12 Farm-Fresh Trivia Tidbits for Sunday, January 12, 2025
It’s hard to believe, but Boston is empirically one of the “most caring” cities in the country.
Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.
Ants Can Hold a Grudge
Ants’ advanced sense of smell helps them navigate the world, and among their special skills is recognizing the smell of a non-family ant and recalling whether they had a combatant encounter with the stinker.
“Lung in a Box”: The Bizarre Machine Used in Lung Transplant Operations
A procedure called “lung in a box” is common in the United States, and has seen its first use in the U.K. The organ is placed in a chamber that mimics the human body, inflating and deflating them, allowing scientists to touch up the gently-used organ for up to four hours before the operation.
Does the Nobel Prize Make Its Recipients Go Nuts?
“Nobel Disease” is the term for Nobel laureates getting overconfident after their award and weighing in on stuff they don’t know anything about. It often involves heel turns to Nazism and eugenics, but sometimes cool stuff like the paranormal.
What Is the Point of Allergies?
Some scientists believe allergies are a result of the parasitic tapeworms that humans evolved alongside of, and more specifically, the fact that we killed them off so quickly. Our immune systems developed powerful weapons to fight off tapeworms, and since it’s only been about 100 years since we stopped regularly swallowing them, those weapons are still alive and well, and constantly looking for something to fight.
The Oldest Ice on the Planet
Scientists extracted an ice core in Antarctica that’s two miles long, took four summers to drill and is made up of million-year-old ice. It’s intended for studying the patterns of the Earth’s ice ages, but you have to imagine at least some of it will end up in a tech baron’s cocktail in Dubai.
11,000-Year-Old Antarctic Animals
Scientists have identified a specimen of the sea sponge species Monorhaphis chuni that they believe is about 11,000 years old.
How Far Will a Humpback Whale Go to Hook Up?
A male humpback whale broke all known records by traveling 8,106 miles to mate.
Your Ears Probably Came From Gills
A new study from the USC Stem Cell Lab has found that mammal’s outer ears likely evolved from ancient fish gills.
Lebanon Hasn’t Had a President Since 2022
The previous president’s term ended in 2022, and since then there have been 12 elections that have failed to name a top dawg. Army general Joseph Aoun has finally won, and will be sworn in.
One of Portland Airport’s Terminals Is Like a Shopping Mall for Local Businesses
An entire wing of the airport got rid of Hudson News and Starbucks in favor of local mom-and-pop shops like Elephants Deli, Loyal Legion Beer Hall and a Paper Epiphanies greeting card store.
Floridians Beware: Chilly Iguana Rain Is Imminent
Florida is facing a cold snap, and experts are warning locals that when temperatures dip below 40-ish, iguanas are known to insta-hibernate, causing them to freeze up and fall out of trees.
The ‘Most Caring’ Cities in America
Looking at data around charitable donations, volunteer hours per capita and shelter provided to the homeless, a study found that Boston, Massachusetts, Scottsdale, Arizona and Virginia Beach, Virginia have the biggest hearts in the country.
