You may think that some erasers are different colors simply to make them more appealing to children. In schools, there are even rumors among children that the blue part of the eraser could emit ink. Unfortunately, that isn’t true. But, equally as cool, the blue part is meant to be used on certain types of paper that are thicker and stronger than common loose-leaf or notebook paper.
For example, artists use paper that is more sensitive to friction. For this reason, they need to use a specific type of eraser, in opposition to the pink erases that we common folk use.
Hole in Cap of Ballpoint Pens
All of us have used ballpoint pens throughout our grade school years. Did you ever ask yourself why the cap has a hole in it? Well, that hole was strategically placed there by the company. Nope, it's not so that it dries out faster, thus forcing you to buy more pens. The hole in the top is there in case a child or adult accidentally swallows the cap. If this happens, then thanks to the hole, air can flow through the cap, and the poor fellow who swallowed the cap can still breathe.
If you think to yourself, what kind of adult swallows the top of a pen, remember, many adults have the bad habit of putting pen caps in their mouth. It just takes one bad move until you accidentally choke on the cap. You're welcome to keep your conspiracy theories about companies drying out pens on purpose but just know that the company actually had your safety in mind when they engineered the pen.
Discs Under Bottle Caps
You have probably noticed at one point or another that under the cap of a plastic bottle of soda lies a little plastic disc. While you may not think anything of it (why would you?), there is actually a very interesting reason for it being there. That little plastic disc somehow helps to keep in carbonation. We aren't here to explain the science behind it, just deliver to you the facts.
Thanks to those little discs, we are gifted with fizzy soda and not flat. Nobody wants to live in a world of flat sodas. Gross.
Long Neck Bottles
For those among us who enjoy having an adult beverage, have you ever asked yourself why your alcoholic beverage often comes in bottles with long necks? Most likely, you've been more concerned with drinking the liquid courage and not interested in its history. Well, for one, the long neck of a beer bottle makes it comfortable to hold for long periods of time. It also makes it easier to pour into the ice-cold glass you had prepping for an hour in the freezer.
Some bottles have a more bulbous neck to help collect particles and sediment in unfiltered beers. And for yet another reason, the long necks also help distribute heat throughout the entire bottle when your warm hand is around it. In short, the long neck assures that your drink stays cold for as long as possible... which is what you want, right?
Pom-Poms on Winter Hats
When you went searching for a winter hat to handle the freezing temperatures of winter, you may have opted for one with a cute little furry pom-pom that sits on the top. While this is a fashion trend for those living in cold temperatures, the trend actually originates back to sub-zero Scandinavia where people have been rocking this look year-round since the age of the Vikings! The first sign of the pom-pom was on the Viking god Freyr. A statuette of Freyr was found in which he was shown wearing a hat or helmet with a pom-pom on top of it.
The word pom-pom dates back to the 18th century. It comes from the French word 'pompon', which is a small ball made from fabric or feathers. The pom-pom was ideal for heavier larger trinkets that soldiers in those times had been using. Instead, the pom-pom could be made inexpensively from scraps of yarn. People everywhere fell in love with the fluffiness and color of the pom-pom, and just like that, it has stuck throughout centuries.