A list of curious facts
One: One of the oddest movies to premiere at the Cannes has the middle aged actress-director Valérie Lemercier play Celine Dion at every age of her life—including as a 5-year-old child. And at one point in the movie—titled ‘Aline’—a 57-year-old plays a 12-year-old with a crush on her 40-year-old manager—while her mother tries to nix the union, declaring that the man is far too old for her. Just saying. New York Times has a hilarious review of this movie variously described as “crazy," "kooky," "insane" and "horrifying." See the trailer below.
Two: This caterpillar in Ecuador looks like a feather to avoid predatory birds. It even moves backwards to look like it is waving in the breeze. Full video here.
Three: Bird lovers rejoice! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has created a free app that is the Shazam for bird songs. An AI-infused “Sound ID” feature captures bird sounds and compares them to crowdsourced samples to identify the warbler. Definitely worth downloading the next time you head out for a long weekend in the wilderness. Fast Company has more.
Four: This gorgeous 18-metre long cardboard bridge is currently suspended by three large white helium balloons, and ethereally floats above Rome's Tiber. It is actually inspired by a project commissioned by Pope Paul III who asked Michelangelo to build it for him. But it never happened. This is an artistic tribute to that failed project.
Five: The city of Tel Aviv requires pet owners to register their dog’s DNA so their poop can be identified—and their tardy owners fined. Yup, that’s it. That’s the crazy fact. (Newsweek)
Six: Did you know that the Apple weather app will not say it is 69°F outside? Just won’t do it. One possible reason: It may be converting from Celsius—and 20°C converts to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, while 21°C converts to 69.8°F. The other possible reason: Apple is a dreadful prude :) (The Verge)
