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Pompeii is so well preserved; you can still read graffiti on its walls!Wednesday, 12 June 201312:24 PMPompeii is so well preserved; you can still read graffiti on its walls!?Pompeii, the thriving city that was swallowed by a volcanic eruption, is actually still very well preserved. So much so; you can still read graffiti on walls around the city. Some of it is poetic and beautiful; however, some of it was very very dirty. Check out some examples:? From the Bar/Brothel of Innulus and Papilio: "Weep, you girls. My penis has given you up. Now it penetrates men's behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!"? From Herculaneum (a bar/inn joined to the maritime baths): "Two friends were here. While they were, they had bad service in every way from a guy named Epaphroditus. They threw him out and spent 105 and half sestertii most agreeably on whores."? From just outside the Vesuvius gate: "Defecator, may everything turn out okay so that you can leave this place."? From the peristyle of the Tavern of Verecundus: "Restitutus says: 'Restituta, take off your tunic, please, and show us your hairy privates.'"? From Herculaneum (a bar/inn joined to the maritime baths): "Apelles the chamberlain with Dexter, a slave of Caesar, ate here most agreeably and had a screw at the same time." More at the source! CIA spent $20 million on a cat equipped to spy on the Soviets, but then it got hit by a taxi!?Wednesday, 12 June 201312:36 PMThe CIA spent $20 million on a cat equipped to spy on the Soviets, but then it got hit by a taxi!??The acoustic kitty was a project launched by the CIA in the 1960s. They attempted to use a cat in spy missions. Some of their targets were the Kremlin and the Soviet embassies.??A battery and a microphone were implanted in the cat along with an antenna in its tail. It would have allowed the cat to record information and sound from its surroundings inconspicuously. The problem was that the cat would get hungry and get distracted because of it. To fix the issue, they put it through another surgery attempting to correct its behavior.?The Surgical and training expenses were estimated to have been up to $20 million. The first mission for the cat was to eavesdrop on a conversation between two men in a park outside of the Soviet compound on Wisconsin Avenue in Washington D.C.??The cat was released nearby, but hit by a taxi cab and killed almost instantly. All other tests after that failed. Soon after the project was declared a total loss and was completely cancelled by 1966.?? Italian bank takes Parmesan cheese as collateral!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:39 PM?An Italian bank takes Parmesan cheese as collateral!If you're in the market for a bank loan in Italy, you can use cheese as your collateral. There's a special cheese bank that has state of the art security features to protect the 300,000 wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese stored in there.Here's how this business works: Parmigiano-Reggiano takes a long time to properly age. Farmers have a hard time getting through tough times due to the long time between production and sale. This is where the bank comes in.In exchange for a cheap loan, the bank will keep the farmers' wheels of cheese during the period where the wheel are just supposed to sit and age. This let's farmers run the rest of their business, make future sales, pay wages, while the cheese ages.Read more about this interesting business model at the source. is mentioned in the Koran more often than Muhammad.Wednesday, 12 June 20132:39 PMJesus is mentioned in the Koran more often than Muhammad.Jesus’ name appears 25 times in the Koran, while the name “Muhammad” shows up only 5 times. Jesus’ name in the Koran is actually either “Eesa” or “?sā”. The Koran also refers to Jesus by various titles: Son of Mary, Messenger of Allah, and Messiah. Muhammad also claimed that he met Jesus when he visited heaven. Belief in Jesus is required in Islam, though in Islamic tradition Jesus is not divine or the son of God. statues have small penises because the Greeks considered large ones to be gross and comical!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:39 PMGreek statues have small penises because the Greeks considered large ones to be gross and comical!If you’ve ever seen ancient Greek statues, you may wonder about the size of men’s penises back then. If the statues are accurate, ancient Greek men were not well endowed. Are these true representations though and if so, are they true of all ancient Greek men?While today, men would prefer to have a large penis. This was not the case in ancient Greece. Experts have actually studied ancient Greek genitalia extensively. Back then, in highbrow culture, large penises were actually considered grotesque, comic or both. The Greeks actually desired small, thin penises. Hence, this ideal small representation on their statues. cure to a stuffy nose can be as simple as pinching your nose and nod your head up and down!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:40 PMThe cure to a stuffy nose can be as simple as pinching your nose and nod your head up and down!This simple, easy to learn breathing exercise was developed by Russian scientists. Around 200 physicians taught this exercise to hundreds of patients, which resulted in majority of them being able to clear their congested nose in under a minute. Here's what you have to do:After usual exhalation, pinch your nose shut and begin to nod your head up and down. Only stop pinching your nose when the desire to breath has become too much to bare. Only breathe THROUGH your nose during this exercise. Inhale, then exhale again, and repeat the following steps!The reason this exercise works is because your body becomes so desperate for air, that it solves it's own problem of a congested airway! For more information on this exercise - read the source!, from Ben & Jerry's barely has a sense of taste!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:40 PM?Ben, from Ben & Jerry's barely has a sense of taste!No, we’re not insulting Ben Cohen, co-founder of the ice cream company. He physically cannot taste things very well. He has a condition called anosmia, which causes a complete loss of the sense of smell.However, because smell and taste are very highly related, he also cannot taste food very well. In fact, part of the reason why Ben & Jerry’s is so chunky is because Ben needs texture in his food to be satisfied, and the larger chunks helped him in this.Interestingly, the reason why Ben & Jerry made ice cream is because they found it too expensive to mount their original business idea – a bagel shop. Instead, they switched to ice cream.(businessman)???'Sonic Hedgehog' is a protein that helps mammals develop. Its inhibitor is called Robotnikinin!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:40 PM'Sonic Hedgehog' is a protein that helps mammals develop. Its inhibitor is called Robotnikinin!Sonic Hedgehog is one of three proteins in the mammalian signaling pathway family called hedgehog. This particular pathway is shaped like the animal, and that's where it got it's name.All three proteins were discovered in 1995, and while the other two were named after actual species of hedgehogs, scientists decided to name this particular protein after the Sega character.Sonic Hedgehog has critical roles in the development of mammalian brains. However, a potential inhibitor has been found, and dubbed Robotnikinin, a play on the name of Dr. Robotnik, Sonic's nemesis.Some people criticize the naming as being frivolous and a little inappropriate when people have to be told that their child has a serious illness because they have a mutated sonic hedgehog. What do you think? Australian study found that homework has no academic value!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:40 PMAn Australian study found that homework has no academic value!Here's a fact that might brighten up your day: There's a good chance that homework is worthless. Two Australian researchers published a new book that claims homework for young primary school kids has little to no value related to academic achievement.Their studies found that homework isn't beneficial for primary school kids, has very limited benefits for junior high kids and reasonable benefits for senior high school kids.Here's another nugget: They also found that parents getting too involved and controlling in their kids' homework is also not beneficial. They also found that kids would benefit more from higher quality homework rather than lots of repetitive, drill-style homework. it works EverNoteWednesday, 12 June 20132:41 PM?How it worksFirst, find your Evernote incoming email address. It’ll look something like [username].12345@m.. The address is located under Account Info in the desktop versions of Evernote, under Settings in Evernote Web, and in the Sync tab of Evernote for iPhone. We recommend adding this email address to your address book or contact list.Next, try emailing something into Evernote. In the subject line of your email, write the title of the note as you want it to appear in your account. In the same subject line, add one or both of the following:Use @ for notebooks: Use an @ symbol followed by the name of your destination notebookUse # for tags: Use a # symbol followed by the tag or tags you wish to assign. You can have multiple tags just make sure each one starts with an #For example, Subject: Trip to Florida @travel #expense reportWould create a note titled Trip to Florida in my travel notebook, tagged with expense report.???'Gay face' has been scientifically proven!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:41 PM?'Gay face' has been scientifically proven!?A study investigated people's ability to identify homosexual men from pictures of their faces alone. Researchers Nicholas Rule and Nalini Ambady from Tufts University looked through online dating sites and carefully selected 45 straight male faces and 45 gay male faces.?All of these photos were matched for orientation (only faces shown looking forward were used) and facial alterations. To control for context, the faces were also cut and pasted onto a white background for the study. These 90 faces were then shown to 90 participants in random order, who were asked simply to judge the target's "probable sexual orientation" (gay or straight) by pressing a button.?Surprisingly, all participants scored above chance on this gaydar task, correctly identifying the gay faces. Even more surprisingly, accuracy rate was just as good when the images were exposed at a rapid rate of only 50 milliseconds, which offered participants no opportunity to consciously process the photo. To rule out any erroneous data based on a certain physical style homosexuals and heterosexuals wore, they did a second test.?In this second study, the authors used images from the social networking site Facebook rather than online dating Web sites. This way, the targets hadn't so obviously selected photos of themselves meant to attract prospective sexual partners.?They photoshopped off the mens' hair so the face was truly the only thing to see. Again, people were able to detect who was gay and who was not at a rate higher than chance would allow. So, you really can "look gay".? Heimlich, the man who invented the Heimlich maneuver, believes you can cure HIV with malaria!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:41 PMDr Heimlich, the man who invented the Heimlich maneuver, believes you can cure HIV with malaria!Dr. Henry Heimlich, the man that invented the Heimlich Maneuver, the procedure in which to help someone that is choking, is in fact alive, but he's performing extremely controversial studies. One of which studies, known as malariotherapy, has received an extreme amount of criticism from health, and human rights organization around the world.Heimlich believes if someone is deliberately given malaria, they disease will cure cancer, lyme disease, even HIV. However, as of 2009, the study has given no positive results, and has been considered 'unsound, dangerous' and has even been called 'atrocious'.Heimlich says he performed malariotherapy on 7 subjects, all of which were cured of HIV - although he hasn't released any sort of document to prove his claims. Some doctors argue that malaria actually ENHANCES HIV, rather than cures it, mainly because areas of the world where there is a high HIV rate, as well as extreme cases of malaria, the mortality rate of these diseases is extremely high.Henry Heimlich, a man who was inducted in the Health and Safety Hall of Fame in 1993 - is now being criticized for practicing unsafe medicine. For more on this 93 year old man, click the source! to popular belief, it's mostly OK to mix alcohol and antibiotics.Wednesday, 12 June 20132:42 PMContrary to popular belief, it's mostly OK to mix alcohol and antibiotics.First things first: It's still a bad idea to drink alcohol while you're on medication. However, it's not for the reasons you may think. Some doctors suggest that the advice to not mix antibiotics with alcohol came from the 1950s, when penicillin first started getting used to combat syphilis.Doctors at the time thought that the bad influence of alcohol could undo their expensive new treatment, so they asked patients to abstain from alcohol until they were cleared up. It's been shown that people engage in riskier sexual activity while intoxicated, so they weren't that far off from the mark.However, with the rare exception of a few types of antibiotics, alcohol doesn't interfere with the effects of medicine that much. That said, it's still a generally bad idea to mix them, because you might forget to take your dose. Alcohol's effects on the body also get exaggerated.https//mondays-medical-myth-you-cant-mix-antibiotics-with-alcohol-4407???"Mortgage" means “death contract.” Wednesday, 12 June 20132:42 PM?"Mortgage" means “death contract.” Though it might not initially seem so, it wasn’t coined that way for a comedic reason. It basically just means that the contract ends, or “dies,” when either the obligation is fulfilled (meaning the house is paid off) or the property is taken through foreclosure.The word was taken from Law French, a language that was based first on Old Norman and Anglo Norman languages, and later influenced by Parisian French and English. Its name derived from its use in the law courts of England, hence “Law French.” The phrase is elaborated on in “Commentaries on the Laws in England,” an 18th century four volume analysis of common law. As it says in the treatise, "[I]f he doth not pay, then the Land which is put in pledge upon condition for the payment of the money, is taken from him for ever, and so dead to him upon condition, and if he doth pay the money, then the pledge is dead as to the Tenant" So always remember, one of the most integral parts of the American Dream is, in fact, a death contract. the 13th superstition costs businesses between $800 and $900 billion!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:42 PMFriday the 13th superstition costs businesses between $800 and $900 billion!For most people Friday the 13th is cause for jokes and minor superstition, but for some people it is a literal phobia. They fear what will happen to the point that they refuse to leave their houses, sometimes refusing to leave bed. They can experience anxiety and even panic attacks.Their fear is seriously debilitating; some miss work because of their fear! This depth of fear has resulted in an unexpected consequence: It is estimated that every Friday the 13th, businesses lose between $800 and $900 billion. People avoid scheduling on Friday the 13th because they think things are more likely to be unlucky and go wrong.People dodge flying on planes, purchasing houses, and buying stocks, all out of fear of a date. The reason for the superstition behind Friday the 13th has to do with the historical superstitions of both Friday and the number 13 separately. The unluckiness of 13 may come from a Norse myth about a thirteenth guest who becomes a murderer.Nowadays, we love Fridays, but fear of the number 13 remains in our culture. So what do you think, is Friday the 13th really unlucky? is a bush that's over 11,000 years old!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:43 PM?There is a bush that's over 11,000 years old!King Clone is known as not only having the coolest name ever, but as being one of the oldest known living organisms on the planet. The creosote bush ring in the Mojave Desert is estimated to be 11,700 years old. The plant is located 0.6 miles North of California route 27 on Bessemer Mine Road near the towns of Lucerne Valley and Landers.King Clone was identified as being 11,700 years old by Frank Vasek - a professor at the University of Riverside California. After Vasek hypothesized that the ring was one living organism, he found that the plants around the ring all had identical characteristics that differed from other plant clusters.Vasek used two methods to guess the plants age. His first method, was to count the rings in the planet and measured the annual growth. The next, he used radiocarbon dating on chucks of wood found at the center of the ring. To his amazement, the dates he came up with for both methods were the exact same. are now MLA guidelines to cite a tweet!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:43 PM?There are now MLA guidelines to cite a tweet!The Modern Language Association (MLA), or rather the bane of every high school student's existence, is an association that has designed official ways in which people can cite references on their essays without being charged with plagiarism. Fortunately, the MLA format is staying up to date with modern trends, because students are now able to cite a tweet properly. So, how do you do it?Well, if you were writing an essay on an awesome website that gives you lots of cool facts, you would have to follow a few steps in order to cite it properly. Begin with the author's real name, as well as their username is paranthesis (the brackets that I'm using around this sentence). Next, provide the tweet in quotation marks, keeping it as originally posted. Conclude with the entry date and time of the publication and the medium of publication (Tweet).Here's an example: OMG Facts, Celebs (OMGfactsCelebs). "A Chicago High School played Bieber’s “Baby” between classes and had students pay to stop it. The campaign raised $1,000 in 3 days." May 12, 2013, 11:30PM. Tweet. is an area in Canada with less gravity than the rest of the Earth!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:43 PMThere is an area in Canada with less gravity than the rest of the Earth!In the 1960s, scientists began to chart Earth’s gravitational fields. You would expect that gravity be the same across the world. It’s not like you feel incredibly heavy in the United States while you practically float around in South America. You always feel the same gravitational pull.However, they found that gravity actually did vary. In Canada, there are certain areas with less gravity than normal. The Hudson Bay, for example, is “missing” gravity.There are two theories as to why this may be true. One theory cites convection as the cause. Convection pulls the Earth’s plates downward, which decreases the mass in that area and decreases the gravity. The other theory cites the Laurentide Ice Sheet as the cause. The Ice Sheet melted 10,000 years ago and left a huge indent in the Earth, which could mess with the gravity. women who drank tea were viewed worse than irresponsible alcoholics in the early 19th century!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:44 PMPoor women who drank tea were viewed worse than irresponsible alcoholics in the early 19th century!?Poor women who drank tea were viewed as irresponsible as whisky drinkers in early 19th-century Ireland! Critics at the time declared that the practice of tea drinking was contributing to the stifling of Ireland's economic growth, and was clearly presented as reckless and uncontrollable.?Women who drank tea wasted their time and money; it was said, drawing them away from their duty to care for their husbands and home. It was felt this traditionally female responsibility was vital in order to progress with the national economy!?There was also a myth of tea having drug-like qualities, because it was still a mysterious substance from China. People thought that tea became addictive over time. Moreover, tea was not as cheap as it was today, and was considered an irresponsible luxury for poor women to indulge in.? live in the Mos Eisley set from Star Wars!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:44 PM?People live in the Mos Eisley set from Star Wars!In the Star Wars film, “The Phantom Menace,” Anakin Skywalker and his mother come from a desert settlement. The movie features shots of domed sand structures making up the village. The footage was shot in Tunisia, and the structures were actually built, they weren't miniatures or special effects.It turns out that people have actually moved into these structures and are living there. In video footage you can see people’s things piled inside the sand houses and even pets roaming around. In one, a desert fox can be seen in a cage. In another, a seemingly domesticated bird of prey watches over a pile of clothes.No actual residents appear in the video footage, but the settlement does appear inhabited. Wonder if they’re Star Wars fans? toughest race in the world is a 100 mile run that only 12 people have every completed!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:44 PMThe toughest race in the world is a 100 mile run that only 12 people have every completed!?It’s called the Barkley Marathons and it’s held every year in late March or early April in Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg, Tennessee. The race started in 1986 and currently consists of a 20-mile loop with no aid stations except for 2 points of water, and whatever the runner has in their car when they go around the loop.?Runners are supposed to go around the loop five times, and they are supposed to alternate direction every time they complete a loop. It’s considered the toughest ultramarathon in the world because ou also have to climb over 54,200 feet over those 100 miles.?Since 1986, about 800 people have tried this race, and only 14 have completed it. On top of being really tough, there’s also a time limit. You only have 12 hours to complete each loop. Most people finish in over 50 hours. That’s over 2 days of straight running!?The race is crazy, and the organizer is crazy too. For example, there’s no registration website, and the registration dates, and even the dates of the race, are never publicized. Check out the source to read more about it.? of Game of Thrones doesn't know how old she is!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:45 PM?Brienne of Game of Thrones doesn't know how old she is!Gwendoline Christie is having a breakout season playing Brienne of Tarth in the popular TV show Game of Thrones. She grew up in southern England and was trained as a semi-professional gymnast as a child until a spine injury derailed her career, and she took up acting.Her height has made her ‘pretty genderless’ at times, according to her. The 6ft 3in actress got a recurring role in season 2 of Game of Thrones, and a much more expanded role this current season. During an interview promoting the show, she stated that neither she nor her mom are aware of what her birthday or her age really is 1975, Bill Gates was arrested for driving without a license!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:45 PMIn 1975, Bill Gates was arrested for driving without a license!Bill Gates was recently declared the richest man in the world...again, and is the founder, and owner of one of the most successful companies in the world - Microsoft. However, before he became a multi-billionaire, Bill Gates lived a life of hard crime.On April 25, 1975, Bill Gates was arrested for perhaps one of the worst crimes ever. That's right, when Bill Gates was 19, he was busted for speeding and driving without a license! Although, it is rumored that Bill Gates had just founded Microsoft at this point and had so much money in his wallet he was able to post his own bail!'s "The Scientist" was written after Chris Martin's failed attempt to play another song on a broken piano!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:45 PMColdplay's "The Scientist" was written after Chris Martin's failed attempt to play another song on a broken piano!That’s right, like French fries and scotch tape this great song was invented accidently. The song is built around a piano ballet and is about a man’s desire to love and apologize to someone he has hurt. It has reached 10 in the UK Charts and 18 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks. The single’s music video won three MTV Music Video Awards for the use of it's reverse narrative.In an interview with Rolling Stones, Vocalist Christ Martin that when he was working on the band’s second album, he knew that it was missing something. One night during a stay at Liverpool, he found an old piano that was out of tune and attempted to play the George Harrison’s song, “Isn’t it a Pity.”He recorded the song and concluded upon listening to the recording that the chord sequence he came across a chord sequence that didn’t belong to Harrison’s song but was still “lovely.” From there, the creation of the “Scientist” began…(song)???The creator of Peter Pan gave the rights to a children's hospital so they would always collect the royalties and fund the hospital!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:46 PMThe creator of Peter Pan gave the rights to a children's hospital so they would always collect the royalties and fund the hospital!Peter Pan is also known as the boy who wouldn’t grow up. He is obsessed with preserving the innocence and light-heartedness of his childhood at the expense of personal maturity. His story shows us that perhaps growing up is underrated and maturity isn’t so bad. And so does the writer of Peter Pan, J.M Barrie.In April 1929, Barrie specified that the copyright of the Peter Pan works should go to the nation’s leading children’s hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London so that they could remain open from the royalties from the story. Instead of wallowing in immaturity like a significant number of people who experience sudden and mass fame, Barrie realized that there was a world and people beyond himself. religious group in India eats their dead!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:46 PM?A religious group in India eats their dead!The Aghori Babas are a Hindu sect residing primarily in India. They are known for their extreme deviations from typical Hindu religious norms and Indian social norms and as such receive condemnation from the mainstream Indian population.One of their primary beliefs is that spiritual enlightenment can only be achieved when one is able to conquer his/her fear of death. Thus, when a member of their group dies, the Aghori Babas eat them. Additionally, in India oftentimes the dead are set afloat into the Ganges river. The Aghori babas fish them out and feast on them as well. man’s cell phone once actually caused auto-pilot to deactivate. Wednesday, 12 June 20132:46 PMA man’s cell phone once actually caused auto-pilot to deactivate. So maybe you should listen when your air hostess tells you to turn off all portable electronic devices, instead of cleverly hiding your iPhone in your sleeve; you might just be responsible for the next aerial crisis!Portable electronic devices are classified as intentional or non-intentional transmitters of electronic signals. The list according to Boeing includes cell phones, pagers (who uses pagers anymore anyways), musical devices, etc. Passenger carried PED’s on commercial airplanes can cause an interference with airplane systems, and they will usually be blamed for complications regardless of the true source of the problem. Boeing is very strict about enforcing its PED policy, as one of its air planes nearly crashed when a man’s cell phone caused the auto-pilot to shut off. Maybe it’s a reflection on how addicted we are to technology that we can’t even cooperate with the people working hard to ensure that we have a 'safe and enjoyable flight.' Sudanese man really did marry a goat.Wednesday, 12 June 20132:47 PM?A Sudanese man really did marry a goat.In 2006, a man named in South Sudan named Charles Tombe was caught having sex with a goat when he was drunk. As punishment for violating a farmer’s livestock, he had to pay for the goat. The local elders of Juba, Sudan decided to have some fun at Tombe’s expense. Since local laws force men to marry girls that they have sex with, they decided to make Tombe pay the farmer a “dowry” and marry the violated goat to restore the goat’s honor. To go along with the joke, they even gave Mr. Tombe’s bride a name, “Rosa”. Essentially, Tombe’s punishment was being forced to buy the goat, and the “marriage” was designed to embarrass him some more. The story made the local news in South Sudan’s Juba Post. Oddly enough, this local Sudanese joke story went viral and found its way onto major news websites all around the world. The Juba Post’s editor was surprised by this, and was concerned that this light-hearted and weird story would end up tarnishing the image of South Sudan internationally. So, how long did the “marriage” last between Charles and Rosa Tombe? They had a lot of trouble early on: Rosa gave birth to a son and Charles was not the father (obviously). Then, about 1 year into the marriage, Rosa died trying to eat a plastic bag. Charles Tombe currently takes care of Rosa’s son. rounded bumps on the painted lane dividers have a special name!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:47 PMThose rounded bumps on the painted lane dividers have a special name!We see them every day but only know them as “the round bumps on the painted lane dividers that make noise and make my car feel funny when I drive over them”.Well, good news for you is that you are about to learn their real name. Are you ready? Botts’ dots!Botts’ dots are those round non-reflective raised pavement markers you tend to see at most of the roads you tend to travel in your car every day.They are named after their creator; Dr. Elbert Dysart Botts, who created these so that they could be used along with reflective, raised pavement markers, to mark lanes on highways and certain roads! boys had to answer questions in a brief and witty manner or they'd get punished!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:47 PMSpartan boys had to answer questions in a brief and witty manner or they'd get punished!Spartan boys began their military training at the age of 7, entering what is known as the Agoge. After entering the agoge, the boys were primarily taught how to kill and how to avoid being killed, something that would was a crucial part for such a militaristic city-state.Besides being taught combat skills, the boys were also fed enough food to keep them energized, but enough food that the boys were trained to always want more than what they were being given, and, had to work for things in life.Like any school in Ancient Greece, the Spartan boys were also taught how to read, write, and studied music and dancing. However, boys were punished if they didn't answer questions sufficiently. The students were taught to be brief with their answers, and witty with them as well. If they provided an answers that wasn't both brief and witty, they were punished physically. and Muslim soldiers fought together to defend Jerusalem from Crusaders!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:48 PMJewish and Muslim soldiers fought together to defend Jerusalem from Crusaders!The Jewish people and the Muslim people were once allies, when teaming up against what they viewed as a greater evil - the Crusaders. The Crusaders were Christians that initially came from England, and their goal was to fight their way through Europe and into the Middle East in order to spread Christianity in one of the most violent militaristic campaigns ever led. The Crusaders wanted to rid the world of Islam, because they viewed it as sacrilegious.The alliance was short lived, because the Crusaders quickly breached the city after a siege that had lasted around two weeks. It is said that while the Muslim soldiers fought to their death, the Jewish soldiers were trapped in a synagogue by Crusaders, and the building was quickly burned to the ground. sea cucumber has a symbiotic species that lives in its anus!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:48 PMThe sea cucumber has a symbiotic species that lives in its anus! Sea cucumbers are a species of sea creature that is shaped like a cucumber. The creatures also have a unique and unusual method of respiration: They take in water through their anus to breathe. Some sea cucumbers are used as shelter to a fish known as the pearl fish which lives inside their anus during the day and emerges at night to feed. When morning comes, it simply waits for the anus to open as the sea cucumber breathes, and swims back inside. Pearl fish are highly modified eel-like fishes which lack scales and pelvic fins. Most live in the body cavities of sea cucumbers, giant clams and pearl oysters during the day, leaving at night to feed on small fishes and shrimp. Pearl fish enter the body cavities of sea cucumbers through their anus. When it tries to enter the body cavities of the sea cucumber it closes it's anus, but as sea cucumbers breathe through their anus it must eventually open and in swims the pearl fish. Juvenile pearl fish are parasitic, feeding upon the gonads of sea cucumbers. Talk about having a rude house guest!? down sweatshops often leads to an increase in child prostitution!Wednesday, 12 June 20132:48 PMClosing down sweatshops often leads to an increase in child prostitution!In 1997, economist Jeffrey Sachs spoke publicly about sweatshops in developing nations, and the BENEFITS of having them in the world. Sachs argued that it's not that we have too many sweatshops, it's that the world actually has too few. Sachs says that sweatshops, although have poor working conditions compared to a developed nations work conditions, provide more 'good' than they do 'bad'.?Sachs says that the jobs provided by sweatshops often have better working conditions than other jobs provided in that country. He later went on to argue that if the job wasn't an improvement from the workers previous living conditions, than they wouldn't continue to work at the factory.?Jeffrey Sachs also makes the point that children are unable to work pretty much anywhere else - but they genuinely need the money to survive. When a sweatshop closes and relocates, many children and teenagers are without an income which they so desperately need - so most of them resort to street hustling, stealing, and prostitution.?Sachs goes on to argue a variety of points including sweatshops help build the developing nations economy, and the fact that eventually, the wages will rise in these factories to the point where they are equal to minimum wage in places like America.?These arguments are extremely controversial, and you should click the source to read them in their entirety!? might have found a lost continent off the coast of Brazil!Thursday, 13 June 201311:00 AM?Scientists might have found a lost continent off the coast of Brazil!? A manned Japanese submersible recently shot video of an enormous mass of granite off the coast of Brazil that looks like could be part of a lost continent. If you remember your geology, South America split from Africa millions of years ago. Scientists think that this granite block might have been part of that supercontinent, but sunk when the split happened.? The place is more than 600 miles southeast of Rio de Janeiro and it's 3,000 feet underwater. Brazilian geologists say that granite is not something you find on the seabed because it only forms on land. The next step is to take samples of the granite and see it they match rock from Africa or South America; then we'll know if we're talking about the South American Atlantis.? is making a public database of all the satellite images ever taken! Thursday, 13 June 201311:09 AMGoogle is making a public database of all the satellite images ever taken!?What started out as an advanced search engine, has slowly become one of the world's greatest companies for technological advancements. From Google Maps, to Google Earth, to Google phones, to Google glasses, Google continues to constantly raise the bar with regards to what we can do with technology.? Google is working on what they call 'Google Earth Engine' which will essentially be a massive database of all the satellite images ever taken, including the ones that will be taken after the launch of the database. In total, Google will have over 40 years of satellite images!? The reason that Google is creating this database, is that they want the information that Satellite images contain to be available for scientists, independent researchers, and nations, to have this information readily available - as opposed to having to spend hours of your time digging for the satellite images.? Google Engine will be able to detect deforestation, estimating forest biomass and carbon, mapping the world's road-less areas, as well as showing the growth of major cities in the world such as Las Vegas!? poolThursday, 13 June 201312:30 PM?German entrepreneur Carl von Gablenz thought he had a good idea when he envisioned a fleet of giant helium airships. These airships would haul large industrial loads such as wind turbines there and oil rigs. Seems somewhat plausible. Ten years ago, he began building a hangar at an abandoned Soviet air field 40 miles south of Berlin.? His company spent $110 million to erect the structure, which was 1,181 feet long by 688 feet wide by 351 feet high. It resembles a large half moon structure. However, by 2002, Gablenz's company was insolvent. The German government ordered him to sell his giant airship hangar to a Malaysian company. This company, Tanjong, bought the structure for $24 million and turned it into a Tropical Islands Resort.? About 900,000 visitors come to the giant water park each year. The pool inside is larger than four Olympic-sized pools combined and has 600 feet of sandy beaches along it. The Bali Lagoon has the largest indoor rain forest as well as a waterfall. Gablenz is still hopeful about the future of helium airships and is a bitter that his impressive hangar was "sold for a swimming pool."?'s illegal to dance in Japanese nightclubs!Thursday, 13 June 201312:35 PM?It's illegal to dance in Japanese nightclubs!?After World War II ended, the Japanese government enacted a law known as Fueiho, or the Entertainment Business Control Law. The law regulated different entertainment activities, including dancing.? Specifically, the law states that clubs under 66 square meters cannot apply for a license to legally allow dancing. In places like Tokyo, where land is scarce and expensive, the law apparently applies to most clubs in town.? Although it was forbidden, most clubs did allow dancing. That was until 2012, when the police started cracking down on clubs who were breaking the law. As a result clubs like the Happy Cock (pictured on the right) have specifically banned dancing and will bounce anyone who attempts to.? If you want to read more on the background of this law and the development on it, check out the source.? has specifically banned members of the Westboro Baptist Church from entering the country!Thursday, 13 June 20133:14 PMCanada has specifically banned members of the Westboro Baptist Church from entering the country!?Canada says good riddance to members of the Westboro Baptist Church located in Topeka, Kansas. The church is not associated with any of the major Baptist denominations.? In fact, they have all denounced the Westboro Baptist Church and adamantly state there is no affiliation. Canada isn’t the only country that has banned the church members from their country.? The United Kingdom has banned them entering their country, as well, on the basis of hate speech. The WBC is known for their outrageous stances and pickets. They travel all over making horrible statements about God hating…well, basically everyone who isn’t them.? They attack homosexuals, soldiers, and Jews among other groups with their pickets and protests. There doesn’t seem to be any real aim or goal for their protests, except to gain attention.? They’ve even been denounced by the KKK as being “hatemongers.” Now, that is a pretty serious statement, coming from one of the United States’ first recognized terrorist groups.? Tosh has social anxiety and overcomes it by creating a different personality for Tosh.0!Thursday, 13 June 20136:46 AMDaniel Tosh has social anxiety and overcomes it by creating a different personality for Tosh.0!?There are a lot of people in the world that deal with social anxiety on a daily basis. Even celebrities deal with this and you probably don't even know who they are! For example, Daniel Tosh is someone who has learned how to overcome his social anxiety.?He is now a world famous comedian and even has his own television show, which is wildly popular. He says that he can connect to his audience by making a character that he uses while he is telling jokes. This allows him to be someone else for a while and interact without the anxiety getting to him. The way that Daniel acts when he is in front of an audience is completely different from the way he acts at home.?When he is performing in front of a crowd he is someone that can get away with just about any joke because of the way he presents himself. When he is at home with friends, he is much quieter and laid back in general. These differences show just how his personality changes when he is up on stage. There are a lot of celebrities that have social anxiety disorder.?Most of them are people who perform in front of crowds and are outgoing. You probably don't even realize this because of how different they act while they are performing. They were able to completely change their lives because they were able to create different personalities that made them comfortable in certain situations.? man in India claims he's gone without food or water for 70 years!Thursday, 13 June 20136:51 AMA man in India claims he's gone without food or water for 70 years!?Prahlad Jani, an 82-year-old Indian yogi claims that for the past 70 years he has had nothing -- not one calorie -- to eat and not one drop of liquid to drink. To test his claims, Indian military doctors put him under round-the-clock observation during a two-week hospital stay that ended last week, news reports say.?During that time he didn't ingest any food or water – and remained perfectly healthy, the researchers said. But that's simply impossible, said Dr. Michael Van Rooyen an emergency physician at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital, an associate professor at the medical school, and the director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative – which focuses on aid to displaced populations who lack food and water.?Van Rooyen says that depending on climate conditions like temperature and humidity, a human could survive five or six days without water, maybe a day or two longer in extraordinary circumstances. We can go much longer without food – even up to three months if that person is taking liquids fortified with vitamins and electrolytes.?'s an object in a distant galaxy emitting radio waves, and we don't know what it is!Thursday, 13 June 20138:25 AMThere's an object in a distant galaxy emitting radio waves, and we don't know what it is!?Not so long ago, in the galaxy not so far away known as M82, a mysterious object appeared early in the year of 2010. Scientists noticed the object appeared out of the blue, and have absolutely no idea what it is, or where it came from.?The radio waves emitted from the object seemed to grow at an extremely rapid rate over the course of a few days, then all of the sudden, the radio waves stopped expanding. The radio pattern is nothing like anything scientists have ever seen before, and they have little to no idea as to what the object could be.?The object is projecting a steady source of brightness, yet at the same time, the object is moving at four times the speed of light - something scientists have only observed when an object is squirted out by a black hole. Prepare to panic, because the unknown object is actually travelling on a slight angle towards our solar system. Whatever it is, hopefully scientists figure it out and tell the world that it won't kill us.? SR-71 Blackbird managed to outly 4000 missiles fired at it when it was in service!Thursday, 13 June 20138:29 AMThe SR-71 Blackbird managed to outly 4000 missiles fired at it when it was in service!?The SR-71 or the Blackbird is one of the world’s fastest jets. It played a significant role in ending the Cold War and only 93 Air Force pilots ever steered it. It once flew at a speed of one mile every 1.6 seconds!?Coming into creation in the 1960s, the Blackbird served 6 presidents and was retired to the Smithsonian in Washington DC in 1990. The Air Force was experiencing budget cutbacks and could no longer support the fuel and maintenance the SR-71 required. On it's last flight, it traveled from Los Angeles to Washington in just 64 minutes.?During it's active duty, the Blackbird outran nearly 4,000 missiles and never once took a scratch from enemy fire.? doesn't actually conduct electricity!Friday, 14 June 20136:12 AM?Water doesn't actually conduct electricity!?This might sound counterintuitive given everything that you probably know about electricity and water. In fact, however, it is not water that conducts electricity, but rather the impurities in the water.?An electric current is passed when electrons are passed from one atom to the other. However, a basic requirement is that the molecules have to have a charge already for electricity to be conducted.?Distilled water; that is, water that is completely pure and devoid of any other elements, does not have charged molecules, therefore these molecules do not swap electrons. Water in it's purest form cannot conduct electricity, but stuff like salt, calcium and magnesium in sea or fresh water do.? sound of a TIE fighter is a mix between an elephant call and a car driving on wet pavement!Friday, 14 June 20134:29 PMThe sound of a TIE fighter is a mix between an elephant call and a car driving on wet pavement!?TIE fighters are one of the more iconic creations in the original Star Wars trilogy. They are easily recognized, and identified to be space ships from Star Wars. Not only is the physical design of the TIE fighters recognized, but the unusual sound that the fighters produce is also iconic.? The sound, which can't even be described accurately, was created by sound designer Ben Burtt. Ben Burtt stated that he was able to come up with such an usual sound by combing an elephant call with the sound of a car driving on wet pavement!? TIE fighters are so iconic, that the model used in the actual filming of Star Wars: A New Hope sold at an auction for $350,000! Fans have even collaborated to build a 1,000 pound, 16 by 20 ft TIE fighter for the Star Wars thirtieth anniversary gala in 2007!? mutual combat laws; two people can fight as long as they verbally agree beforehand!Friday, 14 June 20138:12 PMUnder mutual combat laws; two people can fight as long as they verbally agree beforehand!?Many a drunken brawler has been arrested for fighting. If only he had known to discuss the fight with his opponent beforehand, he could have escaped jail time. Mutual combat is a legal term and is defined as "a fight into which both parties enter willingly, or in which two persons, upon a sudden quarrel, and in hot blood, mutually fight upon equal terms."? Back in the day, this type of fight was much more common. There were formal duels between men. School boys were made to fight as a rite of passage. Today, the boxing ring and other formalized (often for entertainment value) forms of fighting are the only places where mutual combat exists.? According to most, mutual combat has not survived the common law and would no longer hold up as a defense. However, it is still part of the criminal law of the United States.? Devil's Kettle waterfall empties into a sinkhole. Nobody knows where that sinkhole leads to!Saturday, 15 June 20132:57 PMThe Devil's Kettle waterfall empties into a sinkhole. Nobody knows where that sinkhole leads to!? Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. It's also home to some other bodies of water, some of them rather odd. One such odd formation is the Devil's Kettle, which stems off of the Brule River.? About 1.5 miles from the river's mouth, it split into two over a mass of rock. The eastern part flows over a 50 foot waterfall and continues on. The western flow falls 10 feet into a hole and then disappears into the ground. The source of this has yet to be found.? Some believe the water rejoins the river later or has a separate outlet to Lake Superior, but this has not been confirmed. Researchers have tried to locate the outlet by putting colored dyes and ping pong balls into the Devil's Kettle but to no avail. There is even a legend that a car disappeared into the sink hole but this is highly unlikely.??A 15-year-old boy stole a giant Caterpillar earthmover and took it on a 12 mile joy ride through TucsonSaturday, 15 June 20133:18 PMA 15-year-old boy stole a giant Caterpillar earthmover and took it on a 12 mile joy ride through Tucson?On June 2, 2005, 15-year-old Duncan Dresner stole an earthmover from a construction site in Tuscon. He then proceeded to drive 12 miles through the city. He led police on a chase as he swerved from lane to lane and ignored their commands. At one point, he hit a utility pole and caused a power outage.? In a final attempt to stop Dresner, police officers stood in front of the earthmover with their guns drawn. The earthmover reversed toward the officers, and they fired on it. A bullet hit Dresner in the spine and paralyzed him from the sternum down.? Dresner pleaded guilty to eight counts of endangerment. While Dresner and his attorneys argued that this was a stupid decision by an upset boy, police officers were infuriated by the fact that Dresner carelessly put so many citizens in danger on his joy ride.? Germany surrendered after WWII, people in Russia celebrated long enough that they ran out of Vodka!Saturday, 15 June 201310:15 AMWhen Germany surrendered after WWII, people in Russia celebrated long enough that they ran out of Vodka!?It's one of the landmarks events in modern history. Germany surrendering sparked massive celebrations around the world, including one in Times Square where they took the now famous picture of the sailor kissing a nurse. However, none may have been as wild as the one in Moscow.?Reports say thousands of people took the streets, and turned the city into a sea of vodka. They say that by the time Stalin addressed the nation 22 hours later, the entire city had been drunk dry!?A reporter said "he was lucky to buy a liter of vodka at the train station, because later it was impossible to buy one." Check out the source for that and other awesome parties in history.? Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center is so large that rain clouds form inside it.Saturday, 15 June 20138:36 PMThe Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center is so large that rain clouds form inside it.?VAB, for short, was used from 1968 to 2011 to build and store American space vehicles. By volume it is one of the largest buildings in the world, at 3,664,883 cubic meters. Additionally, it is the largest single story building in the world, and until 1974 was the tallest building in Florida.? Today, it is the tallest building in the US outside of urbanized cities like New York and Cincinnati. The VAB completed it's construction in 1966 and was first used to build the Saturn V rocket for the Apollo program.? After that it was used for housing Space Shuttle fuel tanks and other flight hardware, and served as a place where Space Shuttle orbiters were attached to rocket boosters. At 526 feet tall, 716 feet long, and 518 feet wide, it covers 8 acres of land. At such a size, on very humid days the building has it's own weather, with rain clouds forming below the ceiling.? The building has a moisture reduction system to mitigate this problem, though. What’s odd is that the building is made to withstand hurricanes and tropical storms, but weather still appears inside it.? Airforce once successfully destroyed an Earth-orbiting satellite from an airplane!Saturday, 15 June 201311:31 PMThe Airforce once successfully destroyed an Earth-orbiting satellite from an airplane!? In order to properly test equipment, the US Air Force has to make some sacrifices. In 1985, President Reagan ordered a rather expensive test. He authorized a test that would hopefully result in the destruction of an orbiting satellite.? Specifically, an air-launched anti-satellite multi-stage missile (ASAT) would be launched at the Solwind P78-1, an orbiting satellite that had been launched in February 1979. On September 13, 1985, Major Wilbert D. “Doug” Pearson flew a “Celestial Eagle” F-15A 76-0084 launched an ASM-135 ASAT and destroyed the Solwind P78-1? The ASAT collided with the satellite at 15,000 mph. Prior to the test, NASA modeled the effects of the destruction and determined that debris from the Solwind satellite would still be orbiting around Earth until the 1990s. This caused NASA to increase debris-shielding plans for their space station.? Tennessee house burned down because the homeowner hadn't paid a $75 fee!Sunday, 16 June 201312:25 PMA Tennessee house burned down because the homeowner hadn't paid a $75 fee!? Firefighters in rural Tennessee let a home burn to the ground last week because the homeowner hadn't paid a $75 fee!? Gene Cranick of Obion County and his family lost all of their possessions in the fire, along with three dogs and a cat.? The fire started when the Cranicks' grandson was burning trash near the family home. As it grew out of control, the Cranicks called 911, but the fire department from the nearby city of South Fulton would not respond.? The owner apologized for not paying in time and he offered them any amount necessary so they would save his house and there was still no response!? So next time you need to pay your fees make sure you don’t mess around with the fire department! Argentinian town was completely lost to a lake and it came back in 2009!Sunday, 16 June 20131:16 PMAn Argentinian town was completely lost to a lake and it came back in 2009!?In the 1920s, a tourist town called Villa Epecuen was established along the shore of a lake by the same name. It's located about 600km southwest of the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires.? The Lake is remarkable for it's high salt content. In fact it has 10 times higher salt content than any ocean. The therapeutic powers of this water have been known for centuries and are said to cure many diseases.? On November 1985, higher than usual rainfall broke the rock and earth dam that protected the town and inundated it with up to 4 feet of water. Bu 1993, the whole town was submerged in 10 meters of water.? Nearly 25 years later, in 2009, the wet weather reversed and the waters receded. The village began to surface. However, only 1 person has moved back. 81-year-old Pablo Novak says he is OK there by himself and that he remembers the golden days of the town back in the 60s.? world's (un)luckiest man cheated death 7 times and then won the $1 million lottery!Sunday, 16 June 20132:55 PMThe world's (un)luckiest man cheated death 7 times and then won the $1 million lottery!?Frane Selak, a Croatian music teacher, began his unlucky streak in 1962 on a train going from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik. The train unexplainably jumped the tracks and fell into an icy river killing 17 passengers.? Selak managed to swim to shore suffering from hypothermia and a broken arm. A year later while on an airplane, it's door flew off and Selak was sucked out of the airplane. The plane crashed and he woke up in a hospital. He'd been found in a haystack.? Then in 1966, Selak was on a bus that went off the road and into a river. Four people were killed, but he suffered minor injuries.? In 1970, his car caught on fire and he stopped it and got out just before the whole car blew up. In 1973, Selak was driving another car when a faulty fuel line sprayed gas all over the engine and flames blew through his air vents. His only injury was the loss of most of his hair.? In '95 he was hit by a bus, but on sustained minor injuries. Finally in 1996 he was driving on a mountain road when he went around a bend and saw a truck coming right at him. He ran is car through a guardrail and jumped out to watch his car blow up 300 feet below him.? In 2003, Selak bought a lottery ticket for the first time in 40 years at the age of 74. He ended up winning $1 million. sea water freezes into sea ice, it releases its salt and becomes a brinicle, also known as 'The Icy Finger of Death'Sunday, 16 June 20133:03 PMWhen sea water freezes into sea ice, it releases its salt and becomes a brinicle, also known as 'The Icy Finger of Death'?When salt-rich water leaks out of sea ice, it sinks into the sea and can occasionally create an eerie finger of ice called a brinicle. New research explains how these strange fingers of ice form and how the salty water within sea ice could have been a prime environment in which life may have evolved.? These ice stalactites are created under sea ice when cold, saline water is introduced to an area of ocean water.At the time of it's creation, a brinicle resembles a pipe of ice reaching down from the underside of a layer of sea ice.? As the sea water freezes, it pushes out impurities, including salt. This makes the water surrounding the pipe more saline, and more dense, so it starts to sink. As the dense water flows down, some of it freezes and creates the finger-like shape that's characteristic of the brinicle.? At first, a brinicle is very fragile; it's walls are thin and it is largely the constant flow of colder brine that sustains it's growth and hinders it's melt that would be caused by the contact with the less cold surrounding water. Check out the source for an awesome video of this process!? is a type of flatworm that engages in a behaviour known as penis fencing!Sunday, 16 June 20133:08 PMThere is a type of flatworm that engages in a behaviour known as penis fencing!?These flatworms, Pseudobiceros hancockanus, are hermaphroditic, meaning they have both egg-producing ovaries and sperm producing testes. Because of this, when it comes time to mate, they will fight to decide who will be the mother and the father.? This is because it is more costly, biologically, to be the mother than the father. Being the mother requires many more resources in time and energy, whereas the father can just go on with his life. So to decide who's who, they fight.? The flatworms have a mating behavior best described as 'penis fencing.' They try to pierce each other's skins with their penis. The winer, then is the one who manages to inseminate the other. The sperm is absorbed through the pores in the skin and the loser becomes pregnant. star 450 light years away will soon become a supernova and outshine the moon at night!Sunday, 16 June 20133:25 PMA star 450 light years away will soon become a supernova and outshine the moon at night!? Betelgeuse, is the name of a massive star that is incredibly close to us - considering the fact how big the universe is. The star, is only 450 light years away from planet Earth. Betelgeuse is currently one of the brightest stars in the sky at night, simply because how massive the star is.? When the star becomes a supernova, which is the inevitable fate of stars the size of Betelgeuse, it will be so bright it will outshine the moon at night - and will even be visible during the day! But, when will this massive star explode?? Astronomers have said many times that the star is as likely as to collapse and form a supernova tomorrow, as a million years from now. But, if we're lucky, we will get to see the star in our night sky outshining the moon. And don't worry, when Betelgeuse explodes, our planet will barely be effected. Only life on planets within 50 light years will be completely destroyed - but we'll be fine.? knowledgeSunday, 16 June 20133:28 PM?General knowledge ?Some insects live in your eyelashes.?Babies dream before birth.?The fear of beards is called Pogonophobia.?According to a study, spending money on experiences rather than material things will bring more enjoyment.?If you didn't know it yet, "Swag" was originally an acronym created in the 60's which stood for "Secretly we are gay."?If you don't want someone to give you a fake number, read the number they give you incorrectly. If its real, they'll correct you.?Use Control + Shift + T, to re-open an accidentically closed Browser Tab in Chrome. (On Mac, you use cmd instead of Control)?Five most expensive addictions (in order): alcohol, smoking, drugs, overeating, gambling.?Cuddling with a teddy bear can release the same amount of endorphins as having sexual intercourse.?A baby koala's first meal is its mother's poop.?"q" "p" "b" and "d" are the same letter, but with a different angle.?Some anthropologists believe that beer was responsible for the rise of human civilization.?Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lighting than women?If you're going to die from a marijuana overdose, you'd have to smoke 40,000 times the amount.?The way people respond to you is more about them than about you.?In India many people believe that women who die in childbirth can return as undead vampires and suck blood of their male relatives.?If it takes less that 5 minutes to fall asleep it is likely linked to sleep deprivation. A healthy sleeper takes about 15 minutes?Every month, humans spend more than 35 billion hours on the Internet.?The odds of being killed by falling out of bed are 1 in 2 million.?The iPad was conceptualized before and formed the basis for the iPhone?Dolphins, whales and apes are the only animals, other than humans, known to commit suicide.?Fat baby boys are more likely to have sex earlier in their lives.?Horseback riding carries higher injury rate than motorcycle riding.?The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.?Bill Clinton lost the nuclear launch codes for several months.?Stimulation of female nipples causes goose bumps in the genitals.?"Limerence" = The technical term for having a crush on a person.?The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.?Americans eat on average 18 acres of pizza. Every day.?The word “Android” refers only to a male looking robot.For one that looks like a female, the proper term is “Gynoid.”?Beethoven's last words were "I shall hear in Heaven."?Leonardo da Vinci could draw with one hand and write with the other at the same time.?In Thailand -- A Buddhist country -- All life is deemed precious. Ethically, it's not even allowed to swat at insects.?In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs.?In the Middle Ages it was thought that the left testicle made sperm for girls. Men wanting sons would have it removed.?Pakistan is intolerant of gays, but has the highest search rates of gay porn on the Internet. estimated annual value of the cocaine market is 3.5 times larger than the revenue of the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL combined.?A man's testicles manufacture 10 million new sperm cells a day?Male non-smokers masturbate more than male smokers. Female non-smokers masturbate less than female smokers.?The Lake name "Chargoggagoggmanchoggagogg" means "you fish on your side, I fish on mine, nobody fishes in the middle."?Nearly half of the human bones are in the hands and feet?Crocodiles are more closely related to birds than they are to lizards.?The brain accounts for 3% of body weight?Loneliness = Both physically and mentally damaging.?Prescription drug overdoses kill more Americans each year than heroin and cocaine combined.?According to a survey, 48% of women and 38% of men admit to stalking someone online before going out on a date with them.?In 1700 the average person consumed 4 pounds of sugar a year - today, most Americans consume that much every 8 days. can get the WiFi password for many establishments by checking the comments section of FourSquare. melody of Happy Birthday Song is not actually copyrighted, in fact it is only the words that are copyrighted. Taxi drivers will ask you if you're from "around the area?"Always say yes. Some drivers tend to take longer routes to charge more the end of job interviews, if asked: "Do you have any questions?"Reply: Yes, Is there anything about my application that concerns you? David Thoreau's last words were, "moose" followed by "indian."?Norway gets 98-99% of its electricity from hydroelectric power, more than any other country. in Australia call McDonalds "Macca's" = The most common month for teenagers to lose their virginity. City has the highest crime rate in the world. the Arctic Monkeys started their band, none of them could play instruments.?Healthy fresh urine = Cleaner than saliva or facial skin. Healthy urine is sterile & contains little or no bacteria when it leaves your body would take 76 8-hour work days for the average person to read the Terms and Conditions they agree to in a year. day on Earth actually lasts: 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds.?Not 24 hours as many believe.?Nullsoft purposely went from Winamp 3 to 5, because "nobody wants to see a Winamp 4 skin".?Gorillas were originally thought to be Humans when discovered by Carthage, and Gorilla is the Greek word for "tribe of hairy women"?As much as 1/5th of hookers have stable boyfriends.?About 50% of the world's food is thrown away every year.?The word Avocado derives from a Nahuatl Indian (Aztec) word “ahuácatl” meaning testicle.?Pringles chips are named after a street in Finneytown, a tiny Cincinnati suburb.?The word 'spam' is an acronym formed from SPiced hAM.?A person of average size and weight burns about 60 to 70 calories each hour just by sitting and watching television.?Owning a cat at home reduces the risk of heart attack by 40% and stroke by 30%.??Almost 100% of people older than 60 are diagnosed with eye herpes at their autopsy!Sunday, 16 June 201310:01 AMAlmost 100% of people older than 60 are diagnosed with eye herpes at their autopsy!?Herpetic simplex keratitis is a form of keratitis caused by recurrent herpes simplex virus in cornea. Herpes simplex virus or HSV infection is very common in humans. Nearly 100 percent of those older than 60 years of age harbor HSV in their trigeminal ganglia at autopsy. It has been estimated that one third of the world population suffers from recurrent infection.?Keratitis caused by HSV is the most common cause of cornea-derived blindness in developed nations Therefore, HSV infections are a large and worldwide public health problem. The global incidence (rate of new disease) of Herpes keratitis is roughly 1.5 million, including 40,000 new cases of severe monocular visual impairment or blindness each year. Primary infection most commonly manifests as blepharoconjunctivitis I.e. Infection of lids and conjunctiva that heals without scarring.?Lid vesicles and conjunctivitis are seen in primary infection. Corneal involvement is rarely seen in primary infection. Recurrent herpes of the eye is caused by reactivation of the virus in a latently infected sensory ganglion, transport of the virus down the nerve axon to sensory nerve endings, and subsequent infection of the ocular surface.? are stars in the universe that are cold enough to be touched by the human hand!Sunday, 16 June 20138:10 PMThere are stars in the universe that are cold enough to be touched by the human hand!?When you think about stars, you think about burning gas. You may imagine the intense heat of our closest star, the sun. And you would be right--the sun's surface temperature is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. However, not all stars are this hot. NASA has discovered certain astral bodies that are much cooler.? In 2010, NASA discovered 14 "brown dwarfs," which were 14 of the coldest stars it had ever found. Then in 2011, it found some that were even cooler. NASA calls these 6 stars "Y-dwarfs." These "Y-dwarfs" are even cooler than the human body.? Scientists designate these cool orbs "failed stars" because they cannot fuse atoms at their core like regular stars. They also gradually fade until their light is no longer visible to the human eye. In order to find them, NASA developed a special infrared telescope and attached it to a satellite.? male cuttlefish disguise as female to get past other males and mate with the females!Monday, 17 June 201310:57 AMWeak male cuttlefish disguise as female to get past other males and mate with the females!?The cuttlefish, like many undersea animals, is quite odd. They belong to the same class as squids and octopi and can rapidly change the color pattern on their bodies. Sometimes, this color change is used to camouflage them against predators and sometimes, it is used to attract a mate.? Cuttlefish populations are male-biased, which means there is a lot of competition between males, especially for access to females. Once a male identifies a female he would like to mate with, he has to convince her. In order to do so, he often displays an impressive array of colors.? However, this display, while impressing the female, also often attracts other males. Basically, the males have to pretend that they haven’t found a female and at the same time, convince her to mate. Tough.? In some cases, a weaker male will display an attractive range of color patterns on one side of his body toward the female and on the other side, a camouflage. Often this camouflage side can be mistaken for a female. The male is then able to mate unobtrusively mate with the female.????'Blue Ear' is a Marvel superhero with a hearing aid. He was created to get a little boy to wear his own!Monday, 17 June 20135:42 AM'Blue Ear' is a Marvel superhero with a hearing aid. He was created to get a little boy to wear his own!?Anthony Smith cannot hear out of his right ear and suffers from hearing loss in his other ear. When he decided not to wear his hearing aid anymore his mother decided to look to Marvel Comics for some assistance.?Marvel responded with the image of Hawkeye, a superhero who lost 80-percent of his hearing and wears hearing aids. They later sent Anthony a new superhero, “Blue ear”?The superhero was named after Anthony’s hearing aid, which he and his mother have always called blue ear.Thanks to this beautiful action from Marvel, Anthony is wearing his blue device once again.? became popular in the 17th century as a symbol of wealth!Monday, 17 June 20136:02 AMLawns became popular in the 17th century as a symbol of wealth!?A well-kept vibrant green lawn is the pride of many people in suburbia. Lawns are a status symbol, now, and ever since they first became popularized. The reasons, however, have changed dramatically.?In the early Jacobean epoch of 17th century England, the closely cut 'English' lawn was born. By the end of this period, having an English lawn was seen as a symbol of status of the aristocracy and gentry. It showed that the owner of the field could afford to keep land that was not being used for a building or for producing food.?Today, they are still seen as a status symbol. However, since the 2008 recession, many communities have dug up their lawns and planted fruit and vegetable gardens. The result could be that lawns will be viewed as environmentally and economically unviable at some point in the near future.? have to sleep near fans or they could die in their sleep!Monday, 17 June 20136:02 AMAstronauts have to sleep near fans or they could die in their sleep!?In a complete opposite of the South Korean fan death myth, it turns out astronauts actually NEED to sleep next to a ventilator fan while they're in weightless orbit. Why? If they don't, they might suffocate in their sleep.?The reason is because warm air doesn't naturally rise when there's no gravity. If you don't have a way of circulating air, then the carbon dioxide you expel when you breathe can form a bubble around your nose. Eventually, the air available to you wouldn’t have enough oxygen and you would die.?Learn more about what astronauts have to go through to sleep at the source.?'s a Lightning storm in Venezuela that's been going on since at least the 16th century!Monday, 17 June 20136:02 AMThere's a Lightning storm in Venezuela that's been going on since at least the 16th century!?Relámpago del Catatumbo (Catatumbo Lightning) is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs where the Catatumbo River meets the Lake Maracaibo, in Venezuela.?How do they happen? The winds blowing accross the Maracaibo lake and other swampy plains around the area meet with the Andes mountain ridges. These winds carry a lot of heat and moisture, which are perfect for creating electric charges. The result? Lightning for 280 times an hour, 10 hours a day for 160 nights a year!?It is believed that the phenomenon has been going around since at least the 16th century (and most likely, even more than that). The first time this storm was reported in writing was an epic poem called "la Dragontea," by Lope de Vega in 1597, which told of the defeat of Sir Francis Drake at this site. Drake tried to attack the city of Maracaibo, but the lightning gave away his position and the city was able to respond in time.?All the electric activity makes the Catatumbo Lightning the largest single generator of Ozone in the planet. The lightning is visible up to 400 km away! Because of this, it's also called as the Maracaibo Beacon.? is a homeless shelter in Washington that saves the public $4 million a year!Monday, 17 June 20136:03 AMThere is a homeless shelter in Washington that saves the public $4 million a year!?It is located at 1811 Eastlake Ave in Seattle and it opened in 2005. The purpose of the shelter was to house 75 homeless people who suffered from alcoholism. Instead of simply feeding and sheltering homeless people, they made an effort to deal with the cause and the suffering of the people. They treated them for alcoholism and interacted with them as if they were paying, traditional members of society. The results were stunning.?1811 Eastlake has been intricately studied for it's success and has been imitated across the country. By taking homeless people and helping them to better their lives, they allowed previously dysfunctional members of society to restart their lives and contribute to the economy, while simultaneously reducing the number of homeless people throughout the city. It is estimated that around $4 million is saved by helping the people to go back to work and by not needing to support them for the rest of their lives!? April Fool's 1997, comic strip artists pulled off a massive prank in which 46 artists swapped each other strips!Monday, 17 June 20136:03 AMOn April Fool's 1997, comic strip artists pulled off a massive prank in which 46 artists swapped each other strips!?The entire affair was organized by comic strip creators Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, who created the Baby Blues daily newspaper comic strip. Together they convinced forty-six different artists to participate in switching their material with another comic strip writers.?For example, Mike Peters traded his comic with Lynn Johnston, and they each wrote and drew their own material for the other person’s comic! Some artists did a multiple swap, with thirteen different people trading, and some did simpler switches.?The writer and artist swapped roles for Sally Forth and the Peanuts almost swapped with the comic strip Mutts! There were virtually no rules and everyone was free to do just about whatever they wanted with others’ material. So why was it such a good prank??It became a huge success because the newspapers, readers, and comic syndicates had no idea it was happening. People opened their newspapers and found their traditional comics written and drawn by different people. It was such a success it even earned the name the Great Comic Strip Switcheroo!? Imperial Walkers from Star Wars were inspired by the largest land mammal ever discovered!Monday, 17 June 20136:04 AMThe Imperial Walkers from Star Wars were inspired by the largest land mammal ever discovered!?Paraceratherium is an extinct giant, hornless rhinoceros-like mammal. It lived in Eurasia and Asia during the Oligocene epoch. Its remains were first discovered in Pakistan in 1910 by an English paleontologist.?It is considered the largest land mammal known with an average mass of 12 tons. The largest individual known was 16 feet tall at the shoulders and 26.2 feet in length and weighted 18 tons. Despite their large size, Paraceratheriums were herbivores that ate leaves.?According to the movie’s special effects creator, Phil Tippett, Paraceratherium was the inspiration for the AT-AT walkers in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.? the nuclear bomb was developed, we had a foolproof way of detecting art forgeries!Monday, 17 June 20136:04 AMAfter the nuclear bomb was developed, we had a foolproof way of detecting art forgeries!?As long as there have been works of art that have gained popularity, there have also been countless forgeries. While it takes a keen eye and an immense knowledge of different artists and their styles to know which are real and which are fake, after 1945 there became a foolproof way to spot fakes!?The reason for this is because after 1945, works of art will have traces of the isotopes caesium-137 and strontium-90. Only artwork after 1945 have these traces because they are not found naturally and are only released after a nuclear blast.?There have been over 2000 nuclear tests since the first blast in 1945, which released huge byproducts of these isotopes. When art forgeries arose that were extremely difficult to identify as authentic, scientists learned that they could do a simple test to see whether they were actually produced before 1945 or not, making it the only way we can know for a certainty which are real and which are fake!?: the process of getting torn apart by a black hole.Monday, 17 June 20136:04 AMSpaghettification: the process of getting torn apart by a black hole.?At the center of every non rotating black hole, is a single point in which the mass of the black hole is contained. This region is infinitely dense, which basically means the weight is condensed into a region that is infinitely small.?Unfortunately, if you enter the horizon of a black hole, it is physically impossible for you to escape. There is literally no way out - you can only prolong your death by delaying your acceleration into the black hole. Scientists suggest it is best to just free fall in order to get the grueling death you are going to encounter out of the way. When you get far enough into the black hole, your mass will be condensed and then added to that of the black hole.?But, you're lucky, because before you are crushed to an infinitely small spec in the universe, you will be torn apart by the tidal forces in the black hole through a process called Spaghettification, or rather, 'the noodle effect'. Basically, your body will become stretched in a comical looking sort of way, but it will be excruciatingly painful for you - but hey, at least it has a funny name.?'s a town that is literally living under a rock!Monday, 17 June 20138:18 AMThere's a town that is literally living under a rock!?The town of Setenil de las Bodegas, in Spain has about 3,000 inhabitants. Their town has the particular feature of being built under a giant rock formation. It's located just northeast of Cadiz.?The rock formation was eroded by the Trejo river, which allowed for easy construction of the houses under the walls of the gorge itself. The natural caves of Setenil are ideal for them because they don't need to build entire houses, just a fa?ade. The rocks also keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Check the source for more photos!? plants are poisonous!Monday, 17 June 20138:33 AMMango plants are poisonous!?The mango is one of the most delicious and popular fruits in the world. It is native to South Asia, but has spread throughout most of the world. However, there is a much darker side to the plant that can cause dermatitis and anaphylaxis. Contact with different parts, such as the oils in the leaves, the stems, sap, and skin, primarily cause the potential negative effect. A chemical in poison ivy and poison sumac is also present in mango leaves, and result in almost the exact same reaction. So next time you eat a mango, remember if you ate a different part you could be poisoning yourself!? uncontrollable prison riot ended when the superintendent just asked the prisoners to keep calm!Monday, 17 June 20138:33 AMAn uncontrollable prison riot ended when the superintendent just asked the prisoners to keep calm!?On July 7, 1952, a full-scale riot broke out in an Ontario prison resulting in the prison becoming partially ruined and causing expensive repairs. The situation seemed dire when police couldn’t end the riots and feared the prisoners would escape or kill the guards.?Tear gas was used but was completely ineffective and the prison continued to be consumed by riots. Up to 1000 inmates participated. The guards even threatened to fire on the inmates after several had escaped, but they still could not be controlled. It was not until the superintendent of the prison came out that the entire affair was over within seconds.?He simply asked them to stop and to restore order. He was so respected by the prisoners that as quickly as it had begun, the entire riot was over and everything went back to normal!? Greek