A list of curious facts
One: The most cliched opening line for a novel is “It was a dark and stormy night.” But did you know that it is, in fact, the first line of an 1830 novel titled ‘Paul Clifford’ by Edward Bulwer-Lytton—who was every bit as popular as his contemporary Charles Dickens. While it has now become an example of the laziest kind of writing, the original read:
“It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.”
MentalFloss has lots more details for the literary buff.
Two: There have been innumerable guides to how coronavirus vaccines protect our body—but never one this colourful and cool. FYI: Despite being inundated with Covid information, we actually learned a lot from it.
Three: Speaking of medical things, do you know what happens when you rub your eyes? No? Prepare to be both fascinated and horrified by this MRI footage. (Futurism)
Four: There are now three “chief heat officers” in the world—appointed by Athens, Greece, Miami Dade county in the US and, most recently, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Their job is to figure out how to protect livelihoods from extreme heat—and reduce the impact of severe heat waves. (Quartz)
Five: Earwigs have two penises—left and right. No, that’s not the curious bit. This is: Some species generally use only one of their penises when mating even though both are fully functional—are the penile equivalent of “right-handed” or “left-handed.” That’s it. That’s the curious fact lol! (Smithsonian)
Six: Did you know that Piobbico, Italy, is the “world capital of ugly people.” And since 1879, it has been the headquarters of Club dei Brutti (“The Ugly Club”)—which today has 30,000 members across 25 global chapters. Once a matrimonial agency for single women, its modern-day aim is to celebrate inner beauty over the superficial kind. Applications for membership are approved based on rankings that range from “unspecified” to “extraordinarily ugly.” Rebecca Brill in The Paris Review pens a fun essay about her attempt to join this good-hearted club.
Seven: ‘Bewafa Chai-wala’ in Patna was started by two young men jilted by their baes. And you can get a special Rs 5 discount on a cuppa if you’ve been dumped, as well. (Deccan Herald) (h/t Shifa Zoya)
