We live in a pretty bizarre world – some might call it stupid at the best of times, in fact! However, stupid isn’t always a bad thing. There are some truly bonkers bits of trivia out there which are worth remembering…
Which Disney character has the highest kill count? What’s the greatest number of cheeses ever melted into a single pizza? Which animals are lazy enough to hibernate in the summer rather than the winter?
Keep reading, and you’ll soon find out. Get ready for weird, wacky, and perhaps even downright stupid facts – all true, and all completely provable – trust us on this!
1. No need for a stethoscope, then!
A blue whale’s heartbeat can be heard from a distance of two miles away.
2. Be wary of blackbirds…
A group of crows is called a ‘murder’!
3. Bears have amazing control.
During hibernation, bears will not defecate. That’s holding things in!
4. You’ll never grow another nerve. Period!
Human babies are born with all the nerve endings they will ever have.
5. There are indigenous critters in the heart of NYC.
New York City has its own indigenous species of ant – it’s called the ‘Manhatt ant.’
6. Watch the water!
Water always goes down a plug hole in the same direction. It swirls in correlation to the ‘Coriolis’ Force.
7. Shakespeare’s sonnets came about as a result of lost work.
Theatre closures in the 1500s – as a result of the Bubonic Plague – forced playwright William Shakespeare to write his iconic poetry instead!
8. Ever seen a snail’s gnashers?
Snails have teeth! Resembling Velcro, they can have anywhere between 1,000 and 15,000 teeth.
9. You won’t find all the world’s pyramids in Egypt.
The world’s largest pyramid is not in Egypt, it is in Mexico – it’s called the Great Pyramid of Cholula. The base area it covers is four times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. On first appearance, the Mexican pyramid is misleading because part of it is buried underground!
10. For taste or security reasons…?
Remember the ‘Furby’? You’re banned from bringing these toys into the US Pentagon.
11. The Bible finds a way into people’s hearts (and handbags).
The Bible is the world’s most shoplifted book! Traditionally placed in many hotel bedrooms, they are sometimes ‘mistakenly’ packed by patrons.
12. A croc can never be rude!
Crocodiles are unable to stick out their tongues.
13. Who’d think to test this?
Mice, weirdly enough, run around in circles when in space – that is, in craft conditions!
14. A unique word that’s not used too often.
‘Eunoia’ is the shortest word in the English language to contain all five vowels. It means, ‘Goodwill created by a speaker whilst addressing an audience’.
15. We have spiders to thank for lots of things.
Spiders’ webs were used to dress wounds in Ancient Greece and Italy. It was believed that, as they contained anti-septic and anti-fungal properties, they would help heal flesh.
16. AG Bell created an interesting telephone greeting.
‘Hello’ used to mean an expression of surprise. The greeting people used to use on the telephone was ‘Ahoy’.
17. Think your tea’s better than mine?
All teas originate from the same plant! Different colours and flavours are achieved by different processing methods and additives.
18. Stay back from the candles just in case…
You’re 13.8% more likely to die on your birthday than any other date on the calendar.
19. Apples are an airy fruit.
Apples float on water because they are 25% air!
20. You ‘lose’ a third of your bones as you age.
Human babies are born with 300 bones. Some bones fuse together as infants develop, so as adults we actually have fewer – around 206 bones!
21. We can see you doing the math!
Blood makes up to 80% of the human body weight – remember that the next time you step on the scales!
22. In case you’re in a hurry…
Alaska is the only state in the US which you can type with letters all in one keyboard row.
23. Don’t be shy!
Humans are the only animals who blush.
24. Once you pop… your clogs?
Fredric Baur, the inventor of Pringles chips, actually had his ashes buried in one of the famous cans.
25. Now that’s forward engineering.
To this day, a Lego brick made fifty years ago will still fit with modern pieces – they are completely uniform.
26. You have a single bone that floats alone.
The hyoid bone is unconnected to any other bones, and is also the smallest bone in the body. They are also unique to humans!
27. Who tunes them?
US cars generally honk in the ‘F’ key.
28. Can Clarence Thomas dunk?
The ‘Highest Court in the Land’ is the name given to the basketball court to be found on the top floor of the US Supreme Court building!
29. Again – who checks these things?
The official length of a slinky is 82 feet. Now you don’t have to measure yours!
30. Know your nurdles!
A ‘nurdle’ is the name of the blob of toothpaste we squeeze onto our toothbrush every day.
31. It’s not just for men…
Australian and Israeli researchers discovered that if Viagra is added to the water in a vase of flowers, they can remain erect for up to a week longer than expected!
32. Less explosive, much more tasty!
Hacking into an Al Qaeda website, Britain’s Intelligence Service once replaced a recipe for making bombs with a recipe for cupcakes!
33. Proving a fictional turtle wrong about cheese? Challenge accepted.
Johnny Di Francesco holds the record for creating a pizza with more cheese toppings than any other. The cheesy creation was said to have 154 different cheeses.
Bizarrely, Di Francesco did this as a challenge set by a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. In the 2014 TMNT movie, Donatello claims that a 99-cheese pizza is physically impossible.
34. A Disney princess holds a record kill-count.
Of all Disney characters past and present, none have killed more than Mulan.
35. Go on, try it!
It’s impossible to hum if you are holding your nose.
36. Was she down for some karaoke?
In 2012, a couple planning their wedding decided to invite Queen Elizabeth to their marriage service and reception in Manchester. They did not know the Queen personally, but she decided to re-arrange her diary and actually turned up at the wedding!
37. Try this as well!
Humans cannot lick their own elbows – but why would you ever want or need to?
38. …maybe don’t try this one (unless you own a duck!).
Duck quacks, weirdly, don’t have an echo.
39. James Bond was real.
James Bond is the undisputed most famous fictional spy in the world. He’s actually named after a friend of the author Ian Fleming – and Fleming asked his permission to use his namesake!
40. There’s a reason why we shorten it!
The full name of Bangkok, Thailand is a mouthful. It’s technically called ‘Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukan Prasit’. Thank goodness they shortened it!
41. Sleepy summers all round!
While some animals hibernate, others estivate. Estivation is sleeping through the summer, and animals such as crocodiles, tortoises and snails all follow this pattern.
42. Which came first? Check your stolen Bible…
The Bible solves the ‘chicken and the egg’ puzzle. Read Genesis, and you’ll find that the Old Testament claims the chicken came first, created by God.