Pulse cannot guarantee the accuracy of entries on this page, but they will make you sound smart at a cocktail party.

The colors of sand you’ll find in the world are pink, black, green, red, white, purple and orange. What determines the color is the material from which the sand originates—whether it’s rock, coral or ancient lava.

In the summertime, because iron will expand in the heat, the Eiffel Tower can be measured as being as much as six inches taller than it is in the winter.

Even our ancestors were tormented—mosquitoes have been pestering other Earth creatures for some 30 million years.

The population of Myrtle Beach, SC, in the winter is 30,000. The population of Myrtle Beach, SC, in the summer is 350,000.

Not to take the fun out of them, but fireworks are really nothing more than chemical reactions. Even the boom-hiss sound is created by chemicals.

This year’s “Dog Days of Summer” are roughly July 22 to August 23. The Dog Days are so-named for Sirius, the Greek dog-star, who makes his way into the skies just before the sun during this time. The Greeks thought Sirius brought catastrophe and illness with him.

Get outta here: vacations have been shown to improve mood and boost brain-function.

Males account for slightly more than half of all injuries from privately-used fireworks. Females are more likely to be hurt at public fireworks events.

Until the early 20th century there was no such thing as a summer vacation from school. A kid’s only time off from the classroom was for planting and harvesting based on agricultural calendars; school was squeezed in on the in-between times.

Watermelon is not a fruit. It’s very closely related to the cucumber, which is a vegetable.

Research suggests that summer babies are hardier, have stronger bones and grow taller than winter babies. They also statistically have fewer food allergies.

This Independence Day, take time to appreciate the blue fireworks. Blue is by far the hardest color to make, firework-wise.

The number one ranking activity undertaken while on summer vacation is shopping.

The old “can only wear white between Memorial Day and Labor Day” social rule started in the late 1800s. For the most part it was only followed by the well-to-do. In most places today, it’s considered to be quaint.