taxi driver has the world record for longest mileage in a single car: 2.9 million miles!Monday, 17 June 20138:33 AMA Greek taxi driver has the world record for longest mileage in a single car: 2.9 million miles!?Greek taxi driver Gregorios Sachinidis from Thessalonica donated his 1976 Mercedes to the Mercedes Benz Museum Collection! It may seem like a classic Mercedes from the outside, but on the inside, more importantly when looking at the mileage, you will see that his car has 4.6 million kilometers on it!?The massive distance covered by this single taxi cab has been a milestone in convincing people that Mercedes-Benz cars can travel an extremely far distance before they need to be turned in! Since Gregorios Sachinidis was donating his car to the Museum, Mercedes-Benz decided to donate a brand new C 200 CDI to be picked up by him, whenever he feels ready after he returns to his home in Thessalonica!? love only lasts about a year. After that, 'attachment love' sets in!Monday, 17 June 20138:34 AMRomantic love only lasts about a year. After that, 'attachment love' sets in!?It has often been said that falling in love is one of the best feelings in the world. It can take over a person's life—they become enamored with the other person and everything just seems better because of the love they share. Is there a difference between this initial love and the love that a couple that have been married for 50 years shares??Italian scientists believe there is. Researchers at the University of Pavia say that a chemical is responsible for the first rush of love. They found that raised levels of protein were to thank for the feelings of euphoria that those in love experience.?The scientists found that these levels went down over time though when they studied couples that were in long-term relationships. Specifically, these levels went down after one year in the relationship. These findings do not mean that the couple is no longer in love but rather that the love is not so acute.? Irwin was buried at his beloved Australia Zoo!Monday, 17 June 20138:34 AM?Steve Irwin was buried at his beloved Australia Zoo!?Steve Irwin, or The Crocodile Hunter, was a beloved animal enthusiast and worked at the Australia Zoo before launching into fame with a variety of animal shows. He was famous for working with crocodiles as well saying, 'Crikey!' Whenever something unexpected happened.?On September 4, 2006, while filming an episode of Ocean's Deadliest in a small part of the Great Barrier Reef, the weather took a turn for the worse so Steve Irwin and his crew went closer to the shore and began gathering footage for his daughter's television show, Bindi the Jungle Girl.?After trying to get footage of a string ray, the sting ray stung Irwin directly in the chest which killed him almost instantly. It is the only death by sting ray ever caught on tape, and it would later be destroyed by the Irwin Family.?A plethora of international celebrities attended Irwin's funeral, which took place in the crocodile pit which he spent most of his time performing at the Australia Zoo. Hugh Jackman, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, and the Australian Prime Minister!? Gates bought a Leonardo da Vinci notebook for $30m and made it available for free!Monday, 17 June 201311:20 AMBill Gates bought a Leonardo da Vinci notebook for $30m and made it available for free!?In 1994, Bill Gates bought the Codex Leicester, one of the notebooks left by Leonardo da Vinci. The price? $30.8 million. Gates explained that he bought it because he has always been amazed by Leonardo and how he worked out so much science on his own and understood things that other scientists didn't at the time.?When Windows Vista was launched, the British Library launched a website that let people browse through virtual versions of two Leonardo da Vinci notebooks. One of them was the one that Gates bought.?Seems like a good use of your personal wealth to make humanity better and promote your products at the same time!? might be the best beer for the health conscious!Monday, 17 June 201311:21 AM?Guinness might be the best beer for the health conscious!?If you're in the market for a full-flavored beer, but don't want a beer belly? Guinness might be your best bet. Although it's very dark colored and has a full flavor, a 12-ounce glass has, on average, 25 less calories than most full flavored beers.?Not just that, it also contains small quantities of nutrients like iron, calcium, phosphates, fiber and even some vitamins! A Wisconsin study also found that it has antioxidants and might even protect the heart.?That said, alcohol is still mostly empty calories at the end of the day. Alcohol can be a not-terrible part of your diet if you consume in moderation.? May, guitarist for Queen has a PhD in Astrophysics!?Monday, 17 June 201311:21 AM?Brian May, guitarist for Queen has a PhD in Astrophysics!??As if being the guitarist for Queen and an accomplished songwriter wasn’t enough, May also graduated from Imperial College London in May 2008 with a PhD in Astrophysics.??He had originally obtained his BSc Hons before Queen became successful, but put his studying on hold to become a full-time musician. He returned to university in 2007 and completed his PhD. He has also co-wrote a book, called ‘Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe’ with Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott.?He has also co-authored and published two research papers and the asteroid 52665 Brianmay was named after him. May is also an animal rights activist. He has founded a campaign group, called Save Me, who campaign against any unfair treatment of animals, and has spoken out in particular against badger culling and fox hunting.??He has also stated that he would rather be remembered for his charity work than his music or science!? third of married couples in Canada have separate bedrooms.?Monday, 17 June 201311:22 AM?A third of married couples in Canada have separate bedrooms.??If you’re anything like me, one of the reasons the concept of marriage seems like a terrifying beast is because it entails sharing your bedroom with someone else. And for those of us who need their space with a capital N, but fear abandonment with a capital F, this is an anxiety-inducing prospect.?But fear not, because an article from Canadian Health suggests that having two different bedrooms can actually bring you two together.In Canada, 1,700 married couples (that is, one third of the country) have separate bedrooms. Surveys have shown that these couples are more satisfied with their sleep than couples who share a bed.?This is understandable- having your own bed means not listening to another person snoring, not being kicked in the face every 5 seconds, twisted and turning and your leisure, etc. If the sentiment behind the dual-bedrooms isn’t resentful, it can actually lead to better rested individuals and thus happier couples.? could help us beat Global Warming!Monday, 17 June 20135:11 PMKangaroos could help us beat Global Warming!?For the past few years, scientists have had the lousy job of taking samples of methane gas out of Wallaby’s stomachs. To their surprise, they discovered that Wallabies produce one fifth as much methane as cows for each piece of food they ingest.?What does this mean? Well, it means Wallabies burp and fart less than cows. This discovery could be the key to solving a big part of our global warming problem.?Scientists have come to several conclusions as to why this is. The reason for such a different digestive track is because of how Wallabies have evolved compared to how cattle have evolved. Wallabies have adapted a micro bacterium into their stomach that breaks down their food in a faster manner. As a result, less methane is produce.?Brace yourself, here’s the part where this whole situation gets a little weird. Scientists are trying to take this small bacteria and place it into the stomachs of cattle to reduce how much methane the cows produce. Why? Well, apparently cows are passing so much gas that it’s contributing to the green house gasses worldwide and progressing Global Warming!? mines in West Virginia are continually burning and it’s almost impossible to stop!Monday, 17 June 20135:12 PMCoal mines in West Virginia are continually burning and it’s almost impossible to stop!?Underground fires are burning vast acres of coal at 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. These fires are often started through forest fires. Unlike other minerals like gold and silver that are found in veins that go a few feet, coal is found in seams beginning on a mountainside and continuing for miles. So, when it catches fire, it is basically impossible to stop until the fire runs out of its fuel.?Alarmingly high amounts of our coal storage are being destroyed in this manner. Not only is the coal being destroyed, but harmful gasses are released from burning the coal without any way to control them. They could kill someone in a matter of seconds. About 583 of these coal fires are happening as we speak in West Virginia alone. It is causing some major problems, but they have yet to figure out any solution to the problem.? Khan murdered so many people that Iran’s population didn’t recover from it until the 20th century!?Monday, 17 June 20135:12 PMGenghis Khan murdered so many people that Iran’s population didn’t recover from it until the 20th century!??Genghis Khan was the ruthless ruler of the Mongol empire. During the aggressive expansion of his empire, he murdered millions of people.?In the case of ancient Iran, Persia, it’s estimated that his men killed somewhere between 10 to 15 million people, or about 75% of the population.?To put it in context, the carnage was so large that this population didn’t recover back to its pre-Mongolian levels until the 1950s. For those of you who are history buffs, it means that it took around 700 years, from around 1219 to 1950s!? stereotype of Jewish people being greedy comes from Christians not being able to perform certain jobs!Monday, 17 June 20135:13 PMThe stereotype of Jewish people being greedy comes from Christians not being able to perform certain jobs!?The Middle Ages were an era of time when Christianity was essentially ruling Europe. The Christian Church had such a high power of authority, it was able to tell citizens what they could and could not do. For example, the Church proclaimed that Christians were not allowed to lend money and charge interest, a practice called usury.?The world, being the cruel place that it is, gave restrictions onto the occupations that Jews were allowed to have. Guess what one of those occupations was? Bingo. Jewish people were restricted to being usurers and money lenders, meaning that they could loan people money and charge them interest.?Since being a money lender was one of the only occupations that a Jewish person could be, the idea that Jews are greedy and money-mad developed. As a result, Jewish people still have to live with that stereotype today.? average every US airplane will be hit by lightning at least once a year!Tuesday, 18 June 20132:56 AMOn average every US airplane will be hit by lightning at least once a year!?If you're scared of flying, this might give you comfort or make you more terrified. The truth is: Airplanes get struck by lightning all the time. In fact, the average US airliner will be hit by lightning once a year.?If that scares you, take comfort in this: Lightning has not caused an airliner crash in the USA or of a U.S. Airline plane anywhere in more than 50 years. The last time that happened was in 1962, when a PanAm Boeing 707 got hit and a spark ignited fuel vapor in a tank.?After that happened, the rules changed to prevent a spark from ever doing that. However, pilots still avoid thunderstorms because there are a lot of other dangers like wind speeds and visibility that can be dangerous. However, next time you're on a plane and it gets hit by lightning, don't worry: That won't do the plane any harm.? British got the Ottomans high so they could capture Jerusalem!Tuesday, 18 June 20132:56 AMThe British got the Ottomans high so they could capture Jerusalem!?During the siege of Jerusalem back in 1917, the British, in an effort to capture the city from an entrenched Ottoman garrison, started to airdrop “special” cigarettes. These “special” cigarettes were smoked by the Ottomans, but what they didn’t know is that they were filled with large doses of Opium!?Ottomans were too stoned to fight, so when they were doing their last stand at Sheria, the British were able to attack them and destroy their defense since the Ottomans were too high to mount a successful attack and defense. The British successfully took Sheria, and soon after Jerusalem!?In simpler words: The British strategy worked perfectly! The Ottomans didn’t even stop to check if the cigarettes contained anything, so by triggering their cigarette addiction, the British were able to celebrate Christmas at Jerusalem.?So next time an enemy offers you a cigarrete you might want to check the cigarette first.? of the US and European stock market trades are completely automated with no human input!Tuesday, 18 June 20132:57 AM70% of the US and European stock market trades are completely automated with no human input!?Back in 2006, 1/3 of al stocks traded in the USA and EU were traded electronically by specially designed algorithms without any human input. Today, it is estimated that around 70 % of stocks traded in the US and EU markets are bought/sold by algorithmic programs, with some markets pushing 80 %.?In order to understand this, it is important for you to know what algorithmic trading is. Algo trading is the use of electronic platforms for entering orders with an algorithm which executes pre-programmed trading instructions.?These instructions include many commands and variables, such as timing, price, or quantity of the order. And what’s most amazing is that in many cases the order can initiate without any human intervention.All those algorithms are used by banks, pension funds, among many other important places.We see mathematics in every day life use, but when it comes to many we can see it magically becomes a lot more interesting!? in the German Army can disobey certain orders!Tuesday, 18 June 20134:26 AMSoldiers in the German Army can disobey certain orders!?Yep, it’s true; in the German Army, soldiers are obliged to disobey any order they think would violate human dignity. Few, if any other armies have this rule!?This is all based in the principle of "command and obedience in the Bunderswehr". This doesn't mean they can disobey anything, though. Ifa soldier insubordinates for other reasons, he/she may be punished with imprisonment up to three years if they acted negligently.?This human dignity exception was enacted in the 1950s, after seeing what blind obedience did to Nazi Germany soldiers. This rule now means that soldiers need not fear retribution if a commander's orders would lead to something horrible like it did with the Nazis.?. Ron Hubbard called himself a nuclear physicist. His only exposure to it was one class!Tuesday, 18 June 20134:26 AML. Ron Hubbard called himself a nuclear physicist. His only exposure to it was one class!?“All About Radiation” is book by L. Ron Hubbard, and as the title might imply it’s all about radiation. Or at least Hubbard’s thoughts on radiation. It is also one of the canonical texts of Scientology. It was first published in 1957 and later editions were printed by the Church of Scientology’s in house publisher, Bridge Publications.?The book is controversial because it makes a lot of questionable claims. One such claim is that radiation poisoning can be cured by a course of vitamins. In fact, radiation poisoning cannot be cured.?Considering the book’s content, you would expect Hubbard to be some sort of radiation expert or at the very least a scientist of some kind. Hubbard does call himself a nuclear physicist but this was false. His only degree came from Sequoia University, an unaccredited school. The only nuclear physics course Hubbard ever took was at George Washington University and he got an ‘F’ in the course.? can marry dead people in France!Tuesday, 18 June 20134:26 AMYou can marry dead people in France!?Since World War I, the French government was allowed what's called posthumous marriage. It started when a few women were married to soldiers that had died a few weeks earlier. In the 1950s, that practice was extended to civilians.?Nowadays, anyone in France can file for posthumous marriage. They have to send a request to the President of France. It makes it's way down the chain. Two requirements must be met: The couple must have had wedding plans originally, and the family of the deceased has to approve. Then, it gets kicked back up to the President. About 75% of cases are approved.?The reason people do this is mostly to legitimize children a woman may have, or for emotional reasons. The law does not permit the living spouse to receive any of the other spouse's money or property. People cannot do this for financial gain.? has a brewery operating since 1860. Due to its laws, it can't sell to 98% of the population!Tuesday, 18 June 20136:53 AMPakistan has a brewery operating since 1860. Due to its laws, it can't sell to 98% of the population!?Murree Brewery was established in 1860 due to the increasing demand for beer by the personnel of the British Raj (the English rulers of India, which Pakistan was then a part of). It is currently the country’s oldest and largest brewing enterprise. By the turn of the 20th century, Murree became known far and wide for its beer in keg and bottle in the bars, beer halls, and army messes of British India.?The British rewarded with it many more than 150 awards through the years. Today, Murree Brewery has become a small franchise; it has breweries outside of Pakistan in the Czech Republic and other European countries. However, the original Murree in Pakistan is not permitted to sell alchohol to Muslims-which constitute 98% of the country’s population.?Additionally, it is not allowed to ship alchohol made in Pakistan to other parts of the world. Murree does have a website however, and their products can be acquired from some “mystery” source there! Check it out (but only if you’re over the drinking age)!? with Roman numerals use IIII instead of IV. Nobody really knows why!Tuesday, 18 June 20136:59 AMClocks with Roman numerals use IIII instead of IV. Nobody really knows why!?Next time you look at a clock with Roman numerals, look closely. Odds are, it will use IIII instead of the more normal IV. Although there are many suggested explanations for this, no one really knows why. However, here are some of the most common ones:?Many clocks use IIII because that was the tradition established by the earliest surviving clock.Others say that it's because IV represented the Roman God Jupiter, so they avoided using that on clocks.It's said that Louis XIV, King of France preferred IIII to IV, and asked his clockmakers to use it instead.?It might also be that it's for symmetry. IIII on one side, with IV on the other. There's also radial symmetry because the I would only appear in the first 4 hours of the clock, the V only in the next four hours, and the X only in the last 4 hours.? Pyramids may have been built using poured limestone concrete!Tuesday, 18 June 20137:02 AMThe Pyramids may have been built using poured limestone concrete!?One of the mysteries about the pyramids is how such a primitive civilization in comparison to our modern civilization, was able to move massive slabs of limestone. One historians theory, may just be the most logical answer to this question.?The theory posed by Joseph Davidovits is that the Ancient Egyptians actually poured limestone concrete molds and the massive bricks were cast that way. Joseph believes that using the tools of the ancient Egyptians, water from the Nile, and a lengthy amount of time in the sun, the Egyptian workers were able to follow a simple process in order to create this massive bricks.?Basically, the limestone was broken down and mixed with water from the Nile, and left out until the mixture blended together. The mixture was then carried to the Pyramid and poured into a wooden mold, where it would then harden over the course of a few days.?Researchers tried to see if this was a realistic way to build the pyramid. A crew of 10 people in France, followed these exact steps proposed by Davidovits and it was found that over the course of a few weeks, the crew made a structure of 5 blocks, weighing anywhere between 1.3 - 4.5 ton blocks! Which means, we may have once and for all figured out how the Egyptians built the pyramids.?'s customer tracking algorithms are so good, they figured out a teen was pregnant and broke the news to her father by accident!?Tuesday, 18 June 20137:44 AMTarget's customer tracking algorithms are so good, they figured out a teen was pregnant and broke the news to her father by accident!??Target keeps close tabs on everything its customers buy. They tag their customers with guest IDs and store all the detailed information they get from each customer. They then analyze the information and track it. They’ve become so accurate at tracking that they’ve been able to predict with extreme accuracy when women become pregnant.??Target has created a system that allows them to send coupons for expecting mothers. They have an algorithm that includes 25 very specific products. When a person buys those products, they can predict a pregnancy with decent confidence. What's even scarier is that they can even guess when the person's going to be due based on what they buy!?What they’ve found is that they freak out their customers by congratulating them on their pregnancies before the customer has formally set up any registry or anything with Target, or even told their own family!?A father in Minneapolis went to a local Target demanding to speak with a manager. He was livid that his daughter had received coupons and information on maternity clothing and baby items. It was inappropriate for Target to be sending his daughter, who was still in high school, information like that promoting pregnancy.??Later, the manager called the father to apologize again and was told that the father had spoken to his daughter. She admitted that she was pregnant and due in August, so the father apologized to the manager.?? used to be as tall as humans!Tuesday, 18 June 20139:35 AMPenguins used to be as tall as humans!?Scientists recently found what appears to be the tallest penguin ever! Two new fossilized species have been found in New Zealand and one, the Kairuku grebneffi, is almost five feet tall! The skeletons were found nearly twenty years ago and have since been studied by a group of scientists from North Carolina State University.?Over fifty different species of extinct penguins have been found, yet scientists are so astonished at the stunning size of the Kairuku, which translates to “food diver.” The species dates back around 27 million years and it looks nothing like any other penguins seen, either alive or dead.?This species was slim, had long flippers and strong rear limbs, and although they have been intensely studied, scientists remain stumped as to the reason behind their incredible size.? torture scene in Game of Thrones portrays an actual method of tortures used in Soviet Russia!Wednesday, 19 June 20136:17 AMA torture scene in Game of Thrones portrays an actual method of tortures used in Soviet Russia!?Big Games of Thrones fan? Remember the torture scene with the rat in the heated pot? Well, that was an actual method of torture used during the Red Terror! The Red Terror occurred in Soviet Russian, and back during this era there were several events occurring, such as mass killings, torture, and systematic oppression.?One of the torture methods that were used was one in which rats were placed in iron tubes sealed at one end with wire netting and the other placed against the body of a prisoner, with the tubes being heated until the rats gnawed through the victim’s body in an effort to escape.?This was only one of the torture methods used during the red terror, some people were frozen to death, others skinned people to make gloves, and these are just some of the terrible things that people would use to torture back then.?So don’t forget; you are actually learning some history from watching Games of Thrones! Sadly you’ll have to wait a little bit longer until next season comes up and you can keep up with the great learning process.? traditional demolition wastes an entire building. If you do a 'deconstruction' you can reuse up to 90% of the materials!Wednesday, 19 June 20136:17 AMA traditional demolition wastes an entire building. If you do a 'deconstruction' you can reuse up to 90% of the materials!?When you think of demolition, you probably think of dynamite and a building crumbling into a bunch of useless rubble. Well, a new form of environmentally friendly demolition called 'deconstruction' might just change that stigma in your mind. But, what exactly is deconstruction??Deconstruction is a process that involves removing materials from the building and sorting them into piles of things that can be reused, and what can be recycled. When executed properly, deconstruction has resulted in 90% of materials from a building being reused, rather than ending up in a landfill!? bricks at Cinderella's Castle get smaller as they go up to make it look taller than it is!Wednesday, 19 June 20136:17 AMThe bricks at Cinderella's Castle get smaller as they go up to make it look taller than it is!?Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom is indeed a magical place. It brings to life so many fairy tales and fantasies. The castle itself has a toy-like effect, sometimes making you question just how real it is.?Some parts of it, it turns out, are not what they appear to be. The outside appears to be white and grey stone but is in fact a reinforced plaster. No actual bricks were used in it's construction.?And while the castle is 190 feet tall (100 feet taller than Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland), it looks even taller. The castle uses a technique called "forced perspective." As it gets taller, it's parts get smaller, making them appear further away than they are. Hence, the castle looks taller.? Canadian journalist was kidnapped by Somalians. When she was released, she created the largest Somalian charity!Wednesday, 19 June 20136:17 AMA Canadian journalist was kidnapped by Somalians. When she was released, she created the largest Somalian charity!?Amanda Lindout is a Canadian humanitarian and former journalist. She was kidnapped along with some of her partners by Islamist insurgents in southern Somalia. She was held for over 15 months!?The abductors were teenage insurgents from the Hizbul Islam fundamentalist group, and they demanded 2.5 million dollars for Amanda and the rest of her crew. After 460 days as a hostage her family paid the ransom and later on Amanda was hospitalized for two weeks and treated for acute malnourishment.?Once she got back to North America she studied Development Leadership at the COADY International Institute and later on founded the Global Enrichment Foundation to create more opportunities in Somalia by offering university scholarships to Woman!?And not only that! On August 2011, Lindhout went back to Somalia, leading a large convoy carrying food aid for 14,000 people! When asked why she did this she described it as “an opportunity for me to look at that fear and maybe let it go, this fear that I have been carrying around with me for some time”.?So next time you are not willing to forgive someone you love remember that there are people like Amanda forgiving people that don’t even deserve it.? USS Arizona holds a place for the Pearl Harbor survivors' ashes!Wednesday, 19 June 20136:18 AMThe USS Arizona holds a place for the Pearl Harbor survivors' ashes!?The USS Arizona was a battleship built by the U.S Navy back in the mid-1910s. This ship participated in many important events, such as WWI, escorting President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference, going to Turkey to represent American interests during the Greco-Turkish war, and finally it was laid to rest after being transferred to the Pacific Fleet.?In April 1940, however, the USS Arizona and the Pacific Fleet were transferred from California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a deterrent to Japanese imperialism. Sadly, the ship was bombed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and hence killing 1,177 officers and crewmen. And what’s more incredible is that even though most of the ships sunk that day, the USS Arizona could not be fully salvaged!?The wreck still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona memorial, dedicated on May 30th, 1962 to all those who died during the attack, straddles the ship’s hull. This memorial is visited by more than one million people annually and it is only accessible by boat.?The USS Arizona is an active U.S. Military cemetery, and therefore if any of the survivors want their ashes to be among the ones of their fallen mates the USS Arizona holds a special place for them.?(BB-39)????A single fungus may have over 10,000 different genders!Wednesday, 19 June 20136:18 AM?A single fungus may have over 10,000 different genders!?A topic that always comes abroad during your biology class is fungal sex (well maybe not, yet it’s interesting), so when it comes to talk about fungi gender it might get a little bit tricky, but don’t worry! We are here to help you understand!?Contrary to humans in which there are men and there are women from a strictly reproductive point of view, among fungi, any individual con donate or receive genetic material, and hence either be a daddy or a mommy.Some fungi only have two mating types (bipolar), some have four or more possible mating types (tetrapolar) and a few fungi, for instance Schizophyllum commune, have more than ten thousand mating types!?So this type of fungus can pretty much mate with any other fungi he/she wants, since everyone can be a potential mate!?So next time you think of yourself as a great “player” remember that some fungi can get a lot more action and fun than you.? Kennedys redecorated the White House since Mrs. Kennedy thought the furniture was too cheap!Wednesday, 19 June 20136:18 AMThe Kennedys redecorated the White House since Mrs. Kennedy thought the furniture was too cheap!?Back in 1961, Jackie Kennedy decided to do a renovation of the White House by replacing the cheap furniture bought by the Trumans with pieces of the White House historical furniture!?Jackie Kennedy was so obsessed with the whole redecorating process, that along with Dorothy Mae “Sister” Parish she started the job right away. She started by reediting several of the family bedrooms and few other rooms. She decided to do several redecorations around the entire house! For instance, she converted the former Prince of Wales suite into a Private Dining Room!?The Kennedys were able to declare the White House a museum, they did this in order to preserve it and they accepted many antique furniture that fitted the White House! She even asked the Eisenhowers to give back the Washington era China they had taken home after leaving office!?Many of the “modern” rooms seen at the White House are all renovated thanks to Mrs. Kennedy’s great sense of decoration. So next time you decide to pay a visit to the White House remember that behind all it's history, the Kennedy era is among it.? Japan they have square watermelons.?Thursday, 20 June 20135:16 AMIn Japan they have square watermelons.??They get square watermelons by growing them inside of square glass cases. That way they can fit easily into an overcrowded refrigerator, and you can stack things on them.?Square watermelons are expensive though (10,000 yen or about $82). Compare that to regular round watermelons which cost about $15-20 in Japan.??The square boxes they're grown in are the exact dimensions of Japanese refrigerators, which means they fit perfectly. At $82 each, these square watermelons probably wouldn't be too popular in the United States. Our solution for a lack of refrigerator space? Smaller, seedless watermelons.??Apple stopped using the word 'laptop' because of the potential risk of using your laptop on your lap!Thursday, 20 June 20135:16 AMApple stopped using the word 'laptop' because of the potential risk of using your laptop on your lap!?In 2006, Apple decided to stop using the word 'laptop' because potential injuries can ensue if your laptop is left on your lap for extended periods of time! Obviously, Apple made this switch in technical lingo for liability purposes, meaning nobody can sue them for using their laptop on their lap and getting a burn!?In fact, Apple switched the lingo in their manuals for the Macbook Pro and even advises users NOT to use their laptop on their lap! The Macbook Pro manual states "Do not leave the bottom of your MacBook Pro in contact with your lap or any surface of your body for extended periods. Prolonged contact with your body could cause discomfort and potentially a burn."?Apple, you sly company. For a whole article dedicated to why laptops are dangerous to use on your lap, click the source!? inventor of Cruise Control was blind!Thursday, 20 June 20135:16 AMThe inventor of Cruise Control was blind!?Ralph Teetor was an American inventor from Indiana. He was the president of an automotive parts manufacturer The Perfect Circle Co. While the company manufactured piston rings, the man's greatest contribution to the car world is perhaps his invention of cruise control.?He got inspired by his driving a car with his lawyer. The lawyer would slow up and speed up. The motion annoyed Teetor so much that he created a speed control device in 1945. The device wouldn't be commercially available until 1958.? Willis appeared on Friends for free!Thursday, 20 June 20135:16 AMBruce Willis appeared on Friends for free!?Bruce Willis, the lovable bald guy who is known for being an incredibly intimidating character in films such as Die Hard, and Armageddon. He also appeared in the film 'The Whole Nine Yards' with Friends star, Matthew Perry. While filming the movie, Perry made a bet with Willis stating that if the film were to make #1 at the box office on it's opening weekend, Bruce would have to make his cameo role in Friends for free!?The film ended up making #1 at the box office, as Perry predicted, and Willis donated all of the money he made from his cameo appearances on Friends to charity. It wasn't all bad for Bruce Willis, because he ended up winning an Emmy for his brief performance on Friends!? West Virginia coal mining strike of 1912 became open warfare between the company and the minersThursday, 20 June 20135:16 AMThe West Virginia coal mining strike of 1912 became open warfare between the company and the miners?The Paint Creek Mine War started on April 18, 1912 and lasted until July 1913. The conflict was between striking coal miners and coal operators in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The conflict caused around 50 violent deaths and numerous indirect deaths from malnutrition and starvation.?The violence began with a United Mine Workers of America strike in 1912. At the time, there were 96 coal mines in operation in Paint Creek and Cabin Creek and they employed around 7500 miners.?The Paint Creek miners received 2.5 cents left per ton compared to the workers in the surrounding mines. During the strike negotiations, they demanded that their compensation be raised. The first month of the strike was not violent but turned so when officials tried to break the strike with brute force. A Senate resolution in May 1913 led to an investigation of West Virginia mining conditions.? are actually a type of bean!?Thursday, 20 June 20135:17 AMPeanuts are actually a type of bean!??People who say they have a nut allergy when they’re allergic to peanuts are wrong. Peanuts are technically a legume that originated in Paraguay. Peanuts go by many other local names like pig nuts, monkey nuts, goober peas, and pygmy nuts.??Peanuts are used as a popular snack food. Boiled peanuts are popular in the southern U.S., India, China, and West Africa. Peanut oil is used in cooking and is healthier than saturated oils. It adds a mild flavor and high smoke point to the food. Peanut flour is used as a gluten-free solution.??Peanuts are used to help fight malnutrition. Peanut based pastes have been created to aid in famine relief. Organizations like the World Health Organization and UNICEF have used the paste to help save malnourished children in developing nations.??Peanuts are also used to make lactose-free milk. Peanut plan tops are used as hay, too. Peanuts have industrial uses, too, from paint and nitroglycerin to plastic and wallboard.? the peak of its popularity, Farmville players outnumbered real farmers 60 to 1Thursday, 20 June 20135:17 AMAt the peak of its popularity, Farmville players outnumbered real farmers 60 to 1?Farmville is one of the most popular applications in the history of Facebook. On it, players would tend to their virtual crops. This quickly became an obsession for some people and spurred numerous blogs like the aptly named "Farmville Freak."?Over 62 million people signed up to play the game, and sometimes as many as 22 million people were signing in to play it per day! Real farmers probably spend less time on their real-life crops than some of these players do on their virtual ones.?In fact, Farmville players outnumbered actual farmers 60 to 1. This doesn't mean that real farmers didn't enjoy the game though. One said that it helped remind him of the methodology of farming and why he started farming in the first place. Experts say the game was so successful for the same reasons that Facebook is--it allows you to express yourself, connect with friends and invest in it.? Reagan told Steven Spielberg that 'E.T. the Extraterrestrial' was 100% a true story!Thursday, 20 June 20135:17 AMRonald Reagan told Steven Spielberg that 'E.T. the Extraterrestrial' was 100% a true story!?The film "E.T. The Extraterrestrial" is the heartwarming tale of an alien who is left behind on Earth and befriends a boy, Elliot. The two become close before a government unit discovers the existence of E.T. And try to take him away. It is one of Steven Spielberg's most well-known films.?When it first came out, Spielberg screened the film for the White House. Then President Reagan, the First Lady and guests, such as Sandra Day O'Connor were invited to a special viewing of the movie.?At the end, President Reagan addressed the room and thanked Spielberg for the showing. He then said "there are a number of people in this room who know that everything on that screen was absolutely true." He said this with a completely straight face but the room erupted into laughter like it was a joke.? elephant's penis is so large; it is used as a fifth leg!?Thursday, 20 June 20135:17 AMAn elephant's penis is so large; it is used as a fifth leg!??An elephant's penis can grow four to five feet long, nearly the size of full grown adults to put that in perspective, and has many uses besides reproduction. Because of their large size, it's necessary to have an extremely large penis for mating purposes.?However, what is interesting about these animals is how they use it in other aspects of daily life. When reaching for food at a tough angle or even just out of laziness, the elephant will purposefully erect their penis and use it as support. By doing this they maintain the stability they lose when reaching off balance.?Their penises are also used to swat annoying flies away from their sides when they can't reach or are too busy. Also, when an elephant has an itch on their stomach they simply swing their penis around to scratch it!? Beatles almost called their 1969 album 'Everest' instead of Abbey Road!Thursday, 20 June 20135:18 AMThe Beatles almost called their 1969 album 'Everest' instead of Abbey Road!?The iconic cover of the album Abbey Road, has been reproduced by Beatles fans worldwide as they walk across the iconic crosswalk. Although, only a few people are aware that The Beatles almost didn't name the album 'Abbey Road'. Instead, The Beatles were going to call the album 'Everest'.?This wasn't just in a brainstorming session with no general intent to name the album Everest, because The Beatles actually flew to the Himalayas to take pictures that they might end up using as an album cover! The album wouldn't have been named after the mountain, 'Everest' was actually referring to a recording engineer's favorite brand of cigarettes!? average white American is 0.7% African!Thursday, 20 June 20135:18 AMThe average white American is 0.7% African!?In America, African Americans and European Americans have been in contact since 1619. And as it turns out, some of them were in extremely close continent. Molecular anthropologists from Penn State University have examined DNA samples from 3,000 individuals in 25 locations around America for genetic variations.?Not only is the average white American 0.7% African but it was found that up to 30% of white Americans are between 2-20% African by genetic descendant. Conversely, 10% of all black Americans are actually more than 50% European by genetic descendant.?According to the studies of these molecular anthropologists, interracial fooling around is not just a thing of the past. Black-white couples have quadrupled in number between the 1960 and the 1990 census.? a young reporter was invited to meet the President, her editor bet her that he wouldn't say more than two words to her! Who won?Thursday, 20 June 20135:18 AMWhen a young reporter was invited to meet the President, her editor bet her that he wouldn't say more than two words to her! Who won??John Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, was famous for for saying as few words as possible. He once said "If you don't say anything, you can't be called on to repeat it." An honest statement, but you typically think of a President as being well spoken.?A young reporter was invited to meet Coolidge, and, her editor being aware of Coolidge's reputation of saying so few words, bet his reporter that she couldn't get the President to say MORE than two words to her! When the reporter explained the bet to Coolidge, he simply replied with 'You lose!'? Japanese guitarist was so well loved that 50,000 people turned out for his funeral!Thursday, 20 June 20135:18 AMA Japanese guitarist was so well loved that 50,000 people turned out for his funeral!?Hideto Matsumoto was a Japanese musician, singer, songwriters, and national obsession. He was primarily known for his work as lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan but was also the co-found of the US-based band Zilch.?He was seen as an icon for rebellion in Japan. His music compelled many people, young and old, to rebel against the country’s conformist society. He died in 1998 from suicide by hanging. 50,000 people came to his funeral, 3 people committed copy-cat suicides, and 1 museum was opened for 5 years in his honor. His death was deemed “the end of an era.”? and pumpkins are technically berries!Thursday, 20 June 20135:18 AMWatermelons and pumpkins are technically berries!?Berries are typically small pieces of fruit that you can hold in the palm of your hand, however there are a few exceptions. For example, watermelons and pumpkins are technically berries. Why? They look NOTHING like any of the other types of berries.?As it turns out, to be classified as a berry, all the plant has to do is be a fruit that has seeds and pulp produced from a single ovary! Since watermelons and pumpkins fit the classification, they are just as much as berries as blueberries and strawberries!? finale of M*A*S*H was watched by over half of America!Thursday, 20 June 20135:19 AMThe finale of M*A*S*H was watched by over half of America!?M*A*S*H was a massively successful show that ran from 1972 to 1983. It was a humorous (although sometimes serious) look at the personnel who worked at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (hence, MASH) during the Korean War.?The show became massively successful and by the time it ended in 1983, it was one of the most watched series of all time. In fact, the 135 minute finale, titled "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," was watched by 121.6 million viewers. That was more than half of the US population.?The finale was the top watched television broadcast in American history from 1983 until 2010, when Super Bowl XLIV surpassed it in total viewership. However, M*A*S*H still holds the record for total share and ratings. In fact, given how fragmented our media is today, it's very possible that it will remain the highest rated broadcast in American history forever.?https//en.wiki/Goodbye,_Farewell_and_Amen????Oxford University wants your help to decipher 7 ancient languages!Thursday, 20 June 20135:19 AMOxford University wants your help to decipher 7 ancient languages!?The super-educated folks at Oxford are in a bit of a rut and are requesting the talents and capabilities of the human community. They have released high quality images of clay tablets covered in Proto-Elamite, a script used over 5000 years ago in what is now Iran.?One of the major reasons the tablets have been so difficult is because they are likely full of mistakes, meaning that it is hard to detect patterns. Will this crowd sourcing work and spark a chain reaction? Well, if future archeologist are ever able to deceiver twitter and Facebook records, they'll be the ones to know.? Baker's Dozen has really morbid origins!Thursday, 20 June 20135:47 AMThe Baker's Dozen has really morbid origins!?A Baker's Dozen isn't actually a dozen, it's actually 13. While you might think that this is just bakers being generous and giving you an extra donut or piece of bread. However, the reason it exists is because bakers were trying to protect themselves.?During the reign of Henry III, the Assize of Bread and Ale statute was enacted. According to this statute, bakers who were found to shortchange their customers could be severely punished; up to and including having their hands chopped off!?As a result, they started baking bread in 13s, so that they wouldn't be known as cheats. This also protected them in case they lost, burnt or ruined one of the pieces of bread they had baked, leaving them with a legal dozen.? paper was made available 63 years after it was first invented!Thursday, 20 June 20136:03 AMToilet paper was made available 63 years after it was first invented!?The toilet paper is often taken for granted nowadays, but it is a precious commodity. If it did not exist, our existence would be a lot more annoying. It was invented by a paper maker named Joseph Gayetty in 1857. However, it was only made widely available in the 1920’s due to patent complications.?Original advertisements for the product used the tagline “The greatest necessity of the age” as if the human race was not functioning without toilet paper for all of these millennia. It was followed with “Gayetty’s medicated paper for the water-closet.” Twenty-six billion rolls of toilet paper, worth about $24 billion, are sold in the US alone. Americans use an average of 23.6 rolls per capita a year.? CIA once produced a porno to defame a president!Thursday, 20 June 20136:10 AMThe CIA once produced a porno to defame a president!?Nice to see the people in charge of national security keeping it classy.?President Sukarno ruled Indonoesia from 1959 to 1966 and was deemed pro-Communist by the CIA. In an effort to provide an intelligent response to Sukarno regarding this opinion of his, the CIA produced a porn film starring a Sukarno look-alike. The plot (or any semblance of a plot that porn films have) consisted to Sukarno first rejecting a woman and the succumbing to her seduction.?The film was affectionately titled “Happy Days.” The purpose of it was to degrade Sukarno’s image to his people. The film went as far as production, still were made, but unfortunately, the CIA could not finish.? of Japan's biggest beauty treatments is a poop facial!Thursday, 20 June 20136:10 AMOne of Japan's biggest beauty treatments is a poop facial!?We’ve all seen those TV shows in which Japanese women have their faces painted white and wondered what exactly that thing is that makes them look like ceramic dolls. Well, turns out that the answer to that is poop. The poop of a specific type of nightingale, the Japanese bush warbler, is appropriately called uguisu no fun (literally ‘nightingale feces’) in Japanese and is often used as form of beauty treatment. Applying uguisu no fun on your skin has been known to make skin softer and brighter.?This ancient Japanese technique is migrating westwards. High-end spas in New York and other Americans cities that probably don’t let any kind of wildlife within a 5 mile radius of them, are beginning to offer uguisu no fun facials. Some companies charge up to $180 for one treatment. So, would you pay $180 for magical poop on your face?? a handful of people in the world have a condition called 'super memory.'Thursday, 20 June 20136:10 AMOnly a handful of people in the world have a condition called 'super memory.'?There are a handful of people that can not only remember where they put their car keys yesterday but where they put their car keys 5 years ago. They have what scientists call a highly superior autobiographical memory, and research has identified that their brains are special.?Researchers the University of California studied 11 people with the condition flagged distinct quirks in 9 structures of their brains. Most of the differences (surprise, surprise) were in areas associated with autobiographical memory. The participants had more robust white matter linking the middle and front parts of their brain compared with a group of control subjects.?So far, only 33 cases of this condition have been confirmed.? many Japanese die alone and remain undiscoverd for so long, that they have a term for it: KodokushiThursday, 20 June 20136:44 AMSo many Japanese die alone and remain undiscoverd for so long, that they have a term for it: Kodokushi?There’s a upsetting phenomenon happening in Japan. It’s occurring so often that it’s even been given a name – “kodokushi” which translates to “lonely death.” Apparently, many people are dying and not being discovered for a long time. When they are finally found and their body is removed, a large, dark stain will remain where the body once lay. Why? Because the body will secrete liquids as it begins to decompose.?According to our source, this has become a problem in Japan, especially when “untidy men in their 50’s” pass away. They say there is a correlation between being messy and having few social contacts, which in turn leads to the deceased person remaining undiscovered for a period of time. In 2008, more than 2,200 people over the age of 65 died a lonely death. Japan is trying to combat this trend by promoting neighborly awareness and encouraging people to check on elderly persons regularly.? has such a groping problem, they have female-only train cars!?Thursday, 20 June 20136:45 AMJapan has such a groping problem, they have female-only train cars!??Street groping has a specific term in Japan (chikan), and it's so widely spread, that it affect males and females alike. There have even been movies made about the legal troubles of people who were accused of groping.?Crowded trains are a particularly hot target for gropers. A survey of Japanese high-schoolers revealed that 70% of them said they'd been groped during a train. To combat this problem, some railway companies designate special women-only passenger cars during rush hours. Other targets for groping are bicycle parking areas because people have to bend over to unlock them.? universities hold memorial services for animals that die in laboratory testing!Thursday, 20 June 20136:45 AMJapanese universities hold memorial services for animals that die in laboratory testing!?Twice a year, universities in Japan hold memorial services or kuyos for the animals that died in laboratory testing. The ritual memorial service is important in the society.?The point of it for the animals is to thank them for their sacrifice for science and to honor their death. No religious figures attend, but they do have a master of ceremonies that makes a short speech and reads from a scroll the precise number of animals of each kind that died in the name of science that year.?The ceremony is a type of accountability and to be held so their lives lost weren’t in vain. They hold kuyos for all kinds of companies dealing with animals. The premiere pearl company in Japan holds one kuyo per year for the oysters who die in the process.?It is very important and crucial to the Japanese to always give thanks for life that is lost and to honor it in a proper and ceremonial way.? the past 100 years, 80% of the biomass of fish in the world's oceans has been lost.Friday, 21 June 20134:43 AMIn the past 100 years, 80% of the biomass of fish in the world's oceans has been lost.?Commercial fishing has changed dramatically in the past 40 years. Fish populations have continued to decrease and in the past 100 years, 80 percent of the biomass of fish in the oceans has been lost.?Experts across the globe agree on the issue and see the damage occurring. Unfortunately only a few studies have actually been done on the issue, making the problem unknown to the masses. Some of the studies show that the ocean population will collapse completely by 2048. It is possible to recover from the depleting resources of marine fish, but serious measures must be taken.?One idea is to remove much of the predatory fish to give the lesser ones on the food chain a chance to replenish and catch up and then reintroduce the predatory fish the ocean again afterwards. We also must cut the consumption of fish to aid in the process of replenishing the marine life.? Sylvestor Stallone wouldn’t sell the script for Rocky for $350,000. He only had $106 in his bank at the time!?Friday, 21 June 20134:44 AMWriter Sylvestor Stallone wouldn’t sell the script for Rocky for $350,000. He only had $106 in his bank at the time!??Stallone was determined to be the star of the script he created for the movie Rocky. He was so single-minded about starring in Rocky that he refused the large sum of $350,000 offered to him by Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff.??It’s not uncommon for a writer to be protective of his work or for a man to be determined to follow through with a plan; what is crazy is that Stallone was dirt poor at the time. He had a total of $106 in his bank account and didn’t own a car.??He was even trying to sell his dog because he didn’t have the money to feed it any more.?With the $350,000, Stallone could have been very comfortable for a while, and it was guaranteed money! Success wasn’t guaranteed when he decided to act out his own character. Stallone ended up agreeing to not be paid as a writer if he was going to be the main actor.??Winkler and Chartoff were also only able to get one million dollar for the production, when they had hoped to have two million. They ended up spending $1.1 million and mortgaging their houses to pay for the extra $0.1 million. Their gamble paid off because Rocky became the highest grossing film in 1976.? Russian Tsar created a Council whose only job was to drink and party!Friday, 21 June 20134:44 AMA Russian Tsar created a Council whose only job was to drink and party!?Peter the Great was great for many reasons. Peter I of Russia created the All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters in 1692 that continued until 1725. The group included many of Peter’s friends and basically consisted of partying and drinking.?The group was frowned upon and had some run ins with the Church. They became known as the Jolly Company and held most of their parties in Moscow. The man who hosted most of the parties didn’t have the funds to do so, and therefore Peter I had a large dining room built onto the man’s home.?When that became too small, Peter I built the guy a large stone mansion that could hold 1,500 men and the place became a type of clubhouse for the Jolly Company boys. The Jolly Company morphed into the All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters with it's own hierarchy of power. They mocked the church and started a lot of problems, which caused them to eventually be disbanded.? high school girl figured out the formula for how long paper must be to be folded in half 12 times!Friday, 21 June 20134:44 AMA high school girl figured out the formula for how long paper must be to be folded in half 12 times!?Britney Crystal Gallivan is most well known for finding the maximum number of times that things can be folded in half. While she was a junior in high school, Gallivan demonstrated that a single piece of toilet paper 1200m in length can be folded in half twelve times. This went against the popular belief that the maximum number of times any piece of paper could be folded in half was seven.?She tested the foldability of paper of other lengths and used her empirical data to derive an equation that yielded the width of paper necessary to fold a piece of paper of thinkness t any n number of times. She went on to be a keynote speaker for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Convention and a 2007 graduate of University of California, Berkley. For her equation, check out the source!?'s a stone circle in Australia that's older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids!Friday, 21 June 20134:44 AMThere's a stone circle in Australia that's older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids!?In Victoria, Australia there is a large egg-shaped arrangement of 100 basalt stones. Each of the stones is between 0.5 to 1 meters tall. The whole arrangement is 50 meters wide. The Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation are the traditional owners of the stone circle.?On the western apex, there are three stones that look like they mimic three mountains in the background. Some historians believe the stones were set up to indicate the setting sun at the equinox of the summer and winter solstice.?The Wathaurung Aboriginal people have lived in the area for 25,000 years and the stone circle is thought to be older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Much of the traditions and customs of the Wathaurung people have been lost, but many historians believe the stone circle was for astronomical purposes. The exact location of the site isn’t publicized, because they want to respect the wishes of the elders of the land and keep the site away from heavy traffic.? you live in Somalia, you can invest in pirate expeditions!Friday, 21 June 20134:45 AMIf you live in Somalia, you can invest in pirate expeditions!?There is a pirate ‘stock exchange’ in Somalia where locals can invest in pirate gangs planning hijacking missions!?Pirates with heavy weaponry have landed at Haradheere, which used to be a small fishing village and now it’s a bustling town where you can find luxury cars owned by the pirates and those who bankroll them! They even create their little traffic jams now and then along it's dusty streets.?During an interview, one of the wealthiest pirates in town stated that the shares of the stock exchange that they decided to establish in this fishing town, is open to all and everybody who wants to be in. They can gain their shares by providing cash, weapons or any useful material that well help their pirate community to become better and stronger.?This business is considered the main profitable economic activity in this particular area, therefore the town’s deputy security officer supports the piracy-related cause!?So if your childhood’s dream of becoming the greatest pirate of all time it’s still there, you might want to go check Somalia as soon as possible.? Newton invented calculus because his University closed due to the bubonic plague!Friday, 21 June 20134:45 AMIsaac Newton invented calculus because his University closed due to the bubonic plague!?Some kids party when school gets out, and some kids invent calculus and as a result attain respect from the current and future scientific community. Newton received his BA degree from Trinity in January 1665 as the bubonic plague was casting it's dark shadow across the country.?Cambridge University closed down on August 7, 1665. In that little break, Newton began work on inventing a branch of mathematics called infinitesimal calculus. By 1687, he had fully developed his theories and was introducing to his students at Cambridge. These students were the first to feel the wrath of infinitesimal calculus.? the 19th century someone put 20+ cat statues on top of random NYC buildings. Nobody knows who or why!Friday, 21 June 20134:50 AMIn the 19th century someone put 20+ cat statues on top of random NYC buildings. Nobody knows who or why!?No one knows for certain why there are a bunch of mysterious cat statues dotting the city of New York. It is believed that in the 19th century, they were intended to attract people to shop (an interesting marketing technique) or to amuse children. Others believe that they were put up to scare pigeons.?The 19th century may have ended but the demand and appreciation for these cat statues hasn’t. Some residents personally decorate these statues and there are urban legends that these cats help to protect the residents in the city (although judging but it's crime rate, they aren’t doing a very good job). Architect Tom Adams even adds cats as his artistic signature to some of the buildings he works on.? otters rape and drown baby seals!Friday, 21 June 20134:54 AMSea otters rape and drown baby seals!?Those cute sea otters that crack clams open to eat can be vicious. They’ve been observed raping and in the process killing juvenile seals in California. The sea otter comes up at the baby seal and bites it's nose repeatedly leaving large lacerations.?It then mounts the baby seal in the water and drowns it while it rapes it. The way the male sea otter goes at the seals is typical of how the sea otters mate. Female otters are known to die during the mating process, too. They die of either wounds from bite marks and scratches or drowning.?Stronger male otters establish territories with high numbers of females and work to exclude the other males from the territory. The excluded males, or rejects, meet up and make their own area and live together as bachelors. It’s those bachelors that attack the poor baby harbor seals and rape and kill them.? elephant killed a poacher that was trying to shoot it!Friday, 21 June 20136:50 AMAn elephant killed a poacher that was trying to shoot it!?Solomon Manjoro and an accomplice entered a national park in order to illegally hunt animals, when they began tracking an elephant through the park. Since ivory sells for such a high price, the poachers believed it was in their best interest to kill the elephant - something that should be an easy task considering they had a high powered gun.?Well, it seems even animals are rising up to stop poaching in Africa. As the men raised their weapon to the animal, the elephant began to charge at the men in self defense. Unfortunately for Manjoro, there isn't much you can do when a massive animal such as an elephant began to runs at you. Police found his trampled remains after his accomplice fled the scene, and was picked up by park rangers and charged with owning an unlicensed firearm.? universe could be inside a larger universe!Friday, 21 June 20136:51 AMOur universe could be inside a larger universe!?While scientists have made great strides in understanding what is occurring outside of Earth’s atmosphere in the past 40 years, there is still much that is unknown about the universe. Concerning the makeup of the universe, one scientist has put forward the idea that our universe in located within a wormhole of a larger universe! So what does this mean??This means that our universe would be located inside of a black hole! Because Einstein’s theory of relativity, if a black hole were to form from the collapse of matter then, scientist Nikodem Poplawski claims, the opposite is also true. This would result in an exploding white hole, which is connected to a black hole through a bridge of sorts. Poplawski claims that our universe is located within this bridge, in within a larger universe!?'s a dog breed that climbs trees, flexes its spine like a cat and even has a singing howl instead of a bark.Friday, 21 June 20136:51 AMThere's a dog breed that climbs trees, flexes its spine like a cat and even has a singing howl instead of a bark.?It is known as the New Guinea Singing Dog, named for it's unique howl. Presently, almost nothing is known about them in their native habitat. No photographs even exist of them in the wild. These dogs are often kept as companions because of their intelligence and physical abilities.?Like coyotes and wolves, these dogs often howl together in what is called “chorus howling.” Most of the time, the dogs howl with very good synchronization and end at the same time. Their legs and paws are much more flexible than regular dogs, to the point of being able to climb trees, albeit not as well as a fox or cat. Because of this, they are notorious escape artists.?They can climb and jump like a cat, and even get over fences as easily as squirrels. Though they generally avoid people and aren't very easy to domesticate, they're still quite a spectacle.? Hemingway held a world record in Marlin fishing!Friday, 21 June 20136:51 AMErnest Hemingway held a world record in Marlin fishing!?Ernest Hemingway is considered one of America’s finest writers and journalists of the 20th century, but you probably didn’t know that he loved to fish during his free time.Fishing is one of the world’s oldest and greatest hobbies, some people even look at it as a sport. However, some people like Ernest Heming way were able to take fishing to a whole new level.?One of Ernest Hemingway’s techniques that he used to stop sharks from eating his catch was to shoot them merciless with a submachine gun! However, his technique didn’t turn to be quite effective since the explosion of blood only caused the sharks to attack his catch with even greater fury.?He kept working on his fishing techniques throughout time, his techniques turned out to be so great, that they were able to help him establish a world record by catching seven marlin in one day! And he was also the first person to ever boat a giant tuna in an undamaged state!?If you ever read “The old man and the sea”, you might want to relate this novel with one of Hemingway’s greatest hobbies.? Hoffa might've been killed with a wood chipper!Saturday, 22 June 20134:44 AMJimmy Hoffa might've been killed with a wood chipper!?Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance is one of the great American mysteries. If you've never heard of him, Jimmy Hoffa was a union leader who got involved with the mafia. He was convicted to 13 years of prison.?Richar Nixon commuted his sentence 5 years into his sentence. In 1975, he was last seen at a restaurant in Detroit. It's widely believed that he was killed by the mob, but his body has never been found.?Now we might know why: There's no body to be found. Law enforcement sources are saying that they have evidence Jimmy Hoffa was bludgeoned from the back and then put through a wood chipper.? man was arrested in the UAE for drug possession after poppy seeds were found on his clothes!Saturday, 22 June 20134:45 AMA man was arrested in the UAE for drug possession after poppy seeds were found on his clothes!?While America is commonly referred to as one of the world’s most strict drug enforcers, some countries have a zero tolerance policy and border on ridiculous. The United Arab Emirates is one of these countries and has come under fire for their often irrational charges.?One of the most absurd cases is of a Swiss man who was arrested and charged for drug possession after several poppy seeds from a bread roll he had eaten earlier were found on his clothes at the airport! The UAE is using highly sensitive new equipment to detect any sort of drug possession and people are often unaware of how careful they need to be when traveling there.?According to Catherine Wolthuizen, chief executive of Fair Trials International, “If they find any amount, no matter how minute, it will be enough to attract a mandatory four-year prison sentence.” In fact, travelers can be charged for having drugs show up in their urine even if they don’t have any on them!? use their whiskers to see if their prey is still alive!Saturday, 22 June 20134:45 AMTigers use their whiskers to see if their prey is still alive!?We know that domestic cats use their whiskers to judge whether or not they'll fit in certain places. Turns out their bigger cousins do something pretty cool with their own whiskers.?Tigers have nerve endings at the base of their whiskers that let them detect distances and changes in their surroundings. They also do something pretty cool when they hunt: The whiskers encircle the prey's neck and they can detect if they have a pulse. That's how they know to stop attacking.? chain falls faster if it hits onto a table because it pulls itself!Saturday, 22 June 20134:45 AMA chain falls faster if it hits onto a table because it pulls itself!?Physics, physics, physic. While some of you might think it’s boring and not interesting there are other people like Sheldon Cooper making it happen and most of all, making it awesome.?During this experiment, when two identical chains were released from a certain height, we realized that a chain falls faster if it hits onto a table than if it free falls because it pulls itself!?This is because of the tension that the table creates. This makes the chain accelerate rather than slow down due to the collision with the table.Check the source link to see the video of this interesting phenomenon? truck driver built an almost exact replica of the first atomic bomb. Nobody knows how he did it!Saturday, 22 June 20134:45 AMA truck driver built an almost exact replica of the first atomic bomb. Nobody knows how he did it!?Since the first atomic bombs were dropped in Japan in 1945, the world has been completely different. Nuclear weapons are now one of the most important factors that determine international diplomacy and for this reason, the United States has kept the construction of the bombs a closely guarded secret.?Even the first bombs, which have been surpassed by several other countries, are strictly classified. Today, the most detailed break down of the construction of the atomic bomb does not come from experienced scientists, but rather from the most unlikely person!?John Coster-Mullen never received a college degree and used to be a commercial photographer. Today, at 61, he is a truck driver yet strangely he was able to reconstruct almost an exact replica of the interior mechanism of the first atomic bomb!?He even built a replica of the bomb with his son and drove around with it! He did this by studying the screws, bolts, and fragments of machined steel and was selling copies of the bomb’s structure over the Internet! Even experienced physicists say Coster-Mullen’s knowledge is superior to their own!? was 11 when she met John Smith. He was 28!Saturday, 22 June 20134:45 AMPocahontas was 11 when she met John Smith. He was 28!?The Disney movie documents a love story between a Native American princess and an English colonist. In the movie the two are both young adults and fall madly in love with each other after Pocahontas saved his life.??The true story, however, is not very similar. Most people don't know Pocahontas's true story, and Disney isn't exactly known for its reliance on facts. Here’s some of her life story highlights:?She was actually only eleven when the English arrived in Virginia, while John Smith was twenty-eight.??The story of her saving him from execution is true, but unfortunately they never fell in love.??Pocahontas kept in contact with the settlers and aided them in times of need, such as providing food for the winter.??One summer, Pocahontas arrived at the colony asking for Smith and was told he died. However, he had been sent back to England from a leg wound.??She later met a man named John Rolfe. They eloped to England.??Pocahontas's life ended on a high note as a foreign princess treated to the life of luxury among the richest and most powerful people in Europe.?Tragically, when she was only 21 she caught a disease her body couldn't handle and passed away abroad, never returning to her homeland.?? of Churchill, Canada leave their cars unlocked as an escape for pedestrians escaping a polar bear attack!Saturday, 22 June 20134:45 AMResidents of Churchill, Canada leave their cars unlocked as an escape for pedestrians escaping a polar bear attack!?Polar bears may or may not be one of the most adorable animals, and they could quite possibly give the best hugs. Unfortunately, if you get remotely close to one - you won't get a hug. Instead, you will get a smack in the face by it's razor sharp claws - and then it will probably eat you.?Imagine living with the fear of being eaten by a polar bear every single day, and you'll know what it's like to live in Churchill, Canada. The area is so frequently visited by polar bears that the city puts up signs around town of which areas are more prone to have a polar bear wandering through them. What's even stranger than that, is the fact that the citizens of the town actually leave their cars unlocked when parking on main street, because people may need them to escape a polar bear attack!?People often leave their doors unlocked, and find other visitors to the town running into their homes in fear of beating eaten alive! The kindness of strangers sure does go a long way, and in this case, it saves lives.? 1 in 10 Shishito peppers are spicy. There's no way of knowing if one is before breaking them!Saturday, 22 June 20134:45 AMOnly 1 in 10 Shishito peppers are spicy. There's no way of knowing if one is before breaking them!?The shishito pepper is a type of sweet pepper grown in Japan of the species Capsicum annuum. As you can see, it looks pretty innocuous, right? Turns out that about one in ten of these peppers is spicy.?These peppers get spicy by factors such as illumination and other kinds of stresses. The interesting thing is that there's no way to differentiate between a sweet and a spicy pepper without breaking it open.?There are a bunch of 'rules' on the Internet that supposedly let you know if the pepper you're holding is spicy or not, but they are not very reliable. Be careful when cooking with these!? Australian lake glowed bright blue in the summers of 2008 and 2009!?Saturday, 22 June 20134:46 AMAn Australian lake glowed bright blue in the summers of 2008 and 2009!??A bioluminescent microorganism that is called Noctiluca scintillans caused an amazing, seemingly unnatural color blue to glow in the waters of an Australian Lake. This lake is called Gippsland Lake. It created an alien, mystical sort of glow in the waters, a glow that was an amazing sight to see and photograph.??The breed Noctiluca scintillans also go by the names sea sparkle, sea fire, and sea ghost. They are dinoflagellates, which is a type of marine plankton that usually have two flagella. They feed on algae, plankton and bacteria. It was an increase in algae that led to the explosion of the Noctiluca scintillans population.??The amazing blue glow actually serves a practical purpose for the little microorganism. It uses its glow as a defense mechanism. When it senses a predator nearby, it glows to attract an even larger predator to kill the predator that might eat it. Clearly, there is always a bigger fish, and the Noctiluca scintillans frequently uses that fact to its advantage.??The defense mechanism becomes a wonder of nature, capable of being drawn out by the wake of a boat or splashing water. For more amazing pictures, check out the source?'s a Spanish town where people descend from samurai!Saturday, 22 June 20134:46 AMThere's a Spanish town where people descend from samurai!?Samurais are just one of the many awesome things that Japanese culture can offer us.Back in the 17th Century, Hasekura Tsunenaga was sent to Europe, where an embassy was set up and six samurai stayed on and decided to start a new life there.?The embassy was located in Coria del Rio, which is a small town near Seville, and up to 700 of 25,000 Coria’s residents use the surname “Japon” which helps them to be identified as the descendants of the first Japanese official envoy to Spain.?Even a statue of Tsunenaga can be found at this town, which was donated by Japan in 1992.So if you ever decide to visit Coria del Rio try to be nice to their people, you never know when you’ll find someone with samurai blood that will be willing to teach you a lesson, punk.? Tyrannasorus rex was just discovered in 2001!Saturday, 22 June 20134:46 AMThe Tyrannasorus rex was just discovered in 2001!?No, that's not a typo of the famous dinosaur of a similar name. It's actually a type of beetle discovered embedded in amber resin in the Dominican Republic. It's been thought that it lived in the Miocene epoch of 15-20 million years ago.?The only specimen of the species known in existence was trapped in the resin produced by the Mymenaea protera, which is also now extinct. The amber was discovered in the Dominican Republic and it's thought that it comes from the mountain range north of Santiago de los Caballeros. The amber itself is too dark to see many of the characteristics of the insect's body.?This bug was named after the dinosaur, although it's discoverers did justify the name by saying it comes from the Hybosorus genus, which it belongs to. The stem, tyrannus means 'master' or 'tirannical' while sorus means 'pile' or 'hump' in Latin. Thus, the name 'tyranical hump' refers to the mound of sap in which the specimen was trapped.? a monarch's most trusted confidants were the ones that wiped his butt!Saturday, 22 June 20134:46 AMOne a monarch's most trusted confidants were the ones that wiped his butt!?The Groom of the Stool is a fancy name for royal butt wiper. The position used to be the most intimate of the monarch's court. That was, of course, because of the physical intimacy that they both shared. This resulted in a monarch placing a lot of trust in this man, and telling him many royal secrets.?Over the centuries, the position became very respected and feared within the royal court. Eventually the groom of the stool administered royal finances and set fiscal policy.?Learn more about this important position at the source.? Howard named his kids after the place they were conceived!Saturday, 22 June 20134:46 AMRon Howard named his kids after the place they were conceived!?If you were one of the many who watched the new season of Arrested Development, you might remember that Ron Howard has a (fake) daughter on the show called Rebel Alley. The narrator (Howard himself) explains that she was named after the place where she was conceived.?Turns out, this wasn't just a joke made for the show. Ron Howard's real kids are actually named after the place where they were conceived. He has twin daughters, named Jocelyn Carlyle Howard and Paige Carlyle Howard, because they were conceived at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City.?The most famous Howard child, Bryce Dallas Howard was conceived in a Texan city… guess which one. Finally, his son Reed Cross Howard was named after a street in London, because "Volvo isn't a very good name," according to Howard.? have melded the brains of 2 rats. Each rat is in a different continent!Saturday, 22 June 20134:46 AMScientists have melded the brains of 2 rats. Each rat is in a different continent!?One of the rats is in Brazil, and the other is in the United States. Even at this great distance, neuroscientists have been able to create a new central nervous system out of two brains. This is the first step towards building an organic computer that uses a network of linked animal brains to solve tasks.?They way they tested follow: They taught one of the rats to press a lever. Then, the other would be prompted to press the same lever. If it did, they would both get a reward. So far their success rate has been 64%. Not significant, but greater than a 50/50 chance.?Some, however, are skeptical that they haven't achieved anything beyond a 'Hollywood blockbuster' pseudo-science. Read more at the source.? might soon be made in a test tube!Saturday, 22 June 20134:46 AMBeef might soon be made in a test tube!?Scientists in the Netherlands are close to putting the finishing touches on the first in vitro burger. That's right; soon, you'll be able to eat a Big Mac that was grown in a lab instead of coming from a dead cow.?The people who have developed this bovine stem-cell meat are trying to get famous chefs to cook them and famous people to eat them so that they can convince the general public that in vitro burgers are not just a gimmick, but the most ethical, nutritional and environmentally responsible thing to do in this day and age.?These scientists think that livestock meat production as it currently exists is unsustainable. More than 50% of all agricultural land is used for growing livestock. Cattle already consumes 10% of fresh water and it's estimated that the global demand for meat will double in the next 40 years.?What do you think? Would you still eat a double-double from In-n-Out even knowing it was grown in a lab?? Hawking doesn't want us to try and contact aliens!Saturday, 22 June 20134:47 AMStephen Hawking doesn't want us to try and contact aliens!?Stephen Hawking thinks that it's very likely alien life exists. He thinks it's a bad idea for us to try to contact them. He thinks that aliens visiting us, as our civilization stands right now, would be similar to when Columbus arrived in America.?Fear not, however, the Center for SETI (search for extraterrestrial lab) has technology in place that let's them detect signals from up to 1000 light-years away. Given how long we've been emitting broadcasts into space, it's not very likely that we have been on someone's radar long enough for someone to pay us a visit.? Pope's Latin Twitter account is more popular than his German and Polish ones!Saturday, 22 June 20134:47 AMThe Pope's Latin Twitter account is more popular than his German and Polish ones!?Pope Benedict XVI decided to join twitter a short time ago with a myriad of handles that all shared the stem @Pontifex and a short code for the language at the end. For example, there's @Pontifex_es for Spanish and @Pontifex_fr for French. However, a surprisingly popular one is @Pontifex_Ln for Latin!?Pope Benedict didn't just pass the title and office to the new Pope Francis, but also his twitter accounts. The Latin one is amusing because, at more than 115,000 followers, it's got more followers than his Polish, German and Arabic accounts.?If you have trouble fitting your thoughts onto a tweet, you should consider picking up Latin. The language is very succinct and you can fit a lot more of your thoughts in a lot less characters!? brain perceives people that annoy us as moving slower than they actually are!Saturday, 22 June 20134:47 AMOur brain perceives people that annoy us as moving slower than they actually are!?Have you ever looked at someone you absolutely despised and thought that they were affecting the way your brain is working? Don't lie - you probably haven't ever thought something like this. Regardless, scientists are now beginning to believe that people that annoy us are actually changing the way our brain is working when we look at them!?According to a study done that the University of Southern California, our brain mimics movements of people that we are watching. For example, if someone stubs their toe, we feel a form of physical empathy towards them. However, this process changes when we look at someone that annoys us - someone we don't want to empathize with. In fact, if someone that annoys us begins to move, our brain perceives them as moving much slower than they actually are.?Furthermore, we tend to feel empathy towards people that look like us, or anyone who reminds us of ourselves. Thus, when someone we don't like hurts themselves - we don't feel physical empathy towards them and our brain let's them suffer by themselves! Our brains can be real scumbags at times!? Solar System is travelling through a cloud as hot as the surface of the sun!Saturday, 22 June 20135:39 AMOur Solar System is travelling through a cloud as hot as the surface of the sun!?The Local Interstellar Cloud, is an interstellar cloud that is approximately 30 light years long. Our Solar System entered this cloud anywhere from 44,000 and 150,000 years ago, and is expected to make it's exit in the next 10,000 to 20,000 years.?This cloud, that we are in at this VERY SECOND, is as hot as the surface of the sun, or rather around 6,000K. That is, of course, 5,600 degrees Celsius or 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.?So, why exactly haven't we become a fiery ball of hell? Well, the effects on Earth are prevented because of solar winds, and our Sun's magnetic field, which essentially acts as a bubble to keep out heat that would otherwise destroy our solar system.? Korea is one of the largest counterfeiters of US$50 and US$100 bills!Saturday, 22 June 20135:39 AMNorth Korea is one of the largest counterfeiters of US$50 and US$100 bills!?Cut it out Kim Jong-un. North Korea’s counterfeit U.S. $50 and $100 bills have been nicknamed "superdollars," as they are so close to the real thing that they've been referred to as "just U.S dollars not made by the U.S. government."