Fun Fact of the Day

Day 50

The Great Pyramids are not in fact the shape of a standard “pyramids”. It was discovered in 1940 that the pyramids are concaved on every side so that the pyramid is actually 8 sided and not 4 sided. Why did it take so long?

Day 51

Norton’s Dome is a thought experiment in Newtonian physics where a particle sits atop a specially shaped frictionless dome. According to the laws of motion, the particle can either stay at rest forever or spontaneously start moving at any time without a cause. This breaks the usual expectation of determinism in classical mechanics, where the future is uniquely determined by initial conditions. The dome’s shape leads to a mathematical equation with multiple valid solutions, showing that Newtonian physics can allow indeterminism in idealized cases.

Day 52

Synesthesia is a neurological condition where stimulation of one sense involuntarily triggers another, like seeing colors when hearing music or tasting words. It affects about 4% of people and is usually genetic. Common types include associating letters or numbers with colors (grapheme-color) and seeing sounds as colors (chromesthesia). This happens because of extra connections or cross-talk between sensory areas in the brain. Synesthesia is consistent and automatic for those who have it, often enhancing creativity and memory. Famous synesthetes include artists and musicians who use it to inspire their work.

Day 53

Overjustification Effect. Rewards, like money, can stifle motivation. This is especially true in tasks requiring creativity, problem-solving, or deep thinking. When people focus on the reward, they often become less interested in the task itself, leading to reduced performance. This is known as the overjustification effect. Studies show that larger incentives can increase anxiety or narrow focus, which hinders performance in most tasks. Instead it is curiosity, pride, or purpose that tends to produce better, more sustained results. So, in complex tasks, more reward can mean worse outcomes.

Day 54

Aphantasia is a neurological condition where a person is unable to voluntarily visualize mental images. People with aphantasia do not see pictures in their mind’s eye, even when trying to imagine familiar objects, faces, or scenes. Despite this, they can still recall facts and information, and their memory, creativity, and intelligence are typically unaffected. Aphantasia exists on a spectrum and may go unnoticed until someone realizes others visualize differently. It can affect dreaming, memory recall, and emotional processing, though experiences vary. The condition is not considered a disorder and often doesn’t interfere with daily life.

Day 55

Butterflies can retain memories from when they were caterpillars. Scientists found that trained caterpillars avoided certain odors even after becoming adults. Thia indicates that even after thier brain and body have become literal goo, that their memories can survive this amazing transformation.

Day 56

MKUltra was a secret CIA program launched in the 1950s to study mind control, brainwashing, and behavior modification. It involved unethical experiments on unwitting subjects, using drugs like LSD, hypnosis, and sensory deprivation. Victims included prisoners, hospital patients, and civilians, many of whom were drugged without consent. The program aimed to develop interrogation and espionage techniques during the Cold War. Most records were destroyed in 1973, but investigations in the 1970s exposed its abuses. MKUltra remains a notorious example of government misconduct and sparked debates over human rights and informed consent in scientific research.

Day 57

Operation Paperclip was a secret U.S. program after World War II that brought over 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians—many with Nazi ties—to America. The goal was to gain an edge in the Cold War, especially in rocketry, weapons, and aerospace. Notable figures like Wernher von Braun, who developed Nazi Germany’s V-2 rocket, later helped lead NASA’s space efforts. The U.S. government often hid the Nazi affiliations of these individuals to bypass immigration laws. While it advanced U.S. technology, the operation remains controversial due to its ethical compromises and connection to former Nazis.

Day 58

Operation Mockingbird was a covert CIA program alleged to have begun in the late 1940s to influence media both in the U.S. and abroad. The CIA recruited journalists and placed agents in major news outlets to spread propaganda, shape public opinion, and suppress unfavorable coverage. Though full details remain classified, Church Committee hearings and some declassified documents confirm that journalists were used for intelligence purposes. The program raised serious concerns about press freedom and government manipulation of information. It was reportedly phased out in the 1970s after public scrutiny and growing distrust of intelligence agencies.

