30 General Now-You-Know Facts to Stimulate Your Brains

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31 Surprising Facts to Spice Up Any Boring Conversation

By:: Cracked Writers; Brian C. Miller

October 18, 2023

31 Surprising Facts to Spice Up Any Boring Conversation

We’ve all been there: You're stuck at some party or gathering with a bunch of people you either half-know or have never seen before in your life. You're diligently posted by the chips and dip, looking for a dog or cat to interact with for the rest of the night, when suddenly it happens — someone has started a conversation with you. You tell one another how you know the host, if you live around here and that the song currently playing is a banger. Now you’re stuck awkwardly nodding your heads waiting for someone to end this misery.

Don’t fear! We have you covered with the following facts that, when brought up out-of-context, with bare minimum result in a “Huh! Interesting!” from your chatting companion! If you’re still stuck after you’ve run through all of these, we guess you can go hide in the bathroom or maybe a cat will finally show up.

31 The real life Inglorious Basterds!

Meyer Lansky's gang were the real-life Inglourious Basterds. Being a mobster, Lansky disliked judges. But being Jewish, he hated Nazis even more. So when in 1936 a judge asked him to bust Nazi rallies in New York City, he and his boys were happy to oblige. They would infiltrate the meetings and barge in. With iron bars and baseball bats. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

30 Ripley probably should have tried this!

31 Surprising Facts to Spice Up Any Boring Conversation — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

29 Seafood poisoning gets... sexy.

Seafood poisoning could be transmitted sexually. Ciguatera is the most common form of poisoning from eating fish - and it could be transmitted through sex (with a person, not a fish). Two cases were documented in 1989 where doctors suspect husbands passed the toxin to their wives through the semen. Ciguatera symptoms include muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

28 Serial Killers are going extinct.

Serial killers are dying out. Serial killers in TV and movies are as common as stray dogs, but in real life their numbers are steadily dropping. We have gone from 128 killers with three or more victims in 1987 to just 15 in 2015. Part of the reason is that police have gotten much better at catching them. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

27 Who is doing all the work in World of Warcraft?

World of Warcraft is full of invisible slave bunnies. Many video games use invisible non- player characters to perform certain tasks, as it's easier to repurpose those than to write entirely new scripts. World of Warcraft is inhabited by over 1,000 invisible bunnies slaving away for your entertainment. Were you hit by a laser turret? A bunny did it. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

26 Cutting an avocado? Remember the core!

People are getting seriously hurt trying to cut avocados. Avocados aren't as good for you when you slice your damn hand wide open, now are they? People unfamiliar with the fruit have their knives bounce off the hard pit, resulting in nasty gashes that often require surgery. Doctors are calling this avocado hand, and say it's horrifyingly common. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

25 What's the deal with "What's the deal?"?

Jerry Seinfeld never unironically said What's the deal with ... ? on Seinfeld. No, not even in the pre-intro stand-up sets. It's apparently associated with him just because he said it in a 1992 SNL skit where he played a game show host. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

24 Don't cut yourself on all that edge!

Gritty superheroes were already sitcom material in the '90s. The '90s were the heyday of edgy heroes. Even back then it was so laughable that Bob Newhart had a sitcom about this. In 1992's Bob, Newhart played an old- school comic artist whose wholesome superhero gets a gritty reboot. Marvel released a tie-in comic to promote the show. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

23 Today in Yikes History!

Several cities made it illegal to be disabled in public. ess Vicey Clea BOC SATI PY ST CIG Back in the late 1800s, several major U.S. cities passed unsightyly beggar ordinances, later known simply as ugly laws. If you were found being disabled and/or deformed, you could be fined or thrown into a poorhouse. These laws weren't entirely repealed until the 1970s. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

22 ...Is a fake king still technically a king?

A fake aristocrat had himself appointed king. Boris Skossyreff was a small-time Russian swindler who claimed to be a Count. In the 1930s he moved to Andorra and proposed several reforms, including to be made king. Unsatisfied with the foreign rule, the Andorran Council voted him in almost unanimously. His reign was short-lived, as he was soon deported to Spain. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

21 You can't just endorse anything!

In Asia, celebrities aren't allowed to advertise crappy products. - DE SAMAN Celebrities in India are expected to fact- check any claim they make about products they're paid to promote. They face hefty fines if they mislead the audience for not doing their homework. In China, they may be banned from advertising for up to three years. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

20 Food left sitting in hot lights? Yikes.

The feast scenes in Harry Potter reeked of rotting food. The sumptuous banquets in Hogwarts' Great Hall were filmed over three or four days - and the food was never removed or changed. The second day, the actors were advised not to try to eat anything. By the fourth day of shooting, the stench hit them before stepping into the hall. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

19 ...Did Kodak invent NFTs?

