Neuroscience For Kids

Treasure Trove of Brain Trivia

A collection of trivia about the brain and nervous system from the archives of the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter. For more trivia about the brain, see brain facts and figures.

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January, 2026

A. Goats have horizontal pupils in their eyes.

B. Some birds including great frigatebirds (Fregata minor) and common swifts (Apus apus) can sleep while they fly (Source: Rattenborg, N.C., Sleeping on the wing, Interface Focus. 2017 Feb 6;7(1):20160082. doi: 10.1098/rsfs.2016.0082).

C. A German shepherd named "Buddy" is credited with being the first seeing-eye dog in the United States. Buddy arrived in New York from Switzerland in 1928.

D. Last month, Christie's auctioned a rare first edition of James Parkinson’s "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy" (1817). Estimated cost: GBP 50,000 to GBP 70,000 (about $66,000 to $92,000).

E. The use of “Zzz” (the sound of snoring) to represent sleep was popularize in a 1903 Katzenjammer Kids comic strip.

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