12 Trivia Tidbits for Friday, May 17, 2024
Freaky Jesuses, A.I. hauntings and the legal definition of a sandwich. It’s all happening right here on Cracked.com, the everything app.
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Why Does Jesus Look Like a Freaky Little Monster in Medieval Paintings?
In those days, the church said that Jesus had been born perfectly man-shaped, rather than having spent any time as a vulnerable baby. As such, any painting commissioned by the church (which was most paintings) had to adhere to absurd, impossible aesthetics: a dignified little homunculus being swaddled like a baby by his gargantuan mother.
The Oldest Fire in the World
The coal fire beneath Mount Wingen has been raging for at least 6,000 years according to conventional scientific wisdom, although some have contended it’s much older. “Wingen” even means “fire” in the local aboriginal language, so “being on fire all the time” has been its most distinguishing feature since at least pre-colonialism.
A Geologist May Have Solved a Lingering Mystery of the Mona Lisa
Where is that famous background landscape, exactly? Scholars haven’t been able to agree on whether or not it’s even a real place. But geologist Ann Pizzorusso believes she’s pintpointed the location in a small town in northern Italy: “When I came to Lecco, I realized he had painted the Mona Lisa here.”
The Most Misunderstood, State-Specific Slang in the U.S.
A cross study of data from OnlyInYourState.com and EnjoyTravel.com, followed by a survey of 1,000 people, found that “gnarly” (California), “dirty bird” (Kentucky) and “borrow pit” (Montana) are among the least-understood words in American English.
Tech Companies Want to Literally Haunt You
A.I. ethicists are sounding the alarm that the advertising industry will one day be able (and is already willing) to advertise to you using the voices and likenesses of your deceased loved ones.
Delta’s Adding Alcohol-Free Bars to Some Flights
Desperate to make flying seem fun, Delta decided to add a bar to the first-class cabin of some of its smaller planes. The bar will be “stocked with snack and soft drinks,” with no mention of alcohol of any kind. So their big innovation is a communal snack basket.
Want to Go on a Long Walk to Nowhere? Try Labyrinths!
Labyrinths are like mazes, except instead of false offshoots, it’s just one long, meandering, relaxing path all squeezed together like an intricate Celtic symbol. They can provide the same benefits as your daily mental health walk and meditation session combined. If you’re interested, the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator is a handy compendium to find one near you.
Western Water Reserves Are Up Again — For Now
The Great Salt Lake has recovered six feet of water depth over the last two years, and has grown by about the size of Denver. Meanwhile, the Colorado River has seen about a 150 percent increase in water, raising the level of Lake Mead by 30 feet. (But climate experts say the droughts will continue no matter this recent uptick.)
The First Hollywood Movie
D.W. Griffith was an actor-turned-cameraman-turned-director, who pumped out 48 short films for early production company Biograph. While traveling out west, he was charmed by a small village called Hollywood, and shot a 17-minute western there in 1910, making In Old California the first-ever Hollywood film.
Burritos Are Legally Sandwiches in the State of Indiana
An Indiana judge ruled that a restaurant called The Famous Taco fit the description of a “sandwich bar-style restaurant” as laid out in a written agreement between a strip mall and its surrounding neighborhood. The judge agreed with the claim that “tacos and burritos are Mexican style sandwiches.”
Drug Overdoses Are Finally Declining
The CDC says that for the first time in five years, overdose deaths began to decline in 2023. They haven’t said what accounts for the three percent decline, but 2023 was when Narcan became available over-the-counter, and opioid deaths are the most dramatic decline in the data.
The Crew of the Ship That Hit the Baltimore Bridge Is Still on Board
Twenty-one Indian and Sri Lankan sailors aboard the Dali are in visa hell, and aren’t technically allowed on American soil. They’ve been forced to camp out inside the wrecked ship, without their cell phones (which were confiscated by the FBI) this entire time, even during controlled detonation of the remaining debris. The U.S. Coast Guard has chosen to fully deny their humanity as part of their PR campaign, saying, “They’re part of the ship.”
