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Felt soles classify Converse sneakers as slippers, lowering import tariffs.

Converse sneakers feature a thin layer of felt on their soles, a design choice known as “tariff engineering.” This allows them to be classified as slippers, thereby reducing import tariffs from as high as 37.5% for regular shoes to as low as 3% for slippers.

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Vulfpeck’s silent album earned $20,000 before Spotify’s removal.

In March 2014, the American funk band Vulfpeck released Sleepify, an album consisting entirely of silent tracks, on Spotify. They encouraged fans to stream it on repeat while sleeping. The album garnered approximately 5.5 million plays, earning the band around $20,000 in royalties before Spotify removed it in April 2014, citing a violation of content policies.

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Hanok’s ondol system: stove heat warms floors sustainably.

Traditional Korean Hanok houses feature the ondol heating system, which channels heat from a stove beneath the floor to warm the home. This has been utilized for over 1,000 years.

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Calabria pays €28,000 to young entrepreneurs relocating to villages.

Calabria, Italy, offers €28,000 to under-40s who move to its villages and start a small business, requiring relocation within 90 days of approval.

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Blue lights on Japanese platforms reduce suicides by 84%.

Japanese railway stations experienced an 84% reduction in suicides after installing blue LED lights on platforms, attributed to the calming effect of blue light.

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Bill Ayotte saved woman from polar bear attack with shovel.

In 2013, 69-year-old Bill Ayotte heard piercing screams outside his home in Churchill, Manitoba. He saw a woman being attacked by a polar bear. Wearing only a sweater, pyjama bottoms, and slippers, Ayotte grabbed a shovel and struck the bear, giving the woman a chance to escape. After neighbors helped chase the bear away, Ayotte, cold and injured, asked, ‘Was I able to save the woman?’ He had—and both survived.

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Rolls-Royce uses 15-18 bull hides per car interior.

Rolls-Royce utilizes leather from 15 to 18 bulls per car, selecting animals raised in cooler climates to minimize skin blemishes. Cows are avoided due to potential stretch marks from pregnancies.

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Capsaicin-coated tape prevents rodents from damaging car wiring.

To prevent rodents from chewing on vehicle wiring, some car manufacturers offer rodent-deterrent tape infused with capsaicin, the active component in chili peppers. For instance, Honda provides such a tape (part number 4019-2317) designed to protect wiring harnesses from rodent damage.

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Dolly Parton sleeps in makeup, washes it off mornings.

Dolly Parton keeps her makeup on while sleeping to be prepared for emergencies like natural disasters, washing it off each morning.

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Highway lines are 10 feet long but appear shorter when driving.

The white dashed lines on U.S. highways are 10 feet long with 30-foot gaps, but drivers often perceive them as only 2 to 4 feet due to visual illusions caused by speed and distance.