12 Trivia Tidbits for Thursday, April 25, 2024
Surely there must be some space left in the hallowed halls of your mind palace where you can store the world’s oldest mammal, some of the best 15th century dog names and the Royal Beekeeper's most solemn duty.
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Ancient Humans Collected Bones in Humongous Lava Tunnels
Researchers have found evidence that a group of humans lived inside of gigantic lava tubes in Saudi Arabia about 7,000 years ago. Their discoveries include pottery, clothing fragments and a big ol’ bone collection.
Kirstie Alley’s Bizarre Tribute to Her Parents After Their Tragic Death
Old interview footage has gone viral of Alley describing the “greatest tribute that you could give my mother.” She describes her whole family coming together in laughter, learning how her parents were dressed during their fatal car crash. They were on their way to a Halloween party, and her mother was dressed as “a Black girl,” her dad as a member of the KKK.
A Baseball Heckler Got the Yankees’ Manager Booted From the Game
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was on thin ice, having already been warned for mouthing off to the home plate umpire. Then a random heckler behind the dugout started talking shit from Boone’s general direction, and that was the last straw for the ump. Boone insisted it wasn’t him, but the ump chucked him from the game anyway, saying, “I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!”
One Whale Could Have, Hypothetically, Met Thomas Jefferson and Bill Clinton
Bowhead whales have the longest lifespan of any known mammal. Their median lifespan seems to be between 20 to 60 years, but some live well past 100. One in particular was thought to be 211 years old, and possibly as old as 245, at the time of its death during the Clinton administration.
San Francisco’s Most Controversial Public Toilet
A public bathroom sparked a shitstorm in 2022 when it was estimated that it would cost taxpayers $1.3 million to build. Having just been completed (and debuted with a big, public, toilet-themed party), it ended up costing a mere $200,000. That’s practically free!
Researchers Are Advocating for Selective Breeding to Weed Out Farty Cows
Methane gas from dairy and beef cows is a major contributor to the climate crisis. A new study out of Australia concluded that we can — and should — start breeding less gassy cows: “Studies have found low emission cattle have inheritable genetic traits which can significantly reduce methane production if included in national breeding objectives.”
The British Royal Family Doubled Its Carbon Footprint in a Single Year
Those brave climate activists managed to increase their collective carbon footprint by 98 percent from 2017 to 2018. Queen Elizabeth II made a big deal about installing energy-saving light bulbs in her palaces, but it didn’t quite offset the huge spike of PR and pleasure travel embarked upon by the rest of the family.
The World’s Best Pole Vaulter Is Brilliantly Cashing in on His Dominance
Mondo Duplantis has broken his own world record for the eighth time. TDK Corporation's “New World Record Award” pays out $100,000 to anyone who breaks an official world record in various events, so Duplantis keeps upping the bar by the minimum required one centimeter to repeatedly break his own record.
A 15th Century Manuscript Reveals Medieval Dog Names
An English lit professor deciphered and published a compendium of dog names from the 15th century, including bangers like Birdismowthe, Cunnynge, Feete, Filthe, Go-bifore, Go-byhynde, Havegoodday, Litilboye, Pretiboy, Pretyman and Symple.
Voyager 1 Lost Its Marbles for a Little While There
Voyager 1 is currently 15 billion miles away, and hurtling ever further out into interstellar space. For the last five months, it’s been (somewhat ominously) muttering a repeating loop of nonsense back to NASA, but it just started making sense again. Scientists are now talking about it like an aging parent: “Today was a great day for Voyager 1. We’re back in communication with the spacecraft. And we look forward to getting science data back.”
State-Mandated Choreographed Dancing for Prisoners
Cebu prison in the Philippines instituted an official security measure in 2007 that revolves around choreographed dance routines, and it’s reportedly extremely effective in fostering camaraderie and curbing violence. A video of inmates dancing to “Thriller” went viral, currently sitting at 59 million views.
The Royal Beekeeper Had to Inform the Bees of the Queen’s Death
For some reason, it’s customary in the beekeeping community to keep the swarms abreast of any major goings on in the human community. The royal family’s official beekeeper was obliged to knock on each hive, solemnly announce the death of Queen Elizabeth II and put in a good word for the new King: “The mistress is dead, but don’t you go. Your master will be a good master to you.”