12 Trivia Tidbits for Monday, April 1, 2024
You wouldn’t want to start your day, or your month, or your Q2 without a brainful of trivia tidbits, would you?
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Human Brains Are Getting Larger in Our Lifetimes
A study that measured the brain sizes of people born between 1930 and the 1970s found that those born the latest had 15 percent more brain area and 6.6 percent more brain density than those born the earliest. Brain size doesn’t necessarily correlate to intelligence, but the researchers posit that it does indicate better brain health.
The Stock Market Is Fueling Record Wealth Inequality
The stock market just had its best Q1 in five years! Hooray! As a direct result, the top One Percent of Americans now own a record $44.6 trillion.
Mosquitoes Are Having a Great El Niño
El Niño creates warm and wet weather in the Southern Hemisphere that mosquitoes just can’t get enough of. As a result, cases of dengue fever have tripled in recent months.
Racially-Motivated Gerrymandering Is Fine, Actually
A federal court ruled that a South Carolina congressional district was provably drawn based on race. The Supreme Court has delayed weighing in on the matter for months, causing the court to throw up its hands and say: Nevermind, institutionalized racism is good enough for the next election.
Helmholtz Resonance: The Reason Your Car Is Unbearable When You Open the Rear Window
Helmholtz Resonance is what’s going on when you blow into an empty bottle and it makes that odd, deep whistle. When you roll down your rear window while driving, your car becomes a gigantic empty bottle. The resulting tone is so low, you physically feel it in your body.
The Immortal Flatworm That’s Almost a Plant
The acoel is a flatworm that derives energy both from photosynthesis and by consuming other organisms and which, if cut in half, can regenerate itself.
Would You Take $75K From Your Boss to Have a Baby?
In the midst of a shrinking population, South Korean businesses have floated the idea of paying workers $75k for every child they have.
Frigatebirds Can Sleep While Flying
While migrating, the frigatebird can sleep, resting half or even all of its brain, for around an hour per day.
7–Eleven’s Hot Dog Flavored Sparkling Water
7-Eleven just announced a seltzer that tastes like hot dog water: “We’re excited for customers to embark on this flavor adventure and experience their favorite snack in a whole new form.” It's almost definitely an April Fools’ prank.
Starbucks Has Ramped Up Its War on Christmas
Starbucks had to recall a series of holiday mugs because customers claimed that the metal was burning or cutting them.
Amazon Is Using A.I. to Do Palm Reading
They’ve launched an app that will detect and recognize the vein structure in a user’s hand, similar to face and fingerprint recognition.
A Brand New Beetle Was Almost Written Off As Bird Poop
A researcher in Australia barely noticed a beetle that’s covered in spikes and an odd white fuzz. He first thought it was a more common beetle, covered in bird poop, but he took a closer look and realized it was the never-before-catalogued “punk beetle.”
