In Cambodia, rats are being trained to sniff out land mines. They can clear 200 square meters in less than 35 minutes, which usually takes 2-3 days with a de-miner.
100 Mind-Blowing De Facts
Emilie de Ravin‘s biggest TV role as Claire Littleton on the hit show “Lost“, loves peanut butter – which is unintentionally ironic because Emilie is allergic to peanuts. In reality, her biggest weakness is chocolate.
Stillwater, Minnesota, formerly a big player in the lumber industry, hosts the World Snow Sculpting Championships, sanctioned by the Association Internationale de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace (International Association of Ice and Snow Sculpture) based in Finland. For the event, teams travel from around the world to make intricate snow sculptures.
The TV show Big Brother originated in the Netherlands. It was created by John de Mol in 1999 and has since been franchised in 54 countries.
The Paris Agreement on climate change was signed by the largest number of countries ever in one day. The Paris Agreement (Accord de Paris) is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which deals with greenhouse gas emission mitigation, adaptation, and financing. Initially signed in 2016, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement as of November 2019.
The biggest grill of all time had 394 people grilling meat. On August 19th, 2017, the Yuca Expoeventos (MEX) gathered 394 barbecuers to a grill out at the Plaza de la Mexicanidad in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
At Harvard University, there is a book made with human skin. One of the WTF facts that’ll make your skin crawl: Since the 1930s, Des destinees de l’ame (Destinies of the Soul) has been housed at Harvard’s Houghton Library. The author, Arsene Houssaye reportedly gave the book to his friend, Dr. Ludovic Bouland, in the mid-1880s. Dr. Bouland allegedly bound the book with skin from an unclaimed female patient who died of natural causes.
Antonio López de Santa Anna held a state funeral for his leg after it was amputated. After being injured in battle, Mexican general Antonio López de Santa Anna buried his amputated leg with full military honours. Before you go all the WTF facts on us: It was a part of him, guys.
The plural form of cul-de-sac is culs-de-sac. Now that’s for WTF facts you didn’t need to know.
Los Angeles’ full name is “El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula.” How many of us knew that?
Thomas Edison didn’t invent the light bulb. While it’s true he got a patent for the invention back in 1880, the real credit goes to Warren de la Rue, a British astronomer, and chemist who created the first bulb forty years earlier.
The world’s shortest beach is Playa de Gulpiyuri. The shortest-ever beach is called Playa de Gulpiyuri. You can find the beach in Spain. The beach is only 50 metres long!
In the 18th Century, the doctor to the Danish King seized control of Denmark. Johann Friedrich was the royal physician for King Christian VII of Denmark, who could not truly serve as king due to mental illnesses. Friedrich soon realized the position of power he was in and declared himself the country’s de facto regent. During this time, he changed 1,069 laws, including abolishing torture, press censorship, and slave trading in the Danish colonies, and reformed the nation’s universities, among many other things.
The plural of a cul-de-sac is culs-de-sac.