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The origin of the sarsen stones at Stonehenge discovered -

The mystery was finally solved in 2020. Unlike the blue stones (that came from Wales), the sarsen stones didn't travel too far. They were sourced in an area north of the site, near Marlborough, around 15 mi (25 km) away.

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Nintendo PlayStation sold for a small fortune -

The prototype was developed as a partnership between Sony and Nintendo. It was sold at auction for US$360,000.

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Penguins' poop contain laughing gas -

This is no laughing (fecal) matter. Or maybe it is. Penguin poop, also known as guano, contains high levels of nitrous oxide, which is the chemical compound of laughing gas.

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A new fish was created -

A hybrid fish was accidentally created in a lab. The sturddlefish is a mix of the American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) and the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii).

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Raphael probably didn't die of an STI -

It was believed that Renaissance painter Raphael died of syphilis, but now a new study suggests he might have actually died from a pulmonary disease, likely pneumonia. Bloodletting, a common medical practice back then, might have been fatal.

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Got tattoos? No sweat -

Literally. Tattooed skin sweats less when compared to ink-free skin. This is because the needle potentially damages sweat glands.

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A man overdosed on licorice -

A man from Massachusetts died after eating one-and-a-half bags of black licorice a day for several days. Glycyrrhizic acid in the candy might be to blame, as excess consumption can lead to a drop in potassium to dangerous levels.

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Feel the urge to be in contact with nature? -

It might be your gut microbiome. Seriously! A theory called the "Lovebug Effect" suggests that our need to be in contact with nature might be rooted in our gut.

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Secret passage (re)discovered in Westminster -

A forgotten passageway dating back to 1660 was recently rediscovered in the Palace of Westminster.

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Screens from scales -

Scientists are studying the possibility of building bendable screens for phones and tablets from fish scales.

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A solar storm might have played a role in the sinking of the Titanic -

A theory suggest that a solar (or geomagnetic) storm might have affected magnetic compasses on board the Titanic, resulting in the accident and inability to call for help properly.

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Astronauts at the ISS get a new toilet -

NASA sent a new space toilet to the International Space Station. The cost? US$23 million.

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Who's eating popcorn? -

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a production surplus of popcorn kernel. This is because people stopped going to movie theaters as much as they did prior to the pandemic.

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Bacteria can feed on alien food -

A study suggests that bacteria from Earth can survive on an extraterrestrial diet. "A minimal 'diet' based on nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, iron and water to which carbohydrates found in carbonaceous meteorites were added was made to determine whether extraterrestrial survival and growth were possible. The four bacterial species were shown to survive and multiply on this minimal 'diet'," reports Science Daily.

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UFO sightings increased -

UFO sightings increased substantially in some countries such as the United States, Canada, and Belgium since the pandemic began.

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An unknown Hemingway story was published -

A previously unknown story by Ernest Hemingway called 'Pursuit as Happiness' was published in 2020.

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The oldest known sperm in the world has been discovered in amber -

The fossilized sperm was found inside a crustacean called an ostracod, trapped in a piece of amber. It's believed to be 100 million years old.

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Earth had a second mini-moon in 2020 -

The asteroid known as 2020 CD3 circled the Earth for a while, but left our orbit in March.

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A new comet was discovered -

The new comet was discovered on March 27, 2020 by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission. It's known as C/2020 F3, or Comet NEOWISE.

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Wolf pups like to play fetch -

Researchers have discovered that some wolf puppies will play fetch, which might indicate that dogs might do so because it's an ancient trait, and not just a result of domestication.

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The 'Twilight' saga continues -

Author Stephenie Meyer released another book, called 'Midnight Sun,' which retells the events of 'Twilight' from the perspective of the vampire Edward Cullen.

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New insight into fairy circles in Namibia -

These amazing circles are actually made from genetically distinct grasses, a study found.

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Joe Exotic didn't sing his songs -

Tiger King Joe Exotic didn't write or sing any of his songs, according to his former producer, Rick Kirkham.

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A comet can have its own northern lights -

NASA discovered that comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has its own aurora. This is the first time the phenomenon was documented on a comet.

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Wearable air conditioning is a reality -

Sony launched the Reon Pocket. This personal, wearable air conditioner is only available in Japan for now.

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Life on Venus? -

Data from an old NASA mission sheds new light on potential life on Venus. It turns out the presence of phosphine in the planet's atmosphere can be an indicator of life. "If these measurements are real, [phosphine has] been around [on Venus] for 40 years, so something’s making it,” said one investigator.

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Cows poop whole corn kernels too -

You are not alone. Yes, cows also share this phenomenon with humans. 

Sources: (Mentalfloss)

See also: The most positive news of 2020

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