10+ Non-Trivial Facts About Things That Seem Ordinary at First Glance

We live our lives without having any idea that owl cubs sleep horizontally, that Italian banks give loans secured by cheese, or that magnolia appeared so long ago that it isn’t even pollinated by bees.

We at Bright Side like to become privy to curious details and unknown facts that can both entertain us and help us to appear more cerebral in conversations. That being said, here’s a brand new compilation of super-interesting things.

1. Magnolia is such an ancient flower, it’s actually pollinated by beetles. That’s because bees didn’t even exist when magnolia first appeared.

2. Banks in Italy issue loans secured by Parmesan cheese.

3. This is how the 3,750-mile-long Great Wall of China ends.

4. Croissants with butter are made in a straight shape in France, while croissants with margarine are made curved.

5. You can pay a $200 fine if you water your houseplants too much in Singapore.

Improper plant watering can result in excess water in the saucer underneath the flower pot. It attracts mosquitoes who serve as dengue fever carriers. It’s a dangerous illness that can be fatal, which is why Singapore apartments and houses can get inspected for this, resulting in a fine if the owners don’t follow this law.

6. Fieldfare birds dive on birds of prey and fire at them with their poop. Sometimes they do it so well that the prey isn’t able to continue their flight.

7. Despite the common myth, bats are not blind. On the contrary, their eyesight is sharper than that of humans! It’s just that they prefer echolocation.

8. Cicadas can exist as larvae for up to 17 years and live underground before becoming adults.

9. In Brazilian prisons, every book a person reads reduces the prison sentence by 4 days. A person must write an assignment about each book they read.

10. Bamboo blooms once every few decades and then dies. It is also very durable: it’s used for making nails and fittings. And believe it or not, it’s actually a type of grass.

11. Popcorn is 4,000 years old. Not only did Native Americans eat it, but they also used it for making jewelry and fortune-telling thanks to the shape of the popped-up grain.

12. During severe cold, Chicago authorities turn on gas burners under the rails so that the metal won’t deform from the cold.

13. Owl cubs sleep in a horizontal position. That’s because their heads are too heavy and they’re not able to hold them up properly while they’re this young.

14. Santa Claus doesn’t wear red clothing because of Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola advertisements appeared in the 1930s. But it was in 1823 when Clement Clarke Moore created the image of Santa Claus wearing red and white. The idea was to make Christmas Eve a family holiday, and as we know, it worked.

What unexpected fact about an ordinary thing has surprised you recently?