The sock-blasting, jaw-dropping, side-swiping phenomenon that is QI serves up a sparkling new selection of 1,342 facts that will leave you flabbergasted.

1,342 QI Facts coincides with more good news from QI, as Sandi Toksvig takes over the duties as presenter on the double-BAFTA nominated TV show, and the QI Elves' podcast No Such Thing As A Fish wins its second Chortle award.

The first pencils were used to draw on sheep.

More people work for Walmart than live in Slovenia.

The beaded lacewing stuns its prey by farting on it.

The allies considered dropping glue to stick Nazi troops to the ground.

The only life on Earth for a billion years was a thick layer of slime. Scientists call

it 'the boring billion'.

On the anniversary of landing, the Mars Curiosity rover hummed 'Happy

Birthday' to itself.

'Flabbergasted' was first recorded in a 1772 list of new words alongside 'bored'.