Strange But True: Microwaved Baseball

By Lucie Winborne

  • A microwaved baseball will fly much farther than a frozen one, as warmer balls weigh less and move faster due to less air resistance.

  • Each strand of a human hair can contain traces of 14 elements, including gold.

  • During a period in his artistic career, Pablo Picasso primarily used shades of blue in his paintings, reflecting his melancholic state at the time.

  • It's not just humans who use "baby talk" with their offspring: Mother bottlenose dolphins have been observed altering their whistle pitch and range when communicating with their calves.

  • Hawaii had no mosquitoes until the 19th century, when they were accidentally introduced by trading ships.

  • A law student at Spain's University of Malaga once etched tiny notes into the sides of blue Bic pens before taking an exam. While points could perhaps be awarded for the learner's creativity, it also resulted in a repeat of their entire academic year.

  • The world record for nonstop video gaming -- 138 hours and 34 seconds -- was set by Carrie Swidecki in 2015, when she beat her own previous world record.

  • Hamburger University, established by McDonald's to train restaurant managers and owner-operators, has a lower acceptance rate than Harvard University and awards its graduates a Hamburgerology degree.

  • A Eulachon's flesh is so oily that this fatty fish will burn like a candle when dried.

  • From the "too much of a good thing" files: A 41-year-old man from the Netherlands referred to only as "Jonathan" was banned from donating sperm after fathering over 550 children.

  • Cheetos were invented by USDA military scientists during World War II as a result of their being tasked with finding a way to utilize surplus cornmeal.

***

Thought for the Day: "The only way to have a life is to commit to it like crazy." -- Angelina Jolie

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

Previous
Previous

Trivia Test: Field of Dreams

Next
Next

How many small modular reactors in Sask?