12 Trivia Tidbits for Wednesday, April 24, 2024
The next time your conversation deflates, pump it back up by telling your pal about Europe’s biggest seagull impersonation contest, or the precise(ish) value of a metric buttload.
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Was Biden’s Uncle Killed and Eaten by Cannibals?
Joe Biden made the (unsubstantiated, but very metal) claim that his fighter pilot uncle was shot down in World War II and landed on the island of Papua New Guinea, where he may have been consumed by local residents.
Take Your Child to Prison Day
Spain’s Aranjuez prison has a surprisingly humane policy, where if both parents are incarcerated, a child under the age of three is allowed to live with them in a large family cell, and play with other children of the incarcerated.
Spotify Made ‘Nature’ an Artist, and May Raise Millions for Conservation Efforts
A new playlist called “feat. NATURE” is compiling songs from super popular artists like David Bowie, with royalties going to a conservation project called Sounds Right. It’s projected to make $10 million per year in its first four years. This is textbook greenwashing, but $40 million is $40 million.
Analgesic Hugs
A study of 10,000 people out of three European universities looked to study “touch as a health intervention.” It found that hugging alone can take the edge off of pain associated with anxiety and depression.
Europe’s Seagull Impersonation Contest
The EC Gull Screeching competition is open to anyone who thinks they can do a spot-on impression of a seagull. This year’s winner was a British 9-year-old, who’s now the pride of Chesterfield in Derbyshire.
High-Speed Rail for Gambling Degenerates
Construction on America’s first modern bullet train is underway. It’ll be a two-hour ride from L.A. to Las Vegas (a trip that normally takes four hours under ideal circumstances), topping out at 186 miles per hour. It’s projected to cost $12 billion, and should be ready in time for the 2028 L.A. Olympics.
The Key to Good Memory Might Be Cold Temperatures — And Lithium
A recent study on short-term memory found that worms were more likely to remember a smell they hate if they were chilled or given lithium. It was specifically aiming to study a molecule called diacylglycerol, which seems to function as a “forgetting switch” in the worms’ neural pathway.
As Streamers Trade and Cancel Content, Subscribers Are Subscription Hopping
About 40 percent of all new subscriptions to streaming platforms in 2023 were “serial churners,” people who canceled three or more subscriptions in two years. A third of those people re-subscribed to a canceled platform within six months, suggesting viewers are being very deliberate in their subscription habits to consume their desired content.
New Orleans’ Periodic Signature Dish: Cicada Salad
A batch of multiple trillions of cicadas are preparing to descend upon a grossed-out populace. But it’s important to remember that consuming cicadas, crickets and similar bugs is perfectly normal, and may be a key to averting climate disaster. To that end, several restaurants in the French Quarter have plans to supplement their menus with cicada-based offerings.
An Unexpected Side Effect of the Dubai Flooding: 30,000 Pieces of Luggage
Historic flooding in Dubai caused untold damage for locals, and for travelers, hundreds of flights were canceled. In fact, the CEO of Emirates Airline said he has to figure out how to return 30,000 suitcases.
High-End German Trains Will Soon Feature Sex Wagons
State-owned railway company Deutsche Bahn announced plans to build small cabins with frosted glass, intended for passengers to take private phone calls or “cuddle.” They’ve come to be known as “knutsch-abteil,” or smooch cabins.
A ‘Buttload’ Is a Real Unit of Measurement
A “butt” is an old-school English unit of measurement. It was equal to two hogsheads, or anywhere from 120 to 280 American gallons. A buttload would have been a full cask or keg of wine or whiskey.