Random Musings: The Mouse Utopia-Turned-Dystopia that Sounds Like a YA Book & Other Interesting Facts I’ve Learned Lately

 
 

If you’ve visited my blog lately, you probably know I’ve been having health problems, and because of those problems, I’ve had to find some new ways to entertain myself all day. One of the things I’ve found is nonfiction podcasts and YouTube videos with interesting facts about history, science, and all sorts of random things! Some facts have been so interesting that they’ve stuck out and stayed with me, and I thought they might interest you all too.

Disclaimer: It’s possible that something here could be incorrect since I haven’t actually further researched any of these, or I could’ve just remembered something incorrectly.


– Famous artist Salvador Dali would get out of paying for expensive meals at restaurants by drawing little pictures on the backs of his checks. He knew the restaurant owner wouldn’t want to give up an original Dali art and therefore wouldn’t cash the check.

– Henry VIII created a whole new sect of Christianity all because he wanted to leave his current wife for someone else but couldn’t do that under Catholicism.

– There’s such thing as cat music that you can buy. Cat’s don’t really notice or respond to human music, but cat music is faster to match their faster heartbeats and higher pitched.

– There are numerous examples of dolphins saving people in the ocean, including keeping sharks away and spending days pushing someone back to shore when he got stranded in the middle of the ocean.

– Someone once escaped from a Mexican prison via helicopter. Literally the copter just landed in the prison yard while everyone was distracted somewhere else, he got in the copter, and it flew away.

– Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde were involved in a love triangle with a woman they both wanted. She eventually married Bram.

– Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates and ransomed. When he found out the amount, he told them to double it. He then proceeded to act like he was in charge while stuck with the pirates, waiting for his people to gather the money. But he told the pirates he was going to come back and kill them once he was free, and he made good on his word, though he had them killed mercifully.

– A court jester once got sentenced to death, but, for his many years of good service, he was given the choice of how he would die. He chose old age. The king thought it was so funny that he exiled the jester instead of killing him.

 

And now, the most interesting thing I’ve learned lately: the mouse utopia-turned-dystopia.

To summarize, it started with eight mice living in a lovely home with space for thousands and all of the food and bedding they could ever want. By the time the population got to a few hundred, society broke down, and it devolved into cliques, gang violence, sex just for the sake of sex, cannibalism, abandonment of young, and class separation.

Most of the mice crammed themselves together in spaces far too small for so many. Meanwhile, a few isolated themselves alone in private rooms, with other mice acting as guards to keep the rest away, where they spent their days eating, sleeping, and grooming. They became disconnected from society and were dubbed “The Beautiful Ones” by the scientist because their fur was so well-groomed and free of scars.

Here’s the video I learned this from, if you want a bit more detail. I just find this so fascinating because it legit sounds like something out of a dystopian book, and I never would’ve imagine mouse society turning out like that.

 

Anyway, I know nonfiction isn’t usually what my blog posts are about, but I hope you all found some of those facts as interesting or entertaining as I did! I learned most of these from the Today I Found Out channel on YouTube and the various other channels by that creator, so check those out if you want more like these.

 
 
 
 

Talk to me!

Did you know any of these facts?
Have you learned any interesting facts lately?

 
 
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Your Thoughts

 

18 thoughts on “Random Musings: The Mouse Utopia-Turned-Dystopia that Sounds Like a YA Book & Other Interesting Facts I’ve Learned Lately

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  1. Greg

    I love that dolphin thing. I read a graphic novel where some dolphins helped two people at sea. It was called the Mermaid Project so that seemed appropriate. 🙂

    The cat thing is awesome. I need to look into cat music.

    I think I heard that about Henry VIII! How convenient *rolls eyes*

    That mouse thing is a trip and sounds like it would make a good graphic novel story. The fact that it’s true though is kinda chilling!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Dolphins are so awesome!

      Seriously, can you imagine literally creating a new religion for such a ridiculous, selfish reason?

      Agreed! I still can’t believe mice would end up like that!

  2. Lorna

    I knew the Henry VIII one because I saw a movie once about it. And I knew dolphins help people. The rest was new to me. Interesting! I’m sorry that you continue to have health issues. Hope you get that all taken care of soon!

  3. Roberta R

    I especially liked the court jester one LOL. So clever! But I find it difficult to believe someone could so blatantly escape from a prison via helicopter. Ummm…🤔. Either way, it makes for a good story!

    The mouse utopia-turned-dystopia is quite unnerving…I mean, apparently, some basic instincts always take over. Brrr…

    Sending more good (or at least better) health vibes your way, and I’m glad you’re finding new ways to keep your blog alive!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Idk, that’s what they said in the video lol.

      I’m still so fascinated by the mouse utopia. It was like the mice lost their purpose, with no need to find food or protection from predators or anything, so they just turned to debauchery and violence.

      Thanks <3

  4. Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy

    This is such a fun post. I actually knew about the Bram Stoker/Oscar Wilde love triangle. In fact I believe someone wrote a novel about it. And I love the mouse apocalypse story!!! I’m going to watch that video😁

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks! I hadn’t heard that, but that’s so funny that two such famous authors were in the same love triangle. I’m still so fascinated by the mouse utopia!

  5. Becky @ A Fool's Ingenuity

    Salvador Dali sounds like both a genius but also, wow, dude, pay for your meal because food at restaurants is expensive! I did know that about Henry VIII, I remember learning about the Tudors at school and he was always the worst. I legit hate him, worst king ever!

    Can I say, where do I get this cat music? I want to test it out on my cat and see if he likes it. I thought he liked me serenading him with my singing but I’m obviously wrong.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Seriously, that’s kind of a dick move lol. But I guess it would also be cool to have an original doodle by a famous artist? Maybe worth the money to the restaurant owners. Yeah, Henry VIII was awful.

      I think on iTunes? You should try it and let me know if your cat likes it, haha.

  6. Sam @ Spines in a Line

    Such an eclectic group of facts! I’m slowly getting into podcasts but I haven’t listened to too many yet. I just started listening to This Might Get Weird but it’s filled with “facts” about 2 people’s fun adventures as they just talk about what they’ve been up to.

  7. Olivia Roach

    I knew some of these like the dolphins and Christianity involving Henry the VIIth one. At some point one of my ‘things’ was random facts and I learned a lot of them. I did NOT know about the love triangle between Stoker and Wilde though and that has very much entertained me.