Curious Mind Blowing Facts - 60
From Cookie Dough Ice Cream to Van Gogh Dreams, from Billionaires to Octopus Hairs
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream was invented by ‘Ben and Jerry’s’ in 1984 after a fan anonymously listed it as an idea on their ‘flavor board.’
In 2023, 43 male babies were named Lucifer in the U.S., with no recorded female births under this name. The name has seen fluctuating popularity, peaking in 2021 with 70 male births.
A significant portion of Vincent van Gogh's paintings were created during the last two years of his life, between 1888 and 1890, when he lived in Arles, Saint-Rémy, and Auvers-sur-Oise.
During this period, he produced many of his most famous works, including *Starry Night* and *Wheatfield with Crows,* and painted at an extraordinary pace, completing hundreds of artworks.
While these years were highly productive, his entire body of work—approximately 860 oil paintings and over 1,200 drawings—was created over a decade-long career rather than being concentrated solely in this final period.
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Can you answer this question, (Answer at the end…)
Name a country that starts with the letter X?
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Octopuses have tiny hair-like sensors on their arms that can taste and feel at the same time. These "hairs" help them hunt in the dark, feel textures, and even taste prey—without using their mouths.
Gold Making Opportunity?
Turning Metal into Gold—Science Can Do It:
Yes, it’s true. Scientists can turn metals like mercury or bismuth into real gold. Using powerful machines - like nuclear reactors and particle accelerators - they’ve managed to pull it off.
Back in 1980, a team changed bismuth into gold by blasting it with high-energy particles. So, the ancient dream of alchemists? Science nailed it.
But… it’s wildly impractical. The machines cost thousands of dollars per hour to run, and the gold you get? Tiny specks. We're talking nanograms - so small, you need fancy equipment just to see it. And most of that gold? It’s radioactive and breaks down in days. The stable kind? Super hard to make. Bottom line: it would cost quadrillions of dollars to make just one ounce. That's not a typo. Quadrillions.
Costco sells gold by the ounce at the best pricing. That beats panning for gold out of a creek.
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“Pretty Woman” song by Roy Orbison.
The song was written for Roy Orbison's first wife, Claudette. One day, she left for the store - by "walking down the street" - and by the time she returned, Orbison had written what would become his most popular #1 hit.
Bruce Springsteen said: “It's the best girl-watching rock 'n' roll song ever."
Buddy Holly’s manager disapproved of his relationship with his wife, fearing it would upset fans. Artists often face contractual restrictions prohibiting dating and marriage to maintain their image and fanbase.
Tennis shoes were originally made for the British Navy when on their slippery decks. The shoes came into the market in 1892 and were named plimsolls. They were then given the name sneakers because they had no sound when walking. There is a pretty great early Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart song, both as co-writers, called ‘Rock my Plimsoll’ - which sounds a lot like ‘Rock Me Baby’:
Extraordinary Makeup artist:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMBCyNqLN/
The U.S. has the most billionaires with 902, followed by China and Hong Kong at 516. India has the third most with 205.
Canada has 76 using the latest data from Forbes.
Canada’s Richest is Changpeng Zhao
Net worth: $62.9 billion
Global rank: #24
How he made his billions: Changpeng Zhao - better known as CZ - is the Canadian crypto tycoon behind Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. Born in China and raised in Vancouver, Zhao founded Binance in 2017 and still owns about 90% of the company, plus a stash of its BNB tokens.
CZ's empire took a hit after he stepped down as CEO in 2023 as part of a major U.S. legal settlement. He served four months in prison last year after pleading guilty to failing to implement anti-money laundering protocols. While he now lives in Dubai, the 48-year-old remains Canada's richest citizen by a long shot - and one of the top 25 richest people in the world - despite the scandal.
“What time does stock market open?” was the top-trending “what” question on April 7/25 on Google. Why? It was 3 trading days after the US stock markets lost $10 trillion of wealth.
FYI: The market opens at 9.30am, and closing bell is 4pm Eastern Standard Time(NY). Here is a time zone app I made, if you are in different time zones around the world. https://1app.ca/time.html
'We thought it was the end of the world': How the US dropped four nuclear bombs on Spain in 1966. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250404-how-the-us-dropped-nuclear-bombs-on-spain-in-1966
You may like the story about how we were nearly obliterated by a N. Korean missile attack:
Here is a table of the Dutton Family Tree, from the series 1883, 1923, and Yellowstone:
Time Period - Character - Role / Relation
Canada vs US Median Household Net Worth
$176,500 USD in America, according to latest figures
VS
$365,000 USD ($519,700 CAD) Canada, according to Statistics Canada
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The average person has over 1,000 unread emails.
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Can’t we all just play nice again? The tradition of playing volleyball over the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Naco, Arizona, and Naco, Sonora, Mexico, was a unique and symbolic gesture of unity between the two communities. This practice, which began in 1979 and continued until 2007, involved residents using the border fence as a net for their games. The matches were often part of larger celebrations, such as the "Fiesta Bi-Nacional," aimed at fostering positive transnational relationships between the U.S. and Mexico.
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🧪 8 Quick Tests to See How Well You're Ageing
You don’t need fancy gear to check your fitness. Just try these:
One-Leg Stand: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-study-what-standing-on-one-leg-can-tell-you/
Sit to stand: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250404-sit-to-stand-the-simple-test-that-reveals-how-youre-ageing
TUG: https://mississaugahalton.rehabcareontario.ca/Uploads/ContentDocuments/Timed
Hand Grip Strength: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31987550/
6-min: https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/6-minute-walk-test
Sit and Rise: https://darebee.com/fitness/guide-to-the-stand-to-sit-test.html
The Beatles timeline: https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2025/04/06/the-beatles-timeline-albums-break-up/81765258007
Color Theory:
Top IQ per state - the top 9
The rest are here: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/average-iq-by-state
Answer:
There are currently no sovereign states that start with the letter “x.” However, there are two countries that have the letter “x” in their names: Mexico and Luxembourg. X is the only letter in the alphabet that is not used as the first letter of a country's name.
Chuck Norris can strum a power chord on an unplugged toaster.
Thanks for Restacking! And telling us your faves.
Would have lost big time if you had given me an over or under on kids named Lucifer!
…where can i work in an all black office?…