The “suicidal palm” (Tahina spectabilis) was recently discovered in Madagascar. The plant grows for decades before exploding with nectar-rich blossoms that develop into fruit which ultimately deplete the plants nutrients and cause it to die. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2008/01/suicidal-palm-debuts-madagascar
Backpfeifengesicht is German for “a face that needs punching.” – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://metro.co.uk/2015/11/23/13-german-words-that-english-needs-5492307/
Male hummingbirds often woo females by climbing to between 5 and 40 meters before diving past perched females. They pull up at the last minute and spread their tail feathers which produces a loud chirpy song as the feathers vibrate from the air rushing past them. – WTF Fun Facts
The ampersand (&), which is derived from the Latin et meaning “and”, was once the 27th letter of the alphabet, coming after Z. When reciting the alphabet, you would end it with “and per se and” which over time evolved into “ampersand”. – WTF Fun Facts
Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago with a population of 3,000, is the only visa-free zone in the world, meaning that anyone may live and work there indefinitely regardless of country of citizenship. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Svalbard
Hypersomnia is a condition where a person can sleep for over 12 hours, but still wake up feeling tired. Hypersomnia can often be helped or cured with a few adjustments to lifestyle and habits. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/sleep-hypersomnia
In 2016, a small, long-lost Rembrandt painting (The Unconscious Patient) was found in a basement in New Jersey. It was initially valued by a local auction house at $800. However, several art collectors recognized its true value, which resulted in a winning bid of $870,000. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-jersey-rembrandt-idUSKCN0Y226R
Vienna is famous for its horse-drawn taxis, called Fiakers. Normally worked by family-run organizations, they go back to 1693 and are an iconic piece of the city’s rich heritage. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.virtualvienna.net/the-fiaker-a-taxi-with-tradition/
Cauliflowers can grow so fast that you can actually hear them growing. The “cauliflower creak” is a distinctive squeaking noise caused by the vegetable growing at a sudden rate, forcing its florets to push against one another. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/53j4p8/listen-out-for-squeaking-cauliflower-this-weekend