?The U.S. government is none too pleased with the awesomely counterfeited bills and are currently in talks with the North Korean government to get them to knock it off.?Jong-un might get a little tickled by ruffling the feathers of the U.S. government and might just amp up his production of the fake $50s and $100s.?The fakes are so good that pretty much only the Federal Reserve is equipped with the necessary equipment to detect them. Those are some really high quality counterfeits!? though he died in 1994, Kim Il-sung is still President of North Korea!Saturday, 22 June 20135:40 AMEven though he died in 1994, Kim Il-sung is still President of North Korea!?The name Kim Il-Sung might not ring a bell for you. Kim Il-sung was leader of North Korea from 1948 (its establishment) until his death in 1994. He was Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972, and President afterwords. Though since 1994 he’s been regarded as “Eternal President,” the leadership duties (primarily of the military) were taken over by first his son, Kim Jong-il, and more recently his grandson, Kim Jong-un.?Kim Il-Sung passed away on 8 July 1994 from a sudden heart attack. A ten day mourning period was declared by Kim Jong-il, and the body was preserved and embalmed under a glass coffin in a public mausoleum at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun.?After Kim Il-sung’s death, the North Korean constitution was amended to make him the country’s “Eternal President.” Officially, he is referred to as The Great Leader. His birthday is also a public holiday in North Korea.? Jong-Il claimed that he never went to the bathroom!Saturday, 22 June 20135:40 AMKim Jong-Il claimed that he never went to the bathroom!?One of the advantages of being a dictator is that you can claim almost anything you want and have it be true. When Kim Jong-Il became the supreme leader of North Korea, he rewrote the textbooks to claim, among other things, that he never peed or poo'd because he was beyond those human functions.?He also claimed to be the best golfer ever, having shot a staggering 38 under par at a PGA-regulated 18 hole course. (In case you were wondering, that's 25 shots better than the best golf game ever played by anyone).?Another 'cute' quirk he had was a well known obsessive compulsive disorder. For example, one of the things that drove him mad was when rice was different length. He reportedly hired a staff of women to inspect rice to make sure it was the same length before cooking!?Learn more about this peculiar character at the source.?'s toilet is in a New Jersey auto shop!Saturday, 22 June 20135:40 AMHitler's toilet is in a New Jersey auto shop!?After a crazy turn of events, the authentic toilet of the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, is sitting in an auto shop in a small town in New Jersey - along with his sink faucets. But the question remains, how did they get there??Adolf Hitler owned the world's largest private yacht at the time, the Aviso Grille. The yacht was between 400 and 500 feet long, and Hitler was planning to sail it down the Thames in London and go live in the Palace in Windsor. Well, things didn't turn out that way for Hitler (thank goodness), and the ship was sent to the states after the war ended.?After briefly being used as an illegal museum, the United States government ordered that the ship was to be scrapped because they feared the yacht would become an Adolf Hitler appreciation museum. The ship was scrapped, however, the a scrapyard owner decided he didn't want to scrap some of the finer things in the yacht - like the toilet. The scrapyard owner gave the toilet and faucets to a friend who was remodeling his bathroom, however they ended up in his auto body shop after he found out the toilet's origin!? chicks are smarter than baby humans!Saturday, 22 June 20135:45 AMBaby chicks are smarter than baby humans!?Despite that Humans are the most intelligent animals on Earth, we still get our butts kicked in the baby department. A new study found that baby chickens have many cognitive skills that human babies don’t.?For example, in a test where chicks could get more food if they waited longer to eat, 93% of chicks exhibited self-control. Human babies don't typically develop this skill until age 4. Chicks also seem to have an instinctive understanding of structural engineering: They like structurally sound cubes more than ones that are less structurally sound.?Chicks also have better number skills. When offered a group of eggs, chicks always picked the larger group, even when researchers tried to trick them by moving eggs around.? in Ireland reveal where its humans came from!Saturday, 22 June 20136:10 AMSnails in Ireland reveal where its humans came from!?It might sound strange. How can a snail tell the Irish people who their ancestors were? Well, researchers have recently found that garden snails in Ireland are genetically different from the ones found in Britain. They are, however, remarkably similar to snails found in Southern France and Northern Spain today.?How did they make the trip? Scientists don't believe that snails could have migrated all the way to Ireland. No, they think they were either brought by humans who migrated from the Iberian peninsula to Ireland. This leads credence to the theory that the Irish have little genetic links to the British.? author of 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' got his degree form a discredited university, and divorced his first wife!Saturday, 22 June 20136:10 AMThe author of 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' got his degree form a discredited university, and divorced his first wife!?John Gray is famous for his bestselling book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." It sold millions of copies but was also criticized by relationship experts. Gray is also a relationship counselor and lecturer. He went on to publish "Mars and Venus in Love," "Mars and Venus on a Date," "Mars and Venus Starting Over" and a number of other titles.?It isn't clear whether Gray received his masters degree in the Science of Creative Intelligence from the unaccredited Maharishi European Research University or the accredited Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. He received his PhD in 1982 from Columbia Pacific University. The university is now unaccredited and defunct.?Gray married fellow self-help author Barbara De Angelis, but they divorced in 1984. Two years later, he married his current wife, Bonnie.?(U.S._author)????Dr. Seuss was afraid of kids!Saturday, 22 June 20136:18 AMDr. Seuss was afraid of kids!?Dr. Seuss is world-famous for his kooky, rhyming and often lesson-filled children's books. From "The Cat and the Hat" to "Green Eggs and Ham" to "Oh the Places You'll Go," kids of multiple generations have read and loved his books. So it may surprise you to know that Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodore Geisel, never had any children of his own.?Not only was he not a father, but Dr. Seuss admitted that children, "in mass, terrify me." So it seems that Seuss's real talent was not relating to children in person but teaching them through his books.?Seuss was dedicated to improving a flawed society. His stories fought against environmental ruin, greed, conformity and many other controversial topics. While they may seem silly or bizarre, their lessons were and are applicable to today's world. So while he may not like spending time with children, he certainly had a way of teaching them through his unique tales.?'s brain wasn't buried with his body!Saturday, 22 June 20136:18 AMJFK's brain wasn't buried with his body!?John F. Kennedy was unfortunately assassinated while doing a tour of America. The famous question 'who REALLY killed Kennedy' has sparked controversy ever since the incident occurred back in the 1960's.?Sometimes, conspiracy theorists often make interesting observations and are able to make connections between JFK's assassination and corruption in the American government that could make one believe the conspiracy theories.?This should make conspiracy theorists a little excited: JFK's brain wasn't buried with his body. In fact, JFK's brain is missing from National Archives. Nobody knows what happened to JFK's brain, which has led theorists to believe that the brain showed remarkable evidence that would be contrary to the official government report.? Hawking once threw a party for time-travelers that he didn't announce until the day after the party?Saturday, 22 June 20136:43 AMStephen Hawking once threw a party for time-travelers that he didn't announce until the day after the party??Stephen Hawking is a famous theoretical physicist and cosmologist. Known for his considerable intelligence, Hawking has contributed many scientific works and among other awards, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian honor available in the United States).?So it was no joke when Hawking threw a party for time travelers. He held the party on June 28, 2009, but no one showed up. Was he just not popular enough? Nope.?Hawking didn't actually send out invitations or notify people about the party until the day after it took place. This was all part of an experiment about time travel.?Hawking does not believe it is possible, and says that his failed party proves this. No one retrospectively showed up despite his party announcements. In other words, no one traveled back in time to his party after they got the invitation.? 14-year-old opened fire on a prayer group then dropped his gun saying 'Kill me, please. I can't believe I did that'?Saturday, 22 June 20136:43 AMA 14-year-old opened fire on a prayer group then dropped his gun saying 'Kill me, please. I can't believe I did that'??Michael Carneal is also known as The Prayer Slayer. In 1997, when he was just 14, he walked into his Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky and opened fired on a group of praying kids. He killed three of them and injured five more. He had a .22 long rifle, a 12-gauge pump action shotgun, and a Ruger MK II .22 pistol on him. He wrapped the guns in a blanket and got them into the school claiming they were an art project he was working on. When he got to school, he put earplugs in his ears and pulled the pistol out of his backpack.?One of the survivors testified that Carneal dropped his guns of his own and said “Kill me, please. I can’t believe I did that.” He then surrendered himself to the school principal, Bill Bond. Carneal was given a sentence of life in prison with parole for 25 years. The three girls he killed died while at the hospital with their respective ages of 14, 15, and 17. The wounded that survived were 4 girls and a boy aged 14, two 15 year olds, 16, and 17. Apparently, Carneal had suffered bullying and was suffering from paranoia.?He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, has been hospitalized several times, and is on medication. At the time of the shooting, Carneal had Stephen King’s Rage in his locker. King had the book removed from print, fearing that it would inspire similar tragedies. Christian singer and Heath alumnus, Stephen Curtis Chapman, wrote and dedicated the song, With Hope, on his 1999 album to the victims of the shooting.? ivory trade was legal, there could be MORE elephants alive than there are now!Saturday, 22 June 20136:43 AMIf ivory trade was legal, there could be MORE elephants alive than there are now!?Ivory is one of the most sought after goods in the world, demanding prices that rival or even exceed gold. While elephants have always been hunted for the ivory in their tusks, once colonization and globalization erupted over the past 150 years, their populations have sharply declined from an increase demand.?The problem was so bad that in 1989 there was a meeting in Switzerland that discussed possible solutions on how to ensure the elephant population doesn’t disappear.?Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, and South Africa answered calls to stop the ivory trade to ensure the survival of elephants, yet Zimbabwe took the complete opposite stance with increased success!?Officials in Zimbabwe spoke against banning the ivory trade because they believed the black market would continue to poach elephants and private businesses will no longer be able to ensure their survival to meet market demands.?Instead of working, the bans encouraged the ivory trade, and inside of Zimbabwe the elephant population has since grown!? has eliminated brainteasers from their interview questions!Saturday, 22 June 20136:44 AMGoogle has eliminated brainteasers from their interview questions!?You've probably seen these fabled interview questions around on the Internet. Questions like: ? How many golf balls can you fit into a school bus? ? How much would you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle? ? Why are manhole covers round? ? How many piano tuners are there in the entire world??These questions have long been thought to give great insight on how the mind of a candidate works. However, after years of using them, Google has concluded that they are a complete waste of time. Google says that the questions "don't predict anything. They serve primarily to make the interviewer feel smart."?Google has now switched to using behavioral interviews, in which a candidate talks about their life experiences. They say that this gives them more useful information, because it shows how they interacted in a real-world situation and what kind of stuff they think is difficult.? moths can block a bat's sonar!Saturday, 22 June 20137:18 AMTiger moths can block a bat's sonar!?The tiger moth's biggest predators are bats. It makes sense, then, that they are engaged in an evolutionary race for their survival. The tiger moth has developed a keen ear for sonar signals that bats emit, which helps them avoid being eaten.?But their abilities don't stop there. Tiger moths can also release 4,500 clicks per second. What this does is it jams a bat's sonar ability, and makes them hard to find through echolocation. The tiger moth's technique works much like a jammer can block a phone signal, and is 93% effective in making bats miss them.? of people in Estonia have blue eyes!Saturday, 22 June 20137:18 AM99% of people in Estonia have blue eyes!?If you didn't already know this, then we will tell you now - originally, all humans had brown eyes. Having blue eyes is actually the result of a mutation that one of our ancestor's would have experienced. A similar mutation exists within people with blonde hair, as we all used to have brown hair.?Ironically enough, blonde eyes are seen as particularly beautiful - perhaps because of the rarity of them in certain regions of the world, but Estonia is definitely not one of those areas. Located in Europe, Estonia has the highest percentage of citizens with blue eyes, 99%, according to Hans Eiberg of the University of Copenhagen.?Close runner ups include Germany, where 75% of citizens have blue eyes, and in Denmark, around 85%-90% of citizens are said to have blue eyes.?Researchers have all come to the conclusion that blue eyes were predominant amongst our ancestors that lived in a few regions of the world. These regions are Ireland, the Baltic Sea, Northern, Southern, and Eastern Europe, as well as certain parts of Western Asia [most notably Afghanistan, India, and Syria]To learn more about those beautiful blue eyes some of us have, click the source!? stray dogs saved 50 soldiers in Afghanistan. Two of them were brought to the US to live with them!Saturday, 22 June 20137:19 AMThree stray dogs saved 50 soldiers in Afghanistan. Two of them were brought to the US to live with them!?Sgt. Chris Duke, from the National Guard, and his fellow troops made good friends with some stray dogs they found while on tour in Afghanistan. Three were particularly close: Sasha, Target and Rufus.?One night, a suicide bomber was about to enter their quarters, covered in explosives. The three dogs somehow sensed the danger and defended their friends. They began barking and biting the bomber. The explosives detonated, but the only casualty was one of the dogs, Sasha.?When Duke returned home from Afghanistan, he really wanted to bring his favorite dog, Rufus. However, military regulations don't allow it. Still, he went to a veteran's assistance group called Hope for Warrior to seek help. Along with them, a Facebook group raised over $21,000 to bring the dogs stateside.?Eventually, both Rufus and Target were brought to the states and given to Duke and another soldier.? only are helicopter prison escapes real, they have a 73% success rate!?Saturday, 22 June 20137:19 AMNot only are helicopter prison escapes real, they have a 73% success rate!??Helicopter prison escapes make for really exciting film and TV events. Did you know that they also make for a really effective way to break out of jail. The reason for this is that the vertical lift is ideal for landing on the limited space jails usually have.?One of the earliest recorded attempts was of a New York business man in 1971 who was imprisoned in Mexico. He was flown out of the country and went on to write a book about it.?France has the most recorded attempts (11). One of the most notorious is of a wife who learned how to fly a helicopter to rescue her husband. An escape artist has done it 3 times in 2001, 2003 and 2007.?They are surprisingly effective. There are about 38 recorded attempts, and 28 of them have been successful, meaning there’s about a 73% success rate for these escapes!? bought billions of cubic feet of sand from Cambodia!Saturday, 22 June 20131:57 PMSingapore bought billions of cubic feet of sand from Cambodia!?Singapore is a country with a lot of money, but not much coastline or territory. Cambodia, has an excess of coastline and territory, however the country has very little money. Thus, a deal was struck that would benefit both parties: Singapore bought billions of cubic feet of sand from Cambodia.?This way, Singapore would get enough sand to expand their landmass into the sea to build casinos, hotels, and skyscrapers - and Cambodia would get a lot of money.?The operation involves hundreds of massive barges being sent from Cambodia, down the Tatai River, 24/7, 365 days a year - until the operation is complete.?However, the legitimacy of this deal has been questioned. For example - what has the millions of dollars Singapore gave to Cambodia really been spent on, because there is very little economic difference in the country since the deal. Furthermore, dozens of fishing villages, and hotels have suffered greatly as a result of the beaches that have completely disappeared. Nobody knows what the long term impact of this mass sand removal will be.For more information on this sketchy deal, read the source!? Benjamin Franklin proposed Daylight Savings, he meant it as a joke!Saturday, 22 June 20131:57 PMWhile Benjamin Franklin proposed Daylight Savings, he meant it as a joke!?Daylight Savings can be perplexing. Why do we lose an hour or gain an hour all of a sudden? Is it in our best interest to even have Daylight Savings. The initial idea for this manipulation of time came from Ben Franklin.?It was published in the Journal de Paris in April 1784. Franklin was living out his last years in Paris at the time at the age of 78. He described how he noticed that Parisians often slept very late, wasting precious daylight hours. They then would have to spend money to light their residences with candles while they stayed up after the sun went down.?Franklin proposed a number of ideas for controlling when people went to bed, including taxing those with shutters on their windows that didn't allow the light in. Looking at this list though, it is fairly obvious that Franklin is joking. Looks like someone took his idea a little too seriously.? Frankling wanted scientists to work on making farts smell better!Saturday, 22 June 20131:57 PMBen Frankling wanted scientists to work on making farts smell better!?One of our forefathers, Benjamin Franklin, wrote an essay referred to as “Fart Proudly” in 1781 ( I didn’t even know people farted back then) while he was living abroad as United States Ambassador of France. The essay was composed in response to a call for scientific paper from the Royal Academy of Brussels.?Franklin believed that the various scientific societies in Europe were increasingly pretentious and concerned with the impractical. So, Franklin responded with an essay suggesting research and experimentation be done in improving the odor of human flatulence. The essay of submitted but sent as a letter to Richard Price, a Welsh philosopher. To get a whiff of this hilarious correspondence, check out the source.? Einstein got stopped on the street so much that he had to pretend he wasn’t himself!Saturday, 22 June 20131:58 PMAlbert Einstein got stopped on the street so much that he had to pretend he wasn’t himself!?The German-born theoretical physicist, Albert, Einstein, was very well known prior to World War II. He was so well known, that people would stop him on the street to ask him about his theories. It got to the point that Einstein apparently began telling people “Pardon me, I am often mistaken for Professor Einstein.” He had to lie to get away from everyone. He was visiting the U.S. when Hitler assumed power in Germany. Einstein ended up not returning to his country where he’d been a professor in Berlin.?In 1940, he became a citizen of the U.S. and was the one to alert President Roosevelt that Germany might be developing an atomic weapon. He suggested that the U.S. begin research and testing on the matter themselves. Thus, the Manhattan Project was born. Einstein’s wife was his first cousin maternally and his second cousin paternally. They were together for seven years before getting married. He was previously married to another woman whom he cheated on with his second wife. He had three children, but the first one either died or was adopted out. Einstein was a citizen of five different countries throughout his life and was even stateless for a period of 5 years.? forced the French to surrender on the same site where Germans were forced to surrender in WWISaturday, 22 June 20131:58 PMHitler forced the French to surrender on the same site where Germans were forced to surrender in WWI?After Germany's decisive victory in the Battle of France in June 1940 during WWII, Germany essentially occupied France. When choosing the location for France's surrender, Hitler enlisted some poignant symbolism.?The Second Armistice was signed on June 22, 1940 at Compiegne Forest in France. This was the exact sight where Germany surrendered to France in WWI. Since this original surrender was a humiliation for Germany, Hitler saw this as an opportunity for revenge. He even decided to sign the armistice on the same rail carriage where the WWI armistice was signed.?Hitler then ordered the site to be demolished. And the rail car was brought back to Germany as a trophy of war.? and Hitler were both nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize!Saturday, 22 June 20131:59 PMStalin and Hitler were both nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize!?Unbelievable as it may sound, both of these shady characters were nominated for the most prestigious award given to people who work towards world peace. Stalin was nominated in 1945 and 1948 for his efforts to end World War II.?Hitler's nomination, however was supposed to be a joke. In 1939, a member of the Swedish parliament, EGC Brandt, nominated Hitler for the peace prize. Brandt never intended for the nomination to be taken seriously.?Brandt intended for the nomination to be satiric criticism of the current political climate in Sweden. The nomination was, obviously, not well received and was swiftly withdrawn.?'s family name would have been Schicklgruber. His dad changed it in 1877!Saturday, 22 June 20131:59 PMHitler's family name would have been Schicklgruber. His dad changed it in 1877!?Adolf Hitler's family tree is complicated. You will notice that the last name "Hitler" had many variations that were often used almost interchangeably. Some of the common variances were Hitler, Hiedler, Hüttler, Hytler, and Hittler. Alois Schicklgruber did change his name on January 7, 1877 to "Hitler," which was the only form of the last name that his son, Adolf, used.?The family tree is filled with multiple marriages. Look carefully at the marriage dates and the birth dates of their children. Many children were born illegitimately or born only a couple months after marriage. Although the graph shows Johann Georg Hiedler as Alois Schicklgruber's father, this is a contested issue. Hitler had a living sister.?We often think of him as a loner, but his sister Paula survived him. Also, Alois Schicklgruber's first wife has not been included. He married Anna Glassl-H?rer in October 1873. Anna became an invalid soon after the marriage, in 1880 she filed for a separation, and she died three years later. Alois and Anna had no children together.? predicted the Cold War!Saturday, 22 June 20131:59 PMHitler predicted the Cold War!?Adolf Hitler predicted the cold war among the United States and the Soviet Union! In his testament, he said thatonly two great powers capable of confronting each other will remain (U.S and USSR). What was his exacts words in this document??“… there will remain in the world only two Great Powers capable of confronting each other -- the United States and Soviet Russia. The laws of both history and geography will compel these two Powers to a trial of strength, either military or in the fields of economics and ideology. These same laws make it inevitable that both Powers should become enemies of Europe.And it is equally certain that both these Powers will sooner or later find it desirable to seek the support of the sole surviving great nation in Europe, the German people.”?With Hitler, it always comes back to Germany, but considering the intense Cold War battleground that Berlin became, he was more right than wrong on this one? Bikini Atoll's flag looks just like the US flag but with black stars for each island destroyed by nuclear tests!Saturday, 22 June 20131:59 PMThe Bikini Atoll's flag looks just like the US flag but with black stars for each island destroyed by nuclear tests!?The Bikini Atoll is part of the Marshall Islands. As part of a bomb testing in 1954, the United States detonated the Castle Bravo H-Bomb on the atoll. This caused nuclear fallout that poisoned the life on the island, including it's residents.?As such, the islanders feel that the U.S. Owes them a debt. To remind the United States and themselves of this debt, they fashioned their flag after the stars and stripes of the American flag.?The Bikini Atoll flag has 23 white stars that represent the 23 islands in the atoll. In the upper right hand corner on one of the white stripes are 3 black stars that represent the 3 islands that were disfigured by the bombing. There are 2 more black stars in the lower right hand corner of the flag. These symbolize where the residents of Bikini Atoll live now: Kili Island, 425 miles south of Bikini Atoll and Ejit Island of the Majuro Atoll.? 21-year-old managed to win a $300 million arms contract with the US. He's now in jail as a result of it!Saturday, 22 June 20131:59 PMA 21-year-old managed to win a $300 million arms contract with the US. He's now in jail as a result of it!?Efraim Diveroli wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, and become a weapons dealer. He wanted to live a life of fame and fortune, and what better way to do that than to bid on government weapon contracts? He was able to land a few smaller contracts for around $100,000 - but he wanted to land the mother load of all contracts, which in fact, he did. He was able to outbid the most profitable international weapons dealers.?When signing the contract, Diveroli noticed that one of the conditions of the arrangement that he wasn't allowed to buy any Chinese ammunition - which was a problem for him, because it was much cheaper to buy, and he usually bought his weapons and ammo from China.?Diveroli was now stuck between a rock, and a lengthy prison sentence, and he decided he needed to buy the ammo from China. He sent the ammo to his business partner to be repackaged, and he even told the United States government this is what he was doing - and they gave him the O.K.?Typically, those multi-billion dollar companies that Diveroli was able to outbid looked into his small company, and saw that there was only a handful of employees. The companies made false claims of fraud (based on virtually nothing) which caused the IRS to investigate Diveroli's weapons dealing business.?They discovered the situation with the Chinese ammo, and all the illegal transactions Diveroli had participated in, and arrested him, as well as one of his business partners. His foreign business partner went missing and hasn't been found, and the man who repackaged the Chinese ammunition wound up dead a few weeks after Diveroli's arrest!You HAVE to read the full story! It's quite incredible!? unfinished skyscraper in Venezuela is inhabited entirely by squatters!Saturday, 22 June 20131:59 PMAn unfinished skyscraper in Venezuela is inhabited entirely by squatters!?The Tower of David is a 45-story skyscraper built in the 1990s by David Brillembourg that was never completely finished. The office tower is one of the tallest skyscrapers in all of Latin America and was supposed to be a staple of Venezuela’s entrepreneurial bone.?It was never completed, though, and now 2,500 squatters reside in the abandoned building now. The place lacks a lot of walls and balconies, but it is lined with satellite dishes.?It doesn’t have any electricity, so most people have to use flashlights and cell phone light to get around and down the stairs; with no electricity comes no elevators.?The building came to a halt because David Brillembour died, and all of his projects fell apart the next year. The government had to seize all his assets and the building was just never completed.? hacked an Al-Qaeda website and replaced instructions on how to make a bomb with a cupcake recipe!?Saturday, 22 June 20137:22 PMMI6 hacked an Al-Qaeda website and replaced instructions on how to make a bomb with a cupcake recipe!??The U.S. and British intelligence independently planned attacks on an Al-Qaeda magazine. Both agencies have various cyber-weapons like computer viruses to use on enemy states and terrorists.?The online magazine is produced by the radical preacher Anwar Al-Awlaki. His associate, Samir Khan, of North Carolina assists him. Both are now thought to be in Yemen, where they are capitalizing on the country's chaos.??MI6 switched the information in the 67-page magazine from articles on how to make bombs in the kitchen to some of America’s best cupcake recipes.??They were also able to successfully remove some articles written by Osama Bin Laden. The victory was short-lived, as Al-Qaeda was able to reissue the original magazine two weeks later.?They’ve since written 4 more editions of the magazine. British intelligence continues to try to attack online outlets of Al-Qaeda. The magazine is clearly for Jihad extremists and those aspiring to be jihadists.?? from the Red Hot Chili Peppers was also in Back to the Future and The Big Lebowski!Sunday, 23 June 20138:55 AMFlea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers was also in Back to the Future and The Big Lebowski!?For most people, being in a famous band or being in movies would be enough for them. One or the other. Not for Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers apparently. Flea, whose real name is Michael Balzary, is one of the most famous bass players in the world. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been and continue to be incredibly successful.?Flea apparently wanted to do more though. He appeared in a handful of films, some of which are famous in their own right. In 1989 and 1990, he appeared as Needles in "Back to the Future" parts II and III. And in 1998, Flea appeared as Nihilist #2 or Kieffer in the film "The Big Lebowski."?He has also done voice acting for the popular children's television shows, Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys. It seems Flea is a man of many talents.? first black man to get a PHD from Harvard said 'the honor, I assure you, is Harvard's'Sunday, 23 June 20138:55 AMThe first black man to get a PHD from Harvard said 'the honor, I assure you, is Harvard's'?W.E.B (William Edward Burghardt) Du Bois was the first black man to obtain a PhD from Harvard!He was born in February 23rd, 1868. He was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author and editor. Upon graduating he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University.?At his times Racism was still very strong among the United States, it was the main target of Dubois’s polemics, and he strongly protested against lynching, racists’ laws, and discrimination in education and employment.He became very famous after getting his PhD and upon graduating saying: “The honor, I assure you, was Harvard’s.”He died in Ghana after becoming a citizen of Accra, where he was buried near his home, which is now the Du Bois Memorial Centre.?It’s for people like DuBois that the United States has not only grown as a country, but has grown in mind and heart.? Hitler used steroids!Sunday, 23 June 20138:55 AMAdolf Hitler used steroids!?When we talk about anabolic steroids we must know that these are drugs that have similar effects to the ones caused by testosterone in our bodies (yes, that includes you too ladies).Some of it's main functions are to increase protein within cells, especially in skeletal muscles. They also participate in the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics such as the growth of the vocal cords, testicles and body hair.?Since anabolic steroids have all this effects, Adolf Hitler decided to be one of the first recorded users of this drug. After experimenting the delightful effects of more muscle mass he decided to start using it on Nazi troops, that way he would be able to make his soldiers more sexually aggressive, muscular and most important; mean and great fighters.?However, anabolic steroids have many downside effects, such as liver damage, testicular atrophy, cardiovascular disease and baldness!So you might want to think twice before trying this drugs, just remember what happened to the Nazis. You don’t see any around anymore, huh?? man was able to land a helicopter on treacherous Mt. Everest twice in 2 days!Sunday, 23 June 20138:55 AMA man was able to land a helicopter on treacherous Mt. Everest twice in 2 days!?The air at the top of Mount Everest is thin. Very thin. So thin that most people have to breathe pure oxygen when they climb the peak. Those that don't risk hallucinating or passing out. In order for helicopters to operate correctly, they need some air resistance for their propellor. This is often why helicopters are not able to fly high into the mountains.?However, one helicopter did fly and land on top of the highest peak in the world. On May 14, 2005, French pilot, Didier Delsalle became the first pilot to land a helicopter on Mount Everest. By landing at 29,035 feet up, Delsalle broke the highest elevation helicopter landing record. Along with the very thin air, Delsalle had to land the craft in 75 mph winds and on top of snow that could have been very unstable.?He actually made the landing twice to make sure that it was repeatable too. To qualify as a landing, the helicopter had to be down for at least 2 minutes. The first time, he touched down for 3 minutes and 50 seconds and the second day, he touched down for 4 minutes. As one climber noted, Delsalle's record gives hope for helicopter rescues on the dangerous peak in the future.? man climbed the Everest and made the world's highest base jump!Sunday, 23 June 20138:56 AMA man climbed the Everest and made the world's highest base jump!?Leave it to those guys at Red Bull to bankroll yet another extreme stunt. Russian extreme sport star Valery Rozov climbed on the Chinese side on the famous north route and climbed to over 7220 meters (23,688ft) above sea level, and jumped off.?The air at the top was too thin, so he had a difficult start to his base jump, because he wasn't going to get the usual air resistance that he needed to make a normal jump. He flew for nearly a minute at over 120 miles per hour until he landed on the Rongbuk glacier, at an altitude of 5,950 meters.???Scientists just discovered a new human body part!Sunday, 23 June 20138:56 AMScientists just discovered a new human body part!?And you thought we knew everything we could know about body parts. Thanks to new technology, scientists have discovered that our eyes' corneas don't have 5 layers, as previously believed, but rather 6.?The new layer, called Dua's Layer is only 15 microns thick. If that doesn't mean much to you, consider that this layer is smaller than beach sand and mist. The cornea itself is only 500 microns thick, but is incredibly tough and strong.?The new discovery will lead to entire ophthalmology textbooks being rewritten, as well as probably better surgical treatments for certain problems that are caused by the tearing of this previously unknown layer.? has ordered government workers to stop wearing socks!Sunday, 23 June 20138:56 AMPakistan has ordered government workers to stop wearing socks!?It seems that Pakistan is going through some pretty big problems with their power grid. In an effort to curb electricity consumption, the Pakistani government has recently ordered government offices to not turn on the AC under any circumstance.?To take away any temptation to turn the AC, they have also ordered government workers to not wear socks. The only thing that is allowed is bare feet in sandals or moccasins. It seems that even in major cities, electricity goes down for 10 hours a day.? dog was promoted to sergeant during WWI for locating and capturing a German spy!Sunday, 23 June 20138:56 AMA dog was promoted to sergeant during WWI for locating and capturing a German spy!?During World War I, a dog named Stubby was promoted to sergeant in the US Army for locating and effectively capturing a German spy!?Private J. Robert Conroy found little stubby while training for combat on the fields of Yale University. He learned the bugle class, the drills, and even a modified dog salute as he put his right paw on his eyebrow when a salute was executed by other soldiers!?Stubby had many talents; such as finding wounded men, barking when he heard enemies close and even capturing enemies! He caught the German spy by mapping out the layout of the Allied trenches. As the german ran, Stubby chased him and bit him on the legs until an American soldier arrived.?He won several medals and awards for his 17 battles and great job as a sergeant of the U.S army.Remember, it doesn’t require a lot to be brave, not even being a human, just a great heart.? can send a tweet to outer space!Sunday, 23 June 20138:56 AMYou can send a tweet to outer space!?A start-up called Lone Signal is offering anyone the ability to broadcast a tweet to dwarf star and has been identified as a place where life could exist.?The tweet themselves are coming out of the Jamesburg Earth Station in Central California. Don't expect a prompt @reply, though. Gliese 526 is 18 light years away. Meaning you'll have to wait up to 36 years if an alien replies to you right away. Who knows if Twitter will even be a thing by then?? WWII, a Japanese pilot was made a honorary citizen of an US city he bombed!Sunday, 23 June 20138:56 AMAfter WWII, a Japanese pilot was made a honorary citizen of an US city he bombed!?During World War II, Nobuo Fujita, formerly Japanese pilot, was the main participant of the Lookout Air Raids.The Lookout Air Raids attack was the second time the continental United States was bombed by an enemy aircraft! It all occurred on September 9th, 1942, at the mountains of Oregon, which are located near to Brookings.?Twenty years after the attack. Fujita was invited back to Brookings, where he served as a Grand Marshal for a local festival. He presented his family’s 400-year old samurai sword as a symbol of regret. He also did many other great things for the locals; such as inviting some students to Japan and planting a tree were he dropped the bomb at.?He was made an honorary citizen of Brooking several days before his death at age 85. His daughter even left some of Fujita’s ashes at the bomb site.? is a city in Japan named "Obama"!Sunday, 23 June 20138:57 AMThere is a city in Japan named "Obama"!?No, this city is not named after the 44th president of the United States, this is a real city in Japan and in Japanese, the word "Obama" means "Little Beach." The city itself gained popularity in 2008 when Barack Obama was running for president. Obama's surname, however, has nothing to do with the Japanese meaning. It acually refers to a Luo tribe who converted to Islam.?The Japanese city was in a great position between China and Kyoto and became a trading hub between the two countries. Because of this, the city was heavily influenced by Chinese culture for a long period. Many buildings and houses in the area are influenced by the trade with Chinese mainland.? ancient predator was mistakenly classified as three different animals!Sunday, 23 June 20138:57 AMAn ancient predator was mistakenly classified as three different animals!?The anomalocaris, which translates to 'abnormal shrimp' was an bizarre looking predator that lurked in Cambrian water sources found in Canada, China, and Utah, among others. Many anomalocaris' have been found measuring up to 2 meters, and with a mouth of 32 overlapping plates, resembling a pineapple ring. It's eyes sat on two stalks with approximately 16,000 different lenses. However, the description of this animal didn't exist for many years until the data was corrected by Harry B. Whittington and Derek Briggs in 1985. What exactly did scientists need to correct??Well, the first Anomalocaris ever found was actually split into three different parts. Joseph Frederick Whiteaves and Charles Doolittle Walcott had found the three pieces of the Anomalocaris and assumed that it was three different animals. He classified the three fossils as a sponge, a jellyfish, and a shrimp.?It was through no fault of their own, it was just that certain parts of the anomalocaris are harder to fossilize than others because of the genetic make up of the animal. Since the correction of the data, we now know that this terrifying looking giant shrimp existed in the past!? balls were made of wood until the 16th century!Sunday, 23 June 20138:57 AMGolf balls were made of wood until the 16th century!?The equipment used to play golf has developed considerably since its earliest days in Scotland.Originally, all golf clubs were completely made of wood. Persimmon was the wood of choice for a club head and hickory for the shaft.?Balls too were originally made of wood until the 16th century when feather filled leather balls became popular. Despite their name, the ‘feathery’ was as hard as any modern golf ball. The development of the ‘gutta percha’ ball in 1850, which was more durable than the feathery, meant that club heads could be made from iron, and by the beginning of the 20th century golf equipment began to be take on the form that we would recognize today.? walking might be more dangerous than distracted driving!Sunday, 23 June 20138:57 AMDistracted walking might be more dangerous than distracted driving!?If you walk around cities, you have probably noticed that almost nobody looks up anymore. Everyone's walking down while looking or talking on cellphones. That can lead to dangerous situations, like getting hit by a car, or even getting run over on the sidewalk.?In fact, using your cellphone while walking sent 1500 people to the ER in 2010, almost triple that of 2004. It's expected to double to 3000 by 2015. And that's just people who go to the ER. Researchers say that the real number of those injured is closer to 2 million.?The 1500 number, however, is higher already than the 1162 injuries attributed to distracted drivers. A couple of amusing injuries: A man walked into a pole and lacerated his brow; a teenager fell into an 8 foot ditch. Be careful out there!? Chanel was a Nazi spy!?Sunday, 23 June 20138:57 AMCoco Chanel was a Nazi spy!??The woman is one of the most influential French fashion designers. She started her own brand, which is still relevant and wildly successful until today. However, she also led a double life as a Nazi spy!?Documents show that she committed herself to the German cause as early as 1941. She became a paid agent of the SS intelligence. She was involved in a plan that tried to negotiate with Churchill in order for England to cease hostilities with Germany.?When the war was over, she was interrogated by the Free French Purge Committee. They had no documented evidence of her collaboration with the Nazis. She was let go. She also later said that Churchil had helped her. "Churchill had me freed," she said.? shed their skin!Sunday, 23 June 20138:57 AMCockroaches shed their skin!?Yes, cockroaches shed their skins, however this isn't uncommon amongst other insects, especially when developing into their mature form, however cockroaches can do this several times a year, growing larger each time.?The newly shedded cockroach is white with black eyes and is soft until after 8 hours where it's shell will harden and form colour. Their cast off skin and waste byproducts are allergens that can trigger allergic reactions, asthma and other illnesses, especially in children.? entire internet was down on April 25, 1997 because of a mistake ONE person made!Sunday, 23 June 20138:57 AMThe entire internet was down on April 25, 1997 because of a mistake ONE person made!?In 1997, the internet was perhaps the polar opposite of what it is today. There was little to no porn, no captioned pictures, social networking was virtually non existent. In fact, people mostly used the internet to exchange information and learn about a variety of topics. How did they find the information they were looking for? Who knows - because Google didn't exist yet.?Despite the fact that the Internet was minuscule compared to what it is today and contained next to no adorable cat photos, the world went into a mass panic on April 25, 1997 when the internet went down unexpectedly for a few hours. The reason for the internet crash took experts around the world a couple of hours to figure out, and it's extremely complex and complicated if explained into it's fullest.?To keep it simple, a single man ACCIDENTALLY rerouted the entire internet onto his network, thus, crashing the network, and in turn, crashing the entire internet that existed solely on his network.? of Coca Cola's flavoring comes from the same plant that cocaine comes from!Sunday, 23 June 20138:58 AMSome of Coca Cola's flavoring comes from the same plant that cocaine comes from!?We've all heard that 'Coca-Cola used to have high levels of cocaine in it to make people addicted', which may or may not have been true, we don't really know. But, what we do know, is that only two people know the exact formula for making Coca-Cola. However, it is public domain to know that the delicious carbonated beverage gets some of it's flavoring from the same plant that cocaine comes from.?Before getting all worked up, you should know that only ONE company has the permission of the American government to import the Coca plant and use it's resources to produce a beverage. Why? Although it isn't actually stated anywhere, it's safe to assume that Coca-Cola is a multi-billion dollar company that employs hundreds of thousands of people worldwide!?Cocaine comes from the coca plant, and cocaine actually comes from the extraction of certain chemicals off of the coca plant's leaves! However, we don't actually know which PART of the Coca plant Coca-Cola uses, for all we know, it's the leaves, and there is in fact cocaine in our favorite carbonated beverage.? Queen started making Blizzards in 1985, but they’ve had the trademark for “Blizzard” since the '50sSunday, 23 June 20138:58 AMDairy Queen started making Blizzards in 1985, but they’ve had the trademark for “Blizzard” since the '50s?Back then, a Blizzard was just a really thick milkshake, without the distinctive extra pieces that have come to define the dessert. Since 1985, “Blizzard” has specifically referred to a dessert with blended fruit, candy, nuts, or cookies inside. Without the candy, a Blizzard used to be called “concrete” because of it’s thickness, but they have since dropped that name. There are more than 75 Blizzard flavors, and in China they even have a green tea Blizzard.???Check out the Dairy Queen blog for more Blizzard facts.? phrase 'the show must go on...' has a second part to it!Sunday, 23 June 20138:58 AMThe phrase 'the show must go on...' has a second part to it!?You’ve heard it before, you've probably said it: The show must go on.Did you know the actual phrase doesn’t stop there? There is more to it!?If you’ve ever been in show business and felt tired, angry, or like giving up probably this phrase just popped out in your mind. It has helped you and many others in the presence of troubles, difficulties and bad times.?It makes you remember what you are there for, and that you must give your best until the very last second of the show.However, the phrase “The show must go on” is actually followed by “..otherwise we’ll have to give them their money back”. This in fact makes sense! Some people make a living out of the show business, and if they don’t give their very best, they won’t be able to bring bread to their table at home.?So remember, keep the show going on or say goodbye to your money!? man who grounded 4,000 planes on 9/11 was on first day of his jobSunday, 23 June 20138:58 AMThe man who grounded 4,000 planes on 9/11 was on first day of his job?On September 11, 2001, four commercial planes were hijacked by foreign terrorists. All other commercial flights were grounded that day, which ended up being a great and potentially life-saving decision. No other planes were able to be hijacked.?Amazingly, the man who ordered the grounding of over 4,000 commercial flights in the United States was on his first day on the job when he made the call. Ben Sliney, the Federal Aviation Administration's National Operations Manager made this unprecedented call. He had no input from the President of the United States or the bureaucracy above him.?However, it's not like Sliney was totally new to the profession. Before signing on as the FAA's National Operations Manager, he held a leadership position at New York's TRACON, which was responsible for all the air traffic in the New York City area. His call was still a heroic one though. So much so that he was asked to portray himself in Universal Pictures' film "United 93."? can live for 30 days after their head has been cut off.?Sunday, 23 June 20138:58 AMCockroaches can live for 30 days after their head has been cut off.??While it is more average for a cockroach to only live headless for 9 days or so, they can live for extremely long amounts of time. Cockroaches breathe through spiracles, which deliver air to each cell of the body through a set of tubes called tracheae. The brain does not control the breathing through the spiracles. So they don't need a head to breathe!??Also, the cockroach does not have blood pressure the way a mammal does, so cutting off the head does not lead to uncontrolled bleeding. What about food? They need much less food - single meal is enough to last them a whole month! This ability isn't all its cracked up to be, however - without a head, the cockroach would just sit around without doing much.?? grew giant dragonflies by mimicking Earth’s conditions from 300 million years ago!?Sunday, 23 June 20138:59 AMScientists grew giant dragonflies by mimicking Earth’s conditions from 300 million years ago!??Scientists have recently embarked on studying the effects of ancient Earth conditions on animals to see how they grow and develop. By mimicking the conditions, specifically Earth’s oxygen levels, they were able to grow dragonflies that are 15% bigger!??We know that much larger animals used to exist on earth, such as dragonflies that had wingspans of roughly two and a half feet, but scientists have never been able to pinpoint exactly why. The idea that animals were larger due to oxygen levels has been the chief belief for some time, and recently studies have begun putting the idea to the test.??To test how oxygen levels affect growth, a team of scientists raised twelve “living fossils” such as dragonflies, beetles, and cockroaches from start to finish in chambers emulating previous oxygen levels and were surprised by the results.??Dragonflies grew substantially along with beetles, however cockroaches grew slightly slower and remained the same size. Interesting? Tell us how you’d react if you saw a three-foot long dragonfly!?? created a robotic cockroach that can make real cockroaches follow it!Sunday, 23 June 20138:59 AMScientists created a robotic cockroach that can make real cockroaches follow it!?European scientists developed Insbot, an electronic cockroach that can trick real cockroaches into following it. The Insbot was developed under the European project LEURRE. The project aimed to study, model, and control mixed societies of animals and robots.?The Insbot is very small, measuring at 19 by 30 by 41 millimeters cubed. It doesn’t even look much like a cockroach… it’s just a box.?The way it fools cockroaches is by sending out signals with its sensors. It can communicate with other cockroaches and get them to follow its lead.?The scientists chose an American cockroach, because it is so small. They studied the processes and means of communication between cockroaches and worked from there. The result was pretty amazing, don’t you think??'s a wasp that cocoons and grows inside cockroaches! The larva eats them alive from the inside!Sunday, 23 June 20138:59 AMThere's a wasp that cocoons and grows inside cockroaches! The larva eats them alive from the inside!?This seemingly harmless looking parasite, called the Jewel Wasp, actually has a very creepy birthing ritual. It will poison and paralyze a cockroach with a few quick stings, and drag it into a burrow. Once it's there, the wasp will lay an egg on the wasp, and the egg will develop inside the roach!?The wasp mostly lives in the tropical regions of South Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands. The weird reproductive method doesn't end there, however. The wasp will sting a cockroach twice. The first sting will paralyze the cockroach so it can't defend itself.The second sting turns the roach into a zombie, basically, as the cockroach is unable to walk spontaneously or of its own will.?The eggs hatch about 3 days after the sting. Then, the larva feed for 4-5 days on the roach. Mind you, the roach is still alive. In fact the larva will strategically eat the roach's internal organs to maximize the chances that the roach stays alive until the larva can develop into a cocoon!? suicide bombers exploded prematurely, because their timers were set on Daylight Savings Time!?Sunday, 23 June 20138:59 AMThree suicide bombers exploded prematurely, because their timers were set on Daylight Savings Time!??There are always a lot of accidental tardies when we switch the clocks for daylight savings time. However, we tend to not blow up prematurely. 1999 proved to be a rough daylight savings time for Palestinian terrorists, though. Israel had insisted on a premature switch from daylight savings time to accommodate a week of pre-sunrise prayers.??The Palestinians refused to live on “Zionist” time. So, two weeks of scheduled havoc took place and no one knew the correct time. On September 5th, two coordinated car bombs exploded in transit in different cities killing 3 terrorists. At first, it was thought that the bombs exploded prematurely due to amateur bomb making skills.??After investigating it, they found that the bombs weren’t on the right time schedule. They’d been made in a Palestinian controlled area and set to detonate on Daylight Saving Time. The confused drivers had switched to standard time, and hadn’t asked which clock the bombs were on. So, they met their doom transporting the bombs.?? rabbi suggested loading Israeli buses with pig fat to deter Muslim suicide bombings!Sunday, 23 June 20138:59 AMA rabbi suggested loading Israeli buses with pig fat to deter Muslim suicide bombings!?Rabbi Eliezer Fisher floated police the idea of suspending bags of pig fat on buses to deter Muslim suicide bombers who would want to avoid contact with “unclean meat”.??Perhaps the most outrageous part of the idea is that authorities have sanctioned the plan to continue! Both Jews and Muslims consider pork to be unclean, and while they hope Muslims will not want to be on the buses, Jews are also under less of a threat it they don’t take public transportation.??Israeli Deputy of Defense Minister Yaacov Edri said, “If bags of pig lard will prevent zealous Muslim terrorists from carrying out attacks, I’m all for it.”?? against women is extremely common all over the worldSunday, 23 June 20139:45 AMViolence against women is extremely common all over the world?Physical or sexual violence is a public health problem that affects more than one third of all women globally – that is at least one in three women.?The first full systematic study on violence against women by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners was released this week: the full infographic on violence against women: can control the flight of beetles using microchips.Sunday, 23 June 20139:54 AMResearchers can control the flight of beetles using microchips.?It sounds like a piece of science fiction, but there is actually a government-funded project with the goal of military espionage in which the enemy is literally 'bugged.' Began in 2006, the undertaking has yielded little military application, but scientists have managed to use electrodes to start and stop flight, make the insects turn, and even initiate changes in the creature's elevation!??The main issue preventing any sort of army usage is the impracticality of powering the devices. Researchers are attempting to find a way for the hardware to be powered by the insects' own bodies, but it has been quite a challenging venture.??Read more about the Defense Department's ROBOT BUGS! You can also watch this crazy video of a researcher controlling a beetle with his laptop:?? show you their butt as a way of telling you that they are comfortable with you.Sunday, 23 June 201310:41 AMCat show you their butt as a way of telling you that they are comfortable with you.?Because nothing says “let’s be friends” like “hey, do you wanna see my butt?” Tail sniffing behavior is normal between cats. In fact, when two cats greet each other, they usually do so by sniffing each other’s nether regions, as each cat’s signature scent is found there. Cats that keep their tail down “might be compared to a shy person hiding his/her face.”?A raised tail says “I mean no treat.” When your cat decides that you’re worthy of having its butt in your face, it does not expect you to sniff (thankfully). Cats have a way of realizing that you are not a feline, and will be content with a friendly pet or scratch.? Finnish soldier killed over 700 Soviet Troops in 100 days!Monday, 24 June 20133:31 AMOne Finnish soldier killed over 700 Soviet Troops in 100 days!?In the winter of 1939, Josef Stalin decided he would seize the opportunity to head into Finland and take over as much land as he could, and claim it for the Soviet Union. Little did he know, the Finnish people weren't going to allow this to happen so easily. In fact, some of them put up one hell of a fight.?Simo Hayha, a man who didn't stand an inch over five feet, was a Finnish soldier who wouldn't allow his country to succumb to Soviet invasion. But, Hayha wasn't an ordinary Finnish soldier, he was the equivalent of an American minuteman - someone who gets called by his country when they need his service out of desperation.?Hayha was stationed in a barren wasteland, with temperatures reaching -20 to -40 degrees Celsius. Clearly the temperatures didn't bug Hayha, because he survived, by himself, for 100 days killing over 700 Soviet troops. The Soviets tried bombing the area he was in, sending their own snipers to hunt him, but to no avail.?Finally, a Soviet sniper shot Hayha in the jaw, which put him into a coma for 11 days. When he woke up, his Finnish comrades were digging him out of the snow, and the Soviets had given up on their war. He lived to the ripe old age of 97.?You think this story is incredible? We forgot to mention the fact that Hayha was using an outdated sniper rifle - without a telescopic sight. That's right, he was able to use the iron sights, and shoot Soviet Troops from hundreds of yards away.? is not actually the best thing for your bones!Monday, 24 June 20133:32 AMMilk is not actually the best thing for your bones!?Most kids constantly hear that they need to be drinking lots of milk because calcium helps build strong bones. While this is true, there are actually other ways of making strong bones that work even better! So what are they??Vitamin K2 is actually the best way to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. Amazingly, people who consume a high intake of vitamin k2 are 65% less likely to suffer a hip fracture than those who do not! So where can you get it??There are plenty of routine foods that contain vitamin k2 such as spinach, broccoli, peaches, avocados, and many more! In fact vitamin k2 is so good for you it also helps healthy blood flow and can even help prevent cancer!? of Vinyl records have been on the rise since 1993!Monday, 24 June 20133:32 AMSales of Vinyl records have been on the rise since 1993!?Despite millions of people world wide believing that vinyl records are a dying medium, record sales are actually on the rise according to statistics shared with Digital Music News. As it turns out, more people prefer to own a vinyl record than simply downloading an album online by paying for it, or even pirating it.?Most of the albums being purchased can be found at Indie music festivals and retailers, with a heavy focus on people wanting to buy rock music. In fact, in 2012 alone, over 4.6 million vinyl records were purchased and sold in the United States alone. According to the statistics provided, vinyl records have gone up a total of 17.7% since 2011! Record sales were only around 0.3 million in 1993!? filmmaker is suing so you can sing Happy Birthday for free!Monday, 24 June 20133:32 AMA filmmaker is suing so you can sing Happy Birthday for free!?Jennifer Nelson is a filmmaker with a mission: To make Happy Birthday free for anyone to sing. This may sound weird to you until you remember that the Happy Birthday song is actually under the copyright of Warner/Chappel music. That's right: You have illegally sung it the all your life.?Jennifer Nelson says that the song has to be in public domain due to a series of issues with the copyright. One of her biggest points: The sisters credited with writing the song appear to have written neither the music nor the lyrics to it.?They are suing Warner/Chappel to release the song in public domain, and to return the royalties they collect on it, estimated at $2 million per year!? of sleep makes you want to eat junk food!?Monday, 24 June 20133:32 AMLack of sleep makes you want to eat junk food!??You’re probably wondering how sleeping less could affect what foods you want to eat, but recent science points in the direction that the less you sleep, the more you’re body will want unhealthy foods. After studying 25 normal-weight volunteers who underwent sleep deprivation for five nights scientists were surprised to find the link between lack of sleep and junk food cravings.??The pleasure-seeking areas of the brain reacted much more strongly when shown images of unhealthy food when sleep was limited, however when participants had a “normal” night of sleep their brains reacted the same to both healthy and unhealthy food images. Ever had to pull an all-nighter and stocked up on pizza, soda, and candy???That’s most likely because when your body undergoes extreme sleep changes it craves foods that will give it the highest caloric intake, or extremely unhealthy foods, resulting in late night, unhealthy binges.?? have been tested by marines for their usefulness in urban combat!Monday, 24 June 20133:32 AMSkateboards have been tested by marines for their usefulness in urban combat!?We all know how intense skateboarding can get with all it's riding and awesome tricks.Some people consider it a recreational activity, others as an art form, a job and even a method of transportation. Skateboarding is almost a culture that has shaped and been influenced by many people throughout the years.?There are over 18.5 million skateboarders throughout the world! 74 % of them being male. Nobody really knows who made the first board, although it seems that some French children were the first ones to implement the skateboard by riding boards with roller skate wheels attached to them.?However, you probably didn’t know that the United States Marine Corps tested the usefulness of commercial off-the-shelf skateboards during urban combat military exercises in the late 1990s! Their special purpose was “for maneuvering inside buildings in order to detect tripwires and sniper fire”.?Some people might show off their daddy’s revolver, but if you have a skateboard be proud of the great weapon you possess.? to the rest of the world, Americans aren't more or less religious. However, they're twice as likely to say they are!Monday, 24 June 20133:33 AMCompared to the rest of the world, Americans aren't more or less religious. However, they're twice as likely to say they are!?Americans often talk a big game. Usually, they deliver on this. When it comes to religion, that is not the case. Two in five Americans say they regularly attend church. Ninety percent of Americans believe in God and seventy percent have no doubt whatsoever that He exists.?You would think that Americans are far more religious than the rest of the world. You would be wrong. According to social scientists who went beyond the polls and conducted more in-depth research, Americans are no more religious than citizens of other industrialized nations. They just like to think that they are--apparently religion is attached to their sense of identity.?Asking them if they're religious is like asking them if they are good people. They feel that they should be so they say that they are. In reality, Americans are no more religious than citizens of other nations.? only survivor of a plane crash that killed 70 people was a teen who got ejected in his seat and landed upright!Monday, 24 June 20133:33 AMThe only survivor of a plane crash that killed 70 people was a teen who got ejected in his seat and landed upright!?On January 21, 1985, a non-scheduled charter flight traveling from Reno, Nevada to Minneapolis, Minnesota crashed and killed all but one of it's 71 passengers. It took off at 1:04 am and crashed about 1.5 miles away from the runway. It then burst into flames and broke into pieces that scattered around the crash area.?Three people survived the initial crash. However, one of them died about a week later on January 29 and the other died a few days after that on February 4th. The one person that survived was 17-year-old George Lamson Jr.?Lamson was thrown from the plane still in his seat and landed upright on a nearby street. He was able to walk away from the seat before the aircraft exploded and even gave an interview shortly after the crash. After an investigation, officials determined that the probable cause of the crash was the captain's failure to monitor the air speed and flight path of the aircraft.? astronaut smuggled a sandwich into space!Monday, 24 June 20133:33 AMAn astronaut smuggled a sandwich into space!?John Watts Young is a retired American astronaut. He was the ninth person to walk on the Moon.In 1962 he was signed to travel in the Gemini spacecraft along with Gus Grissom. In 1965 he went into his space mission and he was able to score a “first” by being the first man who ever smuggled a corned beef sandwich onto the spacecraft.?This sandwich incident had repercussions since NASA started doubting about sending to future missions into space. However, he was able to enjoy a lot more trips into space and took lead on many exciting missions in outer space.?After working for NASA for 42 years he finally retired on December 31st of 2004, at the age of 74, allowing him to start a new life with no more outer space adventures.So remember; if you ever become an astronaut don’t take any beef sandwiches to outer space, aliens are allergic to them!?(astronaut)#Gemini_flights?????Domino's and Little Ceasar's were founded less than 18 miles from each other!Monday, 24 June 20133:33 AMDomino's and Little Ceasar's were founded less than 18 miles from each other!?Domino’s pizza and Little Caesars Pizza, the two biggest pizza chains in the U.S. Even though they are rivals they have a lot more in common than what you think.They were both founded 18 miles apart! And till today they still maintain their corporate capitals less than 50 miles apart.?Also they have both had very catchy slogans throughout the years which have helped them to gain a lot of costumers. In reality, they are both very good pizzas and the both offer great combos as well. While you can buy 5 dollar pizzas at Little Caesars, you can find great combo deal at Domino’s.?And not only that, both can be found simultaneously in almost every country the other one is located at!How to decide which one is better? Ask your taste buds!? dad was photographed for a story about his missing daughter. The daughter showed up in the background!Monday, 24 June 20133:33 AMA dad was photographed for a story about his missing daughter. The daughter showed up in the background!?Michael Dick had seen his daughter, Lisa, in ten years since he separated from his wife. He was determined to find her and began searching. His search led him to Sudbury where Lisa had last been known to be living. Dick's searched reached a dead end there though so the local newspaper published a story on him to see if the publicity would help.?The story contained a photo of Dick and his two other daughters that had traveled with him to Sudbury. Amazingly, Lisa saw the story. It turns out she was still living in Sudbury because she and her mother appear in the background of that very photo of Dick and his daughters that appeared in the article.?Just a few days earlier, Lisa had spoken to friends about wanting to find her father. She called Dick, and he drove back to Sudbury to meet her and her three children. Many coincidences led to one happy ending.? Ford was only paid $10,000 to act in Star Wars! Learn more about his life hereMonday, 24 June 20133:34 AMHarrison Ford was only paid $10,000 to act in Star Wars! Learn more about his life here?Born July 13, 1942, Harrison Ford was originally a self taught carpenter, trying to earn enough money to feed his family. As a child, he had no real passion for movies. He only went to see them in the theatre on dates because they were cheap, and dark. He was an introverted child with very few friends. Despite his run in with childhood bullies, Ford was able to make a career out of acting in movies. His big breakthrough came in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope playing the role of Han Solo.?Initially, Harrison Ford was only played $10,000 for his role! None of the filmmakers knew that this movie would be such a large success. Six years later he starred in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi and was paid $500,000! Now, Harrison Ford is estimated to have a net worth of over $200 million! Want to learn more about him? Check out the source? can drink sea water to re-hydrate themselves!?Monday, 24 June 20133:35 AMCats can drink sea water to re-hydrate themselves!??Have you ever heard the expression, “Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink?” The age-old age adage refers, of course, to the ocean – vast quantities of water, but unsuitable for humans to drink due to the salt content. But did you know that cats CAN drink seawater to in order to survive? Read on to find out how.?All animals get some of their water intake from food, cats included. But when a cat’s intake of water from all sources is inadequate, their kidneys are efficient enough to re-hydrate by consuming saltwater. The kidneys are able to expel the salt while allowing the potable water to re-hydrate the feline in order to help it survive in times of drought.?Here are a couple of other fun facts about cats: most female cats are right pawed while males are left pawed; a cat’s brain is more similar to a human brain than to a dog’s brain; cats can run at an astounding 31 mph for short distances; and, cats almost never meow at other cats – only at humans.?. Seuss cheated on his wife while she was sick with cancer for 13 years. She committed suicide because of his infidelity, and he later married his mistress.?Monday, 24 June 20133:35 AMDr. Seuss cheated on his wife while she was sick with cancer for 13 years. She committed suicide because of his infidelity, and he later married his mistress.??Probably not the most uplifting story for one of the most beloved children’s book authors of all time, but there it is. Seuss’ wife, Helen Palmer Geisel, suffered from a long series of illnesses including cancer over a period of 13 years. Eventually, Helen learned of her husband’s adulterous relationship with another woman. Given that and the constant illnesses she suffered, Helen decided to commit suicide through an overdose of barbiturates.?She wrote a suicide note to Seuss that said “Dear Ted, what has happened to us? I don't know. I feel myself in a spiral, going down down down, into a black hole from which there is no escape, no brightness. And loud in my ears from every side I hear, 'failure, failure, failure... I love you so much ... I am too old and enmeshed in everything you do and are, that I cannot conceive of life without you ... My going will leave quite a rumor but you can say I was overworked and overwrought. Your reputation with your friends and fans will not be harmed ... Sometimes think of the fun we had all thru the years ..."?Dr. Seuss was very distraught at his wife’s suicide in 1967, but he later married the woman he had been cheating on his wife with only one year later!? you wear this cologne during a safari, you might be attacked tigers or cougars!Monday, 24 June 20133:35 AMIf you wear this cologne during a safari, you might be attacked tigers or cougars!?I guess you could say that this cologne works all the time, 100% of the time. For some reason, the smell of Calvin Klein's Obsession for men makes wild cats go wild. Jaguars, cheetahs, ocelots, pumas, cougars, snow leopards and tigers all seem to be drawn to the cologne's smell.?Scientists actually use objects sprayed with the stuff to lure cats from wildlife reserves to a place where they can be photographed and counted. For example, in the Maya Biosphere Reserve of Guatemala, scientists have been able to estimate the jaguar population more easily thanks to Calvin Klein.?The attraction was discovered by a zookeeper at the Bronx Zoo, who went through several trials and finally discovered that Obsession for men (but not for women) drives big cats insane.? have been blamed for the global extinction of 33 speciesMonday, 24 June 20133:36 AMCats have been blamed for the global extinction of 33 species?Feral cats are different than stray cats. Stray cats are pet cats that have been lost or abandoned by their owners. Feral cats, however, are domestic cats that have returned to the wild. Specifically, they were born in the wild.?Feral cats often spawn from cats that were left behind by travelers. Since they are not native to all parts of the world, feral cats can often cause harm to local ecosystems. They prey on local species and can even hunt them to extinction. This is especially true on islands where cats can damage local animals. They have been blamed for the extinction of 33 species.? Duds got their name because they were a failed experiment!Monday, 24 June 20133:36 AMMilk Duds got their name because they were a failed experiment!?Milk Duds, quite possibly the most delicious snack any human mouth has ever tasted. Caramel and Chocolate fused together in a weird semi circular shape, it's brilliant. The name 'Milk Duds' doesn't seem to appealing, they might as well have called the snack 'Milk Failures'. So, why exactly did Hershey decide to name the snack 'Milk Duds' when they bought the company back in the 1920's??The initial goal when creating 'Milk Duds' was to create a delicious candy, which they in fact did, however Hershey wanted to make the candy perfectly round - a task that they found was actually impossible. It wasn't that the task was just too hard, or the company was limited by the technology they had - it's actually impossible to get the ingredients for Milk Duds to form a sphere permanently.?Since the chocolate snack couldn't form the sphere shape that the company wanted, they were just labelled 'Milk Duds' - a constant reminder of what a failure they were.? milk can actually be really bad for heart.Monday, 24 June 20133:36 AMSkim milk can actually be really bad for heart.?Skim milk is treated like elixir by the health conscious. It seems the the flawless beverage, allowing you to get all the vitamins found from milk out fat. However, as it turns out, more and more researchers are coming to the conclusion that skim milk is not nearly as good for you as it's full fat counterpart.?The reason behind this is that when the fat is removed from milk, many important vitamins are removed with it, and thus need to be replaced with synthetics. Many manufacturers also "fortify" they skim milk, using a powdered version of milk that can actually serve to oxidize the cholesterol contained in milk.?While this has not be tested in humans, animals that drank oxidized cholesterol were more likely to develop heart disease. So while it may cost you a couple pounds, you may be much better drinking full fat milk.? is an Asteroid named after Wikipedia!Monday, 24 June 20133:36 AMThere is an Asteroid named after Wikipedia!?Main belt asteroid Number 274301 was officially named after the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia on January 31, 2013. Of course, the name was changed because Main Belt asteroid No. 274301 didn't roll quite off the tongue like Wikipedia does.?However, the official press release from the Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory in Ukraine, the same observatory that found the asteroid belt in 2008, stated that they chose the name Wikipedia to honor a website that can educate people around the world for free.?Not only is Wikipedia a free database of information, it is also one of the most visited websites in the world and can be translated into 270 different languages. All of this was achieved within 11 years after Wikipedia launched!? 