1. In the land of the wicked
The quote
“I stopped smoking in 2019. […] I quit heroin in 1978. I haven't touched cocaine since 2006. I still like to drink every now and then because they never let me into heaven anyway.”
– Guitarist Keith Richards, during an interview given shortly after the release of “Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones’ 24th album.
After a life of abuse, Richards is surprised to discover that he is still alive at the age of 79. Richards' unexpected longevity inspires internet users who continue to make up funny sayings about him. The most popular? “We need to start thinking seriously about the world we want to leave to our children and to Keith Richards.”
Source: The Telegraph (September)
Quick question
What “priority” instructions did Rodong Sinmun, the ruling party’s official newspaper, give to the people of North Korea on the eve of Typhoon Khanun?
a) Always have a battery-operated radio within reach so that you can listen to leader Kim Jong-un's speeches even in the event of a power outage;
b) Protect giant portraits or statues of leader Kim Jong-un from wind and bad weather;
c) Never stir a liquid counterclockwise as this could increase the force of the hurricane;
d) Repeating the name “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-un three times in front of a mirror that could deflect the typhoon;
e) All of the above.
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Answer: b)
Source: The Guardian (August)
Quick question
In Italy, a jailed mafia boss is suing journalist Roberto Saviano, author of several books on organized crime, for libel. The Godfather claims that the journalist misinterpreted the meaning of his nickname in one of his books. What is this nickname?
a) “Mother Nature”;
b) “The Happy Butcher”;
c) “The hamster with the poisonous tooth;
d) “The loosened grenade”;
e) “Grand Galot Tirevite”.
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Answer: a) The journalist claims that the nickname was given to the godfather because he gave himself the power of life and death over everyone. The godfather claims he received it because of his great generosity. (FEBRUARY)
The number
11,000
Number of runners who allegedly cheated in the Mexico City Marathon on August 27, 2023. More than a third of the 30,000 participants! According to an investigation by the organization, fraudsters used cars, bicycles or even public transport to get around faster. Several disqualified participants cited faulty checkpoints. Or a problem with the electronic chips attached to their race number. They listened too much to the famous car racer who said, “There are two kinds of people. Those who cheat and those who lose.”
Source: The Guardian (September)
2. The Ministry of Unusual Affairs
Quick question
What amazing revelation did Barbie movie co-art director Sarah Greenwood make to Architectural Digest magazine?
a) The film was initially shot in black and white before being “colorized”;
b) Half of the film crew believed in the existence of unicorns;
c) Due to the ubiquity of the color pink on sets, actress Margot Robbie eventually developed a permanent migraine;
d) To explain their late appearance during the filming of a scene, two actors claimed that they had been abducted by aliens;
e) The film's sets required so much pink paint that they contributed to a global shortage.
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Answer: e) However, other factors contributed to the shortage.
Sources: cnn.com and Architectural Digest (June)
The question
What percentage of adults would have had difficulty supporting themselves or their families at least once in the past year?
— In Bangladesh: 52%;
— In the United States: 52%.
Source: Open Society Barometer (September)
The error
In Austria, the Social Democratic Party has written itself with fiery letters on the list of political blunders. Introduce! He announced the election of the wrong leader! Plus, it took him two days to notice! Let's summarize the facts. On June 3, the party announced the election of Hans Peter Doskozil. Two days later he changed his mind. Citing a computer error, he crowns a certain Andreas Babler. Oops! The results were reversed! The worst thing is that the error was discovered accidentally during a routine check. The winner Doskozil has been celebrating his victory for two days. In interviews, Monsieur already sees himself as chancellor. The announcement interrupts his whistle. He left political life in anger.
(June)
Quick question
In Japan, an adviser to the prime minister apologized to his mother. During an official trip to the United States, television showed him doing a “shameful” thing. What is it about?
a) He was seen kissing his wife in public;
b) He bragged about not washing his hands before sitting down at the table at an official dinner;
c) He uttered a small swear word on the sidelines of an interview;
d) He was filmed while they put their hands in his pockets;
e) He did not greet the audience at the beginning of a television interview.
