For some people, starting conversations is pan comido, while for others it can become a headache. Sometimes our minds go blank or we have already exhausted all the stories we had to share. Some other times we discover something that serves as an interesting conversation-starter. For times like that, here is a list of interesting and unusual fun facts that just might blow their minds:
- The Canary Islands are named after dogs
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One would think that the archipelago in Spain got its name from birds, but they are actually named after dogs! Its name comes from the Latin phrase Canariae Insulae which translates to “island of dogs.”
- Sign language is an official language
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There are about 72 million deaf people in the world, and there are 43 countries that have their country’s sign language as their official language, but there are more than 300 types. In North America, Mexico is the only one that recognizes their sign language as an official one.
- There are one million ants per human
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There are about “one million billion” ants in the world. According to ants.com, there are more than 12,000 ant species. To escape them, the only possible place to move to is Antarctica.
- The search for Cleopatra’s tomb
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Known as Egypt’s last pharaoh, Cleopatra’s life has become one of the most famous ones in history (mostly for her love affairs). Even though there is enough history about her existence and way of living, her tomb, which would probably contain more information about her, has yet to be found. The search has lasted around 2,000 years since her death.
- Some people can taste words or hear colors
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Some people have a neurological condition called synesthesia which is connected to the five basic senses. There are different types of synesthesia including people that hear certain words that provoke taste, or listen to music and see colors.
- Twitter’s bird is named Larry
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Twitter’s logo has a name: Larry the bird! Apparently, its name is in honor of the ex-basketball player Larry Bird.
- Memories are reconstructed
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Each time we are about to share a memory, we recreate it and change things. Sadly, we can’t recover the whole story.
- Koalas at crime scenes
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Koalas’ fingerprints are so similar to humans’ that they have been mistakenly found in crime scenes.
- High heels were invented for men
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Heels were created and worn by men in the 10th century to be taller while shooting bows and arrows and when working with horses. Louis XIV was famous for wearing heels and, in his era, the height of the heel would demonstrate how powerful the family was.
There are a lot of weird, simple, scary, and basic things we do not know about the world and about ourselves, which makes us remember how small we are. Looking for facts about different topics is a fun way to get out of our heads for a while and learn something new! What other fun facts do you know?