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Any kind of privacy. And also polar bears.

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Tetris was the first video game played in space—Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr A. Serebrov took his Game Boy with him on his 1993 mission to the MIR Space Station, and he played Tetris in his (limited) downtime.

In 2008, NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff played several remote games of chess from the International Space Station against different planet-bound Earthlings. He used a felt board and affixed velcro to the bottom of the pieces to make sure none of them disappeared into the void.

The first-ever space sport was a 2018 doubles badminton match between Russian, American, and Japanese crewmembers of the ISS. The zero gravity environment made things a little tricky, but at the end of the day, they didn't even keep score—"friendship won."

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My friend, you are in for a treat: That tiny little dot is, I kid you not, called a tittle. It comes from the Latin word titulus, which means inscription or heading. The humble tittle started off as a larger mark in 11th century Latin manuscripts, helping to differentiate the letters, and shrunk to the dot we know and love with the invention of typeface in the 1400s.

The word is seldom used today, which is a real shame, but it does have ties to the phrase "to a T"—it started off as "to a tittle." I don't know about you, but I think we should bring it back.

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Comic Sans was originally developed by typographer Vincent Connare in 1994 to pair with a cartoon dog that helped folks navigate the Microsoft Windows interface. The font that was dubbed “playful” and “friendly” by its creator has since become a pariah in the typography community and a laughing stock on the internet at large. The reason could have to do with the font being used out of context, so to speak. Here’s how Jo Mackiwicz, a professor of rhetoric of and professional communication who’s researched how people perceive fonts, explained it to LiveScience:

“People, especially typographers, get upset when it's used improperly. For example, if someone sends an email or writes a document using it, it results in a mismatch — an informal, childlike, 'funny' typeface for a potentially serious topic. I think a lot of the reasons people hate it is that it's seen so often, and in places where it should not be used. The fact that it was being used outside of its rather limited purpose — that became obnoxious to people who knew better.”

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Because the product is relatively new, there isn’t a lot of definitive research on the subject. According to most advertisements, the benefits of blue light blocking glasses include improved sleep habits, less eye strain, and prevention of eye disease. But whether the product delivers on the promise is still up for debate.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology doesn’t endorse the glasses, stating that “there is no evidence that the kind or amount of light coming from computer screens is damaging to the eyes.” Other eye professionals, including The Vision Council and Samuel Pierce, former president of the American Optometric Association, will tell you that they can be helpful in reducing eye strain. Others have suggested that those who experience relief from the glasses may only be experiencing a placebo effect.

The general consensus so far seems to be that while there is no solid data backing up their effectiveness, many people who’ve tried the glasses claim to have found relief from wearing them.

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Yes, because it’s actually the UV radiation, not the sunlight, that damages your skin. Although the shade offers some protection, it does not block UV rays entirely. That’s why it’s always important to wear sunscreen regardless of whether it’s bright and sunny or cool and cloudy.

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In modern times, the dog days of summer refer generally to July and August in the Northern Hemisphere—the hottest, muggiest, most miserable days of the year.

However, the phrase has its origins in ancient Greece and Rome as a reference to the star Sirius, also known as "the Dog Star." Sometime in July, Sirius aligns with the sun, and since Sirius is the second brightest star in our sky, the Greeks and Romans thought it was literally adding heat to that of the sun, making the days that much more sweltering. They considered the dog days to be dangerous times of drought, unrest, and bad luck, all of which could all lead to madness. That connotation is a bit dramatic, though, and it's mostly been dropped.

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There are a few theories about why different meats are often compared to chicken. One explanation is that chicken is generally more bland than other meats, making it the most generic choice for comparison. Chicken is also mass-produced, meaning the animals are bred to have large muscle mass and are slaughtered earlier in their lifespan. Therefore, they do not develop the complex flavors that a wild animal would.

Another possible suggestion came from Joe Staton of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. He explained that amphibians, reptiles, and certain birds taste more like chicken due to a similar “evolutionary origin.”

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Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd Wright. Name sound familiar? John was the son of arguably the world’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

He got the idea, no surprise, while working with his dad. At 24, he accompanied his father in Japan to help design a new, earthquake-proof version of Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel. Frank concocted an ingenious system of interlocking timber beams that, yes, later withstood an earthquake. Young John went home and—yada yada yada, father–son drama—got fired by his dad. In 1918, with the Imperial Hotel’s design in mind (as well as, some suspect, log cabin toys he played with as a kid), he designed the toy construction set that’s been unshakeable from kids’ playrooms ever since. The original toys came with instructions on how to build Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood home, hence the “Lincoln Logs” name.

John’s father’s Imperial Hotel came down in 1968. Lincoln Logs were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1999.

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Doomscrolling is a relatively new term for when you're stuck scrolling through bad news on your phone—even though you might want to, you just can't look away.

The psychology behind this phenomenon is pretty simple. Part of it relates to the concept of automaticity—actions you do without your conscious mind acknowledging it, often divorced from the passage of time. Endless scrolling is one of those things. The other part is that the human brain is hardwired to prioritize things that scare us as well as information related to survival, and bad news often fits into both of those categories. Combine those two elements of human nature with the intentionally addictive designs of our electronics, and that makes doomscrolling all but inevitable.

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When you consider the fact that the Wiffle Ball was created to curve like crazy, the origin’s clear: It’s a play on the word “whiff,” which is what the poor sap at the plate often does with that skinny yellow bat. The inventor’s son and his friends, the original Wiffleballers, referred to strikeouts as “whiffs,” and he dropped the “h” when he decided to sell the balls. Three up, three down, baby—it’s all about efficiency.

