A list of curious facts
One: Rejoice fellow fashion slackers! Frumpy is now fabulous. The Times calls it the ‘Bridget Jones’ look, perfect for those of us “who are as crumpled as an unmade bed — scruffy, a bit dishevelled and chaotically eclectic.” Unlike the Bridgets of yore, this one is not just “relatable” but also “oddly desirable.” Mercifully, it merely requires an attitude not an overpriced, underwhelming wardrobe (‘quiet luxury’ anybody?). However, if you do feel the urge to burn some cash:
An anorak thrown on over a ritzy cocktail dress, say, at Prada and Burberry; embellished pop socks with hiking boots at Fendi; a tailored blazer with a Nike sports bra at Italian, party-girl favourite The Attico. At Miu Miu... collars are askew, knits tied around the waist like improvised bodices, square-toed loafers worn with knee-high socks and pleated skirts as if they were the only pair of matching shoes you could find this morning.
Behold the parka-meets-cocktail gown look (see: lead image)—and the birth of the pop culture oxymoron: the size zero Bridget.
Two: Humans have devised a test to determine the exact moment when machines will make us obsolete. It’s called “Humanity’s Last Exam” and is supposedly the hardest test ever administered to AI systems. It consists of roughly 3,000 multiple-choice and short answer questions in areas ranging from analytic philosophy to rocket engineering. Example:
Hummingbirds within Apodiformes uniquely have a bilaterally paired oval bone, a sesamoid embedded in the caudolateral portion of the expanded, cruciate aponeurosis of insertion of m. depressor caudae. How many paired tendons are supported by this sesamoid bone? Answer with a number.
Alternatively: “In Greek mythology, who was Jason's maternal great-grandfather?” The most amusing bit about this curious fact: “The test’s original name, ‘Humanity’s Last Stand,’ was discarded for being overly dramatic.” FYI: the hottest acronym these days is not FOMO but FOBO—Fear of Becoming Obsolete. (New York Times, login required, TechRadar)
Three: Sweden has applied to become the first country to trademark its name—to the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The reason: There are far too many other ‘dupes’ in this world. Surely no one wants Sweden, North Carolina, trying to pass itself off as the real thing. Even its tourism website looks like this:
FYI: There are a grand total of eight Swedens in the world—the same number as India—which includes four in the United States, and one each in Mozambique, The Gambia, El Salvador and Moldova. (Gizmodo)
Bonus fact: Rock legend Jeff Beck’s guitar is named Anoushka—as in Pandit Ravi Shankar’s daughter. The white Fender Stratocaster got its name when it was signed by her. And it recently sold for over $1 million at auction. FYI: He also had a guitar named Tina, as in Tina Turner. It’s bright pink and way prettier. You can see him play Anoushka here. (The Telegraph)
