10 Facts You Don't Know

10 facts you don't know

In the age of the internet, a treasure trove of information is always within reach. However, sifting through it all to find what's genuinely intriguing can be a daunting task. With the overwhelming amount of content available, distinguishing valuable knowledge from trivial details can sometimes feel like navigating a labyrinth. That's where I come in. My goal is to bring you curated nuggets of information that are both enlightening and entertaining.

Whether you're a trivia aficionado or just curious about the world, I’m here to present you with 20 facts that might have eluded you just moments ago. From obscure historical events to astonishing scientific discoveries, the facts I share are selected to pique your interest and expand your understanding of the world in unexpected ways. Imagine learning about a little-known ancient civilization, the quirky habits of animals, or breakthrough innovations that are shaping our future.

Each fact is chosen to spark curiosity and inspire a sense of wonder. By focusing on these unique and intriguing tidbits, I hope to make your exploration of knowledge both enjoyable and rewarding. So, get ready to dive into a world of fascinating facts and enrich your mind with information that stands out from the everyday noise.

Facts You Don't Know: Cucumber treatment

Facts You Don't Know: Picture this: you have a first date planned at a fancy restaurant, but when you arrive, you realize you forgot to bring any breath mints with you. And to make matters worse, you've just ordered garlic bread as a side. Fear not, friend, all you need to do is order a side salad with cucumber! You see, fibrous vegetables, such as celery and cucumbers, boost your mouth's saliva production, which washes away odor-causing bacteria and, in turn, cures bad breath!

For a simple hack, holding a slice of cucumber between your tongue and the roof of your mouth for about 90 seconds can help to eliminate nasty odors. And if there's no cucumber on the menu, parsley also has the same odor-neutralizing effect. So, just discreetly chew on your garnish and you should be covered!

Facts You Don't Know: The reason for the white spot on the nail

Facts You Don't Know: Mysterious fingernail markings. Have you ever glanced down at your fingernails and noticed some bizarre white markings that weren't there before? This kind of discoloration is actually a common condition known as leukonychia. Most of the time, it doesn't signify anything serious, and there are a number of potential causes. The primary reason is as a result of injury to the nail bed, which can occur if you accidentally strike or pinch your nail.

Because of the time it takes your fingernails to grow, you might not even recall the injury by the time any white spots show up. Leukonychia can also appear as an allergic reaction to cosmetic products like polish, gloss, hardener, or nail polish remover. Sometimes, it can also mean your nails are deficient in certain minerals or vitamins, most commonly zinc or calcium. But unless your entire nail turns white and you experience any pain, these markings will usually go away on their own, so there's no need to worry!

Facts You Don't Know: If you want to take a picture, say Prunes

Facts You Don't Know: Before you have your photograph taken, you expect to hear the oh-so-familiar phrase, "Say cheese!" But back in the day, prunes were on the menu instead. In the 1800s, most people weren't comfortable smiling due to a general lack of good dental hygiene, which meant they didn't have very attractive teeth. Having your photograph taken was also considered a luxury and was treated with a good deal of seriousness, meaning a big cheesy grin was seen as childish.

So, photographers in British studios in the 1840s told people to say prunes to keep their mouths taught instead. And that predates today's fish-faced pout by about 180 years! By the mid-20th century, photography had become much faster, cheaper and more casual. Plus, people had better teeth. (bell rings) So, when Kodak started making cameras in the U.S., which ordinary people could afford to buy, they marketed them with photographs of smiling faces.

Former Ambassador Joseph E. Davies was the one to come up with the idea to say cheese as the perfect formula for an instant smile. And the rest is history!

Facts You Don't Know: A flaming-hot invention.

In 2019, Flamin' Hot Cheetos were declared America's favorite snack brand for the third consecutive year. But what if I told you that the super-addictive snack nearly didn't exist at all? In 1976, 18-year-old Richard Montanez was hired as a janitor at a Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The position paid $4 an hour with benefits, and Montanez's wife filled out the application for him because he struggled to read and write.

While on the job, Montanez noted that a broken machine on the Cheetos assembly line had spat out a batch of plain Cheetos, without the cheese powder dust. Montanez took the Cheetos home and dusted them with chilli powder. He credits the idea to a favorite snack: grilled corn dressed with lime and chilli powder, sold by a local street vendor. Montanez first pitched the idea to former PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico over the phone and was given two weeks to prepare a presentation to the executive suite.

Of course, it was an instant hit! Montanez went on to become an executive vice president at PepsiCo North America, and is now a bestselling author and motivational speaker. What an inspiration!

Facts You Don't Know: American or European chocolate?

 If there's one thing Americans and Europeans will always bicker over, it's chocolate. If you've sampled both sides, there's no denying that choccy tastes totally different across the pond. But why? The simple answer is different regulations. Firstly, European chocolate is technically creamier because it requires a minimum of at least 14% dry milk solids, while the minimum amount in the U.S. is 12%.

