Fast facts – Weird and wonderful bits of trivia to share with friends.

from My Weekly Preview Issue 690. January 27, 2022

Feature story – Two women who

It’s pretty common to read the claim that our nose and ears are the only parts of our body that keep growing as we age, but that’s not exactly true. Our nose and ears stop growing along with the rest of our body, but thanks to the weight of gravity, both parts continue to lengthen over time, according to the Discovery Channel.

Quote of the week.

“All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is keep moving towards them.” – Viola Davis

Some fungi create zombies, then control their minds. The tropical fungus Ophiocordyceps infects ants’ central nervous systems. Once it has been in an insect’s body for nine days, it has complete control over the host’s movements. According to National Geographic, it forces the ant to climb trees, then convulse and fall into the cool, moist soil below, where fungi thrive.

By the numbers 8

20%

Eight of the world’s 10 largest statues are of Buddhas. More than a fifth of the world’s calories are consumed every day in rice alone.

4x

Mexico’s presidential palace is 14 times larger than the US White House.

Before alarm clocks and way before smartphone alarms, there were people called knocker-uppers who would literally knock on people’s windows to wake them up in time for work. Up until the 1970s, knocker-uppers used a long stick, soft hammers, rattles, or even pea shooters to reach their clients’ windows!

Today in history – January 27

1944 – Soviet forces free the people of Leningrad. The Siege of Leningrad lasted 872 days and left more than a million people dead. 1945 – Soviet forces liberate Auschwitz. The German Nazi regime murdered over 1.1 million people in the extermination camps near Oświęcim, Poland. 1967 – Three astronauts die in a cabin fire while preparing for the Apollo 1 mission. The accident was a huge blow to NASA’s Apollo manned lunar landing program. 1983 – The first shaft of the world’s longest tunnel is completed. The Seikan Tunnel, 53.85 kilometres in length, connects the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.