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Time to quench that knowledge thirst

32 Electrolyte-Rich Bits of Trivia to Slug Down During a Mentally Taxing Battle of Wits

June 29, 2024

As satiated as your brain can get, it will always get thirsty again. There’s just no way to know everything, but at least you’re trying. You’re here, aren’t you? You came to this little knowledge oasis in the vast internet desert, and all we can promise is that we’ll always have these little brain sips available when you’re in need.

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32

The spiciest part of peppers aren't the seeds. The hottest part of chili peppers are in the membrane (aka the pith). NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

31

Water isn't colorless. Pure water has a slight blue tint, not just because the reflection of the sky. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

30

Throwing rice isn't bad for birds. There's no proof that the wedding tradition results in poor health of birds. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

29

There's no evidence to support drinking eight glasses of water a day. With the exception of strenuous physical activity, long airplane flights, and a hot climate, you're probably drinking enough. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

28

Sugar doesn't cause hyperactivity in children. Over 12 studies showed no behavior change, even among kids with ADHD. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

27

Vikings didn't wear horns. It was have been extremely impractical to battle in a horned helmet. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

26

Mice don't like cheese. Mice prefer sweets and foods with more calories. They will eat cheese only as a last resort. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

25

The Great Wall of China isn't the only man-made object visible from space. No man-made object is visible with the naked eye from the moon, but from orbit, astronauts can see city lights. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

24

Ye wasn't really used to mean the in Old English Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese The 'th' sound used to be written with a 'p.' Early printers didn't have a 'р' so they used 'y' because it looked similar. Ye was revived in the 19th century to make things sound quaintly old timey. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

23

Bats aren't blind. Although many also use echolocation, they have sight that is well-adjusted for the dark. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

22

Cary Elwes was knocked out for real in The Princess Bride. CRACKED.COM Elwes convinced Christopher Guest to really go for it and hit him with his sword, which was real and not a prop. Elwes was knocked out and woke up in the hospital, still in costume, getting stitches. — Source

21

Plants at a castle in England are so deadly, they're grown in cages. GRACKED COM The Poison Garden of Alnwick Castle was created in 2005 when Jane Percy, the Duchess of Northumberland, wanted to show people the scariest plants around. — Source

20

Jerry Springer was born in a London tube station. CRACKED.COM Daytime TVs controversial host was born during World War II in Highgate tube station when it was used as a bomb shelter. — Source

19

Pine trees grow at right angles in a forest in Poland. CRACKED COM The appropriately named Crooked Forest in Poland is home to hundreds of pine trees curved at a 90° angle. — Source

18

Jamaica's premier sex-resort was built by the government. GRAGKED.COM Although it is now in private hands, the clothing-optional resort Hedonism II, with its Kama Sutra Palace and Romping Shop Playroom, was originally built by the government of Jamaica. — Source

17

Polaroid had to issue a statement in response to OutKast. OneStep Plus POLAROID LAND CAMERA CRACKED.COM After OutKast sang Shake it like a Polaroid picture, Polaroid released this statement: Shaking or waving can actually damage the image — Source

16

Less than one percent of Sweden's garbage ends up in a landfill. CRACKED.COM Despite producing about the same amount of waste per year as other Europeans, Sweden's waste-to-energy plants make good use of their refuse. — Source

15

The only member of zz Top without a beard is named Beard. GRACKED.COM Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top, prefers to remain clean shaven, as opposed to guitarists Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, who sport the iconic look. — Source

14

The jay in jaywalker means foolish person. ON'T JAY WALK GRACKED.COM In the early 1900s, a jay-driver referred to a driver of a horse-drawn carriage or automobile who drove on the wrong side of the road. — Source

13

Some female sharks can store sperm for years after mating CRACKED.COM Biologists found a female bamboo shark dropping an egg case after 4 years isolated from males. — Source

12

Londoners in the 1600s used fart jars to combat the plague. CRACKED.COM Londoners were advised to keep jars consisting of trapped fart odors, the idea was that the potent smell would somehow purify the air. — Source

11

Jim Henson made his first Kermit puppet using his mother's old coat. CRACKED.COM The original Kermit from Sam and Friends was made from a green coat discarded by Jim Henson's mother and his eyes were each one half of a ping pong ball. — Source

10

Modern brunch was first proposed as a post-hangover meal. CRACKED.COM Guy Beringer, an English writer, first proposed the idea for the mixed meal in his 1895 essay Brunch: A Plea, defending those nursing their Sunday morning hangovers. — Source

9

Q is the only letter that does not appear in any U.S. state name. New Hampshire Washington Vermont Massachusetts Maine Montana North Dakota Minnesota Oregon Wisconsin Idaho South Dakota New York Michigan Wyoming Rhode Pennsylvania lowa Conne Nebraska Nevada Ohio New J Utah Illinois Indiana Colorado Dela Kansas Missouri California Virginia Mar Kentucky District of C North Carolina West Vi Tennessee Oklahoma Arizona Arkansas South New Mexico Carolina us Virgin Alabama GRACKED.COM Georgia J and Z appear once (New Jersey and Arizona), В twice (Alabama and Nebraska), and California and Florida are the only states containing 'F' — Source

8

Andrew Jackson's parrot was kicked out of his funeral for swearing. CRACKED.COM The parrot, Poll, learned the profane language from Jackson, who was an exceptionally volatile individual who often disregarded formality. — Source

7

Kathy Bates' grandfather paraded the (fake) mummy of John Wilkes Booth. According to Finis Bates, the Booth who died in a barn was an impostor. The real Booth ran away, and he, Bates, had his mummified body, which he exhibited at circus sideshows. Henry Ford was close to buying the mummy, until his subordinates exposed the hoax. CRACKED.COM — Source

6

Early elevators were blamed for elevator sickness. When elevators were becoming common in the early 20th century, many users reported nausea and dizziness. This elevator sickness was caused by organs still moving when the elevator stopped - or so some dubiously reasoned. CRACKED.COM — Source

5

CRACKED.COM Joe Son from Austin Powers is in prison for life. Son (who played Random Task) was convicted in 2011 for kidnapping and torturing a woman back in 2000. Then he beat his cellmate to death, adding 27 years to his life sentence. — Source

4

U.S. farmers were encouraged (even required) to grow pot. Hemp used to be big in colonial times. In 1619, the Virginia legislature passed a law requiring every farmer to grow hemp. Everything was fine until the early 20th century, when the plant was demonized because poor, non-white people smoked it. CRACKED.COM — Source

3

CRACKED.COM You can fit every planet in the Solar system between the Earth and the Moon. While everyone knows the Moon revolves around the Earth, most people don't have the right idea of how far it is. Depending on where the Moon is in its orbit, there's enough room to fit every planet in the Solar System end to end in the intervening space. — Source

2

Great Britain tried out ice ships during World War II. Short of metal to build warships, Britain launched Project Habakkuk to build a bergship out of pykrete (a tough mixture of ice and sawdust that takes months to melt). But the idea turned out not to be very practical, and the good ship Popsicle was eventually scrapped. CRACKED.COM — Source

1

The Beatles had their start at a seedy German bar. Before the Beatles were the Beatles, they were a regular feature at the Indra Club, the naughtiest place on earth, a joint in Hamburg's red-light district. It wasn't exactly a good time for them, but the experience they gained helped them become a professional band. Frida HSV CRACKED.COM — Source

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