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    Blog 7 min read

    The Cities That Were Basically Calculated Into Existence

    Last updated: Friday 10th April 2026

    Quick Summary

    This blog is about strange but true facts that seem too bizarre to be real. It's fascinating because these incredible truths make us question what we thought we knew, like the fact that the man who invented the Pringles can was actually buried in one.

    In a hurry? TL;DR

    • 1A Rubik's Cube has over 43 quintillion possible combinations yet can always be solved in a maximum of 20 moves.
    • 2Deeper human voices are statistically linked to higher perceived status and dominance by strangers.
    • 3Specific types of music can physically alter your body's response to carsickness, a surprising physiological link.
    • 4Wild chimpanzees regularly consume fermented sap, ingesting an amount of alcohol equivalent to multiple drinks.
    • 5One of the designers of the Pringles can, Frederic Baur, had his ashes buried in a Pringles can.
    • 6Driving while emotionally distressed can be as dangerous as driving with certain physical impairments.

    Why It Matters

    It's astonishing that a seemingly chaotic toy like a Rubik's Cube can be mathematically guaranteed to be solvable in just 20 moves.

    Some truths feel like they belong in a magic realist novel rather than a textbook. From chimpanzees with daily drinking habits to the mathematical impossible-seeming reality of a toy, these facts challenge the boundary between the plausible and the absurd.

    • Complexity: A Rubik's Cube has quintillions of positions but can always be solved in 20 moves.
    • Human Perception: Deeper voices are statistically linked to higher perceived status and dominance.
    • Motion Sickness: Specific types of music can physically alter your response to carsickness.
    • Primate Behaviour: Wild chimpanzees regularly consume fermented sap equivalent to multiple alcoholic drinks.
    • Legacy: The man who designed the Pringles can was buried inside one.
    • Safety: Driving while emotionally distressed is as dangerous as many physical impairments.

    The Mathematical Perfection of the Rubik's Cube

    Most people view the Rubik's Cube as a test of patience or a battle against chaos. With its 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 permutations, the odds of randomly twisting it into a solved state are effectively zero. Yet, mathematics proves that no matter how messy things look, the end is never more than a few seconds away.

    Researchers using Google’s infrastructure spent years calculating God's Number—the maximum number of moves required to solve any position. Their conclusion was a crisp 20. A Rubik's Cube has 43 quintillion combinations but always solvable in 20 moves, proving that complexity does not always equate to distance.

    This mirrors how your body is pulling off more miracles than you notice every second, managing billions of variables with invisible efficiency. In both cases, the underlying system is far more elegant than the surface-level noise suggests.

    The Physical Power of the Human Voice

    We like to think we judge people on their merits, but biology often votes before the mind does. A Penn State research found strangers rate deeper voices as more attractive and higher-status, showing that our primal instincts still dominate modern boardrooms and dating apps.

    Deep voices are not just a preference; they are interpreted as a signal of physical dominance and hormonal health. In contrast to high-pitched tones, which are often subconsciously linked to youth or submissiveness, a lower frequency commands instinctive respect. This is why public speakers and news anchors often undergo vocal training to find their lower register.

    Unlike other social traits that can be faked with a good suit or a firm handshake, the voice is a fundamental biological calling card that bypasses our rational filters.

    Why Your Playlist Controls Your Stomach

    Motion sickness is a betrayal by the inner ear, but the cure might be in your headphones rather than the pharmacy. A study found that joyful music reduced carsickness by 57.3%, with soft music achieving nearly the same result.

    This happens because music engages the autonomic nervous system, distracting the brain from the sensory conflict between your eyes and your vestibular system. It is a form of cognitive multitasking where the pleasant stimulus overrides the nausea-inducing one.

    Much like why a patch of April sun feels weirdly personal, our environmental triggers have a massive, unacknowledged impact on our physical well-being. Selecting the right track is not just about entertainment; it is a chemical intervention for your brain.

    The Emotional Hazard of the Open Road

    We are taught to fear drunk drivers, but we rarely consider the person who just had a heated argument. One analysis found driving while angry or sad made you 10 times more likely to crash than when calm.

    Emotional distress creates a cognitive tunnel vision. Your brain is so preoccupied with processing the slight or the grief that it fails to register the brake lights of the car in front. The reaction times of a distressed driver frequently mirror those of someone significantly over the legal alcohol limit.

    This is a reminder that our internal state is never truly private. It leaks into our physical performance, affecting everyone around us. Being the most interesting person in the room often starts with being the most self-aware person in the driver's seat.

    Chimpanzees and the Natural Pub

    Alcohol consumption is often framed as a human vice, but the animal kingdom might have beaten us to the bar. Wild chimpanzees consume the equivalent of about 2.5 alcoholic drinks a day from fermented palm sap.

    In Bossou, Guinea, chimps have been observed using crumpled leaves as sponges to soak up the fermented liquid from the tops of palm trees. Some of them consume enough to show clear signs of intoxication. It suggests that the drive for altered states of consciousness is deeply rooted in primate evolution.

    The Posthumous Loyalty of Fredric Baur

    Marketing genius often borders on the obsessive, but Fredric Baur took his commitment to the grave. The Pringles inventor is buried in a Pringles can, specifically an Original flavour container.

    Baur was the chemist who designed the hyperbolic paraboloid shape of the chip and the pressurised canister that keeps them intact. He was so proud of the engineering required to prevent chips from breaking that he requested his children bury a portion of his ashes in one.

    It is a rare example of a creator truly becoming one with their creation. While How Salvador Dalí Ended Up Designing a Lollipop Logo shows the intersection of high art and sweets, Baur’s story is about the ultimate brand loyalty.

    Comparison of Bizarre Realities

    Reality Core Metric Modern Context Explore
    Rubik's Complexity 20 moves max Algorithm efficiency Read the math →
    Vocal Status Deep frequency Leadership perception Voice research →
    Carsickness Cure 57.3% reduction Travel wellness Music study →
    Primate Drinking 2.5 drinks/day Evolutionary biology Chimp habits →
    Extreme Branding 1 Pringles can Design legacy Inventor story →
    Emotional Safety 10x crash risk Mental health awareness Driving data →

    Key Takeaways

    • Logic often defies intuition: The most complex-looking puzzles often have the simplest underlying structures.
    • Biology dictates social standing: Our voices and physiological traits send signals we cannot always control.
    • Environments affect health: Subtle changes like music or emotional state have profound physical consequences.
    • Evolutionary traits are shared: Human habits, from drinking to social hierarchy, are mirrored in our primate relatives.
    • Cultural legacies can be eccentric: The border between a professional achievement and a personal quirk is often nonexistent.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    A Rubik's Cube has 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible combinations, often rounded to 43 quintillion.

    It has been mathematically proven that any position on a Rubik's Cube can be solved in a maximum of 20 moves, a figure known as 'God's Number'.

    Yes, research indicates that deeper voices are statistically linked to higher perceived status and dominance.

    Yes, a study found that listening to joyful or soft music can significantly reduce carsickness by altering your body's response to motion.

    Wild chimpanzees have been observed regularly consuming fermented sap which is equivalent to consuming multiple alcoholic drinks.

    Sources & References