WTF • Fun • Fact    ( /dʌb(ə)lˌju/  /ti/   /ef/ • /fʌn/ • /fækt/ )

     1. noun  A random, interesting, and overall fun fact that makes you scratch your head and think what the...

WTF Fun Fact 13347 – Metallica Concert in Antarctica

Would you attend a Metallica concert in Antarctica? It may have been cold, but it was also history-making.

The iconic heavy metal band etched its name in the annals of music history on December 8, 2013, by becoming the first musical act to perform on all seven continents.

Metallica plays Antarctica

Metallica’s concert in Antarctica took place near the Argentine Antarctic Base Carlini, located on King George Island. They dubbed it “Freeze ‘Em All.”

This remote and inhospitable location provided the backdrop for an unforgettable musical event. The concert was not only a testament to the band’s global reach but also a unique opportunity for a small audience of contest winners and researchers stationed at the base to witness an extraordinary performance.

To ensure the success of the concert despite the harsh Antarctic environment, a transparent dome was erected to protect the band’s equipment and the attending audience from the extreme cold temperatures. To minimize any potential environmental impact, the sound from the concert was transmitted to the audience through headphones, enabling them to fully immerse themselves in the music without disturbing the delicate Antarctic ecosystem.

Global reach

Metallica’s decision to play in Antarctica not only showcased its groundbreaking spirit but also underlined its commitment to connecting with fans across the globe. By venturing to the southernmost continent, the band demonstrated their willingness to push boundaries and explore uncharted musical territories. This endeavor cemented Metallica’s reputation as a pioneering force in the music industry.

The significance of Metallica’s concert in Antarctica extended beyond the performance itself. It symbolized the power of music to transcend geographical boundaries and unite people from diverse backgrounds. The audience comprised not only die-hard Metallica fans but also scientists and researchers stationed at the Argentine Antarctic Base Carlini.

Making history

The Metallica concert in Antarctica marked a milestone in music history. It showcased the band’s adventurous spirit, their commitment to their fans, and their willingness to push boundaries. By conquering the seventh continent, Metallica solidified its position as a truly global band.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Metallica Play a Dome in Antarctica” — Rolling Stone

WTF Fun Fact 13346 – Mom Wins Lottery

In a heartwarming turn of events, a Florida mom wins the lottery just days after spending the last of her life savings. Geraldine Gimblet from Lakeland, Florida, won a $2 million top prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket just one day after paying for her daughter’s final cancer treatment.

Geraldine purchased the winning ticket at Pipkin Road Beverage Castle. Initially, the gas station clerk thought there were no tickets left, but Geraldine insisted on a double check, as she preferred the crossword games. Fortunately, the last ticket turned out to be a winner.

Mom wins lottery with perfect timing

The timing of Geraldine’s win was especially significant as it coincided with a major milestone in her daughter’s life. Her daughter had been battling breast cancer, and the day before Geraldine bought the winning ticket, her daughter completed her final cancer treatment. The news of her mother’s lottery win brought immense joy to her daughter, who expressed gratitude for her mother’s support and sacrifices during her illness.

Geraldine chose to receive her prize as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,645,000.00. The crossword game that she won featured eight top prizes of $2 million and 20 second-tier prizes of $100,000.

According to Florida Lottery Communications:

“The $10 game, $2,000,000 BONUS CASHWORD, launched in May 2022 and features eight top prizes of $2 million and 20 second tier prizes of $100,000! The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-3.12. Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 77 percent of ticket sales in fiscal year 2021-2022. Since inception, Scratch-Off games have generated more than $17.69 billion for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).”

The Pipkin Road Beverage Castle, where Geraldine bought the winning ticket, will also receive a bonus commission of $2,000 for selling the lucky ticket.

This heartwarming story serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of life’s fortunes and the power of hope and perseverance in the face of challenges. It represents a moment of celebration and relief for Geraldine and her family, marking a new chapter of positivity and possibilities after their battle with cancer.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Florida mom wins $2M lottery prize a day after her daughter has her last cancer treatment” — CBS News

WTF Fun Fact 13345 – The Australian Emu War

You may have learned about quite a few deadly conflicts in school, but have you ever heard about the Australian Emu War? Also called the Great Emu War in Western Australia, it was exactly what it sounds like – a war against emus. As in the animals.

The origins of the Australian Emu War

The Great Emu War occurred in Western Australia in 1932. It was a conflict between Australian farmers and a large population of emus. Emus are flightless birds native to Australia, in case you didn’t know.

This war was no joke. An uncontrolled emu population began to encroach on farmlands, damaging crops, and creating economic problems for the farmers. In response, the farmers requested military assistance to deal with the emu infestation.

