20+ interesting facts about everything in the world (23 photos)

As you know, it’s never too late to learn. In this collection of random facts about our strange and wonderful world, you'll learn the truth about Vikings and Sirens, how old the world's oldest wheel is, and how to build a successful business (spoiler alert: do what the voices in your head tell you to do).





1. In the myths of Ancient Greece, sirens were not beautiful or mermaid-like. These were strange creatures that looked like birds with a human face that lured victims, promising to give them wisdom or predict the future.



2. Many birds are reluctant to breed in small flocks, so zoos often have mirrors for them.





3. In the 1950s, a researcher tried to design seats in military aircraft for the “average” pilot, based on the parameters of thousands of pilots. In the end, he discovered that such a seat would not suit either of them. This is how regs appeared



4. Silica gel is not poisonous. The bags say “do not eat” because they are a choking hazard.



5. According to the head of MI6, if James Bond were a real person, he would not be able to work for British intelligence because he lacks emotional intelligence, respect for the law and teamwork skills.



6. The world's oldest wheel was discovered in Slovenia. It is over 5,000 years old.



7. In 1992, six visitors to a dinosaur exhibit at the Memphis Zoo demanded their money back when they learned they would not be shown live dinosaurs.



8. In 1980, jazz guitarist Pat Martino suffered a seizure that nearly led to his death. As a result, Martino lost his memory and did not remember how to play the guitar. He learned to play again, resumed his career in 1987 and continued his high



9. Young businessman Arthur Stillwell from Kansas City laid nearly 5 kilometers of railroad, founded more than 40 cities and invented a way to transport live oysters by train, all thanks to the voices in his head that told him what to do.



10. An unsuccessful student from Princeton wrote a term paper in which he described how to make a nuclear bomb. He got an A, but his coursework was confiscated by the FBI.



11. At one point, filming of No Country for Old Men had to be paused because the crew of the film There Will Be Blood was testing pyrotechnics in the same location and the fumes were too high.



12. One town in Scotland celebrates Halloween on the last Friday of October, rather than the 31st, so that most people don't have to go to work or school the next day.



13. Over the past few decades, Brussels sprouts have been bred to taste less bitter, but this reduces their anti-cancer properties.



14. In 1867, an American businessman attended a reading of Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and was so moved by it that he closed his factory for Christmas and sent each worker a turkey.



15. Queen Victoria admired Harriet Tubman and personally gave her a silk lace and linen shawl in 1897. The shawl is now on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.



16. The $64,000 Question sponsor, Revlon, tried to get rid of a contestant who didn't wear makeup on air. Dr. Joyce Brothers was deliberately asked increasingly strange questions, but she continued to answer correctly



17. Danish has about 40 vowel sounds and is so difficult to learn that Danish children at 15 months know on average 30% fewer words than Norwegian children and take two years longer to learn the past tense.



18. In 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandles traveled into outer space in free flight without any mechanical connection to a ship located 98 meters away.



19. In 1999, Microsoft wanted to purchase the domain www.Windows2000.com, but it was already owned by a guy named Bob. Luckily, Microsoft happened to be the owner of the www.Bob.com domain and they successfully exchanged it.



20. The Vikings believed that in their paradise, Valhalla, there lived a goat whose udder was an inexhaustible source of beer.



21. Viking women had much more masculine faces than modern women, and men, on the contrary, had more feminine faces than the men of our time. Because of this, it is very difficult to determine from the skull alone who the skeleton belonged to.



22. On May 4 at 8 pm, everyone in the Netherlands, wherever they are, observes two minutes of silence in memory of those killed in the Second World War.