Much of the red coloring we use in food is actually made of crushed bugs known as Cochineal insects. Found on prickly pear cacti, they produce a bitter, crimson-colored pigment called carminic acid, which they store in their guts and use to ward off predators. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: You Know What Red Food Dye Is Made Of, Right? | HuffPost Life
A water plant in Poland uses eight clams with sensors attached to their shells to test water cleanliness. If the clams close because they don’t like the taste of the water, the city’s supply is automatically shut off. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: How clams help keep Polish water clean | The Economist
Nova Scotia sends Boston a Christmas tree every year as thanks for their assistance in 1917 after a ship carrying explosives exploded near the city of Halifax, killing 1,500 people immediately and hundreds in the next few weeks. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Why Nova Scotia gives Boston its Christmas tree for free every year
In 2006, Vampire Moths were discovered in Russia. The bloodsuckers may have evolved from a purely fruit-eating species. The insects use their hook-and-barb-lined tongues to get under the skin and suck blood. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Vampire Moth Discovered—Evolution at Work (nationalgeographic.com)
In 2011, two Canadian miners accidentally discovered a 110-million-year-old Nodosaur with its skin intact, making it one of the most well-preserved dinosaur fossils ever found. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Nodosaur — Miners Accidentally Found Armored Dinosaur ‘Mummy’ With its Skin Intact (buggedspace.com)
In 1953, Swanson overestimated the number of frozen turkeys that it would sell on Thanksgiving by 260 tons. One of the company’s salesman, Gerry Thomas, decided to slice up the extra meat and repackage it–creating the first ever TV dinner. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: How 260 Tons of Thanksgiving Leftovers Gave Birth to an Industry | History | Smithsonian Magazine
The DNA sequence of Stephen Hawking is stored on a hard disk, called the “Immortality Drive,” onboard the ISS. He is among a select group of humans to have their DNA immortalized. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Immortality Drive – Wikipedia
In late 2020, A North Korean gymnast defected to South Korea by vaulting himself over the three-meter high border barricades without triggering sensors. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: North Korean gymnast defects by vaulting fences (watoday.com.au)
Until 2018, there were only two English words that ended in “gry”– hungry and angry. Then the Oxford English Dictionary added a third — “hangry” (an irritable state induced by lack of food). – WTF Fun Facts
Source: -gry puzzle – Wikipedia