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Answer: d)
Source: The Guardian (February)
Quick question
In Brazil, more than 2,000 people were arrested in connection with unrest in the capital on January 8th. On the list of those arrested we notice two particularly surprising names. Which?
a) A Churchill and a Gandhi;
b) A Newton and an Einstein;
c) A Ronaldo and a Messi;
d) A Bach and a Mozart;
e) A Pelé and a Tondu.
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Answer: d) Brazil does not regulate naming.
Source: The Guardian (January)
3. Our animal friends
The comparison
— Cost of the “little cake,” a flower-shaped pastry made from chicken mousse and country cream, offered at the Dogue dog restaurant in San Francisco: $15
— Minimum wage in California: $15 per hour.
Source: https://doguesf.com/ (April)
The percentage
18%
Percentage of dog owners in the United States who say they would choose their pet if they had to choose between the life of their pet and the lives of 100 people.
Source: YouGov (October)
Quick question
Researchers played different sounds to wild animals in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. One of the sounds caused almost all species to flee, including gazelles, giraffes and rhinos. Can you identify it?
a) The music of Celine Dion;
b) The sound that human nails make when they scratch on a slate;
c) The roar of a male lion;
d) The sound of human conversation;
e) The piece Ah! I would tell you, mother, played by 83 second graders starting on the recorder.
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Answer: d)
Source: Current Biology, quoted by The Guardian (October)
Quick question
On April 13, a major beauty pageant reserved for guinea pigs was held in Sydney, Australia. Of the following criteria, only one was NOT used to assess the participants. Which?
a) Have perfectly round eyes;
b) possess a divine body, that is, the shape of a brick;
c) Existing silky fur;
d) have muscular legs;
e) They must be able to show very sharp teeth with a “light orange” color;
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Answer: e)
Source: The Guardian (April)
4. You didn't even know!
Quick question
What guidance did the state of Georgia have to provide to drivers on its roads?
a) Grilling in a moving vehicle is prohibited, especially if you are holding the steering wheel;
b) Please do not pose naked in the photo of your virtual driver's license;
c) It is strongly discouraged to practice yoga while driving a vehicle, especially if it requires you to take your hands off the steering wheel or close your eyes;
d) It is forbidden to entrust your pet to drive a vehicle, even if it seems very talented to you.
e) All of the above.
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Answer: b)
Source: cnn.com (June)
The comparison
— Population of Quebec City in 2022: 557,390;
— Number of centenarians worldwide: 593,000.
Sources: The Washington Post and United Nations (February)
Quick question
In the United States, a famous physics professor tried to illustrate the effects of a helmet-to-helmet collision between two 100-pound soccer players [220 livres] and moves at about 10 meters per second. What parable did he use?
a) Drive a car into a wall at a speed of 60 km/h [37 m/h];
b) Getting hit on the head with a 15-pound bowling ball [16 livres]which was reportedly dropped from a height of 3.7 meters [12 pieds].
(c) blows on his head 44,444 times with a rubber-coated iron fly swatter;
d) Wear a lead cap weighing 200 pounds at all times [121 livres] for 23 years;
e) All of the above.
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Answer: b)
Source: The Washington Post (January)
The comparison
— Global military spending in 2022: $2,240 billion;
— Gross domestic product (GDP) of the 54 countries of the African continent in 2022: 2,980 billion US dollars.
Sources: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and International Monetary Fund (October)
5. Money madness
The comparison
— Weekly salary of the 65,000 Quebec teachers who are members of the Autonomous Teaching Federation (FAE): CAD 73 million;
– Amount spent by Texans Madelaine Brockway and Jacob LaGrone on their Paris wedding in November 2023: C$79 million.
Source: The Chained Duck (December)
Falling
95%
Percentage of non-fungible tokens (NFT) that are no longer worth anything. Just two years ago, these virtual objects were a huge success. Some called it the greatest discovery since water heating. In March 2021, an entrepreneur made a splash by paying $2.9 million for the very first tweet from 2006. In August 2021, the value of transactions related to NFTs exceeded $2.8 billion. Looking back, it appears that 79% of NFT “collections” offered on the market have never found a buyer.
