Strange But True: Fart Jars
By Lucie Winborne
There's a surgical procedure called selective amygdalohippocampectomy that removes half of the brain's amygdala -- and with it, much of the patient's sense of fear.
Obituary writers have their own awards, which are called The Grimmys.
Londoners in the 1600s were advised to keep “fart jars” -- consisting of trapped fart odors -- on hand to combat bubonic plague. The idea was that the potent smell would somehow purify the air!
During World War II, the term "security blanket" was slang for measures meant to keep military information secret, or covered up.
Future Martians might marvel at the Valles Marineris (a.k.a. Mariner Valley) the same way Earthlings marvel at the Grand Canyon. The huge rift is more than eight times the length of the Grand Canyon, and four times as deep.
The Eiffel Tower leans slightly toward the shade on sunny days.
Forbes estimates that Barbie's Dream House would be worth around $16 million if it were real. The three-story house has seven rooms, an elevator, a garage and a pool.
In 1897, Indiana state legislators tried to pass a bill that would have legally redefined the value of pi as 3.2.
A game show in Japan featured one item in a room that was replaced with a look-alike item made of chocolate or other candy. Contestants would try to find it by biting into various objects.
The ancient Greeks believed that pearls were the hardened tears of joy from Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Elton John has pianos named after Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Diana Krall.
There's a five-story, blood-red waterfall in Antarctica.
Thought for the Day: "The greatness of a man lies not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively." -- Bob Marley
(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.