Random #368 – 50 Unusual Random Facts

The majority of Millennials and Gen Z use subtitles when streaming TV.

2. Mike Brown, the astronomer most responsible for Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet, titled his memoir "How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming."

3. Evangelista Torricelli, an Italian physicist and mathematician, is renowned for his groundbreaking creation of a vacuum. In 1643, he invented the barometer, an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure, which led to his famous observation that "we live submerged at the bottom of an ocean of air."

4. The Spanish secret service gave Juan Carlos I, a former king of Spain, hormones to lessen his sex drive because it was considered a state issue.

5. Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, holds the distinction of being the city with the highest cost of living in the world. The cost of living is 47.42% higher than that of New York City.

If Bill Gates told a Microsoft employee, "You're full of sh*t, That's the stupidest fu*king thing I've ever heard," it meant that the software mogul was genuinely amazed and impressed. An employee remarked, "In Microsoft lore, if Bill says that to you, you're golden."

7. In 2021, Walmart withdrew an educational toy from shelves after a bilingual grandmother recognized that the item contained Polish profanity and featured songs in Polish about suicide, depression, drug abuse, and cocaine.

8. Nikola Tesla attempted to persuade several governments to invest in a "death ray" capable of destroying armies and planes from a distance of 200 miles.

9. When director James Gunn cast actor David Dastmalchian as the supervillain Polka-Dot Man for "The Suicide Squad," he had no knowledge that the actor had vitiligo. As a child, people teased Dastmalchian with names like "polka dots" and "Dalmatian" because of the skin condition that caused him to have polka dots on his skin.

10. In 2023, Ford filed a patent for technology that could remotely disable a car's radio or air conditioner, lock someone out of a vehicle, or cause a car to emit a continuous beep if a car payment is missed.

Individuals who undergo surgical removal of their lens in the eyes can sometimes gain the ability to perceive UV light.

12. Fairy dust was introduced into Peter Pan to prevent children from attempting to fly after watching the play, minimizing the risk of injuries at home.

13. A day on Venus is actually longer than a year on Venus. The planet rotates incredibly slowly on its axis, taking about 243 Earth days, while it completes an orbit around the Sun in approximately 225 Earth days.

14. The city of New Bern, North Carolina, uses a nearly identical flag to that of Bern, Switzerland, with the only distinction being the absence of a red appendage on its bear.

15. In 2011, multimillionaire Maria Assunta bequeathed her entire fortune, totaling $13 million, along with her properties, such as villas, homes, and land, to her cat Tommaso, making him one of the world's wealthiest felines. Just a few years earlier, Tommaso was a stray cat that she found on the streets of Rome.

Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt was allergic to moon dust.

17. Super Bowl shirts made for the losing team are donated to a nonprofit aid organization, which subsequently distributes them to underprivileged nations.

18. Rapper Mos Def began his career as an actor. Before the release of his critically acclaimed album 'Black On Both Sides' in 1998, he had already appeared in multiple sitcoms, been featured in a Visa commercial with Deion Sanders, and played a minor role in the short film 'Ghosts' alongside Michael Jackson.

19. The act of family members scattering the ashes of a deceased relative on Disney World rides is surprisingly common, particularly on the Haunted Mansion ride.

20. Daniel Radcliffe, widely known for his portrayal of Harry Potter, suffers from the debilitating condition known as 'cluster headaches.'

Paracetamol overdose is one of the leading causes of acute liver failure.

22. In a 1990 World Cup qualifying match between Brazil and Chile, the Chilean goalkeeper cut himself with a concealed razor blade hidden in one of his gloves and feigned injury due to a flare thrown by Brazilian fans. His intention was to nullify the game's outcome. He received a ban lasting until 2001.

23. Bruce Lee's films collectively grossed an astounding $741 million at the box office, which, when adjusted for inflation, amounts to a staggering $4 billion, all while being produced with a combined budget of only $2 million.

24. Robert Maudsley, now 70 years old (as of September 2023), has been confined in a solitary cell specially designed for him since 1983. This prolonged isolation stems from his involvement in three murders while already incarcerated for the same crime.

25. The horror trope of zombies craving brains can be traced back to the 1985 horror-comedy film "Return of the Living Dead." In this movie, zombies consumed brains not out of hunger but rather because it alleviated the "pain" of being a zombie.