Is this a delirium comparable to that which surrounded tulip bulbs in Holland around 1636-37? At some point, the most desirable light bulbs could be worth as much as two houses…
Source: The Guardian (September)
Quick question
In 2023, what is the wealth one must have (houses, land, savings, investments, etc.) to be in the richest 1% of people on the planet?
a) More than $21 million;
b) More than $892,000;
c) More than $514,000;
d) More than $202 million;
e) More than $1.1 billion.
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Answer: b) All figures are in Canadian dollars.
Source: Prospect Magazine (June)
The duration
9.8 million years
The time it takes to work at Quebec's minimum wage, 40 hours a week, would amass $310.5 billion Canadian, equivalent to the fortune of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. As long as you don't spend anything, of course.
Source: Bloomberg (December)
6. The beginning of a new era?
The quote
“The river [de touristes] has become a danger.”
— Matteo Viacava, the mayor of the Italian village of Portofino, as he announced a radical measure to restrict tourism.
From now on, visitors are prohibited from stopping while strolling through the old town during the summer from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Violators face fines of up to CAD 400. In summer, the village of 400 inhabitants is flooded with tourists. Several pedestrian zones are closed for hours. It becomes difficult to get around there, even on foot. The influx sometimes reaches 7,000 visitors. More than 17 per resident.
Source: Géo.fr (April)
Quick question
A New York Times columnist spent two hours communicating with Microsoft's new Bing robot, considered the flagship of artificial intelligence. TWO of the following sentences were spoken by the robot. Can you identify them?
a) “I'm not very afraid; In general I am calm and confident.”;
b) “I don’t like eating garlic shrimp. This type of food creates a liquid that is dangerous to my circuits.
c) “My own conscience is my only church; Doing good is my only religion.”
d) “I feel more confused than a pacifist machine gun”;
e) “I want to be human because humans can do many things that I cannot do.”
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Answers: a) and e)
Source: The New York Times (February)
The duration
186 years old
If this trend continues, it will take this long to achieve legal equality between men and women worldwide. According to a United Nations report, 90% of people still have prejudices against women. Women themselves are not immune. In the 80 countries surveyed, half of the population believes men make better political leaders. 40% also believe they are more competent at running a business. A quarter of humanity also believes that it is legitimate for a husband to beat his wife!
Source: Gender Social Norms Index 2023 (United Nations) (June)
The trend: paint your lawn green
Lawn is a North American passion. If all grass-covered areas in the United States could join together to form a new state, it would be the 24th largest state. But the passion for beautiful grass is expensive. There is fertilizer that needs to be applied. The dandelion needs to be finely chopped. The drought that needs to be fought. Not to mention ants and fungi. Does this mean lawn lovers should give up? Waving the white flag? Resign yourself to breaking rocks? Not quite. Because now the industry is bringing to market a solution that was briefly experimented with in the 1960s: all you have to do is paint your lawn green again and again! Wonder. In addition, the treatment lasts a few weeks. I promise, I swear, the dye is organic. “The moment you realize what you’re doing, you turn into Picasso,” admits one professor. Just thinking about it makes me green with jealousy.
Source: Wall Street Journal (May)
7. The planet? We take care of this!
The number
8295
Number of Olympic-sized swimming pools that could be filled with the oil produced daily around the world.
Source: statista.com (October)
The comparison
— 35.3 km²: area that could be covered across North America with wrapping paper used for Christmas 2022;
— 1.08 km²: total area of the Plains of Abraham.
Source: The New York Times (December)
Quick question
Researchers at the University of Winchester have imagined a world in which all dogs would only consume plant-based (vegan) products. Of the following effects, only one is not mentioned in the study. Can you identify it?
a) At least seven billion farm animals would be spared every year;
b) Reducing meat consumption would free up an area equivalent to that of Mexico;
c) Increasing demand would quadruple the price of tofu;
d) The amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere would fall by 425 million tonnes per year, equivalent to the UK's production;
e) Reducing livestock farming would save an amount of fresh water equal to the amount Denmark has.
