Curious Mind Blowing Facts - 51

Wow...

"Banana for Scale" is an expression indicating that a banana has been placed in the frame of a photograph to reveal the true-to-life size of another object on display in relative scale.
Origin
On March 30th, 2005, a photo of a banana placed against a TV set was posted on the blog Rockdogdesigns with a description explaining the TV was for sale: "I don’t know how big the screen is, we’re moving and I can’t find the tape measurer. But I do have a banana. For scale. Oh wait, my husband says it’s 19inches. Oh well, I’ll leave the banana for interest. Please be interested. :

Demand for semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) in 2024 forced Novo Nordisk to run factories 24/7, 365 days a year, hire 10,000+ workers, and spend $6B on expansion. New UK prescriptions were halted due to supply shortages.

What is the cost of making a penny? As of 2023, it costs about 3.07 cents to produce a single penny, which is more than its face value of one cent in the U.S.A. The current president is trying to stop minting new pennies. Makes sense. On the other hand, Canada, cash transactions are rounded to the nearest 5 cents after taxes are added. This is to phase out the penny, which was discontinued in 2013.

All the information that controls the shape of your face, your bones, your organs and every single enzyme inside them - all of that takes less storage space than Microsoft Word™. The human genome contains about 1.55 GB of data. Microsoft Word takes 2.1 GB to store.
The following html (web code) file takes just 4kB on the disk, (1 GB is 1,000,000 kB):

remember the Blue Screen of Death?

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There are two kinds of hackers—bad ones and good ones. Bad hackers (black hats) break into computer networks to steal, destroy, or cause trouble.
Good hackers (white hats) do the same thing, but legally. Companies hire them to find security flaws before the bad guys do. This is called ethical hacking. It’s an approved attempt to break into a system using the same tricks as black hats. The goal? Find weaknesses and fix them.
Some ethical hackers make serious money. Take Eric Head, a Canadian hacker who has earned over $5 million by spotting security holes in just a few years. He’s found 8,757 vulnerabilities in systems from companies like AT&T, TikTok, Equifax, Facebook, PayPal, the U.S. Department of Defence, Goldman Sachs, and more.

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Christopher Walken has never had a cellphone or a computer.“ I don’t have technology. I only have a satellite dish on my house. So I’ve seen “Severance” on DVDs that they’re good enough to send me. I don’t have a cellphone.”

One of the most dangerous passes in the world. Found at Rick Rouse’s Substack. (https://substack.com/@ricksdailytips)

Inflation much. A $5 dress from Shein, WIRED reports, could now be hit with multiple layers of taxes including the pre-existing 16% tariff, a 7.5% Section 301 duty specifically for goods from China, the new 10% tariff introduced by Trump, additional processing fees, customs brokerage fees, and other shipping and handling costs that may be raised as a result of the chaos. We’ll see as these rules and tariffs seem to be more fluid than solid.

In 1991, fewer than 15% of people in Bangladesh had access to electricity. Thirty years later, access was almost universal.

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https://www.thedizzyviper.com/art-series
Found on the Garbage Day Newsletter

Some of the celebrities that lost their homes by those recent fires in LA:

• Billy Crystal: famous for the sitcom Soap, the movie When Harry Met Sally.

• Mel Gibson: Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, Braveheart are a few of his movies.

• Dan Levy: the Schitt's Creek star

• Eugene Levy: Father of Dan and famous for Schitt's Creek. He has appeared in more than 60 motion pictures.

• Tina Knowles: She is the mother of Beyoncé and Solange.

• Anthony Hopkins: Most popular movie was The Silence of the Lambs in 1991.

• Candy Spelling, widow of television producer Aaron Spelling and mother to actress Tori Spelling.

• Diane Warren: Songwriter.

• Paris Hilton: Famous for being famous. Starred in The Simple Life TV series.

• Anna Faris: Known for her roles in Scary Movie and Mom

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus: the acclaimed actress known for Elaine on Seinfeld

• John Goodman: Actor known for his roles in Roseanne and The Big Lebowski

• Leanne Ford: famous interior designer and HGTV star.

• Cameron Mathison: Soap Opera star in All My Children and General Hospital

• Ricki Lake: former talk show host and actress

• Miles Teller and Keleigh Teller: They played in Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me" music video

• Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag: The Hills stars

• James Woods: The Casino actor

• Mandy Moore: This Is Us star actress

• Jamie Lee Curtis: recent movies Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Halloween Ends (2022), and Haunted Mansion (2023)

• Chet Hanks: Son of Tom, recent movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom…

• Adam Brody: former The O.C star, as well as many movies and tv series.

• Alabama Barker: Kourtney Kardashian's stepdaughter.

• Maria Shriver: Arnold Schwarzenegger's ex-wife.

• Ben Affleck: Recent movie was Kiss of the Spiderwoman, previous husband to Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner.

• Jeff Bridges: known for movies such as The Big Lebowski and Crazy Heart

• Barbara Corcoran: real estate mogul and star of Shark Tank

• Melissa Rivers: daughter of the late comedian Joan Rivers and is an award-winning journalist, producer, and author.

