John Plunkett. Updated February 10th, 2021
Here’s a rather lovely thing that was started by historian, author and presenter Greg Jenner over on Twitter.
It all began when that side-by-side comparison of two Disney films you might have seen went viral because so many people didn’t know about it.
I’m so confused right now. pic.twitter.com/gnAExj9bin
— Fred Schultz (@fred035schultz) February 6, 2021
Greg thought more people would have known about it already …
I thought everyone knew this already? https://t.co/9sbY2cAEnn
— Greg Jenner (@greg_jenner) February 7, 2021
… and it got him thinking.
It’s always so interesting to see what people do and don’t know. Part of the problem with the massive splintering of media channels into a bazillion places is not everyone sees the same things anymore
— Greg Jenner (@greg_jenner) February 7, 2021
So he asked this.
Here’s an impossible-to-answer-but-fun-to-ask thought experiment, what’s the most widely-known fact which will blow the minds of people who don’t know it?
I’ll start the bidding low with The Beatles is a pun on ‘Beat combo’
— Greg Jenner (@greg_jenner) February 7, 2021
And we’re glad he did because it prompted lots of people to get in touch with facts that were almost all entirely mind-blowing.
How many of them qualify as also ‘widely known’, well, you be the judge. But it makes for a very interesting thread …
1.
I forward that the arrow on the fuel indicator shows which side the fuel cap is on. pic.twitter.com/ciohxVd7Dx
— Bethany Black ️⚧️ twitch.tv/beffernieblack (@BeffernieBlack) February 7, 2021
2.
The name Chubby Checker being a spoof of Fats Domino. I know that blows people’s minds as I posted it here once before and my mentions went crazy!
— Royston (@roystoncartoons) February 7, 2021
3.
A second is called a second as it’s the second division of the hour by 60. The first being the minute, of course.
— Ross Mac (@GestyNod) February 7, 2021
4.
I’m going pufferfish aren’t inflated like a balloon https://t.co/HSgVx4iwb7
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) February 7, 2021
5.
One 18” pizza contains more pizza than two 12” pizzas.
— Stuart Moffatt (@StuMoff) February 7, 2021
6.
Thought “Hans Zimmer wrote the theme tune to Going for Gold” was very well-known by now but it still seems to blow people’s minds.
— (@blakeconnolly) February 7, 2021
7.
When a boxing referee shouts “seconds out” he’s not calling time on the break between rounds but instructing the cornermen to get out of the ring.
— EdH73 (@EdH73) February 7, 2021
8.
My fave is a historical one – we live closer in time to the life of Cleopatra than Cleopatra was to the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Egypt is ooooold.
— The Church Mouse (@thechurchmouse) February 7, 2021
9.
These are my faves too. Humans are closer in time to the T-Rex than the T-Rex was to the stegosaurus.
(Oh, & quirky geography ones too. Hamburg is further north than Liverpool; Edinburgh is further west than Bristol; the pacific ocean is at the eastern end of the Panana canal)
— Darren Sugg (@DarrenSugg1) February 7, 2021
10.
Salvador Dali designed the Chupa Chups lolly wrapper logo.
— Anthony James (@Gruffsdad) February 7, 2021
11.
Oranges were originally Green and the word meant the tree not the fruit.
— HappyToast ★ (@IamHappyToast) February 7, 2021
12.
Your eyeballs never grow !! You are born with full sized eyeballs which is why some babies look so big eyed.
— michael jenner (@michael_jenner) February 7, 2021
