in the brain. (Learn more at New Scientist)

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5. New apps connect people who have leftover food and those who want it. (Learn more at  Washington Post)

6. : - ) or :)? Whether or not your smiley face emoticons have a nose says a lot about you. (Learn more at The New Republic )

7. Your face can predict how long you'll live. (Learn more at AARP)

8. New self-service machines at the Minnesota Twins' ballpark let fans draw as much beer as they want - at 38 to 40 cents an ounce. (Learn more at ESPN)

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9. When a chimp stomps both feet, it means "let's play." (Learn more at Huffington Post)

10. A blood test to predict Alzheimer's disease might be available within two years. (Learn more at AARP )

11. Pakistanis spend about 48 percent of their household cash on food; Japanese about 14 percent; and Americans about 7 percent. (Learn more at Vox)

 

Bonus video: Do you wish you'd had a better seat for July 4th? Watch this drone's-eye-view of a Florida display:

 

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 -  Pelagornis Bird: Liz Bradford/courtesy of Bruce Museum; Drug delivery microchip illustration: courtesy of MicroCHIPS/Lexington, Mass.  (cropped); Brain cross section: Adapted from Gray's Anatomy/Wikipedia; Piqniq app: courtesy of company website; Emoticons: AARP; Smoking man: David Robert Bliwas/Flickr; Beer machines: Courtesy Delaware North Sportservice/Target Field; Chimp: mycheesegrits/Flickr.

Music - Alex Beroza: Spinning - ccMixter

Also of Interest

• Animals Predicting World Cup Winners and Other Things We Didn't Know Last Week
• Couple Finds $1 Million in Their Trash
• Fight fraud and ID theft with the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

 

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