Random Learnings, Part 10

I'll admit I'm oddly mesmerized by strange facts. This is one of the 25 reasons I love Twitter and, more specifically, Uberfacts.  Today's post is pulled entirely from the bits and pieces I've picked up from their posts which sounded too odd to be true.

Alas, with a little research I was able to find backup links for most of these oddities.

Take a quick look and see if you learn anything new!

What's that called?

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A "nurdle" is the name for a small dab of toothpaste.  This is also proof that every random thing in our lives does, in fact, have a name!Now I just wish I could get the nurdle to stay on the toothbrush on the way to my mouth!

Math is amazing!

If you take your age and multiply it by 7 then take that number and multiply it by 1,443, the resulting product represents your age three times.  Hmmm.

My 9-year-old son showed me how it works!

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Scoff as you will over this trivia, I know you'll try it with your age!

Disneyland Kills Mice

Or rather Disneyland uses cats to kill mice and other rodents (ewwww).

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Yup, it's true. Every night, when the park closes and the guests go home, Disneyland releases 200 cats to keep the rat population under control.

Read more about it in this fun blog post.

Thomas Jefferson Liked Clothes

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Rumor is Thomas Jefferson invented the clothes hanger. It wasn't enough to be a Founding Father and President, he had to have his legacy in everyone's closet!

Wikipedia shares the credit more broadly, but I prefer to think that our third President just had a thing for clothes!

You Can't Sink!

SWIMS upside down looks like SWIMS.

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This fact is seriously the internet at its finest.

Now if you can find a practical application where knowing this would be useful AT ALL, let me know!

English Ain't Easy

You know the "I before E, except after C" rule that rattles around in the back of your head?

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According to Uber, only 44 words in the English language follow that rule while 923 rules break it.  I don't know where Uber found their numbers (I couldn't replicate the data), but after reading a couple of linguistic posts and the Wikipedia entry on the rule (here), I think if Uber isn't precise in their figures, they are certainly close.Speaking of random -- this photo has no real purpose, but it makes me laugh, which is important since one of my favorite mnemonic devices has just died a brutal death.

Queen of Hearts

Finally, Uber tweeted that the modern card deck has 52 cards to symbolize 52 weeks in a year and that the four suits represent the four seasons.

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As it turns out, this is an urban legend.  Though I like the random connection, I really wish it were true.Thanks for letting me get these tidbits off my chest!

I feel better.

If you've missed other musings of this type, here are the relevant links:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, 7, 8, 9 !

Happy Friday everyone!!