12 Farm-Fresh Trivia Tidbits for Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Pop quiz, hot shot: What five words are on every U.S. coin in circulation?
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Czech Beavers Saved Taxpayers a Ton of Money
As officials were drumming up a $1.2 million project to dam up a section of the Klabava River, wild beavers went ahead and built several dams in that exact location. They’ve created an ecologically stable wetland that’s twice as large as what the humans had been planning.
The Earth’s Core Is Like an Inverse Tootsie Pop
Scientists had long thought that the super-hot, molten core of our planet was actually a solid ball due to the extreme pressure down there. But a new study of Antarctic earthquakes suggests that it actually has kind of a gooey outer layer surrounding a more solid center. That whole thing sits in the center of a liquid metal outer core.
Stellantis, Owner of Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Ram, Is Adding Full-Screen Pop-Up Ads to Your Car
Jeep users are reporting getting full-screen ads for auto part maker Mopar on their touch screens when they pull up to a red light and go to check their GPS.
What’s the Biggest Thing in the Universe?
Scientists have just observed the biggest thing they’ve ever seen: Quipu, a cosmic filament that connects multiple galaxies and their associated dark matter. In total, it’s 1.3 billion light years long.
The Mayor of Houston Had a Seven-Floor Apartment Inside the Astrodome
Roy Hofheinz, who financed and developed the Astrodome in 1965, had a private seven-floor residence built into the stadium overlooking right field. It had a bowling alley, a shooting range, a theater and a barber shop, among other unnecessary amenities.
The Scrabble Champion Who Wins in Multiple Languages
Nigel Richards is a repeat English World Champion Scrabble player from New Zealand who has also won the French World Championship and the Spanish World Championship. He’s not fluent in French or Spanish; he’s just really good at memorizing.
The Five Words on Every U.S. Coin in Circulation
They all say “In God We Trust,” but there’s one more word floating around: “Liberty.” The Coinage Act of 1792 made it mandatory to have both the word “Liberty” and a personification of the concept of liberty on every coin.
When Given the Opportunity, Cockatoos Like to Dip Their Food
Researchers had previously found that cockatoos will dip dry food into water when it’s available, and a new study found that they’ll seek out various flavored dips as well. Their favorite appears to be blueberry-flavored soy yogurt.
You Can Name a Big Disgusting Worm After Your Ex This Valentine’s Day
The Columbus Zoo is running a fundraiser where, for $15, you can name a superworm that resident sloth bears Randhir and Heiderose will ruthlessly devour.
The San Antonio Zoo Is Running a Similar Promotion
Their “Cry Me a Cockroach” fundraiser offers a tiered menu: $5 to name a vegetable, $10 for a cockroach and $25 for a rodent that will be eaten by one of their animals.
Which U.S. Industries Are the Most Lucrative?
This doesn’t trickle down to the worker, mind you, but the industries where companies make the most profit are retail investment trusts (25 percent average net margin), entertainment software (27 percent) and tobacco (32 percent).
Lick the Colossal Boots of Uncle Sam, at the Danbury State Fairgrounds
In 1965, some dusty old jingoistic losers in Ohio built what still stands today as the tallest Uncle Sam statue in the world, at 38 feet high. It was moved to Lake George for a while, but some modern jingoistic losers got it moved back to the Danbury State Fairgrounds in 2019.
