UsefulBS - Straight Facts
Straight facts. Answers to questions you never knew you had.
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Why do most dreams vanish from memory just moments after waking up?
TLDR: We forget dreams because the brain chemicals needed to create long-term memories are suppressed during sleep, and the flood of new information when you wake up quickly overwrites the bizarre and fragile dream fragments.
Why are the teeth on a wood saw set in an alternating pattern?
TLDR: The teeth are bent left and right to cut a channel wider than the saw blade. This prevents the blade from getting stuck or binding in the wood and allows sawdust to escape, making the cut smoother and faster.
What is the secret mechanism floating inside a Magic 8-Ball?
TLDR: Inside the Magic 8-Ball, a 20-sided die with pre-written answers floats in dark blue liquid. When you turn the ball over, one of the die’s faces randomly floats up to the clear window, revealing your answer.
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Why does a candle flame become a perfect sphere in outer space?
On Earth, gravity makes hot air rise, pulling the flame upwards into a teardrop shape. In space, without gravity, the flame expands evenly in all directions to find oxygen, forming a perfect sphere.
Why was a baboon officially employed as a railroad signal operator for nine years?
TLDR: A double-amputee railroad worker in 1880s South Africa trained his pet baboon, Jack, to operate the signal levers for him. The baboon was so reliable and never made a mistake that the railway company officially hired him, and he worked the job for nine years.
Why does a crack in glass often spread out like a spiderweb?
An impact concentrates immense energy in one spot. Since brittle glass cannot bend, it cracks to release that energy. A primary crack forms and quickly branches out into multiple paths because splitting is the fastest and most efficient way to dissipate the sudden stress, creating a spiderweb pattern.
Why did Romans set pigs on fire to fight war elephants?
TLDR: Romans discovered elephants are terrified by the sound of squealing pigs. Setting the pigs on fire made them squeal uncontrollably and run in panic, which caused the war elephants to freak out and stampede through their own army.