16-20 Kickass Random Facts
16. Jules Verne’s shelved 1863 novel “Paris in the Twentieth Century” predicted gas-powered cars, fax machines, electric street lighting, maglev trains, the record industry, the internet. His publisher deemed it pessimistic and lackluster. It was discovered in 1989 and published 5 years later. – Source
17. Patrick Stewart hated having pet fish in Picard’s ready room on TNG, considering it an affront to a show that valued the dignity of different species. – Source
18. X% of Y is the same as Y% of X, so for example, 32% of 50 is the same as 50% of 32, which is 16. – Source
19. Former NBA player and devout Mormon, Shawn Bradley, was once fined $10k for not going to a mandatory team meeting at a strip club. – Source
20. In 1981, a man named Roger Fischer had an idea for a volunteer to have ICBM launch codes put in their chest cavity. In the event of an emergency, the volunteer would carry a knife to be killed with. It was meant to force the personal killing of one man to start the impersonal killing of millions. – Source
21-25 Kickass Random Facts
21. Alexander Shulgin, the man who rediscovered MDMA and “the godfather of psychedelics”, had a license from the DEA to produce any schedule 1 substance. He managed to discover over 200 psychoactive compounds before the license was revoked. – Source
22. The Queen logo, called the Queen crest, was designed by Freddie Mercury himself, who held a degree in graphic design. The logo combines the zodiac signs of the four band members. – Source
23. In 2015, Prince voiced his dislike of record labels saying “Record contracts are just like — I’m gonna say the word – slavery.” He concluded “I would tell any young artist … don’t sign.” At the time he advocated seeing artists paid directly from streaming services, cutting out middlemen. – Source
24. Somali Pirates at one point had an investment firm. That’s right; you could invest in the Somali Pirates, and receive a cut of their loot if their plunder was successful. – Source
25. The 2020 Olympic Games will take place in Tokyo, Japan, as predicted in the manga “Akira” released in 1982. – Source