Kodak is now involved in shady Bitcoin schemes. KODAK KashMiner When their photo business went down, Kodak was reduced to sketchy schemes. Like the KashMiner, a ridiculously overpriced Bitcoin miner. It came with unrealistic promises of riches. They also launched KodakCoin, a photo-based cryptocurrency that nobody is sure how it's supposed to work. GRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

18 Scallions, green onions, and spring onions...

Scallions and green onions are the same vegetable, with different names. But spring onions are different - their bulbs are much bigger than those of green onions, and those bulbs in fact kind of look like small onions. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

17 We have a lot of questions about this one.

One crane at the Smithsonian National Zoo has a human mate (kind of). They mate for life, and the crane Walnut has chosen zookeeper Chris Crowe - in 2004. She hasn't changed her mind since, apparently. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

16 Not many nuclear bomb stories end with: "It could have been worse?"

In 1957, a nuclear bomb in the desert exploded directly over six guys' heads. They were five Air Force officers and a cameraman, and apparently they all reached old age. One of them might even still be alive. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

15 Michelin Guide Inspectors eat pretty well.

Being a Michelin Guide Inspector means eating 275 inspection meals a year. IC And that's just the minimum. Luckily, to compensate for the effects of that, Michelin has a plan - they reimburse fitness membership fees. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

14 The perfect metaphor for capitalism?

There was a futuristic floating McDonald's on a barge in Canada way back in 1986. It was set up for the 1986 World Expo in Vancouver, and orders were brought out on a conveyor belt. But after the Expo, it was left to rot for years. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

13 The British are making fresh water at sea.

A British aircraft carrier produces 540 tons of fresh water per day at sea. The HMS Queen Elizabeth uses a reverse osmosis system that filters salt molecules, creating enough fresh water each day to fill 12,000 bathtubs. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

12 Sadly, you did not come up with this idea on your own.

31 Surprising Facts to Spice Up Any Boring Conversation — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

11 Do not underestimate the importance of porta-potties.

A Pink Floyd concert brought down the Venetian government. In 1989, Venice organized a free Pink Floyd concert. Predictably, the city was overrun. 200,000 fans left behind 300 tons of garbage, and since no porta- potties were provided, they went to the bathroom on historical monuments. The mayor and the entire city council resigned amid protests a few days later. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

10 Please keep your Machu Picchu in your pants.

Peru has asked tourists to stop getting naked at Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is a place where you can admire ancient Inca architecture and tourist dong. So many people are taking pictures of themselves in the buff that the Peruvian government has formally requested them to stop. Cambodia and Thailand have similar issues in their tourist spots. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

9 Michael Jackson didn't sing on the Simpsons

Michael Jackson didn't do his own singing on The Simpsons. Of all the Simpsons cameos, Jackson's is one of the best-known-but he only did the speaking parts. By his stipulation, the singing was provided by a soundalike named Kipp Lennon. The only explanation Jackson gave was that it was a joke on his brothers. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

8 Squirrels are little freaks.

Squirrels are cannibals. Don't let those cute, fluffy faces deceive you-squirrels are bloodthirsty killers. Given the chance, they will gladly feast on baby birds, smaller animals, and even baby squirrels. When there's enough food around, the mother of a murdered litter will agree to have a second one-with the murderer. Which species of squirrel are those? Pretty much all of them. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

7 How did this one take off?

Musical pitch is a Nazi tool, according to a conspiracy theory. The Schiller Institute from Germany believes that the standard tuning of musical instruments was created by Nazi Germany to somehow make people more aggressive. They started a campaign to lower the standard pitch of musical notes to one that'll make everyone chiller. This campaign recruited stars like Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. GRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Astonishing Facts You Need In Your Brain

6 John Leguizamo prioritized Luigi.

John Leguizamo sadly sacrificed a lot to play Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Не had gotten the chance to play Tom Hanks' character's love interest in Philadelphia, but he refused the offer and decided to play Luigi instead. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

5 Aaron Sorkin got a little too into his work.

Aaron Sorkin once hurt his hand by practicing a scene for The Newsroom. Не got up in the middle of the night to practice an idea he had, and that involved lunging at his bathroom mirror - he broke it, and went to the ER. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

4 Krusty made the same mistake as McDonalds

A classic Simpsons Olympics episode is based on something that really happened. MILKS In Lisa's First Word, Krusty Burger offers free burgers if the US team wins, and that comes back to bite him. This really happened to McD's in 1984. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

3 The Beatles wanted Mick Jagger in A Clockwork Orange... for reasons?

In 1968, the Beatles signed a petition to get Mick Jagger in A Clockwork Orange. They sent it to Terry Southern, who was writing the movie adaptation's script, demanding to have Jagger in the lead role. Alas, it was clearly unsuccessful. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

2 Isaac Newton wasn't great in Parliament

Isaac Newton was a member of Parliament, but he was very ineffective. During his 21-year stint there, he apparently only spoke once, and it was to the usher - he asked him to close the window one time when it was chilly. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

1 Rick James destroyed an original Salvador Dali

Rick James once got a custom drawing by Salvador Dali, but he ruined it. Dali sketched him at a party on a napkin, and gave it to James. James left it in his shorts, forgot about it, and went swimming in them the next day. CRACKED.COM — Source: 13 Cool Conversation-Starting Facts We Never Knew

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