A list of curious facts
One: Is there anything you can’t make out of LEGO? Apparently not. F1 driver Lando Norris drove a full-sized, fully functional McLaren P1 sports car—made out of 342,817 LEGO pieces around Silverstone Circuit. The smaller 1:8 version is on sale in stores—along with buildable gearboxes, wheels, and axles that actually work. You can see what it looks like in the lead image. The demo vid has more nerdy gyaan—and action shots of the world’s fanciest toy car. (Robb Report)
Two: Want to make that pilgrimage but just don’t have the time? Get yourself the Sri Mandir app. You can watch videos of pujas at your temple of choice—participate in prayers and donate money—from your phone. But here’s the really crazy bit: The average monthly spend on the app is $100! That’s why it’s far more popular with NRI types. The three-year-old app has gained 500,000 registered users and 2.5 million downloads outside India since January. Most of them are in the US—followed by Canada, the UK, and the Middle East. Hence, the company’s A-list investors—which include Nandan Nilekani, Elevation Capital, and Peak XV. (TechCrunch)
Three: Fashion is pain. But TikTok trends are just plain torture. Say hello to the ‘morning shed’—which involves this:
Every night, a group of women take out their skin-care tools. They use cleansers, creams, and overnight masks, then put on a bonnet, a mouth guard, a chin strap, and tape over their lips. They sleep on their backs, bodies slathered in oil, and when they awake, they hit record, revealing the removal process. The result? A fresh face that resembles a glazed doughnut.
We are quite honestly speechless. You can see what ruining your ‘beauty sleep’ looks like below. (Vogue)
Four: A wildlife resort in Wyoming is using an Instagram filter to stop unwanted human-animal encounters. The Selfie Control helps you exercise some self-control when you’re trying to take that perfect pic. Just so you don’t get a little too close to a bison or moose—in a burst of Insta enthusiasm. Too bad we don’t have similar filters in the most selfie-happy nation in the world. (ABC News)
Bonus fact: An AI-driven tool in England does the same job—except it uses noise and visuals to keep deer away from railway tracks: “The automated system uses sensors to identify when a deer approaches the tracks, which triggers alarms that deter the animal. A camera monitors its movement until it has been diverted to a safe distance.” Nice! (BBC News)