2003, a statue of a Roman Emperor was vandalized with gramatically correct Latin!Monday, 24 June 20133:36 AMIn 2003, a statue of a Roman Emperor was vandalized with gramatically correct Latin!?The inscription "Romani ite domum" had been written on the concrete plinth of the bronze statue of the Emperor Nerva in Gloucester, England. The words, translated as "Romans go home", were spotted by a teacher Michael Sergeant.?He was impressed, because the phrase was written correctly. Sergeant said, "Whoever did it was either very clever - as the Latin was correct - or had just seen Monty Python's The Life of Brian." The statue, Emperor Nerva, was a Roman emperor from 96-98 AD and among five emperors thought to be among Rome's finest.? nation of Georgia fired its entire police fore. Crime went down!Monday, 24 June 20136:12 AMThe nation of Georgia fired its entire police fore. Crime went down!?Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had noticed a distinct level of corruption among his countries police officers, and to be honest, he wasn't very pleased with it. In 2004, Mikheil Saakashvili threatened all police officers, whether new recruits, or seasoned veterans, that they would be instantly fired if they were caught taking bribe from citizens, or abusing their power in any way.?The cops assumed the President was bluffing, and the next day, over 15,000 cops were caught taking bribes from citizens. As promised, the President fired all of them. In the following days after that, another 15,000 cops were fired for abusing their power. The country had no police force at this point.?In fact, the country had no police force for the next 3 months! So, was there rioting and unprecedented levels of crime? Nope! As it turns out, the crime rate actually lowered, and the country was better off without cops than it was WITH cops! Apparently the cops were the reason for most of the problems and crime in the first place!? rapper tweeted out 'Drunk af going 120 drifitng corners YOLO' right before he died!Monday, 24 June 20136:12 AMA rapper tweeted out 'Drunk af going 120 drifitng corners YOLO' right before he died!?YOLO, short for, You Only Live Once, has been the latest craze since Drake released his hit song 'The Motto' where the acronym is featured. Considered a less intelligent version of Carpe Diem, teenagers have been seen doing immature or dangerous stunts while famously stating 'YOLO' before hand. However, no one took it to the same level as Ervin McKinness.?While driving drunk, Ervin McKinness tweeted "Drunk af going 120 drifting corners #F*ckIt YOLO". Unfortunately, you do only live once, and Ervin McKinness, and four other people, passed away that same night after crashing his car. After running a red light, he lost control of the car, and swerved into a brick wall.?(motto)???The footage of the kids in How I Met Your Mother is mostly recycled because they're so grown up!Monday, 24 June 20136:12 AMThe footage of the kids in How I Met Your Mother is mostly recycled because they're so grown up!?The show How I Met Your Mother began in 2005 and is nearing it's end today. It centers around Ted Mosby who is telling the story of meeting his wife, and the mother of his children, to his kids. The kids are played by Lyndsy Fonesca and David Henrie and began the show already in their teens.?The reason some of the footage of them is reused is because after nine years they look and sound much older. They are supposed to be in their early teens while listening to the story, but the actors are actually 26 and 23 respectively!?Little is known about the kids on the show, such as their names. All that we do know is that Ted met their mother, had them, and wanted to name them Luke and Leia after Star Wars. Who their mother is was recently revealed, but whether he actually named them Luke and Leia, remains to be seen!?, AR integrated their schools before Little Rock. They had no incidents because they didn't publicize it!Monday, 24 June 20136:12 AMCharleston, AR integrated their schools before Little Rock. They had no incidents because they didn't publicize it!?Little Rock, Arkansas saw a great deal of publicity when they first integrated their schools. There were protests and violence and national news coverage. Eventually, it got so out of hand that President Kennedy had to send in the National Guard to protect the few African American students that attended the predominantly white school.?Due to the drama, many may believe that Little Rock was the first southern town to integrate their public schools. This isn't the case though. A much less assuming town, Charleston, AK, was actually the first formerly Confederate town to integrate their school systems.?In fact, there were no riots, no outsiders coming in to protest, no media circus. How did they do it? They just didn't publicize it at all. The only incident that first day was a slur written on the walls. The janitor cleaned it up before the black students showed up.? and Dorey would have had to swim 1,568 miles to find Nemo!Monday, 24 June 20136:12 AMMarlin and Dorey would have had to swim 1,568 miles to find Nemo!?While animated movies are rarely factual, this particular discrepancy is actually pretty important to the plot of Finding Nemo. Nemo and his dad, Marlin, live in the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast of Australia.?The entire Great Barrier Reef is around 1,600 miles long, so it’s impossible to place exactly where they lived, but we do know they lived along the edge because Nemo swam out to sea before he was captured. He was then taken to Sydney, which is way down on the southeastern coast of Australia.?If we were to place them as close as possible to Sydney from the Great Barrier Reef, Marlin and Dorey would have had to swim around 1,568 miles! If we’re being mean to the poor fish and put them at the furthest point in the reef, they would have swam 2,630 miles!?For both distances it is a nearly impossible distance for such little fish to swim in just a couple days, but then again it’s not likely they could talk either!? 9-year-old once robbed a bank in New York!Monday, 24 June 20136:12 AMA 9-year-old once robbed a bank in New York!?In 1981, a nine-year-old boy robbed the New York Bank for Savings in midtown Manhattan. And he got away with it, at least for a while. As the boy explained it, he had been playing in the bank and had his toy gun with him. He had used the gun and a woman had given him money.?This was what he told his parents later that day after they saw a news report of the incident. His parents then made him surrender to police. The boy's lawyer claimed that he had been heavily influenced by violence on television and was not really aware of what he was doing.?The boy was not known for being a troublemaker, but did watch a lot of TV. His parents were separated, and he lived with his father and grandparents in a Manhattan apartment. There, he would watch hours of shows like "Hogan's Heroes" and "The Rockford Files."? odds of a spinning penny landing on tails is 80%Monday, 24 June 20136:13 AMThe odds of a spinning penny landing on tails is 80%?Here's a neat trick if you wanna make easy cash next time: Bet on a spinning penny landing on tales most of the time. The reason for this is very simple: The side with Lincoln's head is just a little bit heavier than the tails side, causing the coin's center of mass to tilt a bit towards heads. It will tend to fall on top of the head 80% of the time.?If you remember, we also mentioned before that the odds of a coin flip aren't even either. However, you might not want to put that much money on that one, as the odds are 51/49 in favor of whatever side was up when the coin was thrown in the air.? voice of Darth Vader originally didn't want to be associated with Star Wars!Monday, 24 June 20136:13 AMThe voice of Darth Vader originally didn't want to be associated with Star Wars!?Star Wars has become a cult classic, and is internationally recognized by some of it's key characters like Yoda, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. Despite the movie reaching such a success, many of the actors, including the movie studio that funded the film, 20th Century Fox, believed that the film was going to be a box office flop.?James Earl Jones, the man who voiced Darth Vader, was one of the people in the cast that so strongly believed that the movie was going to be a failure that he asked to have his name removed from the credits. Once the film was released and it was an astonishing success, he asked to have his name put back into the credits.?Why did so many people believe the movie was going to be a failure? The script was very confusing for the actors which led to a lot of awkward moments, almost everyone in the cast was completely inexperienced, and because the cast and crew thought the script was too complicated for anyone watching the film to understand it!? bear fur is transparent NOT white!?Monday, 24 June 20136:21 AMPolar bear fur is transparent NOT white!??Polar bears have a really dense underfur covered by an outer layer of guard hairs, which appears to be tan, but in reality it is transparent. Why do they seem white then??The hair is made of a thick, hollow core that reflects light. As the light bounces on the space between hair, white gets reflected back and that’s why it seems white. As the polar bear grows old, the fur tends to turn green due to algae growing inside the hairs.?Some scientists have proposed that their transparent fur helps them absorb light. However, new studies have shown that this is not the case. Their hair simply helps them blend in to their snowy environment, allowing them to catch prey more easily.? Jewish woman helped Nazis find 3000 other Jews even after they sent her parents to a concentration camp!Monday, 24 June 20138:13 AMA Jewish woman helped Nazis find 3000 other Jews even after they sent her parents to a concentration camp!?Stella Kubler was born from Jewish parents, and married a Jewish man. When the second World War broke out, her parents tried to flee Germany, but they were unable to. In 1943, Stella and her parents were arrested by the Gestapo. It was at this point in time, Stella struck up a rather unusual deal with the Gestapo.?Stella agreed to use her knowledge of people in the Jewish community to find people that were pretending that they weren't Jewish. The reason Stella acted on the Gestapo's behalf is because she believed that the Gestapo wouldn't send her, her parents, or her husband to a concentration camp as long as she was able to find Jews in hiding. The Nazi's referred to Stella as 'blonde poison'?Stella, depending on the records, is said to have found between 600 and 3000 Jewish people and turned them into the Gestapo. The Gestapo inevitably placed her parents in a concentration camp, where they were killed, but Stella continued to turn in hiding Jewish people.?When the war ended, Stella spent 10 years in a Soviet prison for her crimes. Upon being released, she lived in West Germany. Over the years, her actions during World War II took a tremendous toll on her mental stability, as she suffered from depression and extensive loneliness. In 1994, the guilt was too much, and Stella committed suicide by jumping out of a window.? Bean is afraid of flying. When filming Lord of the Rings he hiked up a mountain in full armor instead of going in a helicopter!Monday, 24 June 20138:14 AMSean Bean is afraid of flying. When filming Lord of the Rings he hiked up a mountain in full armor instead of going in a helicopter!?English actor Sean Bean is known for playing bearded, Medieval types. He is Lord Eddard Stark in HBO's "Game of Thrones" and Odysseus in "Troy." He is also Boromir in the the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. This may be his most notable role.?Bean is primarily in the first film "The Fellowship of the Ring" and appears in flashbacks in the following two films. The majority of the movie was shot in New Zealand due to the the beautiful, rugged landscape. And it is rugged unfortunately for Bean.?Bean has fear of flying. After a particularly rough ride in a helicopter during filming, he refused to fly to any more set locations. This proved problematic. In one instance, Bean rode a ski lift in full armor with a shield and a sword and then hiked the remaining miles to the set. That's dedication.? of the James Bond actors had never acted and lied to get the part!Monday, 24 June 20138:14 AMOne of the James Bond actors had never acted and lied to get the part!?George Lazenby is perhaps the least recognizable of the men who have inhabited the role of James Bond, yet his performance in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” is still one of the most beloved by fans. Lazenby only starred in the one film, yet his back story of how he got the part is entirely James Bond! Lazenby says that he first dreamed of playing Bond after taking a girl to see Dr. No and not getting lucky after. It was then that he decided he would be the next person to play the role.?He got his hair cut at Sean Connery’s barber, bought one of Connery’s old suits, got a Rolex, and then snuck past the secretary at the auditions. Once he was in the room with the producers he told them that he had acted all over the world, from Hong Kong to Germany.?He was so convincing they bought it and cast a random man as one of the most recognizable names of the time! It was only when meeting the director that Lazenby admitted he had no idea what he was doing, but by that time they were so impressed that he had fooled them they gave him the part anyway!? you donate $500 or more to a Scottish heritage foundation, Sir Sean Connery will send you a personal signed letter of thanks.?Monday, 24 June 20138:14 AMIf you donate $500 or more to a Scottish heritage foundation, Sir Sean Connery will send you a personal signed letter of thanks.??Sean Connery is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA awards, three Golden Globes, and has helped support literally hundreds of charities.?He has donated his entire salary (over $1 million) from his Bond film Diamonds Are Forever to the Scottish International Education Trust, which he also co-founded.?He has developed a non-commercial website on which he provides visitors with electronic greeting cards, wallpaper, and insider information about his career. In exchange, he requests that they take time and support a charity encompassing education, culture, and/or Scotland.?Check the source for more information.? skydiver filmed his own death because he forgot to put on his parachute!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:38 AMA skydiver filmed his own death because he forgot to put on his parachute!?Most of us are willing to try skydiving at some point in our lives; however we must always remember the golden rule: Don’t jump out without a parachute!?Ivan McGuire sadly didn’t remember it. He was an experienced diver and in 1988 while filming a student and instructor performing skydiving, he fell into his own death because he forgot to put on his parachute.?Authorities said that the video didn’t give any indication on whether the man slipped or jumped out of the plane. The video shows his mates with him for a while and later they disappear from the frame as they open their parachutes while Ivan keeps falling at a great speed.?The policed ruled out suicide attempt since the video shows Ivan reaching for the parachute cord.Remember, it’s ok to say YOLO every once in a while (or maybe not), but always remember, safety first!? world's shiniest living thing is a fruit!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:38 AMThe world's shiniest living thing is a fruit!?Pollia condensata is a fruit and it's the shiniest living thing in the world. The principle behind P. Condensata‘s gorgeous finish is basically the same as behind an iridescent beetle’s wings. The cells in the fruit’s husk contain layers of fibers that run parallel to one another, with each layer turned slightly relative to the one beneath it.?Each layer reflects some of the light that hits it, and the spiral structure makes the reflected light waves line up so that they intensify each other. The wavelength of the light may be different from cell to cell, but all of them reflect extra-intensified light.??The result is a mixture of really bright colors. This type of iridescent coloration was supposed to be reserved for insect wings and bird feathers P. Condensata is the first time it’s been seen in a plant. The fruits reflect more light than any other known living thing.? swinging your arms makes walking 12% more difficult!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:38 AMNot swinging your arms makes walking 12% more difficult!?A new study explained why it is that we swing our arms when we walk. It's because they make waking a much easier effort. In fact, the experiments conducted for the study found that not swinging your arms increased the effort of walking by 12%.?To put that number in different terms, if you don't swing your arms, you exert the same amount of effort as if you were walking 20% faster or you were carrying a 20lbs backpack.?Why would anyone spend their time researching this, you ask? Well, they hope that these findings will help develop better walking robots and also aid in physical therapy.? Auschwitz, the SS forced an orchestra to play for Jews that had been selected for gassing!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:39 AMIn Auschwitz, the SS forced an orchestra to play for Jews that had been selected for gassing!?Auschwitz prison camp used all types of persuasion and control tactics on its prisoners. In 1941, the SS forced an orchestra to form in the camp. It was composed mostly of Polish, and Jews weren't allowed in the orchestra until 1944. It started out small, and the musicians had to play on top of their regular labor.?They were forced to play outside rain or shine at first, and eventually they were allowed to play inside if it was raining or snowing. The musicians had a higher suicide rate, and it is thought to be because they were under more emotional duress with the added work. They would play as workers walked to their labor tasks as a way to relax them into a controllable state.? 14 year old boy broke into Buckingham Palace and stole the Queen's underwear!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:39 AMA 14 year old boy broke into Buckingham Palace and stole the Queen's underwear!?Edward Jones would be later nicknamed The boy Jones because he was able to break into Buckingham Palace...multiple times. The first time he entered the Palace he disguised himself as a sweep and was granted access. However, a royal servant became wise to what Jones was doing and tried to detain him. The boy Jones ran away but was later apprehended by police. They found the Queen's underwear stuffed down his pants - and a sword hidden down his back!?The second time the boy Jones broke in he scaled the wall of the Palace, entered it, and left undetected. He broke in again but was caught by a maid after he was hiding under a couch. He broke in a third time after serving a brief jail sentence, and was caught snacking in one of the Royal bedrooms.?His constant burglaries led the Queen to hire three more guards on duty to prevent anyone else from being granted access! The Boy Jones served another jail sentence for snacking in a Royal bedroom and when he was released, he lived a life of burglary and drunkenness. He moved to Australia where he was the town crier of Perth, but soon died after he fell while drunk.? who listen to country music are more likely to get depression!?Tuesday, 25 June 20133:39 AMPeople who listen to country music are more likely to get depression!??A VSL study observed the seemingly non-random link between country music and metropolitan suicide rates and the results were stunning. The experiment explains that country music nurtures a suicidal mood through its subject matter, which was most often recorded as depressing matters such as marital discord, alcoholism, and alienation from work.??After studying 49 different cities, they were able to prove a direct link from devoting airtime solely to country music and a greater white suicide rate. The study attempted to exclude independent variables such as divorce, southernness, poverty, and even gun availability, and still the study was able to explain a 51% variance in urban white suicide rates!?? he quit Community, Chevy Chase tried to fight another actor on the show!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:39 AMBefore he quit Community, Chevy Chase tried to fight another actor on the show!?Chevy Chase has been rather outspoken when talking about how much he dislikes the sitcom that he stars in, Community. In fact, it was after a series of arguments with the show's creator, Dan Harmon, that resulted in Dan Harmon being fired from the show. Furthermore, Chevy Chase has said on countless occasions that he believes the show sucks, and is terribly unfunny.?Well, it seems as if the cast and crew of the show have had enough of Chevy Chase because he has been removed from the show since the end of Season 4. Joel McHale, who plays a smarmy lawyer named Jeff Winger, said on the Howard Stern show that on numerous occasions, Chevy Chase tried to physically fight him! Joel says the altercations would start after he told Chevy Chase to lighten up a bit, and to try to enjoy his work experience!? is a species of catfish that will strand itself on a beach to kill pigeons!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:39 AMThere is a species of catfish that will strand itself on a beach to kill pigeons!?European catfish are the largest catfish in all of Europe, growing up to 1.5 meters in length! That, however, was not what got so many French fisherman video taping them. What sparked fishermen's curiosity is the fact that these catfish are often seen swimming eerily close to the shore, then, jumping out and attacking unsuspecting pigeons.?The European catfish often purposely fling themselves onto the shore in order to lure pigeons close to them. When the pigeon gets close, the catfish flops up and attacks the pigeon trapping it inside of it's mouth before dragging it back into it's freshwater home to have a feast!Click the source to see actual VIDEO of this happening!? famous ex-slave was asked to come back and work for his master. He asked for 52-years of back pay!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:39 AMA famous ex-slave was asked to come back and work for his master. He asked for 52-years of back pay!?Jordan Anderson was an African-American former slave born in 1825 and died in 1907. He’s noted for a letter he wrote, known as, "Letter from a Freedman to His Old Master".?It was addressed to his former master, Colonel P. H. Anderson, in response to the Colonel's request that Jordan return to the plantation to help restore the farm after the disarray of the war. It has been described as a rare example of documented "slave humor" of the period, and it's deadpan style has been compared to the satire of Mark Twain.?He was born and raised in Tennessee and sold to Colonel P.H. Anderson when he was only 7 or 8 years old. In his famous note that he sent the Colonel in 1865, not long after the Civil War, he asked for 52 years back pay as proof of good faith. The letter became a media sensation and was quickly published in a book.?, 25 June 20133:39 AMSplashing cold water on your face is scientifically proven to relax you.?Long night and you still have a lot to do. What would be the most common conduct you would follow? A nice refreshing splash to the face!?But why does this makes us feel more awake? Why does it make us feel calmed?The mammalian diving reflex is a reflex which optimizes respiration, therefore creating physiological reactions that allow our bodies to feel better.?Some of the physiological effects that the cold water creates are bradycardia (slow heart heart) which lessens the need for bloodstream oxygen, leaving more to be used by other organs, vasoconstriction and blood shift which all create relaxation effects in our bodies.So next time you feel a little stressed you might want to give yourself a little splash on the face to regain some energy!? 2010, Japanese officials went to congratulate the oldest man in Tokyo on his 111th birthday and found he’d been dead for 30 years!?Tuesday, 25 June 20133:39 AMIn 2010, Japanese officials went to congratulate the oldest man in Tokyo on his 111th birthday and found he’d been dead for 30 years!??Officials went to congratulate Sogen Kato for being the oldest man in Tokyo. They met his family who refused to let them see him. This made them suspicious, so they began a police investigation into the matter.?When the police forced their way into Mr. Kato’s home, they found his mummified remains in his bed. He was wearing underwear and pajamas under a blanket. Mr. Kato had been dead 30 years!??His family is being investigated for fraud. They say that Mr. Kato locked himself up 30 years ago and became a living Buddha and they had no idea he had passed away. He had received $109,000 in the past six years for widower’s pension after his wife passed away.?? man escaped a German prison using nothing but a cardboard box!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:39 AMA man escaped a German prison using nothing but a cardboard box!?In what may sound like an attempt to escape prison guards, much like Solid Snake out of the Medal Gear Solid franchise, a 42 year old Turkish man escaped a German prison using nothing but a cardboard box.?The Turkish man agreed to work in a small shop in the prison, at would leave boxes of supplies for a courier to pick up once a week. Well, one day the inmate decided to crawl into one of the cardboard boxes and as usual, the courier picked up the boxes and placed them in the back of his truck.?When the man made it past the prison gates he tore a hole in the tarpaulin that was placed over the boxes! The driver of the truck alerted police whenever he noticed the tarpaulin was flapping in the breeze. The escaped convict presumably had an accomplice outside of the prison, ready to pick him up and drive away!? pounds of your body is pure bacteria!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:40 AM5 pounds of your body is pure bacteria!?It may be a little bit startling (or a lot), but it’s true; your body it’s covered with bacteria. And not only that; in influences on your body weight!?But no need to worry, not all of these microorganisms are bad, some are good and are necessary for you to be alive. Therefore we must only worry on those that can cause harm to our body by getting us sick.?Most of the bacteria are located in our intestines, E.Coli being the most common among them. These bacteria are crucial to our survival since they help maintain our intestines in the right conditions in order to process food and protect us from other bacteria that can cause harm in our bodies, such as Helicobacter pylori which creates ulcers in our stomach.?Also, some studies suggest that certain probiotics (treatment with bacteria) can be helpful. An example would be yogurts, which contain live bacterial cultures which help us to ease diarrhea.Remember, just like humans; not all of these microorganisms are bad.? Street's iconic bronze charging bull is actually an illegal piece of street art!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:40 AMWall Street's iconic bronze charging bull is actually an illegal piece of street art!?In 1987, after a massive stock market crash the people of the United States were left feeling hopeless and feared the future. Arturo Di Modica wanted to change citizens gloomy visions for the future, and used his artistic talents, as well as over $300,00 to have a 7,100 pound charging bull made of bronze placed on Wall Street. The bull is intended to be a symbol of 'strength, power, and hope for the American people.'?The government had the bull removed from Wall Street within 24 hours of it being placed there by Di Modica. After public outcry, the government 'temporarily' placed it back on Wall Street in it's current location and hasn't been relocated since. Di Modica has been trying to sell the bull since 2004 on the condition that the person who buys it doesn't remove it from Wall Street.? news anchor was forced to report on Paris Hilton. In response, she set the paper on fire!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:40 AMA news anchor was forced to report on Paris Hilton. In response, she set the paper on fire!?Mika Brzezinski is a news anchor for MSNBC. Brzezinski has made it a little habit of protesting trivial journalism. In 2007, she refused to read the script on Paris Hilton being released from jail.?An hour later during a news break, her producer pushed her again to read the story as the lead over Indiana's Republican Senator Richard Lugar's break with President Bush on the Iraq war. Brzezinski thought the war story was far more important.?She then tried to light the script on fire on air, but her co-host physically prevented her from doing so. Instead, she tore up the script and shredded another copy of it later.? believe that the Challenger astronauts did not die from the explosion, but from hitting the water!Tuesday, 25 June 20133:40 AMScientists believe that the Challenger astronauts did not die from the explosion, but from hitting the water!?The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred back in the 1980s, leading to the death of it's seven crew members. The disintegration of the entire vehicle occurred after an O-ring seal in it's right solid rocket booster failed at liftoff!?And even thought the explosion was devastating it is believed that most of the crew members were able to survive it! And rather than dying from it, they died after falling for 3 minutes until they hit the water.?The findings till today are inconclusive. Several researchers’ conclusions suggest that the cause of death of the Challenger astronauts cannot be really determined, since they might’ve also died during the explosion.However most of the experts believe most of them were alive and still conscious during the entire descent until impact with the ocean.? host of Dirty Jobs used to be a professional Opera singer!Tuesday, 25 June 20138:40 AMThe host of Dirty Jobs used to be a professional Opera singer!?If you are a Discovery Channel viewer you have definitely seen “Dirty Jobs” before and know who Michael “Mike” Gregory Rowe is.But what I bet you didn’t know is that he used to be a professional opera singer!?Ever since high school he performed in multiple festivals. After he graduated from high school, he attended Essex Community College where he became part of the Chorus of the Chesapeake, which at the time was directed by King.?Later on, he sang professionally with the Baltimore Opera. He stated that the only reason he got into opera was so that he could meet girls! And despite the fact he was thinking of quitting early, he really enjoyed the music and decided to stay.However, life offered him a better job and he is now one of Discovery Channel’s greatest celebrities!? Lopez was the first ever person ever to have a number one album and film in the same week!Tuesday, 25 June 20138:41 AMJennifer Lopez was the first ever person ever to have a number one album and film in the same week!?Jennifer Lopez (or J-Lo), is known for being an American entertainer, businesswoman and producer.While J-Lo released her second studio album called J-Lo she was simultaneous releasing her film “The Wedding Planner” in 2001. That week J-Lo was able to break a record since she became the first person EVER to have a number one album and film in the same exact week.?And not only that, after she decided to pursue a career in the entertainment industry after playing a minor role in the 1986 film ”My Little Girl”. Her Puerto Rican parents weren’t very happy with her decision, since they thought it was an unrealistic career route for a Hispanic!? Van Halen initially wanted to be the band's drummer!Tuesday, 25 June 20138:41 AMEddie Van Halen initially wanted to be the band's drummer!?Van Halen is one of the greatest rock bands of all time. If you don’t know who they are: Search their videos, watch them, listen, and be amused.?This band redefined the term of shredding and awesome rock and roll. Many other modern rock bands today should bow down to Eddie Van Halen because of his awesome guitar solos and compositions, they really made rock n roll rise up to the stars.?However, did you know that Eddie Van Halen (one of the most amazing guitar players ever) initially bought a drum set instead of a guitar??Eddie Van Halen actually started out playing the drums! He bought a drum set and his brother bought a guitar. When his brother got better at the drum than him Eddie just said “OK, **** you, I’ll play you guitar”.He later realized that he was born for making guitars talk and express themselves through beautiful melodies!And that’s just how he became one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Long live rock n roll!? 2011, 4 Wal-Mart employees were fired after disarming a gunman caught shoplifting!Tuesday, 25 June 20138:41 AMIn 2011, 4 Wal-Mart employees were fired after disarming a gunman caught shoplifting!?Trent Allen Longton was seen by multiple WalMart employees as he unwrapped a laptop and stuffed it down his pants in a desperate attempt to shoplift. He was brought into the security office as he was leaving the store, and after answering a few questions, he pulled the laptop out of his pants and placed it on the table. He then pulled out a gun, and held Gabriel Stewart up against a wall with the gun pointed into his spine.?Longton pleaded with the WalMart employees in the room to just let him go, because he didn't want to shoot anyone - but he would if he had to. The three other employees in the room quickly rushed Longton, threw him to the ground, and took away his gun.?They detained him until police arrived on the scene - and the police said that the employees handled the situation perfectly. The officer then wrote in his report that the employees and their own safety and public safety in their interest.?Despite their lives being in danger, and acting to protect themselves, they were fired for breaking WalMart policy. WalMart's policy on shoplifters is that employees can use a minor amount of force to detain employees, however if a weapon is pulled out, employees MUST disengage and withdraw.?The four employees had nowhere to withdraw to, and it was a life or death situation for them, so they engaged, and, as a result, their jobs were terminated after working there for more than 8 years.? 5th century Greek philosopher came up with the same theories Darwin did!Tuesday, 25 June 20138:41 AMA 5th century Greek philosopher came up with the same theories Darwin did!?Empedocles was a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and a citizen of Agrigentum, a Greek city in Sicily. Empedocles' philosophy is best known for being the originator of the cosmogenictheory of the four Classical elements?. He also proposed powers called Love and Strife which would act as forces to bring about the mixture and separation of the elements. These physical speculations were part of a history of the universe which also dealt with the origin and development of life. He also concluded that matter could neither be created nor destroyed, and developed a theory of evolution concluding that form followed function and that the most fit survived.?Influenced by the Pythagoreans, he supported the doctrine of reincarnation. Empedocles is generally considered the last Greek philosopher to record his ideas in verse. Some of his work survives, more than in the case of any other Presocratic philosopher. Empedocles' death was mythologized by ancient writers, and has been the subject of a number of literary treatments.? being bit by a Coral Snake, a Texas man bit off the Snake's head and used its skin as a tourniquet!Tuesday, 25 June 20138:41 AMAfter being bit by a Coral Snake, a Texas man bit off the Snake's head and used its skin as a tourniquet!?Valentin Grimaldo had to act fast after being bit by a Coral Snake while walking along U.S. Highway 281 near Encino with his brother. The Coral Snake is extremely poisonous, and has been known to kill many people.?In order to prevent the venom from spreading from his hand to the rest of his body, Grimaldo had to act fast otherwise he would most certainly end up dead. Grimaldo grabbed the snake, bit off it's head, and skinned the snake. He then used the snake skin as a tourniquet to tie around his hand to prevent the venom from spreading!?After stopping a vehicle on the highway, who drove him to the hospital, Grimaldo survived and now keeps the snake's head as a memory of just another reason why you should NOT mess with Texas.? Hudson walked out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. He didn't understand the movie!Tuesday, 25 June 20138:42 AMRock Hudson walked out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. He didn't understand the movie!?Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece is 2001: A Space Odyssey and it’s known as one of the greatest films ever made. His team did an incredible amount of research before filming and Kubrick was obsessed with even the slightest details about the film. It was so intense that the total footage shot is 200 times that of the actual length of the film. Kubrick himself provided the breathing heard in the spacesuits.?There isn’t even any dialogue in the first 25 minutes of the film and the ending 23 minutes of the film are dialogue free, as well. NASA paid tribute to the film twice by naming a mission and a satellite after the film. It is pretty iconic. It wasn’t accepted well in the beginning, though. At it's premiere screening, 241 people walked out on it including Rock Hudson, the actor. Hudson reportedly left saying “Will someone tell me what the hell this is about?”Bruno Garcia? Elizabeth II will become the longest ruling British monarch in September 2015!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:44 AMQueen Elizabeth II will become the longest ruling British monarch in September 2015!?As of now, Queen Elizabeth II is the second longest reigning British monarch in over 1,000 years of history. She ascended the throne in 1952 and has ruled for the past 61 years. In September 2015, she'll surpass the current longest ruling British monarch.?Queen Victoria is the longest reigning British monarch as of now. It's interesting that those who've reigned the longest are women. George III takes third place in British monarchy reign. Queen Elizabeth II is very private and rarely gives interviews. She takes her coronation very seriously and holds deep civic and religious zeal.?She is currently 87 years old and remains active in her work. In some of the 16 sovereign states she holds the title of Defender of the Faith. She's made quite a name for herself during her reign as the Queen of England.? ordered his troops to collect seashells. He claimed he conquered the Ocean and those were the spoils of war!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:44 AMCaligula ordered his troops to collect seashells. He claimed he conquered the Ocean and those were the spoils of war!?There are few surviving sources on Caligula's reign, although he is described as a noble and moderate ruler during the first two years of his rule. After this, the sources focus upon his cruelty, extravagance, and sexual perversity, presenting him as an insane tyrant.?While the reliability of these sources has increasingly been called into question, it is known that during his brief reign, Caligula worked to increase the unconstrained personal power of the emperor. One of his outlandish expeditions was to the English Channel, where he ordered his troops to collect seashells. He took them back to Rome claiming they were the spoils of war and that he’d conquered the ocean.?He directed much of his attention to ambitious construction projects and notoriously luxurious dwellings for himself. However, he initiated the construction of two new aqueducts in Rome: The Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus. During his reign, the Empire annexed the Kingdom of Mauretania and made it into a province. In early 41 AD, Caligula became the first Roman emperor to be assassinated.?Bruno Garcia?*.html???Fidel Castro was almost assassinated by his ex-lover!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:44 AMFidel Castro was almost assassinated by his ex-lover!?Fabian Escalante, who was long tasked with protecting the life of Castro, estimated the number of assassination schemes or attempts by the CIA to be 638. Some such attempts allegedly included an exploding cigar, a fungal-infected scuba-diving suit, and a mafia-style shooting.?Some of these plots are depicted in a documentary entitled 638 Ways to Kill Castro. One of these attempts was by his ex-lover Marita Lorenz whom he met in 1959. She allegedly agreed to aid the CIA and attempted to smuggle a jar of cold cream containing poison pills into his room. When Castro realized, he reportedly gave her a gun and told her to kill him but she didn't have the guts.?Lorenz was half German and half American. She later had a child with a Venezuelan former dictator. She testified about the JFK assassination saying she was part of the group that orchestrated it. She got around. Castro once said, in regards to the numerous attempts on his life he believes have been made, "If surviving assassination attempts were an Olympic event, I would win the gold medal."? knuckle boxing is actually safer than boxing with gloves on!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:44 AMBare knuckle boxing is actually safer than boxing with gloves on!?Bare Knuckle boxing may seem like it would be more violent, ruthless, and dangerous for boxers to compete in because they don't have the padded gloves that modern day boxers do - but as it turns out, those gloves do more harm than good.?When Bare Knuckle boxing was growing in popularity during t he 19th Century, boxers would very rarely punch another boxer in the head. Punching another boxer in the skull with your bare hand often resulted in a few broken bones in your hand - so it was avoided at all costs. Boxers would exchange blows to the body for as many as 75 rounds.?With the introduction of a padded glove, boxers are free to punch each other in the skull without worry of breaking their hands. According to Dr Alan J Ryan in over 100 years of bare knuckle boxing in the states - there wasn't a single fatality in the ring. In today's boxing, there are around 3 or 4 in the US alone each year and 15% of fighters end up with severe brain damage that can often leave them deaf or paralyzed!? from the movie Tangled is Disney’s first white 'princess' in nearly 20 years.?Wednesday, 26 June 20137:44 AMRapunzel from the movie Tangled is Disney’s first white 'princess' in nearly 20 years.??The diversity shown by the company in recent years is undeniable. If you go off the list of “official” Disney princesses, there are no white characters from 1991 to 2010, which means that there is now a more ‘equalized’ representation, with a 50/50 split between white and non-white “royalty.” Granted, this is not to say there have not been any strong and white female protagonists during this 19-year period - Megara from Hercules and Jane from Tarzan are two examples that quickly come to mind. Giselle from Enchanted also would have made the “official” cut if Disney would not have had to pay Amy Adams for the rights to her likeness.???1991: Belle - Beauty and the Beast (white)?1992: Jasmine - Aladdin (Middle Eastern)?1995: Pocahontas - Pocahontas (Native American)?1998: Mulan - Mulan (Chinese)?2009: Tiana - The Princess and the Frog (African-American)?2010: Rapunzel - Tangled (white)??The name of the H?agen-Dazs ice cream brand doesn’t actually mean anything!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:45 AMThe name of the H?agen-Dazs ice cream brand doesn’t actually mean anything!?The name was designed simply to look Scandinavian to Americans. They don’t actually use ?a or zs in any native Scandinavian languages. The name is a fabricated “foreign-sounding” name created by a family-owned ice cream company from the Bronx. H?agen-Dazs cartons also contained a map of Denmark on them, even though the ice cream was from New York, and the Danish language doesn’t even use an umlaut (the two dots over the a).?? company called Holy Smokes will take your cremated ashes and place them in bullets!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:45 AMA company called Holy Smokes will take your cremated ashes and place them in bullets!?Some people want to be buried in a cemetery, others want to have their ashes spread across an ocean, but some people, such as the founder of Holy Smokes, Thad Holmes, want to have their ashes loaded into 250 shotgun shells and used by their loved ones to hunt animals.?Thad is an avid outdoors man, and so is his son, and they both believe that the best way for his son to remember Thad is to use him once every year to hunt an animal. This simply bizarre idea evolved into a business ran by Thad called Holy Smokes.?Basically, people send the company their loved ones ashes, and in return, the company places the ashes in 250 shells (of the family's choosing) and then sends the shells back to the family to use. This one of a kind business charges $850 for their services.?After just a few months of the business being in operation, they already have a website and have had two different families use their services!? of the trapped Chilean miners ran a marathon that he trained in while he was trapped!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:45 AMOne of the trapped Chilean miners ran a marathon that he trained in while he was trapped!?Edison Pena was one of the 33 miners trapped down in a mine in Chile for 69 days. Pena has a passion for two things: Elvis Presley and running. Every day while being trapped in the mine, he'd tie a pallet to his waist and run six or seven miles using the pallet to gain muscle and strength.?Upon hearing his dedication and love of running, the New York Marathon coordinators invited him up to run their race. He even had his boots cut down below his ankles specifically so that he could run. Even though he'd only run 6 or 7 miles at a time, he went and finished the 26.2 mile race.?At some points he hobbled or walked in the race and at the end he needed ice packs for his knees, but by golly he finished that race. He has some serious dedication and heart.? an elephant finds a place infested with bees, they make a sound called the 'bee rumble!'Wednesday, 26 June 20137:45 AMWhen an elephant finds a place infested with bees, they make a sound called the 'bee rumble!'?Elephants are fleeing their destroyed habitats in Africa and trampling onto the land of farmers destroying fences and land. Researchers are looking for ways to end the problem. Since elephants avoid chili plants, they are planting them along the perimeter of farms. They are also putting heavy duty fencing on the farm lands.?Another approach they are studying is bees. Elephants are deathly afraid of bees. Bees in Africa are much more aggressive than those in Europe and North America. They're known for chasing their antagonists for over a kilometer. Elephants have pretty thick skin, but there are certain areas like the belly and inside the trunk that have softer skin and tissue vulnerable to the bee stings.?Researchers actually found that elephants have a stamping dance they do to deter them. It isn't a very practical application to Kenyan farmers, though. They don't have the resources or funds to get sound equipment to mimic the bees and real bees would cause a problem on the farm.? fighter jet pilot managed to shoot down his own plane!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:45 AMA fighter jet pilot managed to shoot down his own plane!?On Friday September 21, 1956, seasoned World War II pilot Thomas W. Altridge Jr was testing out a new aircraft - the F11F. It was a relatively easy mission, fly over the Atlantic Ocean, disperse a few rounds, and then head back to base and enjoy his weekend. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way.?After released 70 rounds of ammunition, Altridge took a steep nose dive to test the plane's maneuverability when his windshield was hit by something and his plane started losing power. He was unable to make it back to base, and his plane crashed in a nearby forest which resulted in a large fire, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition exploding. Aldridge suffered a 3 broken vertebrae and a broken leg after hitting what he thought was a bird.?A post-accident investigation discovered something that would embarrass Aldridge for the rest of his life - he had shot down his own plane. After firing several rounds of ammunition, he entered a nose dive - which led him straight to the ammunition he had just fired! The bullets had hit his windshield, engine, and popped a massive hole in one of the plane's wings!? was a chimpanzee who drank gin and tonics and masturbated to porn!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:45 AMThere was a chimpanzee who drank gin and tonics and masturbated to porn!?Lucy was a chimpanzee owned by the Institute of Primate Studies in Oklahoma and raised by psychotherapist and professor, Maurice Temerlin at the University of Oklahoma and Temerlin's wife, Jane. Lucy was born in 1964 and died in 1987. The Temerlins treated Lucy like a human from the beginning.?She was taught to eat with silverware, dress herself, eat at the dinner table, and flip through magazines. She learned basic American Sign Language for communication and learned 140 signs. She made it into Life magazine when they found out that Lucy drank straight gin, was rearing a cat, and looked at Playboy and used a vacuum cleaner to masturbate.?So, the Temerlins introduced Lucy to a male chimpanzee, but she didn't relate to him or find him attractive. She was actually scared of him. Lucy was pretty strong by the time she was 12 and destroyed the Temerlins house. So, she was shipped off to a monkey rehabilitation camp in Gambia.?(chimpanzee)#section_4???Morgan Freeman paid for his former high school's prom so it would be racially integrated!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:46 AMMorgan Freeman paid for his former high school's prom so it would be racially integrated!?Morgan Freeman paid for his former high school prom to be racially integrated. And not only that; it took 11 years for the school to take up the offer!?Freeman didn’t know about the separate proms until he talked to the senior class in 1997. Students were willing to go to prom after hearing Morgan freeman’s offer; however the school board and parents totally ignored him.?After 11 years his offer was finally accepted and he had to pay 17,000 dollars for it! After asked what he felt he only responded “Money very well spent, the kids are not going to want to go backwards, they’ve got their toe in the water, and the water’s warm”.?So if you come to think about it, maybe Morgan Freeman can really be considered as a God after all his gentle actions!? has much more serious effects on teen girls than on teen boys!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:46 AMPot has much more serious effects on teen girls than on teen boys!?Adolescent developments in limbic structures and the endogenous cannabinoid system suggest that teenagers may be more vulnerable to the negative consequences of marijuana use. A study examined the relationships between amygdala volume and internalizing symptoms in teenage chronic marijuana users.?Participants were 35 marijuana users and 47 controls between the ages of 16 and 19 years old. Substance use, internalizing like anxiety or depression symptoms and brain scans were collected after 28 days of monitored abstinence. Reliable raters manually traced amygdala and intracranial volumes on high-resolution MRIs.?Female marijuana users had larger right amygdala volumes and more internalizing symptoms than female controls, while male users had similar volumes as male controls. For female controls and males, worse mood or anxiety was linked to smaller right amygdala volume, whereas more internalizing problems was associated with bigger right amygdala in female marijuana users. Subtle amygdala development abnormalities may underlie particular vulnerabilities to sub-diagnostic depression and anxiety in teenage female marijuana users.? company that produced the original Tomb Raider game wanted to include a 'Nude Cheat'!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:46 AMThe company that produced the original Tomb Raider game wanted to include a 'Nude Cheat'!?Lara Croft, the main character in the Tomb Raider franchise is seen as a misogynistic sex symbol to most acting feminists around the world, however the argument can be made that the intention was to make a strong independent woman who doesn't need a man to tell her what to do. Although, Core Design, the gaming company responsible for creating the first Tomb Raider game, had originally intended to use sex appeal to lure people to play the game.?The company gave Toby Gard creative control of the game, and he oversaw the creation of all the cut scenes, and even designed the games levels, as well as story boards. However, Core wanted Gard to put a secret cheat in the game known as the 'Nude Cheat' that would allow gamers to play as a naked version of Lara Croft.?Toby Gard, however, shot the idea down almost instantly. He wanted Lara Croft to be seen as a strong heroine, rather than a sexy video game character used to lure in males to raise game sales.? prisoners during WWII were let outside camps without US guards on the honor system. No one ever ran away!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:46 AMGerman prisoners during WWII were let outside camps without US guards on the honor system. No one ever ran away!?The U.S. Entered WWII in 1941. Britain quickly asked the U.S. To help house prisoners of war, because Britain didn't have enough housing for them all. The U.S. Agreed, but they were sorely unprepared. During WWI, the U.S.?Only housed prisoners of war for a short time, and when they agreed to it during WWII they didn't think of all the logistics like food, clothing, and housing needs for the prisoners. Germans much preferred to be captured by the British and U.S. Instead of the Russians.?They were placed in 700 camps in 46 states. The U.S. Was careful to meet the guidelines of prisoners of war by the Geneva Convention. They were so lenient that the U.S. Actually let German prisoners off the camps without guards on the honor system. No German ever ran away.? 1974 a US Army Private stole a helicopter and landed it at the White House...Twice.Wednesday, 26 June 20137:46 AMIn 1974 a US Army Private stole a helicopter and landed it at the White House...Twice.?In 1974, Robert K. Preston, a United States Army private first class, stole a United States Army Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter from Fort Meade, Maryland, flew it to Washington, D.C. And hovered for six minutes over the White House before descending on the south lawn, about 100 yards from the West Wing.?There was no initial attempt from the Executive Protective Service to shoot the helicopter down, and he later took off and was chased by two Maryland State Police helicopters. Preston forced one of the police helicopters down through his maneuvering of the helicopter, and then returned to the White House. This time, as he hovered above the south grounds, the Executive Protective Service fired at him with shotguns and sub-machine guns.?Preston was injured slightly, and landed his helicopter. In a plea bargain, he pled guilty to "wrongful appropriation and breach of the peace," and was sentenced to 1 year in prison and fined $2,400. This amounted to a six-month sentence, since he had already been in prison for six months at the time. At the time of the incident, President Richard Nixon was travelling in Florida, and First Lady Pat Nixon was in Indianapolis, Indiana, visiting their sick daughter, Julie.?Guilty to "wrongful appropriation and breach of the peace," and was sentenced to 1 year in prison and fined $2,400. This amounted to a six-month sentence, since he had already been in prison for six months at the time. At the time of the incident, President Richard Nixon was travelling in Florida, and First Lady Pat Nixon was in Indianapolis, Indiana, visiting their sick daughter, Julie.? O'Neil's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is intentionally in front of a shoe store!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:46 AMEd O'Neil's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is intentionally in front of a shoe store!?Ed O'Neil played one of the more iconic characters in sitcom history on a show called Married With Children. In the show, Ed O'Neil plays a man named Al Bundy, and the show revolves around the life of Al trying to balance his work life, his family life, and his romantic life with his wife.?Guess what Al Bundy does for a living? That's right, he works as a shoe salesman. Thus, Ed O'Neil's star was placed outside of a shoe store - the workplace of his most well known role.?Ed O'Neil was the 2,446th person to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and has starred in many other projects over the years including Little Giants, Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, and his most recent role, the husband of Sofia Vergara on the show Modern Family.? was invented in Nazi Germany because they couldn't import Coke!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:46 AMFanta was invented in Nazi Germany because they couldn't import Coke!?Coca-Cola syrup was expensive and very hard to get into Germany during WWII due to a trade embargo. So, the head of Coca-Cola Deutschland, Max Keith, made a product that used ingredients found in Germany.?It was catered to the German market. They used whey and pomace, along with other ingredients to create Fanta. They were the leftovers of the leftovers of ingredients. The name was the result of a brief brainstorming session, which started with Keith asking his team to "use their imagination" or "Fantasie" in German, to which one of his salesmen, Joe Knipp, immediately retorted "Fanta!"?While the plant was effectively cut off from Coca Cola headquarters during the war, plant management did not join the Nazi Party. After the war, the Coca Cola corporation regained control of the plant, formula, and the trademarks to the new Fanta product, as well as the plant profits made during the war. Today there are 90 different varieties of Fanta.? were still around when Egyptians were building their pyramids!?Wednesday, 26 June 20137:47 AMMammoths were still around when Egyptians were building their pyramids!??Even though most of us relate Woolly mammoths with cavemen, they were still around here when the Egyptians were building the pyramids!?The woolly mammoth coexisted with early humans as most of you know, and those humans used their bones and tusks for making art, tools, and dwellings and even cook their food (Wonder how an elephant tastes like?)?Woolly mammoths have a great story since they are among the most amazing pre-historic creatures, and scientists are hoping to clone them in the near future.? Cleese declined the title of 'Commander of the British Empire' because he thought it was silly!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:47 AMJohn Cleese declined the title of 'Commander of the British Empire' because he thought it was silly!?We've written a few articles about Celebrities and rock stars declining to be knighted because they think they weren't actually worthy of such an honor. John Cleese on the other hand, declined to have the title of 'Commander' in 1996 because he thought it was just plain silly.?For those of you that don't know, John Cleese was part of the comedy troupe Monty Python - and has starred in all of the Monty Python films, and even voiced 'God' in the Monty Python musical: Spamalot. If you have seen any Monty Python films, you'll understand how silly the comedy troupe, including John Cleese, can get.?Dressing as a woman isn't silly for Cleese, but being declared a Commander of the British Empire is! Want to learn who else declined? Click the source!? woman found her lost engagement ring, wrapped around a carrot, after 16 years!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:47 AMA woman found her lost engagement ring, wrapped around a carrot, after 16 years!?Lena Paahlsson in Sweden had long ago lost hope of finding the ring, which she designed herself. The white-gold band, set with seven small diamonds, went missing in her kitchen in 1995. Although the ring no longer fits, she hoped to have it enlarged so she could wear it again.?Mrs. Paahlsson and her family live on a farm near Mora in central Sweden. She took the ring off to do some Christmas baking with her daughters, but it disappeared from the work surface where it had been left.?The family searched everywhere and years later took up the tiling on the floor during renovations, in the hope of finding the ring. It was not until 16 years later when Mrs. Paahlsson was pulling up carrots in her garden that she noticed one with the gold band fastened tightly around it.?Lena Paahlsson and husband Ola say it is incredible that the ring has been found. The couple believe the ring fell into a sink back in 1995 and was lost in vegetable peelings that were turned into compost or fed to their sheep.? traveling to North Korea who become in danger can call the Swedish Embassy!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:47 AMAmericans traveling to North Korea who become in danger can call the Swedish Embassy!?First of all, it is really difficult for an American to get into North Korea. The U.S. And North Korea aren't the best of friends, so there isn't a U.S. Embassy in North Korea. For this reason, the U.S. Has had to set up a plan for Americans who do travel to North Korea if something should go awry.?The Embassy of Sweden in Pyongyang acts as the United States' interim protecting power and provides basic consular services to U.S. Citizens traveling in North Korea. The government of the U.S. Warns it's citizens how easily it is for them to be imprisoned in North Korea if they aren't very careful to respect and maintain North Korean laws and have all the proper and necessary paperwork to get into and out of the country.?Since the country has extremely limited internet access and almost no international telephone calls are allowed, getting help is pretty bleak once in North Korea.?Bruno Garcia? man who voices JARVIS in Iron Man has never seen any of the films!Wednesday, 26 June 20137:47 AMThe man who voices JARVIS in Iron Man has never seen any of the films!?Paul Bettany is a the elegant English accent behind the JARVIS robot in the Iron Man franchise. Although, Paul Bettany hasn't actually seen any of the Iron Man films or The Avengers for that matter!?Bettany says that he feels extremely guilty that he has it so easy when it comes to voicing JARVIS. He stated that he gets sent a few lines from the script, then he arrives in the studio for a day and voices out his whole part - and then they hand him a bag of money!?Bettany also states that despite being swarmed by his fans asking about JARVIS - he knows little to nothing about the Iron Man films. He says that he hasn't seen the films because they just aren't up his alley!? captain in 'Jaws' was named Quint because he was the fifth person to die!Thursday, 27 June 20138:14 AMThe captain in 'Jaws' was named Quint because he was the fifth person to die!?If were of age in the 70s (or have real cool parents that show you awesome movies), you will remember this great movie directed by Steven Spielberg that not only became a hit, but also made people stay away from the beach for a while.?Jaws is a movie in which a giant man-eating great white shark attacks beachgoers on Amity Island (fictional town). A team of local policemen, a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter along many others unite and try to hunt down the shark.?There is a lot of blood and a lot of deaths throughout the whole movie, including the captain’s death. Which happens to be very curious, since his name “Quint” comes from the Latin word for “fifth” and Quint turns out to be the fifth person killed by the shark!?There are many interesting facts about the whole making of the movie, include Steven Spielberg nearly getting killed in seafaring accidents thought out the troubled production.Making a good movie surely costs, but becoming a legend, is a whole different deal.? is a skyscraper in Manhattan that doesn't have any windows at all!Thursday, 27 June 20138:14 AMThere is a skyscraper in Manhattan that doesn't have any windows at all!?The former AT&T Long Lines Building at 33 Thomas Street is a 550 foot tall skyscraper in the Borough of Manhattan, New York, United States. It stands on the east side of Church Street, between Thomas and Worth Streets, in the Civic Center neighborhood of New York City.?The building is an extreme example of the Brutalist architectural style, with no windows and a flat concrete slab facade. The building is a telephone exchange or wire center building which contains three major 4ESS switches used for interexchange, or long distance, telephony, two owned by AT&T and one owned by Verizon.?The location was previously the site of cast-iron buildings, typical of the area, the facades of which were preserved prior to demolition. The building itself is somewhat dull and boring, and without windows it is a bit eerie looking, too.? singer of The Offspring has a Masters in molecular biology and is a licensed Airline Transport pilot!Thursday, 27 June 20138:14 AMThe singer of The Offspring has a Masters in molecular biology and is a licensed Airline Transport pilot!?Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland is the singer and songwriter of the punk rock band The Offspring. Holland was the class valedictorian at Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California, and was a Ph.D. Candidate in Molecular Biology at the University of Southern California; however, he abandoned his Ph.D. so he could focus on The Offspring.?He has a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Master's degree in Molecular Biology, both from the University of Southern California. In 2013, Holland and 3 others published a paper regarding microRNA in HIV genomes.Holland is also a licensed Airline Transport Pilot and, as of April 2009, is a Certified Flight Instructor who has made a solo trip around the world in ten days. He participated in the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon; his charity of choice was the Innocence Project, a non-profit legal clinic that handles legal cases where post-conviction DNA testing of evidence can yield conclusive proof of innocence. Holland has his own brand of hot sauce, Gringo Bandito. Holland is also an "avid" collector of stamps from The Isle of Man.? Congressman was concerned about sending troops to Guam because he thought the ISLAND would tip over!?Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMA Congressman was concerned about sending troops to Guam because he thought the ISLAND would tip over!??In 2010, a US Congressman questioned the placement of too many troops in Guam because he was worried it would "tip over and capsize!" Sounds like a joke? Sadly it isn’t.??On March 25th, 2010 Admiral Robert Willard participated in a hearing arguing for the placement of 8,000 troops on the island of Guam, because it is the United States' westernmost territory.??Willard was questioned by Georgia congressman Hank Johnson, who asked some extremely strange questions. Johnson begins his questioning by asking for specific dimensions of the island.??After debating the exact size he proclaims in complete seriousness, "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize."?Admiral Willard looks slightly confused before responding that 175,000 people already live on the island. Johnson later claimed he was making a joke that no one else understood. Watch the clip and tell us if you think he’s joking!?? was the most valuable company in the world for ONE DAY!Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMVolkswagen was the most valuable company in the world for ONE DAY!?One day, that was all that Volkswagen had, just one day of being on top of the world.It all happened when economics’ basic laws of supply and demand showed up: Since there was so much less Volkswagen stock available, the price per share shot up!?A lot of stock holders who had sold their share tried to buy it back before Volkswagen rose it too high! This only made the stock price go even higher as the cycle continued.?The reason why there were so many stocks is because short-sellers had bought Volkswagen’s stocks sold theirs betting that it would go down and they could buy it back at a lower price. Since that wasn’t the case, everybody tried to buy a stock before it would rise up!?So next time you decide to go to the stock market, make sure you know your economics and make the right choices.? your head against a wall burns 150 calories per hour.Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMBanging your head against a wall burns 150 calories per hour.?150 calories certainly isn’t very much, and banging one’s head against the wall for an hour would probably result in at least a concussion, but considering everything we do costs energy, it kind of makes sense.Here's some other weird ways of burning calories:??Chewing gum?Raking leaves?Eating spicy food?Breathing through your nose?Taking a cold shower?Doing a cannonball?Giving your dog a bath?Licking a stamp? RIAA Tried To Outlaw MP3 Players In 1998!Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMThe RIAA Tried To Outlaw MP3 Players In 1998!?Can you imagine a life without an iPod (or a smartphone, nowadays)? Well, if the Recording Industry Association of America had had its way in 1998, MP3 players would have been banned from sale. Here's what happened:?The RIAA filed a lawsuit in late 1998 against Diamond Multimedia for it's Rio players, saying that the player encouraged copying music illegally. Diamond won a legal victory on the head of the Sony Corp. V. Universal City Studios case and digital audio players were legally ruled as electronic devices. The RIAA was basically trying to outlaw MP3 players. Our world would be very different had they succeeded. You might actually get to talk to your family on road trips still.? Walken doesn't like to watch his early movies because he thinks he was too pretty!Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMChristopher Walken doesn't like to watch his early movies because he thinks he was too pretty!?Christopher Walken has been in the movie business for a very long time and been in over 100 movies. He seems to specialize in psychos and oddballs who don't fit in. He is pretty much the most famous cult movie actor in the world.?He's also very famous for the way he speaks. He pauses at the oddest moments in sentences, as if he is throwing his own grammar and periods sporadically throughout sentences. Walken has said that as a young actor he was a pretty boy.??Walken has said he doesn't like watching his early films because he feels he was too pretty. It's not some sort of back-handed compliment. He said it actually bothers him and he likes how he looks more now. You might also not know that he was a dancer before he got into acting.? recording 'Get Back', Paul McCartney looked Yoko Ono in the eye and sang 'Get back to where you once belonged.'?Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMWhen recording 'Get Back', Paul McCartney looked Yoko Ono in the eye and sang 'Get back to where you once belonged.'??Get back has it's story; it was released as a single on April 11th of 1969. This singles reached number one in the charts of the United Kingdom and many other countries. Also, it was their first single release in true stereo in the US.?The song structure consists of two verses, an intro, outro, and several refrains. The first verse talks about Jojo, who leaves Arizona for some ‘California grass’ while the second verse talks about a sexually ambiguous character named “Loretta Martin”, who “thought she was a woman, but she was another man”.?This song was definitely something new compared to previous Beatles’ songs.In 1980, Lennon revealed that while they were recording the song, Paul McCartney looked at Yoko Ono in the studio every time he sang “Get back to where you once belonged”.?We are truly happy for Lennon who was able to find his true love before his death, however, most of us aren’t and will never be happy with Yoko for destroying and tearing apart the best rock band that has ever existed.John, Paul, Ringo & George… THANK YOU!? USSR asked for a white-colored Coke so that it looked like vodka!Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMThe USSR asked for a white-colored Coke so that it looked like vodka!?Who doesn’t enjoy a Coca-Cola every now and then? This was a problem for the Soviet Union back in the cold war. The Soviets were against the American imperialism; however, they were not able to resist the flavor of an authentic and delicious Coca-Cola.?George Zhukov who declared himself as a fan of Coca-Cola, asked the Coca-Cola company to create a new kind of Coca-Cola that was less “Americanish”.It was named White Coke, and it's color resembled vodka so that he would not be seen drinking Coca-Cola in public, as it was regarded in the Soviet Union as a symbol of American Imperialism.?Luckily for him, the Coca-Cola Company was able to find a chemist who could remove the coloring from the beverage, thereby granting Zhukov’s wish!? on your left side might help you relieve heartburn!Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMSleeping on your left side might help you relieve heartburn!?Also known as pyrosis or acid indigestion is a burning sensation in the chest, just behind the breastbone.It’s a very annoying pain we get from the regurgitation of gastric acid. This causes a pain that often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw! And what’s worse is that it could indicate a gastroesophagael reflux disease (GERD), or something worse.?Most of us have had that horrible sensation before, but there is a solution to cease the pain and the symptom itself. Several studies suggest that sleeping on the right side aggravates heartburn, while sleeping on the left tends to calm it.?A hypothesis suggests that by sleeping on the right side or lower esophageal sphincter, whose job is to retain food in the stomach and not allow it to get back to our throat, relaxes and therefore the stomach acid rises and the heartburn begins.?So you might want to ask your Doctor if sleeping on your left side could make you feel better and also make his job easier!? are fruits!Thursday, 27 June 20138:15 AMCucumbers are fruits!?Cucumbers are part of the gourd family, but botanically speaking they are considered a fruit and not a vegetable. It actually originates from India, though it is now grown virtually worldwide. Cucumbers are mostly composed of water, but they have some wonderful health benefits.?A single cucumber has 10 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement. Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. Eating enough dietary fiber can help lower your cholesterol, combat high blood sugar and prevent digestive issues. Cucumbers have about 2 grams of fiber in each of them. They are also low in calories, so they are a great snack and especially great for trying to lose weight.? created a superhero to get a young boy to wear his hearing aid!Thursday, 27 June 20138:16 AMMarvel created a superhero to get a young boy to wear his hearing aid!?Marvel created a superhero, Blue Ear, who has hearing aids. The character was created in honor of a 4 year old, Anthony Smith, who was hearing impaired, but wouldn't wear his hearing aid. He has no hearing in one ear and minimal hearing in another. Anthony is a major comic book fan.?He started out wearing his hearing aid, but then got depressed and refused to wear it anymore, because "superheroes don't wear blue ears." Him mom was worried and got ahold of Marvel asking for help in the issue. Their response was Blue Ear. Blue Ear is a superhero with hearing aids. Anthony was introduced to the Marvel comic book superhero and was motivated to start using his hearing aids. He was finally proud to use them. Way to go good guy Marvel.?(comics)????70% of all red meat consumed worldwide is goat meat!Thursday, 27 June 20138:16 AM70% of all red meat consumed worldwide is goat meat!?In the United States alone, the number of goats slaughtered has doubled every 10 years, for the past 3 decades. The reason for this trend is perhaps because of the popularity of goat meat on a global scale. Goat meat is considered kosher, as well as halal, meaning it can be eaten by members of two internationally recognized religions.?The nutritional value of goat meat is substantial, with a similar sized serving of goat meat having one third the calories of beef, and much less fat. First goat cheese, and now goat meat is proving to be a healthy alternative for the flavors of food that we just can't seem to ignore.?Will you be trying goat meat any time soon?? WWII, the US worked on a bomb made out of bats!Friday, 28 June 20138:43 AMDuring WWII, the US worked on a bomb made out of bats!?Might sound hard to believe, but bat bombs were an experimental World War II weapon developed by the United States. How did it worked? Simple! Bat bombs are large bomb casings that would open above cities and release bats with small, timed incendiary bombs!?And not only that; the bats would find somewhere to roost, and the city would burn down! When the United States decided to create this kind of bombs during?World War II they looked at four biological factors that gave promise to their plan:?1. Bats can be found in large numbers throughout the caves of the United States of America.2. Bats can carry more than their own weight while flying.3. Bats hibernate, and therefore food would not be required to feed them while dormant.4. Bats fly in darkness! So an attack at night would be promising?However, the project took so much time to complete that by the end of World War II the project was cancelled and overtaken in the race for a quick end to the war by the atomic bomb project. We all know how powerful the atomic bomb is, but can you imagine how interesting it would’ve been to see bat bombs being used in your favorite first shooter war game?? in a New Delhi slum quickly learned how to use a computer with no one there to teach them!Friday, 28 June 20138:43 AMKids in a New Delhi slum quickly learned how to use a computer with no one there to teach them!?Computers are manmade objects. We are not born knowing how to use them. In many ways, there is very little about a computer that it is intuitive. Of course, this depends on your nature. Sugata Mitra may disagree about this though.?As part of Mitra's research as an educator, he and his colleagues installed a networked PC into a the side of a outside facing wall in a slum in New Delhi, India. They then left this "hole in the wall" computer open for the local children to use.?With no training or previous computer knowledge, these slum children were quickly able to figure out how the computer operated. The children worked together to explore the PC and the Internet it was connected to. This experiment spurred Mitra's extensive research on self-organized learning. This research later was the inspiration for the Oscar winning film "Slumdog Millionaire."