A list of curious facts
One: Did you know that researchers have found a parasite—Aster Yellows phytoplasma—that turns plants into zombies? According to the New York Times:
“It becomes something like a mix between a vampire that never ages and a zombie host whose body serves the needs of its parasite, namely, tempting sap-sucking insects to feast on the plant’s bodily fluids as long as possible. When the insects ingest the parasite, they spread it to new hosts, and the whole ‘Night of the Living Dead-meets-Dracula’ cycle repeats.”
Two: Did you know the orcs in ‘Lord of the Rings’ are inspired by Harvey Weinstein—as a kind of f**k you from director Peter Jackson? (AV Club)
Three: Prince Charles’ Aston Martin runs on “surplus English white wine and whey from the cheese process.” He’s terribly proud of how ‘green’ it is but experts say:
“Prince Charles’s quaint solution to decarbonise his Aston Martin using a high blend of bioethanol made from cheese and wine wastes should not be mistaken for a serious solution to decarbonise vehicles.” (The Guardian)
Four: Did you know that Lakmé was Pandit Nehru’s brainchild—to save on foreign exchange splurged by Indian women on foreign beauty products. And the name is French for Lakshmi—inspired by an opera that was huge in Paris at the time.
Five: The Japanese are trying to deal with bear attacks with a rock song performed by a pair of local sexagenarian performers. The lyrics:
“So you think bear cubs are cute? Discard that naive way of thinking! Nearby that cub is a parent bear, and it’ll suddenly attack you! Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar, roar – it’ll suddenly attack you!”
You can hear it below. We personally think it would be a lot more effective just to turn up the volume and blare it at bears—who will run away for sure. (The Guardian)
