590/701
Japan requires proof of parking within 2 km to buy cars.

In Japan, a law known as the “shako shomeisho” (車庫証明) or “Parking Space Certificate” law requires potential car buyers to prove they have a parking space before they can purchase and register a car. The parking space must be located within 2 kilometers of their residence.

589/701
Bermuda homes collect rainwater with white, stepped roofs for water.

Bermuda has no natural water sources, such as rivers or lakes. Instead, each house is designed to collect rainwater using white, stepped roofs. These roofs are made from limestone and coated with a white cement wash that helps purify the water by reflecting UV light. The collected rainwater is directed into underground cisterns, making each home largely self-sufficient in water supply.

588/701
Ben & Jerry’s chunky ice cream inspired by co-founder’s anosmia.

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has anosmia, which severely limits his sense of smell and taste. Consequently, he relies heavily on texture to enjoy food, which is why Ben & Jerry’s ice cream includes large chunks of ingredients like fudge, cookies, and nuts.

587/701
Diamonds shatter with a hammer despite being the hardest material.

Diamonds, the hardest known material, will shatter if struck with a hammer. Hardness means scratch resistance, whereas toughness refers to breakage resistance.

586/701
Humans evolved large sclera for silent, gaze-based communication.

Humans have a distinctively large sclera, the white part of the eye, which is theorized to have evolved for silent communication by indicating where we are looking. This trait is rare among animals and enhances our ability to communicate non-verbally.

585/701
1938 Mercedes-Benz hit 433 km/h, public road record till 2017.

Before 2017, the fastest speed on a public road was 433 km/h, set by a Mercedes-Benz in 1938. This record stood unchallenged for nearly 80 years.

584/701
In the 1920s, Aloha Wanderwell drove around the world, disguised, befriended bandits, filmed tribes.

In the 1920s, Aloha Wanderwell became the first woman to drive around the world. She befriended Chinese bandits, filmed the Bororo tribe, and disguised herself as a man to pray in Mecca.

583/701
Bobbie traveled 2,551 miles in winter, crossing plains, deserts, mountains.

Bobbie the Wonder Dog traveled at least 2,551 miles (4,105 km) through various terrains, including plains, deserts, and mountains, during the winter to return home to his family. His journey involved crossing rivers and even the Continental Divide in the coldest part of winter.

582/701
Dantzig solved unsolved problems thinking they were homework; inspired movie scene.

In the 1930s, George Dantzig, a graduate student at UC Berkeley, arrived late to a statistics class and found two problems on the blackboard, which he assumed were homework assignments. He solved them, only to learn later that they were actually two famously unsolved problems in statistics. This incident became legendary and was even adapted into a scene in the movie “Good Will Hunting.”

581/701
The First Manned Mission to Mars Should Be All Female.

It makes practical sense to have an all-female crew for the first manned mission to Mars. On average, a female astronaut requires 29% less oxygen, 26% fewer calories, and 18% less water than the average male astronaut.