- The Outerbridge Crossing, which connects Staten Island and New Jersey, is the southernmost bridge in New York State. It was named after Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge—not because it’s an “outer bridge.”
- Under certain conditions, hot water can freeze faster than cold water—a phenomenon known as the Mpemba effect.
- A gargoyle is only called a gargoyle if it serves as a waterspout. Decorative versions without a waterspout are called grotesques.
- A burial ground next to a church is called a graveyard. One that isn’t attached to a church is called a cemetery.
- Working backward, the last five items in a series are the ultimate, penultimate, antepenultimate, preantepenultimate, and propreantepenultimate.
- Camels store fat—not water—in their humps. Concentrating fat in one place helps them stay cooler in hot climates.
- The oldest goldfish on record lived to be 43 years old.
- In Sweden, Cool Ranch Doritos are sold as “Cool American.”
Facts by Sean McVeigh, factologist.
