Stanford researchers developed a new battery that harnesses “blue energy” from mixing salt and fresh water. Every cubic meter of freshwater that mixes with seawater produces ~.65 kilowatt-hours of energy, enough to power the average house for about 30 minutes. – WTF Fun Facts
Science
WTF Fun Fact – Plastic Surgery
The term “plastic surgery” was coined in 1839, 70 years before plastic was even invented. It comes from the Greek word “plastikē” which means “the art of modelling” of malleable flesh. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_surgery#Etymology
WTF Fun Fact – Games For Science
After 13 years of trying to find the structure of a protein, scientists created an online competitive game called Foldit that asked gamers to try and solve it. The structure was then found in 3 weeks. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.theguardian.com//technology/2014/jan/25/online-gamers-solving-sciences-biggest-problems
WTF Fun Fact – Meteorwrong
A meteorwrong is a rock that is believed to be a meteorite, but is in fact just a rock that is terrestrial in origin, also known as a pseudometeorite. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/meteorwrong
WTF Fun Fact – Venera 3
The USSR successfully sent a spacecraft and entry probe to Venus in 1966 becoming the first space probe to hit the surface of another planet – three years before the US put man on the moon. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venera_3
WTF Fun Fact – Tongue Print
The tongue is a unique organ exhibiting many static and dynamic characteristics which differ considerably between individuals. Tongue prints are as unique as fingerprints. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5210096/
WTF Fun Fact – Violet Ionine
Violets can be smelled for only a few moments at a time because they get their scent from ionine which shuts the smell receptors off after simulating them. After a few breaths the scent pops up again. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12643663
WTF Fun Fact – Hemimastix Kukwesjijk
A new microbe called a hemimastigote was found in Nova Scotia. The Hemimastix kukwesjijk is not a plant, animal, fungus, or protozoa. It constitutes an entirely new kingdom, a new branch on the tree of life. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-a-newfound-kingdom-means-for-the-tree-of-life/
WTF Fun Fact – Horrendous Space Kablooie
A Calvin and Hobbes comic from 1992 referred to the start of the universe as the “Horrendous Space Kablooie” (or HSK) because they thought “The Big Bang” was too boring. The term has since become popular among scientists and has been included in books and university courses. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes#Art_and_academia