Thomas Edison was afraid of the dark, which is nyctophobia.

Hummingbirds eat 60 meals a day – twice their weight in nectar. If they don’t eat at least every two hours, they may starve to death.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water a day.

Potatoes contain every nutrient humans need except for vitamins A and D, meaning that a person could survive indefinitely on only potatoes, milk, and a bit of sunlight.

Some species of ticks have gone 18 years between meals.

This article appears in December 25 • 2009.

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