13 Cool Facts To Make You Sound Smart And Informed
![13 Cool Facts To Make You Sound Smart And Informed](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/3/9/789439_320x180.jpg)
We all want to sound smart and educated. We desire the respect that comes with being knowledgeable. Education is power, they say, and we can all attest to the truth of that statement. Formal education is a powerful tool, but what about all of the other forms of knowledge? What if we could tap into that vast reserve of information and use it to empower ourselves?
There are a lot of people in this world who love to learn new things. They are always curious and want to know more about the world around them. Then there are the other kinds of people. The ones who couldn't care less about learning anything new and would much rather stick to their own little bubble. And that's perfectly fine! We all have our own interests and ways of life. But for the readers out there who do love learning new things, this article is for you! Here, we'll be discussing some interesting facts around the world. So if you're up for it, read on!
![We had Ratatouille-branded wine (it was white Burgundy). Disney had had bottles made, but some people complained it might promote underage drinking, so Disney pulled it before it hit the shelves. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/8/789548.jpg)
Source: LA Times
![The real-life inspiration for Citizen Kane mostly hated one thing about the movie. William Randolph Hearst used Rosebud as the name for his mistress' private parts, and he hated that the movie actually used it for the sled. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/7/789547.jpg)
Source: Cornell Sun
![King of the Hill was inspired by Mike Judge's neighbors helping him out. He had just moved outside of Dallas, and had to rebuild his fence - and his neighbors did it for him, without him being involved (or even asking). CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/9/789549.jpg)
Source: NPR
![A demand from The Matrix' stunt choreographer changed moviemaking. Yuen Wo-Ping asked for six months of training time, which was never done in the US. He got it, and long training periods became more common. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/5/0/789550.jpg)
Source: Toronto Sun
![Apparently, porcupine quills have powerful antibiotic properties. Porcupines benefit from that because they fall often, and antibiotics on quills reduce the risk of infection if porcupines cut themselves in a fall. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/5/1/789551.jpg)
Source: Alaska.gov
![Baghdad was built as a perfectly circular city (over a thousand years ago). It was done as an homage to Euclid's teachings, but the structure got destroyed over the centuries (the last part was gone in the 1870s). CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/4/789544.jpg)
Source: The Guardian
![Standup comics have a tendency to die early compared to actors. In a study of about 500 comedians and actors, the standups died at around the age of 67.1, the comedy actors at 68.9, and the dramatic actors at 70.7. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/3/789543.jpg)
Source: The Guardian
![A TV comedian caused a massive scandal in 1965 by asking kids for money. As a joke, Soupy Sales told kids to send him little green pieces of paper from his parents' wallets so they pulled him off the air for two weeks. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/5/789545.jpg)
Source: Snopes
![Lafayette came back to the US decades after the Revolutionary War, in 1824 and 1825. He met President Andrew Jackson, who showed him two pistols Lafayette gave George Washington (and Lafayette was happy Jackson had them). CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/6/789546.jpg)
Source: The Hermitage
![In the UK, they forced a developer to rebuild a tavern just as it stood. THE WONDER (illustration) The tavern was the only building on its street not destroyed in WWII, and a developer razed it without permission- then had to rebuild it brick by brick. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/0/789540.jpg)
Source: Food And Wine
![If you lose your driving license in France, you can drive a dinky little car. It's called a VSP (voiture sans permis), and it's a two-seater that anyone older than 13 can drive if they have 4 hours of driving experience. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/1/789541.jpg)
Source: BBC
![Los Angeles was the first major city, ever, to synchronize its traffic lights. Nearly all of its 4, .400 traffic lights (that COVER 469 square miles) are synchronized through an automated, centralized control system. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/2/789542.jpg)
Source: ZDNet
![Matthew McConaughey's Alright alright alright is from Jim Morrison. Just before filming the Dazed and Confused scene when he says that, he'd been listening to a live Doors record where Morrison says that between tracks. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/9/789539.jpg)
Source: TheWrap