11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and ... fun

1. Penguins, which swallow their food whole, don't have much sense of taste. (Learn more at  Discovery)

2. Bronzed baby shoes are making a comeback. (Learn more at  CBS Sacramento)

 

3. Snail teeth are made of the strongest natural substance yet discovered, which could be copied to make race cars, boat hulls and airplanes. (Learn more at Quartz)

>> Get travel discounts with your AARP Member Advantages.

4. In July, Random House will bring out a never-published book by Theodore Geisel — Dr. Seuss — titled  What Pet Should I Get. (Learn more at USA Today)

5. Oscar night "goodie bags" have reached a new record — free products valued at $125,000 — a 56 percent jump over last year. (Learn more at  The Independent)

6. If selfies aren't good enough for you, a German company will make a four-inch 3D figurine that matches your face and body exactly. (Learn more at Wired)

7. Ancient Egyptian workmen building a king's tomb received sick pay and state supported health care. (Learn more at The Conversation at Mashable)

8. Hot flashes connected with menopause can last up to 14 years. (Learn more at AARP)

9. A commercial project to send a crew on a one-way trip to Mars has chosen 100 finalists, 10 of whom are 50 or older. (Learn more at Daily Dot)

10. There's no scientific evidence that eating high-cholesterol foods like eggs and shrimp causes dangerous cholesterol buildup in the arteries of most people. (Learn more at AARP)

11. In Japan, an underground parking garage for bicycles can store, and then retrieve your bike in seconds for about $15 per month. (Learn more at Mashable)

 

Bonus video: Everything you wanted to know about Willie Nelson's guitar, in this exclusive video for Rolling Stone.

 

Let us read 11 Things to you:

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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.

On Twitter, we’re using the hashtag # 11things.

Images – Penguin and chick: Keith Szafranski/iStock; Old bronzed baby shoes: Joe Belanger/ iStock; Snail teeth: Wikimedia; Dr. Seuss: PR Newswire; Figurines: DOOB-3D, USA; Hot Flashes: BakiBG/iStock; Mars: NASA; Shrimp omelet: Reese Derrenberger/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

• 'Measles Parties' and Other Things We Didn't Know Last Week
• 9 Ways to Fall Back in Love
• 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.