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Annie Reneau

Annie Reneau

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The surprisingly genius design of common zippers and why so many have ‘YKK’ on the pull tab

The surprisingly genius design of common zippers and why so many have ‘YKK’ on the pull tab

Between clothing, outerwear, handbags, and cushion covers, most of us have no shortage of zippers in our households. They’re so ubiquitous that we...

yesterday 1

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Annie Reneau

A man who wanted to ‘see music’ paired a piano with bioluminescent algae. It’s magical to watch.

A man who wanted to ‘see music’ paired a piano with bioluminescent algae. It’s magical to watch.

Music is meant to be heard and not seen, right? Sure, we can watch musicians play instruments, and we can see music notation on paper. But that’s...

yesterday 1

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Annie Reneau

In 1979, eight old men lived as if it were 1959 for a week. Their aging reversal was extraordinary.

In 1979, eight old men lived as if it were 1959 for a week. Their aging reversal was extraordinary.

It may sound like a scene from a sci-fi film, but it’s not. In 1979, eight men arrived at a week-long retreat in a converted monastery in New...

previous day 1

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Annie Reneau

Feel like someone’s gaslighting you? A 3-minute test can help you tell if they are.

Feel like someone’s gaslighting you? A 3-minute test can help you tell if they are.

The term “gaslighting” has become a popular, everyday term, but there’s still some confusion about what it means. Part of the reason is that the...

previous day 2

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Annie Reneau

Happiness expert shares the 7 habits of people who are happy and healthy later in life

Happiness expert shares the 7 habits of people who are happy and healthy later in life

No one wants to be unhappy or unhealthy at any age. But as we get older, health and happiness arguably play an outsized role in our quality of life....

previous day 3

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Annie Reneau

A pageant winner boldly calls out her abuser in the audience during her final interview

A pageant winner boldly calls out her abuser in the audience during her final interview

Domestic violence survivors cheered on the winner of the 2024 Miss Kansas competition after she stood on stage and called out her abuser who showed up...

previous day 5

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Annie Reneau

Dad gleefully cleans his family’s bathroom with a car wash sprayer and people are inspired

Dad gleefully cleans his family’s bathroom with a car wash sprayer and people are inspired

It’s fair to say that most people don’t find great joy in cleaning the bathroom. But after seeing the way dad/”Renaissance man” Sebastian...

30.03.2026 4

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Annie Reneau

Watch the tense moment Lucille Ball tells a host to take his hands off female audience members

Watch the tense moment Lucille Ball tells a host to take his hands off female audience members

According to her daughter, Lucille Ball never considered herself a feminist, but there’s no question she blazed many a trail for women. A working...

30.03.2026 4

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Annie Reneau

Mom explains how her 1st grader’s second-day of homework already crushed his spirit

Mom explains how her 1st grader’s second-day of homework already crushed his spirit

Debates about homework are nothing new, but the ability of parents to find support for homework woes from thousands of other parents is a fairly...

27.03.2026 5

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Annie Reneau

Mom tears up describing her idea for a Pirate’s Booty ad. Now everyone’s crying with her.

Mom tears up describing her idea for a Pirate’s Booty ad. Now everyone’s crying with her.

In the Internet age, our relationship with ads has gotten a little…well, weird. Traditional television commercials still exist, of course, but it...

27.03.2026 6

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Annie Reneau

A man planted tomato seeds from two McDonald’s burgers. Three months later, whoa.

A man planted tomato seeds from two McDonald’s burgers. Three months later, whoa.

In many ways, fast-food restaurants feel like the opposite of a backyard vegetable garden. But one gardener has tied a McDonald’s hamburger directly...

26.03.2026 9

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Annie Reneau

We asked people what they enjoy that other people don’t understand. One answer ruled them all.

We asked people what they enjoy that other people don’t understand. One answer ruled them all.

Some people have quirky hobbies and interests that others might find odd, so when we asked our Upworthy audience on Facebook, “What’s something...

26.03.2026 9

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Annie Reneau

Dad remakes AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ using only a year’s worth of baby’s recorded sounds

Dad remakes AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ using only a year’s worth of baby’s recorded sounds

Few things bring as much joy to a parent’s heart as the adorable sounds their babies make. But back in 2024, when a dad with a vision, a camera and...

25.03.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

People share ‘adult cheat codes’ that changed their lives. Most are surprisingly doable.

People share ‘adult cheat codes’ that changed their lives. Most are surprisingly doable.

