It’s been a long, slow week with plenty of stress, but now you have reason to celebrate: The weekend is upon us, and that means it’s time to get weird. Below are some bizarre facts that will help you on that journey, things so strange and peculiar that they might even be hard to believe.
Ever wonder what Stanford students were doing on the Internet in 1971, or what George Lucas’ original name for Yoda was? Find those odd answers and more below. The last one makes us glad we don’t live in ancient Rome.
#1. The United States military actually has an official 26-page manual on how to bake brownies and oatmeal cookies.
#2. Some scientists have claimed that they’ve actually figured out a way to create diamonds from peanut butter.
#3. In Wales, there’s a yearly competition called the World Bog Snorkelling Championship — something tells us the views are not great, though.
#4. The A4 busses from Bristol to Bath in the UK actually run on compost gasses created by human waste and food.
Ben Birchall/PA
#5. In 1912, a Paris orphanage held a raffle to raise money. It wouldn’t be that weird — if the prizes weren’t live babies.
Popular Mechanics
#6. The largest US bill ever printed by The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is the $100,000 Gold Certificate, printed in 1934.
#7. Being hit by lightning causes weird (and strangely beautiful) skin designs called “Lichtenberg figures.”
#8. LEGO is also the biggest manufacturer of tires in the world.
#9. Cotton candy was actually invented by a dentist — after all, it’s a great way to stay in business.
#10. To burn off calories from M&M’s you have to run or walk one football field for each one you eat.
#11. The farthest blow of a marshmallow out of the nostril and into someone else’s mouth was 17ft and 11 inches, achieved by Paul Prado and Sophia Rojas in Los Angeles.
#12. The heaviest weight lifted by pierced ears was 32 pounds and 13 ounces, achieved by Johnny Strange at the Doncaster Tattoo Jam in the UK.
#13. Rainbows are actually Circular. We don’t typically see a full circle rainbow because the Earth’s horizon blocks the lower part.
#14. The Titanic crew had no binoculars — unfortunately, they were inside a locker to which the key was lost.
#15. In 1994, a 75-pound bag of cocaine fell out of a plane and landed in the middle of a Florida crime watch meeting.
#16. Lying flat on your back is your best bet for surviving a falling elevator.
#17. Worldwide, approximately 774 million people can’t read.
#18. Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s doctorate is in physiology — though most people assume she’s a psychologist.
#19. Today, your cell phone has more computer power than all of NASA back in 1969, when it placed two astronauts on the moon.
#20. The entire state of Wyoming only has two escalators.
#21. Apple’s brand is worth 118.9 billion, making it the world’s most valuable brand.
#22. According to some studies, a 154-pound person could only overdose on coffee after drinking 70 cups of it.
#23. Yoda’s original name, as intended by George Lucas, was Buffy.
#24. In the Aztec culture, avocados were considered so sexually powerful that virgins weren’t allowed to eat or touch them.
#25. More people are allergic to cow’s milk than any other food.
#26. In the United States, empty homes outnumber the homeless six to one.
#27. The most common child-related call to Poison Control Centers are those related to houseplant toxicity.
#28. Handshakes were originally meant to make sure that the person you were meeting wasn’t carrying a concealed weapon. It proved that your hand was empty.
#29. The first online transaction was between students at Stanford University and MIT in 1971. They used it to buy weed.
#30. In ancient Rome, patricide was punishable by being thrown into a leather sack with live animals, and then being thrown into the water.
AP
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