fun facts
How we chat online 1998-2024.
Data visualization of chat app active users dating back to the days when AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ each had only a few million users. ~ learn more
Category: fun facts
fun facts
United States v. One Solid Gold Object in Form of a Rooster.
This was a federal court case in 1962. “As the rooster was made of solid gold, the United States Treasury seized it on the grounds that it was illegal under the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 which prohibited private ownership […]
fun facts
Why did humans keep mules around when they already had horses?
“Hi, cool question. It says there are 30 comments on here but for some reason I can’t see any of them, so I’ll answer because I’m a historian working on my PhD dissertation focused on the mule trains of colonial […]
fun facts
Europe faces an unusual problem: ultra-cheap energy.
Solar production peaks during the day, causing very low or even negative energy prices in some countries. It’d be best to send that energy elsewhere to meet demand, but the grid infrastructure is lacking. Building it takes time, and also […]
fun facts
Keep the units.
“Of all the cognitive tools our ancestors left us, what’s best? Society seems to think pretty highly of arithmetic. It’s one of the first things we learn as children. So I think it’s weird that only a tiny percentage of […]
fun facts
Why the US can’t build icebreaking ships.
I don’t want to overstate it, but it does seem like the inability to build important infrastructure is a pattern in the United States. “The Coast Guard has handled all U.S. icebreaking since 1966, and estimates that it needs 8-9 […]
fun facts
Who died and left the US $7 billion?
“It was the biggest estate-tax payment in modern history, but no one knew who made it. Then an anonymous phone call pointed to one man.” ~ learn more
fun facts
A single cloud compromise can feed an army of AI sex bots.
“Organizations that get relieved of credentials to their cloud environments can quickly find themselves part of a disturbing new trend: Cybercriminals using stolen cloud credentials to operate and resell sexualized AI-powered chat services.” ~ learn more
fun facts
World’s first virtual dog lease.
Innovation just keeps coming. “Using proprietary wireless technology dubbed “Autoprox” in both your dog’s collar and a remote you carry on your person, you can set Heel’s virtual leash length as close as 10 ft (3 m) up to 750 […]
fun facts
Relocating a 165,000 pound oak tree.
“We had originally done initial site studies where we designed the building around this tree – and we came up with some pretty good options. In the end, we asked the question “what if we moved the tree?” because the […]