The Editors at Very Cool Facts

Depending on how war is defined, historians estimate that organized conflict has occurred somewhere on Earth for roughly 85 to 90 percent of recorded history (since 3200 BCE). That figure reflects how conflict shifted from place to place. As one war ended, another often began elsewhere. For most of history, peace was local, temporary, and fragile. Conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Venezuela, and elsewhere remind us that war isn’t a relic of the past. It's present tense. Still,...

Researchers estimate that millions of tons of microplastic particles are released into the environment each year, with most of it coming from everyday wear and tear. If you had to guess where most microplastics come from, plastic bags, straws, or food packaging would probably come to mind. In reality, the largest sources are hidden in plain sight. In many parts of the world, the single biggest source   of microplastics is tire wear from everyday driving.   Each mile slowly sheds microscopic...

Tennyson captured it best when he wrote,  “Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.” The line still lingers when we look back at the Charge of the Light Brigade,  and at the name that survived it.   During the Crimean War, officers in the Light Brigade wore knitted, buttoned garments for warmth beneath their uniforms. Over time, that style became known as the cardigan,  taking its name from the Earl of Cardigan himself. James Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan , is remembered less...