? farmer in China grows Buddha-shaped pears!Friday, 28 June 20138:43 AMA farmer in China grows Buddha-shaped pears!?There have been rare cases of fruit looking like a famous person or god. One Chinese farmer has decided to mass produce such occurrences. By using a plastic mold, Hao Xianzhang grows pears in the shape of Buddha.?Instead of their usual oval shape, these special pears grow in the shape of the tiny, praying god. Imagine a tree of hanging, edible deities.They are sold for 50 yuan or about $7.32. Wonder if those people who buy these pears can bring themselves to eat them?? years before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks was left in the rain by the same bus driver!Friday, 28 June 20138:43 AM12 years before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks was left in the rain by the same bus driver!?12 years before Rosa Park’s history-making refusal to get up, she was stopped from boarding a bus by driver James F.B Blank on a rainy spring day. He ordered her not only to sit at the back, but to board at the back door. Parks complied, but as she went around to the back door, the bus took off. That day, Parks vowed never again to ride a bus driven by Blake.?12 years later, Parks was sitting in the frontmost row for black people when a Caucasian man boarded the bus and the driver told everyone in her row to move back. Parks suddenly realized that she was again in the bus driven by Blake and decided that she would not let history repeat itself. She stayed put and you know the rest…?? You have men to blame for that!Friday, 28 June 20138:43 AMMenopause? You have men to blame for that!?A new study from McMaster University has concluded that men are partially responsible for the existence of menopause in women. Menopause is very much a human phenomenon. It's very very rare in other species.?So why does it occur? The researchers think that men have preferred younger women throughout history. This is called 'preferential mating.' According to this theory, women will put all their procreation resources when they're younger. When those are spent, menopause happens.?Other researchers, however, think it's the complete opposite: Men developed a preference for younger females because older ones went through menopause. Either way, it seems like men have a lot to do with that pesky female problem.? The Red Baron died, his enemies held a great funeral for him!Friday, 28 June 20138:43 AMWhen The Red Baron died, his enemies held a great funeral for him!?Manfred Albrecth Freiherr von Richtofen, better known as “The Red Baron” was a German pilot and soldier during World War I. He is amongst the greatest was pilots in History! He is considered the top ace of World War I since he won 80 air combat victories!?The Red Baron was shot down and killed near Amiens, France on 1918. And even though there are many theories about his death and last combat one thing is surely known: His enemies held a great funeral ceremony for him! He was buried at a cemetery at a village near Amiens, and six officers served as pallbearers, and a guard of honor from the squadron’s other ranks fired a salute.?In one of his memorial wreaths someone even wrote “To our Gallant, and Worthy Foe”!? Comics once created a superhero named Dog Welder whose strategy was to weld dead dogs to people's faces!Friday, 28 June 20138:43 AMDC Comics once created a superhero named Dog Welder whose strategy was to weld dead dogs to people's faces!?DC Comics is behind several super hero legends, such as Spider-Man and Superman. They are one of the biggest and most well-known comic companies in the world. Even the best make mistakes though. And DC Comics made one when they created a super hero named Dog Welder.?While Dog Welder is a good guy, his technique for fighting bad guys is not be the prettiest or most effective. He takes dead dogs and welds them to villain's faces. Ouch. Also, gross. Not exactly the super hero we're used to. Some may argue that it actually takes a lot of skill to weld a dog to a human, but the fact remains that it is just disturbing. DC Comics should probably stick with their more typical super heros.? eat through wood faster while listening to rock music!Friday, 28 June 20138:44 AMTermites eat through wood faster while listening to rock music!?We all get a little pumped up after blasting ACDC while driving down the highway - how can you resist such a powerful sensation? According to a study done by Dr Trenchard Bowelson (the name sounds made up but it isn't), termites can't resist the power of rock either!?In fact, if termites are chewing through wood in the presence of rock music, they will actually eat through the wood twice as fast as they normally would have! Termites just can't resist rocking out - nobody can. Click the source to read the full report done by Dr. Trenchard Bowelson? British Parliament once considered stuffing bankers into sacks and throwing them into a river!Friday, 28 June 20138:44 AMThe British Parliament once considered stuffing bankers into sacks and throwing them into a river!?The South Sea Company was estimated to be an extremely profitable trade organization, and potentials flocked in the early 18th Century in order to buy shares in the company. Bankers had stated that the Company can't fail, as it was granted exclusive rights to trading with Spanish Colonies in South America and the West Indies. In exchange for this arrangement, the South Sea Company just had to take on all of England's war debts and pay them off. Simple enough.?As investors poured in, the future of the South Sea Company looked promising despite the fact that the amount of money the company was going to bring in wasn't very high. The shares continued to rise, until one day, they plummeted. All the investors seeking fortune began to sell their shares for much less than what they bought them for, only making the drop in shares even greater.?The British Parliament was frustrated that a company with such potential was able to crash and burn so quickly. In fact, Parliament was so frustrated that they suggested tying all bankers in sacks and throwing them into the River Thames!? scientist won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for drinking a bacterium!Friday, 28 June 20138:45 AMA scientist won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for drinking a bacterium!?Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic bacterium found in the stomach. Contrary to the popular belief of stress being the main factor of stomach ulcers, it is Helicobacter pylori itself who creates it! And hence, creating more complex pathologies, such as gastritis, duodenal ulcers and even stomach cancer.?More than 50 % of the world’s population (that means 5 out of 10 people) harbors H. Pylori in their upper gastrointestinal tract! And infection is more prevalent in developing countries.Back in 1982, Dr. Barry Marshall drank a bacterium in order to prove that stomach ulcers were caused by Helicobacter pylori (bacteria) and not stress!?He both developed stomach ulcers and won the Nobel Prize in Medicine!Thanks to his discovery, Doctors now focus on how to treat the bacteria itself and not the stress factor which was thought to be the main factor of stomach ulcers.If you want to be a great Doctor, you’ve got to do some crazy stuff at some point in your career!? oldest dog lived 29 years!?Friday, 28 June 20138:45 AMThe oldest dog lived 29 years!??Bluey was an Australian cattle dog born on June 7, 1910. He was owned by Les and Esma Hall and lived in Rochester, Victoria, Australia. Even though the record is unverified, he is believed to have lived until November 14, 1939 making him 29 years 6 months and 12 days old when he passed.??He is in Guinness World Records as officially being the world’s oldest dog and Guinness says the source is reliable. Australian cattle dogs are also known as blue heelers or red heelers.??They were originally bred in Australia for herding cattle over rough terrain. Thomas Hall crossed cattle dogs used in Northumberland and wild dingoes that he’d tamed to create the Australian cattle dog. After Hall died, the breed became available to the public. The dogs are very energetic, quick intelligence, and independent.??They work well under structured training so long as it is interesting and challenging to them.??(dog)???Burger King can't have any restaurants within a 20 mile radius of Mattoon, Illinois!Friday, 28 June 20138:45 AMBurger King can't have any restaurants within a 20 mile radius of Mattoon, Illinois!?Mattoon, Illinois residents Gene and Betty Hoots bought the successful Frigid Queen ice cream shop from Gene's uncle, Bill Paullin, in 1952. In 1954, Gene expanded the business, adding hamburgers, French fries and other items to the menu. In 1957, they fixed up a two-car parking garage behind the Frigid Queen, adding a grill and a counter for customers.?When it came time to give the new business behind the Frigid Queen a name, Betty said that a queen needs a king, and chose the name Burger King. In 1959, after prompting by his uncle, Gene registered the name "Burger King" as a state trademark in Illinois, and the Hootses were official owners and operators of the only "Burger King" restaurant in Illinois at the time.?A few years later, the chain restaurant Burger King opened it's first place in Florida. By 1961, they had placed their first Burger King in Illinois and by 1967 the chain restaurant had 50 Burger Kings in Illinois. That didn't sit well with the Hoots. They took the Burger King to court over trademark issues. The courts ruled in favor of the Hoots and the chain restaurant Burger King isn't allowed to put a restaurant within 20 miles of the Hoots' Burger King. They came first.?(Mattoon,_Illinois)???Michael Caine has never seen Jaws 4, despite the fact that he starred in it!Friday, 28 June 20138:45 AMMichael Caine has never seen Jaws 4, despite the fact that he starred in it!?Michael Caine (better known as Alfred from Batman), is a great actor with a long a rewarding career as an actor!?As such, he has participated in many movies and has won several awards, however, back in the 1980s he participated in the movie “Jaws: The revenge” and since he had mixed feelings about the production and the final cut, when asked about his participation in the movie he famously said: “I have never seen the film, but by all accounts it was terrible. However I have seen the house that it built, and it’s terrific”.?As you might’ve guessed by now he felt so ashamed about participating in this movie since it was a total failure!Good thing about his present is that he acquiring some of the best roles that Hollywood could possibly offer to any actor of his age! We surely hope to see him in the big screen soon!? human eye has around 576 megapixels!Friday, 28 June 20138:45 AMThe human eye has around 576 megapixels!?The average human retina has five million cone receptors on it and 100 million rods that detect monochrome contrast. The cone receptors are responsible for color vision and the rods are play an important role in the sharpness of the image you see.?Both your eyes are continually flicking around to cover a much larger area than your field of vision and the composite image is translated in your brain. It’s similar to stitching together a panoramic photo. In good lighting you can distinguish two fine lines if they’re separated by at least 0.6 arc-minutes.?That would give you an equivalent pixel-size of 0.3 arc-minutes. All in all, the human eye has about 576 megapixels. Women have more cones than men do, and therefore see colors brighter than their male counterparts. However, due to this, men can see better at night.? robber's body was mummified and used as a mannequin at an amusement park!Friday, 28 June 20138:45 AMA robber's body was mummified and used as a mannequin at an amusement park!?Elmer McCurdy was an Oklahoma outlaw whose mummified body was thought to be a mannequin and was used as a prop at an amusement park!?During a filming at Queens Park (Longbeach, California) of a television show, a crew member was moving the mummified body (which was thought to be a wax mannequin) and when the mannequin’s arm broke off, he discovered he was actually moving a human body!?During the medical examination, the Doctor looked at the mummy’s mouth for more clues and he was surprised to find a 1924 penny and a ticket to a museum of crime in Los Angeles!The ticket and archieved newspaper helped the researchers to identify the body as Elmer McCurdy.?Apparently the 'mummy' died from a gunshot wound in the right anterior chest. He was finally buried in Oklahoma on April 22 in 1977, and the state medical examiner ordered that two cubic yards of concrete was to be poured over the casket, so that his remains would never be disturbed again.? friends played a game of tag for 23 years!Friday, 28 June 20138:45 AM10 friends played a game of tag for 23 years!?Nine friends have been playing an intense game of tag for the past 23 years. It started in high school during their morning breaks. As they got older they moved away and went to college and got families.?Early on they had a reunion where they decided to keep the game alive and as one of the nine was a lawyer, he drafted a contract with rules of the game and all of them signed it. It is fundamentally your schoolyard game of tag, except the game is only live for the month a February and the last one "it" in February is "it until the following February. So they have twelve months to stew on being "it" and planning their attack." There are no tag-backsies either.?Sometimes one of the members flies to Hawaii for the month of February just to avoid being tagged. Since they live all across the country, their wives act as spies, their assistants run security, and they form alliances. One year, the "it" guy hid in the trunk of his friend's neighbor's car.?The neighbor told the friend he and his wife had to come look at his car. When he popped the trunk the "it" guy jumped out and tagged him. It scared his wife so badly she fell from the curb and tore a ligament. The game gets intense, ya'all.? people are born with their organs on the opposite side of their body!Friday, 28 June 20138:46 AMSome people are born with their organs on the opposite side of their body!?Situs Inversus is a rare congenital condition in which a persons visceral organs are locate on the oposite side of their body. For example, the heart, instead of being on the left side of the chest is located on the right side. Though there are varying degrees of ST, most people can live a normal life.?Think about it as if your internal organs are a mirror image. The condition also manifests itself in identical 'mirror' twins, who are exactly the same except that one has Situs Inversus while the other does not. Most people don't even know they have it until they go to the doctor for a different condition.? potato has more chromosomes than you!Friday, 28 June 20138:46 AMA potato has more chromosomes than you!?You really hate your biology class? Don’t worry! We are here to make it fun!First of all you must know that you started off as a single cell (yes you were forever alone at some point). That cell divided, made all kind of cells that you can think of and that are how you tissues and organs were created!?How did they know what to do? The chromosomes told them what was up!You’ve probably heard of what a chromosome is before, especially since that’s what you are made of! A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA (This is what makes you unique), protein, and RNA found in cells.?In humans there are 46 chromosomes, of which 23 come from daddy and 23 come from mommy, making us 50 % like mommy and 50 % like daddy! And therefore that makes you a combination of both! So you can thank them or blame them for the way you look, act and behave!?Even though humans are one of the most complex organisms in the world, and that this would make you think we have a lot of chromosomes, we have less than something as simple as a potato! Two more chromosomes than humans!So yeah, next time you see a potato, remember, they are very complex too.? rewrote parts of The Hobbit so it would fit Lord of the Rings!Saturday, 29 June 20139:00 AMTolkien rewrote parts of The Hobbit so it would fit Lord of the Rings!?The Hobbit is a fantasy novel by J.R.R Tolkien, published on September 21st of 1937.Most of us has read the book (or at least seen the movie) and know that this is the first part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which Bilbo Baggins embarks on a journey searching for a treasure guarded by a dragon.?However we know that the climax of the whole story lies within the riddle game between Bilbo and Gollum, in which Bilbo takes the ring away from Gollum and hence, and prepares the novel for a sequel.?Editors asked Tolkien for a sequel, so Tolkien started to work on “The New Hobbit” which eventually became “The Lord of the Rings” and hence changed the context of the original story!?In the first edition of The Hobbit, Gollum willingly bets his magic ring on the outcome of the riddle-game, and he and Bilbo part amicably. In the second edition, the ring has corrupting abilities and Gollum is more aggressive towards Bilbo and distraught at losing the ring.At the end of their encounter Gollum exclaims “Thief! Thief, Thief, Baggins! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!” And hence The Lord of the Rings begin.? woman adopted and murdered over 400 children!Saturday, 29 June 20139:01 AMA woman adopted and murdered over 400 children!?Amelia Dyer is perhaps one of the least known serial killers of all time, because the number of children she actually killed is unknown. She was sentenced to death as a punishment for one murder, but there is little debate that she killed many more - potentially 400 children.?Amelia Dyer was interested in making a quick buck, thus became what is known as a 'baby farmer'. Basically, she would adopt children from couples that couldn't care for them and promised the parents that the child would be loved by both her and her 'husband'.?She just asked that the couples provide her with money to pay for the child's food and clothes. Dyer would then neglect the child and allow them to die of starvation, hide the body, and then she would pocket all the money that the parents were sending to her!?She was truly a heinous criminal, as she was able to fool hundreds of parents and was essentially the murderer of hundreds of orphaned children. For more on Amelia Dyer, click the source.? has beef with Gordon Ramsey!Saturday, 29 June 20139:01 AMPETA has beef with Gordon Ramsey!?Not surprisingly, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is not BFF’s with Gordon Ramsay (Person for the Unethical Treatment of Everything in Existence). In 2007, he cooked horsemeat on this TV show, “The F-World” and it was on.?PETA representatives responded by dumping a ton of manure outside his London restaurant, Claridge’s. More recently, PETA released an undercover video filmed at Hudson Valley Foie Gras factory in Sullivan County, New York, which supplies at a restaurant under Ramsay’s name in Manhattan. The ducks are shown suffering under deplorable conditions, being fed grain by tube down their throats meant to fatten their livers.?PETA has often been called a “radical” group. That may be true, but notice how it’s one of the only animal rights group that we actively talk about and that isn’t afraid of stepping on toes of the elites.? Freeze is caused because your brain gets confused!Saturday, 29 June 20139:01 AMBrain Freeze is caused because your brain gets confused!?It’s a nice summer day, you go out and decide to have a nice cold drink that definitely helps you to fight back the horrible heat.You start drinking softly, then very fast and BOOM! Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia!Spheno… what!??The real name for brain freeze is ‘sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia’. The pain receptors in the mouth signal the brain, however the same nerves are also in the forehead. The brain mixes up the source location of the pain and thus you get the resulting headache!?Scientifically, this is caused by having something very cold touch the roof of the mouth (palate), and is believed to result from a nerve response causing rapid constriction and swelling of blood vessels!?And what’s more funny about brain freeze, is that there are people who cannot experience it! Possibly because of the lack of nerves on their forehead.Next time you decide to get yourself a cold drink, just try to drink it slowly to avoid that horrible feeling.? used to sell entire houses in a 'Do It Youreslf' kit!Saturday, 29 June 20139:01 AMSears used to sell entire houses in a 'Do It Youreslf' kit!?Sears is a retail store, however the franchise's main focus is fine furniture and clothing. It might come as a shock to you, but you used to be able to buy an entire house from Sears - you just had to transport it and build it yourself. The DIY kit came equipped with plumbing, a porch, shingles, everything you needed to make a modern (at the time) house. These kits were typically sold from the early 1900's to the 1940's.?There are ways to actually tell if your house is a Sears house! You can check your plumbing pipes to see if there is an 'S' or an 'SR' stamped on every different pipe that goes through your house! But, there is a whole LIST of things your house needs to have to be an official Sears Do It Yourself house! Click the source to find out what they are!? founder of the Boy Scouts was also a spy!Saturday, 29 June 20139:01 AMThe founder of the Boy Scouts was also a spy!?Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell (seems like everybody back then liked long names), was a lieutenant-general in the British Army. He was also the founder of the Scout Movement!?And not only that; this man also worked as an intelligence officer for the Mediterranean for the Director of Military Intelligence, in other words, HE WAS A SPY!?He would pretend to be a stupid and absentminded tourist. He would constantly travelled disguised as a butterfly collector, which allowed him to incorporate plans of military installations into his drawings of butterfly wings.?It’s hard to believe that the man who founded the scout movement was also a spy, however this only comes to show how great of a lieutenant and leader he was.So next time you hear a little boy/girl scout knocking on your door trying to sell you some cookies, you better buy them some cookies in honor to this great man!? 13 year old boy was sentenced to prison for murder and has refused parole 5 times!Saturday, 29 June 20139:01 AMA 13 year old boy was sentenced to prison for murder and has refused parole 5 times!?At the age of 13 years, Eric Smith was bullied for his glasses, freckles, long red hair, and his distinctive elongated ears which are believed to be a side effect of a medicine his mother had taken for her epilepsy when she was pregnant.?Also, at that age, police charged him with the murder of another kid. When asked why he committed murder, Smith did not give a coherent answer. A psychiatrist diagnosed him with intermittent explosive disorder, meaning he could not control his inner rage. Smith was convicted. He has been offered parole 5 times and denied it each of those 5 times.?'s older brother was going to be North Korea's dictator until he went to Disneyland!Saturday, 29 June 20139:01 AMKim-Jong-Un's older brother was going to be North Korea's dictator until he went to Disneyland!?Even evil dictators have family whose dreams are of going to Disneyland. North Korean's dictator Kim Jong-Un wasn't supposed to be the dictator. Until 2001 his older half brother Kim Jong-nam had been the favorite to succeed their father. Unfortunately Jong-nam had a soft spot for Disneyland.?He faked a passport to get into Japan and visit Disneyland Tokyo. He was caught, got in big trouble, and lost his seat as the next dictator. It is kind of a creepy thought: To have the North Korean dictator running around Disneyland with your kids riding rides with them.?That isn't a Disneyland the rest of us would want to be at. His dreams were crushed and he never went to the happiest place on earth. Now he'll never know happiness and we get to deal with Kim Jong-un.? that are spayed or neutered are not eligible for dog shows in America!Saturday, 29 June 20139:02 AMDogs that are spayed or neutered are not eligible for dog shows in America!?According to the American Kennel Club website: “Sprayed or neutered dogs are not eligible to compete in conformation classes at dog shows, because the purpose of a dog show is to evaluate breeding stock.” Many of an issue with this policy, saying the it encourages overbreeding.?This overbreeding is the reason why three to four million dogs are put down in shelters every year. Additionally, spaying or neutering a dog ensures that it is happier and better behaved in the long term. Critics of this policy believe that it treats dogs not as if they were animals, but as if they were things.?It suggests that owners should keep breeding dogs until they find a puppy that is physically perfect, without any regard for any of the dogs’ health or happiness. Dog may be man’s best friend, but sometimes it seems like it doesn’t work the other way around.? in space burn with a spherical, nearly invisible blue flame!Saturday, 29 June 20139:02 AMCandles in space burn with a spherical, nearly invisible blue flame!?Microgravity provides an environment that lacks buoyant convection, which normally plays an important role in maintaining and shaping a flame on earth. In earth’s gravity, buoyant convection develops when hot, less dense combustion products rise.?The flow that results draws cooler surrounding air to the base of the flame, supplying it with the oxidizer that the flame requires to maintain itself. Combustion products are carried away from the flame by the same convective flow, which is the dominant transport mechanism in the flame.?In microgravity, however, the process is not the same. There is no buoyant convection, and the transport of combustion products and oxygen occurs by the much slower process of molecular diffusion. This diffusion occurs when there is a high concentration of combustion products and a low concentration of oxygen close to the flame and a high concentration of oxygen farther away from the flame.?The combustion products migrate away from the flame and the oxygen migrates toward the flame. The diffusive transport rates in microgravity are much lower than the transport rates due to natural convection in earth’s gravity.?As a result, a flame in microgravity will often appear to burn less vigorously than a flame on Earth, and it will assume a spherical shape that diffuses equally in all directions, rather than the more elongated shape that is characteristic of flames in earth’s gravity.? T-Rex lived closer in time to us than to the Stegosaurus!Saturday, 29 June 20139:02 AMThe T-Rex lived closer in time to us than to the Stegosaurus!?Dinosaurs, one of people’s favorite animals ever. I wonder if they would still be amongst the favorites if they were still around.?We all saw Jurassic Park and realized that these creatures were not only huge and scary, but were also amazing! It would’ve been fun to see their conducts and how their lifestyle was.?However, you might’ve seen all kind of dinosaurs together in that movie, but there was a time in which only certain type of dinosaurs habited Earth, and therefore lived longer than others! The T-Rex and Stegosaurus would be the perfect example.?The Stegosaurus has been reported to have appeared 156 million years ago, while the T-Rex appeared 67 million years ago! Just so you get an idea; the difference in time between when Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus lived is greater than the difference in time between Tyrannosaurus Rex and now!?Apparently the T-Rex in fact was one of the unluckiest animals ever; short arms and short life span on Earth. Poor, poor, poor T-Rex. We still think you are awesome though!? 56-year old woman was saved from a bear because her dogs sacrificed themselves for her!Saturday, 29 June 20139:02 AMA 56-year old woman was saved from a bear because her dogs sacrificed themselves for her!?We've all heard amazing survival stories, and it's tough to say which survivor had to endure the most. Well, let's take a moment to appreciate the amazing survivor Alleena Hansen, a 56 year old mother who was just out for a stroll with her two dogs when she was attacked by a black bear.?She could hear the bear rummaging through her body with it's teeth, and at one point, she heard it crunching her teeth as well as the popping of her eyeball.?Feeling defeated, Alleena just lay there, until her two dogs attacked the black bear. Alleena, realizing she couldn't leave her son alone in the world, took the opportunity her dogs created and jumped over the bear, who was now eating her dogs, and rushed to her car.?After getting to her car, she took one look in the rear view mirror at herself and decided she wouldn't allow herself to look again! After driving 4 miles to a fire station, she was then taken to the hospital, where one of the doctors, who actually knew her, could recognize her because of her wounds! Click the source to see what her wounds did to her!? Franklin attempted to abolish slavery in 1790!Saturday, 29 June 20139:02 AMBen Franklin attempted to abolish slavery in 1790!?Franklin did not publicly speak out against slavery until very late in his life. As a young man he owned slaves, and he carried advertisements for the sale of slaves in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette.?At the same time, however, he published numerous Quaker pamphlets against slavery and condemned the practice of slavery in his private correspondence. It was after the ratification of the United States Constitution that he became an outspoken opponent of slavery.?In 1789 he wrote and published several essays supporting the abolition of slavery and his last public act was to send to Congress a petition on behalf of the Society asking for the abolition of slavery and an end to the slave trade. The petition was introduced to the House on February 12 and to the Senate on February 15, 1790.?It was immediately denounced by pro-slavery congressmen and sparked a heated debate in both the House and the Senate. The Senate took no action on the petition, and the House referred it to a select committee for further consideration. The committee said they didn't have the power to make the importation and emancipation of slaves illegal. Two months later Benjamin Franklin died.? drink 165,000,000 cups of tea every day.?Saturday, 29 June 20139:02 AMBrits drink 165,000,000 cups of tea every day.??That means Brits drink 60.2 billion cups of tea per year. Sixty-six percent of the British population drink tea on a regular basis. It is definitely a country of tea, and Brits drink more tea than in any other country. Ireland is the second largest tea-drinking country, an unsurprising statistic given its proximity to Britain.??Comparatively, Britain consumes only 70 million coffees in a day. So how does the average Englishman or woman drink their tea? The majority of tea (96%) is drunk with teabags, though it is not uncommon for tea to be made with loose leaves.??It is also extremely common for milk to be added to tea, so common that 98% of tea in Britain is drunk with milk.??Drinking tea has many benefits. For example, many types of tea have antioxidants, which stop free radicals (“unstable substances”) from affecting the body. Hot tea can even be refreshing in hot weather because it causes sweating, which cools the body off!??'s plan B if the safe holding nuclear launch codes doesn't open? Take a sledgehammer to it!Saturday, 29 June 20139:03 AMRussia's plan B if the safe holding nuclear launch codes doesn't open? Take a sledgehammer to it!?Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces are equipped with a special ‘safe-busting’ sledgehammer that can be used in an emergency to break open the safe containing launch codes if it fails to open. How do we know this??Well, the sledgehammer's existence first became known in 1980, when a group of inspecting officers from the General Staff visiting Strategic Missile Forces headquarters asked General Georgy Novikov what he would do if he received a missile launch order but the safe containing the launch codes failed to open.?Novikov said he would knock off the safe’s lock with the sledgehammer he kept nearby.?The inspectors severely criticized the general's response and thought he was being unprofessional, but the General Staff’s top official said Novikov would be following protocol. Since then, the sledgehammer has been on combat duty at the Missile Forces headquarters in the closed town of Vlasikha in Moscow region.?The headquarters, which celebrated it's 40th anniversary in 2011, has numerous underground facilities stretching more than 5 miles and manned by about 6,000 troops.? bolt of lightning killed an entire soccer team during a game in 1998!?Saturday, 29 June 20139:03 AMA bolt of lightning killed an entire soccer team during a game in 1998!??In October of 1998 a bolt of lightning killed an entire 11-man soccer team from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The opposing team was completely unharmed. Thirty more people had burn injuries.?Some people thought the team had been cursed and that was what caused the lightning to strike them. The game was a draw at 1-1 when the lightning struck the visiting team in the province of Kasai in the eastern region of the DRC.??Incidentally, a similar situation happened the following weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa. A Premier League soccer match was suddenly stopped when lightning struck the field.??Half of the players from both teams, the Jomo Cosmos and the Moroka Swallows, fell to the ground. Several of the players writhed on the ground holding their ears and eyes in pain. Luckily, no one was killed in that incident.?? fight the KKK, Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill that took away their right to face a judge!Saturday, 29 June 20139:03 AMTo fight the KKK, Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill that took away their right to face a judge!?Habeas Corpus, is a legal term, for the process which criminals undergo when they are arrested. This process, means that criminals have the right to face a judge or a court, to ensure that the person wasn't arrested for no apparent reason.?Apparently Ulysses S. Grant didn't want members of the KKK to have a chance of getting released after facing a judge for the first time, so he signed a bill that gave him the right to suspend habeas corpus!?The bill wasn't strictly for KKK members, it was a bill signed with the intent to effect all white supremacists. The bill was created because the government hadn't found an effective way to deal with white supremacy groups and hate crimes, and Ulysses S. Grant believed the only way he could deal with these hate groups was to bend the rules a bit!? American flags planted on the moon are now white!Saturday, 29 June 20139:03 AMThe American flags planted on the moon are now white!?The U.S was the first country to land on the moon. As such, they had to exhibit it someway, and what a better way than placing flags all over the moon surface.?They had to leave evidence that they’d been there, some intentional and some necessary. The most iconic of these were six American flags, all of which were thought to have been destroyed by the harsh conditions on the lunar service or at least knocked over by now. All but one, are still standing!?They each cost only $5.50 in the 1960s and have all turned white from bleaching by sunlight, which hits the flags for as long as 14 days at a time without any sort of atmosphere to filter it's rays.?This was in fact a success for the U.S because the flags weren’t expected to stay that long, however, it seems that someone will have to go soon to change the flags for some new sun protected flags. They might have to pay a little more, but it’s just the cost for History.? Bowie was so high on coke, he thought his semen was being stolen by witches!Saturday, 29 June 20139:03 AMDavid Bowie was so high on coke, he thought his semen was being stolen by witches!?A biographer says that during 1975 and 1976 David Bowie was on such a massive cocaine habit and his diet consisted of peppers and milk that he lived that period in psychic terror.?At the time, Bowie was living in a house full of ancient-Egyptian artifacts, burning black candles. He reported seeing bodies fall past his window, having his semen stolen by witches, receiving secret messages from The Rolling Stones, and living in morbid fear of fellow Aleister Crowley aficionado Jimmy Page.?Interestingly in 1976 he released Station to Station his tenth album. It is commonly regarded as one of his most significant works. Bowie doesn't remember anything from the production of the album, because he was so dependent on cocaine at the time.? prohibition, the US Government killed 10,000 people because they poisoned booze!Monday, 1 July 20136:47 AMDuring prohibition, the US Government killed 10,000 people because they poisoned booze!?The Prohibition Era was a time of confusion among the American people, because they were being denied a beverage that they had been drinking casually for years. Many bootleggers began selling alcohol, and they made a fortune.?In order to stop bootleggers from selling alcohol, and to stop the public from consuming it, the US government decided that they should put small doses of poison in industrial alcohols. This tactic was supposed to just make people sick, so they would stop drinking alcohol. The bootleggers however, began hiring chemists to extract the poison.?The US government went the extra mile and started added enough poison into the alcohol that it couldn't all be extracted, and, unfortunately, up to 10,000 people died as a result. Ironically, the government was trying to protect the public from the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, and, instead, they ended up killing 10,000 of their citizens.? took the inventor of the Rubik's Cube a whole month to solve it!Monday, 1 July 20136:47 AMIt took the inventor of the Rubik's Cube a whole month to solve it!?Erno Rubik is the man responsible for the challenge and/or nuisance that is the Rubik’s Cube. He was both a sculptor and an architect. He spent his free time (while working as professor at the Academy of Applied Art and Design in Budapest) designing puzzles that would make his students think in new ways about 3-dimensional geometry.?Just before his 30th birthday, Rubik created the first prototype for what we know of today as the Rubik’s cube. He spent a month trying to solve it and found that it was a simultaneously fun, fascinating, and frustrating activity. When he handed the cube of to others, they felt the same way. He soon realized that he had stumbled upon something extraordinary…? created software that can detect if an image is child pornography!Monday, 1 July 20136:47 AMMicrosoft created software that can detect if an image is child pornography!?Child pornography is a huge problem online. With the explosion of the Internet, there has also been an explosion of exploitation. While Microsoft has developed technology that has made it possible for such exploitation to take place, they are also taking strides to combat it.?In 2009, in partnership with DCU and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Microsoft worked with Dartmouth to develop PhotoDNA. This is an image-matching technology that aids in finding and removing horrific child pornography images from the Internet. Microsoft then donated the technology to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.?They then set up an PhotoDNA-based program for online service providers in order for them to find and stop the spread of child pornography. Microsoft has also implemented this technology on their own services, included Bing and Hotmail. This has resulted in thousands of pornographic images being removed from online.? man who built the 1st stocks in Boston was also the 1st to get punished by them!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMThe man who built the 1st stocks in Boston was also the 1st to get punished by them!?Punishment has varied greatly over the years. While the death penalty has largely gone out of fashion in America today, it used to be a popular practice accompanied by various other tortures that would today seem even more barbaric.?Ducking stools, which simply plopped the person in and out of water until they practically drowned, were popular along with several other brutal punishments. For petty crimes, stocks were the most common form of punishment and ridicule.?The first man imprisoned in the stocks was a carpenter named Edward Palmer. After they were completed he was immediately locked up. Why? The magistrates of Boston believed Palmer charged too much to build the stocks they commissioned and charged him with extortion!? men prefer female figures with the same waist-to-hip ratio as sighted men do!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMBlind-from-birth men prefer female figures with the same waist-to-hip ratio as sighted men do!?A psychologist at Radboud University in the Netherlands, along with his student and collaborator, Sander Arons, clothed 2 plastic women identically in tight black tops and dark skirts and then drove them to the homes of blind men.?The researcher set one so that they have a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 and the other so that they have a vase to hip ratio of 0.84. The lower ratio represents an ideal; a slim but curvy physique. The higher ratio represents the shape of an average woman.?The blind men were told to touch the women and focus their hands on their waist and hips. The breasts on both figures were the same in case the men reached too high. They were then told to score the attractiveness of the bodies. Like a majority of sighted men, they preferred the mannequins with the 0.7 ratio.? are close to being able to use 3D printers to make human organs!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMScientists are close to being able to use 3D printers to make human organs!?Printing usable organs is something that sounds like science fiction, yet with recent scientific advances this is looking more and more like a reality. 3D printers have become increasingly common, and recently they have been used to create comfortable, personalized prosthetic limbs and hearing aids.?Bioprinters, however, use “bio-ink” which is made of living cell mixtures to form human tissue. Today they can make basic tissue and human cells, which when laid layer upon layer form the tissue, but cannot yet form usable organs.??The hope is that one day the technology will become sophisticated enough to create organs that are identical to the ones that need replacement! In fact, the technology has also been promoted for potentially creating meat to solve hunger problems!? BBC requested viewers to send photos of French beaches so they could secretly plan the D-Day invasion!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMThe BBC requested viewers to send photos of French beaches so they could secretly plan the D-Day invasion!?World War II took several different shifts in which at some points Germany expected certain victory and others certain defeat. Commonly known as D-Day in America, June 6th was the day that officially turned the tide against Germany and in favor of the Allies.??D-Day required immense planning for the massive invasion, yet tactical information of the land of France was hard to come by while under German occupation. To secretly gain information without letting people know an invasion was being planned, the BBC requested holiday pictures from the beaches of France.??Thousands of people submitted pictures thinking they were being used for some radio broadcast or entertainment. These pictures were used to plan the massive invasion and people didn’t even know!? Earth may have found lost pyramids in Egypt!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMGoogle Earth may have found lost pyramids in Egypt!?Most people have heard of the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. There are also 115 lesser known pyramids scattered throughout the country. Some of these have been covered by desert sand. Google Earth may have discovered more of these lost pyramids.?Google Earth is a mapping program that combines satellite technology and aerial photography. It started out as a project of the Central Intelligence Agency and was acquired by Google in 2004. Google Earth took images of what appear to be clusters of pyramids. The two sites are about 90 miles apart.?One of the sites has a distinct square shape and is about 140 feet across. It also contains a three small mounds arranged diagonally, which is similar to the Pyramids at Giza. The second site has four mounds. The two largest are about 250 feet across while the smaller two are closer to 100 feet across. If these do end up being pyramids, they will need to be certified and protected by Egyptian authorities.? are still 3 coded messages from WWII that haven't been decrypted yet, but we are still working on them!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMThere are still 3 coded messages from WWII that haven't been decrypted yet, but we are still working on them!?Over the years codes have become increasingly more complex and difficult to crack. It was the birth of computers that mandated the increase in difficulty when creating codes because traditional codes could be broken within minutes once entered into a computer.?During World War II, codes were an important aspect of war for communication and both sides made huge efforts to create the best system and crack the opposing sides information to save the lives of their soldiers. Strangely there were three German codes that the Allied forces were unable to crack during the war and have so intrigued code enthusiast that they are still being studied today!?The codes date back to 1942 and were created by various German encryption techniques. Today, massive computer data bases are searching for what these codes meant, and two have actually been deciphered fairly accurately since new technology was used in 1995. Both were coordinates for German U-boat attacks on British forces, which, if cracked on time, could have saved important lives. The last is yet to be translated, even with supercomputers.?They are so difficult to crack because they were created with plugboards, which swapped pairs of letters during the encoding process and greatly increased the number of possible encryptions. Also, some of the letters are believed to be missing making it even more difficult to decipher the last code!? chief translator for the European Parliament can speak 32 languages!?Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMThe chief translator for the European Parliament can speak 32 languages!??Learning a new language is one of the most difficult tasks and requires immense determination and hard work…that is for most people. Speaking three or four different languages well enough for conversation is usually considered impressive, yet Ioannis Ikonomou, the translator for the European Parliament, is on another level entirely, speaking 32 different languages fluently!?His native language is Greek. At six, he began learning English, which was his first foreign language. Next came German, Italian, and Russian. Soon he was studying languages and cultures every chance he got and can now speak such obscure languages as Latin, Old Persian, Sanskrit, and Irish!?He can speak Chinese fluently and was recently sent to Beijing to translate important Chinese documents and is the only man whom the European Parliament trusts enough to do so! He says the key to learning a new language is to fall in love with it, study the people and different foods they eat, and immerse yourself in the culture entirely!? asked the Coast Guard to help the people stranded on Gilligan's Island. They thought the show was real!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMPeople asked the Coast Guard to help the people stranded on Gilligan's Island. They thought the show was real!?Gilligan's Island, perhaps one of the most well known sitcoms to come out of the 60's is about a bunch of people that become stranded on a deserted island and they try to survive. To most viewers of the show, it was a humorous sitcom that was extremely entertaining. However, to certain viewers, they thought the show wasn't scripted and that people were actually stranded on a deserted island and trying to survive.?It wasn't uncommon for the Coast Guard to recieve telegrams from different people urging them to sail out to Gilligan's Island and rescue the poor people that were stranded there! The Coast Guard simply forwarded the messages to producer Sherwood Schwartz, most likely after laughing for a few minutes.?<a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" s_island#production'="" target="_new">???In Neptune and Uranus it literally rains diamonds!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMIn Neptune and Uranus it literally rains diamonds!?Uranus and Neptune may literally rain diamonds, which then pile up miles-thick. And those are not the only diamonds being produced in space. You or may not know that there are some planets covered in diamonds. Well some planetary scientists think we just might have a few of them in this very system.?These scientists believe that Uranus and Neptune might actually rain diamonds to such a degree that they’re piled up miles above ground level. Both of those planets are nearly four times as big as this one, too. How could it happen? Well you probably know diamonds are created due to extreme pressure. The atmospheres of both planets contain methane, which is a hydrocarbon.?The atmospheres, which are extremely dense, have temperatures up to 12,000 degrees fahrenheit and pressures up to 6 million times that of our own atmosphere. Basically all that means is the intense pressure and temperature of the planets turns the methane in the atmosphere to diamonds- raining diamonds from the sky.? explorer got so sick, that he became an exhibit so he could pay for his food!Monday, 1 July 20136:48 AMAn explorer got so sick, that he became an exhibit so he could pay for his food!?David Livingstone was a Scottish explorer who traveled to Africa as a pioneer medical missionary.During an expedition, Livingstone’s assistants abandoned him. They returned to the city and informed authorities that Livingstone was dead!?By the time he crossed lakes, swamps and various plains, Livingstone’s supplies were low and most of them had been stolen. After two years he became extremely ill, he was saved by Arab traders who gave him medicine and carried him to an Arab outpost.?After arriving with cholera, tropical ulcers and no supplies to his next destination, he had to eat his meals in a roped off open enclosure for the entertainment of the locals in return for food!?He finally died from malaria and internal bleeding caused by Dysentery.When it comes to your life, you will most likely be willing to do anything in order to stay alive. David Livingstone is a great hero, he fought for his ideals and he kept helping people even through his worst times. There is a lot you can learn from this man.? Roosevelt rode horseback for 100 miles after his cavalrymen complained about having to ride 25 for training!Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMTeddy Roosevelt rode horseback for 100 miles after his cavalrymen complained about having to ride 25 for training!?President Roosevelt was indeed a funny looking kind of president that at first sight would not look like a total threat or even a badass.?However, he was so hardcore, and to prove it he rode horseback for 100 miles, from sunrise to sunset, at 51 years old, after receiving so many complaints from army cavalrymen that had to ride 25 miles a day for training!?In fact, he was so badass that he even had a bear and a lion at the White house as pets! We all know he did a great job as a president, but I bet you didn’t know he was considered one of the toughest Americans back then.? Zealand has banned all advertising on TV on Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday!Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMNew Zealand has banned all advertising on TV on Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday!?When television and thus television advertising first arrived in New Zealand in the 1960s, television transmitted four nights a week and only two nights had advertising. Later, it rose to four days a week of advertising with a maximum of six minutes of advertising an hour.?When a second channel came about in 1975, there were five days of television and advertising a week with nine minutes an hour given to advertising. But, all this changed with the Broadcasting Act of 1989 which stated that there could be no advertising from 6 a.m to noon on Sundays and Anzac Day, or at any time on Christmas Day, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Advertisements can now be given 14 minutes for every broadcast hour.? Changi Airport in Singapore has a four-story indoor slide!Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMThe Changi Airport in Singapore has a four-story indoor slide!?Two slides were built in Singapore's Changi Airport, one is one-story tall and the other is four-stories (12 m) tall! That makes it the world's largest slide inside an airport, a category we're sure is extremely competitive.?The airport advertises that you can reach speeds of up to 6 meters per second, which comes out to be about 13.4 miles per hour. You can claim one ride on the slide for ever $10 you spend inside the airport. You can also claim 5 free rides on your birthday month if you are a member of the airport's reward program.? Chase avoided the draft by saying he was gay!Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMChevy Chase avoided the draft by saying he was gay!?Chevy Chase has been taking a lot of heat lately by fans of the television sitcom "Community", because he has thrown many temper tantrums on set and has now decided to leave the show, after getting the creator of the show, Dan Harmon, fired.?Well, here's another thing that people can start picking on Chevy Chase for: He claimed he had homosexual tendencies to the military draft board, so he was unfit to serve in the military. His excuse actually made it so he didn't have to serve in the military! Of course, the claims Chevy Chase made were false, and he said that he also told the military draft board a few other things so they wouldn't recruit him!? newly discovered temple in Turkey means Mesopotamians might not have been the first civilization!Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMA newly discovered temple in Turkey means Mesopotamians might not have been the first civilization!?Gobekli Tepe is an archaeological site in southern Turkey that made headlines in 2011. It is believed to have been built some 11,600 years ago. It is the oldest known example of monumental architecture, which means it is the first structure more built more sophisticated by humans than a hut. It is believed to be older than the Mesopotamian ruins. Huge temples were built with flint tools and mortared clay.?They built huge pillars and walls.The pillars were big—the tallest are 18 feet in height and weigh 16 tons, yet they were set only 15 inches into the ground, where they were fixed with clay and stone. When a new temple was built, the old one was burned down.?It is unclear what the temples were actually used for, but findings suggest animal sacrifices were common. Large carvings of animals were located at the entrance of the temples. The nearest river at the time of the Gobekli Tepe was three miles away, begging the question as to how workers and laborers got their water.?It is possible that children retrieved the water and brought it to the temples. Anyways, the whole finding is fascinating and changes what we thought we knew about the earliest civilizations.? in your stomach are caused by a lack of blood!Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMButterflies in your stomach are caused by a lack of blood!?You know that sensation you get in your stomach when the person you are completely in love with looks in your general direction or when there’s only one more muffin left and you’re afraid the person in front of you in line is going to ask for it (other than hunger) or when your being hunted by a lion in the African savanna? Those “butterflies in your stomach” are a response to stress.?When people are stressed, they experience a “fight-or-flight” response. Brain signals are transmitted to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which are parts of the brain responsible for controlling bodily functions. The pituitary gland instantly signals the adrenal glands which sit on top of each kidney. Those glands release adrenaline and other chemicals into your blood stream.?The adrenaline causes rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, and improved circulation of muscle so that you deal with or flee from the source of the stress (whether it be your beloved, the person in front of you in line, or a vicious lion in the African savanna).?Since blood is flowing to your lungs and muscles, less of it is reaching other organs including the stomach. This causes the light, nauseating sensation we all know and hate.? Iginla donates $2,000 to charity for every goal he scores. He's got over 500!Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMJarome Iginla donates $2,000 to charity for every goal he scores. He's got over 500!?Good guy Jarome Iginla is a professional hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Iginla is from Canada and played for the Calgary Flames where he was their captain for nine seasons.?He's a six time NHL All-Star and he scored 50 goals in a season on two occasions and is one of seven players in NHL history to score 30 goals in 11 consecutive seasons. Throughout his career he has scored 500 goals and he gives $2,000 per goal that he makes to the children's charity Kidsport. He has represented Canada internationally on many occasions and is a three time Olympian and a two time gold medalist.? Grohl used a Grammy as a doorstop!Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMDave Grohl used a Grammy as a doorstop!?The Foo Fighters have taken home countless Grammy's in the past few years, and as a result Dave Grohl seems to have an abundance of them! You could argue that since Grohl has so many, he doesn't cherish them as much as he should because at one point, he used a Grammy to keep his bedroom door open!?Grohl tried to defend his doorstop Grammy by saying that his door was always slamming shut for no reason, and he needed something to prop it open! Don't worry, Grohl now has all of his Grammy's in a display case.?Some more quick facts about Grohl: at one point, he was a secret fan of the Spice Girls and says he couldn't get the song 'Two Become One' out of his head! As a kid, Grohl dreamed of being a helicopter pilot! And unfortunately, Grohl, to this day, can't listen to ANY Nirvana because it reminds him of the death of his dear friend, Kurt Cobain.?Want more quick facts about Grohl? Click the source!? Hulk's name got changed to David Banner for the 70s show because Bruce 'sounded too gay'Monday, 1 July 20136:49 AMThe Hulk's name got changed to David Banner for the 70s show because Bruce 'sounded too gay'?There were several changes made to comic book hulk to turn him into TV hulk. For one thing, he could not speak. In the comic book Hulk’s degree of speaking ability has varies over the year but on television he communicated mainly through growling and groaning like he was perpetually trapped in Monday morning.?Additionally, TV Hulk was more “human” in the sense that he retained pain and injury while comic book hulk could not be injured.The name of Hulk’s comic book alter ego, Dr. Bruce Banner, was also changed to Dr. David Banner for the TV series. At the time, they said that the name change was done to ensure that the TV series was not perceived as the comic book series.?According to Lou Ferrigno however, it was also changed because CBS thought the name Bruce sounded “too gay-ish.” Ultimately however, Brice became TV Banner’s middle name. It is visible on Banner’s tombstone at the end of the pilot movie and that footage is shown at the beginning of every episode in the series.? James Wood reported the 9/11 hijackers while they were on a test run!Monday, 1 July 20137:02 AMActor James Wood reported the 9/11 hijackers while they were on a test run!?The 9/11 hijackers were trained to fly airplanes in the US. They went to flight school here, and it turns out, they also did a test run of the 9/11 attacks here. Actor James Woods encountered some of these men a month before the actual attacks.?Woods was taking a flight from Boston to LA, and the only other people in first class with him were four men "of Middle Eastern appearance." The men were acting strangely throughout the duration of the flight--they didn't eat or drink, they didn't read, and the only time they spoke, it was in hushed tones.?Woods reported his observations to the flight attendant but said that she "shrugged it off." When he arrived in LA, he reported his observations to authorities there too. Again, they didn't seem too concerned. After the attacks took place, Woods contacted the FBI and told them about his experience.? used to serve beer to school kids!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:04 AMBelgium used to serve beer to school kids!?Besides their fine arts and amazing culture and interesting fact about Belgium’s education programs is that back in 1970 table beer was served at public schools!?Table beer is the kind of beer that you would have to keep drinking for several hours in order to get drunk since it has no more than 1.5 % alcohol!?The reason why table beer was among the drink’s fountain main three options (water and coffee being the other two) it’s because table beer is consider healthier than most soft drinks!? Carrey was so poor, he dropped out of school at 15 to help his family!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:04 AMJim Carrey was so poor, he dropped out of school at 15 to help his family!?Jim Carrey’s father was a musician with a regular job which allowed him to provide for his family. After he lost his job, Jim had to quit school after going from lower middle class to poor due to his father being unemployed.?He began working as a janitor to support his family; he even carried a baseball bat on his janitor’s hat because he just wanted to “beat the heck out of something”.?Jim never finished high school because of his full time job and he also helped care for his mother who battled a severe, chronic illness. Despite his bad fortune, later on his dad started to support him in his career as a young comedian by putting together a stage act which eventually gave him his rise to fame.? people have randomly burst into flames!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:04 AMSome people have randomly burst into flames!?Many accounts of spontaneous human combustion are historical, however in February 2013, authorities in Muldrow, Oklahoma found the incinerated body of sixty-five year old Danny Vanzandt.?While he seemed to be burned alive, his home was nearly undamaged. Foul play was soon ruled out and the body was inspected for answers. Coroners found that the body seemed to have burned at a low temperature for more than six hours.?The victim was a heavy drinker. It has been speculated that the methane-related compounds that the human body produces during metabolism could have fueled a fire when combined with the alcohol and set the man alight.? 100 billionth Crayola crayon was a limited edition color called 'blue ribbon'!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:04 AMThe 100 billionth Crayola crayon was a limited edition color called 'blue ribbon'!?Crayola is the largest crayon manufacturer in the world, has 99% name recognition is US households, and is distributed in over 80 countries. They have made so many crayons since they released the first box in 1903, which had only eight different colors, that they reached 100 billion in 1996!?In honor of the huge achievement, Mr. Rogers agreed to mold the legendary crayon and named it “blue ribbon.” There have been several other interesting innovations throughout the years including over 133 different colors currently in use, washable crayons that can be drawn on walls, and twistable crayons that don’t need to be sharpened!? Asian cultures have 'weretigers' instead of werewolves!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:04 AMMany Asian cultures have 'weretigers' instead of werewolves!?Instead of a werewolf, many Asian cultures have a mythical beast called a weretiger in their mythology. There are several ways you can turn into a weretiger depending on who you ask. In China, weretigers are the victims of vengeful ghosts or curse passed down through the family line.?In Thailand, the process is sort of reversed; if a tiger has eaten many people, it adopts human tendencies, and becomes a weretiger that way. Some also believe that powerful magicians can change themselves into weretigers at will if they so desire.?Because in many mythologies an entire family line can be weretigers, some believe that there are entire villages made up exclusively of weretigers. Legend has it that contact outside the village is not prohibited but unfortunate; if a weretiger living in a village falls in love with a human, the human must severe ties with his/her previous world and become a community member.? the difference between Jam and Jelly!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:04 AMLearn the difference between Jam and Jelly!?Most of us can infer from their names that jam and jelly are not the same-we may even have a preference. But what’s not common knowledge is what exactly the difference is between jam and jelly. It turns out that jam is cooked crushed fruit (with sugar of course) while jelly is gelantinized fruit juice (with sugar of course).?A close cousin of jam and jelly is also conserve. Conserve is a whole fruit jam made from one or many fruits cooked with sugar. Conserve making beats out jam or jelly making in terms of difficulty as the fruits must remain in their whole shape through the cooking process.? black Nigerian parents had a blonde-haired, blue eyed, white baby!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:04 AMTwo black Nigerian parents had a blonde-haired, blue eyed, white baby!?You’re probably thinking that this is completely impossible, but it actually happened! The husband says he knows that it’s his baby because even if his wife had cheated on him the baby couldn’t look completely white.?In fact if you had never seen the parents, nothing would look odd about the child, then when she’s placed next to her black parents, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white baby looks astounding! Genetics experts aren’t entirely sure how this occurred, but they have several theories. T?he first is that the baby has a rare genetic mutation that is entirely unique to her. If this were the case, the gene would likely be passed on to her children. The second theory is that a long dormant white gene was present in one of the parents, which just surfaced now.?The third theory is that she has a rare form of albino in which she didn’t lose all of her pigment, but had a slight genetic mutation. This theory proposes that her skin will likely darken as she gets older!? Jordan's were originally banned from the NBA. Every game, Nike paid the fine for Jordan to wear them!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMAir Jordan's were originally banned from the NBA. Every game, Nike paid the fine for Jordan to wear them!?The Air Jordan 1 was first released in 1985, in a red and black colorway to match the uniform of the Chicago Bulls, the team for which Michael Jordan played. This red and black color-way was later outlawed by NBA Commissioner David Stern for not having any white on them.?Michael Jordan would wear the shoes anyway, and each time he stepped on the court with the Air Jordan 1 he would be fined five thousand dollars. Nike used this as a promotional tool in advertisements hinting that the shoes gave an unfair competitive advantage and that whoever wore them had a certain edginess associated with outlaw activities.?Nike would later create a colorway with green, white, and black which would be worn by Jordan for most of the 1985 and 1986 season. The Air Jordan I was originally released from 1985-1986. It was retroed in 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.? what you might have heard, brain cells can actually regenerate!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMDespite what you might have heard, brain cells can actually regenerate!?It is a commonly accepted myth that once a brain cell is killed-it’s gone forever, and the number of brain cells you have has forever been depleted. But don’t feel bad if you were one of the people who believed this-it was the belief of the scientific community until about 1998.?Scientists at the Sweden and the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California found that the memory and learning center in the brain create new cells when required and that complex brains are not disrupted by new cell growth. This discovery gives hope for cures to illness like Alzheimer’s which kill brain cells.? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, "snozzberry" is used as a euphemism for male genitalia!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMIn Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, "snozzberry" is used as a euphemism for male genitalia!?I apologize in advance for polluting your childhood. Paper??Do you remember that scene from Willy Wonka with the lickable wallpaper and the famous line “strawberries taste like strawberries, the snozzberries taste like snozzberies.” Apparently a snozzleberry is not a nonsensical, meaningless word. Apparently it is slang for male genatalia.?That’s right, author Roald Dahl put that in his beloved children’s book. Due to the obscure nature of the word, adults and children have been using the phrase for years without knowing what exactly it means. In retrospect however, what do you expect from a book called Willy Wonka.? fifth oldest tree in the world was burned down by a meth addict!?Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMThe fifth oldest tree in the world was burned down by a meth addict!??It was called "The Senator Tree" and it was the oldest pond cypress tree in the world, and the fifth oldest tree known to scientists in the entire world. Located in Big Tree Park, Longwood, Florida, the Senator was estimated to be roughly 3,500 years old at the time of its demise.??It was revered by the Seminole Indians and other Native Americans as a landmark because it was so large, reaching 125 feet in height and 17.5 feet in diameter! On January 16th 2012 the top of the Senator tree mysteriously caught fire, resulting in the tree burning inside out.?Although firefighters attempted to put out the blaze, unfortunately it burnt down. On February 28th of 2012, the Division of Forestry arrested Sara Barnes, who would routinely go to the tree to use various drugs.??Barnes claims she lit a fire at night so she could see and that it got out of control, igniting the tree. However, the blaze is reported to have started near the top of the tree and rumors persist that Barnes intentionally set it on fire while hallucinating on meth.??(tree)???Shakespeare's children were illiterate!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMShakespeare's children were illiterate!?I guess drafting some of the most esteemed plays in history does not leave much time for child rearing. Shakespeare’s wife and their two children who lived into adulthood, Susanna and Judith, are thought to have been illiterate.?The most Susanna could do is scrawl her signature. This could have something to do with the fact that both these children were female or it could just mean that Shakespeare wasn’t the best parent.?His parents however, probably were. While John and Mary Shakespeare never learned to read or write since they were quite poor, they sent William to attend Stratford’s local grammar school where he mastered reading, writing, and Latin. This story could suggest that perhaps we shouldn’t base character off of intelligence.? world's oldest backpacker has been travelling around the world for the last 30 years!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMThe world's oldest backpacker has been travelling around the world for the last 30 years!?When John Waite’s wife died in 1982, he left his home in Melbourne and decided to adopt the entire world. Almost 30 years later, he’s still roaming. Every night, he stays in hotels with people generations younger than him.?“I went into a hostel in Dubai one time,” he remembers, “The woman at the reception said ‘this is a hostel for young people and they make a lot of noise’ and I said ‘well if I can’t sleep when I go to bed then you’ll probably be find me in the middle making the noise with them.’”?Originally from England, John moved to Australia when a pound could buy a boat ticket half way across the world. He’s trekked with monks in the snow of Pakistan, worked with the United Nations in Sudan and even parasailed in India.? Catholic Church considers the puffin bird to be a fish!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMThe Catholic Church considers the puffin bird to be a fish!?For some, the period of Lent is a time of abstinence, reflection, and minimum indulgence. For others, it’s a time to find loopholes. You see, salted fish is the only meat dish allowed to be consumed at the time. However, because nobody wants to eat salted fish for 40 days non-stop, the Catholic Church has made some slight changes to the definition of “fish.”?The puffin, for example, can now be considered a fish because of it's ability to swim in the sea. Additionally, beavers, turtles, and other aquatic animals can be considered fish and therefore kosher to enjoy fresh served during Lent.? waking up a sleepwalker is more harmful than waking one up!?Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMNot waking up a sleepwalker is more harmful than waking one up!??Sleepwalking is more common in children than adults and more likely to occur when one is sleep deprived. Sleepwalking happens when one is in a deep sleep and therefore they are more difficult to awake and most likely they will not remember sleepwalking.??It is a misconception, though, that it is important to not wake up a sleepwalker. In fact, it could be quite dangerous if you don’t wake them up. Sleepwalkers do things from sitting up in bed and look around to walking out of their home and driving their car for long distances. Some medications and sedatives can increase the onset of sleepwalking.??There is a higher prevalence of sleep walking in children who wet the bed than those that do not. There isn’t a cure for sleepwalking, though. Improving one’s sleeping habits and patterns can eliminate the problem of sleepwalking. Eliminating alcohol and certain medications can also lessen the likelihood that sleepwalking with continue.?? he went deaf, Beethoven hacked the legs off his piano and wrote music by feeling the vibrations!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:05 AMWhen he went deaf, Beethoven hacked the legs off his piano and wrote music by feeling the vibrations!?At the age of 28 years, Beethoven experienced a musician’s worst nightmare; losing his sense of hearing. He tried every treatment available but could find no fix. Through the last 10 years of his life, Beethoven heard absolutely nothing.?However, he decided that he couldn’t let something like a loss of hearing impede his ability to compose great music. Since he couldn’t listen to the music, he decided that he would use a different sense to experience it.?He cut off the legs off his piano so that he could play it sitting on the ground and discern various sounds based on the vibrations they created on the floor. Some say that he knew his music so well that he could probably hear it in his head.? got its name from a misunderstanding!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:06 AMCanada got its name from a misunderstanding!?Just like duct tape and French fries, Canada’s name was accidental. Some Iroquois natives were trying to indicate to early explorer Jacques Cartier a small village (which was situated in present-day Quebec city). The village’s name was Kanata.?Cartier misunderstood and used the similar sounding word Canada to describe the entire area he had stumbled upon. From then on, the true north strong and free was referred to as Canada. Canada became it's very own country in 1867. However, only very recently, on February 15th 1965 did Canada get its own national flag.? Hut wants its logo on the moon!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:06 AMPizza Hut wants its logo on the moon!?Mad consumerism is making astronomical advances. In 1998, Pizza Hut had this brilliant idea to burn their logo onto the surface of the moon with high-powered lasers. For us to be able to see this logo, it would need to be about the size of Texas.?Upon consulting experts, Pizza Hut learned that that the necessary technology is still a few years off and the reputation of our planet to potential aliens hasn’t completely been tarnished.?Since then however, Pizza Hut has still been trying to get as close to space as it can. It’s made several deals with the Russian Space Program, including stamping their logo on a rocket and delivering pizza to the International Space Station. Aim for the stars Pizza Hut, aim for the stars.? 1/3 of US teenagers have sent a full-nude of themselves via text!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:06 AMAbout 1/3 of US teenagers have sent a full-nude of themselves via text!?A new study of teen sexting reveals that 28% of teenagers have at some point texted a fully-nude picture of themselves. Socioeconomic trends had nothing to do with this. Parents with a high school diploma were only 2% more likely to have kids who sext than parents who had college degrees.?Under most existing laws, teenagers can be prosecuted for creating and distributing child pornography for sexting. If they court of law were to actively seek people out, several million teens could be prosecuted.?Some way that this is a positive policy as it prevents teenagers from making “irresponsible decisions,” others say that it does absolutely nothing, and some say that laws of this nature should not exist because teenagers should have the right to explore and express their sexuality.? and Haiti had the exact same flag. They found out when they competed in the Olympics!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:06 AMLiechtenstein and Haiti had the exact same flag. They found out when they competed in the Olympics!?A country’s flag is a symbol of pride and unity. It is waved proudly at special events and shown special respect. It makes sense then that a flag should be unique and easily identifiable.?However, countries also often try to keep their flag designs simple, and this can lead to problems. This was the case with Liechtenstein and Haiti. Both countries had a flag that consisted of a horizontal blue stripe on top of a horizontal red stripe. Pretty straightforward.?They didn’t realize this until they competed against each other in the 1936 Summer Olympics. Awkward. In order to remedy the problem, Liechtenstein added a gold ducal crown on the hoist side of the blue stripe on their flag. Now they won’t be mistaken for Haiti.? born children tend to have a higher I.Q. than their siblingsww c'mon who sht in the fridge??Tuesday, 2 July 20137:06 AMFirst born children tend to have a higher I.Q. than their siblingsww c'mon who sht in the fridge???There are a number of theories about birth order. The second child is taller, the first child is bolder, etc, etc. There has long been debate over the connection between I.Q. And birth order. After a large study, scientists have concluded that first born children tend to have a higher I.Q.?The difference in I.Q. Score was very slight--only about 3 points higher in the first born child compared to their closest sibling--but still significant. They also determined that this was due to environmental factors in the home rather than biology. Scientists have also long said that eldest children were more cautious and dutiful than their siblings.?While three I.Q. Points does not seem like that much, it can be the difference between a high B average and a low A average. And over time, this can have a much larger cumulative effect. There are number of theories as to why this is the case. One is that first born children have their parents undivided attention when they are babies. This may enrich their vocabulary and reasoning abilities.? for 60 minutes a week burns as much fat as jogging for 7 hours a week!Tuesday, 2 July 20137:27 AMSprinting for 60 minutes a week burns as much fat as jogging for 7 hours a week!?Switching up your speed while exercising can help burn more fat--perhaps more drastically than we ever realized. According to a study of 40 overweight males who did speed training over 12 weeks, this training can cause a significant drop in body fat and an increase in muscle mass.?The scientists were trying to find the minimum amount of exercise you could do with the largest health factors. They had the men exercise three times a week, and these exercises included periods of sprinting. They lost an average of 2 kilograms of body fat. Other studies have shown that men would need to jog for five to seven hours a week for about 3 months to lose the same amount of fat.?The men worked out for three 20 minute sessions each week, and during each session were sprinting for about 8 minutes. The lost mostly visceral fat, which is linked to cardiovascular disease risk.? man built his own dialysis machine which has kept him alive for over 13 years!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:10 AMA man built his own dialysis machine which has kept him alive for over 13 years!?Hu Songwen is a man from a rural town in east China who has been able to survive a kidney disease for over 13 years thanks to a dialysis machine that the man created himself! Dialysis are used at hospitals to help patients with kidney diseases to remove waste products from their blood that aren’t removed their malfunctioning kidneys.?He built his homemade dialysis machine with a blood pump, plastic tubing, and much other medical equipment. He was diagnosed in 1993 with his kidney disease and he’s been required to go through dialysis treatment for over 20 years now, but ever since hospitals bill were able to hit the roof after 6 years he had to invent this awesome machine.?It is clear that when someone really wants to live, they will do just anything to stay alive and be strong. There are no limits when it comes to human creativity.? was one of the highest scoring Donkey Kong players in the world!