Course Overview

Want some fast, fun, and fresh facts to fascinate your friends and family? Don’t miss the “Did You Know” series where we pack short videos chock-full of info for your learning pleasure.

Video Lectures

01: Did You Know… The Secret to Reading Hieroglyphs?

Egyptologist Bob Brier dispels the misconception that hieroglyphs are picture words, showing how to read the sounds they represent.

Duration: 4 min

02: Did You Know… Johnny Appleseed Helped a New Species Evolve?

Professor Scott Solomon explains how Johnny Appleseed’s apple trees contributed to the evolution of a new fly species.

Duration: 4 min

03: Did You Know… Versailles’s Fountains Warn Against Rebellion?

Professor John Greene reveals the historical significance of Versailles’s fountains and their symbolism.

Duration: 4 min

04: Did You Know… How Many Bones Are in the Human Body?

Elizabeth Murray clarifies that the adult human body has an average of 206 bones, but the number varies with age.

Duration: 6 min

05: Did You Know… A Bad Drummer Helped the Beatles Find Their Beat?

Michael Shelden shares how Pete Best, a subpar drummer, helped push The Beatles to improve their musicianship.

Duration: 5 min

06: Did You Know… Muhammad’s Wife Aisha Profoundly Shaped Islam?

Professor Joyce Salisbury examines Aisha’s significant influence on Islam after Prophet Muhammad’s death.

Duration: 7 min

07: Did You Know… Slinkys Can Defy Gravity?

Professor David Kung explores the physics behind the SLINKY® and what happens when you drop it.

Duration: 5 min

08: Did You Know… Jane Austen Had a Seventh Novel?

Discover the lesser-known unpublished works of Jane Austen, focusing on “Lady Susan.”

Duration: 6 min

09: Did You Know… A Black Boxer KO’d White Supremacy?

Learn about Jack Johnson’s boxing legacy and his impact on racial dynamics in early 20th-century America.

Duration: 7 min

10: Did You Know… Adam Smith Believed in Public Education?

Explore Adam Smith’s advocacy for public education as a counter to the limitations of a free market economy.

Duration: 5 min

11: Did You Know… Our Brains Are Incapable of Multitasking?

Discover why multitasking is a myth and how short-term memory affects our ability to focus.

Duration: 7 min

12: Did You Know… In Bushongo Mythology, the World Was Vomited into Existence?

Learn about diverse myths from African mythology that explain the origins of the world.

Duration: 6 min

13: Did You Know… Chopin “Stole Time” to Make His Piano Sing?

Delve into Chopin’s process and the influence of Romanticism on his musical compositions.

Duration: 6 min

14: Did You Know… Medieval Lords Got Audited Too?

Explore the origins of the term “audit” in the context of medieval tax collection.

Duration: 6 min

15: Did You Know… You’re Eating More Insects Than You Think?

Learn about the surprising presence of insects in everyday foods and its historical context.

Duration: 5 min

16: Did You Know… How Iceland Got All Its Ice?

Examine the geological history of Iceland and its famous glaciers.

Duration: 8 min

17: Did You Know… Southeast Asian Pirates Rivaled the Vikings?

Discover the rise of piracy in Southeast Asia during the early 1800s.

Duration: 8 min

18: Did You Know… What Happened to the Survivors of Pompeii?

Uncover the fates of the survivors of the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD.

Duration: 7 min

19: Did You Know… About Frederick Douglass’s Connection to Baseball?

Learn how Frederick Douglass’s family influenced the growth of baseball in Washington, DC.

Duration: 3 min

20: Did You Know… That Winnie-the-Pooh Is Banned in Some Places?

Explore the reasons behind the censorship of “Winnie-the-Pooh” in various countries.

Duration: 4 min

21: Did You Know… That What Your Parents Ate Can Have Lifelong Effects on Your Health?

Investigate the impacts of parents’ diets during pregnancy on the offspring’s health through historical examples.

Duration: 3 min

22: Did You Know… What’s Written inside the Pyramids?

Learn about the gods and mythology associated with the ancient Egyptian pyramids.

Duration: 7 min

23: Did You Know… The Difference between the Buddha and Other Great Religious Leaders?

Examine themes of over-attachment and suffering through the life of the Buddha.

Duration: 5 min