NO FOOLIN’ – Fun Facts Stranger Than Fiction

Buckle up and prepare to be boggled! I have a curious collection of beguiling books gathered throughout my many thrifting expeditions. Recently I came across my hardy hardcover – National Geographic’s 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!) I brushed off the dust and dug into some delightful data, tons of tidbits, wacky wonders and so much more. Want to know how many licks it takes to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop? It’s in there! Why do giraffes have blue tongues? Gotcha covered! So sit back, relax and let your mind marinate on some out-of-this-world eccentricities and incredible oddities! 

Have a hankering for high-tech? A modern cell phone has more computing power than all of NASA did in 1969 when the United States sent men to the moon! Beef fat, or tallow, is highly effective as a renewable biofuel feedstock, frequently converted into biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel and one day, laptops will roll up like a yoga mat.

How about a dive into these details? The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is the deepest place on Earth and is deeper than Mount Everest is tall. Navy Seal training lasts approximately 30 months in order to become fully deployable and the U.S. Navy’s marine mammal program trains sea lions and bottlenose dolphins to sniff out underwater bombs.

Here are some mind-blowing medical musings to cure your curiosity: The common cold is caused by over 200 different virus strains. No medicine cures the cold, hence, treatments only manage symptoms. The single most contagious condition, you ask? Make way for the measles, AKA Rubeola. According to the Centers of Disease Control, the widespread use of the measles vaccine has  drastically reduced the disease rates in the 20th century. In ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, leeches were used to treat ailments by removing “excess” blood and leeches linger to this day as a lifeline for reconstructive surgeries and cardiovascular care.

Let’s talk about toys. Barbie debuted in March 1959. Measuring in at 11 inches, this buxom blonde bombshell postured a perky ponytail, a black and white striped swimsuit and was Mattel’s first mass-produced toy with adult features. And check this – the game of checkers dates back to the 12th century and Play-Doh was originally used as wallpaper cleaner!

Have you garnered a guess about that giraffe’s tongue? Dark blue, purple or black are typical tones that act as a natural, built-in sunscreen. This magnificent mammal spends up to 12 hours a day feeding on high tree branches and this dark pigmentation (melanin) protects their tongue from severe sunburn.

Now to tackle that Tootsie Pop. Scientific studies show it takes an average of 252 to 411 licks to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop. An engineering study at Purdue University found that a “licking machine” took 364 licks, while a human volunteer averaged 252.

Endings are imminent, so here are some finishing facts for reflection. You can never reach the end of a rainbow because it moves as you move. The raindrops reflecting the sunlight that caused the rainbow aren’t located in one part of the sky. Contrary to popular belief, Nostradamus, the 16th century French astrologer, did not set a specific, singular date for the end of the world. His quatrains were written in a mix of French, Italian, Greek and Latin, making them intentionally cryptic and open to wide interpretation. And my final factoid for the week: The sun is estimated to run out of hydrogen fuel in approximately 5 billion years. According to NASA, this shimmering star will likely end up engulfing other planets, including Earth, before finally collapsing into a “white dwarf” – the final evolutionary stage for stars, including our most brilliant beam.

And there you have it. My first delve into the delights of dazzling, distinctive details, alias news you’ll never use!  

Can You Relate is a column from Noblesville High School grad Branna (McCarty) Shores. Branna believes that “HOME is where your story begins.” A Noblesville native and proud alum of NHS and Purdue, she is a professional speaker, advocate for mental health and work / family balance and retired social worker. Branna is the mother of two grown daughters, six precious grandchildren and wife of one brave husband! Her passions include singing, writing and sharing the lighter side of life through lessons learned, both personally and professionally. She can be contacted at branna18@gmail.com