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:10 AMEminem was one of the highest scoring Donkey Kong players in the world!?Turns out rapping isn’t his only talent. In the December of 2009, Eminem issued the following tweet: “I just want everyone to see my new high Donkey Kong Score. In the March of 2010, he followed it up with: “To my fellow Kongers, peep the new high score. Just imagine if I had more spare time.” He had a score of 465,800-which is considered world class and enough to get him close to the top 20.?In an interview for the Rolling Stone, Eminem officially says that he is a vintage video game junky. He’s used his mad cash money to stock his study lobby with Donkey Kong, Frogger, and Space Invaders. Currently, he is working of breaking the high score of Steve Wiebe-an every-day engineer whose mission to conquer Donkey Kong sparked a documentary.? word 'nickname' is actually a mispronunciation of the word 'ekename!' It has nothing to do with shortening a name!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:10 AMThe word 'nickname' is actually a mispronunciation of the word 'ekename!' It has nothing to do with shortening a name!?Nicknames have infinite possibilities – whether you have a serious one (re: Lizzie instead of Elizabeth) or a funny one (re: Shaggy because of your unruly hair).?They can also be mean or ridiculous. They can even take over for your actual legal name. A nickname is often deemed desirable, as it can be a symbol of acceptance.?So was it someone named Nick who originally came up with the idea of shortening names or creating a name replacement? Nope. The word “nickname” is actually a mistake. It comes from the word “ekename,” which means “additional name.” This term was used as early as 1303.?It came from the Old English word “eaca,” which means “an increase.” By the fifteenth century, the syllables of “an ekename” had started to be incorrectly divided into “a nekename.” While today’s spelling is different, the pronunciation is basically the same.? people have had injuries in dreams that translate into real life!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:10 AMSome people have had injuries in dreams that translate into real life!?Some people have reported to experiencing injuries in their dreams and then finding real, physical wounds on their bodies when they wake up. For example, some people who claim to have caught in a fire in their dream also claim to having woken up and found burn marks on their skin.?One of the most popular documented cases is that of an Indian man named Durga Jatav. While suffering from thyphoid fever, he had an extremely vivid dream about being held captive in another realm. In the dream, his legs were chopped off and then reattached. Once he was awake, his sister and neighbor noticed fissures around his knees that were not there previously. However, X-ray photographs showed no abnormality below the surface of the kin.? almost cut a song from Lion King. That song won an Oscar!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:10 AMDisney almost cut a song from Lion King. That song won an Oscar!?Disney’s “The Lion King” came out in 1994 and was a huge success. It remains to this day the most profitable traditionally animated film ever released by Disney. It was re-released in 2011 to ensure that a whole new generation would enjoy it. Along with an entertaining story, “The Lion King” has some great songs.?One such song is the famous “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” which features Simba and Nala singing to each other about their love in the jungle. Originally, this song was going to be humorously sung by Simba’s friends, Timon and Pumbaa – the Meer cat and wart hog. This version was even recorded and storyboarded.?Eventually, the final, more romantic version of the song was used. However, this version was almost cut from the film altogether. Elton John, who handled much of the soundtrack, had to personally campaign to keep the song in the film. It went on to win an Oscar so looks like it was a pretty good decision.? XVI never had a driver's license. However, he is a licensed helicopter pilot!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:10 AMBenedict XVI never had a driver's license. However, he is a licensed helicopter pilot!?Former pope Benedict recently gave up his position as the leader of the Catholic Church. Do you think he misses flying the papal helicopter? It turns out that Benedict does not have a driver’s license. He never learned to drive a car.?He never felt the need to learn to drive a car because he lived in areas where it wasn’t easy or necessary to use cars. If he did need a ride, he relied on others to drive him.?He is however a licensed pilot—specifically he is licensed to fly small engine planes and helicopters. He is one of the oldest licensed pilots in the world. When he was pope, he was known to fly the official Vatican helicopter to official meetings, functions and official residences.? being attacked by a bear, a man spent $150,000 to make a bear-proof suit that turned out to be useless!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:10 AMAfter being attacked by a bear, a man spent $150,000 to make a bear-proof suit that turned out to be useless!?Troy Hurtubise encountered a grizzly while in the woods one day. There is no good reason why he is still alive. Hurtubise entered a meadow and spotted the large grizzly. Instead of slowly backing away and leaving the bear alone, Hurtubise decided to taunt it.?His yelling understandably irritated the bear and it lunged at him. It hit him in the chest and sent him sprawling. Hurtubise realized just how close to death he was but refused to back down. For some reason, the grizzly simply turned and walked away.?After the incident, Hurtubise became obsessed with grizzlies and researched them extensively. After seeing the film “Robocop,” he came up with the idea of creating a protective, bear-proof suit that would allow him to get close and study them.?After 10 years and $150,000, he decided to test it. Off he went into the Canadian wilderness to find a grizzly. When he finally encountered one he realized that the suit was useless. He could only walk on completely flat ground and ended up tripping and was unable to right himself without help.? is a type dragon-fly that can fly at a speed of 35mph!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:11 AMThere is a type dragon-fly that can fly at a speed of 35mph!?The Austrophlebia costalis or the Southern Giant Darner is a species of dragon fly specific to (surprise, surprise) the coast of Australia. It’s high speeds cannot be missed by those who live in those areas of Australia.?When scientists attempted to measure their speed, they found that the dragonfly’s average speed is about 60mph. This speed is equal to the speed of a cheetah, coyote, and hawk. The dragonfly is considered one of the fasted known animals.? ACT is now more popular than the SAT!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:11 AMThe ACT is now more popular than the SAT!?The SAT has historically been more popular than the ACT. This doesn’t mean that students preferred the SAT over the ACT – they would probably prefer to take neither. It does mean that more students took the SAT than the ACT. In 1986, 1,000,748 students took the SAT compared to 730,000 who took the ACT. In 1996, 1,084,725 students took the SAT while 924,663 took the ACT.?Slowly, the number of college applicants taking the ACT began to creep up. Finally, in 2012, the ACT’s popularity surpassed that of the SAT. That year, 1,666,017 students took the ACT and 1,664,479 took the SAT. This is most likely due to the fact that the ACT is a more consumer-friendly exam.?Its writing section is optional so if a school doesn’t require a writing score, students don’t have to complete this. There is no deduction for wrong answers so it is alright to guess. The ACT offers “score choice” so students can eliminate one day’s bad score if they need to. The ACT also does a better job of marketing itself to states as a replacement for high school exit exams.? art exhibit consisted of a glass box, 4 frat guys, 30 cases of Natty Light and sharpies!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:11 AMAn art exhibit consisted of a glass box, 4 frat guys, 30 cases of Natty Light and sharpies!?What would you get if you combined 4 frat guys, nearly unlimited beer, sharpies and an ample writing surface? That's what an Artist at the SCOPE art fair in New York tried to answer in 2011 by doing just that.?The exhibit was called C'mon Guy. People donated 30 cases of Natty Light for the exhibit. Then, four of the frattiest guys available were stuck in there (one was a pledge) and they were given freedom to do what they wanted.?Results were pretty much what you expected. Artsy people walking by talking about the genious of this idea, while the frat guys were shotgunning beers and telling art chicks that they were hot.Check out a video at the source.? cigarettes, popular in the 50s-70s had filters made with asbestos!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:11 AMKent cigarettes, popular in the 50s-70s had filters made with asbestos!?Today, everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. It hurts your lungs and causes cancer. Back in the day, this wasn’t common knowledge. Once people started to catch on to the dangers of tobacco, cigarette companies attempted to make cigarettes safer. Or rather they attempted to convince consumers that they were safer.?One way they did this was by introducing menthol cigarettes. Menthol was supposed to be good for your lungs so perhaps it would combat the negative effects of the tobacco. Filtered cigarettes were another attempt at increasing their safety. This attempt failed miserably.?The P. Lorillard Company decided to use asbestos as a filter. Asbestos could be spun into tiny threads to act as an effective filter and was relatively cheap. These new filtered cigarettes were advertised as “the greatest health protection in cigarette history.”?Unfortunately, the filter was 30% Brazilian asbestos, which is hugely harmful to the lungs and can cause lung cancer. The filter also made the cigarette tougher to draw, which meant people were using more suction to breathe it in and drawing the chemicals deeper into their lungs.? purrs exploit our nurturing instinct by incorporating the same frequency as a baby’s cry.?Wednesday, 3 July 20136:11 AMCats purrs exploit our nurturing instinct by incorporating the same frequency as a baby’s cry.??As of now, communication cross species is something that’s only been dabbled in, comparatively. There are only a few studies that highlight the way animals communicate with their human companions in their “natural” domestic environment. One of the few things that’s been discovered as fact is the way cats manipulate their humans by purring.?Essentially, cats purr to get what they want from human hosts (normally food). Their purr hits the same sensory frequency as an infant’s cry, exploiting the nurturing instinct of humans. A test was conducted that played purrs while cats were seeking food to one group, and played no purrs while cats looked for food to another group.?The group listening to the purrs felt much more discomfort. Embedded within the purr is a higher frequency sound more like a meow. That sound is the actual influential factor in manipulating humans.? for his lost hammer, a man found the largest collection of Roman gold and silver ever discovered in Britain!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:11 AMSearching for his lost hammer, a man found the largest collection of Roman gold and silver ever discovered in Britain!?In 1992 in Suffolk, England, farmer Peter Whatling had misplaced a hammer. He asked his friend, amateur metal detectorist Eric Lawes, to help him find it. While searching, Lawes found something of far greater value. He discovered gold jewelry, silver spoons and gold and silver coins. Before proceeding futher, Lawes and Whatling notified the police.?The next day, a team of archaeologists excavated the site. The collection became known as the Hoxne Hoard. It is the largest collection of Roman gold and silver ever found in Great Britain. It consists of 14,865 silver, gold and bronze coins and about 200 items of silver tableware and gold jewelry. Altogether, the collection is worth about 2.66 million pounds today.?Many of the pieces are now on display in the British Museum in London. They are dated after 407 AD around the time that Britain stopped being a Roman province. The reason for their burial is still unknown.? has women-only cars in their trains to prevent sexual harassment!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:11 AMJapan has women-only cars in their trains to prevent sexual harassment!?Women only passenger cars have been introduced by the governments of many countries in Asia so that women can travel to work or other destinations without fearing or experiencing groping activities from men.?The down side of these cars is that they tend to be more crowded and have relatively longer distances between two stops. As you can see, women have to experience great inconveniences not to be harassed in public. In many of these Asian countries, the demand for these cars is growing as more women have to go to work.?India has been created a woman-only taxi service. It’s easy to see this active attempt to protect women from harassment as social progress, but the fact that these services are required and their demands are increasing indicate that something is wrong and isn’t getting better.? man once miscalculated 7x7 and won millions of Euros!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:11 AMA man once miscalculated 7x7 and won millions of Euros!?Spain has hosted a very popular Christmas lottery for over two centuries now. The payout it's huge (720 million euros), therefore it is the biggest lottery in the world and pretty much all Spaniards play.?Back in the mid-1970s, a man sought a ticket that ended in 48. Funny thing is that you never hear the number 48 as being someone’s favorite number or lucky charm, so when asked why he was so intent on finding that number, he replied that he dreamt the number seven for seven nights and that seven times seven is 48, therefore making it it's lucky charm.?So next time you are having a hard time with math, no matter how simple it is or how tedious you might find it, just remember that someday pure simple math might help you become one of Europe’s wealthiest people!? British equivalent of ‘that's what she said’ is ‘as the actress said to the bishop’.Wednesday, 3 July 20136:12 AMA British equivalent of ‘that's what she said’ is ‘as the actress said to the bishop’.?The phrase far predates The Office, but was often used by Ricky Gervais’s character David Brent in the original British version of the show. When the sitcom was brought overseas and adapted for American viewership, Gervais’s expression was translated to “that’s what she said”! This idiom, spoken by Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, quickly became the show’s catchphrase and an American pop culture phenomenon.???A Brazilian clown ran for congress. He's the second-most voted in history!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:12 AMA Brazilian clown ran for congress. He's the second-most voted in history!?Francisco Everardo Oliveira Silva (better known as Tiririca) is a Brazilian actor, clown, comedian, humorist, politician and singer-songwriter that currently represent the state of Sao Paulo in the National Congress of Brazil!?As you can see this man can pretty much do anything! But how did he become a congressman?In 2010 he announced that he would run for the National Congress after being invited by a Brazilian political party (Brazilian Republic Party).?Later on he appeared in television ads in which he started using catchy slogans such as:“What does a federal congressman do? I really don’t know- but if you vote for me, I’ll tell ya”“It can’t get any worse, vote Tiririca”?Among many other lines, Tiririca was able to use this slogans to capture the heart of 1,348,295 Brazilians which voted for him and allowing him to win his seat for Sao Paulo state!Definitely a great charisma can get you anywhere!? has a known great descendant who advises the Chinese government!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:12 AMConfucius has a known great descendant who advises the Chinese government!?Kung Tsui-Chang is the Senior Advisor to the President of the Republic of China and also the great, great (plus, 74 more greats) grandson of philosophical mastermind Confucius. He’s the 79th-generation descendant of Confucius in the main line of descent, making me the titular Sacrificial Official to Confucius in 2009.?The Tsui in his name is the generation name (a character in a name shared by siblings and cousins of a particular generation) for the 79th descendant. His children (one of them being his successor) all have Yu in their names, it being the generation name given to the 80th generation descendants of Confucius.?As fascinating as this is, it seems a little strange that a man could be so esteemed that 79 generations later, people are entitled to a certain status and amount of respect just for being related to him.? notorious cannibal became a vegetarian!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:12 AMA notorious cannibal became a vegetarian!?In 2003, Armin Meiwes was being trialed for killing and subsequently eating Bernd Brandes. Meiwes told the court during his trial that his lonely childhood had lead to create “Franky” – an imaginary brother.?According to him, his motive for eating Brandes was a “sentimental one”; it was born from his desire for a younger brother he never had. He wanted “someone to be a part of [him].” The creepiest thing about this case was that Brandes actually consented to being killed and eaten, and so maybe can’t really be considered a victim.?Meiwes posted a call (on a website called Cannibal Café) for someone who would like to sacrifice themselves to his deranged childhood fantasy, and Brandes agreed. Still, Meiwes was eventually charged for murder and sentenced to life in prison.?Since then however, Meiwes has made some lifestyle changes. He is now into environmentalism and has sworn not to eat meat. According to a fellow convict, he now only sticks vegetarian dishes and finds the idea of factory farming as distasteful as his crime was. In 2007, he was elected the leader of a Green Party group in the high security prison where he is now serving his sentence.? Australian pilot and his plane disappeared after being apparently chased by a UFO!Wednesday, 3 July 20136:32 AMAn Australian pilot and his plane disappeared after being apparently chased by a UFO!?On October 21, 1978 at 7:21 PM, 20-year-old Frederick Valentich vanished. He was piloting a Cessna 182L aircraft over the Bass Strait in Australia. During his 127 mile journey, Valentich had told Melbourne air traffic control that he was being accompanied by a strange aircraft.?It was hovering about 1,000 feet above him. He began to report some odd happenings and said that his engine started acting up. He described a shiny metal aircraft “orbiting” above him that had a green light. He then said that the “strange aircraft is hovering over me again. It is hovering and it’s not an aircraft.”?There was then about 17 seconds of a metallic scraping noise and then they lost contact. Valentich and his plane were never found. The Australian Department of Transportation could not come up with a reason for the disappearance.?After the incident, there were belated reports of a UFO sighting on the same night as Valentich’s disappearance. Some reported seeing an erratically moving green light in the sky. Others noted that they saw a green light trailing Valentich’s plane and that he had been in a steep dive. This was before Valentich’s transcripts had been released so the public did not know he had noticed a green light.? have 1,458 unique forms of bacteria in your belly button!Thursday, 4 July 20135:53 AMYou have 1,458 unique forms of bacteria in your belly button!?Germaphobes beware, your belly button may or not be a breeding ground for bacteria. According to a recent study done as part of the Belly Button Biodiversity (BBB) project, after swabbing 60 belly buttons, they found 2,368 species of bacteria, 1,458 species of which they believe to be unique.?Dr Claire Cronin justifies the mass bacteria build up in our belly buttons as a result of next to no one genuinely grooming and cleaning their belly buttons the same way that they keep the areas behind their ears clean. Dr Cronin says that the belly button can be a crucial gateway inside the human body during surgery, however if the belly button isn't groomed well enough, doctors cannot use it as an entry point!?Next time you take a shower, and you're scrubbing all over to keep clean - don't leave out your belly button. That is, unless, you WANT hundreds of species of bacteria living in there.? Boy Scout tried to build a nuclear reactor... in his back yard!Thursday, 4 July 20135:54 AMThis Boy Scout tried to build a nuclear reactor... in his back yard!?David Hahn, a 31 year old man was held in the Macomb County Jails after being caught trying to steal 16 smoke detectors which contained radioactive material!?What’s funny about this story is that back in 1996, Hahn tried to build a nuclear reactor at his backyard! When asked, investigators stated that Hahn was arrested after someone saw him stealing detectors around the apartment complex where he lived and that later on the other detectors were found at his apartment!?Back in the 1990s he learned that smoke detectors have a small amount of a radioactive isotope, and therefore it could help him to continue his evil plan. Why does he have so many open sores in his picture? Possibly because of all the radioactive materials that he was exposed to.? Spielberg put every actor in Saving Private Ryan through army training… except for Matt Damon!Thursday, 4 July 20135:54 AMSteven Spielberg put every actor in Saving Private Ryan through army training… except for Matt Damon!?Saving Private Ryan has long been credited with being an incredibly realistic portrayal of the second World War. The film follows United States Army Ranger Captain John H. Miller and his squad as they search for Private Ryan (played by Matt Damon).?Before filming, several of the film’s stars, went through 10 days of “boot camp” training led by Marine veteran Dale Dye and Warriers Inc. Matt Damons was intentionally not brought into the camp to make the rest of the group feel resentment towards the character. It was this kind of attention to detail and diligence that contributed to the epic realism of the film.? actually live in the abandoned set of The Phantom Menace.Thursday, 4 July 20135:54 AMPeople actually live in the abandoned set of The Phantom Menace.?This movie set were built for entertainment, but sometimes ended up fulfilling a necessity. A group of Tunisians have moved into the hometown of Anakin Skywalker, Mos Espa for shelter 13 years after shooting wrapped up. The set is still in good condition and is composed of 15-20 buildings, although some are only facades.?When reporters went to visit this once-fictional village, they found one person selling some of the props used in the movie. They found that a lot of the machinery and gadgets were made from wood and plastic. Still, it was probably cool to see these people casually going about their daily lives in a place that many a star wars fan would faint just thinking about.? T cars had to drive in reverse when going up a steep hill!Thursday, 4 July 20135:54 AMModel T cars had to drive in reverse when going up a steep hill!?The Model T car is often mentioned as a modern marvel. The car that not only made motorized vehicles affordable, it also revolutionized manufacturing via Henry Ford's assembly line innovations.?That doesn't mean it was perfect, though. Take this quirky limitation for example. If you had a Ford Model T and you wanted to drive it through a steep hill, the car would just stop working. This was because the car relied on gravity to feed the fuel carburetor instead of a fuel pump.?When you drove through a steep hill, the fuel would not be able to reach the carburetor and it would be as if the car was out of gas. The solution for this was to climb these steep hills in reverse!? 10 Commandments of the Old Testament may have come from the Egyptian Book of the Dead!Thursday, 4 July 20135:54 AMThe 10 Commandments of the Old Testament may have come from the Egyptian Book of the Dead!?The 10 Commandments of the Old Testament were allegedly written on stone tablets by God at around 1490 BCE. However, God may have consulted the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text used from around 1550 BCE. In chapter 125, we have all of the 10 Commandments.?For example, the Book of the Dead says “I have not blasphemed” and the Exodus says “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.” The Book of the dead says “I have not stolen” and the Exodus says “Thou shalt not steal.”?This correlation could be because the 10 Commandments simply outline the basic things one must not do to remain a decent human being, and in most cultures, the those basic things are the same; most places do not smile upon murder, disrespect, etc.? raindrop hitting a mosquito is like a human being hit by a bus!Thursday, 4 July 20135:54 AMA raindrop hitting a mosquito is like a human being hit by a bus!?A raindrop hitting a mosquito is kind of like a bus hitting a human being. The only difference is that the mosquito’s got the skills required to make it out pretty much unscathed. According to recent experiments, the insect’s light weight compared to the raindrop actually works in it's favor.?According to physicists, it's small weight means that not much momentum is transferred to a mosquito. Thus, the mosquito is able to attach itself to the rain drop and just ride it downwards. The mosquito is careful enough to break away from the drop before it splashes into the ground.?This ability allows mosquitoes to pester us rain or shine.? Keene, the supposed author of the Nancy Drew Series, was not real!Thursday, 4 July 20135:54 AMCarolyn Keene, the supposed author of the Nancy Drew Series, was not real!?Carolyn Keene was not a real person. Carolyn Keene wasn’t even a pseudonym for a real person. Carolyn Keene was a pseudonym for many real people. Several authors worked on the Nancy Drew Series; for example, Mildred Wirt, Benson Adams, Harriet Adams, etc. The writers were paid $125 for each book and contractually obligated to maintain confidentiality.?“Carolyn Keene” is also credited with writing Nancy Drew spin-offs such as River Heights and The Nancy Drew Notebooks. The use of the pseudonym was probably a marketing ploy to ensure that the identification of the series remained simple. Nancy Drew was, after all, for children.?'s an octopus that can kill you in one bite - there is no anti-venom.?Thursday, 4 July 20135:54 AMThere's an octopus that can kill you in one bite - there is no anti-venom.??It's called the blue-ringed octopus, and it lives in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans as well as around Japan and Australia. It is recognized as one of the world’s most venomous marine animals.??Though it is generally docile, and hunts only small crabs, hermit crabs, and shrimp, it may bite attackers if provoked. It carries enough venom to kill 26 people within minutes, and still no anti-venom exists. The venom contains tetrodotoxin, which is 10,000 times more toxic than cyanide.?Tetrodotoxin blocks sodium channels, causing motor paralysis and respiratory arrest. First aid treatment exists, however. Put simply, it is placing pressure on the wound and utilizing artificial respiration. A bag valve mask or medical ventilator can be sufficient to keep the victim alive until the venom is neutralized by the body. People who can live through the first 24 hours generally recover completely.?? Jordan might have stopped the Hornets winning the NBA playoffs by cursing!Thursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMMichael Jordan might have stopped the Hornets winning the NBA playoffs by cursing!?Most of us were able to see the greatest legend of the NBA become the legend. Most of us by acclamation consider him the greatest basketball player of all time.?He is known for all his career highlights and awards, and even for all his athletic products that most basketball players use in present time.However, what you probably didn’t know was that Michael Jordan was also a master at playing psychological/mind tricks during his games.?In game 3 of the 1995 NBA playoffs, Hornets point guard Mugsy Bogues had the ball with several seconds left and an opportunity to nail the game-winning shot. His defender, Michael Jordan, stepped back, put his hands down, and said, "Shoot it, you ******* midget." The shot wasn't even close!?Michael Jordan was great at slam dunks, but apparently he was also great at defending, and all he ever needed was his mouth.I wonder if his mom washed it with soap after finding out the dirty words he used during that game.? Lincoln is in the wrestling hall of fame!Thursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMAbraham Lincoln is in the wrestling hall of fame!?Lincoln wasn’t just a freedom fighter. His long limbs and tough spirit made him an accomplished wrestler as a young man. Lincoln competed in approximately 300 matches, losing only once the entire time. He was also a bit of a trash talker in the ring.?He once challenged an entire crowd of onlooker dispatching an opponent. That’s right, Honest Abe got up and said; “I’m the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns.” Sure enough, no one wanted to wrestle the future president. All of his accomplishments, in and out of the ring, earned him an “Outstanding American” honor in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.? a crazy night at Las Vegas? You might want to check their Hangover Heaven Bus!Thursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMHad a crazy night at Las Vegas? You might want to check their Hangover Heaven Bus!?Believe it or not hangovers can be cured at Vegas with this 45-foot rolling hangover treatment clinic! This bus has been design to provide first-class medical treatment while simultaneously offering you such great comfort that you will feel like a real king or queen.?The bus mainly runs on the weekends, so if you need treatment during weekdays they have a clinic in which they can treat you with all their great comforts still included.?This bus is available 7 days a week and they are considered experts when it comes to treating any kind of hangover, so no matter how mild to severe your hangover is, you might want to write their number down so that next time you visit fabulous Las Vegas you can have the night of your life without worrying about next morning’s hangover!? are the only bird that lowers their upper eyelids to blink. All other birds raise their lower lid to blink.?Thursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMOwls are the only bird that lowers their upper eyelids to blink. All other birds raise their lower lid to blink.??Owls are located everywhere on Earth except Antarctica, parts of Greenland, and remote islands. They constitute a group of 200 bird species. They are solitary birds, meaning they keep to themselves and don’t live in groups.??They fly almost completely silent and much slower than other birds. Some owls hunt fish, but most live on insects and small rodents. They hunt at night and have excellent night vision with large eyes.?Their eyes are tubular, though, making it impossible for them to move them. They must move their head to avert their eyes. Owls can turn their heads up to 270 degrees! They can easily see behind their backs without moving their torso at all.??Unlike any other bird, owls blink by lowering their upper eyelids instead of raising their lower lid. Owls are farsighted, though, making them unable to see things close to their faces clearly.? Gore and Tommy Lee Jones were roommates at Harvard!Thursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMAl Gore and Tommy Lee Jones were roommates at Harvard!?Tommy Lee Jones is a popular American actor and film director having received four Academy Award nominations while Al Gore is an American politician, advocate, and philanthropist most popular for telling us all the “inconvenient truth.” Their paths of these wildly successful men crossed, not surprisingly, at Harvard.?From their freshmen to senior year, they were roommates and embarked in all sorts of college misadventures. In one instance, when they were both 21, they competed in a knife throwing contest with one another. In the process of doing so, they nearly killed an ancient elm tree. It’s safe to say that 65 year old Al Gore would not approve.? holes often emit jets of gas!Thursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMBlack holes often emit jets of gas!?A black hole is not really a hole-it is typically a collapsed star that’s gravity is so strong that it's escape velocity exceeds the speed of light. Since nothing is faster than light, nothing can escape after it comes within a certain distance of the black hole; not even light itself. All matter that falls within this distance is crushed to infinite density.?Jets of hot gas are often found streaming out of regions surrounding the black hole. These gas jets can be millions of light years in length and can incinerate or at least scorch most objects in their way. They are most likely caused by charged particles spiraling around the intense magnetic field thought to rotate around the black hole. Moral of this story: Stay away from black holes.? Jong-Un cuts his own hair!Thursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMKim Jong-Un cuts his own hair!?In retrospect, maybe this isn’t much of a surprise. Kim Jong Un allegedly has a crippling fear of barbers, stemming from traumatic childhood events. Therefore, he prefers to cuts his own hair. His DIY buzz-cut has apparently struck such a chord with the nation that when they’re not busy being exploited, young men reportedly queue up in front of parlors to get the Jong-Un cut.?Jong-Un has other beauty routines. Some speculate that he has undergone cosmetic procedures to look more like his grandfather. His recent photographs are noticeably different from those of him as a teenager.Anyways, moral of the story: The reign of North Korea can be seized with an army of barbers.? L. Jackson was sent to Los Angeles after the FBI told his mom he would die within a year!Thursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMSamuel L. Jackson was sent to Los Angeles after the FBI told his mom he would die within a year!?You might think that Samuel L. Jackson is a total bad-ass when it comes to movies, but did you know he was with the Black power movement back in 1969?After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. Jackson flew to Memphis and decided to join and equal rights protest march.?In an interview he revealed that he was angry about Martin Luther King’s assassination and that something had to be done in order for there to be change. He even held members of the Morehouse College board of trustees’ hostage along with many other students! After this action he was charged with a second-degree felony!?However, before he could become involved in any other kind of confrontation, his mother sent him to Los Angeles after the FBI warned her that his life was at risk and that he would die within a year if he remained with the Black Power movement.? stations used to broadcast computer programs so that listeners could load them into theirThursday, 4 July 20135:55 AMRadio stations used to broadcast computer programs so that listeners could load them into their?You remember audio cassettes? Even if you don’t, you must know that before the iPod touch, android and all those new cool gears you can get at your closest electronics shop that these bad guys used to be very popular back in the 90s.?They are in fact so popular that everybody was into audio cassette data storage! Even radio stations! Who would broadcast computer programs that listeners could record and then load into their computer.?Some of the most popular countries who did this were the United Kingdom, Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands.However this technique is no longer used since audio cassette data recording has been substituted by it's grandchildren which would include some of the awesome gear you carry with you at all times.?Just try to be generous and show some respect to your old cassettes (if you have any), haven’t they thought you at home that you must respect your elderly?? woman's toxic blood made the doctors and nurses treating her faint!Thursday, 4 July 20136:48 AMA woman's toxic blood made the doctors and nurses treating her faint!?At the age of 31, Gloria Ramirez died of kidney failure at Riverside General Hospital in California. She was rushed there after complaining of chest pains. As always, the medical staff took a blood sample.?However, “fumes” congested the room when the blood was taken. Additionally, a strange oily sheen on the woman’s skin and unexplained white crystals in her blood were reported.?The doctor who dealt with the blood suffered liver damage, lung damage, and bone necrosis. At least, 23 people in the medical staff were affected. A potential reason for this weird disaster may have been that Ramirez, who had had cervical cancer, took a blend of different medicines that combined to make an insecticide in her blood. However, the tests yielded no definitive answer.? tattoo guns that artists use today was originally a pen that could write through multiple pieces of paper.Thursday, 4 July 20136:56 AMThe tattoo guns that artists use today was originally a pen that could write through multiple pieces of paper.?The modern-day tattoo gun wasn’t always a tattoo gun. Its original model was invented by Thomas Edison and called the “electric pen.” The electric pen could write through multiple piece of paper (it was like a bleed-through pen on steroids). It was originally intended to be used as a duplicating device.?In 1891, Samuel O’Reilly discovered that the machine could be modified and used to introduce ink into the skin, and later patented a tube and needle system to provide an ink reservoir. Modern tattoo machines can control needle depth, speed, and force of application thus giving tattooing more precision and consequently the status of an art-form.? 1895, Ohio only had 2 cars!Thursday, 4 July 20138:18 AMIn 1895, Ohio only had 2 cars!?The first modern automobile was created in the year 1886. It was a Benz Patent-Motorwagen, invented by Carl Benz. However, automobiles only became affordable for many people when the Ford Model T was introduced in 1908. In the gap between those two years, cars were only driven by the elites-and often, very poorly.?In 1895, there were only two cars on the roads of Ohio alongside all those horse-and-buggies and bicycles. As luck would have it, the drivers of these cars crashed into one another. We have come a long way since then however. It was estimated in 2010 that the number of automobiles has risen to over 1 billion vehicles, up from the 500 million in 1986.? famous British guards with the tall hats are actually trained soldiers equipped with machine guns!Friday, 5 July 20134:27 AMThe famous British guards with the tall hats are actually trained soldiers equipped with machine guns!?The red jacked and weird hat wearing men and women who stand in the Sentry Box outside of Buckingham Place are from any of the 5 regiments of Foot Guards (Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Welsh Guards, Irish Guards, and Scots Guards). Only half of their job is standing emotionless outside of the Queen’s other palace, the other half is actively serving in the military.?Thus, they serve both a decorating and defensive role. However, even when they are acting as guards, they are prepared for a flight. Originally, they carried ceremonial guns but now they are all equipped with machine guns.? man's beard grows faster when he anticipates sex!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AM?A man's beard grows faster when he anticipates sex!?So, this is one hair-growth strategy. In 1970, a paper by the title of “Effects of Sexual Activity on Beard Growth in Man.” Was published in Nature magazine. The author the paper placed himself on a deserted island. About every weekend however, he would get a visit from a female mate.?He began to notice a pattern; his beard grew at a relatively slow rate while he was alone, but when he was about to see the lady, there was a sudden increase in stubble. He attributed his growth to an increase in androgen (testosterone and other closely related hormones) levels that occur when preparing for sexual activity.?'s an alcoholic beverage made out of a real seagull!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AM?There's an alcoholic beverage made out of a real seagull!?It seems like humans will do anything for a quick booze fix. Take the Seagull Wine for example. Made by the Inuit of the Arctic Circle, it's a beverage made by shoving a dead seagull inside a bottle of water! The dead bird is then left outside in the sun so that it can ferment.?That's far from the only strange concoction that humans will make for a booze fix. In England there's a brand of vodka called Skorppio. As you may guess, the company adds a farm-raised scorpion to every bottle.?In China, a baby mouse is drowned in a vat full of wine and then ferments for a year. The wine itself is reportedly nasty, but apparently people there believe that drinking the wine and swallowing the mouse at the end will cure liver problems, skin conditions and even asthma.?Check out more weird drinks at the source!? Air Force was developing a bomb that would turn people gay!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AMThe Air Force was developing a bomb that would turn people gay!?In 1994, the US Air Force decided to become a troll. It started a mission to develop and deploy non-lethal weapons for use in combat. One of the proposals was titled “Harassing, Annoying, and “Bad Guy” Identifying Chemicals. The entire objective of this plan was not to kill or harm the enemy, but to piss them off.?For example, there was a plan to create and drop a bomb containing pheromones to attract bees or wasps to sting enemy soldiers. Another chemical was meant to give the enemy severe and lasting bad breath. At one point, the Air Force considered spraying the enemy with strong aphrodisiacs that would cause “homosexual behavior.”? cells are programmed to die!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AM?Our cells are programmed to die!?An experiment conducted back in 1965 by Dr. Leonard Hayflick, show that our cells have a molecular clock, which starts ticking from the moment we’re born. That clock determines our cells’ life span, and hence our death!?According to his investigation (Hayflick limit), humans can only possibly live up to 120 years old since our cells are programmed to die. All of our cells undergo a process called apoptosis, which is their programmed cellular death. At some point in our lives our cells are all programmed to go through apoptosis and not regenerate!?If our cells weren’t programmed to die, we would all have cancer since they would all just grow without having anything to stop them!Therefore, be grateful for apoptosis, and stay in school.? has the highest ratio of millionaires in the world!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AM?Singapore has the highest ratio of millionaires in the world!?When guessing what country has the highest ratio of millionaires, few would say Singapore, but the country actually has one of the freest and strongest economies in the world! It is known as one of the Four Asian Tigers, along with Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan because all are so developed and economically successful.?It also has one of the lowest rates of corruption and has the highest trade-to-GDP ratio in the world! It is no wonder there are so many rich people in Singapore, were it seems to be a breeding ground for free trade and mass amounts of wealth. One in every six households has at least one million US dollars in disposable wealth. To put that in perspective, only around 4% of Americans are that rich, compared to nearly 17% in Singapore!? Jong-Un collects Nikes!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AM?Kim Jong-Un collects Nikes!?Kim Jong Un’s hobbies include complaining about American consumerism and collecting Nike sneakers. Although to be fair, we don’t know for sure if he still has the Nike sneakers he started collecting as a teenager.?Apparently, in his younger days, Jong-Un was indifferent to politics and rebelled against his father’s anti-American propaganda by purchasing Nike shoes. Talk about stomping down on authority.?Jong Un was also really into basketball. According to his Swiss college friend, he was obsessed with Kobe Bryant, Toni Kukoc, Michael Jordon, and the LA Lakers.?He allegedly owned photographs with NBA players and had a room filled with NBA-memorabilia.It’s nice to know that even dictators were once rebellious teenagers.? hottest planet ever discovered has an average temperature of 4,000F!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AMThe hottest planet ever discovered has an average temperature of 4,000F!?If intergalactic vacations ever become a thing, you might want to avoid the planet WASP-12b.?This planet orbits it's star closer than any other known planet. It is about 2.1 million miles away compared to Earth’s 93 million mile distance from our sun. The smallest portion of it's atmosphere could overcook you.?The planet’s average temperature is about half the temperature of the surface of the sun or twice as hot as lava. It also sprints around it's star. One year on the planet (a full rotation about it's star) is equal to one Earth day.? toed sloths can poop up to 30% of their body weight at one time.?Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AMTwo toed sloths can poop up to 30% of their body weight at one time.??There are two kinds of two toed sloths: Linnaeus’s two toed sloth, and Hoffmann’s two toed sloth. The main superficial difference between these two toed sloths and the three toed sloth is size and and movement speed.??Three toed sloths are generally larger and faster. The two different types of sloth aren’t believed to be very closely related, though. The sloth eats shoots and leaves, as well as fruits, nuts, berries, and occasionally small rodents.?They have an exceptionally slow metabolism, and as a result food can take nearly a month to digest. Their stomachs have multiple chambers to accommodate this, though.??After all the digestion is done with, the sloth’s weight can go down by up to 30 percent, or around 13 pounds.? has always had exactly 425 licensed gondoliers. They were all men until 2010!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AMVenice has always had exactly 425 licensed gondoliers. They were all men until 2010!?That’s right; it wasn’t until 2010 that authorities granted a woman a full license to show visitors the history and charm of Venice via waterway. Said woman is 24 year old, mother-of-two Giorgia Boscolo whose father was also a gondolier. She passed a year-long series of practical and written tests so that she could spend her days passing through Venice’s beautiful cannels.?The deputy mayor of Venice says that there has been “excessive male domination” inside the gondolier’s guild. In 2010, her employment was only part-time and conditional. She could only stand in for a male colleague if he wanted to take the day of. However, she hoped that one day she would have her own gondola tied up in front of St.Mark’s Basilica.? US soldier was getting put in a body bag when he spat blood in a doctor's face!Friday, 5 July 20134:28 AMA US soldier was getting put in a body bag when he spat blood in a doctor's face!?If you thought every action movie star was tough, wait until you hear what Roy Benavidez went through in just a few hours. After he and the unit he was serving in became suddenly surrounded by the North Vietnamese Army, he instinctively volunteered to run to the helicopter, all while being shot at, to help them find a landing zone so the other soldiers could escape.?After finding somewhere for the helicopter to land, he ran back to his unit. While running to his unit, he was shot in the leg, and a grenade went off right beside him launching shrapnel into his back. He convinced himself he was fine, and he just kept on running. He used a medic kit he brought from the helicopter to patch up a few of the wounded soldiers and they ran to the helicopter. Again, he was shot multiple times, and another grenade went off beside him.?The escape chopper crashed landed after the pilot was shot, and Benavidez dragged out all the injured, but alive, soldiers that were on the helicopter. After calling in numerous airstrikes, and fighting off a NVA soldier, who stabbed him in the bicep twice, Benavidez and the unit were rescued.?When the doctors saw Benavidez, they assumed he was dead! It wasn't until Benavidez was put in a body bag, when he spit blood in the doctor's face that the medical team tried to keep him alive! After a year of recovery, against all odds, Benavidez was released from the hospital.You HAVE to click the source and read the whole story!? Le Pew has an Italian accent in France!Friday, 5 July 20134:29 AM?Pepe Le Pew has an Italian accent in France!?For the two of you who don’t know, Pepe Le Pew is that skunk from the Loonie Toons. Pepe embodies all the stereotypes that Americans have for the French; he is smelly, pretentious, and hopelessly (some would argue desperately) romantic.?It is easy to see why the French would not find this particularly funny. Therefore, in France, Pepe Le Pew does not have a French accent, rather he has an Italian accent. The French marketer and producers thought that associating Pepe with Italians would be funnier and less insulting to their current demographic.? are able to make extremely detailed maps of rainforests via airplane!Friday, 5 July 20134:29 AMScientists are able to make extremely detailed maps of rainforests via airplane!?There are many parts of the Amazon forest that have never been explored by humans. However, this hasn't stopped scientists from mapping those areas. In fact, thanks to new 3D scanning technology, they are able to make a detailed inventory of the forest. They can even tell individual trees apart!?NASA built the sensor that allows this. After it's mounted on a plane, it can detect photosynthetic pigment concentration, the water content of leaves, plant's defense compounds and many other characteristics. This means that the device can tell apart from among 200 different tree species!?Learn more about this amazing device at the source.?: 160,000 kids miss school every day to avoid being bullied. Here's how you can take a stand and make your voice heard.?Friday, 5 July 20134:29 AMPSA: 160,000 kids miss school every day to avoid being bullied. Here's how you can take a stand and make your voice heard.?? and the film BULLY are teaming up to run the largest nationwide bullying census hosted exclusively by Facebook.?For the first time, young people across the country will have a chance to speak to the realities of bullying in their schools and identify ways improve the problems they face on a daily basis. Take the survey today for a chance to win up to $20,000 in scholarship money!?Take the survey here: bully???Both Bejeweled and Tetris come from the same country! Can you guess which one?Friday, 5 July 20134:29 AMBoth Bejeweled and Tetris come from the same country! Can you guess which one??Shakiri (English: “The balls”) or bejeweled as everyone knows it goes back all the way to 1994! Russian programmer Eugene Alemzhin developed this puzzle game for DOS.?The main purpose of the game was to gain a high score by matching three or more balls of the same color in line, just like the bejeweled in your phone. After matching the balls, these would explode and new ones appear in their place.?Unlike modern versions of Bejeweled such as Facebook’s famous “Candy Crush Saga” this game is over when no more combinations are possible in the game field. Shakiri in fact was the influential game that made “PopCap Games” create bejeweled by making it closely matched to it's mechanics arose.?So next time you play any of these “match three games” or pretty much any match game, remember that there are many other great things that come from Russia besides their Vodka!?'s stopped their 30-minute delivery policy because of reckless driving!Friday, 5 July 20134:29 AMDomino's stopped their 30-minute delivery policy because of reckless driving!?Back in the day, Domino’s promised the public that if their pizzas were not delivered within 30 minutes of the order being placed, that pizza would be free. Now, as you can imagine, a pizza company does not want to give away free pizzas. Therefore, they pressured their cooks and delivery people to meet the half hour dead-line. This led to the latter driving recklessly.?In 1992, Domino’s had to pay $2.8 million to a family of a woman who had been hit by a Dominos delivery car. Then in 1993, it paid $78 million to a woman for the injuries she received in a 1989 Dominos car accident. Dominos settled out of court for about $15 million but it was time for the policy to be scrapped.? girl featured on the front cover of Vampire Weekend's album sued the band!Friday, 5 July 20134:29 AMThe girl featured on the front cover of Vampire Weekend's album sued the band!?Contra is the second album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend and it's cover features a candid Polaroid of a 26 year old girl from 1983.The photo was found by the band while searching through photo archives of that year and they were captivated by the amazing quality of the image.?They discussed what her age or emotional state could be in the photograph, and weren’t able to come to a particular conclusion. In a way, it was like staring at the Mona Lisa. One of the members believed that "wrapped up in her expression is this question: 'How is she feeling?'" And that "maybe she wasn't even really sure at the time."?Well, perhaps she didn’t know what she was feeling at the time, but she certainly knew what she was feeling when her daughter brought home the album and she discovered that her photograph had been used without her consent.?The woman-Ann Kirsten Kennis sued the band for $2 million. Kennis said that the photo was taken while she was “a high-fashion model under contract with prestigious agencies in New York City.” In addition, she claims that her signature on release forms for the photo was forged. Kennis eventually dropped the lawsuit after Vampire Weekend’s record label paid her an undisclosed sum.? test showed that people are willing to electrocute people to death if they are told to!Friday, 5 July 20134:29 AMA test showed that people are willing to electrocute people to death if they are told to!?In the 1960’s, Milgram conduced an experiment to test the power of authority and the limits of obedience.?The participants of the experiment were asked to administer electrical shocks to human beings in another location. The people being shocked were not actually being shocked; they were actors who had to respond as the voltage the participant thought he/she was administering increased.?The actors screamed, cried, and begged for it to stop as the voltage increased. The participants of the experience were obviously uncomfortable with inflicting pain upon other human beings but continued to do so anyways because the psychologist who was overseeing the experiment told them to. Sixty percent of participants inflicted the maximum dose.?They tested this experiment with many different types of overseeing psychologists. What they found was that the results did not vary significantly on whether these authority figures were male, female, tall, short, etc. All they needed was that clean white lab coat.?'s no homework in Finland!Friday, 5 July 20134:29 AM?There's no homework in Finland!?That’s right, while the average US 5th grader has 50 minutes of homework per day, Finnish students rarely have to do homework until their teens and even then they only get about half an hour of homework every day.?However, their high school graduation rate is at 93% compared to 78% in Canada and 75% in the US. Additionally, 2 in 3 students go to college; the highest rate in Europe. But don’t think this is because of low standards in the country.?Their international test scores dominate; Finland’s mean scores for the Program for International Student Assessment in 2006 was the highest in the world.?The reason for this is that students get plenty of teacher interaction. The student to teacher ratio is 1:12 when compared to New York’s student to teacher ratio which is about 1:24. Teachers in Finland all have a Master’s Degree fully subsidized by the state and only the top 10% of graduates are accepted into teaching programs.?Additionally, teachers are not treated like high-end baby sitters; they are as esteemed as doctors or lawyers. It seems like kids in Finland actually get to be kids, and having good grades and having fun are not mutually exclusive like they are in many other parts of the world.? word 'dinner' used to mean breakfast!Friday, 5 July 20139:04 AM?The word 'dinner' used to mean breakfast!?The English word “dinner” originates from the French word “disnar,” which means breakfast. Back in the day, dinner was the name for the first meal of the day, which was eat at around noon. It was also meant to be the biggest meal of the day. The lighter meal that followed it in the evening was called “supper.”?Eventually, we began to add more and more meals to our schedule. People began eating meals before the large noon meal. Rather than calling these earlier meals dinner, dinner now only meant the largest meal of the day. Since a night-long fast is being broken with the first meal of the day, it was labelled “breakfast.” Over time, in many cultures that used these words to describe their meals, the largest meal of the day was gradually pushed later and later in the day, until it was had when we used to have supper.? plants used to make beer and marijuana are in the same botanical family!Friday, 5 July 20139:05 AMThe plants used to make beer and marijuana are in the same botanical family!?Believe it or not you can pretty much say that both these plants are family!Cannabaceae is the scientific name that is given to this family of plants which include more de 170 species grouped in about 11 genera.?The Cannabacea family includes many plants, in which Cannabis (hemp/weed), Humulus (hops) and Celtis (hackberries) are included. And many of these plants have been used for ritual/medicinal purposes in China since 494 B.C!?Hop is currently used in the production of beer because of it's aromatic substances, while different subspecies of hemp are cultivated for the production of fiber, as a source of cheap oil, for the nutritious seeds or for medical cannabis!? set of deadly intentional fires in the 80s and 90s were started by the agent in charge of investigating them!Friday, 5 July 20139:05 AMA set of deadly intentional fires in the 80s and 90s were started by the agent in charge of investigating them!?The first fire was set in a hardware store in Pasadena in 1984. Four people died including a 2 year old child. It was first said to be set by an electrical fire and then the arson investigator, John Orr, came in and insisted it was an arson job.?A series of suspicious fires followed the Pasadena fire throughout southern California through the 1980s and early 1990s. Orr continued to be the arson investigator in the fires. In 1990 some fire squads met and spoke about the fires. The meeting produced a fingerprint that matched Orr. He was bugged and considered a serious arson suspect.?Then in 1991 Orr was found at a suspicious fire and the investigation was decided to be suspended and a warrant for his arrest was issued. He was arrested and found guilty of arson. He is in prison with a lifetime sentence.? longest Tennis point ever played lasted for 29 minutes and 643 shots!Friday, 5 July 20139:05 AMThe longest Tennis point ever played lasted for 29 minutes and 643 shots!?On September 24, 1984 Vicki Nelson and Jean Hepner, at the time ranked 93 and 172 in the world, engaged in what is still the longest point played in a professional tennis match.?This whopper of a point lasted for 29 minutes and 643 exchanged shots between the two of them. The match itself lasted for 6 hours and 31 minutes which was the longest match ever played for over 20 years. It still hold the record for being the longest match completed on the same day.? singer of Johnny B. Goode still performs live. He's 86!Friday, 5 July 20139:05 AM?The singer of Johnny B. Goode still performs live. He's 86!?Chuck Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and pioneer of rock and roll music who isn’t about to retire just because of his age. His hit songs include Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, and Johnny B. Goode. At the age of 81, he toured Europe with stops in Sweden, Norway, Finland, the United Kingdom, etc.?During a New Year’s Day concert in 2011 in Chicago, Chuck Berry really brought it. He suffered from exhaustion, passed out and had to be helped off the stage and taken to the hospital. But, did that stop him? Well, currently at the age of 86, he usually performs live on Wednesday each month at Blueberry Hill.? Japan it is acceptable to fall asleep on the job; it shows you're working hard!Saturday, 6 July 20133:58 AMIn Japan it is acceptable to fall asleep on the job; it shows you're working hard!?Recent research shows that one in three people have some sort of sleep problem. Power naps became popular in the 1980s as an effective restorative power to catch up on sleep. Today, people have a hard time shutting down early and getting proper sleep.?Napping at work isn’t acceptable in the UK or in the U.S., But it is in Japan. The term they use is “inemuri” meaning “to be asleep while present.” Inemuri is thought of as a dedication and hard work to the job. It’s seen as exhaustion from working too hard and therefore praised.?Some Japanese even fake a nap to appear dedicated to the job. There are strict rules that are applied to inemuri. Only the higher ups and lower end workers in a company are allowed to partake in inemuri and they have to stay sitting up to appear to be still socially engaged.? September, a comet will be passing by Earth. It's so bright, you might be able to see it in daylight!Monday, 8 July 20136:50 AMThis September, a comet will be passing by Earth. It's so bright, you might be able to see it in daylight!?Most comets that pass by Earth’s vicinity can only be glimpsed through intricate and expensive telescopes, so it is a rare treat to be able to see one with the naked eye. Comets that can be seen with amateur telescopes and binoculars are considered rare, but this comet, named C/2012 S1, will be visible even during the daytime with the naked eye!?It was first discovered in 2012, far too dim to be glimpsed with any routine technology. However, as it comes closer, it will gradually be able to be seen with amateur telescopes around September of 2013, and by November it will be visible during the day to almost anyone who wishes to look into the sky! The reason it fluctuates in visibility is because of how near it is to our Sun and closer stars. As it's arc nears the Sun, we are able to see it better, and when it moves farther from our solar system, it gradually decreases in visibility.? Berkeley student solved unproved theorems that his professor wrote on the chalkboard because he thought they were homework!Monday, 8 July 20136:50 AMA Berkeley student solved unproved theorems that his professor wrote on the chalkboard because he thought they were homework!?His name is George Dantzig, and this story has become something of a legend. In 1939, while a graduate student at UC Berkeley, Dantzig entered his classroom and saw two famous unsolved statistics problems on the board. He arrived late, and little did he know that the professor had drawn them on there as examples before he had arrived.?He wrote them down, believing them to be homework and arrived in class with answers to both of them a few days later! He said that they seemed a little bit harder than normal, but other than that believed it to be routine.?His professor approached his several weeks later wishing to publish his solutions and even told him to forget about writing a thesis and instead just wrap his answers up in a binder. The story became world famous was actually the inspiration for the opening scene of the famous movie Good Will Hunting!? have been no reported cases of piranhas eating a human!Monday, 8 July 20136:50 AM?There have been no reported cases of piranhas eating a human!?Piranhas are known as vicious fish, fish that eat humans with their super sharp teeth. They've been featured in horror movies as villain's accomplices and human eating machines. However, they're not quite as horrible as we might think.?They're normally about 5.5 to 10.25 inches long and have a row of spiky triangular teeth on the top and bottom of their jaw. These are used to puncture and shear their prey. They do eat meat and are known for their big appetite, but some species also eat seeds. Other species scavenge in addition to hunting.?They can't be found just anywhere like in the movies. They exclusively inhabit South American fresh waters, especially the Amazon basin. There are no records of a piranha eating a human--this is a mythical concept. They are known for nipping off skin and scales of fish. Their prey can then survive, and this creates a renewable food source for the piranhas.? lightning strikes, it strikes a man 82% of the time!Monday, 8 July 20136:51 AM?When lightning strikes, it strikes a man 82% of the time!?We've all heard the expression "lightning never strikes the same place twice." And we're all aware of the belief that being struck by lightning is a very rare occurrence. However, it turns out that lightning is a bit sexist. It strikes men more often than women.?Between 1995 and 2008, lightning struck 648 people, and 82% of those people were men. Why is this? One reason is that men take more risks during bad weather. They are less likely to take safety precautions when lightning is around and will instead continue to partake in their outdoor activities, such as golfing and camping.?Sports related and recreational activities are responsible for about half of lightning-related deaths. It seems that, in this case, women are smarter than men when it comes to not taking unnecessary risks.????'&' and 'and' mean two different things in movie credits!Monday, 8 July 20136:51 AM?'&' and 'and' mean two different things in movie credits!?The ampersand is fun to draw. It saves space when you don't have much paper and saves time when you're furiously scribbling notes. Most people believe that it is equivalent to "and." And they would be correct because "&" is a logogram for the word "and."?The symbol can be traced back to the 1st century A.D. And old Roman cursive. The letters E and T were occasionally written together to form a ligature. This formed a symbol similar to the ampersand that we know today.?As far as it's meaning is concerned, the ampersand can mean something different than "and" in certain situations, such as movie credits. In this case, the ampersand means a closer relationship than "and." The Writer's Guild of America uses an ampersand when two writers have worked on a script together. They use "and" when two writers have both worked on a script but not necessarily at the same time.? Nazis had built fake airfields to fool their enemies. The British found out and dropped fake bombs on it!Monday, 8 July 20136:51 AMThe Nazis had built fake airfields to fool their enemies. The British found out and dropped fake bombs on it!?There have been many interesting war tactics--certain battle techniques, surprise attacks, etc. The Nazis came up with a unique one that didn't turn out to be too successful. During WWII, the Nazis built fake airfields to deceive the Allies. Sometimes, these airfields had fake runways and buildings. They always had fake wooden planes though. These were called as "Attrappen."?However, the Allies discovered that these were fake airfields and displaying a peculiar sense of humor, dropped fake bombs on them. The bombs were actually made of wood too. And rumor has it that some even said funny phrases like "wood for wood." Seems like a lot of effort to make fun of your enemy.? Clapton was blown away the first time he heard Jimi Hendrix play!Monday, 8 July 20136:51 AMEric Clapton was blown away the first time he heard Jimi Hendrix play!?James Marshall Hendrix, more commonly known as Jimi Hendrix was an ultra talented guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is actually one of the most celebrated guitarists in recent history. He was influential in developing the amplifier feedback technique that gained popularity. And Rolling Stone named three of his albums to their list of 100 greatest albums of all time.?Eric Clapton is also a musician and singer/songwriter. He is also one of the most influential guitarists of all time. He was a three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was named fourth on Gibson's list of 50 Greatest Guitarists of all time.?Neither man has a very shabby resume when it comes to music. However, when Eric Clapton first heard Hendrix play, he was blown away. In fact, he was quoted as saying "you never told me he was THAT good!"?'s pipe contained cocaine, cannabis and acid!Monday, 8 July 20136:51 AM?Shakespeare's pipe contained cocaine, cannabis and acid!?William Shakespeare is arguably the most famous and most read playwright in history. To this day, nearly four centuries after his death, his works continue to be read and studied in schools across the world. While Shakespeare was no doubt a genius, recent excavations of his Stratford-upon-Avon home have found traces of various drugs that could have influenced him!?While studying some clay pipe fragments form his home, Inspector Tommie van der Merwe of the South African Police Service’s Forensic Science Laboratory found traces of cocaine and myristic acid, which is a hallucinogen that can be made out of plants such as nutmeg. Cannabis residue was also detected and some claim he even wrote about marijuana in one of his sonnets!? Rocks caused such a panic, the FDA set up a hotline to assure parents their kids wouldn't die from eating them!Monday, 8 July 20136:51 AMPop Rocks caused such a panic, the FDA set up a hotline to assure parents their kids wouldn't die from eating them!?First created in 1956, Pop Rocks were not quick to catch on. One of the reasons for this was that parents at first believed them to be extremely dangerous! When people eat them now there isn’t much fear that they could potentially explode, yet fifty years ago this was a very real fear!?The classic pop-pop-pop sound and feeling that one experiences when eating Pop Rocks was so new and strange, rumors of exploding children were widely circulated throughout the US. In response, the FDA set up a hotline to ensure parents that their kids were completely safe!?'s made Bing Crosby a denim tuxedo after he was turned away from a hotel for wearing jeans!Monday, 8 July 20136:51 AMLevi's made Bing Crosby a denim tuxedo after he was turned away from a hotel for wearing jeans!?Today wearing denim is completely normal and no one would be looked down on for it. However, only sixty years ago this wasn’t the case. Bing Crosby loved wearing jeans and jean jackets, and when he went hunting in Vancouver, Canada, he wore his comfortable jean outfit.?When he approached a hotel to check in the clerk declared that he would not be allowed to stay in the hotel because of how he was dressed. At the time it was not appropriate to wear almost anything other than a suit out of the house. When the denim company Levi’s found out, they tailored an entirely denim tuxedo for Bing Crosby, which became one of his most famous outfits!? Lee from Pawn Stars broke a bass pawned for $700 that was worth more than $20,000!Monday, 8 July 20136:51 AMChum Lee from Pawn Stars broke a bass pawned for $700 that was worth more than $20,000!?Pawn Stars has launched to the top of reality television ratings, and for a while, was the second most viewed reality television show, right behind Jersey Shore. If you're familiar with the show, you'll know that Chum Lee is a lovable man - he just happens to do a lot of incredibly stupid things.?Perhaps the dumbest thing he's ever done, wasn't actually caught on camera. A man pawned his upright bass for $700, and Chum Lee leaned the bass against a shelf in the back room. The bass fell over, shattering into pieces, and Chum Lee had to tell the man the awkward news when he came to pick up his bass at a later date. The $700 bass ended up costing the store $20,000 to repair. But the question remains, why??Well, as it turns out, the bass was worth a lot more than $700, as it was actually incredibly rare. The store lost about $20,000 trying to repair an antique, collectible item. Hopefully Chum Lee learned his lesson, but, chances are he didn't.? Hendrix had a condition that literally made him SEE music!Monday, 8 July 20136:52 AMJimmy Hendrix had a condition that literally made him SEE music!?Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which someone associates words or numbers along with colors. For example, imagine the word sunset. Now, imagine what a sunset looks like. Someone who has synesthesia, upon hearing the word sunset, automatically changes the color of the word to match the colors of a sunset!?It is said that Jimi Hendrix suffered from Synesthesia, and named 'Purple Haze' after an experience he had while writing the song, and he was able to literally see the music as he played the chords. Now, he may have had synesthesia, or he may have just been really high on a mixture of LSD and marijuana.?Regardless, it is said that synesthesia shouldn't be classified as a 'condition' because it often provides advantages and aids someone who has synesthesia.? you get a bone marrow transplant, your blood can have the donor's DNAMonday, 8 July 20136:52 AMIf you get a bone marrow transplant, your blood can have the donor's DNA?Have you ever donated blood and wondered if the person you are donating to will end up with your DNA? This is actually not the case. When you donate blood, you donate packed red blood cells, which do not change another person's DNA.?However, this is not the case with bone marrow transplants. When someone receives a bone marrow transplant they, they also receive cells called hematocytoblasts. These cells sometimes develop into rubriblasts, which then turn into red blood cells. This transplant also let's them produce white blood cells and platelets. Hence, when someone receives a bone marrow transplant, they also receive the building blocks to make blood.?This is troublesome when it comes to using DNA samples as evidence in a crime scene. Usually, DNA at a crime scene is from blood. Hence, that blood could be associated with one person but belongs to someone else. Of course, you can still identify a person's true DNA if you are willing to wait a bit. Experts can identify isoenzymes in the blood of those who have received a transfusion. As such, they can identify the individual's true DNA.? man got fired after Wells Fargo found out he'd used a cardboard dime in a washing machine 50 years before!Monday, 8 July 20136:52 AMA man got fired after Wells Fargo found out he'd used a cardboard dime in a washing machine 50 years before!?Young people play pranks. They're just pranks. Richard Eggers was harshly punished for a particular prank of his youth though. In 1963, Eggers put a cardboard cutout of a dime in a washing machine. That was his only crime. However, he was fired for this indiscretion years later.?Big banks started firing low level employees like Eggers after new federal bank employment guidelines were published in May 2011. The new rules were meant to weed out executives guilty of transactional crimes. Unfortunately, they are being applied across the board for all employees. Banks fired thousands of employees according to these new rules.?Before new regulations, banks largely ignored minor indiscretions and misdemeanors. Now, they're afraid of being punished for disobeying regulations. Hence, there are victims like Richard Eggers whose childhood pranks come back to haunt him.? German spy sent to Canada during WWII used his funds to move to Ottawa and then surrendered to Canadian authoritiesMonday, 8 July 20136:52 AMA German spy sent to Canada during WWII used his funds to move to Ottawa and then surrendered to Canadian authorities?On May 14, 1942, Marius A. Langbein was dropped off at St. Martins, New Brunswick, Canada. He was a Russian spy looking to record shipping movements in Montreal and Halifax, Novia Scotia. His mission was code named Mission Grete (Langbein's wife). These two locations were the main departure points for North Atlantic convoys during WWII.?However, it seems that Langbein wasn't cut out to be a spy. He had lived in Canada before the war and must have liked it because he decided to settle down again. Instead of spying, he used his mission funds to move to Ottawa and start a new life.?He eventually surrendered to Canadian authorities in 1944. He was tried before a jury for spying, but they found him not guilty. He had never committed any hostile acts against Canada.? can get goose bumps from extreme emotions, not just cold!Monday, 8 July 20136:52 AM?You can get goose bumps from extreme emotions, not just cold!?Humans involuntarily develop goose bumps when they are cold or when they experience deep emotions. Many other mammals also experience this reflex--cats' and dogs' hair will stand on end, porcupines raise their spiky quills and sea otters' fur also rises.?When a mammal is cold, the rising hair traps air between the skin and hair, which creates insulation. In a threatening situation, goose bumps make an animal appear larger. In humans, goose bumps can be triggered by our "flight or fight" response. When you feel in danger, your system is flooded with adrenaline to help you either flee the situation or defend yourself.?The sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the adrenaline, speeds up the heart rate, raises the body temperature and increase metabolism. This same nervous system also controls goose bumps. Sometimes, humans get goose bumps just because they are experiencing intense emotions. This can often happen when listening to awe-inspiring music or music that you have a deep emotional connection to. Involuntarily, you get chills and goose bumps.? Titanic, the scene showing an elderly couple embracing while the ship sunk was based on a real couple.Monday, 8 July 20136:52 AMIn Titanic, the scene showing an elderly couple embracing while the ship sunk was based on a real couple.?They were the owners of Macy's. Their names are Isidor and Ida Straus and their story is quite touching. Raised in the south during the Civil War, Isidor would go on to New York where he would jointly found a store that sold crockery and glassware with his brother.??After becoming extremely wealthy, Isidor married Rosalie Ida Blun, and by all accounts the two were inseparable. When apart they would write letters every single day and tried to always stay in each other’s company. The Straus’ boarded the Titanic on their return trip from Germany to the United States when, on April 14, 1912, the ship struck an iceberg.??The couple made it to a lifeboat, but Ida refused to board proclaiming, "I will not be separated from my husband. As we have lived, so will we die, together." When an officer offered for Isidor to join his wife he refused, instead giving his spot to his wife’s maid.??The couple then proceeded to the back of the panicking crowd and were last seen sitting together in chairs on the deck of ship, calmly holding hands until a massive wave washed them into the sea. Today a memorial for Ida and Isidor can be seen on the main floor of Macy’s Department Store in Manhattan.?? in 2005, Iraqi terrorists held an action figure “hostage” and tried to claim it was a U.S. soldier.Monday, 8 July 20136:52 AMBack in 2005, Iraqi terrorists held an action figure “hostage” and tried to claim it was a U.S. soldier.?As you can tell from the above photo, the “victim” bares a striking resemblance to the “Cody” action figure that was produced for military bases by American toy manufacturer Dragon Models, Inc. back in 2003. That’s weird...they even sport the same uniform and accessories. Nobody would look very happy with a rifle pointed at their head, of course, but this soldier looks a bit TOO solemn about it...unnaturally so, even.??This is because the photograph is a complete hoax! When the photograph was released, the U.S. military hadn't reported any missing troops in Iraq, let alone this “John Adam” - the name the captors provided on the website where the photograph was originally posted. In addition to the inauthenticity of the figure, a number of other elements in the photo also appear to have been doctored. You'll notice that the kidnappers' gun in the photo is one of the accessories that comes with the action figure, and there's no one holding it in place.?? Japan, both old and new drivers have to sport a caution badge on their cars!Monday, 8 July 20136:52 AMIn Japan, both old and new drivers have to sport a caution badge on their cars!?Japan has a number of car stickers that signify different things. These include a butterfly and what looks like a blue shamrock. The stickers are for the safety of the driver and all those on the road. One such sticker looks like a tear drop and is half yellow and half red. This marks means that a driver is over 75 years old.?All drivers of this age must display these stickers on their car to notify other drivers of their elderly status.?Similarly, for the first year after they get their license, young drivers must display a sticker that is half dark green and half light green. This warns those around them that they are not very skilled.?The blue shamrock mentioned earlier means that a driver is handicapped. And the butterfly means that the driver is hearing impaired. It is unclear how these symbols correlate with each of these conditions though.? woman attacked her husband after she found copies of The Onion in his car!Monday, 8 July 20136:53 AMA woman attacked her husband after she found copies of The Onion in his car!?The Onion is a well-known publication originating in Wisconsin. It is known for it's humor and alternative views. Apparently one wife did not find it very funny. When 56-year-old Lynne Rasbornik found copies of it in her husband's car trunk, she attacked him.?Rasbornik returned to the house where her husband was and confronted him about the copies of The Onion. She then started physically attacking him. Her husband was able to fend her off and started to leave the house. She then tried to throw a vase at him, but he stopped her again. Rasbornik was charged with one count of disorderly conduct domestic abuse.?Her husband told the police that Lynne considered The Onion "pornography," and it had caused issues in their marriage before this.? is a species of tiny spider-like creatures that live inside the lungs of bees!Monday, 8 July 20136:53 AMThere is a species of tiny spider-like creatures that live inside the lungs of bees!?Talk about a world inside of a world. The “honey bee tracheal mite” is an internal parasite of honey bee. They are related to spiders and thus have 8 legs, and live and reproduce in the tracheae of the bees. The female mites stick about half a dozen eggs to the tracheal wall. The larvae hatch and develop in 11-15 days to adult mites.?Each mite infests young bees for up to two weeks. They pierce the tracheal tube walls with their mouth and feed on the haemolymph of the bees. More than a hundred mites can populate the tracheae and thus weaken the bee.? pulled 'American Gangster' from iTunes because he didn't want people to buy just 1 track!Monday, 8 July 20136:53 AMJay-Z pulled 'American Gangster' from iTunes because he didn't want people to buy just 1 track!?American Gangster is the tenth studio album by Jay-Z and his 1st studio album to be pulled from iTunes. His reason for removing this album from one of the world’s most popular online music store was, in his own words, “as movies are not sold scene by scene; this collection will not be sold as individual singles.” Essentially, Jay-Z felt that American Gangster tells a story that doesn’t deserve to be picked apart.?The album was made available for digital download, in it's entirety, on Amazon and Rhapsody. