Curiosity killed the cat, but we all have to go one day. Curiosity is the basis of all great science and art in human history. Without it, we’d all be sitting in a cave somewhere eating whatever we could hunt and scavenge, hoping not to be attacked by our neighbor. Curiosity fuels innovation, and it’s what drives hackers, trolls, pirates, and other great human explorers to continue pushing the boundaries of human civilization. Here are some random facts you can learn if you’re curious…
Curious Facts about Love
- Although most wedding planning services are geared toward women, modern wedding rituals are mostly based on barbaric Germanic tribal rituals. Women didn’t start having equal rights in most places in the world until within the last half century, and even today, they don’t have all the rights they should. They have taken over the symbology of wedding ceremonies, though, so score one for the ladies.
- Even in the ancient Mayan days, chocolate was considered the drug of love. Cocoa and its many extracts have been used in love potions, lotions, elixirs, and other concoctions meant to stir people’s loins.
- Roses, with their variety of scents and colors, have also symbolized love for a very long time. Valentine’s Day, however, has been associated with several acts of violence.
Curious Facts about Nature
- Synthetic grass is actually better for the environment than a natural lawn. Studies have shown synthetic grass lowers your carbon footprint by eliminating lawn mower emissions, water usage, chemical fertilizers, and more. Advances in artificial turf technology have made synthetic lawns even more comfortable to walk on than natural grass.
- Big cats are one of the most hunted animals on the planet. Nearly every cat species in the wild is endangered and on the brink of extinction. Although cats are arguably the world’s most dangerous predator, human beings used invention to decimate big cat numbers. Unless something is done soon, big cats will stop existing in nature within a generation.
- Insects are consumed around the world as a viable source of protein. In fact, insects are ground up to make much of the junk food consumed in the US. The majority of your favorite syrups, cookies, candies, etc. contain some form of insect. Even without the help of major corporations, you’ll swallow dozens of creepy crawlers during your sleep.
Curious Facts about Technology
- The internet is the largest database of information ever collected in human history. With a wide array of drones already developed, technology has far surpassed humanity, and a computer-human war is a potential prospect, although it’s much more likely that a human being will be behind the next world war. Honda, Google, and many other companies are hard at work building cyborg versions of the most powerful animals on earth.
- Any device you have with a Wi-Fi or data antenna can be accessed by a third party without your knowledge, even if it’s turned off. Many governments and corporations have back doors in their software and databases to allow access to any of your private communications. Edward Snowden and Glen Greenwald have released a trove of data to the public regarding web security.
- Vegetable glycerin, the main component of the juice vaporized in electronic cigarettes, is also used by corporations to make cough syrup, dilute eggs, and more. Any drug can be dissolved in vegetable glycerin, so many municipalities have banned the devices. eCigs are healthier than cigarettes, though, as they release no carcinogens and can be used without the addictive nicotine.
Curious Facts about Law
- In the United States, you are innocent until proven guilty; however, it’s very easy to prove you guilty. You violate over a dozen laws on any given day. All a police officer has to do to find probable cause is follow you for a few hours. The US is still one of the best places to live for police responses, though, as many countries imprison, kill, or torture citizens with no provocation.
- Even though you’re the creator of a product, song, work of art, etc., until you register the copyright and/or trademark you can’t pursue someone else for infringing on your rights regarding your creation. Even if you protect your creation within the US, it’s very hard to pursue copyright infringement across international borders and your creation, if successful, could be copied and sold at will.
