"A true historian records fact and fable with philosophic indiscrimination.  Who is he to decide between them?  He leaves posterity to do that.  Besides, he knows well that there are plenty of fables that in reality are far more ... revealing of Nature's secrets than many verified facts and unquestionable events."
—John Cowper Powys, Porius (an exquisite novel, by the way!)

"It may surprise you, but walking downhill (and, similarly, walking down a flight of stairs) does a better job of improving glucose tolerance than walking uphill does."
—Jack Challem, AARP Stop Prediabetes Now (2011)

"In the caves at Lascaux there is a pictograph that perfectly maps the West London theater district."
—Nathaniel Mackey, "Song of the Andoumboulou: 56," Hambone (2002)

"It is surprising, but true, that the culture of the Nubians is practically unknown."
—John G. Kennedy, Nubian Ceremonial Life (2005)

"It may surprise you to know that I prefer to work anonymously."
—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Problem of Thor Bridge"

"It is a theorem—at first sight surprising, but true, and even easy—that 'almost all' real numbers are not computable."
—Constructivity in Computer Science (1992)

"This might surprise you, but artists are temperamental so-and-sos."
—Louise Penny, Still Life

"It may surprise you that the moon is included in your itinerary."
—Foundations of Astronomy (2012)

"You may find it hard to believe that some of the things I discuss have been studied—I found it hard to believe myself at times—but rest assured that I am not simply making things up."
—Andrew Trees, Decoding Love (2010)

"It is surprising but true that many people are born with talent but are not aware of it themselves."
—Gita Vittal, Reflections (2007)

"This might surprise you to hear me, of all people, say this -- we don't live in a courtroom, we live in the real world."
—Matthew W. Grant, Zach's Secret

"Surprising, but true ... just as the individual life must reimagine the lost worlds of its childhood, so the collective life of even the modern world itself is built out of, and requires, a retelling of stories of its collective parts."
—Charles Lemert, Social Things: An Introduction to the Sociological Life (2011)

"It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them."
—Agatha Christie

(via FutilityCloset)

"Neither Darwin nor Dawkins, neither science nor philosophy, has explained how an irreducibly complex system such as a watch might be produced without a designer."
—Michael J. Behe, Darwin's Black Box (2001)

"This might surprise you, but these alabaster marvels are dentures."
—Lisa Lutz, Heads You Lose

"Surprisingly, it turns out that any statement about all elements of an empty set is true. This rule is called vacuous truth."
—Algorithms and Data Structures: The Science of Computing (2004)

"This might surprise you ... but I'm a big fan of the local news."
—Jessica Warman, Between

"Shocking as it sounds, healthy skin doesn't really need any additional moisture."
—Julie Gabriel, The Green Beauty Guide (2008)

"What surprised us, and may surprise you now that you see it, is the amount of effort you spend protecting your 'I'm great' turf."
—Tribal Leadership (2012)

"This might surprise you, but I don't want to be here, either.  Just show me where the privy is, give me my hat and I'll be gone."
—Pamela Bauer, Mail Order Cowboy