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, sold 425,861 copies it's first week, and tied with Elvis for the second most U.S number-one albums. Rolling Stones even named it the best album of 2007. So there you go; if the story’s good, people will listen.?(album)#Removal_from_iTunes???Evolution was taught by Muslims thousands of years before it was taught by Darwin!Monday, 8 July 20136:53 AMEvolution was taught by Muslims thousands of years before it was taught by Darwin!?And yet Darwin gets all the credit. “Islamic science” or “Arabic science” is the science that was developed in the Islamic world during the Islamic Golden Age (750 CE- 1258 CE). Indian, Iranian, and especially Greek knowledge were translated into Arabic, and these translations acted springboards for further scientific advances.?Many Muslim thinkers and scientists proposed and accepted the theory of evolution, and it was even taught at some schools at the time. However, it was also believed that God dictated this entire process. Nowadays, the situation is quite complex. While some deny evolution because evolution denies the Adamic descent of human beings since it is unsupported by empirical evidence, others claim that nowhere in the Qur’an is it suggested that evolution can’t exist under the eye of God.? Henrietta Maria had a 19-inch dwarf in her court!Monday, 8 July 20136:53 AM?Queen Henrietta Maria had a 19-inch dwarf in her court!?Jeffery Hudson was born in 1689 to parents of average-height. All of his brothers and sisters were of average height, but Hudson stopped growing at 19 inches. The interesting about Hudson’s body was that, despite being extremely short, it was normally proportioned. He looked like the miniature of a normal looking man.?He was also extremely smart, funny, and charming and as such taken under the wing of the Queen. She took care of his education and manners, and he kept her company. Initially, he played the role of a jester but eventually he ascended the ranks and became more of an advisor and companion for the Queen.?During the War of England, he escorted the Queen to France for her safety. Once there, his height was insulted by the brother of an important courtier. Hudson challenged the man to a duel, and shot him in the head. Since dueling was prohibited in France, the queen had to exile him and he spent nearly 30 years as a slave. Once he returned to England, he was imprisoned for being catholic.? deepest note ever detected by mankind is in another galaxy!Monday, 8 July 20136:53 AMThe deepest note ever detected by mankind is in another galaxy!?The deepest note mankind has ever detected is a B?. That is 57 octaves below middle C! Can you imagine a piano with that many octaves? The sound is made by inflating plasma bubbles in the center of the Perseus Cluster.?The Perseus Cluster or Abell 426, like it's name says, it’s a cluster of galaxies in the constellation Perseus. It is considered one of the most massive objects in the whole universe!?Dr. Andrew Fabian discovered a huge black hole in this galaxy and despite the fact that this galaxy is 250 million light years from the earth, it emits Cosmic B flat sounds which appears as pressure waves rolling and spreading as a result of outbursts from this black hole!?It seems like if music was to be created at Perseus Cluster, a whole kind of new music genres could be created.????'Rubber Duck Debugging' is when a programmer explains code to a rubber duck in hopes of finding a bug!Monday, 8 July 20136:53 AM'Rubber Duck Debugging' is when a programmer explains code to a rubber duck in hopes of finding a bug!?Programmers have it rough sometimes. One instance is when their system or site has a bug, and it is difficult to find just where that bug is. It can get frustrating. It can feel hopeless.?What to do? The Rubber Duckie Test of course! Also known as Rubber Duck Debugging, the Rubber Duckie Test is a method of debugging code used by software engineers. The name comes from a story in “The Pragmatic Programmer” in which a programmer carries around a rubber duck and figures out how?to debug a system by explaining the problem line-by-line to the rubber duck.?By describing what the code is supposed to do in simple terms and then also explaining what is actually happening, the programmer is often able to discover the issue. By employing an inanimate object, such as a rubber duck, the programmer doesn’t need to talk out the problem with another person.? has developed a drag & drop programming language to teach KIDS!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AMMIT has developed a drag & drop programming language to teach KIDS!?The Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT decided to create a programming program for kids. “Scratch” is a free program that allows kids to program their own games, stories and animations. They can then share these online with other users.?The point of the program, which is specifically designed for children age 8 to 16, is to help young people to “think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.” MIT sees these as essential skills in today’s world.?Scratch has millions of users in homes, schools, community centers, etc. Considering the value of knowing how to code in our modern world, Scratch could potentially give children who use it a huge advantage as they grow up.?It is used in more than 150 countries and is available in 40 languages. It is used in many different schools, many different grade levels and across disciplines, such as math, language arts and social studies.? 70s Show was remade in the UK as 'Days Like These.' It had almost the same scripts!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AMThat 70s Show was remade in the UK as 'Days Like These.' It had almost the same scripts!?Days like These was directed by Bob Spier and broadcast Fridays at 8:30pm on ITV in 1999. It used much of the same names for the characters for the most part. However, some names had slight alterations; for example, Donna Pinciotti became Donna Palmer and Jackie Burkhart became Jackie Burget.?The scripts were almost verbatim to That 70s show. The only major difference was that Days like These was set in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.?Only 10 of the 13 produced episodes were aired due an embarrassing amount of public disinterest. The network shut down the show and it's broadcast and began to show re-runs of That 70s Show and it was one of the first comedy shows imported onto the channel.? 2-week pregnant woman couldn't deploy her parachute. Both she and her fetus survived!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AMA 2-week pregnant woman couldn't deploy her parachute. Both she and her fetus survived!?Shayna Richardson was a woman who liked jumping out of airplanes. She began skydiving when she turned 21. She was making her 10th dive and going solo for the first time when her brand new parachute decided to call it quits. Her main chute and her reserve failed to open properly and she free fell thousands of feet.?Her entire fall was captured on tape by a camera in her instructor’s helmet. Her landing wasn’t the most graceful or the most comfortable one; she landed face first in a parking lot. It is estimated that she was going 50 mph at impact. At that point, she thought she was going to die.?"I had accepted — I don't know how your brain can process that so quickly in the 3,000 feet that I fell. I had rationalized with myself that this was it, I was gonna die, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. So I just needed to have one last talk with God before I did." She says.?She doesn’t actually remember hitting the ground. Her instructor met her promptly and tended to her while the ambulance arrived. He received 15 plates in her face for fractures after four operations. She also received some unexpected news.?Apparently, she was 2 weeks pregnant and the fetus had survived both the free falls and the multiple surgeries. On that fateful day, the prospect of being a mother made her feel like the luckiest person.? might soon be untreatable!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AM?Gonorrhea might soon be untreatable!?Gonorrhea is a common human sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.The usual symptoms for men include burning with urination and penile discharge. As for women, they usually are asymptomatic half the time or have vaginal discharge and pelvic pain.?If gonorrhea is left untreated, it may spread throughout the body and cause epidymitis, pelvic inflammatory disease or it may even affect your joints and heart!Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report outlining the very real likelihood of an impending untreatable gonorrhea epidemic!?Neisseria gonorrhoeae is developing antibiotic resistance and this is growing as a public health concern. This bacterium has developed resistance to drugs such as sulfonilamides, penicillin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin.?New treatment schemes are being created in order to fight back gonorrhea.And last but not least, we would like to give you an advice from everyone in the OMG-facts team: If you are a sexual active person, please use a condom and protect us all.? color of the twist tie on bread packaging means something!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AM?The color of the twist tie on bread packaging means something!?The color on the twist tie of your break package isn’t just there for looks. No, the color actually signifies which day of the week the bread was baked on. Now, you may be thinking: Isn’t that kind of useless if barely anybody knows that? Well, the color is not for the customer but for the person stocking the shelf. It helps them determine which packets of bread are old and need to be removed from the shelf.?This way, employees don’t need to look closely at the tabs (which usually also show the “sell by” date); they can simply remove specific colours. Each manufacturer has their own color code. But, this code is not top-secret or anything; it is usually easily discovered online, by asking the bread stocker at the store, or by emailing the manufacturer.? female Komodo dragon can give birth without a male!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AM?A female Komodo dragon can give birth without a male!?The female Komodo dragon is one independent woman. Mating for the dragon begins between May and August. About 20 eggs are laid in September in abandoned megapode nests or in self-dug nesting holes.?The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months and hatch in April. They need for be protected for while as they are especially vulnerable to predators and cannibalistic adults. However, if the female Komodo dragon cannot find a suitable mate, she can just make one.?Even if the female Komodo dragon doesn’t have her eggs fertilized by a male, she can still lay them. However, the offspring will only be male. These offspring can go on to reproduce with the mother to produce both male and female offspring. It’s like a lizard version of Oedipus Rex.? pits contain cyanide!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AM?Peach pits contain cyanide!?Calm down, you don’t have to start disposing of all the peaches in your fridge or collecting them as ammunition for a potential zombie apocalypse. Yes, 100 g of moist peach seed contains 88 mg of cyanide. And yes, eating 100 g of peach seed wouldn’t be the safest thing to do.?However, one peach pit weighs only 10 grams. So, if you ate an entire pit (although, why would you?), You would only ingest 9mg of cyanide, and this cyanide would be in the form of amygdalin which is esteemed an anti-cancer drug. The actual pulp of the peach, assuming the seed isn’t cracked, contains virtually no cyanide.? eat stones to dive deeper!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AM?Crocodiles eat stones to dive deeper!?Looks like crocodiles also get deeper when they’re stoned.?Crocodiles intentionally ingest stones and, if they’re large enough, rocks. This serves a couple purposes. For one thing, it aids crocodiles with their digestion. For another, it adds weight to them so that they are able to stay submerged under water. Usually, they only ingest enough to keep them submerged for an hour.?On average, crocodiles contain 10-15 pounds of stone in it's stomach. The stones must fill them up as crocodiles are not heavy or frequent eaters. Since they are slow-moving and cold blooded, they can survive on about the same amount of food as a bird.? 92-year-old man pirates movies, then sends them to soldiers overseas!Monday, 8 July 20136:54 AMA 92-year-old man pirates movies, then sends them to soldiers overseas!?One of the world’s biggest DVD bootlegger is a 92 year old World War II veteran living in New York. Hyman Strachman is five feet five inches tall and just wanted to keep busy after his wife passed away.?He sends hundreds of thousands of bootlegged DVDs to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. He completely realizes his actions violate copyright laws and that he is breaking laws, but he feels he is doing a patriotic duty keeping the soldiers in on what is going on in the U.S. Strachman is seen as a patriotic hero to soldiers who feel reconnected through the DVDs.?The government isn’t going to touch Strachman either, because of his age. It really isn’t worth their time to put a 92 year old “hero” to prison for the rest of his short life. Strachman doesn’t see any point in it, because the troops are coming home soon enough and he won’t continue once they are back stateside.? pirated versions of Settlers III, Iron Smelters only produced pigs. Players couldn't make weapons!Monday, 8 July 20136:55 AMIn pirated versions of Settlers III, Iron Smelters only produced pigs. Players couldn't make weapons!?The first game in The Settlers series came out in 1993. There are eight games in the series, including remakes. Theoriginal game was a slow-paced simulation video game and the first of it's type. At the time, the game could control a maximum of 64,000 individuals all behaving autonomously.?The Settlers III continued in the real-time strategy video game and the second sequel to The Settlers released in 1998. The most notable difference between this game and its two predecessors is that there are no more roads—all units, including carriers with goods, can walk around freely. This simplifies the building of a settlement, since only the distances between buildings are relevant, and not how roads can be constructed between them.??Military units are now directly controlled, making fighting more similar to games like Command & Conquer or Age of Empires, than to the previous Settlers games. Settlers III was also famous for it's peculiar copy protection: In pirated versions of the game, iron smelters would only produce pigs instead of iron, which made weapon production impossible.? of Justin Timberlake's most liberating experiences was going to ComiCon dressed as Ernie!Monday, 8 July 20137:18 AMOne of Justin Timberlake's most liberating experiences was going to ComiCon dressed as Ernie!?In the picture that corresponds to this article, you'll see a very sketchy Ernie standing next to a very sketchy Bert. Ernie, the one on the left, is actually Justin Timberlake wearing a costume at Comic Con.?The reason he chose to wear such a ridiculous costume is because he wanted to, for the first time, enjoy what it is like to walk around in public and not be recognized by anyone. Justin says that his experience at Comic Con was the first time he went completely unrecognized for over 10 years!?So, why comic con? Well, it's one of the few places that someone can dress up in a disguise and seem completely normal. Timberlake says he struggled to walk around in public his whole life, but with the release of the song 'Dick in a Box' on Saturday Night Live, he said his fame skyrocketed!?Learn about Justin's experience at Comic Con by reading the source!? Murray once walked into a bar with two members of the Wu Tang Clan and started bartending!Monday, 8 July 20137:18 AMBill Murray once walked into a bar with two members of the Wu Tang Clan and started bartending!?Bill Murray is known for being a comedic genius, and starring in cult classic films such as Ghostbusters, as well as Groundhog Day. It's very rare that you'll find someone who doesn't know who Bill Murray is, or, someone who says that they don't like ANY Bill Murray films.?In 2010, Bill Murray decided to enter a bar with two members of the Wu Tang Clan, RZA and GZA. The three gentlemen walked straight behind the bar, and started taking orders for drinks. But, no matter what anybody ordered, Bill Murray poured them a shot of Tequila and told them to drink it!?The whole bar tending experience is caught on video! Click the source to see it.? Philippines has had over 1200 political assassinations in the last decade!Tuesday, 9 July 20132:56 AMThe Philippines has had over 1200 political assassinations in the last decade!?The political killings in the Philippines are a series of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of Left-wing politicians and activists, journalists, human rights advocates, the political opposition, and outspoken clergy that have increased dramatically since 2001.?Numerous actors are said to be responsible for these killings which include the New People's Army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Left-wing political groups, such as the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, meanwhile blame the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit, and government-backed militias.?They state that it is part of the official government policy of eradicating the threat from the insurgency of the Communist Party of the Philippines and was officially sanctioned by the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with the code name of Oplan Bantay Laya. These series of events have placed the Philippines on the human rights watch lists of the United Nations and the United States Congress.??Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings has criticized the Philippine government for not doing enough to stop the killings, many of which had been linked to government anti-insurgency operations. They estimate that there has been 1,200 assassinations in the past decade.? actually take break-ups harder than women!Tuesday, 9 July 20132:56 AM?Men actually take break-ups harder than women!?Contrary to popular belief it is men who suffer more when a partnership ends. It found that men in their early twenties find breaking up and the highs and lows of romantic relationships more traumatic than women.?This is because by that age women may already have a network of close relationships made up of friends and family in addition to a partner. Young men, however, often lack that support. If their romantic partner is the only person that they confide in they are more emotionally vulnerable when that is taken away - even if they don't put their feelings on display.??When a relationship goes wrong it has a greater impact on younger men's identity and self-worth. While men found rocky relationships more stressful than women they were also more likely to reap greater emotional benefits from an ongoing happy romance.?Sociology experts have suggested that the results collected from 1,000 unmarried adults aged 18-23 could be partly influenced by the current economic crisis. If young men find it difficult to find employment then their sense of identity is more likely to be reliant on personal relationships.? United States once set off a nuke in space to see what would happen.?Tuesday, 9 July 20132:56 AMThe United States once set off a nuke in space to see what would happen.??The test was called Starfish Prime, part of a series of tests known as Operation Fishbowl. The nuke's explosion took place 250 miles above a point 19 miles southwest of Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean, on 8 July 1962, at 11:00 pm Honolulu time.??The missile Thor, which was carrying the Starfish Prime nuke, reached a height of 680 miles, and the nuke was detonated after falling downward to 250 miles, 13 minutes and 41 seconds after liftoff.??The interesting part was the effect of the electromagnetic pulse that happened as a result. It was so much larger than expected that it knocked most of the instruments way off scale, which forced 27 rockets to be fired later to obtain data because of how difficult it was to obtain.??Additionally, there was electrical damage in Hawaii, almost 900 miles from the detonation point. About 300 streetlights were blown out, numerous burglar alarms were set off, and a telephone company's microwave link was damaged. As a result, telephone calls from Kauai to the other Hawaiian Islands were shut down.??After the Starfish Prime detonation, bright auroras were seen in the sky surrounding the detonation area as well as on the opposite side of the equator, interestingly enough. A report claimed it could be seen all the way from Tongatapu to the French Frigate Shoals. For a few days after the burst, during twilight, the light particles from the blast illuminated the image of debris in the atmosphere.?? lived through 2 plane crashes, anthrax, pneumonia and dysentery before committing suicide!Tuesday, 9 July 20132:56 AMHemingway lived through 2 plane crashes, anthrax, pneumonia and dysentery before committing suicide!?Ernest Hemingway is one of the most iconic writers in American history. He had four wives and three kids during his life. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. He published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works.?Three novels, four collections of short stories, and three non-fiction works were published posthumously. Once he graduated high school, he soon enlisted with the World War I ambulance drivers over in Italy. He was seriously injured in 1918 and sent home with mortar shrapnel wounds. It was on his 3rd honeymoon that he contracted anthrax.?During World War II he was in a car accident that left him with a concussion. He later suffered in two other car accidents. He also suffered through pneumonia and dysentery. At one point he even suffered burns from a bushfire. In 1952, Hemingway went on safari to Africa, where he was almost killed in two successive plane crashes that left him in pain or ill health for much of the rest of his life.?He lived through many physically painful and even more emotionally painful situations in his life, and it was the emotional ones that finally ended him. He died of suicide in 1961.? years ago a Japanese farmer created cubed watermelons!?Tuesday, 9 July 20132:56 AMTwenty years ago a Japanese farmer created cubed watermelons!??People love watermelon, but their shape is a pain. They roll around in the fridge or on the counter. People have been struggling with the problem for years. Attempting to cut the watermelon can be dangerous and difficult, if you haven't learned proper watermelon cutting techniques.?An innovative farmer on the island of Shikoku off the southwestern coast of Japan came up with a solution to the watermelon dilemma. He came up with the idea to make cube shaped watermelons that would easily fit in the refrigerator and be stored. Farmers grew the watermelons in glass boxes and the fruit automatically assumed the same shape.??Today the cubed melons are grown, hand-picked, and shipped all over Japan. The special melons are more partial to the wealthy and fashion conscious citizens of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. Each melon sells for 10,000 yen, which equals to about $83 per watermelon! It is double or triple the amount of a normal watermelon in Japan.?? researchers have invented a way to decode your dreams!Tuesday, 9 July 20132:56 AMJapanese researchers have invented a way to decode your dreams!?Researchers in Japan used functional neuroimaging to scan the brains of three people while they slept and simultaneously recorded their brain waves with an EEG. At any sign that the participants had fallen into a sleep onset, the researchers woke them up and asked what they were dreaming about.?They were then allowed to go back to sleep. They did this in three hour blocks seven to ten times throughout the study. During each block, participants were woken up ten times per hour. Each volunteer reported having visual dreams six or seven times every hour, giving the researchers a total of around 200 dream reports.??From this information and other data gathered they pieced together the dreams of the participants. They have devised a method in decoding dreams and continue research in hopes to map out the dreams in the future.? has not been found to cause any health problems!Tuesday, 9 July 20132:56 AM?MSG has not been found to cause any health problems!?Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids.?It was classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as generally recognized as safe and by the European Union as a food additive. The glutamate of MSG confers the same umami taste of glutamate from other foods, being chemically identical.?Industrial food manufacturers market and use MSG as a flavor enhancer because it balances, blends and rounds the total perception of other tastes. Trade names of monosodium glutamate include Ac'cent, Aji-No-Moto, and Vetsin. Many people are allergic to MSG and it has in part caused people to become very skeptical of MSG.?People worry that MSG has health risks and can cause or aid in the problem of obesity. Recent studies have shown that MSG is safe and does not play a significant role in obesity or in other health risks.? world's tallest man saved the lives of dolphins at a zoo using his 3-foot arms!Tuesday, 9 July 20132:56 AMThe world's tallest man saved the lives of dolphins at a zoo using his 3-foot arms!?Bao Xishun is the tallest man on earth towering at 7 feet 8.95 inches tall. The Mangolian herdsman was asked to come to China to help extract plastic that dolphins had eaten from around the pool they were in.?Their attempts to use instruments had failed, because the dolphins kept contracting their stomachs. The dolphins at the aquarium in Fushun had become depressed and lost their appetite since ingesting the plastic. The heads of the dolphins were held back and towels wrapped around their teeth so Mr Bao could not be bitten.?He then extended his 1.06m-long arm into the mammals' stomachs and pulled out the plastic shards. The 54 year old Bao was of normal height until he was 16 and then he shot up like a weed. He beat out the previous tallest man by only 2 millimeters.? trademark sound effect in Law and order is a combination of 12 different sounds!Tuesday, 9 July 20133:03 AMThe trademark sound effect in Law and order is a combination of 12 different sounds!?The music for Law & Order is composed by veteran composer Mike Post. The music is deliberately designed to be minimalist to match the abbreviated style of the series. Post wrote the theme song using electric piano, guitar, and clarinet. In addition, scene changes are accompanied by a tone generated by Post?. He refers to the tone as "The Clang," while Entertainment Weekly critic Ken Tucker has referred to the sound as the "ominous chung CHUNG", actor Dann Florek as the "doink doink", and Richard Belzer as "the Dick Wolf Cash Register Sound." The tone moves the viewer from scene to scene, jumping forward in time with all the importance and immediacy of a judge's gavel – which is exactly what Post was aiming for when he created it.?"The Clang" is an amalgamation of nearly a dozen sounds, including an actual gavel, a jail door slamming, and five hundred Japanese monks walking across a hardwood floor. The sound has become so associated with the Law & Order brand that it was also carried over to other series of the franchise. All in all, the Law and Order brand has seven different series. All of which have been successful. Currently, Law and Order: SVU is in it's 15th season. It, too, uses the sound to mark scene changes.? chief taste-tester for Dreyer's ice cream has his tongue insured for $1 million!Tuesday, 9 July 20133:52 AMThe chief taste-tester for Dreyer's ice cream has his tongue insured for $1 million!?Edy's, or Dreyer's as it is called west of Colorado, has insured their test tester's tongue for one million dollars. John Harrison has been the taste tester of Edy's ice cream for the past 30 years.He estimates that during his career he has sampled from 200 million gallons of ice cream.?He taste tests 60 packages of the ice cream each day. His family has been in the ice cream business since the 1880s and it is all he has known his whole life. He grew up in it. He samples 20 different flavors each day taking four to five hours. He personally prefers fruit sorbets and sherbets.??Of all the flavors, he says vanilla is the best selling within the U.S. Each region has it's own preference and favorite, though. New Englanders like their coffee-based flavors while Californians like chocolate-based flavors. Those in the Midwest and South tend to go more for butter pecan and strawberry.? farmer built a castle in complete secret because he didn't want to get a building permit!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:58 AMA farmer built a castle in complete secret because he didn't want to get a building permit!?A farmer in England hid the castle he built for four years. He didn't get planning permission to build the castle and used hay bales and tarps to keep the castle hidden during construction and even after he, his wife, and their son moved into it.?It is a beautiful four bedroom castle with ramparts, turrets, and a cannon. After four years, he finally revealed the home and tried to get it approved to be there. Unfortunately the government was none too pleased with his secrecy and he's been ordered by the courts to demolish the castle.?He refuses to let them demolish his home, though. He plans on taking the ruling to the appellate court and onto the supreme courts of England if he has to to save his castle. As of 2013, he's lost every battle and is running out of room to appeal. Things aren't looking good for this castle.?. Rogers always said out loud that he was feeding his fish because of a letter from a blind girl!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:58 AMMr. Rogers always said out loud that he was feeding his fish because of a letter from a blind girl!?“Mr. Rogers” was a popular kids television show. At the start of each show, Mr. Rogers would enter his cozy home, take off his jacket and put on his cardigan. He would then feed his fish. Feeding the fish was meant to show children how we take care of other living things. It teaches responsibility.?The show once got a letter from a little girl viewer who was very concerned about the fish. Katie was five years old and blind when she asked Mr. Rogers to please say out loud when he was feeding the fish. Since she couldn’t see Mr. Rogers actually feeding the fish, she was worried that they were starving.?At the end of the note, Katie’s father added that she did cry when she did not hear Mr. Rogers saying he was feeding the fish. From then on, Mr. Rogers tried to remember to say out loud when he was feeding the fish on his show.? Lawrence almost shot home intruders with her bow and arrow!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:58 AMJennifer Lawrence almost shot home intruders with her bow and arrow!?Jennifer Lawrence is everyone’s favorite actress. She’s adorable, always seems to say something inappropriate and is actually a talented actor. She seems like she could be your best friend.?Lawrence is most famous for her role as Katniss Everdeen in the film franchise “The Hunger Games.” As part of the role, she had to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow, Katniss’s weapon of choice. One time, after returning home from an archery training session, Lawrence thought she heard intruders in her house.?She decided that she wasn’t going to let them take her stuff so she grabbed her bow and arrow and crept into the house. Thankfully, before she could shoot, she saw that there were workers working on her patio. She gracefully recovered from nearly shooting an arrow at them by saying “heyyyy, how you doing?”? man who built the 1st stocks in Boston was also the 1st to get punished by them!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:58 AMThe man who built the 1st stocks in Boston was also the 1st to get punished by them!?Punishment has varied greatly over the years. While the death penalty has largely gone out of fashion in America today, it used to be a popular practice accompanied by various other tortures that would today seem even more barbaric.?Ducking stools, which simply plopped the person in and out of water until they practically drowned, were popular along with several other brutal punishments.?For petty crimes, stocks were the most common form of punishment and ridicule.?The first man imprisoned in the stocks was a carpenter named Edward Palmer. After they were completed he was immediately locked up. Why? The magistrates of Boston believed Palmer charged too much to build the stocks they commissioned and charged him with extortion!? didn't have crooked teeth until we developed agriculture!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:58 AMHumans didn't have crooked teeth until we developed agriculture!?A number of researchers have hypothesized that the advent of agriculture, which led to diets consisting of softer foods that required less chewing, led to modifications in the lower jaw, either through natural selection or from developmental changes caused by the way we use our jaws beginning in infancy.?But evidence from ancient skeletons has been limited. To test the hypothesis, Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel, an anthropologist at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, looked at skull and jaw shape in 11 populations, six of which live by farming and five of which are hunter-gatherers. The populations included people from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas.?In the first part of her study, von Cramon-Taubadel measured the shapes of 322 crania and 295 jaws from museums, representing the 11 populations. She found a significant correlation between jaw shape and how each population made it's living. Thus hunter-gatherers tended to have longer and narrower lower jaws, whereas those of farmers were relatively shorter and wider.?There are recognizable differences in the shapes of our skulls and faces across the world. In recent years, anthropologists have concluded that most of this geographic variation in skull shape is due to chance, so-called genetic drift, rather than natural selection.? fundraiser ever: A school played Bieber's 'Baby' between classes. Students had to pay for them to stop!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:58 AMBest fundraiser ever: A school played Bieber's 'Baby' between classes. Students had to pay for them to stop!?Evanston Township High School is a suburban Chicago high school. They support the Boocoo Cultural Center and Cafe. The center hosts music classes, live performances and entertainment events, and offers computer labs and recording space to the Evanston community. Two seniors, Charlotte Runzel and Jesse Chatz, went to the administration with a fundraising idea.?They wanted to blast Justin Bieber's hit song "Baby" over the intercom of the high school between passing periods and have students pay to shut it off. They asked for a week or until they raised $1000 from the fundraiser to help save the center. It didn't even take that long. They started the campaign on Monday and by Wednesday they had raised $1000.?The students got annoyed really quickly and complained to the high school staff who simply encouraged them to play along with the fundraiser and donate to shut the music off. Maybe we could apply that to the U.S. As a whole and knock out the national debt in three days.? city in Georgia has 90 miles of golf cart roads that run parallel to the regular road network!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AMA city in Georgia has 90 miles of golf cart roads that run parallel to the regular road network!?34,000 people live in Peachtree City, Georgia. Peachtree City has a system of golf cart paths which spider across the town and provide a secondary means of access to almost any destination within city limits. These multi-use paths stretch for more than ninety miles throughout the city.?Many places of business have specially designated golf cart parking spaces and the Peachtree City Police Department has several golf carts that patrol along the paths. Over 9,000 households own a golf cart, more than any other city in the world, and use them as an extra vehicle for local transportation.?Children aged twelve or over may operate a cart on Peachtree City cart paths with a parent, grandparent or guardian in the front seat. Unaccompanied fifteen-year-olds with valid Georgia Learner's Permits are allowed to operate golf carts alone. Students at McIntosh High School are even encouraged to drive their golf carts to school because of limited car parking.?The golf cart paths are also used by bikers, joggers, and pedestrians as a safer alternative to the side of the road. The city has been named one of the top 100 best cities to live in several times and also named the best place to raise children.?'s enough salt under Detroit to last us for 70 million years!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AM?There's enough salt under Detroit to last us for 70 million years!?There's a salt mine 1,200 feet below the surface of Detroit, Michigan. The salt mines spread over 1,400 acres and have over 50 miles of roads that cover them. The salt bed actually spreads across Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia.?It is estimated that the salt mines are so large that they could last 70 million years supplying us. Glaciologists believe the salt was created when a huge sea covering the region evaporated more than 400 million years ago, forming salt deposits which were gradually buried by glacial activity. Salt flats are dried-up desert lakes.?They form in closed hollows where rainfall can’t drain away. In a wet climate, a lake would form but, in a desert, the water is heated and evaporates into vapor faster than it is replenished by rain. The salt and minerals dissolved in the water are left behind as a solid layer.?Some salt flats are massive. Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, were formed by the evaporation of an ancient lake as large as present-day Lake Michigan. They are flat enough to be used as a raceway for setting land-speed records.? history, 80% of marriages have been to second cousins or closer!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AMThroughout history, 80% of marriages have been to second cousins or closer!?Today, it would be extremely odd for someone to marry their cousin – first, second or otherwise. However, this was not always the case. In fact, it used to be perfectly normal to marry your first or second cousin.?The founding population of homo sapiens was only about 700 to 10,000 people. A certain amount of inbreeding in such a population was inevitable. As time went on, cousin marriage was used to protect cultural values over generations, ensure spousal compatibility, and preserve family wealth. Other reasons included strengthening family ties and avoiding health problems in a lesser-known spouse.?Cousin marriage was legal in the United States before the Civil War. After the war though, views changed and people began to see it as more advantageous to marry someone you were not related to. After the 19th century, cousin marriage in the US, Great Britain and other western countries began to decline. It is still prominent in other regions, such as the Middle East. Overall, it’s estimated that 80% of marriages in human history have been between second cousins or closer.? phrase 'balls out' is nowhere near as dirty as you thought!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AM?The phrase 'balls out' is nowhere near as dirty as you thought!?You may know the term “balls out” or “balls to the walls.” And you may have assumed that it has something to do with a certain part of the male anatomy. It makes sense. Another common term is “ballsy” meaning “courageous.” And it does refer to testicles – as if large testicles equate courage. Yeah sure.?“Balls out” can be used as an adjective or an adverb. As an adjective, it means “wild” or “extreme.” For example, “that was one balls-out street race!” As an adverb, it means “head-long” or “giving it one’s all.” As in “ we have to go balls out to win this game.”?However, the phrase has nothing to do with testicles and everything to do with steam engines. In the early days of these machines, Watt style engines used a centrifugal governor to control speed. The faster the engine went, the higher the balls on the centrifugal governor would rise. Going full speed was known as running “balls out.”? Trix rabbit actually got the cereal once!?Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AM?The Trix rabbit actually got the cereal once!??Most people think that the Trix rabbit never gets the cereal. He seems to never quite outsmart the kids, always just missing his opportunity. However, if you look back far enough, the rabbit actually does get some cereal, if only a few mouthfuls.??Perhaps that’s why he’s always so eager: he’s had just a taste, and now he wants a full bowl. Wearing a hat and dragging a bag along, the famous bunny stabs the box with a stick and carries it away in black and white.??The commercial is from the 1950s, but it’s very similar to the current commercials. The rabbit manages to get two mouthfuls before the kids take it from him again. The bunny insists that not only are Trix for kids, they’re also for “tricky rabbits.”??Throughout the years the bunny has donned many outfits. In 1978, he donned a sailor’s outfit and sang a song. His schemes and outfits have been many and varied. Maybe, someday the poor bunny will get its very own bowl of cereal. What do you think, should General Mills let the Trix rabbit have some cereal????Winston Churchill was almost killed in NYC because he looked on the wrong side of the street!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AMWinston Churchill was almost killed in NYC because he looked on the wrong side of the street!?Before he was Prime Minister of England, in 1931, Winston Churchill visited New York City. On the night of December 13, he got out of a cab and attempted to cross 5th avenue. Unfortunately, Churchill was used to England’s traffic driving on the left hand side of the road. Hence, he looked right and saw that no cars were coming. Too bad cars in the United States drive on the right side of the road.?He was struck by a car going about 30 mph. He was swept up in the car’s cowcatcher and pushed along for a while. Churchill suffered a bleeding head, broken nose and a few fractured ribs. When speaking with police about the accident, he explained that it was entirely his fault.?He was taken to the hospital, and it took him about two months to fully recover from the accident. His friend, Professor Lindemann, suggested that he was not further hurt because of the layer of fat protecting his body. Churchill ended up writing an article about the incident.? is possible that elephants will completely disappear from Africa in five years!?Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AMIt is possible that elephants will completely disappear from Africa in five years!??This is a problem that is being aggravated because Asia is depleting wild and exotic animals. Many animals in Asia have already become extinct due to poaching in the continent. Ivory and rhino horns are a symbol of status.??In China and other Asian countries, the bones of many exotic animals, their blood, and their bile are considered medicinal remedies. Asia has made their tiger and rhinos go extinct from poaching.??Now, they’ve moved on to Africa. Many African cities have at least one Chinese restaurant, if not more. They are seeing more Asians migrating and visiting their continent than ever before. The reason is simple; they depleted their animal supply and are now using Africa’s supply.??Lion bones are shipped to Asia in lieu of tiger bones. Rhinos and elephants are poached by Africans who are being paid top dollar by Asians. In Vietnam, rhino horn is said to cure liver cancer and people will pay anything to get their hands on it, now. Poachers aren’t just killing selectively anymore, but they are killing whole families of elephants including those with the tiniest of ivory tusks.?At this rate, elephants will likely be extinct in Africa in just five years. We need to fight back.?? service dog saved his unconscious owner by putting him in the recovery position and going to get help!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AMA service dog saved his unconscious owner by putting him in the recovery position and going to get help!?Endal is perhaps the world’s most famous service dog. He was named “Dog of the Millennium” and received the PSDA’s Gold Medal for Animal Gallantry and Devotion to Duty (the highest award available to an animal). And for good reason.?Endal was trained by the charity Canine Partners for Independence. He knew over 100 commands, could retrieve items from supermarket shelves and could load and empty a washing machine. Endal became the service dog for disabled ex-Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Allen Parton in the late 1990s. Parton had suffered serious head injuries during the Gulf War and was confined to a wheel chair.?In 2001, Parton was knocked out of his wheelchair by a passing car. He was unconscious so Endal put him in the recovery position, retrieved his phone from underneath a nearby car and covered him with a blanket. He barked at nearby dwellings for help and then eventually ran to a hotel to get assistance. Due to his fame, Endal became an ambassador for service-dog related charities and training.? shark fetuses fight and eat each other in the womb!Wednesday, 10 July 20137:59 AM?Some shark fetuses fight and eat each other in the womb!?Ovoviviparous shark pups depend on yolk for nutrition, and when an embryo has expended it's own yolk sac, it turns to the eggs around it. It is called intrauterine cannibalism, the eating of the other fertilized or unfertilized eggs in the womb.?Sand tiger sharks are the most well-known perpetrators of intrauterine cannibalism. The mother shark has to uteri with multiple eggs in each. Only two shark pups are born, though. One from each uterus. The two that are born eat the other embryos in the uterus they grew in.?They are able to, because they develop embryonic teeth and eat their siblings in the womb. Sand tiger shark pups enter the world larger than most sharks, because of their diet in the womb. They end up being about three feet long when they're born.? writing about his travels, an author claimed he'd been shot. He'd shot himself to promote the book!Wednesday, 10 July 20138:00 AMWhile writing about his travels, an author claimed he'd been shot. He'd shot himself to promote the book!?Ray Dolin, of West Virginia, was traveling the U.S. While writing his memoir "Kindness in America." He claimed that while hitchhiking in Montana along Highway 2 he was the victim of a drive by shooting.?Purportedly, the driver of a maroon pickup pulled to a stop and shot him in the upper arm with no provocation. He was taken to the hospital where he remained in recovery for a time. After police began investigating his story, they found some questionable things.?They returned to Dolin in the hospital and were able to get him to admit that he had shot himself and made up the story in an attempt to promote his book. Officers even recovered the gun he shot himself with. Before making all the connections they did arrest another man and question him on the shooting. They searched his car and found it to have no trace of the incident. They eventually exonerated the man and nailed Dolin for shooting himself for publicity.? 94 year old Indian claims he's the oldest father ever!Thursday, 11 July 20133:45 AM?A 94 year old Indian claims he's the oldest father ever!?Some people say that if you decide to have your first baby by the age of 40 as a man that you are too old. Ramjit Raghav didn’t seem to care?This 94 year old Indian claims to be the world’s oldest father after his wife gave birth to their first child at her 59 years. He thinks this is due to a diet he has had ever since he was young, also he accredits the fact of being a wrestler at a younger age was helpful for this to happen.?He claims to have a strict diet of 3 ? quarts of milk a day, a pound of almonds and a pound of clarified butter, which in fact makes him rely on a high-fat diet.The baby was born healthy and currently finds himself in good shape.In case he becomes the world’s oldest father, he will be beating Nanu Ram Jogi who sired his 22nd child at the age of 90! Who is also an Indian.?You might see him in the book of world records pretty soon!? Comics once created a superhero named Dog Welder whose strategy was to weld dead dogs to people's faces!Thursday, 11 July 20133:45 AMDC Comics once created a superhero named Dog Welder whose strategy was to weld dead dogs to people's faces!?DC Comics is behind several super hero legends, such as Spider-Man and Superman. They are one of the biggest and most well-known comic companies in the world. Even the best make mistakes though. And DC Comics made one when they created a super hero named Dog Welder.?While Dog Welder is a good guy, his technique for fighting bad guys is not be the prettiest or most effective. He takes dead dogs and welds them to villain's faces. Ouch. Also, gross. Not exactly the super hero we're used to. Some may argue that it actually takes a lot of skill to weld a dog to a human, but the fact remains that it is just disturbing. DC Comics should probably stick with their more typical super heros.? to popular belief, Einstein DID NOT fail at school!Thursday, 11 July 20133:45 AM?Contrary to popular belief, Einstein DID NOT fail at school!?Most of us have heard or read several lies from Albert Einstein; quotes, stories, that he was bad at mathematics, etc.?You read it right, LIES, Albert Einstein didn’t fail at school. In fact, he was brilliantly precocious, and his failing school is a myth arising from the change in his school’s marking system!?He also never won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on Relativity; however he wrote several articles and papers that any scientist would have been proud to write! And not only that, Einstein published five of them in one year.?He was also pretty good at math; he was studying calculus by the age of 12, while some other people start studying it at the age of 15-17. However, the 19th Century German education system was very regimented and hence didn’t develop is non-mathematical skills.Also, his mother encouraged him to study the violin!Check more interesting facts about Einstein at the source link!? is a 31 year old monkey that knows how to cook!Thursday, 11 July 20133:45 AM?There is a 31 year old monkey that knows how to cook!?We’ve always been told that if there is an animal that comes anywhere close to being human is the chimpanzee… And they are right!There is a 31 year old Chimpanzee named Kanzi that knows how to start fires and cook! Making him one of the world’s smartest monkeys that have ever lived!?He knows how to cook for himself, and he is also pretty good at using the tools by knowing their functions and when it’s the right time to use them. He enjoys roasting marshmallows over an open fire and pan-frying hamburgers!?He currently lives at Iowa, where scientists have thought him how to use matches so that he can cook at any time he wants. He also communicates with people through symbols which represent different words!?He knows over 500 words in his keyboard and understands over 3,000 spoken words!You could even say that he is smarter than some humans!? real name for the currency used in Japan is the "en"Thursday, 11 July 20133:45 AM?The real name for the currency used in Japan is the "en"?Probably some of you have travelled to Japan and had to change your dollars for yens.The yen is Japan’s official currency and it is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro.However, in reality the Japanese currency is the 'en'. It was Westerners who mistook it as yen!?The yen is pronounced “en” in Japanese, which means “round”. In English however, the spelling and pronunciations is “yen”. This is mainly thanks to English speakers who visited Japan during the 1600s and 1800s and incorrectly translated it's name.?But the United States is not the only country that has misspelled it's name; this is thanks to the Portuguese missionaries who translated “yen” into “ye”. So next time you decide to pay a visit to Japan make sure you get plenty of “en” to have yourself a great time!? Muslim Sultan sent the Ottoman Navy to rescue Jews persecuted by the Catholic Kings of Spain!Thursday, 11 July 20133:45 AMA Muslim Sultan sent the Ottoman Navy to rescue Jews persecuted by the Catholic Kings of Spain!?By the 14th century, most of present-day Spain and Portugal had been conquered by the Christian kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, Leon, Galicia, Navarre and Portugal. After this, hostility towards Jews became more frequent and pronounced. There were often episodes of violence and oppression.?To escape the persecution, many of these Jews converted to Christianity. However, the sincerity of their conversions was constantly questioned, and they were believed to secretly practice the Jewish faith. This persecution peaked with when Isabella I and Ferdinand II came to power.?The couple, known as the "Catholic Monarchs," unified the Castile and Aragon thrones and continued to conquer. In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella completed the Catholic Reconquista by winning the Battle of Granada. Their gained territory included a large population of Jews and Muslims.?The monarchs then issued the Alhambra Decree that said that all Jews had to either convert to Christianity or leave or they would be subject to death without trial. Hearing of this, the Sultan Bayezid II of the Ottoman Empire sent the Ottoman navy to bring the Jews to safety in the Ottoman lands.? Puerto Rico were a US state, it would have more electoral votes for Presidential elections than MississippiThursday, 11 July 20133:45 AMIf Puerto Rico were a US state, it would have more electoral votes for Presidential elections than Mississippi?An ongoing debate is whether or not Puerto Rico should become an official US state. Currently, it is a commonwealth. On the one hand, our country is based on democracy and proper representation. On the other hand, 50 is such a nice round number.?If Puerto Rico were a state, it would have more electoral votes than about half of the current states. The Electoral College elects the President of the United States every four years. Each state's representation in the Electoral College equals the total number of representatives in both houses of Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives. A state's number of seats in the House of Representatives is determined by it's population.?Therefore, according to Puerto Rico's population, they would have more House of Representative seats and hence, more Electoral College votes than Mississippi, Kansas, Connecticut, Nevada, and New Mexico among others.? & tonic glows under a black light!Thursday, 11 July 20133:46 AM?Gin & tonic glows under a black light!?A gin and tonic is the older man's drink of choice. As it's name suggets, it consists of tonic water and gin over ice and is usually garnished with a lime wedge. The ratio of gin to tonic varies according to taste. In certain parts of the world, such as Germany, France, Greece and Italy, it is just referred to as "gin tonic."?Unless you're at a bar with black lights, you probably didn't know that gin and tonic actually glows. Tonic water contains quinine, which gives the liquid it's bitter taste. When placed under a black light, this quinine glows blue-white.?This same quinine was the reason the cocktail was originally invented. The British East India Company first concocted the drink in India in the early 19th century. Quinine was known to treat malaria, a persistent problem in India. However, it was extremely bitter. In order to make the quinine easier to ingest, soldiers mixed it with water, sugar, lime and gin.? writer of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also helped invent a life-saving device for kids with brain trauma!Thursday, 11 July 20133:46 AMThe writer of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also helped invent a life-saving device for kids with brain trauma!?Roald Dahl is known for being an accomplished children's author. He has written classics like James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, the BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While these may be light-hearted tales, Dahl's actual life was not so easy.?When Dahl's son was just four months old, he was hit by a taxi in New York City and suffered a serious brain injury. The boy developed secondary hydrocephalus and had to have a shunt implanted. The family moved back to the UK, and the shunt helped temporarily. However, it kept getting clogged with debris.?Dahl was determined to fix this problem. He contacted a toymaker named Stanley Wade and together, they began working on a device. Dahl's son's doctor, Kenneth Till, invited them into the operating room to observe how the shunts were used. Dahl and Wade invented an introducer device for the ventricular catheter and a valve to treat hydrocephalus in young children.?The valve, which was named the Wade-Dahl-Till Valve went into production in 1962. It's estimated that it helped 2,000 - 3,000 children.? your teeth BEFORE you eat breakfast is healthier for your teeth!Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AMBrushing your teeth BEFORE you eat breakfast is healthier for your teeth!?A recent survey revealed that 81% of people were completely unaware that brushing your teeth after you eat a breakfast which includes juice or any sugary foods can actually permanently damage your teeth!?The reason you can suffer from permanent enamel damage is because sugar foods and beverages make the enamel on your teeth weak, and if you brush your teeth immediately after your enamel is weakened, you can damage your precious teeth! So, what should you do??Dentists recommend brushing your teeth BEFORE breakfast, rather than after. However, you can also lay off the sugary foods in the morning, wait an hour after eating to brush your teeth, or, have some cheese or milk to help balance out the acids in your mouth!? 4-year-old was saved by a woman from drowning. 9 years later that boy saved the woman's husband at the same beach!Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AMA 4-year-old was saved by a woman from drowning. 9 years later that boy saved the woman's husband at the same beach!?Some stories should make it into Ripley's Believe It or Not, and sometimes they just make it into compilations of incredible stories. When Roger Lausier was four years old, he wandered off from his mom at the Salem, Massachusetts beach. He paddled around for awhile, but then a powerful undercurrent pulled him out.?He would have drowned, but a woman swam out and pulled him back to shore. She revived him and saved his life. She also refused all rewards for her heroic act and left happy to have helped. Nine years later, Roger was thirteen and a very experienced swimmer.?He was tracking a shoal of bluefish when he heard a woman screaming her husband was drowning. Roger saw the woman's husband floundering in the water after falling from his boat. Roger paddled his inflated raft over to the well-built guy and grabbed his hand.?He held him above water until another boat got to them and was able to help bring the guy to shore. It wasn't until a presentation later that Roger found out that the man he saved was the husband of the woman who saved his life nine years earlier at the same beach.? has created a pedestrian airbag!Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AM?Volvo has created a pedestrian airbag!?Most cars have airbags to protect their passengers. As such their located on the inside of the car. Volvo has come up with a new airbag that protects pedestrians and is located on the outside of the car underneath the front hood. It is meant for cars driving in cities where there is heavy pedestrian traffic. It operates at speeds of 20-50 km/hr (about 12-30 mph).?The car has sensors on the front that detect a human form and this causes the airbag to deploy. It helps protect the victim in two ways. First, it lifts the front hood to give more space between the person and the hard parts of the engine. Second, the actual air bag covers and creates a cushion over the lower part of the windshield.?'s actor in Game of Thrones bases his performance on Joaquin Phoenix's in Gladiator!Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AMJoffrey's actor in Game of Thrones bases his performance on Joaquin Phoenix's in Gladiator!?Jack Gleeson is best known for his role as Joffrey Baratheon on HBO's hit TV show, Game of Thrones. The Ireland native started his acting in the local theater when he was 7 called Independent Theatre Workshop. From there he had minor roles in films like Batman Begins, Shrooms, and A Shine of Rainbows.?In 2009, Gleeson was given the role of Joffrey in Game of Thrones. He has said that Joaquin Phoenix's character in The Gladiator has influences how he portrays his character, Joffrey, in Game of Thrones. He has been kept on as the original cast since season one through season three.?He has been praised for how easy he has made for Joffrey to be hated. His costars have said that they're always concerned for him when he's out at bars.?They're afraid that a drunk fan might think he's as evil as Joffrey is!? Swedish mercenary fought in 13 wars on 4 different continents!Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AMA Swedish mercenary fought in 13 wars on 4 different continents!?Ivor Thord-Gray lived from 1878 until 1964. He was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden to a school teacher and his stay at home wife. While is older brother became an artist and his younger one an archaeologist, Ivor was an adventurist, ethnologist, and linguist.?In 1893 he joined the Merchant Marine and sailed on three ships before going ashore in Cape Town, South Africa during December 1895. He joined the Cape Mounted Rifles in South Africa as a Private in 1897. Between 1897 and 1919, Thord-Gray participated in 13 different wars covering several continents. He changed his name to Gray in 1899 and Thord-Gray 1917.?In 1923, he wrote a book about Mexican archeology Fr?n Mexicos forntid : Bland tempelruiner och gudabilder. In 1925 Thord-Gray moved to the United States and established I.T. Gray & Co, an investment bank located at 522 Fifth Avenue in New York City.?In August 1935 he was appointed Major-General and Chief-of-Staff to Governor David Sholtz of Florida. During his military career as a mercenary, Ivor fought in Russia, Africa, Asia, Mexico, and Britain. He fought in 13 different wars and came out a pretty successful man.? man and his autistic son were stranded at sea. They repeated 'to infinity and beyond!' for 15 hours until they were rescued!Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AMA man and his autistic son were stranded at sea. They repeated 'to infinity and beyond!' for 15 hours until they were rescued!?Walter and his 12 year old son Chris Marino were on vacation in Daytona Beach, Florida, when a current pulled Chris out into the sea. Walter followed him to save him. They both were pulled out and Toy Story kept them alive.?The waves pushed them away and every time they were separated, Walter would shout "to infinity" and Chris would yell back "and beyond." They did it for hours until the ocean was too much and pulled them apart. They spent the night in the ocean treading water and Walter was found 8 miles from shore by the coast guard at 8 am the next morning.?After awhile, he was called to the deck and told that his son, Chris, was found a mile from where they picked up Walter. Neither of them had any serious or lasting injuries from the ordeal. Chris, who is autistic, kept Walter calm while in the ocean, because to him it was just another day swimming in the water. He only started to get upset when jellyfish started to sting him.? organization that uses wine tastings to dig wells in Africa. They call themselves Wine to Water.Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AMAn organization that uses wine tastings to dig wells in Africa. They call themselves Wine to Water.?Nearly 1 billion people in our world lack an adequate supply of water. That is a 6th of our world's population. Now, 2.5 billion people lack adequate sanitation or the ability to improve the sanitation where they live.?Some countries keep people out who want to dig wells and connect pipelines to give the people safe drinking water. It is a way of controlling the people and keeping the world from knowing how terrible conditions really are.?Wine to Water is a nonprofit organization that started in 2004 with a wine tasting. It was a fundraiser; all the money received was sent to fund water projects around the globe. From there they grew and built a strong organization that has provided water and clean sanitation in countries like Sudan, Cambodia, India, and Haiti.?The name came from the Bible. Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding reception where they had run out of it. Wine was chosen for the organization, because it is seen as a symbol of fortune. The organization is dedicated in using it's profits of wine tastings, selling it, and other wine related projects to fund water and sanitation projects worldwide.? Hotel has replaced Bibles in rooms with copies of… 50 Shades of GreyFriday, 12 July 20136:17 AMA Hotel has replaced Bibles in rooms with copies of… 50 Shades of Grey?Bibles in hotels is something you're probably extremely familiar with if you've ever stayed in a hotel. The owner of the Damson Dene Hotel in England, however, decided to upend this tradition for something more… porny.?He replaced the Bibles in his room for copies of international best seller and BDSM soft-porn Fifty Shades of Grey in his hotel's nightstands. The man said he had originally thought about putting the famous Ayn Rand novel Altas Shrugged, but decided on the former Twilight-Fanfiction because it was so popular.?The owner bought this hotel from a Methodist group. He says he hopes that people who are shy about reading the book in public will enjoy having it near their bedsides.What ONE book would you put in nightstands if you owned a hotel?? wrestling is actually a French sport!Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AM?Greco-Roman wrestling is actually a French sport!?Greco-Roman wrestling is quite a famous sport around several countries and it is practiced worldwide.It first appearance as a professional sports was at the Olympic Games in 1896, and ever since 1908 it has been held in every summer Olympics.?For those of you who don’t know how it’s played, it is simple: Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in there two-minute periods. The rules forbid holds below the waist. And some statistics even show that Greco-Roman wrestling is one of the six main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced internationally today!?However, what’s particularly funny about this sport it’s it's name, especially since it's country of origin it’s France!Greco-Roman Wrestling was invented by a French soldier, and named Greco-Roman to make people think it was the sport practiced in the classic civilizations! And it has worked perfectly since there are many people who really enjoy it!? Chan hates the Rush Hour movies!?Friday, 12 July 20136:17 AM?Jackie Chan hates the Rush Hour movies!??In his blog, Chan had this to say about the Rush Hour films, “When we finished filming, I felt very disappointed because it was a movie I didn’t appreciate and I did not like the action scenes involved. I felt the style of action was too Americanized and I didn’t understand the American humor.”??He said he had made the sequel, because he was offered an “irresistible” amount of money for it and the third one he did for the fans of the series. It is pretty rare to hear actors admit they don’t enjoy their projects, especially when they are doing all their own fight scenes and stunts like Chan does.??Chris Tucker must have caught wind of the money Chan was making from the films, because in the third film, Tucker asked to be paid a crazy amount of money. What do you think of the Rush Hour films??? king failed to commit suicide by poison because he had become immune to it thanks to taking small doses throughout his life!Friday, 12 July 20136:18 AMA king failed to commit suicide by poison because he had become immune to it thanks to taking small doses throughout his life!?Between 73 and 63 BCE, King Mithridates VI of Pontus was at war with the Roman Empire. He was eventually defeated and his kingdom became an allied state of Rome.?He retreated and left his son in charge. Mithridates was getting ready to raise another army and fight the Romans again, but his son wouldn't help him. Mithridates had his son killed and claimed the throne again.?But, Mithridates' warmongering was not popular, and his younger son led a popular rebellion against him. Devastated by this betrayal, he decided to kill himself with poison.?Only… it didn't work. He had been so paranoid all his life about being assassinated, that he had taken small doses of all known poisons. He had become immune! He ended up ordering his bodyguard to kill him.? first wireless phone was invented in 1880!Friday, 12 July 20136:18 AM?The first wireless phone was invented in 1880!?You might think wireless phones are one of the newest century’s greatest inventions.However, the world’s first wireless telephone conversation occurred in 1880, when Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Summer Tainter invented and patented the photophone, a telephone that conducted audio conversations wirelessly over modulated light beams.?In other words; the sound travelled by light!However, it wasn’t that simple to use, especially since there were no utilities to provide electricity or lasers, hence it was limited by the availability of both sunlight and good weather.? is a plant that eats rats!Friday, 12 July 20136:18 AM?There is a plant that eats rats!?Botanists have recently discovered a new rat-eating plant located in Southeast Asia.?The Nepenthes northiana is a carnivorous pitcher plant that eats small animals, mostly rats! It measures up to 20 centimeters in diameter and is formed by a tendril which inflated into a large cup-shaped trap.?This plant eats rats, and anything else it can catch. It grows a leaf out that shapes itself into an open tube and fills itself with acid much like the human stomach. Its colors confuse insects as well as some rodents into thinking it is food itself. The rat falls in, and digestion begin.?It is believed that there are around 600 species of pitcher plants.These plants are most familiar with the Venus flytrap. Even though they evolved so that they could catch insects, they still like to eat rats and mice every now and then.?, dogs, and cats bend their 'knees' backwards because those are actually their ankles!Friday, 12 July 20137:25 AMBirds, dogs, and cats bend their 'knees' backwards because those are actually their ankles!?Digitigrade is a term used for animals that walk on their toes rather than the soles of their feet like humans. Birds, dogs, cats, and other animals fall in the category of digitigrades.?What we would think of their knees is actually their ankles. They are jokingly called "backwards knees" or having "backwards knees syndrome" because we don't realize they are digitigrades and it is their ankles we are seeing.?They do have knees, but they are higher up the leg and often covered by fur or feathers or located so much higher that they are within the body and we can't see them. Artists can sometimes struggle with drawing canines, felines, elephants, and birds because they don't realize they are all digitigrades. So, they can't get the legs to look right when drawing them. They simply walk on their toes and not the soles of their feet like we do and that is where the confusion lies.? Ramones took their band name from Paul McCartney!Friday, 12 July 20137:25 AM?The Ramones took their band name from Paul McCartney!?You might be wondering how can the name “Ramone” come from Paul McCartney?First of all, you must know a little bit about this awesome band: Jeffrey Human co-founded the band with his friends John Cummings and Douglas Colvin. They all adopted stage names using “Ramone” as their surname.?This way Cummings became Johnny Ramone, Colving became Dee Dee Ramone and Human became Joey Ramone. The Ramones took their band name from the pseudonym Paul McCartney would use when checking into hotels: Paul Ramone. He also briefly used this same name in the early days of the Beatles when the band’s first name was “The Silver Beetles”.?The Ramones served the punk rock movement throughout the United States with their great albums, “Ramones Mania” being the best one. Some people consider them the second greatest rock band right after the Beatles.So what are you waiting for?Go listen to some “The Ramones” records while you still surf OMG-facts!? videogame predicted Kim Jong-II's death!Friday, 12 July 20137:25 AM?A videogame predicted Kim Jong-II's death!?Homefront is a first-person shooter video game developed by Kaos Studios and published by THQ.?The main guideline is that players are members of a resistance movement fighting against a near-future North Korean military occupation of the United States. The video game was released in 2011 for several consoles, such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.?During the game, tensions between North Korean and global powers increase due to North Korea’s military aggression. What’s funny about this game is that it was only 2 weeks off in predicting the death of Kim Jong II!?During the game Kim Jong-un reunited North and South Korea to form the Greater Korean Republic and hence the whole video game drama begins!I wonder if Homefront II will predict Kim Jong-un’s death.? Colbert's original dream was ruined due to a surgery!Friday, 12 July 20137:25 AM?Stephen Colbert's original dream was ruined due to a surgery!?We all know Stephen Colbert’s great sense of humor.?For all of you who don’t know who this guy is; he is an American comedian and satirist whom you can find in “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert Report” which is a spin-off from The Daily Show.?He was the youngest child of 11 in a large Catholic family. In his early life he really enjoyed fantasy novels and playing RPG games such as Dungeons & Dragons. He graduated from the Northwestern University in Chicago with a Major in communication, which eventually lead him to become a host.?However, this wasn’t his real career dream. After surgery caused him ear damage, Stephen Colbert was unable to pursue his childhood dream career of marine biology, and left him deaf in his right ear.?This lead him to a new path, a new path that has brought him a lot of rewards and satisfactions, let’s just hope he doesn't get depressed every now and then when he watches a special on marine biology.? waitress that Charlie has a crush on in 'It's Always Sunny…' is his real life wife!Friday, 12 July 20137:25 AMThe waitress that Charlie has a crush on in 'It's Always Sunny…' is his real life wife!?If you're an "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" fan, you remember the first season when Charlie had an obsessive crush on a waitress. While this particular story-line was used, like every story line in the show, for humor, it had a real-life counterpart.?The actor who plays Charlie Kelly on the show, Charles Day, is married to the actress that plays his waitress crush, Mary Elizabeth Ellis. They were married after that season in 2006. And on December 15, 2011, Ellis gave birth to the couple's first son, Russell Wallace Day.? man who wrote the first self-help book is the great-great-grandfather of Bear Grylls!Friday, 12 July 20137:26 AMThe man who wrote the first self-help book is the great-great-grandfather of Bear Grylls!?Samuel Smiles was a Scottish author and reformer who died in 1904. He left school when he was 14 to be the apprentice of a doctor which eventually led him to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh. His father died while he was there during a cholera epidemic, but he was able to continue his schooling due to his persevering mother.?She kept the family shop open supporting herself and their nine children. After graduating, Smiles campaigned for parliamentary reform and wrote articles for newspapers. Smiles wrote what is considered to be the first self-help book ironically named "Self-Help." The newly founded Routledge publishing house rejected publishing Self-Help in 1855.?Twenty years later Smiles was seated next to George Routledge at a dinner, and he said to him: "And when, Dr. Smiles, are we to have the honour of publishing one of your books?", Smiles replied that Mr. Routledge had had the honor of rejecting Self-Help. Although John Murray was willing to publish Self-Help on a half-profits system, Smiles rejected this as he did not want the book to lose it's anecdotes.?In 1859 he published the book at his own expense and risk, retaining the copyright and paying John Murray a ten percent commission. It sold 20,000 copies within one year of it's publication. By the time of Smiles' death in 1904 it had sold over a quarter of a million. Smiles is the great-great grandfather of adventurer and explorer Bear Grylls.? Cincinnati Reds changed their name in the 50s so they wouldn't be called communists!Sunday, 14 July 201311:01 AMThe Cincinnati Reds changed their name in the 50s so they wouldn't be called communists!?The Cold war was not an event that only affected political affairs throughout the United States; it also changed important aspects of it's sports!?People were scared of being accused of being communist, and by this being imprisoned and considered traitors. The fear propagated throughout the entire country, and this fear was able to reach the Cincinnati Reds!?From 1953 to 1958 the Cincinnati Reds officially changed their name to the “Cincinnati Redlegs” because they were afraid of being thought to be associated with communism! The club’s logo was altered to remove the term “REDS” from the inside of the “wishbone C” symbol.?And not only that; players were also asked to keep a clean cut look! Players were not meant to have long hair or facial hair since they didn’t want to be seemed as rebels or anything associated with it.?Now in 2013, “The big red machine” is amongst the greatest baseball teams in history ever! Hopefully they’ll still be making history with a lot more championships.? man lost 275 pounds through a clinically supervised fast!Sunday, 14 July 201311:02 AM?A man lost 275 pounds through a clinically supervised fast!?A 456 lbs. Man underwent a clinically supervised fast for 382 days. He took multivitamins and lost 275 lbs.!?His case was part of an experiment made by the University Department of Medicine, Dundee, Scotland. It was carried by W.K. Stewart and Laura W. Fleming. What they were trying to prove is that fasting therapy for the obese is one of the best treatments that medicine has to offer.?The 27 year old patient weighted 456 lb. (207 kg). During the 382 days of his fast vitamin supplements were given daily as a ‘multivite’, vitamin C and yeast for the first 10 months. He was given supplements throughout the rest of his treatment in order to compensate what his body needed.?They were able to make him lose 275 lbs. Which brought him down to 181 lbs.! And proving this way that fasting (combined with clinical supervision of course) is a great way to help obese patients.?But remember, eating healthy and exercising regularly will make you avoid obesity at all times, so once you are done with reading OMG facts, get up, turn off your computer and go out for a nice run!? Pollies are actually crustaceans, NOT bugs!Sunday, 14 July 201311:02 AM?Rolly Pollies are actually crustaceans, NOT bugs!?Pillbugs are pretty interesting creatures. They are commonly known as rolly polies, potato bugs, wood louse, and armadillo bug. They're more related to shrimp and crayfish than insects, though, because they're actually crustaceans.?They breathe through gills. The mothers carry their eggs in a pouch and they all curl into tight balls when they feel threatened. Pillbugs can drink through their anus and they don't urinate but they do eat their own poop. Their blood is blue and when they're sick they actually turn blue themselves.? lake in Russia is so radioactive, you can die in less than an hour of being near it!Sunday, 14 July 201311:02 AMA lake in Russia is so radioactive, you can die in less than an hour of being near it!?Starting in 1951, the Soviets began dumping their radioactive waste into Lake Karachay from their testing site in Mayak, the nearby nuclear waste storage and reprocessing facility. In the 1960s the lake started to dry up. Then in 1963, a wind storm picked up 185 PBq of radioactive dust from the dried up part of the lake and blew over half a million people making them sick.?Between 1978 and 1986 the lake was filled with almost 10,000 hollow concrete blocks to prevent sediments from shifting. The lake is the most polluted and radioactive place on Earth. The lake accumulated some 4.44 exabecquerels (EBq) of radioactivity including caesium-137 and strontium-90.?To compare it to something, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster released 5 to 12 EBq of radioactivity. The difference is that the Chernobyl disaster wasn't concentrated to just one location as in the case of the lake. The lake is so saturated with the radioactive waste that it could kill someone within an hour of being near it.? 13-year-old sacrificed himself to destroy a tank!Sunday, 14 July 201311:02 AM?A 13-year-old sacrificed himself to destroy a tank!?Mohammad Hossein Fahmideh was born on May 6th of 1967 and died on October 30th of 1980 as a true war hero. At the age of 13 in 1980, during the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war he made the decision of leaving home and joining the war.?He was fighting along the Iran army, and at one point the Iraqi troops pushed the Iranian troops back as they were passing through a very narrow canal. Many of the Iranian soldiers were either dead or wounded at this point by the Iraqi troops.?Therefore, Hossein took a grenade from a nearby body, pulled the pin out, jumped right underneath an enemy’s tank, and by blowing himself up he was able to disable the tank! This made the enemies think that the area was mined and therefore decided to stop their advancement.?Until today, Mohammad Hossein Fahmideh is considered a true national Iranian hero, and one of the boys with bigger guts that have ever lived.? Adams and Thomas Jefferson became great friends after being each other's nemesis during their political life!Sunday, 14 July 201311:02 AMJohn Adams and Thomas Jefferson became great friends after being each other's nemesis during their political life!?After being opponents for almost an entire lifetime, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson became very good friends in the end. They both had different opinions and points of views when it came to politics and pretty much anything.?Therefore, they became rivals and didn’t really seem to like each other. However, they both reconciled in 1812. Adams decided to make an effort to really get to meet Thomas Jefferson! He even added with his very own words: “You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other.”