Odd facts and knowledge may not be particularly useful, but they're great when you need to make small talk—and when playing Trivial Pursuit.
Random bits of useless information have always seemed to stick in my brain, while the important stuff seems to wander away into the aether.
For example: I still remember the WiFi password from 3 routers and approximately 10 years ago, but I cannot remember an important date or appointment unless my phone reminds me.
Here are some other folks who retain weird and not particularly useful information too.
Reddit user u/v1ralsp1ral asked:
"What is the most useless fact you know?"
Kangaroos
Giphy
If all kangaroos from Australia invaded Uruguay, each uruguayan would have to fight against approximately 13 kangaroos
Butt
A "butt" is a unit of measurement equivalent to 126 gallons. So if you claim that you have a buttload of something, you better have 126 gallons of that something
Ants
Giphy
Ants can't take fall damage because their terminal velocity isn't fast enough to break their exoskeleton.
Since the 50s
soaps and detergents are marketing themselves as eco-friendly because "NOW they are Phosphate free" but phosphates have been outlawed in all 50 states since 1994 and the surfactant industry began moving away from the use of phosphate based soaps in the 50s.....
But they can charge 5% more for doing nothing
Elvis
Giphy
The only endorsement Elvis Presley ever did was for a donut shop that he loved.
He made the appearance at just 19 years old in 1954 when he was relatively unknown. Not only was this the only endorsement he ever did, but his compensation for it was a box of hot glazed donuts from the shop.
Muscovite
Foot tickling for sexual arousal was a tradition in the Muscovite palaces and courts for centuries. Catherine the Great and Anna Ivanovna were ardent participants.
Ticklers sang naughty ballads and told lewd stories whilst tickling their ladies feet, working their mistresses up into an erotic frenzy with which to meet their husbands or partners.
Polar Bears
Polar bear livers contain a deadly level of vitamin A.
Its useless because our livers are totally safe for polar bears and that's likely how things would go if we met.
Eels
Giphy
Eels actually have 2 jaws. The first being like a normal jaw, the second being hidden in their throat. The secondary jaw lunges forward when the eel bites down on prey, bites down on the piece within the mouth and bites a chunk out of it, pulling it down the throat. Think about the alien in the movie Alien, the secondary mini-mouth they use is based off an eels anatomy.
When the jaws open wide
And there's more jaws inside
That's a moray
Banana
The bananas we based artificial banana flavoring on were [nearly] wiped out by a blight, which is why artificial banana tastes so different from real bananas
The Gros Michel Banana is alive and well, just not nearly as common as they were in the first half of the 20th century.
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@shelby.springall/Instagram
@TheWhiteHouse/X
@gregalmonte/X
@willbarrelUSA/X
@mandaconda__/X
@justinedougher6/X
@shauna1187/X
@murray6971/Bluesky
@admiralmpj/Bluesky
@villagefool13/X
@jonathancohn/Bluesky
@hanssolo4love/Bluesky
@scottbrockman/X
@publicpolicyman/Bluesky