Sometime in the 2010s, the word “adulting” entered our cultural lexicon. Many people found it a useful umbrella term for the more challenging...

25.03.2026 9

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Annie Reneau

Why didn’t people smile in old-timey photographs? Smiling meant something different back then.

Why didn’t people smile in old-timey photographs? Smiling meant something different back then.

If you’ve ever perused photographs from the 19th and early 20th century, you’ve likely noticed how serious everyone looked. If there’s a hint of...

24.03.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

Ethan Hawke beautifully explains why AI art can’t replace imperfect human creativity

Ethan Hawke beautifully explains why AI art can’t replace imperfect human creativity

As AI plays an increasing role in our world, questions about its appropriate use abound. There’s no doubt that technology has the potential to...

24.03.2026 8

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Annie Reneau

One seemingly simple question stumped all three Final Jeopardy contestants in 1984

One seemingly simple question stumped all three Final Jeopardy contestants in 1984

The popular game show “Jeopardy!” originated in 1964, and for six decades it has stumped contestants and viewers with tough trivia questions and...

23.03.2026 7

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Annie Reneau

Historian debunks the notion that grief in ‘Hamnet’ was portrayed unrealistically for the time

The majority of parents today have never known the pain of losing a child. Sadly, that was not the case throughout history. Before the 20th century,...

20.03.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

Chemical engineer breaks down the science behind the ‘impossible’ ice cream transfer trick

We live in an era of incredible scientific advancements, from genetic editing to immunotherapy to nanotechnology. And yet, even the simplest science...

19.03.2026 20

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Annie Reneau

‘Cat’s Cradle’ video has people pondering how trends went viral before the Internet

The word “trending” may have gained a whole new meaning in the Internet age, but trends have always existed as a social phenomenon. A video of...

19.03.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

People share things they didn’t realize until they lost weight, and it’s eye-opening

In an era when both obesity and “heroin chic” trends are growing concerns, weight loss can be a touchy topic. Society’s ever-changing views on...

18.03.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

A dad was camping with his kids when a fellow camper slipped him this handwritten note

There are a lot of challenging things about being a parent; take your pick. The sleep deprivation, the overwhelming responsibility, the lack of free...

17.03.2026 7

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Annie Reneau

Video of two brothers Irish step dancing to Beyoncé’s country hit ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ is pure delight

In early February 2024, Beyoncé rocked the music world by releasing a surprise new album of country tunes. The album, Renaissance: Act II, includes a...

17.03.2026 20

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Annie Reneau

22 ‘oddly specific’ life hacks that could save you time, money, energy, or sanity

Life hack advice abounds in the era of optimization and influencers, but the desire to live life a little better is nothing new. Even ancient...

17.03.2026 8

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Annie Reneau

‘Are you serious?’ Man tries on women’s jeans to see if the pockets are ‘really that bad’

It’s hard to say what makes every woman happy or what every woman wants, and as a woman myself, I’m not a fan of sweeping generalizations based on...

16.03.2026 30

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Annie Reneau

Chinese teacher shares 18 American names with delightfully awkward meanings in Mandarin

When you see a list of the year’s most popular baby names, what you’re really looking at are the most common baby names in a specific country or...

16.03.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

Man who raised and released an orphaned otter films her swimming to his kayak for cuddles

When Mats Janzon found Leya, she was just a tiny baby curled up alone in the grass near his home in Sweden. Janzon was out on a quiet walk in the...

16.03.2026 9

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Annie Reneau

Margaret Hamilton cracked up a live audience sharing how she was cast as the Wicked Witch

As one of the first iconic villains to hit the big screen, the Wicked Witch of the West lives in our collective memory. Those who’ve seen the...

16.03.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

Struggling to make friends as an adult? You may have fallen into the ‘liking gap.’

Making friends isn’t always easy for kids, but it’s pretty straightforward. Kid friendships usually start with something like, “Hey, cool...

16.03.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

Worried you’re boring? 5 conversation tricks that can make you more fun to talk to.

Are you ever in social situations where the conversation drags and you’re not sure what to do about it? Is it that the other person isn’t...

02.03.2026 40

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Annie Reneau

Gen Xers and Boomers share ‘grimy’ parts of the 70s they were happy to leave behind

When people talk about the world older generations grew up in, it’s often looked at through the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia. Life was simpler...