?And what’s even more curious about this whole situation is that they spent the rest of their lives writing fascinating letters to each other! This way, they were able to become great friends and were able to die happy knowing that their all life nemesis wasn’t that bad after all.? Indonesian tribe has found an all-natural male birth control method!Sunday, 14 July 201311:02 AMAn Indonesian tribe has found an all-natural male birth control method!?Tribesman on the Indonesian island of Papau have long been using the gandarusa plant to keep them from getting their wives pregnant. Researchers began looking into the plant in 1988 and started testing it in the 1990s.?They've found that the plant has no effect on the health of the sperm, but weakens it and prevents pregnancy by slowing down the activity of certain enzymes in the sperm that help them wriggle into a female’s ovum. The problem with making a gandarusa pill for male birth control is that it isn't profitable for the companies to produce, but it is important for population control.?Researchers have tested the pill on two waves of male volunteers: First 36 men, then 120 men. This year, they’ll conduct a 350-man study to reinforce their findings so far: That trial volunteers’ sperm remains healthy but unable to penetrate a woman’s egg. Men taking the gandarusa pills typically regain the ability to impregnate after 72 days and there are no side effects.? Posey once played all nine positions during a baseball game. His team won!Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AMBuster Posey once played all nine positions during a baseball game. His team won!?Back in 2008, Buster Posey (former San Francisco Giants player), played for Florida State University. On May 12, during a game against Savannah State University, he hit a grand glam and played all nine fielding positions!?And not only that; His team won 10-0! His performance during that game was great; in fact while he was playing as a pitcher that day, he struck out both batters he faced!?2008 was in fact a great year for Posey; he hit .463 with 26 home runs and 3 RBI and won multiple awards such as the Johnny Bench Award, Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year award, Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award among many others!?When it comes to doing something you love there are no limitations to what you can do; always give your best, just like Buster Posey would.? Colorado coal mine has been on fire since 1910!Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AM?A Colorado coal mine has been on fire since 1910!?The South Canyon underground coal fire near Glenwood Springs, Colorado has been burning since 1910. Experts, with all that time, still don't know what caused the coal mine to catch on fire.?Researchers keep a close eye on the underground inferno and test the air for carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide at surface level. It is believed to be the reason for the destruction of habitats in the area and even human diseases.?They're hoping this underground coal fire will help bring some answers to coal gas and it's condensation products and understanding their cause and effects of environmental degradation and pollution. The Coal Seam Fire in 2002 is a great example of how an underground coal fire and be brought surface level and destroy it.?The Coal Seam Fire scorched 12,000 acres and destroyed buildings all around Glenwood Springs, Colorado. There are no known was of stopping a coal mine fire, but ideas are thrown across the table all the time. Currently they are thinking of drilling data that could at least control the issue.? from Futurama has the same microprocessor as the original Nintendo!Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AMBender from Futurama has the same microprocessor as the original Nintendo!?The 8-bit microprocessor MOS Technology 6502 was designed in 1975 by Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch. It was much less expensive than the 8-bit microprocessors bigger companies like Motorola and Intel had come out with. It was also just a good as their products were.?It was the MOS Technology 6502 along with the Zilog Z80 that started the computer projects that eventually led to the home computer revolution of the 1980s. Just think, had this microprocessor not been made so affordable and well, we wouldn't have Halo or Call of Duty or even The Last of Us. It was the beginning of more than they knew.?So, in the 1980s the Atari, Apple II, and other home gaming consoles started popping up. The MOS Technology 6502 has been made in famous pop culture references, too. In the 1984 The Terminator, featuring the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger, the audience is given a view through the T-800 Model-101 robot character's eye camera of a display of a 6502 assembly language program fragment several times.?The industrial robot, Bender, from Fox's Futurama is manufactured in the year 2998 and it was revealed in the episode "Fry and the Slurm Factory" that Bender had a 6502 as his brain. The head writer and producer of Futurama, David X. Cohen, said that he and his friends wrote a compiler for the Apple II Plus using a 6502 in high school, and that is where he got the idea for Bender's brain.? Aldrin's Mother's maiden name was Moon!Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AM?Buzz Aldrin's Mother's maiden name was Moon!?Talk about irony...or was it destiny? Buzz Aldrin was a Jersey boy born in 1930. He grew up in New Jersey and graduated a year early from high school taking him straight to West Point where he graduated third in his class with a BS in mechanical engineering.?He joined the Air Force and flew F86 Sabre Jets in 66 combat missions in the Korean War. He was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his work in Korea. He did a tour of duty in Germany flying F100s and then returned to the U.S. where he got his Doctorate of Science in Astronautics at MIT.?He wrote his thesis on Manned Orbital Rendezvous. He was well chosen by NASA in 1963 into the third group of astronauts and the only one with a doctorate. This is where we all know him from, of course.?Ironically, Aldrin's mother was named Marion Moon! He then was chosen by NASA to become an astronaut and one of the first two people to ever set foot on the moon. Aldrin was a pivotal piece in NASA's space program. He came up with the idea of using underwater training as a substitute for zero-gravity flights and the docking and rendezvous techniques he made for the spacecraft and lunar orbit were critical in the success of the Gemini and Apollo programs. His techniques are still used by NASA today.? it was built, the Citicorps center had a high chance of falling down. The engineers fixed it without telling anyone!Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AMWhen it was built, the Citicorps center had a high chance of falling down. The engineers fixed it without telling anyone!?The Citicorps Center was built in the 1970s in New York City. At it's completion it was the 7th tallest building in the world. William J. LeMessurier was the structural engineer on the project. Only a year after it was built it became apparent that the Citicorps Center could only withstand a sixteen-year-storm, meaning it had a one in sixteen chance that it would totally collapse every year.?Originally it was meant to be able to withstand a one in fifty-five-year-storm. The problem was easily a career ender for LeMessurier. Instead of ignoring the problem or simply committing suicide to get out of the problem, LeMessurier decided to take responsibility, but secretly.?He hatched a plan that involved workers to fix all 200 joints of the building's structure, hired people to oversee the work carefully and make sure it was done properly, and then hired 2,000 Red Cross workers to help evacuate the building should something have gone wrong. He managed to do it without anyone knowing for twenty years.?The information finally came out in the late 1990s and LeMessurier was able to keep his reputation sound and ended up making Citicorp Center the strongest building in the world able to withstand a 700-year-storm.? are 6 times more likely to be abandoned by their spouse after being diagnosed with cancer or MS!Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AMWomen are 6 times more likely to be abandoned by their spouse after being diagnosed with cancer or MS!?No one wants to receive a life-threatening diagnosis. If you do get the news that you have cancer or MS or a brain tumor, you would hope that your spouse would stand by and support you. Battling an illness is tough enough without having to worry about your partner abandoning you. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case.?Serious illness causes extreme stress and can lead to separation and even divorce. Depending on the situation, this marital discord can affect the patient's survival. In a study of 515 married patients with life threatening illnesses, researchers found that spousal abandonment was six times more likely if the patient was a woman.?According to the study, female gender was a strong predictor of spousal abandonment. Further, when divorce or separation did occur, the patient's quality of life and quality of treatment were negatively affected.? Asians have smaller eyes due to a genetic mutation that happened centuries ago!?Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AMEast Asians have smaller eyes due to a genetic mutation that happened centuries ago!??Not all Asians have “smaller” eyes. This mainly applies to East Asians. Their eyes aren’t technically smaller, either. They simply have an extra patch of skin called an epithelial fold above their eyes.?That fold allows them to protect their eyes against extreme cold and fierce winds that occur in Tibet. Average annual snowfall is 18 inches and the land is severely dry 9 months out of the year.?The epithelial fold is simply the way they adapted to their environment. Tibet is where the ancestors of many East Asians lived for tens of thousands of years before migrating to warmer places. The epithelial fold, however, is part of the DNA now and so continues to be a trademark of East Asians.? Great Pyramid of Giza was built with such precision that the biggest margin of error was 58mm!Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AMThe Great Pyramid of Giza was built with such precision that the biggest margin of error was 58mm!?The Great Pyramids of Giza are world-renowned structures. The largest and oldest of the three pyramids is the Great Pyramid. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is thought that it was built as a tomb for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu.?It was built over a period of 10-20 years. Upon completion, it stood at 480.6 feet tall. For 3,800 years, it was the tallest man made structure in the world. Each side of its square base is about 756 feet long. While the sheer size of the pyramid is impressive, the accuracy of the construction is just as astounding. On each of these four sides, the average error is just 58 millimeters.?The base is horizontal and flat and has an error of only 15 millimeters. Similarly, the base was squared to a mean corner error of only 12 seconds arc. The four sides of the base point to the four directions, north, south, east and west.? Great Dane officially enlisted in the Royal Navy during WWII!Sunday, 14 July 201311:03 AM?A Great Dane officially enlisted in the Royal Navy during WWII!?Just Nuisance was the only dog ever to be officially enlisted in the Royal Navy!This Great Dane from Cape Town served mainly as a morale booster for the troops between 1939 and 1944.?He was enlisted on August 25th, 1939 under the surname of “Nuisance” and forename of “Just”. He never went to sea but he accompanied sailors on train journeys and escorted them back to the base when the pubs closed.?Later in 1944, Nuisance was involved in a car accident which caused him a thrombosis, which gradually paralyzed him. He then was discharged from the navy. He was put to sleep at Simon’s Town Naval Hospital and was buried with full naval honors, which included a gun salute.?His grave is currently located on top of the hill at Klawer, at the former SA Navy Signal School, and a statue of him can be found in Jubilee Square at Simon’s Town which commemorates his life.? Armstrong almost missed the deadline for his NASA application!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AMNeil Armstrong almost missed the deadline for his NASA application!?There are some moments in life that, in hindsight, seem meant to be. They significantly alter the person’s life trajectory. This was the case with astronaut Neil Armstrong.?Armstrong was the first man to step on the surface of the moon. As he did so, he uttered the now-famous words “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” His love for flying started when Armstrong was just 2 years old and his father took him to the Cleveland Air Races. After high school, he enrolled in a US Navy Program at Purdue University.?He was there for a year and a half before he was called to serve in the navy during the Korean War. He flew a number of missions during the war. He then returned to finish his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering. In June 1962, he learned that NASA was looking for it's second group of astronauts. He submitted his application, but it arrived about a week too late.?If Armstrong’s friend hadn’t been working at NASA’s Manned Spacecraft center and hadn’t slipped his application into the group of applications being considered, he would never have walked on the moon.? 10,000 shipping containers get lost at sea every year! 10% have toxic chemicals!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AMOver 10,000 shipping containers get lost at sea every year! 10% have toxic chemicals!?The many goods that humans produce and then sell are shipped across our oceans in giant shipping containers. Imagine being on a ship full of these containers. You’re cruising across the ocean when all of a sudden – for whatever reason you would like to come up with – one of these shipping containers falls overboard.?You freak out. You run around to the crew trying to figure out what to do. How to retrieve it. No one seems concerned. Why? Because 10,000 of these containers fall overboard every year. That’s about one every hour.?Until recently, we had little idea what happened to these containers once they were released into the great blue. This obviously depends on just where the container falls off. For example, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute investigated a container that fell into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. It had become a home for a variety of marine wildlife.?This isn’t always the case though. Very few lost containers are every recovered or even reported. There are no legal repercussions for losing them. And about 10% of them contain toxic chemicals that could harm sea life. The containers, being foreign objects, also change the marine environment, in which they settle.?This can wreak havoc on the natural ecosystem.? 39-year-old man brutally murdered his mother when she forgot to get him concert tickets to see Avril Lavigne!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AMA 39-year-old man brutally murdered his mother when she forgot to get him concert tickets to see Avril Lavigne!?Robert Lyons, a 39-year-old man who suffered from bipolar disorder, got very angry when his mother refused to his get him skybox seats for an Avril Lavigne concert. Lyons had asked his mother, Linda Bolek, to call her friend and ask if he could use the box for the concert. When she did not do this, the two got into an argument in the kitchen of their Carol Stream, IL home.?Lyons hit his mother in the head with a bottle of cognac and then stabbed her repeatedly. He then poured household cleaner on her body. The police apprehended Lyons a few hours later at a local Hooters restaurant. While there was no doubt that Lyons was the one who killed Bolek, there was a dispute over whether Bolek had first threatened her son with a knife.?This is what Lyons said when he called his mother’s boyfriend. The boyfriend said that Lyons and Bolek would have angry, profanity-laced fights about once or twice a month.????"Letter to a Hindu" was the book that helped India gain independence from Britain!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AM"Letter to a Hindu" was the book that helped India gain independence from Britain!?Leo Tolstoy wrote a book in 1908 called "Letter to a Hindu" in which he argued that the only way for India to gain independence from Britain was through non-violent resistance.?He argued that only through the principle of love the Indian people could free themselves from colonial British rule. He thought that by spreading love among the people that people in protests and strikes would be able to overcome a violent revolution.?These ideas proved to be successful in 1947 in the culmination of the Indian Independence Movement. And what's most interesting about Leo Tolstoy is that his points of views had a great influence on Mohandas Gandhi's views about non-violent resistance!?So you could say that hippies and all those people who call themselves "Lovers, not fighters" are all influenced by Leo Tolstoy's writings and thoughts.So remember! Make love happen, not war!? last duel in Canada was pretty pathetic!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AM?The last duel in Canada was pretty pathetic!?Duels used to be a commonly used method of problem solving, but as the years passed they inevitably fell out of fashion as barbaric and pointless. The last duel fought in Canada was in August of 1873 between two men who had once been good friends.??Their friendship reached an impasse when both men fell in love with the same women. The lovers spat couldn’t be concluded for some time, until one of the men decided to challenge the other to a duel, which was readily accepted. The men lined up honorably, yet things went amiss as soon as they began pacing away from each other.?At the decided ten yards, they turned at shot. One man immediately hit the ground, and the other, who believed he had just killed his opponent, was seized with horror and had a nervous fit. The men who had loaded the guns admitted both were loaded with blanks and the first man had simply fainted, an embarrassing and dishonorable setup for any duel.??In the end, both men thanked each other and were once again friends, which makes this duel perhaps the least successful duel in history!? heard of Manhattanhedge? The sun does something pretty amazing in New York twice a year!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AMEver heard of Manhattanhedge? The sun does something pretty amazing in New York twice a year!?Named after Stonehenge and the amazing phenomenon in which the sun aligns with the stones on the solstices, Manhattanhedge is similar. One key difference is it takes place in New York. Twice a year, around May 28 and July 12, the sun begins to set and perfectly aligns with the east-west streets of the main street grid in Manhattan.?Also referred to as the Manhattan Solstice, this dramatic effect usually occurs around 8 pm and the view is amazing. There are also two corresponding morning of sunrise, which occur around December 5 and January 8, near the winter solstice and have the same effect. Although the dates vary somewhat from year to year, it is pretty reliable. The term was coined in 2002 by Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History.? wonder why Wal-Mart has greeters? It's actually to deter shoplifting!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AMEver wonder why Wal-Mart has greeters? It's actually to deter shoplifting!?It began in 1980 when a manager of a Louisiana Wal-Mart had severe problems with shoplifting. To deter people from stealing, he placed a woman by the front door. This woman was charged with simply greeting people as they walked in and asking them if they needed any help.??The mere presence of this woman helped discourage potential shoplifters, who immediately thought twice about it. When Sam Walton, the company founder, visited the store, he made it universal and a Wal-Mart trademark. In the end he claimed this helped customers because less shoplifting results in lower prices!? who spend much of their time listening to music are more likely to be depressed!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AMTeenagers who spend much of their time listening to music are more likely to be depressed!?A study from the Pittsburgh School of Medicine compared the depression statistics of teenagers with the amount of time the spend consuming various forms of media. As it turns out, those teenagers who spent the majority of their time listening to music were 8.3 times as likely to be depressed than students who didn’t spend most of their time listening to music.??On the flip side, (and this certain to cause many of our teenage readers to roll their eyes) the adolescents who read books the most were only 1/10 as likely to be depressed. Of course, this limited study can’t make any claims one way or another as to how music and books are related to depression. Maybe excessive music-listening causes depression, or maybe music is just a good coping mechanism for teens who are already depressed. Maybe books lift people’s spirits, or maybe the fact that depressed people have difficulty concentrating on books is a more relevant consideration.??You should make sure to read about the study yourself, and then you can decide.? America was supposed to be a shot for shot puppet parody of a James Bond movie!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AMTeam America was supposed to be a shot for shot puppet parody of a James Bond movie!?Trey Parker and Matt Stone are notorious for creating the offensive tongue and cheek cartoon South Park, as well as creating the internationally renowned musical, The Book of Mormon - a play that won 9 Tony's. They are also famous for creating the Puppet film, Team America: World Police. The film pokes fun at many international issues and conflicts, including North Korea.?However, the film almost wasn't made. Originally, Matt Stone and Trey Parker wanted to do a shot for shot movie puppet parody of the film 'The Day After Tomorrow' but their team of lawyers said that if they made that film, there would be legal problems.?Want to learn more interesting facts about the production of Team America: World Police? Click the source!? Galifianakis appeared on Disney's G-Force because he was high when they asked him to audition!Sunday, 14 July 201311:04 AMZach Galifianakis appeared on Disney's G-Force because he was high when they asked him to audition!?Zach Galifianakis is famous for his role as the hilariously awkward Alan in the hit film “The Hangover” and it's subsequent sequels. He has an interesting history – from doing stand-up to hosting a failed talk show to living in a van. The guy is a bit quirky.?"Inappropriateness is funny to me," Galifianakis says. "Rudeness is hilarious. I'm in awe of the non-self-awareness of it – the idea that you can be so clueless as to be that disrespectful of another human being."His constant inappropriateness may lead some to believe he’s constantly on drugs. Not the case, but he’s not always stone-cold sober either.?Galifianakis admits to smoking pot. In fact, when he lived in Vancouver about a decade ago, he had a girlfriend named Watermelon who sold pot cookies on the beach. He also only agreed to be in the Disney thriller “G-Force” (the one about crime-fighting guinea pigs) because he was high when he auditioned.?He isn’t all drugs and inappropriate comedy though. Galifianakis has a serious side as well. He wants to be a dad and even considered adopting a child. He notes that he has wanted kids for the past 10 years and wants a lot – like 15. His girlfriend runs a nonprofit that helps fund third-world charities. He may be a little quirky, but at least he’s interesting.? prohibits cars being advertised as environmentally friendly!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMNorway prohibits cars being advertised as environmentally friendly!?We’ve all heard people talking about how environmental their cars are and how much they are helping the environment by driving a hybrid and using certain kind of fuel.?The term used for this kind of “environmentally friendly drivers” is Greenwashing. The main target of greenwashing is making their products look “green” and as we all know green apparently means life and hence life means environmentally friendly.?In other words, greenwashing is a way of manipulating people into consuming their goods and using their services. Norway is very aware of this term, and therefore has very strict rules on advertising cars as “green”, saying “cars can do nothing good for the environment except less damage than others”!?So if you are still planning on bragging about your new hybrid, remember, that won’t get you any chicks at Norway.? Houdini exposed several fraudulent magicians through science!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMHarry Houdini exposed several fraudulent magicians through science!?Harry Houdini is considered the father of all stunts by many people and magicians all over the world. Even Criss Angel and David Copperfield base some of their stunts from this man!?Throughout his lifetime, Harry Houdini did amazing stunts all over America, Europe and the world in general. He was very famous for his sensational escape acts! Some people even think he was able to escape death; however, he died of peritonitis.?And not only he was appreciated by millions, he was also supported by the scientific community. They really loved their stunts; they also loved how he used science to expose fraudulent psychics and mediums!?This man was able to escape from handcuffs, tanks filled with water, chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers and he was even able to hold his breath inside a sealed milk can, however just like all of us, he was not able to escape his own fate and death itself.He was however the greatest American magician of all time!? McGregor's uncle played the only rebel pilot to survive both Death Stars!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMEwan McGregor's uncle played the only rebel pilot to survive both Death Stars!?Denis Lawson is a Scottish actor and director. While most of his work has been in BBC shows, he shares a rare honor: he played the only rebel pilot in the original Star Wars trilogy that managed to survive both attacks on the Death Star.?Perhaps by fate or coincidence, the actor who played Wedge Antilles is also related to the great Obi-Wan Kenobi. Lawson's sister, Carol Diane McGregor is the mother of Ewan McGregor, who played the iconic role in the three Star Wars prequels. Who knows, maybe another member of the family might make an appearance in the new trilogy?? you were able to hear frequencies lower than 20Hz, you could hear your muscles moving!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMIf you were able to hear frequencies lower than 20Hz, you could hear your muscles moving!?Our senses are amazing things. Although they don't give us a completely accurate picture of the world, they give us just enough information to be able to carry out our lives.?For example, you might know that humans can't ever hear certain sound frequencies. However, that's not such a bad thing. If you could hear frequencies under 20 hertz, you would actually be able to hear your muscles move!? park ranger survived being struck by lightning seven times!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AM?A park ranger survived being struck by lightning seven times!?It is a myth that you can't be struck by lightning twice. Roy Sullivan was a park ranger in Virginia. He got the nickname Human Lightning Rod and Human Lightning Conductor after he had been struck by lightning seven separate times and survived them all.?He is in the Guinness World Records for being struck by lightning the most in recorded history. His first strike was after running out of a building being struck 7 or 8 times by lightning. He ran out and was zapped so hard that it left a half inch burn strip up the side of his leg. He said it was the worst most painful lightning strike of all.?Then he was riding in his truck and lightning struck a tree, bounced off and into his open truck window burning of his eyebrows, eyelashes, and most of his hair leaving him unconscious. A year later he was in his yard when lightning hit a transformer and bounced off and hit his shoulder searing it. Two years after that he was hit in the ranger's station catching his hair on fire.?After that fourth hit he got a little paranoid, for good reason, and started carrying around a bucket of water with him. Only a year after his fourth strike, while he was out on patrol in the park, Sullivan saw a storm cloud forming and drove away quickly. But the cloud, he said later, seemed to be following him. When he finally thought he had outrun it, he decided it was safe to leave his truck.?Soon after, he was struck by a lightning bolt. Sullivan stated that he actually saw the bolt that hit him. The lightning set his hair on fire, moved down his left arm and left leg and knocked off his shoe, although it did not untie the lace. It then crossed over to his right leg just below the knee.?Still conscious, Sullivan crawled to his truck and poured the can of water, which he always kept there, over his head. Three years later he saw a cloud and ran from it, but got struck anyways. The next year, he was struck for the 7th time while fishing in a freshwater pool. The lightning hit the top of his head, singed his hair, traveled down, and burnt his chest and stomach.?Sullivan turned to his car when something unexpected occurred: A bear approached the pond and tried to steal trout from his fishing line. Sullivan had the strength and courage to strike the bear with a tree branch. He claimed that this was the twenty-second time he hit a bear with a stick in his lifetime. He didn't die until he was 71, when he shot himself over unrequited love.? soldier was left wounded and dying with just 8 bullets. His body was found with 8 enemy soldiers around him!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMA soldier was left wounded and dying with just 8 bullets. His body was found with 8 enemy soldiers around him!?Private Thomas Baker's company has weld up by enemy fire in the Mariana Islands during WWII. There, he made one of his many brave gestures: he took a bazooka and dashed 100 yards toward his enemy to allow his company to mount an assault.?Later, they were attacked by surprise, and he took the rearguard and was able to hold off the enemy and kill many of them. During another attack, he was seriously wounded. He insisted on remaining in combat and kept firing at the enemy.?When it was clear he'd die anyway, he decided not to risk his company's lives and asked to be left propped up to a tree. He was given a soldier's pistol with 8 rounds of ammo.?The company left. His body was later found surrounded by 8 bodies and his pistol empty. For all this, Thomas Baker received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his bravery.? were originally just to protect drivers from horse poop!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMDashboards were originally just to protect drivers from horse poop!?Carriages and buggies had a "dash" board that were made of drop cloth or leather. The board kept the horses feet from slinging up mud or poop as they dashed along through puddles and muck keeping the driver and passengers clean.?When motorized vehicles were introduced, the dash board adapted and was used as the instrument panel. Trunks were derived from carriages and buggies, too. At the back of them, trunks, or suitcases, were strapped on for traveling.?Therefore, when the motorized vehicles came around, they added a back area to store things and kept the name trunk, since it is what had been used previously. It was very logical at the time. Several parts of the car are named after practical parts of the carriage and buggy system.? Welles and Ernest Hemingway got into a fist-fight. After, they became friends!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMOrson Welles and Ernest Hemingway got into a fist-fight. After, they became friends!?Orson Welles met Ernest Hemingway during the making of a movie that Hemingway had written for Welles to narrate. As he was reading the text, Welles questioned some of what Hemingway had written. When Welles started making fun of him, the got into a fist fight!?The fight actually ended with both of them laughing about it. After, they became on- and off- again friends. They actually became really good friends and shared passion for bull fighting and humor. They only ever clashed whenever Welles made fun of Hemingway in public, although Welles said he took it well when he was in private.? Stanford PhD student murdered his advisor cause he was told he'd never graduate even after 19 years in school!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMA Stanford PhD student murdered his advisor cause he was told he'd never graduate even after 19 years in school!?Academia can be a killer. Theodore Streleski was a mathematician at Stanford University in the 1970s. After his adviser, Karel deLeeuw told him he wouldn't be given a PhD from the university after he had been a graduate student for 19 years he snapped.?He took a ball peen hammer, aka small sledgehammer, and bludgeoned Karel to death. That was in 1978 and he only got 7 years in prison for the murder. He said it was his creative way of protesting the college denying him his PhD after working for so long for it.?Shortly after the murder he turned himself in saying it was justifiable homicide, because he'd been withheld department awards and been demeaned in front of other students. He'd also been denied financial support. He never admitted any guilt or remorse for his actions and never said it was a one time kill. He left it open to interpretation that he might kill again one day. He still got out after only seven years behind bars calling it a political statement.? are many more letters used in Roman numerals than you know!Sunday, 14 July 201311:05 AMThere are many more letters used in Roman numerals than you know!?The Romans used a decimal system for whole numbers, reflecting how they counted in Latin and they used a duodecimal system for fractions, because the divisibility of twelve makes it easier to handle the common fractions of 1/3 and 1/4 than does a system based on ten.?On coins, many of which had values that were duodecimal fractions of the unit as, they used a tally-like notational system based on twelfths and halves. A dot indicated an uncia "twelfth", the source of the English words inch and ounce; dots were repeated for fractions up to five twelfths.?Six twelfths was abbreviated as the letter S for semis "half". Uncia dots were added to S for fractions from seven to eleven twelfths, just as tallies were added to V for whole numbers from six to nine. Now, you can be more confused about the roman numeral system.? are colors that are too complex for the human eye called "Impossible Colors."Tuesday, 16 July 20132:14 PMThere are colors that are too complex for the human eye called "Impossible Colors."?“Impossible colors,” or “forbidden colors,” are hues that cannot be seen by the human eye in ordinary viewing conditions. These are actually simpler to describe than one might think.??In our color wheel, we have colors like “red-orange” or “blue-green.” These colors exist because they are right next to each other on the color wheel. An “impossible color” is a color such as “green-purple,” or any two colors put together that are not next to each other on the color wheel. Though the idea of mixing green and purple makes most people think of a brown color, this is actually referring to a color that would be similar to both purple and green.?Other colors outside of our range of color perception are also included in this. Included is an image of two colors that are dissimilar. Some people who stare at the image with crossed eyes so that the pluses align may be able to see “yellow-blue.” Try it yourself!? year a masked man leaves roses and cognac at Edgar Allan Poe's grave!?Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PMEvery year a masked man leaves roses and cognac at Edgar Allan Poe's grave!??Edgar Allan Poe is famous for his dark tales of mystery and terror. After living a life that would be difficult to classify as normal, he passed away in 1849 under mysterious circumstances, strangely enough wearing clothes that weren’t even his, that has been attributed to anything from cholera, rabies, alcohol, or even suicide.??He died in Baltimore and was buried, yet in the 1930’s a tradition began that can be classified nearly as strange as Poe’s life. He’s called the “Poe Toaster.” The nickname was given to a mysterious man that dressed in black with a wide-brimmed hat, white scarf, roses, and a bottle of cognac. The unknown man shows up every year since the 1930’s on January 19th at Poe’s gravesite and pours himself a glass of cognac in which he toasts Poe’s memory.??After the cognac, he arranges the roses in a very specific order on the tombstone and leaves the half-empty bottle as well. Attempts have been made several times to catch of glimpse of the unknown man and discover his true identity, yet each has been unsuccessful. Fans of the Toaster became nervous as the years went on that eventually the man would have to stop coming, yet after leaving several notes it is now assumed that a younger “son” has emerged to take on the Toaster’s responsibility!?? you hate pants? You can blame horses for that!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PM?Do you hate pants? You can blame horses for that!?It's wrong to make assumptions, but it's safe to assume that you, the reader of this article, owns at least one pair of pants. You probably think that the reason you wear pants is because they are comfortable and trendy, but do you know WHY they have become to trendy? As it turns out, it dates back to the Ancient Romans.?The Romans had a laughable cavalry unit, and this lead them to keep getting whooped by a man by the name of Hannibal. The problem was that the Romans were trying to ride horses while wearing their little skirts, which made for an unpleasant experience and often distracted the rider. The Romans decided to wear long pants, that covered their legs, which made the riding experience more enjoyable!?It wasn't just the Romans that were wearing pants because of horses. In fact, if you look all around the world, the initial reason for the creation of pants, was to make horseback riding more tolerable. The Japanese started wearing pants to ride horses, and the Native Americans didn't wear pants...until they were introduced to horses by the Europeans! Since men with horses were seen wearing pants, pants themselves became a sign of honor and royalty!? West's song 'Power' quotes a police officer's response to a protest organized by Malcolm X!?Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PMKanye West's song 'Power' quotes a police officer's response to a protest organized by Malcolm X!??Kanye West's song "Power," has a hook that proclaims "no one man should have all that power." Many West fans happily sing along to the lyrics without knowing their true meaning.?This line quotes a police officer's observation about Malcolm X, the controversial and influential leader of the Black Revolution movement. He was the voice of many African American struggles in the 1960s. He later converted to Sunni Islam and went on a pilgrimage to mecca.?After a Muslim person was beaten in New York, Malcolm led Muslims on a dramatic protest of police's mistreatment. He notes in his autobiography that all of Harlem then saw how police began to treat Muslims well. It was this that caused the Deputy Police Chief Inspector of the 28th Precinct to proclaim "no man should have that much power."? Royal Air Force sunk a ship full of holocaust victims by accident!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PMThe Royal Air Force sunk a ship full of holocaust victims by accident!?The Cap Arcona was a large German luxury ocean liner.It was used to transport passengers between Germany and South America until it was taken over by the German Navy during the Nazi era.?During war the ship used to evacuate Germans. However, while several prisoners from Nazi concentration camps were being transported, the ship was sunk by the Royal Air Force in 1945 and it killed over 5,000 people!?More people died in his incident than those in the Titanic! What’s even more tragic is that the ship was sunk three days after Hitler’s suicide and only one day before the unconditional surrender of the German troops!?And even though some prisoners were able to jump into the water, direct orders were given to the Royal Air Force to shot anyone who tried to escape!If you cried while watching the Titanic movie, I wonder how you would feel watching a movie of this horrible incident.? economist predicted both the .com and housing bubbles. Nobody listened to him!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PMAn economist predicted both the .com and housing bubbles. Nobody listened to him!?Robert Shiller, a professor at Yale University predicted the future through two of his books and he was right about what was going to happen!In one of his books he predicted the dot-com bubble and the other, the housing bubble.?His first book titled “Irrational Exuberance” came out in March 2000 and he explained the dot-com boom and he demonstrated through arguments how the stock markets were overvalued at the time. The stock market collapse of 2000 happened the exact month of the book’s publication!?In 2005 he published the second edition of the book in which he covered the housing bubble and how the real estate bubble was soon to burst and one year later the housing prices peaked in 2006 and the housing bubble burst in 2007 and 2008!?You might want to check when his next book will come out before deciding to invest your money somewhere!? was invented when the voice actor for the radio Superman show wanted to go on vacation!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PMKryptonite was invented when the voice actor for the radio Superman show wanted to go on vacation!?We’ve all seen how Lex Luthor just keeps getting kryptonite over, and over again, however the whole kryptonite idea came from the Superman radio series and not the comic book!?When Bud Collyer, who played Superman on the live radio series wanted a vacation, the writers invented kryptonite to incapacitate him for a few days and so that he could enjoy his vacation!?Also, the identity of Colley remained a secret from 1940 to 1946, until the character of Superman was used in a promotional campaign for racial and religious tolerance and Collyer did a Time magazine interview about the campaign.?The whole idea of kryptonite was brilliant! Just when everyone thought there was nothing that could hurt superman, this guys were able to give the whole series a new plot and hence create awesome new villains and a great story!? Quincy Adams was a big fan of skinny dipping!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PM?John Quincy Adams was a big fan of skinny dipping!?John Quincy Adams was known as the Skinny Dipping President!He was a skinny dipper. Even though pools and Jacuzzis didn’t exist back in his time, rivers did!?And he had one very closely to the White House, so throughout his presidency you could see Quincy Adams wading through the river nude every morning!?He loved to tried new stuff, so besides being the first President known to enjoying swimming completely nude he was also the first president to be photographed. Also, he was the first President to be interviewed!?Ann Royall, took advantage of the President’s morning routine, and while he was swimming she sat on his clothes and denied to move until the President granted her an interview (and apparently he was also the first president to conceal an interview while being nude).Some Presidents make history by taking huge nation’s decisions, John Quincy Adams made history by being a total daredevil.? is a dinosaur named after Harry Potter!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PM?There is a dinosaur named after Harry Potter!?Dracorex hogwartsia or just Dracorex is a dinosaur genus of the family Pachycephalosauridae. His name means “dragon king of Hogwarts” and it was named such as a tribute to dragons (which it resembles) and the world of Harry Potter!?These were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota by three amateur paleontologists from Iowa. They described it as an herbivore, with a skull with spiky horns, bumps, and a long muzzle.Besides it's flat, nodal skull, the most prominent feature of Dracorex is the pair of huge unrestricted superior temporal openings!?The name itself however, was inspired not by the paleontologists, but by young visitors to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis as a tribute to both dragons (Dracorex means “dragon king”), which the dinosaur resembles, as well as the Harry Potter series of books (Hogwartsia for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the fictional school from the awesome series).?So yes, Harry Potter has contributed to science! How awesome is that?? cattle and deer sleep with their heads pointing north!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PM?All cattle and deer sleep with their heads pointing north!?Cattle and deer, both some of the cutest animals around and that a lot of people worldwide love.Besides being adorable they are both show very interesting conducts, and this captured the attention of several scientists worldwide.?A German zoologist conducted a study that shows that both cattle and deer around the world align their bodies in a north-south direction when grazing or resting!?They studied thousands of images through Google Earth and discovered that in all imaged both animals alight their bodies with magnetic north.However, their conduct it is still unknown, what’s funny is that no one before 2008 noticed this before! Not even hunters or farmers.? whales have best friends!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:15 PM?Humpback whales have best friends!?What do humpback whales and humans have in common? They both have best friends!Humpback whales form lifelong friendships and reunite with their pals every year! During their reunions they eat and swim alongside one another throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence.?While being apart all they do is migrate and breed, and somehow they find each other again after a year in the open ocean each summer, this is like their summer break, and they spend it by feeding each other and hanging out.?However, the longest friendship so far has been 6 years and there has never been a friendship between males and females, it has only occurred between similar-aged females.So you can say that female humpback whales like to have BFFs, or at least BFFs of six years.? won an Academy Award for an anti-Nazi cartoon!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PM?Disney won an Academy Award for an anti-Nazi cartoon!?Der Fuehrer’s face or Donald Duck in Nutzi Land is an American animated propaganda short film, created in 1943 produced by Walt Disney Productions!?The cartoon shows Donald Duck working at a Nazi factory in Nazi Germany, showing loyalty to Adolph Hitler and showing a “typical” day in the life of a Nazi back in the days. At the end you can see Donald Duck waking up from his nightmare dressed with a pajama of the American Flag and showing off how proud he is for being an American!?And as funny as it might sound, Der Feuherer’s Face won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 15th Academy Awards! It was also voted as the number 22 of “the 50 greatest cartoons” in 1994 by members of the animation film.?The animation itself it’s great! And you can look for it in the Internet! Hope you enjoy it!? 98 % of Norway's electricity comes from renewable energy!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PMOver 98 % of Norway's electricity comes from renewable energy!?While every other country out there says that the kind of energy they use is “environmentally friendly”, Norway is actually doing something to prove it!Hydroelectric power is the main mode of Norway’s energy production. Also their wind power offers huge export opportunities.?What we mean by hydroelectricity is the electricity generated by the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water, and it is the most widely used form of renewable energy, accounting for 16 perfect of global electricity generation!?Norway’s electricity comes mainly from hydroelectricity plants! Over 98.5 % of it's electricity is generated by those plants! That means that 4.3 % of the world total of hydroelectricity is generated in Norway!Maybe electric bills are not that expensive in Norway, it would be fun to do a little research about that!? isn't even in the top 100 windiest cities in the US!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PM?Chicago isn't even in the top 100 windiest cities in the US!?Chicago is known as "The Windy City." And yes, it gets really windy in this Midwestern metropolis, particularly in the downtown area. The wind whips up off Lake Michigan and creates a bitter cold in the winter time. These gusts aren't actually why the city got this nickname though. The "wind" that the name refers to is actually the hot air blown by the city's infamous politicians.?In fact, Chicago isn't even on the list of the top 100 windiest cities in the United States. Six of the top ten cities on this list are actually in Massachusetts. These include Brockton, Framingham, Weymouth, Newton, Waltham, and Quincy.?Three of the other four cities in the top ten are in Colorado. These are Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley. The final remaining city is Amarillo, TX. There are also other cities on the top 100 that are in Illinois and are apparently windier than Chicago. Some of these include Springfield, Waukegan and Decatur.? discovering the Galapagos tortoises, Darwin tried to ride them!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PMUpon discovering the Galapagos tortoises, Darwin tried to ride them!?Charles Darwin is the father of the theory of evolution. This theory and his resulting book "The Origin of a Species," was greatly influenced by Darwin's travels. Darwin was invited to sail on the Royal Naval Ship, the H.M.S. Beagle in 1831.?Darwin had just completed his final exams at Cambridge and was recommended for this trip by one of his professors. Despite his father's protestations, the 22-year-old Darwin decided to accept the invitation and set off on a five year journey aboard the Beagle in December 1831.?The ship first went to the Canary Islands and then off to South America. During the trip, Darwin was able to spend a surprising amount of time on land and recorded his observations in his notebook. His experiences observing the plants and animals would later influence his theory of evolution.?This was especially true on the Galapagos Islands, which Darwin reached in 1835. The islands were teeming with wildlife, such as giant tortoises. Darwin recorded in his journal that he would climb atop these giant animals (who would retreat into their shells) and attempt to ride them.?He collected samples of wildlife. The mockingbird samples he collected showed that the birds were different on every island. He reasoned they must have a similar ancestor though, which led him to start thinking of the details of evolution.? had to donate to a school to get the domain of !Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PMMcDonalds had to donate to a school to get the domain of !?If the domain is not registered yet, it’s yours.One of the most basic internet rules there is. As long as you have the money to pay for the name, you are allowed to keep it.?That’s something a lot of people do to get some money: GO FOR THE OBVIOUS. And that’s what a writer did after noticing that the domain was available!?In the case of McDonalds, someone bought the internet domain of before the anyone in their headquarters did! And not only that; since McDonald's didn't register "", they had to donate to a school to get the domain from the wired magazine writer who registered it in 1994!?At least the writer was a Good Guy Greg and didn’t keep any of the money to himself and helped others in need. We could learn a lot from this guy.? states in the U.S. have a state dinosaur!?Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PM?Six states in the U.S. have a state dinosaur!??Every state in the United States has claimed a state bird. However, six states have also claimed a state dinosaur separate from the state bird, despite the fact that scientists now say they're related.??Many states have dinosaurs as state fossils, but that is separate from claiming a dinosaur as a state’s dinosaur. It is unclear how a state decides to claim a state dinosaur or why they do it. Perhaps fossils were found in the state and it is in their honor that they claim the dinosaur as its own.??Here’s the rundown of states and their dinosaurs:?? Colorado claimed the stegosaurus as its state dinosaur in 1982.?? The District of Columbia’s state dinosaur is the Capitalsaurus as of 1998.?? Maryland’s dinosaur is the Astrodon Johnstoni since 1998.?? Missouri claims the Hypsibema Missouriensis since 2004.?? New Jersey’s dinosaur is the Hadrosaurus Foulkii since 1991. .Texas has claimed the Paluxysaurus Jonesi since 2009.?? Wyoming’s state dinosaur is the triceratops since 1994.? hit a WWI bomb forgotten by the British and the bomb killed a cow!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PMLighting hit a WWI bomb forgotten by the British and the bomb killed a cow!?This cow could be considered a close relative of “bad luck Brian”, especially since it is considered the single unluckiest cow in history of existence because it died from a bomb explosion that was caused from a lighting that was able to detonate a 50,000 pound bomb that was forgotten by Britain for over 20 years!?During WWI, 21 enormous mines were buried in the Belgian countryside by the British army, making these 21 mines the largest planned non-nuclear explosion in history!?General Herbert Plumer of the British army spent 18 months planning this single deadliest non-nuclear blast, making each mine heavier than 50,000 pounds each! That would be a grand total of 600 tons!?However, only 19 of those bombs went off, killing over 10,000 Germans. One of the two remaining bombs was struck by lighting and thus it killed the poor cow.?As for the other one it's location it’s still unknown. Let’s hope “Bad Luck Brian” doesn’t visit Belgian territory anytime soon.? can buy GPS enabled shoes that work just like Dorothy's!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PM?You can buy GPS enabled shoes that work just like Dorothy's!?If you've ever been envious of Dorothy's slippers, and how she could just click the heels three times and go home, you'll be happy to hear that someone has been actively working on that.?Shoemaker Dominc Wilcox has created a new shoe with a GPS sensor that you can program with your home address. If you want to go home, you click the heels three times. LED lights in the front of the shoe will light up and tell you which way to walk!?The shoes are still a work in progress, and so far only one pair has been made. Would you buy such strange shoes? Let us know in the comments!? got their names after a hat shop in France!Tuesday, 16 July 20132:16 PM?Buses got their names after a hat shop in France!?Besides having the greatest band of electronic music ever (If “Daft Punk” didn’t come to your mind you need some serious help), the French also have the credit of being the ones who named the “bus”.?The word “bus” itself comes from the Latin word “Omnibus”, in other words is a clipped form of this word. The bus is also called multibus or autobus, depending in which country you are at.?This was actually a reference to “Omnes Omnibus,” which was the name of the hatter shop located next to the first bus station in Nantes, France back in 1823, whch was in turn a Latin pun on the name of the owner, “Omnès”.?Another fun fact is that the bus is still called “omnibus” in several countries throughout the world! An example would include Argentina.?The bus is in fact one of the greatest inventions ever, however, there are some evil bus drivers out there that no matter how fast they see you chasing them across the street, they’ll just step the gas pedal deeper, and deeper and share an evil laugh as you are falling behind.? Knowledge 2Wednesday, 17 July 20134:23 PM?It would cost about $42,000 in muggle money to attend Hogwarts for a year.?The average 3-hour baseball game contains only 18 minutes of game action.??July 2 is really America's independence day, not July 4!?Wednesday, 17 July 20137:34 AM?July 2 is really America's independence day, not July 4!??Every year, on July 4, American's celebrate Independence Day, a day which supposedly marks yet another year that America has been a country. According to popular belief, the colonies that would soon become the USA declared independence from the British on July 4, however that isn't actually true.?In fact, the colonies in the USA actually became independent from the British on July 2, and in a letter to his wife, Thomas Jefferson says "the Second of July, 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival."?Jefferson, of course, was fully aware that his country formed on July 2, 1776, but the reason that Americans celebrate on July 4 is because that is when the Declaration of Independence was signed! On July 2, 1776, a vote was passed that made the United States of America independent from Britain.Confused? Read the source for all the details!? Marley's final words were 'Money can't buy life!'Wednesday, 17 July 20137:34 AM?Bob Marley's final words were 'Money can't buy life!'?Bob Marley died of malignant melanoma found underneath his toenail diagnosed in 1977. Legend has it that he got the lesion from a football game injury earlier in the year. Actually, he got it from pre-existing cancer.?Doctors told him to amputate his toe, but he refused on the basis of religious beliefs. Even though he was sick, he continued touring and working. He even planned another tour for 1980 when he was taken. His 1980 album, Uprising, was made as a way for Marley to come to terms with his mortality. He completed his tour in Europe and two concerts in the U.S.?The cancer spread throughout his body and he became extremely ill. He cancelled his tour and went to a Bavarian clinic. He was treated for 8 months by watching his food, water, and substance intake. He headed back to Jamaica when he was near death's door. He only made it to Miami, though. He died in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital.?His final words to his son, Ziggy, were "Money can't buy life." He was given a state funeral in Jamaica combining Ethiopian Orthodoxy and Rastafarian traditions. He was then buried in a chapel near where he was born.? Armstrong and the Apollo XI crew have moons on the Hollywood Walk of Fame instead of stars!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:34 AMNeil Armstrong and the Apollo XI crew have moons on the Hollywood Walk of Fame instead of stars!?Generally, by the rules of the Walk of Fame, only entertainers are to be given consideration of nominees. However, the selection committee does tend to bend the rules when they feel a contribution is worthy. The Apollo 11 astronauts were officially recognized for “contributions to the television industry.”?They were given “moons” instead of stars on the Walk of Fame at the corners of Hollywood and Vine. In 2005, Johnny Grant acknowledged that classifying the first moon landing as a television entertainment event was “a bit of a stretch.”? you bite into a Wint-O-Green Lifesaver in the dark you can see a spark!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AMIf you bite into a Wint-O-Green Lifesaver in the dark you can see a spark!?Triboluminescence is a visual phenomenon where a spark of light is caused by the breaking of chemical bonds in a material when it is pulled apart, scratched, crushed, or rubbed in any way.?It isn't completely understood how or why it happens, though. The idea is that it is a reaction caused by separated and reunited electrical charges. Peeling apart adhesive tapes like duct tape is an example of triboluminescence.?Another example is by breaking apart sugar crystals, especially in Wint-O-Green Life Savers. Diamonds glow when they are rubbed sometimes, and that is an example of triboluminescence. Diamonds can also glow blue or red. Other rocks like quartz emit light when rubbed together, which also is triboluminescence.? that can navigate around a city have been around since 1974!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AMComputers that can navigate around a city have been around since 1974!?You might think that your GPS is one of the newest and greatest innovations of the new century. You'd be partially puters that can navigate around a city have been around since 1974, by using preloaded mapping data.?In 1974, the German company Siemens came up with a system they called “Programmed Driving” that could navigate a car to a destination in a city, taking into account traffic levels. This was 30 years before the release of GPS!?Programmed driving would get you to your destination faster than you think, and being around the city was easier thanks to this program, so maps were no longer needed with this program around.However, this program was never as famous as the GPS, but still it was very useful.?Just be grateful for the great technology you have right now, who would’ve ever thought that we can now carry a GPS in our own phones!? SNES RPG Earthbound had some pretty cruel anti-piracy measures!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AMThe SNES RPG Earthbound had some pretty cruel anti-piracy measures!?Most game companies put checks in their games to stall and stop piraters from illegally distributing and selling the games. Sometimes gaming companies sell slightly different versions of the game without telling anyone. The different versions fix rare bugs and glitches. There appeared to be at least two different versions of the EarthBound ROM, but nobody really knew how they were different, until early 2007. It was discovered that one version actually had it's anti-piracy measures crippled, meaning that version was looked at by pirates and hacked to keep the game from realizing it was pirated. The other version appeared to be a clean dump of an EarthBound cart. There may be other versions of clean EarthBound ROMs, but so far there aren't any details on it. It is a really good idea to implement such tactics. Piraters are able to figure out ways to bypass them, though. It does slow them down.? was able to stop the Nigerian Civil War for 48 hours!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AM?Pele was able to stop the Nigerian Civil War for 48 hours!?Some of you might not even like football (soccer), but it’s pretty much impossible that you have never heard of this sport’s greatest player ever: Edson Arantes do Nascimento or most famously known as the legendary Pelé!?Pelé is known for scoring over 1,283 goals throughout his career and winning 3 FIFA world cups (3 out of the 4 he participated in). He is indeed known as the greatest football player ever in history (yes, even better than Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo).?Many modern great teams such as Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United wanted Pelé to sign with them. However, the government of Brazil declared Pelé an “official national treasure” to prevent him from being transferred out of the country!?His skills as a football player were able to make him a star around the world. He toured with his team (Santos do Brazil) internationally so they could take advantage of his popularity. Even in 1967, the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos, which happens to be the most populous city in Nigeria!?So when Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo can stop a war for 48 hours give us a call so we can name them “the best football players in history”.? Letterman once interrupted the Today Show to make a weird statement with no pants!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AMDavid Letterman once interrupted the Today Show to make a weird statement with no pants!?David Letterman has been in a talk show host since 1982. He started out on NBC and was later moved to CBS. He recently beat out Johnny Carson for the longest running late night talk show in the U.S. Unknown to many is that Letterman is also a television and film producer.?His production company is called Worldwide Pants and aside from producing his show, it produces the Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson and Everybody Loves Raymond. He must have an infatuation with pants, too. He took a megaphone and made a huge scene from his office window overlooking a plaza below where NBC's Today Show was taping.?He yelled that he was the president of NBC and wasn't wearing any pants-another reference to pants. He continued to say he wanted the news anchors to come up, because he had a woman turning 150 years old that he wanted them to interview.?He completely disrupted the taping and annoyed everyone. It started a feud with the Today Show. He isn't so funny. It isn't hard to believe he started out as a weatherman on TV and a radio host.? plural of Wildebeest is 'Wildebeesties'!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AM?The plural of Wildebeest is 'Wildebeesties'!?Wildebeesties are goofy looking animals, so it's only fitting that they are given a goofy name. One such name is one of three grammatically correct plural forms of the name Wildebeest. The three ways you can make 'wildebeest' plural is by referring to them as 'wildebeest', 'wildebeests' or my personal favorite, 'wildebeesties'.?The wildebeest, which admittedly looks a lot like a cow and a zebra combined together, strolls through the African plains. It's tough being a wildebeest, as even though there are hundreds of thousands of them still alive, local hunters and poachers, as well as threats from other animals in the wild, has caused the wildebeest population to drop dramatically. Hopefully, they won't go extinct within the next few decades, because their only legacy would be the fact that we could call them 'wildebeesties'!? McKellen once signed an autograph “F*** off, I’m gay.”?Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AMIan McKellen once signed an autograph “F*** off, I’m gay.”??The controversial Section 28 law in the UK was supposed to forbid the promotion of homosexuality in schools, and a chief proponent of the bill was then Home Secretary Michael Howard.?Sir Ian McKellen, the legendary Shakespearean actor known for such prolific roles ranging from Gandalf to King Lear, attempted to convince parliament and Howard to not follow through with what he believed to be a discriminatory law, yet did not succeed.??After the lobbying was over, Howard approached McKellen who he claims he was a huge fan of, and asked for an autograph. McKellen kindly took the piece of paper handed to him, and with a smile on his face signed, “Fuck off, I’m gay.”??Although Mckellen failed to succeed in his political campaign, he definitely made a point and the law was later removed in 2003.?? Park has made people obese!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AM?Jurassic Park has made people obese!?It may sound strange, but the Jurassic Park movie can be traced back to one of the most often blamed culprits for obesity: The McDonald's Super-Size meal. Super-sized meals aren't exactly the norm, but they can be found in a variety of places. It is mostly an American phenomenon, but places like England have it, too. An American medium sized drink is a Mexican size large. Our portions in general are larger than most other countries.?A movie theater in Chicago is to thank for our extra large portions. In 1967, the area manager of Balaban move theater chain, David Wallerstein, realized people would buy multiple bags of popcorn and drinks. So, he decided to give the option of larger sizes. They made a lot more money off of the larger sizes, because they were priced higher than the popcorn would have been compared to the standard size.?It was really successful and McDonalds recruited him for it. It took some convincing of McDonald's founder, but eventually in 1972 they introduced large fries for the first time. Customers saw it as a value pack. They did great, so other fast food chains.?The super-size was introduced first in McDonalds in 1993 as a promotional for Jurassic Park first coined "Dino-size". The super-sized drink is 42 ounces of pop. McDonalds actually started phasing out the super-size in 2004, but a lot of places still utilize it.? Turner's hat was originally BLUE!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AM?Timmy Turner's hat was originally BLUE!?The Fairly Oddparents is an Emmy-award winning American television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. So far it’s the third-longest-running Nicktoon, behind SpongeBob SquarePants and Rugrats.?The whole plot is about Timmy Turner; a little kid with a pink hat that has three fairy godparents, Cosmo, Wanda, and their baby Poof, who grant his every wish which often leads him into trouble that he must fix right away.?In the series there are several episodes in which they make fun of Timmy (or at least mention) his pink hat. However, the only reason why Timmy Turner wears a pink hat is because creator and executive producer Butch Hartman’s blue marker ran out of ink while designing the character!?As a fan, I can’t imagine Timmy with a blue hat… the pink hat totally represents Timmy Turner and everything he stands for!? computer that won Jeopardy! memorized Urban Dictionary and started swearing!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:35 AMThe computer that won Jeopardy! memorized Urban Dictionary and started swearing!?Watson, is an artificial intelligent system initially created to see if it could beat the best of the Jeopardy! Contestants, which included Ken Jennings. Long story short, Watson eventually did beat Ken Jennings in a game of Jeopardy!?However, when Watson would communicate with humans, it sounded very artificial. Eric Brown, someone who helped design Watson, decided it would be best if he added the entire 'Urban Dictionary' to Watson's vocabulary so it could pick up and use slang terms as most humans do. Unfortunately, Watson picked up all the sexual terms and swear words, and began using those nonchalantly.?In order to bring Watson back down to a PG-13 rating, technicians had to design a swear filter for Watson so it wouldn't swear uncontrollably!? is a band that signs only in Arnold Schwarzenegger movie lines.?Wednesday, 17 July 20137:36 AMThere is a band that signs only in Arnold Schwarzenegger movie lines.??Sure, there is a novelty band for everything under the sun, but what’s actually pretty surprising is that this band, Austrian Death Machine, was founded by Tim Lambesis, the vocalist of As I Lay Dying. Chad Ackerman, also of As I Lay Dying, is in the band. Some have claimed that Austrian Death Machine has ripped off or borrowed its concept from another group called ArnoCorps, which had been performing 7 years prior.??Lambesis has said that while As I Lay Dying is “heartfelt and full of passion,” Austrian Death Machine is “an outlet of pure testosterone and stupidity.” So far, two albums have been released. Total Brutal, the first, was released on July 22, 2008, and was followed by Double Brutal, released September 29, 2009.??A Christmas themed EP was also released, titled A Very Brutal Christmas. For your listening pleasure, we present “Get to the Chopper.”?? Beetle in the background of the Abbey Road cover kept getting its plates stolen!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:36 AMThe Beetle in the background of the Abbey Road cover kept getting its plates stolen!?Abbey Road is considered one of the greatest albums of all time.It's the 11th studio album released by the English rock band The Beatles.?The album was a commercial success, even though it received mixed reviews from music critics who found it's music inauthentic. However, Abbey Road remains their best-selling album.This album sold four millions copies in it's first two months of release! Ever since, the street on the iconic cover became a sensation and one of the most visited streets in London by tourists.?The album cover was so great that people started looking for all kind of interesting things, such as the Volkswagen beetle pictured in the background, which had is number plate stolen numerous amounts of times and was finally sold at auction for 2,530 euro!In 2001, the plate was put on display at a museum in Germany.?The plate is now a piece of historical relevance!? conspiracy theory argues the Dark Ages never actually happened!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:36 AMA conspiracy theory argues the Dark Ages never actually happened!?The Phantom Time Hypothesis was introduced in 1991 by Heribert Illig. The idea is that certain periods of time, specifically those in Europe, didn't ever exist and it's just a massive cover-up. Illig thought it was possible through forgery and misrepresentation of artifacts and documents.?He specifically questioned the Middle Ages in Europe in AD 614-911. He is suspicious of the way they dated this period through systems called radiometric and dendrochronological methods of dating. He used the Roman type architecture present to fuel his hypothesis. There are discrepancies between the Julian calendar and the real calendar, too.?Thirteen days were unaccounted for once the Gregorian calender was implemented and the Gregorian calender was adjusted by ten days to make it all fit better. Illig saw this as another sign of cover-up and conspiracy. He estimated that three centuries were counted that never actually existed.? name Jesus comes from incorrect translations!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:36 AM?The name Jesus comes from incorrect translations!?The name “Jesus” is the result of several incorrect translations of “Yeshua”!?The name Yeshua appears in the Hebrew Bible. The bible itself talks about ten men who carried that name before Jesus. In Hebrew, Yeshua means “salvation”, which in the Catholic/Christian bible explains that word as Jesus main objective; to save us all from sins.?After trying to be translated by many countries such as Greece, a lot of letters from the name Yeshua were changed because of it's pronunciation, some weren’t even in their alphabet!?Since the Greeks don’t have the “sh” pronunciation they had to substitute those two words with an “S”, as for the “A”, it expresses a feminine in Greek, therefore they changed it for another “S”.?And by the time it reached our language, the letter “Y” was changed for a “J”, and hence the name Jesus was created.So if you are a grammar Nazi you might start correcting people who say “Jesus” instead of “Yeshua”.?(name)???HDMI is actually a company that charges royalties for using their technology!Wednesday, 17 July 20137:36 AMHDMI is actually a company that charges royalties for using their technology!?HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia interface. They charge $10,000 royalties annually to those implementing their technology of the Adopter Agreement. Any company that uses their adopter has to pay the annual fee on time, even if they are a small-volume manufacturer.?HDMI has a stack of rules and regulations for the use of their technology. HDMI has become the global connectivity standard for HDTV and the consumer electronics industry. It is the first and only digital interface to combine uncompressed HD video, multi-channel surround audio, and intelligent command data into a single connection. For the customer, it makes connecting HD devices dramatically simpler, while providing consistent and high-performance delivery of all the latest product features.?The HDMI standard has been adopted by thousands of manufacturers worldwide, and has been built into hundreds of millions of consumer products - not just home theater components but also PCs and PC peripherals, mobile devices, automotive systems, and a lot more.?? ................
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