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35 Random Bits of Trivia to Set Loose in Your Brain Like a Bunch of Battling Beyblades

May 10, 2024

Normally, we’re not ones to pass the buck. But these facts are out of hand. We’ve done all we can do to keep them in line (or “in list” we should say), so we’re begging you for a little help here. We feel like a new parent at their wit’s end, passing their toddlers off to grandma to get an evening to themself. They’re good facts. They mean well. They just have a lot of energy. Sorry in advance.

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35

Palm fronds can take up to 50 years to decompose. Palm fronds are extremely hardy and are difficult to process into mulch or compost. They account for 3.4% of the 1 million tons of waste each year in Phoenix, AZ landfills. CRACKED.COM — Source

34

Sneakers were originally made to be worn by the British Navy on slippery decks. When the shoes came into the market in 1892, they were known as plimsolls. The shoes were then given the name sneakers because they had no sound when walking. CRACKED.COM — Source

33

Hyenas

Hyenas outperformed primates in cooperative problem solving tests. A 2009 Duke University study showed that the hyenas outperformed primates, with some subjects teaching inexperienced partners how to perform some tricks. CRACKED.COM — Source

32

British Farmers

Wealthy farmers commissioned paintings of large livestock to show off. Wealthy farmers in Britain would commission exaggerated paintings of large livestock as a status symbol, that they were somehow superior to other livestock farmers and breeders. CRACKED.COM — Source

31

The United States is the country with the most volcanoes. With 161 Holocene Volcanoes, the US tops the list, followed by Japan (122) and Indonesia (121). Four of these are listed as currently erupting: Kilauea, Pavlof, Great Sitkin, and Semisopochnoi. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

The person that inspired the sports film Rudy was charged with stock fraud. Former Notre Dame football player Daniel Rudy Ruettiger ran a pump-and-dump scheme and was charged with stock fraud in 2014 and settled for $4.5 million. The stock scheme arose from the sale of shares in Rudy Nutrition, a now-closed sports-drink company. CRACKED.COM — Source

29

Pandas lose the urge to mate because we've made them too comfortable. The perfect environment created for wild pandas has made them too comfortable to feel the urge to breed. Scientists found that a panda's habitat is ideal when it is happy enough to thrive but not so comfortable that it won't move around or try to reproduce. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

Nascar drivers lose 5 to 10 pounds of sweat during a race. LiNationwide HM Califor MSD FBC 3M MOOG EGS 9 CAMRY MAHLE COMP 19 IR adidas If a driver loses more than 3 percent of his body weight in sweat and doesn't replace those fluids, focus and reflexes start declining. CRACKED.COM — Source

27

Glossy house paint was preferred in the 18th century for its ability to reflect candlelight. - Before the mid-eighteenth century, paint with a glossy finish was preferred on paneled walls and woodwork due to its increased reflectivity, which was helpful for rooms that had candlelights. When plaster walls became popular, matte paint started to be preferred. CRACKED.COM — Source

26

Lobsters have teeth in their stomach they use to chew food. Their food is chewed in their stomach between three grinding surfaces that look like molar surfaces. Their sense of smell is so fine that they can sniff out a single amino acid that tags their favorite food. CRACKED.COM — Source

25

By 1993, plastic flamingos outnumbered their real life counterparts 7 to 1. The classic pink flamingo lawn ornament was commissioned by New England Plastics Co. and designed by Don Featherstone in 1957. Ornithologists estimate that there are only 200,000 wild flamingos in existence (plus the ones in captivity). CRACKED.COM — Source

24

Antarctica has the lowest infant mortality rate of any continent: 0%. Eleven babies have been born in Antarctica, and none of them died as infants. In the 1970s and '80s, Argentina and Chile sent pregnant women there to give birth as a means of strengthening their claims on Antarctica. CRACKED.COM — Source

23

The Harpy Eagle parents prey on harder to catch food further away from the nest. That way, when the child eagle finally begins to hunt on its own, an abundant amount of easy to catch prey like sloths are available close to the nest. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

22

The wood of tabebuia trees shares the same fire resistance rating as industrial steel. Its wood is also known for its resistance to attack by both fungi and insects, and is used for boardwalks and home decks, marina docks, benches, and railings. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