28.02.2026 20

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Annie Reneau

American shares his 9 realizations about the U.S. after 13 years abroad and it’s eye-opening

Evan Edinger moved to London over 13 years ago to study abroad but never planned on staying overseas permanently. His goal was to get his degree,...

28.02.2026 60

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Annie Reneau

We asked people what social rule they’d enforce during flights. One sweet answer dominated.

Flying on airplanes with dozens of perfect strangers is, in many ways, a social experiment. We’re forced to sit in seats that aren’t big enough...

28.02.2026 30

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Annie Reneau

50 years later, the iconic ‘Sesame Street’ counting song is overwhelming Gen X with nostalgia

Gen X is sometimes referred to as “the Sesame Street generation,” a moniker many of us wear with pride. Sesame Street was a childhood staple,...

27.02.2026 20

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Annie Reneau

A baby monkey rejected by his mom carries a stuffed animal for comfort. People can’t look away.

A baby monkey named Punch has captured the hearts of people around the world. The now seven-month-old Japanese macaque, who lives at Japan’s...

27.02.2026 40

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Annie Reneau

Woman demonstrates the proper way to burp a turkey, and people have so many questions

If you’ve ever seen a turkey in real life, you may already have questions about the odd birds. Can they fly? Why do they have those dangly things on...

25.02.2026 20

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Annie Reneau

Professor breaks down how a PhD differs from a master’s degree in layman’s terms

Have you ever wondered what the real difference is between a master’s degree and a PhD is, but felt like it would be dumb to ask? You’re not...

25.02.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

The ancient, brilliant reason we divide days into 60-minute hours and 60-second minutes

Humans have devised many ways of measuring things in an attempt to learn more about our world, including numerical systems that help get us all on the...

25.02.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

11 'unspoken rules' cats expect their humans to know and follow

Whether you're a cat person, a dog person, or neither, you likely know that cats have a reputation for being…mmm, particular. Cats like what...

23.02.2026 150

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Annie Reneau

Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze? A former Uber analyst shares which app is best.

The evolution of human navigation has come so far since the era of global exploration, it's mindblowing. We've gone from hand-drawn maps, to...

21.02.2026 20

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Annie Reneau

Jim Henson interviewing with Muppets is a delightful reminder of his magical genius

Few individuals have had an impact on the childhoods of millions and the imaginations of people of all ages like Jim Henson. From Sesame Street to The...

20.02.2026 40

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Annie Reneau

Shelter dog doesn't know what to do with her first toy but melts when offered affection

If you're an animal lover and unfamiliar with Rocky Kanaka, you're in for a treat. Watching Kanaka sit with shelter dogs, helping them feel...

18.02.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

Too young to be a Boomer, too old to be Gen X: Meet the microgeneration 'Generation Jones'

Generational labels have become cultural identifiers. These include Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha. And each of these...

18.02.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

Woman shares why she started filming herself sprinting in skirts. It's honestly brilliant.

Activewear is a $400 billion industry, with no shortage of brands selling moisture-wicking tops, running shorts, yoga pants, and all manner of...

15.02.2026 70

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Annie Reneau

Woman builds an elaborate hotel in her yard for stray cats in winter, and it's so cozy

Wintery weather can be beautiful, but it can also be brutal when temperatures dip to frigid levels, not just for humans but for animals as well. Stray...

14.02.2026 40

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Annie Reneau

Canadians tickled at Bad Bunny's halftime show inclusion revel in their 'snow Latinos' identity

The Super Bowl LX halftime show was one for the ages, both for its record-breaking four billion social media views after the first 24 hours and for...

14.02.2026 50

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Annie Reneau

Resurfaced video of French skier's groin incident has people giving the announcer a gold medal

A good commentator can make all the difference when watching sports, even when an event goes smoothly. But it's when something goes wrong that...

14.02.2026 30

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Annie Reneau

Mom films teen son's joyful reaction to opening his first ever paycheck from McDonald's

Getting a first job is undoubtedly one of the most drastic steps that teenagers make into full-blown adulthood. It can be a shock to the system doing...

14.02.2026 30

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Annie Reneau

Olympic curling gets humor treatment as people recreate the bizarrely riveting sport at home

When curling became an official Olympic sport in 1998, it was met with a fair amount of curiosity and confusion, at least among people outside Canada,...

13.02.2026 10

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Annie Reneau

How Japanese introductions literally translate to English is a wild linguistics lesson

12.02.2026 5

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Annie Reneau