Day 59

On June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israeli forces attacked the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy intelligence ship in international waters, killing 34 Americans and wounding 171. Israel claimed it was a case of mistaken identity, believing the ship was Egyptian. The U.S. government accepted the explanation, but survivors and some officials disputed it, citing clear markings and even claimed being surveilled by Isreali surveillance plans before the attack. Multiple investigations followed, but controversy remains over whether the attack was deliberate. The incident continues to raise questions about military accountability and transparency in U.S.-Israel relations.

Day 60

COINTELPRO was a secret FBI operation (1956–1971) aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, and disrupting U.S. political groups considered “subversive.” Targets included civil rights leaders, anti-war activists, and groups like the Black Panthers. Tactics involved wiretapping, spreading false information, forging documents, and encouraging internal conflict. Martin Luther King Jr. was notably harassed, including with a letter urging him to commit suicide. The program was exposed in 1971 by activists who stole FBI files. Subsequent investigations found it to be illegal and unconstitutional, violating First and Fourth Amendment rights. It remains a symbol of government overreach and political suppression.

Day 61

Bohemian Grove is a private, highly exclusive 2,700-acre campground located in Monte Rio, California. It’s a private, all-male club based in San Francisco. Every July, the club hosts a two-week retreat that brings together some of the most powerful men in the world — including business leaders, government officials, artists, and other elites. Former U.S. Presidents like Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have reportedly attended. Famously Alex Jones infiltrated and filmed a ceremony there called “Cremation of Care” involving a giant owl.

Richard Nixon was caught on tape saying this about the Grove:
“The Bohemian Grove — which I attend, from time to time — it is the most faggy goddamned thing you could ever imagine, with that San Francisco crowd. I can’t shake hands with anybody from San Francisco”

Day 62

The number ¹⁄₁₃₇ is represented as the “fine-structure constant” or “α”. It’s a special number in physics that tells us how strong the electromagnetic force is — the force that makes electricity, magnetism, and light work.

This number shows up in how atoms behave, how light interacts with matter, and how chemical elements bond together. If it were just a little bigger or smaller, atoms might not hold together, stars might not shine properly, and life as we know it couldn’t exist. That’s why it’s considered a “finely tuned” number in nature.

What makes it even more interesting is that it has no units — it’s just a pure number, like π or e. Scientists don’t know why it has this exact value, and many have wondered if there’s a deeper reason or theory behind it. The famous physicist Richard Feynman called it “one of the greatest damn mysteries of physics.”

Day 63

David Hilbert, a prominent German mathematician in the early 20th century, famously said that mathematics would ultimately have three key properties:

Complete – Every true mathematical statement can be proven within the system.

Consistent – No contradictions can arise; you can’t prove both a statement and its opposite.

Decidable – There exists a mechanical procedure (an algorithm) to determine whether any given statement is provable.

When talking about the future of math, he said the following: “We must know. We will know”

Kurt Gödel, in 1931, proved that math is incomplete

Alan Turing, in 1936, proved that math is undecidable

The third rule, consistency, does not appear to be able to be proven false or true due to Gödel’s Second Incompleteness Theorem (1931):

Any sufficiently powerful and consistent formal system cannot prove its own consistency.

Day 64

Research suggests at least 30% of people do not experience an inner monologue.

An inner monologue typically refers to the internal voice that narrates your thoughts, like silently talking to yourself in complete sentences. But not everyone experiences thoughts this way — some people think in images, abstract concepts, or emotions instead.

A key study that brought attention to this was conducted by psychologist Russell Hurlburt, who found that:

Only about 26% of participants reported having an inner monologue frequently.

Others reported thinking more in pictures, sensory experiences, or non-verbal abstract thoughts.

Most of the time a person who doesnt have an inner monologue does not realize that they are a minority or different than most people who do have one.