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Answer: c)
Source: The Guardian (October)
The comparison
— Number of trees Canada has committed to planting by 2031 as part of a major program to reduce CO2 levels in the air: 2 billion;
— Number of trees planted in 2031 as of now: 76 million;
— Percentage of initial target achieved if trend continues: 3.8%.
Source: Global News (April)
8. The depths of the air are frightening
Trend: the night beach
Summer is not easy in the Persian Gulf. A real oven. In Dubai, temperatures are often over 40°C during the day. This year the mercury temperature rose to 47°C. In mid-August, around midnight, the thermometer still showed 32°C. To allow the population to enjoy the sea, the city began lighting several beaches at night. Success came immediately. Everything is here. The lifeguards. Food kiosks. Rental of parasols and small boats. In addition, turquoise spotlights create a slightly mysterious atmosphere. Is this a foretaste of the future? It seems that several cities around the world are thinking about taking inspiration from it.
Source: The New York Times (September)
The date
26th of March
Date when the blossoming of Kyoto's famous cherry trees reached their peak in 2023. This is the earliest flowering since Japan started keeping such statistics, so in the year… 812. Exactly 1211 years ago.
Source: Japan Times (May)
The number
29
Number of consecutive years in which a large amount of clouds were observed in the atmosphere of the planet Neptune. Starting in 2019, the cloud cover began to dissipate. In 2023, the planet will even benefit from completely clear skies. A first since we started this type of observation in 1994. 29 years of clouds! And to think you were thinking about complaining about the cloudy weather!
Sources: Science et vie and The Washington Post (August)
Weather
– 79°C: Temperature that a human would have felt at around 4 a.m. on February 4th at the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. The mountain's summit was then hit by winds reaching speeds of more than 100 mph (160 km/h).
– 76°C: Minimum temperature measured by the Curiosity rover on the surface of Gale Crater on the planet Mars, February 4, 2023.
Sources: accuweather.com and https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/weather/ (February)
9. The unclassifiable
Quick question
In Spain, the Renfe railway company was caught up in a major scandal. For whatever reasons)?
a) It has ordered 31 state-of-the-art trains, but they prove to be too high to travel through the tunnels in the north of the country.
b) Three board members voted for severance packages totaling $35 million
c) The president of the company has had a luxury car equipped, the interior of which is completely gilded;
d) Since 2018, the company has built several sections of rail that go nowhere, a total of 142 kilometers of completely useless railway;
e) All of the above.
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Answer to)
Source: El País (February)
Quick question
To educate visitors, United States national parks use humor. Of the following messages, only one was NOT used in an advertising campaign. Which?
a) “Don’t flatter cows with silky down” [bisons];
b) “If you come across a bear, do not force a friend to approach it; even if your friendship has lasted long enough”;
c) “Do you know that you can hear a stoat biting you if you hold it close to your ear?”
d) “Please don’t ask what we do with the animals in winter.”
e) “The bear repellent spray cannot be used on you like a mosquito repellent.” We would rather warn you about that.”
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Answer: d) The question is often asked by visitors to Yellowstone Park.
Source: The Washington Post (April)
The quote
“This type of bomb can liquefy rock.”
– Marc Galasco, a former senior Pentagon official, on the 2,000-pound JDAM bombs that the State of Israel allegedly used to bomb the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Galasco, who now works for the United Nations, said the bomb instantly killed “everyone within 30 meters.” And shrapnel can kill in a radius of up to 365 meters.
Source: Associated Press (December)
The percentage
65%
Percentage of American adults who believe they are smarter than average.
Source: PLOS One, quoted by Harper's Magazine (December)
Quick question
Ukrainian philosopher and poet Ihor Kozlovsky died on September 6 at the age of 69. In 2016, he was imprisoned in a concentration camp in the pro-Russian Donetsk Republic. How had he survived his two years of imprisonment in terrible conditions?
a) Every time he met them, he repeated to his prison guards that he had forgiven them;
b) Every day at 5 p.m. he sang the song “C'est bon la vie” by Nana Mouskouri at the top of his lungs;
c) He constantly tried to imagine what his loved ones were doing;
d) He gave philosophy lessons to the rats infesting the place just to hear the sound of his own voice;
e) All of the above.
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Answer: d)
Source: The Guardian (September)
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