Surprising facts, every one sourced

◆ Fact of the day

Mars hosts Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the Solar System

Olympus Mons rises about two and a half times higher than Mount Everest, a feat made possible because Mars never broke its crust into drifting tectonic plates.

Read the full fact Space →

Today Space Science Earth & Climate Nature & Animals Human Body & Mind History Geography Technology Language & Communication Culture & Arts Religion & Beliefs Society & Economy Food & Drink Sports

Today’s mix

browse all →

Society & Economy Business & Markets

The accounting system behind modern business was first printed in 1494

40 sec read

Earth & Climate Natural Disasters

The 1960 Valdivia earthquake is the most powerful ever recorded, at magnitude 9.5

40 sec read

Language & Communication Media & Communication

The oldest surviving photograph took hours of sunlight to make

45 sec read

Science Physics

The total energy of the universe may add up to exactly zero

60 sec read

Human Body & Mind Neuroscience

Your brain runs on 86 billion neurons

55 sec read

Nature & Animals Microbes

A Dutch cloth merchant was the first to see microbes — through homemade lenses

40 sec read

factsmate — surprising facts, every one sourced

Mars hosts Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the Solar System

Today’s mix

The accounting system behind modern business was first printed in 1494

The 1960 Valdivia earthquake is the most powerful ever recorded, at magnitude 9.5

The oldest surviving photograph took hours of sunlight to make

The total energy of the universe may add up to exactly zero

Your brain runs on 86 billion neurons

A Dutch cloth merchant was the first to see microbes — through homemade lenses