In medieval games of chess, pawns that had been promoted to a queen would be given the title of “advisor,” so as to not imply that the king had more than one queen or was unfaithful. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(chess)
According to the USDA, a sandwich must contain at least 35% cooked meat but no more than 50% bread. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/14/dining/field-guide-to-the-sandwich.html
The Incas used colorful knotted cords called Quipu to record numbers and archives such as census data, tax obligations, and storehouse records. They had up to a thousand unique strands. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quipu
The Cosmic Crisp Apple was researched and developed for 22 years by WSU’s tree fruit breeding program. It will stay fresh for up to 10 months in a fridge while still maintaining its deliciously sweet and tangy flavor. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.today.com/food/new-cosmic-crisp-apple-promises-be-sweet-tangy-t163322
A 2015 study by Clear Labs found that 10% of vegetarian hot dogs sold in the US had meat in them. An additional 2% contained human DNA. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/26/health/vegetarian-hot-dogs-contain-meat-clear-foods-feat/index.html
Ama or uminchu, are female Japanese pearl divers that start diving at the age of 12-13 and are sometimes active into their 70s. They free dive with only a wetsuit and a traditional headscarf. They have a unique and defining technique in which they release air in a long whistle as they resurface. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ama_(diving)
Mantis shrimps’ eyes are more evolved than those of humans: they have four times as many color receptors and can see UV, visible, and polarized light. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://phys.org/news/2013-09-mantis-shrimp-world-eyesbut.html
During the California gold rush, a slice of bread cost $1 or $2 if you wanted it buttered. That’s the equivalent of over $28 and $56 today. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gold-rush-california-was-much-more-expensive-todays-dot-com-boom-california-180956788/?no-ist
The space shuttle flew 135 missions with a flight computer that had less than 1% of the computing power of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 game console. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.al.com/space-news/2011/07/space_shuttle_fast_facts_xbox.html