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I know there've been more than a few times where I've either checked something and been surprised to find it's true, or assumed it wasn't only to discover accidentally some time later it was; but the only thing that springs to mind right now is Isaac Newton inventing the catflap, courtesy of Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Not exactly learnt from reading fiction, but our English teacher introduced the class to the (very) basics of quantum physics whilst we were reading Fireweed. I really can't remember why, now - ahh, but I did learn from reading that book that fireweed is another name for rosebay willowherb, and it is quick to colonise open spaces, such as those cleared by fire. Still, the only reason I recall even reading that book is the conversations with my best friend that followed on the bus about the nature of reality, what part observation had to play, and so on.
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