21

A Southwest Airlines pilot quoted the movie. Airplane! before crashing. Concerned about the weather, the pilot jokingly said I picked a bad day to stop sniffin' glue, shortly before his plane crashed. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

20

Resident Evil 4

The original idea for Resident Evil 4 was supposed to be a cool and stylish It was canceled and eventually became what we now know as Devil May Cry. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

19

The Macrocilix maia moth confuses predators with design patterns on its wings that mimic two flies eating bird poop. It even releases a pungent odor to drive home the deception. The poop design and smell just about completes our knowledge of this species. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

18

Chilean Sea Bass is just a fancy name that was made up in 1977 to get Americans to eat the Patagonian Toothfish. The Chilean Sea Bass lunch that John Hammond's chef prepares for his guests in Jurassic Park is a subtle nod to his misunderstanding of nature. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

17

Garth Brooks's 1993 song We Shall Be Freè was boycotted by some country radio stations. The boycott was because it included the line When we're free to love anyone we choose. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

16

Marvel's Man-Thing and DC's Swamp Thing debuted within weeks of each other back in 1971. Man-Thing co-creator Gerry Conway and Swamp Thing co-creator Len Wein were roommates at the time. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

15

It takes 3 years of higher education to become a police officer in Norway. The training takes place at a university college and each graduate gets a bachelor's degree in Police Studies. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

14

Japan was invaded by the Mongol army twice. Both times it was saved by harsh storms that crippled the Mongols. They called these storms Kamikaze or Divine Winds. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

13

Geneticists can see when humans lost their primate hair by the divergent evolution of pubic and head lice. DNA comparisons between the human head louse and pubic louse indicate a common ancestor about 12 million years ago. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

12

Scientists theorize that giant viruses named Pandoraviruses point to the existence of a 4th domain of life. More than 93% of their genes resemble nothing known, and their origin cannot be traced back to any known cellular lineage. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

11

In 2005, Sony illegally installed unremovable rootkits on 22 million computers to prevent the users from ripping copyrighted music. BON TRILUMINOS DISPLAY It also reported user's listening habits back to Sony. Ironically, the code itself contained open source software, and so infringed copyright. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

10

In the entire Lord of the Rings film trilogy, no two female characters ever speak to each other. This is not counting one line between unnamed extras, one of which was an adolescent girl. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

9

In Czechia, you can get beer that's basically all white foam and not much else. It's called mliko (AKA milk beer), and any type of beer can be poured this way. It's been called kind of like drinking a beer cloud. CRACKED.COM — Source

8

Seattle's metro area transit agency has a mascot called Zap Gridlock. Japan 4238 1338 They created him in 1999, and they wheel him out for events like fairs, festivals, service launches, and anywhere there's a lot of kids around. CRACKED.COM — Source

7

Real-Life Twins Mix-up

In a movie-style twist, two pairs of identical twin babies got mixed up in Colombia in 1988. It's not clear why, but apparently there was a hospital mix-up - a nd when they grew up, 25 years later, they found each other, and all four became close friends. CRACKED.COM — Source

6

In Liberia, a new lake formed where a pit mine was abandoned long ago. A mining company abandoned operations in Bomi County in the '60s and '70s, and didn't fill in the pits. One filled up with water, creating a new lake. CRACKED.COM — Source

5

Saudi Arabia is a big importer of sand all the way from Canda and Australia. Desert sand, which is abundant in Saudi Arabia, is nearly useless for construction, because those grains are very round and have no grip. CRACKED.COM — Source

4

Pregnant women sometimes crave eating dirt (that's called geophagia). It's been recorded throughout history in all regions of the world, but actually eating dirt carries risks (including, say, exposure to parasites). CRACKED.COM — Source

3

There's a frog that headbutts and poisons anybody who tries to attack it. Corythomantis greeningi has spines on its head that let it secrete venom, and it can move its head in unique ways that let it release that venom. CRACKED.COM — Source

2

For years, Iceland secretly banned the US from keeping Black troops there. - The ban was there to protect Icelandic women and maintain a homogeneous national body .. it was revealed in 1959, and lifted in a few years. CRACKED.COM — Source

1

The Twinkie thing in The Iron Giant is based on something director Brad Bird did as a kid. When Hogarth eats a Twinkie, he fills it with whipped cream - Bird suggested that. The animators weren't sold at first, but a live demonstration convinced them. CRACKED.COM — Source

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