Patty Rasmussen is a freelance writer based in the Atlanta area. She’s written about everything from Major League Baseball to economic development to the reason why calico cats are almost always female. Patty enjoys writing for HowStuffWorks because it means she’s usually picked first for trivia teams.
Recent Contributions
Ankylosaurus was a dinosaur with short, squat legs that allowed it to run at about 6 miles per hour â fast, but not fast enough to outrun a large carnivorous predator like Tyrannosaurus rex.
The national bird of the United States has taken on iconic status as the avian avatar of freedom, but its wingspan and steely gaze guarantee its status in the pecking order of prey birds as a symbol of strength.
There's more to Australia's kookaburra than the cheery song you learned as a kid, but what is it that makes the kookaburra laugh?
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Magpies are much-maligned as harbingers of doom, thieves of shiny objects and songbird eggs, but they're smart, monogamous for life and actually hold funerals for one another.
A study at the University of Exeter in January 2020 found that squirrels that strongly favored a paw – whether right or left – perform less well at learning tasks. Ah ... OK. So. Many. Questions.
Standing 1,428 feet tall and just 60 feet wide, Steinway Tower in New York City has earned the nickname, "The Coffee Stirrer."
Most people throughout the world are right-handed. So can they teach themselves to use their left hands, too and become ambidextrous?
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Distilleries call this evaporative substance "angel's share" and promise that it's not dangerous, but nearby residents find it coating everything around them and aren't so sure.
You probably use the words mold and mildew interchangeably. But these two types of fungi aren't quite the same. Is one worse?
Stop bagging those leaves and putting them curbside to be hauled off to the landfill. There's a better way — for your lawn and the environment.
The Hoover Dam holds back 10 trillion gallons of water. That's enough to cover the entire state of Connecticut. How much damage would be done if the dam broke?
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The history of roller skating is a winding road that started with John Joseph Merlin in the 18th century and evolved into multiple sports we still play today.
First of all, who is Stanley? Also, why is this trophy so dang big?
On Johns Island, South Carolina, stands an oak tree so big and beautiful that people come just to stand under its branches and feel the magic.
It's a big old world and the number of countries it contains changes all the time. So, do you know how many there are? It's not an easy question.
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Harry Belafonte died today at age 96. A shining star in his own right, Belafonte was a key supporter of Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights movement and other humanitarian missions.
We often use the terms heart attack and cardiac arrest interchangeably. But these are two different conditions. How can you tell one from the other?
Don't know how to eat dragon fruit? This stunner of a fruit is as simple to slice as it is pretty to look at. So give it a try. You won't regret it.
The hosel is a little piece of metal that plays a big part in both golf club construction and in the club's performance.
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The baguette is the most popular kind of bread eaten in France. So it only makes sense UNESCO would protect it as an iconic part of its cultural heritage.
As much as we love to spoil our furry little friends with treats from the table, dogs are not human and there are much better food options for them.
Feeling down and need someone to pick you up? Give the kids of Peptoc a call and we guarantee a smile!
In a game against the Texas Rangers Oct. 4, Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run in the 2022 MLB season, setting a new American League home run record.
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The solar system's largest planet will pass closest to Earth at the same time it's at opposition. That means it will be the biggest and brightest it's been in the sky in decades.
Paprika comes from the dried Capsicum annuum variety of red peppers, and can range in flavor from sweet to very hot.