12 Farm-Fresh Trivia Tidbits for Friday, February 14, 2025
Unfortunately, we know quite a bit about John Tyler’s loins. Pretty soon, you will too.
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Okay, What’s Everyone Addicted To?
The Addiction Center has ranked the 10 substances that Americans are most addicted to, with marijuana (14.2 million Americans), nicotine (23.6 million) and alcohol (28.3 million) topping the leaderboard.
Who Drinks the Most Coffee?
Americans put away about three cups of coffee per day on average, but Finland has us beat, with the average citizen consuming 26 pounds of coffee beans per year. As huge as coffee is to American culture, it’s even more so to the Finns — workers are often contractually entitled to two coffee breaks a day.
How Much Stuff Is Floating Around the Earth?
Since the current American administration has nuked any and all data from government websites, we have to rely on the European Space Agency. According to them, there are 130 million objects smaller than one inch, one million objects up to five inches and 36,500 objects larger than five inches swirling around in orbit.
Where’d It All Come From?
There have been 6,300 rocket launches around the world since 1957, which have dunked 14,450 satellites into orbit intentionally. But, interestingly, there have been 630 “unplanned events,” meaning collisions and explosions, that have made existing space debris break up into even more pieces.
Doggerland Would Have Made Brexit Far More Complicated
Doggerland is the name for a prehistoric landmass that connected Great Britain to Europe, and was at its largest about 18,000 years ago. It came into existence after the last ice age, and there’s lots of archaeological evidence of humans both living there and traveling through it. Borders are a social construct, innit?
If You’re Serious About Learning Where Your Tax Dollars Go, Here It Is
Lots of weapons-grade dullards are screaming about the deep state boogeymen that Elon Musk’s army of 20-year-olds have unearthed, without looking for information outside of their own Twitter bubble. USAFacts.org has a comprehensive and user-friendly breakdown of the government’s $4.9 trillion revenue and its $6.8 trillion expenditures.
It probably won’t convince a MAGA chud, but it may repel them like a Bible to a vampire.
Turmeric Can Kill Superbugs (Just, Not in the Way That Your Wellness-Pilled Aunt Thinks)
Scientists have isolated a molecule in turmeric, called curcumin, and used it to create a light-activated mechanism for killing pathogens that are resistant to existing antibiotics.
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Covers Performance Art Shows in New Jersey
A partnership with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center will cover up to six months of “arts prescriptions,” at the forefront of a growing national trend of treating medical conditions by consuming and creating art.
The Mantis Shrimp Keeps Amazing Scientists
Known for its ability to punch with approximately the force of a bullet, scientists have finally begun to figure out what allows it to attack with such power without harming itself. The shrimp’s appendages are armored with a special pattern of grooves that gives it a “phononic shield,” or the ability to dissipate shock waves.
The World’s Population Is Aging Faster Than Ever
Thanks to modern science, medicine and food availability, there’s been a 600 percent jump in people aged 65 and older.
What’s a Year of Life Worth?
Aging is slightly different from age — it refers to “the progressive decline of the human body’s function that results from a combination of genetic, environmental and metabolic factors.” One study has shown that slowing down our rate of aging by just one year could save the U.S. economy $38 trillion.
Which President Boned the Most?
That’s a tough figure to nail down, but we do know the president who had the most offspring. John Tyler left a breadcrumb trail of babies throughout his life, having 15 (known) children with two wives.