According to Atlas Obscura (cited below):

“Western Australian farmers had been facing hard times with their crops following the Great Depression, and their difficulties increased tenfold with the arrival of some 20,000 emus migrating inland during their breeding season. The birds had been protected as a native species until 1922, but now that they were classified as ‘vermin,’ all bets were off.”

The Australian government actually deployed soldiers armed with machine guns to combat the emus. , They saw the animals as a threat to agriculture. However, emus are also fast and agile. That makes them difficult to eradicate with weapons.

A war of futility

One might think the mismatch was the result of humans having the advantage of deadly weapons. But it was really the emus who had the upper hand.

To top it off, emus don’t want to fight. So when they hear gunfire, they run. That makes them much harder to target. It also had the effect of separating the battalions into smaller and smaller groups to go after the scattering emus. That’s just bad military planning.

In the end, the army realized that using precision weapons was ineffective and called off the operation. The emus won.

The Emu War has become symbolic of human struggles against the forces of nature and the limitations of technology in dealing with wildlife. It was no doubt a humbling experience for the military.

Eventually, the government turned to other – less violent – measures. They erected fences to protect farmlands from emu intrusion.

So, it turns out violence wasn’t the answer.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “In 1932, Australia Started an ‘Emu War’—And Lost” — Atlas Obscura

WTF Fun Fact 13344 – Humans Can’t Feel Wetness

The fact that humans can’t feel wetness seems ridiculous at first. You may have even read that it’s a misconception. But, technically speaking, we do not have the right “gear” to directly sense wetness – even though we all know when something is wet.

But how does that work?

Why humans can’t feel wet

Humans lack dedicated hydroreceptors – the specialized sensory receptors solely responsible for detecting wetness. As a result, wetness is not a distinct sensation for us, but rather an interpretation of multiple sensory inputs.

When a liquid, such as water, comes into contact with the skin, several different types of sensory receptors are activated. These include thermoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, and nociceptors. Thermoreceptors respond to temperature changes and can detect the cooling effect of the liquid on the skin. However, this response alone does not convey the specific quality of wetness.

Mechanoreceptors, responsible for sensing pressure and touch, provide information about the physical presence of the liquid. They detect the pressure exerted by the liquid and signal the brain accordingly. However, the activation of mechanoreceptors alone does not differentiate between wet and dry sensations.

Nociceptors, which detect pain and discomfort, may also play a role in the perception of wetness. If the liquid is extremely hot, cold, or otherwise causes discomfort, nociceptors are activated, contributing to the overall sensation. However, this response is not exclusive to wetness and can be triggered by other stimuli as well.

How we sense “wet”

Due to the absence of dedicated hydroreceptors, the brain must integrate and interpret these various signals to create the perception of wetness. It combines the inputs from thermoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, and nociceptors, along with other contextual cues, to generate the subjective experience of being wet.

While humans can recognize and differentiate wet sensations, it is important to note that wetness itself is not a distinct sensory modality. Rather, it is a perception resulting from the brain’s processing of multiple sensory inputs related to temperature, pressure, and even discomfort.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Humans Technically Can’t Feel Wetness, And People Are Confused” — IFL Science

WTF Fun Fact 13343 – Saverland v Newton

In 1837, a British man named Thomas Saverland took Miss Caroline Newton to court after she bit off part of his nose after he forcibly kissed her at a party. While Saverland v Newton went to a jury, the magistrate told them in advance that he would not punish the woman.

Saverland v Newton – No means no

Newspapers reported that Saverland showed up in court with the left part of his nose visibly damaged. But the injuries did not sway the magistrate. It appears he considered it an act of self-defense.

He told the jury that whatever verdict they returned, he would not punish the defendant. His reasoning was “if a man attempts to kiss a woman against her will, she has a right to bite his nose off if she has a fancy for so doing.”

It’s important to note that the fact-checking website Snopes looked into the ordeal and found it to be true. However, the note:

“…modern knowledge of Saverland v Newton comes to us not through a transcript of the court proceedings, or from the hearing’s having been included in a legal casebook of the time, but from an account published in a London newspaper (Bell’s New Weekly Messenger) on 30 April 1837. Early 19th-century newspaper reports being what they were (and sometimes still too often are), we can’t vouch for how much this account might have accurately reflected any genuine court proceeding.”

Reporting on the assault case

We’ll likely never know precisely what happened in the court (unless someone uncovers legal records). But the press reported that the injury was severe.

It all occurred in a tap room on the day after Christmas. Newton and her sister were apparently joking around about how the latter was there without her partner and had promised him not to let anyone kiss her in his absence. Saverland overheard this and apparently saw it as a challenge.

