11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and ... fun

1. A pair of Willie Nelson's braids is worth $37,000. (Learn more at NY Times)

2. A thin, million-mile-long cloud of solar material is suspended above the sun. (Learn more at NASA)

3. Some of London's iconic red phone booths are becoming solar-powered charging stations for mobile devices. (Learn more at Gizmodo)

>> 10 Best U.S. Train Trips to Take This Fall

4. Paul Revere, the rock star from the 1960s and '70s who dressed in Revolutionary War garb, didn't use a stage name. (Learn more at AARP)

5. Maple leaves dipped in batter and deep fried are a popular snack in parts of Japan. (Learn more at Buzzfeed)

6. When the TV series Twin Peaks ended, one character promised, "I'll see you again in 25 years," and she was right. (Learn more at The Atlantic)

7. Identity theft is occurring at up to twice the rate previously believed. (Learn more at AARP)

>> Get travel discounts with your AARP Member Advantages.

8. A berry found only in a small part of Australia kills cancer. (Learn more at ABC)

9. Scientists can make oxygen from carbon dioxide without using plants. (Learn more at LA Times)

10. Your genes determine how much coffee you drink. (Learn more at USA Today)

11. You — well, your name — can fly to Mars. (Learn more at NASA)

Bonus Video:

To celebrate the launch of BBC Music, here's the Beach Boys' hit "God Only Knows" with a cameo by songwriter Brian Wilson:

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:

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/171251000" params="color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

 

Images — Willie Nelson's braids: Guernsey's; Sun: NASA; London phone booths: Solarbox via Twitter; Paul Revere and the Raiders: GAB Archive/Getty Images; Deep-fried leaves: Bert Kimura/Flickr;Twin Peaks: David Lynch/Twitter/YouTube; Cancer-fighting berries: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute; Coffee cup: Tammy Gordon; Mars passport: NASA


Music – Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra plays Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra – Blue Blazes by Sy Oliver, Creative Commons, courtesy of Smithsonian Remix project and BBC Music production of "God Only Knows"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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