10 RANDOM FACTS -ep.-#1
1
Charles Darwin’s personal pet tortoise didn’t die until recently.
Okay, technically she wasn’t his pet, but after his tour of the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin brought back a five-year-old tortoise he named Harriet. She outlived her adopter by 124 years, ultimately making it to a whopping 176 years old. Harriet lived out her final years as part of the family of Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin in Australia, until she passed away, in 2006.
Okay, technically she wasn’t his pet, but after his tour of the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin brought back a five-year-old tortoise he named Harriet. She outlived her adopter by 124 years, ultimately making it to a whopping 176 years old. Harriet lived out her final years as part of the family of Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin in Australia, until she passed away, in 2006.
2
Charles Darwin’s personal pet tortoise didn’t die until recently.
Driving can be a fun and liberating activity—until you get stuck at a red light, that is. The National Association of City Transportation Officials says that the average time spent waiting at a red light is 75 seconds, accounting for approximately 20 percent of all driving time. That’s a whole lot of time doing nothing and just another reason to switch to public transportation.
Driving can be a fun and liberating activity—until you get stuck at a red light, that is. The National Association of City Transportation Officials says that the average time spent waiting at a red light is 75 seconds, accounting for approximately 20 percent of all driving time. That’s a whole lot of time doing nothing and just another reason to switch to public transportation.
3
A bolt of lightning contains enough energy to toast 100,000 slices of bread
If you consider that each bolt of lightning contains more than 5 billion Joules of energy, then the average 1000-watt, two-slice toaster could be powered for 84,000 minutes with just one strike. That’s just enough time to toast about 100,000 slices of bread, bagels, English muffins—whatever you prefer.
If you consider that each bolt of lightning contains more than 5 billion Joules of energy, then the average 1000-watt, two-slice toaster could be powered for 84,000 minutes with just one strike. That’s just enough time to toast about 100,000 slices of bread, bagels, English muffins—whatever you prefer.
4
Cherophobia is the word for the irrational fear of being happy
No, it’s not the fear of Cher, as the name might lead you to believe. It comes from the Greek word “chero,” which means “to rejoice.” People who suffer from cherophobia are often afraid, cripplingly so, of doing anything that might lead to happiness. This includes doing fun activities and rejecting opportunities that may lead to positive outcomes. This form of anxiety disorder should be treated with medicine much stronger than laughter: love (and therapy).
No, it’s not the fear of Cher, as the name might lead you to believe. It comes from the Greek word “chero,” which means “to rejoice.” People who suffer from cherophobia are often afraid, cripplingly so, of doing anything that might lead to happiness. This includes doing fun activities and rejecting opportunities that may lead to positive outcomes. This form of anxiety disorder should be treated with medicine much stronger than laughter: love (and therapy).
5
You can hear a blue whale’s heartbeat from two miles away
The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing up to 150 tons and measuring up to 90 feet long. Naturally, an animal this massive would have an equally massive heart. Roughly the size of a small car, the blue whale’s heart weighs about 1,300 pounds. To move blood through its massive body and huge arteries, it’s heart beats so powerfully, you can hear it from two miles away. You just might miss it, though, as its heart only beats eight to ten times per minute.
The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing up to 150 tons and measuring up to 90 feet long. Naturally, an animal this massive would have an equally massive heart. Roughly the size of a small car, the blue whale’s heart weighs about 1,300 pounds. To move blood through its massive body and huge arteries, it’s heart beats so powerfully, you can hear it from two miles away. You just might miss it, though, as its heart only beats eight to ten times per minute.
6
Nearly 30,000 rubber ducks were lost a sea in 1992 and are still being discovered today
Over 25 years ago, a cargo ship traveling from Hong Kong to the United States accidentally lost a shipping crate in the Pacific Ocean. Inside that crate were 28,000 rubber ducks unwittingly about to embark on many long journeys across the globe. As rubber ducks continue to pop up on shores around the world from Australia to Alaska, they’ve enlightened our understanding of ocean currents. Some have made it all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, while others have been found frozen in Arctic ice.
Over 25 years ago, a cargo ship traveling from Hong Kong to the United States accidentally lost a shipping crate in the Pacific Ocean. Inside that crate were 28,000 rubber ducks unwittingly about to embark on many long journeys across the globe. As rubber ducks continue to pop up on shores around the world from Australia to Alaska, they’ve enlightened our understanding of ocean currents. Some have made it all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, while others have been found frozen in Arctic ice.
7
There’s a Manhattan-specific ant
On Broadway medians between 63rd and 76th streets, biologists discovered a new species of ant. They named it ManhattAnt, naturally.
On Broadway medians between 63rd and 76th streets, biologists discovered a new species of ant. They named it ManhattAnt, naturally.
8
The inventor of the frisbee was turned into a frisbee after he died
“Steady Ed” Headrick invented the frisbee in the 1950s, then went on to invent the sport of disc golf in the 1970s. “He lived for frisbee,” his wife said of the inventor of the classic American toy. When he died in 2002, his final wish was to have his ashes turned into, what else, but a frisbee. His son said it was his father’s dream that they play with him after death and that he might even accidentally end up on someone’s roof.
“Steady Ed” Headrick invented the frisbee in the 1950s, then went on to invent the sport of disc golf in the 1970s. “He lived for frisbee,” his wife said of the inventor of the classic American toy. When he died in 2002, his final wish was to have his ashes turned into, what else, but a frisbee. His son said it was his father’s dream that they play with him after death and that he might even accidentally end up on someone’s roof.
9
There’s a bridge exclusively for squirrels.
To provide safe passage to squirrels attempting to cross the N44 motorway, Netherlands officials built a rodent-only bridge. While it may have been a kind-hearted gesture, it might not have been the most economically sensible one: costing £120,000, over a two-year span the bridge was used by just five squirrels. “In 2014 three squirrels, and in 2015 two squirrels, were spotted on the bridge,” the government said in a statement.
To provide safe passage to squirrels attempting to cross the N44 motorway, Netherlands officials built a rodent-only bridge. While it may have been a kind-hearted gesture, it might not have been the most economically sensible one: costing £120,000, over a two-year span the bridge was used by just five squirrels. “In 2014 three squirrels, and in 2015 two squirrels, were spotted on the bridge,” the government said in a statement.
10
Subway footlongs aren’t a foot long.
When confronted about this fact, the sandwich chain explained that, “With regards to the size of the bread and calling it a footlong, ‘SUBWAY FOOTLONG’ is a registered trademark as a descriptive name for the sub sold in Subway Restaurants and not intended to be a measurement of length.”
When confronted about this fact, the sandwich chain explained that, “With regards to the size of the bread and calling it a footlong, ‘SUBWAY FOOTLONG’ is a registered trademark as a descriptive name for the sub sold in Subway Restaurants and not intended to be a measurement of length.”
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