He kissed the sister, who reportedly took it as a joke. But Caroline Newton did not. After Saverland took the liberty of forcibly kissing her as well, they scuffled over his assault on the two women.

Saverland eventually went to another part of the room, and Newton followed him and struck him again. He tried to forcibly kiss her once again. But he got quite a surprise when she bit off part of his nose in self defense.

The man cried out and was reportedly covered in blood. Newton was seen spitting out the small piece of his nose she bit off.

Insults and injuries

According to the newspaper report:

“The defendant, a fat, middle-aged woman, treated the matter with great levity, and said he had no business to kiss her sister, or attempt to kiss her, in a public house; they were not such kind of people. If she wanted to be kissed, she had a husband to kiss her, and he was a much handsomer man than [complainant] ever was, even before he lost his nose.”

The jury’s acquittal of Newton may come as no surprise. The magistrate overseeing the trial potentially influenced it with his statement that if the jury found her guilty, “the court would not fine her more than 1s., as the prosecutor had brought the punishment on himself.”

Reportedly, “The Chairman told the prosecutor he was sorry for the loss of his nose, but if he would play with cats, he must expect to get scratched.”

The courtroom also had a good laugh at the complainant’s expense.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “The Curious Case of the Bitten-Off Nose Kiss” — Snopes

WTF Fun Fact 13342 – Lithium in 7-Up

Few people remember the debut of 7-Up in 1929, so it’s no surprise that you might not know its original name. But Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda was quite a product! And if you read that closely, you might be wondering if they really put lithium in 7-Up. And the answer is yes.

Why was there lithium in 7-Up soda?

As you likely know, lithium is a compound that is used to help people with mental health issues like bipolar disorder and specific kinds of depression. It’s a mood stabilizer.

The soda really did contain the ingredient lithium citrate. And maybe that’s not such a big surprise since there were plenty of medicinal “tonics” on the market in those days that claimed to miraculously cure all kinds of ailments. (Of course, it’s not the only soda with an eye-popping history of ingredients – we’re looking at you, Coca-Cola!)

Interestingly, when 7-Up hit the shelves (right before the great stock market crash), it was competing with HUNDREDS of other lemon-lime sodas. It sold well – and perhaps it’s because people liked more than just the taste! But that may also be because its creator, Charles Leiper Grigg, marketed it as both a healthy and slenderizing tonic.

What’s in a name?

People were attracted to lithiated soda at the time because lithium had a reputation for being healing and restorative. There are naturally lithiated bodies of water that people still visit in order to absorb trace amounts of the compound. Just take a trip to Lithia Springs, Georgia!

Any lithium you’d absorb in water or in the original 7-Uo would be minuscule compared to what psychiatrists prescribe today. It would not have been enough to alter the mind in any significant way. But it could have been enough so that regular drinkers found some benefits in choosing it over other lemon-lime sodas.

In any case, the government saw fit to ban the use of lithium citrate in soft drinks in 1948. Eventually, it just became 7-Up.

Heads up, 7-UP

The big mystery about 7-Up is where the 7 came from – and that we really don’t know. According to a blog by Ada Mcvean from McGill University back in 2017:

“The soda went through a name change to 7 Up Lithiated Lemon Soda, before finally settling on just 7 Up, and a formula with no added lithium. The 7 in the name has no confirmed source, but several theories about its origin. Some soda fans claim that it is derived from the 7 ingredients used in the original recipe, others from the soda having a pH of 7 (which is not true), and others think that the 7 originates from the lithium in the original formula, as this element has an atomic mass of ~7.”

Maybe a historian will dig up Charles Leiper Grigg’s notes someday. But until then, the name will remain a mystery since he took that information to his grave.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “7-Up used to contain lithium” — Gizmodo

WTF Fun Fact 13341 – Parrot Video Calls

Parrots are social animals. That’s why they don’t always make the best solo pets. However, recently, researchers have given pet parrots a new way to thrive after teaching the birds to use technology to make parrot video calls.

Parrot playtime with video calls

Researchers from Northwestern University, MIT, and the University of Glasgow conducted the study. With the help of some parrot parents, the team successfully trained parrots to communicate with each other.

Over several months, participants taught captive African grey parrots to use a custom-built video-calling system. First, researchers trained the birds to use touchscreens mounted inside their enclosures with easy-to-understand symbols and icons representing different contacts. The researchers rewarded their interactions with food treats. As the birds grew more comfortable with the devices, they were gradually introduced to video calls, first with their handlers and later with other parrots.

Parrots embrace technology

The African grey parrots demonstrated a remarkable ability to learn and adapt to the use of the video-calling system. Not only were they able to initiate calls, but they also showed preferences for specific contacts, indicating that they understood the purpose of the technology and were actively seeking social interaction through the calls.

