2. The top of the Eiffel Tower leans away from the sun, as the metal facing the sun heats up and expands. It can move as much as 7 inches.
3. Sigurd the Mighty, a ninth-century Norse earl of Orkney, was killed by an enemy he had beheaded several hours earlier. He’d tied the man’s head to his horse’s saddle, but while riding home one of its protruding teeth grazed his legs. He died from the infection.
4. The Dutch village of Giethoorn has no roads; its buildings are connected entirely by canals and footbridges.
5. Some fruit flies are genetically resistant to getting drunk — but only if they have an inactive version of a gene scientists have named "happyhour".
7. In 1567, the man said to have the longest beard in the world died after he tripped over his beard running away from fire.
8. Light doesn’t necessarily travel at the speed of light. The slowest we’ve ever recorded light moving at is at 38 mph.
9. Casu marzu is a Sardinian cheese that contains live maggots. The maggots can jump up to five inches out of cheese while you’re eating it, so it’s a good idea to shield it with your hand to stop them jumping into your eyes.
10. The loneliest creature on Earth is a whale who has been calling out for a mate for over two decades — but whose high-pitched voice is so different to other whales that they never respond.
11. In 2007, an American man named Corey Taylor tried to fake his own death in order to get out of his cell phone contract without paying a fee. It didn’t work.
12. The oldest condoms ever found date back to the 1640s (they were found in a cesspit at Dudley Castle), and were made from animal and fish intestines.
Good to know!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteOh wow! Interesting. The Sardinian cheese though *pukes* Thanks Cj.
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