At the time of birth, a baby’s brain has roughly 100 billion neurons, but it began with nearly twice as many as an embryo. Starting in the third trimester, the brain eliminates unnecessary neurons via a process known as apoptosis. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://sites.duke.edu/apep/module-5-alcohol-and-babies/explore-more/normal-brain-development/
During the siege of Leningrad, a group of Russian botanists from the Institute of Plant Industry locked themselves into a secret vault and starved to death rather than consume the large collection of seeds which they were guarding in case of an apocalypse. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.rbth.com/blogs/2014/05/12/the_men_who_starved_to_death_to_save_the_worlds_seeds_35135
Frances Kelsey, and FDA official, saved the US from a generation of children with birth defects such as flipper-like arms and feet by repeatedly blocking the authorization of a drug, already approved in Europe, known as Thalidomide. – WTF Fun Facts
Three students from Miami have developed a simple straw that can test whether or not your drink has been spiked. The “smart straw” changes color when it comes into contact with three of the most common “date rape drugs”. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.intelligentliving.co/three-young-girls-invent-straw-to-detect-date-rape-drugs/
Buzz’s girlfriend in the original Home Alone movie was actually the art director’s son. The film director himself couldn’t bear to bring in an actress to be the butt of the joke, so he used a volunteer. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://movieweb.com/home-alone-movie-truth-about-buzz-girlfriend/
Dogor is an incredibly well-preserved 18,000-year-old pup found in the Siberian permafrost in 2018. Genetic testing shows it’s not a wolf or a dog, meaning it could be an elusive ancestor of both. – WTF Fun Facts
French royalty used to give birth in front of many other noble people, valets, and guards to ensure that the newborn child was not substituted for another. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: http://thisisversaillesmadame.blogspot.com/2013/12/giving-birth-in-public.html
Most of the wasabi served outside of Japan is a mixture of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring. Real wasabi must be freshly grated as it only holds its strong flavor for ~15 minutes. – WTF Fun Facts
Under the US act of March 2, 1907, all women acquired their husband’s nationality upon marriage, meaning U.S.-born citizen women could lose their citizenship by marriage to any non-citizen. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/summer/women-and-naturalization-1.html