Here are 25 kickass random facts. For part 470, click here.
1-5 Kickass Random Facts
1. The Notre-Dame cathedral features a carving of a knight fleeing from a rabbit, symbolizing cowardice. This carving inspired the Rabbit of Caerbannog scene in Month Python and the Holy Grail. – Source
2. The human brain is estimated to compute at roughly 1 exaFLOP (10^18 operations) per second. The world’s currently largest supercomputer operates at 0.2 exaFLOP/s and consumes 13 Megawatts. Our brain uses 20 watts. – Source
3. Abraham Lincoln’s son was almost crushed by a train, only to be rescued by the actor, Edwin Booth. A year later Edwin’s brother, John, murdered the President. – Source
4. A customer died of a heart attack while eating at the “Heart Attack Grill” in Las Vegas, which gives free meals to patrons weighing more than 350 lbs. – Source
5. Notorious bank robber, Pretty Boy Floyd, allegedly destroyed mortgage documents at the banks he robbed. This meant that many debts were “erased.” – Source
6-10 Kickass Random Facts
6. Butter chicken was developed in the 1950s by three Punjabi restaurateurs who made it “by chance” by mixing the leftover chicken in a tomato gravy, rich in butter and cream. The dish is India’s most popular curry, not only domestically but also globally. – Source
7. Within the first 5 years of the “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” campaign (begun in 1983), the U.S experienced its lowest number of alcohol-related fatalities since the DOT began keeping records, and more than 68% of Americans reported trying to prevent someone from driving after drinking. – Source
8. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) was challenged to a duel against James Laird. Clemens’ marksmanship was so dreadful that his friend, Steve Gillis, shot off the head of a small bird before Laird arrived and told him that Clemens had shot it down. Thus, Laird retreated in fear and canceled the match. – Source
9. Jeff Bezos is building a 10,000 Year Clock inside a remote mountain in West Texas an icon for long-term thinking. It ticks once a year, the century hand advances once every 100 years, and the cuckoo comes out on the millennium and will keep time for the next 10,000 years. – Source
10. Nicolas Cage has a Pyramid Tomb waiting for him in New Orleans when he dies. – Source
11-15 Kickass Random Facts
11. At the end of the bronze age (1200-900 BCE) several ancient civilizations were invaded and in some cases conquered by an obscure force of “Sea Peoples”. They were a contributing factor to the Bronze age collapse and their origin is still mostly unknown. – Source
12. The Romans called giving the middle finger ‘digitus impudicus’, the indecent finger. It was historically a phallic gesture, the middle finger being the penis and the curled fingers on either side the testicles. – Source
13. A company in Tokyo decided to make their HQ into a vertical farm. They gave up 43,000 square feet of space to grow food. 200 species of fruits and vegetables are harvested and served to employees. There is a 1000-square-ft rice paddy in the entryway. – Source
14. The first death in WWII was Franciszek Honiok, a German of Polish descent. The Gestapo murdered him and left his body at a radio station that the Gestapo, dressed in Polish uniforms, attacked. The body helped “prove” Polish aggression to justify the Nazi’s invasion of Poland the next day. – Source
15. Led Zeppelin drummer Jon Bonham was told by a sound engineer that he was ‘unrecordable’ and ‘too loud.’ Bonham later sent him a gold certificate of Zeppelin I with a note saying ‘thanks for the advice’. – Source
There’s a growing theory that the “sea peoples” were refugees from the other Mediterranean countries, all of whom were suffering from drought, earthquakes, and their own governments. As people tried to shuffle about, the countries would blame them for their woes, claiming them to be an invading force.