12 Trivia Tidbits for Thursday, May 16, 2024
It’s Technically Illegal to Get Drunk in Any English Pub
There’s still a law on the books from Britain’s daliance with prohibition, the Licensing Act 1872, that reads, “Every person found drunk in any highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on any licensed premises, shall be liable to a penalty.”
An Australian Billionaire Is Mad as a Cut Snake About Her Portrait
The National Gallery of Australia displayed an objectively unflattering portrait of mining magnate Gina Rinehart, and she’s been back-channeling to have it taken down. She reportedly donated $10,000 to the gallery, and when that didn’t work, she started having celebrity and business pals make insane statements, such as: displaying the portrait is “doing the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party.”
A Dude Caught Two Foul Balls in a Row
A Seattle Mariners fan sitting just outside of the foul pole came up with two consecutive long-bomb foul balls. That’s astonishing consistency on the part of the batter.
Did 9/11 Kill Airline Food?
Kind of! Back when airfares were regulated by the federal government, airlines were required to provide an entree, a salad, two additional vegetables, a dessert and a drink to every passenger. The industry was deregulated in 1978, and companies immediately started cutting corners. But Osama bin Laden drove the final nail into the coffin, according to CNN: “The September 11th attacks accelerated the decline of free airline meals” because people stopped flying for a little bit.
The Most Populous Country to Have Never Won an Olympic Medal
Bangladesh has a population of 171 million people, and has participated in the Olympics since 1984, but hasn’t managed to bring home a medal just yet.
Catch a Liar by Asking Them to Multitask
Lying is more cognitively demanding than telling the truth, and a study just found that asking someone to perform an additional task while lying makes them noticeably worse at both.
What Happens to the First Two Cells of a Fertilized Egg?
When you think of an embryo developing, you imagine one cell splitting into two, two into four, and so on until there’s a vaguely baby-shaped globule. A new study has shown that actually, that first split is an incredibly important one. One new cell goes on to become an embryo, then a baby, then an accountant or whatever, while the other cell simply begins forming the “yolk sac” that the embryo develops inside of.
Unlimited Shrimp Cost Red Lobster $11 Million
After Red Lobster’s longtime shrimp provider, Thai Union, bought a stake in the company, they thought making $20 endless shrimp a permanent staple (as opposed to a seasonal special) could turn around flagging sales. Instead, they estimate it put them $11 million in the hole — in just one fiscal quarter.
This Just In: Boeing Had a Deal With the Justice Department That Said They Couldn’t Be Held Criminally Liable for Deadly Crashes
Key phrase: had a deal. The Justice Department just claimed that Boeing violated a settlement reached in 2021 that kept the company from being held accountable for deadly malfunctions in their equipment in 2018 and 2019. To which the world responded: excuse me? You made a deal that prevented Boeing from being held liable for killing people?
The Orcas Aren’t Done With the Wealthy Just Yet
It’s been a while since an orca last sank a yacht; just long enough for the ultra wealthy to drop their guard. But a sailing yacht was just rammed into a watery grave by a pack of orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar, kicking off millionaire and billionaire season 2024. (The two passengers were rescued by an oil tanker, it’s fine.)
A New ‘Super Fluffy’ Planet Just Dropped
Scientists have discovered a planet 1,200 light years away that’s approximately the consistency of cotton candy. An MIT professor who co-authored the study said, “The planet is so light that it’s difficult to think of an analogous, solid-state material. The planet is basically super fluffy.”
A Woman Beat Up a Crocodile to Save Her Twin
While vacationing in Mexico, some British tourists were hanging out in a river when a crocodile snuck up on them. It started dragging one woman underwater, but her twin jumped in and beat it up — twice. She’s now being awarded the King’s Gallantry Medal.