• Jennifer Grey: Famous for her role in Dirty Dancing

• Jen Atkin: a renowned celebrity hairstylist and founder of Ouai Haircare

• Pete Lee: was the first standup comedian to get a standing ovation on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

• Melissa Claire Egan, played Chelsea Lawson on The Young and the Restless soap opera.

  Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by the recent LA fires.❤️

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In December 2024, the news website with the most monthly visits in the United States was nytimes.com, with a total of 463.07 million monthly visits. In second place was cnn.com with close to 357 million visits, followed by foxnews.com with just over a quarter of a million. Deplatformable Newsletter just missed the top 10. 🥲

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According to the US women's clothing catalog sizes system: in 1958 a size 8 was = to a 1970 size 6, and = to a 2001 size 2, and = to a 2011 size 0.

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Ever wonder how chess pieces got their names? Me either, but it is interesting:

The names of chess pieces have evolved over centuries, reflecting cultural shifts as the game spread globally. Here's a brief overview:

• King: Originating from the Sanskrit "rajah" meaning "king," this piece has consistently retained its regal title across various languages and cultures.

• Queen: Initially representing the king's advisor, known as "mantri" in Sanskrit and "wazir" in Persian, this piece transformed into the queen in Europe, possibly influenced by the prominence of queens in medieval politics and the great respect for the Virgin Mary.

• Bishop: In its early iterations, this piece was depicted as an elephant, termed "gajah" in Sanskrit and "al-fil" in Arabic. In Europe, the piece became the bishop, possibly due to its mitre-shaped appearance.

• Knight: Representing cavalry, the knight has consistently been symbolized by a horse across various cultures, maintaining its association with mounted warriors.

• Rook: Derived from the Persian "rukh," meaning chariot, the rook has often been associated with fortifications or castles, leading to its current representation.

• Pawn: The term "pawn" comes from the Old French "paon," meaning "foot soldier," reflecting its role as the infantry on the chessboard.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-did-chess-pieces-get-their-names

“Had a fascinating interaction at a coffee shop yesterday. Owner put up an iPad showing live comments from their Google reviews. Customers were literally ordering things they saw in the feed. Made me realize social proof isn’t just for websites - it’s becoming live entertainment. Businesses that show their love in real-time are winning.” ~ Greg Isenberg

“A German fire station caught fire in 2024, which in and of itself is ironic, but not all that weird -- there’s no reason why a fire station can’t catch fire. The strange part: As the AP reported, “Local officials told [the press] that no fire alarm system was installed in the building because experts had considered it not necessary - much to the astonishment of many observers now that the station has burned down.” The fire caused about $20 million in damages. ~ The Guardian

A car is highly unlikely to "explode" like in the movies even if there is a small fire. Modern cars are designed with safety features that prevent such large-scale explosions, as gasoline is primarily flammable, not explosive. And the fuel tank is built to withstand pressure, so a small fire would usually just burn the car without a major explosion. I sure do hope that none of us need to know that sometime.

China has a 70-80% chance of dominating the global auto industry, due to its stronghold in EV production, battery supply chains, and cost advantages.

But a full takeover (100%) is unlikely:

• Western, S. Korean and Japanese automakers still have strong brand loyalty and technological leadership.

• Geopolitical tensions may lead to trade barriers.

• Some countries (U.S., EU, India) are pushing policies to reduce dependence on Chinese auto imports.

China is on track to be the biggest auto powerhouse, but a complete global takeover is unlikely.

The close to $8 million price tag is almost a million dollars more than the $7 million it cost for a 30-second spot in the previous Super Bowl.

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Medicines from Natural Products

1. Nature’s Medicine Cabinet: Nature has created a lot of molecules that can be used to make medicines. For thousands of years, people have used plants and natural products to treat diseases. Even today, over 80% of people in developing countries rely on natural remedies because they are safe and effective.

2. Modern Medicine & Natural Products: In the 19th century, scientists started isolating and studying natural compounds to create modern drugs. Many important medicines, especially for fighting infections and cancer, come from natural sources. For example, morphine (a painkiller) and aspirin (a pain and fever reducer) were originally derived from plants.

3. Plants as Drug Factories: Plants have been a major source of medicines. Around 11% of essential drugs listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) come from plants. Some well-known plant-based drugs include:

- Paclitaxel: Used to treat cancer, derived from the yew tree.

- Artemisinin: Used to treat malaria, from a Chinese plant.

- Silymarin: Used for liver diseases, from milk thistle seeds.

4. New Uses for Old Molecules: Scientists are finding new ways to use natural compounds. For example, forskolin (from the Coleus plant) is being studied for treating obesity and heart disease.

5. Natural vs. Synthetic Drugs: While synthetic drugs are cheaper and faster to produce, natural products are often safer and more effective. Many modern drugs are inspired by natural compounds. For example, about 50% of drugs approved in the last 30 years are based on natural products.

6. Challenges: Making medicines from natural products can be expensive and requires strict quality control. Scientists are working on better ways to study and develop these natural remedies.

7. Future of Natural Products: Natural products will continue to be important in medicine because of their unique structures and proven benefits. Scientists are combining modern technology with traditional knowledge to discover new drugs from nature.

Some Examples:

https://www.thoughtco.com/drugs-and-medicine-made-from-plants-608413

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Chuck Norris’ beard hair is believed to be an aphrodisiac in Asia.

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