Curious Mind Blowing Facts - 69
AI, Oh Boy,
Marissa Mayer is a prominent American business executive and investor. She is best known for her roles as a long-time Google executive. She’s the first Google female employee (employee #20), and was President and CEO of Yahoo! from 2012 to 2017, and co-founder of Sunshine, a technology startup focused on artificial intelligence.
In 1856, Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech so captivating and impassioned that the reporters were so engrossed that they completely forgot to take notes. To this day, the content of “Lincoln’s Lost Speech” remains a mystery.
Latest reports show that 4.4% of all the energy in the US now goes toward data centers. And according to new projections published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in December, by 2028 more than half of the electricity going to data centers will be used for AI. At that point, AI alone could consume as much electricity annually as 22% of all US households.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech
There's a mall in Moldova called Malldova
Tuition-Free Study at Norwegian Public Universities
Norway allows students from anywhere in the world to study at most public universities without paying tuition fees, regardless of nationality. However, students are responsible for their own living expenses and may need to pay a small semester or student union fee.
Courses Available
Norwegian public universities and university colleges offer a wide range of programs, including:
Humanities
Social Sciences (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Political Science)
Business Administration
Law
Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Medicine
Engineering and Technology
Education
Music and Arts
Gender Studies
Development and the Environment
Scandinavian Studies
You can study full degree programs (Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD) or take individual courses. There are also short courses and exchange opportunities.
Are Courses Taught in English?
Master’s Level:
Most master’s programs at Norwegian universities are taught in English, making them highly accessible to international students.
Bachelor’s Level:
There are some Bachelor’s programs taught entirely in English, but these are less common than at the master’s level. The majority of bachelor’s programs are in Norwegian, but some institutions do offer select bachelor’s degrees or course packages in English.
Many universities also offer individual courses in English within broader Norwegian-taught bachelor’s programs, especially in fields like Business Administration, Innovation and Technology Management, and Humanities.
Language requirements for English-taught programs typically include proof of proficiency through exams like IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE Academic.
Short Courses and Exchange:
A variety of short courses and summer schools are available in English, covering topics such as media studies, music, and social sciences.
Examples of English-Taught Courses and Programs
How to Find Courses
University websites list all available English-taught courses and programs. For example, the University of Oslo provides a searchable database of courses offered in English across a wide range of disciplines.
The national portal https://studyinnorway.no/
is a comprehensive resource for finding programs and understanding application requirements.
Summary
Norway offers tuition-free education at public universities for all students, regardless of nationality.
Most master’s programs are available in English; bachelor’s programs in English are fewer but do exist.
A wide range of disciplines is offered, including humanities, sciences, business, and technology.
Students must cover living expenses and meet academic and language requirements.
For the most up-to-date and detailed information, consult the websites of individual Norwegian universities and the official Study in Norway portal.
The dog that played Toto, (real name Terry) in The Wizard of Oz was paid a salary that was higher than the actors who played the Munchkins.
In his 2010 autobiography, Keith Richards admitted that Otis Redding’s rendition of “Satisfaction” was closer to Richards’ original conception for the song than The Rolling Stones’ version. Keith said: “Otis got it right. Our version was a demo for Otis’s version.”
Prince used a photo of Dave Chappelle dressed as him serving pancakes for one of his singles' covers. Chappelle appeared on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show and discussed the use of his image on Prince's single: "That's a Prince judo move right there... You make fun of Prince in a sketch and he'll just use you in his album cover... What am I going to do - sue him for using a picture of me dressed up like him? ... That's checkmate right there."
“Fans reading through the romance novel Darkhollow Academy: Year 2 got a nasty surprise last week in chapter 3. In the middle of a steamy scene between the book’s heroine and the dragon prince Ash - there’s this: "I've rewritten the passage to align more with J. Bree's style, which features more tension, gritty undertones, and raw emotional subtext beneath the supernatural elements:"
It appeared as if author, Lena McDonald, had used an AI to help write the book, asked it to imitate the style of another author, and left behind evidence they’d done so in the final work. As of this writing, Darkhollow Academy: Year 2 is hard to find on Amazon. Searching for it on the site won’t show the book, but a Google search will. 404 Media was able to purchase a copy and confirm that the book no longer contains the reference to copying Bree’s style. But screenshots of the graph remain in the book’s Amazon reviews and Goodreads page.” https://www.404media.co/authors-are-accidentally-leaving-ai-prompts-in-their-novels/
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Satoshi Nakamoto now holds $120 billion worth of $BTC, making him/her/them the 11th richest person in the world.
And, back in 2011, another guy stood on a busy street, wearing a hat and holding a sign that read: “STOP THE FED – USE BITCOINS.” For his message, he was paid 32 BTC. At the time, Bitcoin was valued at $4.25 per coin. Today that $136 is worth $3.5 million. Plus he got a bunch more Bitcoins from the fellow forum members who donated a tip to the hard working fellow.
Bitcoin as an investment:
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Why does Canada have 60% of all of the world’s lakes?
In the far north, there's not much rain. Big ice sheets scrape away the soil and leave the ground bare. This creates hills and valleys. The bare ground holds water, so ponds form. As the ice melts, the land slowly rises in bumpy ways, making more peaks and valleys.
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According to Google
Top trending “how to spell” searches:
Past month, US
Congratulations
Appreciation
Florida
Amazing
Camouflage
Top trending this vs. that spelling searches
Past month, US
Boujee vs bougie
Conscious vs conscience
Pre-school vs preschool
Desert vs. dessert
Cocoa vs cacao
Top trending British vs. American spelling searches
Past month, US
Gray vs grey
Apologize vs apologise
Whiskey vs whisky
Canceling vs cancelling
Theater vs theatre
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“Know your onions” is slang from the 1920’s, meaning the person is an expert on a topic.
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Most of us still search with Google:
Do you webroom? It’s when you research products online, then go and buy the items in the store. It's the opposite of showrooming, where customers browse in-store and then buy online. 67% of us webroom.
Joseph Harris-Birtill, a 2-year-old British boy, has made history as the youngest ever member of Mensa, the exclusive club that only welcomes individuals with an IQ of 132 or higher, as recognized by Guinness World Records. Born on November 23, 2021, Joseph achieved this remarkable milestone at the tender age of just 2 years and 182 days.
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Do you believe in USO’s?
In September 2023, the world was shocked by mysterious seismic waves detected globally every 90 seconds for nine days. The following month, Earth trembled again with an identical global signal, though shorter and less intense. Researchers, baffled by the anomalies, dubbed it an “Unidentified Seismic Object.”
However, scientists have now confirmed that this Earth-shaking event was caused by two mega-tsunamis in Dickson Fjord, a narrow inlet in East Greenland.
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https://parade.com/health/song-scientifically-proven-to-reduce-stress :
Earbud microphone technology:
Pickleball:
Chuck Norris uses real pickles to play Picklepickle.
I sometimes use em dashes on purpose —
Did you enjoy today’s CMBFs?
Malldova ... cheeky.
By the way, Google is the Great Satan.
Interesting that the first of today's facts was about the power needed for data mining and the second about Norway when a few days ago Norway was, I believe, the first country to put a temporary ban on digital power centers because of the massive amount of power they use.
All of your facts are fascinating, as always. Thanks Paul.