12 Farm-Fresh Trivia Tidbits for Thursday, October 24, 2024
A.I. made a guess that there are 19 million tons of lithium sitting under Arkansas, and the government believed it sight unseen. Things are going great!
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Real Estate Agents Aren’t Obligated to Point Out Spooky Shit
They have to show you material defects to a home, but in most states, murder scenes don’t count as a “material defect.” You have to ask specifically about “stigmatizing events” like deaths, hauntings and former residents who had a bad vibe.
Old People Are Donating Millions to Politicians by Accident
CNN found that lots of “unwitting elderly donors” are repeatedly shelling out $5 or $10 at a time to political fundraising groups. There are 50 power donors who account for $60 million in senility-driven donations.
Diamonds Are the Hardest Mineral, But Not the Toughest
Hardness refers to a mineral’s resistance to scratching, but toughness is all about resistance to breaking. Nephrite (the less pretty of the two types of jade) is the toughest mineral, and is harder to shatter than steel.
A New Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: Get Addicted to Nicotine
As Juul (and its investor Philip Morris) are paying out a $300 million settlement for misleading consumers about the addictive nature of vape pens, participants in the class-action lawsuit are reporting a payout of up to $9,000 per person. And all they had to do was repeatedly jeopardize their long-term health!
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stephen Stills Basted His Guitar With Barbecue Sauce
Stills has said, “I keep bass strings on my bass for two years at a time. I play bass so hard that I really thump it, so when I get a new string, I buy some barbecue sauce and sit and rub it in. This is because it’s got to get a little funky, rusty and greasy in there, so it will start to respond.”
Why You Should Never Use Utensils Fresh Out of the Box
Even if they’re still wrapped and look pristine, newly purchased forks, knives and spoons may be covered in metal shards and ominously named “finishing chemicals” from the production process.
The Baffling Thing About Apple Products Tim Cook Didn’t Know
Apple CEO Tim Cook responded with surprise when an interviewer mentioned the ability to name group chats on iMessage. He wielded his newfound power responsibly, naming his group chat with his college roommates “Roommates.”
Which NBA Arenas Charge the Most and the Least for Beer?
The Cleveland Cavaliers have the most reasonably priced beer, $5.91 for a 16-ouncer. At the other end of the spectrum, the Boston Celtics want you to shell out a truly outrageous $20.32 to get a quarter of a buzz on.
A.I. Thinks There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills
The U.S. Geological Survey used A.I. to determine that there’s up to 19 million tons of lithium in Arkansas. Lithium is a crucial — and expensive — element of EV batteries, and that amount is nine times the forecasted demand over the rest of the decade. Given A.I.’s penchant for hallucinating what it thinks humans want to hear, we’ll wait until they start mining to celebrate.
Scurvy Is So Back
A combination of the high cost of citrus and the prevalence of weight-loss surgery may be behind a steady increase in the diagnosis of scurvy.
United Airlines Had to Ground Five Planes Because the No-Smoking Signs Worked Too Well
According to FAA regulations, the crew technically needs to have the ability to turn the no-smoking lights on and off (even though smoking isn’t allowed at any time). Five United planes got a software update that temporarily removed the ability to turn the signs off, so they had to take them out of rotation. The FAA finally just updated their rules, allowing the lights to be permanently on.
Airlines Used to Hand Out Complementary Cigarettes
Tobacco companies used to have deals with the major airlines to hand out their products to passengers for free. Flight attendants got sick of being exposed to secondhand smoke, and filed the first class-action lawsuit against Big Tobacco in 1991.