Euro chocolate is also slightly richer because it's required to contain at least 3.5% milk fat compared to the 3.39% needed in the U.S. What's more, European chocolate is, well, just more chocolatey. That's because it has also has a higher requirement for cocoa content, which gives bars their deep flavor. But that's not the only reason why Europeans love to hate American chocolate. You see, Hershey's also uses a special ingredient that sets it apart from the rest: butyric acid.

This ingredient makes the chocolate last longer on shelves, but also gives it that tangy flavor that many foreigners find off-putting. Does that settle the age-old Hershey's versus Cadbury debate for you? Let's start a healthy discussion about this unhealthy treat in the comments below. Which brand of chocolate do you personally prefer? And if you can think of any other foods that taste different in your country, go ahead and let me know.

Facts You Don't Know: Dunce caps for smart people

At one point in the Middle Ages, the dunce cap we now associate with idiocy and punishment was actually a symbol of respected scholars. It all began with master philosopher and metaphysical thinker John Duns Scotus, whose name later lent itself to the phrase dunce cap. Scotus was a proponent of the use of pointy hats, believing they would somehow act as a reverse funnel for knowledge, with wisdom flowing into the pointed tip and spreading to the brain below.

These hats were also popular among his followers, known as Dunsmen, and therefore, became a signifier of high intelligence. But by the mid-16th century, popular thought had begun to turn against Scotus, and the Dunsmen came to be associated with idiocy instead. Naturally, their pointy hats were adopted as a symbol of stupidity, and found their way into elementary school classrooms where they were used to traumatize and humiliate kids until the late 1950s.

Facts You Don't Know: The Spanish Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower is one of the first things that come to mind when someone asks you to think of France. But this world-famous landmark almost ended up in Spain! Designer Gustave Eiffel first pitched the plans for the monument to Barcelona. But the city rejected his ideas, thinking it would look like an eyesore. He was forced to repitch the project elsewhere, and the tower found its home in Paris, where it served as the main archway for the 1889 International Exposition.

Surprisingly, the Parisians didn't like it much either. One critic even referred to the enormous iron structure as a "metal asparagus." The tower wasn't supposed to stay up for long, and was even offered up for sale as scrap. It was only spared because the French army found that its 984-foot height worked pretty well as a communications tower. Thankfully, this famously-hated sculpture has since survived to become one of the world's most well-loved landmarks!

Facts You Don't Know: Who needs kneecaps?

Did you know that a baby's body has about 300 bones at birth, compared to the 206 bones that adults have? Over time, the process of smaller pieces fusing together reduces the number of bones in the body. One seemingly crucial thing babies aren't born with is kneecaps. Instead, babies are born with a piece of cartilage that will eventually become a bony kneecap, or patella.

Cartilage, which can be found in the nose, ears and joints, is flexible and gives structure where it's needed in the body. Most children's kneecaps begin to ossify, that is, turn from cartilage into bone, between the ages of two and six. Often, several pieces of cartilage will begin to harden into bone at the same time until the kneecap is one complete bone by the age of about 10 or 12. Being born with kneecaps could actually make the birthing process more difficult, or could even result in birth injuries because bone is rigid and less flexible than cartilage. Isn't the human body smart?

Facts You Don't Know: Space booze.

Drifting 10,000 light years from Earth in a constellation far, far away is a massive cloud of alcohol. The cloud, which was discovered in 1995 near the constellation Aquila, is 1,000 times larger than the diameter of our solar system. What's more, it contains enough ethyl alcohol to fill 400 trillion trillion pints of beer. Anyone got a rocket I can borrow? Sadly, the cloud is 58 quadrillion miles away, so an interstellar pub crawl is probably off the cards.

What's more, it contains a cocktail of 32 compounds, and some, like carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia, aren't so desirable. Another alcohol cloud, called Sagittarius B2, also holds 10 billion billion billion liters of mostly methanol alcohol, which is used in anti-freeze and windshield-wiper fluid. But how did this cosmic hooch get up there? Well, if the conditions are just right, simple alcohol compounds can form completely naturally in space, often on the surface of bits of floating space dust.

As this dust moves within the high-energy vicinity of celestial bodies, like stars, the alcohol is forced to separate from the dust, forming massive alcohol clouds, which then float off, presumably to get some aliens very drunk. I wonder if space booze goes well with moon cheese?

Facts You Don't Know: Use your head.

How many times have you parked your car in a parking lot and walked away only to realize you forgot to lock it? Instead of retracing your steps towards the car until it's in range, there's one simple way to reach your car from further away: hold the metal key part of your key fob against your chin, then press the lock button. You might look slightly weird while doing it, but you'll be grateful when it saves you a few extra steps.

The trick works by turning your head into an antenna, according to Silicon Valley radio engineer Tim Pozar. With all the fluids in your head and the electrical currents flowing in your body, your noggin ends up being a pretty decent conductor. It won't work across great distances, but using your head can actually extend the key's wireless range by a few car lengths!

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