Sometimes a strange topic will come up in a conversation and you’ll wonder about it for millisecond until the next topic comes along. Other times, you will be talking about completely normal things and you will never wonder about the pointless facts of the world. But I’m here to make you think about these useless facts for the duration it takes you to read this story so that maybe you can bring them up in a future conversation and make other people think about them for a millisecond before moving on to the next topic.

What does crossing your legs do to you?

Crossing your legs in moderation is totally fine, but keeping them crossed for an extended period of time can cause spine deformities including scoliosis. When you cross your legs you are creating asymmetrical posture by bending your pelvis.

What happened to Dodo birds?

In the 1600s, the Dodo birds lived on an island called Mauritius. They didn’t have any predators so eventually they stopped being afraid of anything. by the time people showed up to the island they killed all of the birds because they has no fear response. In 1681 the last Dodo bird was killed, less than 200 years after humans discovered them.

What does the phrase “basket case” actually mean?

The term “basket case” is used to describe someone who is crazy, or doesn’t have their life together. But the term originated during WWI when soldiers would lose all of their limbs and have to be carried in baskets.

What weird thing wards off mosquitoes?

When female mosquitoes listen to Skrillex (in particular the song “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”) they are less likely to reproduce and bite people.

What is the color of no light?

The word “eigengrau” is the official word to describe the color of absence of light. So when you walk into a dark room, you are seeing eigengrau.

What effects fingernail growth?

Since the dominant hand is used more, there is an increase in trauma to the fingernails. Example of this would be catching a nail or hitting it. Since this trauma occurs, your body needs more blood and nutrients in those areas in order to repair it.

What common word did Dr. Seuss invent?

In 1950, the book “If I Ran the Zoo” by Dr. Seuss was published and included the first use of the word “nerd”. It later became an official word.

Where did the name “Pound Cake” come from?

In the 1700s the name and recipe was invented. It originally required one pound of each ingredient including flour, sugar, butter and eggs.

Does sweat smell, or is it something else?

Shockingly, body odor us not caused by sweat alone. Bacteria on the skin mixes with sweat and causes the unfortunate odor. The amount you sweat doesn’t really have an impact on your body odor, which is why you can smell bad without being drenched in sweat.

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/crossed-legs-while-sitting

https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/biodiversity/dodo-bird#:~:text=Found%20by%20Dutch%20soldiers%20around,not%20always%20have%20been%20flightless.

https://www.michiganradio.org/arts-culture/2019-01-06/the-dark-origin-of-basket-case

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/playing-skrillex-may-help-ward-mosquito-bites-180971849/#:~:text=As%20Brandon%20Specktor%20reports%20for,not%20exposed%20to%20the%20Grammy%2D

https://www.ststworld.com/eigengrau-dark-gray-colour/

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/how-fast-do-nails-grow

https://lsc.org/news-and-social/news/behind-the-origins-of-the-word-nerd#:~:text=But%20have%20you%20ever%20considered,imaginary%20zoo%20in%20the%20story.

https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/the-pound-cake-its-history-and-what-makes-it-a-classic-dessert-1737189

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17865-body-odor#:~:text=Sweat%20itself%20doesn’t%20smell,odor%20but%20not%20be%20sweaty.