“It also meant he needed one less letter for the sign on the building,” said David Mullany, president of The Wiffle Ball, Inc., and grandson of the ball’s inventor.

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In 2010, the Common Core Standards Initiative removed the requirement that cursive be taught in public elementary schools. It made sense given the rise in computer usage and a greater emphasis placed on keyboarding in the school curriculum. However, several states have since reinstated the cursive requirement, thanks to lobbyists and lawmakers who advocate for the importance of the skill. So yes, some schools do still teach cursive writing.

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Yes, eggs can break inside a hen, and it can actually be quite dangerous. Egg yolk peritonitis is a serious condition that can occur when egg matter is trapped inside the hen’s body, causing a bacterial infection. Hens suffering from this condition usually slow down egg production or stop completely. They may also be less active, have difficulty breathing, and exhibit abdominal distension. It’s usually treated with analgesics, anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics, although sometimes surgery is required.

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A few reasons. One, hardback books carry historic prestige, as they were the only way you could get a book until the 1930s, when inexpensive (and often pocket-sized) paperback books finally hit the market. The paperback format became incredibly popular, but they were inevitably perceived as somehow inferior, with lesser-anticipated titles even debuting as paperback exclusives and some reviewers only considering hardback releases.

That leads us to the second reason: Because of the built-in prestige, booksellers can sell new releases in hardback (which actually cost more to make) at a higher price and make a killing, making back any money they spent in the lead-up to publishing. Then, some time later, they can re-market the cheaper-to-make paperback version and make another killing.

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When there are too many bees to fit in an established hive, they split into two groups. One stays in the hive with a new queen, and the other ventures off into the wilderness with the old queen, in search of a new home. Those scout bees even have special dances to alert the others when they've found a suitable replacement (and show them how to find it), and they essentially choose a new home democratically, with other bees copying the dance to indicate their agreement.

Maybe we should take some cues from the bees—can you imagine if you got to your polling place and the two candidates were locked in an epic dance battle, and you had to copy their moves to cast your vote for the winner? Sounds like fun to me.

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An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathic medicine who can do surgeries and diagnose all eye diseases. Some specialize in certain eye conditions, and many are involved in scientific research.

An optometrist, on the other hand, has a doctor of optometry (OD) degree. Optometrists mostly prescribe corrective lenses, but they can also diagnose eye abnormalities and prescribe medications for them. The specific conditions optometrists are allowed to treat can be restricted at the state level.

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Although it’s not an exact science, there are a few facial expressions and reactions that could indicate when someone is lying, according to FBI agent Mark Bouton. These giveaways include:

• Eyes darting back and forth
• Rapid blinking
• Closing their eyes for more than a second
• Looking directly to the right, up and to the right, or down and to the right
• Fake smile
• Touching their face
• Pursing their lips
• Sweating or blushing
• Shaking their head

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In the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are opposite of the Northern Hemisphere, meaning December falls in the summertime. Some places in countries like Australia and South Africa hold Midwinter Christmas events in July so that they have a winter feel like Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere. These countries still celebrate actual Christmas on December 25.

Alternatively, the Northern Hemisphere celebrates Christmas in July ironically. The Hallmark Channel will show Christmas films during this time to coincide with the premiere of that year’s Keepsake Ornament collection, a marketing ploy that has literally helped to bolster the phrase “Hallmark holiday.”

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The practical reason why walking under a ladder is considered bad luck is that it’s just plain dangerous. The more superstitious theory is that the shape of a ladder against a wall forms a triangle, a symbol of the Holy Trinity in Christianity. Some believe that walking under a ladder would “break” the Trinity, a blasphemous act that could attract the devil.

That's not the only explanation, though. Some believe a ladder against a wall resembles a gallows (associated with death by hanging), and the ancient Egyptians believed walking under a ladder could accidentally allow you to see a god climbing up or down it.

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When an adult is incapable of making decisions about their own life, a conservatorship can be a way to help them. A conservator takes responsibility for the conservatee's personal life and/or finances, making sure the conservatee is taken care of.

In Britney Spears' case, her father and a lawyer were named her conservators in 2008 after her very public breakdown. They controlled both the personal and financial aspects of Britney's life until 2019, when the lawyer stepped down and Britney's dad temporarily relinquished his conservatorship over her personal life to a "care manager."

It's back in the news now because this arrangement is temporary, set to expire on Aug. 22, 2020. A judge might renew it, but some fans are convinced Britney wants out of the conservatorship entirely, going as far as trending "#FreeBritney" in an effort to show support for the Princess of Pop. Here's hoping it all works out for the best.

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The decathlon's ten events are spread out over two days.

First day events: 100-meter dash, running long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400-meter run.

Second day events: 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500-meter run for the second day.

To determine an overall winner, the International Association of Athletics Federations sets a table to convert performance in each event to a score, and the athlete with the highest sum of all ten scores is the winner. The table is updated periodically to keep up with new world records in each event, which can have interesting effects on previous scores—a 1985 revision of the table bumped up British decathlete Daley Thompson's score from the previous year, causing him to break the world record retrospectively.

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The short answer is moisture. Specifically, the moisture that comes from perspiration can cause your pillow to become discolored. A compound found in sweat called urea is often responsible for those unsightly stains.

Other moist culprits of pillow stains can include saliva, lying down with wet hair, and chemicals in certain types of makeup.