The study found that the parrots were more likely to engage in video calls when they were alone in their enclosures. This suggests that the video-calling system provided social stimulation and companionship, especially in the absence of human interaction. The introduction of video-calling technology in captive settings could potentially improve the quality of life for these intelligent and social animals.

So, it turns out parrots like to video chat with one another just like humans do, and that it makes them feel less lonely. Many birds in the study stayed on the calls for the maximum allotted time and still choose to call their buddies from the research study over a year later.

According to Northwestern University:

“The most popular parrots were also the ones who initiated the most calls, suggesting a reciprocal dynamic similar to human socialization. And while, in large part, the birds seemed to enjoy the activity itself, the human participants played a big part in that. Some parrots relished the extra attention they were getting from their humans, while others formed attachments for the humans on the other side of the screen.”

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Other—and the Birds Loved It” — Smithsonian Magazine

WTF Fun Fact 13340 – T30 Building

In 2011, a Chinese construction company built a 30-story hotel in just 15 days. The T30 was constructed by Broad Sustainable Building (BSB) in the city of Hunan. BSB’s speedy construction methods may sound like a bad thing, but the T30 boasts impressive features that make it safer and more sustainable than many other buildings.

Building the T30

The T30 was constructed using prefabricated modules, which are far quicker to use than traditional construction methods.

These modules are quite energy-efficient, with features like double-glazed windows and insulation to help reduce the building’s energy consumption.

T30 operates as a hotel – and one that people seek out for its excellent air quality. The hotel’s state-of-the-art air purification system reportedly delivers air that is 20 times cleaner than the air outside. This makes it attractive for travelers with respiratory issues (and those who simply understand the role of clean air on human health!).

In addition to its energy efficiency and air purification system, the T30 was designed to be earthquake-resistant. The building can reportedly withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of 9.

A guest from the TreeHugger website (cited below) stayed at the hotel and reported:

“Compared to normally built hotel, the T30 is using a fifth of the energy, a quarter of the water, with air that is 20 times as clean as outdoor air. You can feel it; I have been in so-called green hotels in New York with noisy through-wall heat pumps that are inefficient and loud and ruin the whole experience. This is different. The square plan of the T30 may be efficient to build, but it generally feels just a bit too tight. But again, it doesn’t feel like a place that was built in 14 days, it is solid, it is quiet, and it works.
Broad Chairman Zhang Yue’s preoccupations do not include architectural design; they are all about energy efficiency, standardization, mass production, air quality, health.”

BSB’s other construction

The T30 is one of the many impressive buildings constructed by BSB. The company also built Mini Sky City in Changsha in just 19 days. It is currently the tallest prefabricated building in the world. The Mini Sky City is 57 stories high and 204 meters tall.

BSB has also developed modular kitchens and modular bathrooms designed to be energy-efficient.

BSB’s commitment to sustainable and innovative construction has earned them awards like the Energy Globe Award. And they’ve been recognized by the United Nations for their contributions to sustainable development.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “A Closer Look at Broad’s Hotels That Were Built in Days, Not Months” — TreeHugger

WTF Fun Fact 13339 – Google Traffic Maps

Have you ever wondered how Google Maps can show you if there’s a backup or accident on the road ahead of you in real time? Well, they pull the information from local Android phones. It’s anonymized and Android users can opt out, but most people don’t even know the role they play in traffic mapping by virtue of simply owning the most popular type of smartphone.

How do we get Google Traffic Maps?

Google Traffic uses anonymous location data from Android smartphones to create a real-time map of traffic conditions. This helps commuters and travelers avoid traffic delays and plan their routes. But it’s not a result of having cameras on the roads or helicopters or drones in the sky.

Google compiles traffic data using anonymous location data from Android smartphones. It’s collected through a feature called “Location History,” which is enabled by default on many Android smartphones. With this feature turned on, Android phones periodically send anonymous location data to Google, which is then used to calculate traffic conditions.

The data is anonymized, meaning Google doesn’t collect personal information, such as names or phone numbers. But you can choose to turn off Location History at any time if you’re concerned.

Turning data into warnings

Google uses machine learning algorithms to analyze the collected data and identify patterns in traffic flow. They analyze things like the speed and location of devices on the road. And they do pull in some data from sensors and cameras in the area when it’s available.

Google Traffic maps provide valuable information to casual drivers as well as transportation planners and policymakers. It can identify areas of congestion and helps cities prioritize investments in transportation infrastructure, such as new roads or public transit systems.

But there are privacy concerns, which is why Google is open about its data collection policy and allows Android users to turn off the feature.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “How Google Tracks Traffic” — NCTA