Useless facts that you absolutely need to know

In life, there are many pieces of knowledge that feel pertinent to our existence. I feel, however, that we should embrace the useless knowledge thrown at us. The following article contains the most absurd and random facts that I have come across in my 21 years of life.

To start off, I want us to look at the origins of Bubble Wrap. Bubble Wrap was created by mistake in 1957 by Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes while they were attempting to make textured wallpaper, according to The Packing Company. In their original attempt, the pair sealed two shower curtains together with a heat gun to make unique air pockets for their 3D decoration. Unfortunately, the product did not take off in the home decor industry but was eventually patented as Bubble Wrap in the 1960s and has since become a staple in product packaging. 

For random fact number two, we are moving to a completely different arena—I want to look at the honey bee. According to Bee Keeper Insider, only female bees can sting. This was news to me, and I was honestly a little skeptical; but, after some fact checking it can be confirmed that this is in fact true. According to Honey Bee Suite, female bees have stingers as a part of their ovipositor which is the organ that allows them to lay eggs. Since male bees don’t have the ability to lay eggs, they do not have stingers. To make up for this, some male bees have barbed abdomens to fight off other bees.

Turning another sharp and dramatic corner for fact number three, I want to talk about the sound of water being poured. Have you ever noticed that you can almost hear the temperature of water when it is poured? Well, according to an article written by NPR, cold water is more viscous, meaning that the molecules are more closely stuck together thus changing the way it sounds when it is poured. Warm water has more molecular wiggling when compared to cold water, meaning that you can in fact hear water temperature when you pour it. Don’t believe me? Try it!

Time for number four: stop signs used to be yellow. According to Reader’s Digest, stop signs were typically yellow with black lettering until 1954, when they were switched to the bright red signs we know today. Stop signs were always intended to be red, but before 1954 there were no known red dyes that would not fade over time.  

Fun fact number five is about the late Queen Elizabeth II. During World War II, the then-princess lobbied to her father for the opportunity to serve her country, according to National Geographic. Elizabeth had a special interest in technology and became a trained auto technician for the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, which is a branch of the British Army. Elizabeth was very modern by the standards set before her, even choosing to reign under her own name, making her quite the Renaissance woman of the time.

Here is a final feel-good fun fact: it is illegal to own only a single guinea pig in Switzerland. According to our Library of Congress, a Swiss ordinance was passed deeming guinea pigs as social animals, and, by law, a social animal in Switzerland must be given adequate socialization with another member of its species. Other animals that are protected under this ordinance are rabbits and parakeets. It is always nice to see someone out there looking out for the little guys, but it does make you wonder who is coming up with these laws.

Well, that was a whole lot of useless, but I would say very interesting, information. I hope you enjoyed this wild ride and learned a little something too.