26Urine Detection Devices
In Singapore, some elevators are equipped with Urine Detection Devices that detect the scent of urine, setting off an alarm and closing the doors until the police arrive to arrest the offender.
27. Many Jews fought back against the Nazis. Eta Wrobel escaped transport to a concentration camp and helped organize a resistance group. Refusing to just cook and clean, she carried a weapon on patrols and set mines to destroy German vehicles. Once, she dug a bullet out of her own leg with a knife.
28. Pad Thai, the national dish of Thailand, is actually not a traditional dish, but was invented, standardized and promoted by the Thai government, and imposed upon the people, as part of a broad cultural effort to establish a sense of national identity.
29. The oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date is the sacred fig tree "Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi", which was planted in 288 B.C.
30. Maria Von Trapp, whose memoir inspired “The Sound of Music” and who made a cameo appearance in the film, was not invited to the premiere. Von Trapp later inquired why and producers told her, “There were no seats left,” without apology.
Latest FactRepublic Video:
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
31The Rocky Horror Picture Show
During the filming of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the crew held an Easter egg hunt on set. Some of the eggs that weren't found can actually be seen in the film. This is suggested as the origin of the term.
32. Sleep deprivation has opposite effects in healthy people and those with depression. If you’re healthy and you don’t sleep, you’ll be in a bad mood. But if you’re depressed, it can prompt an immediate improvement in mood, and in cognitive abilities. This is the basis of Wake Therapy.
33. To help prostitute's business in 16th century Venice, the authorities designated a bridge where they could stand and show their breasts to potential clients. The bridge still stands to this day and is called "Ponte delle Tette" or the bridge of tits.
34. Farmers sometimes put goldfish in a horses water trough to control mosquito and other insect larvae from producing.
35. During World War 1, cotton was in high demand for the manufacture of uniforms and explosives. For bandages, doctors turned to use sphagnum moss. It can hold up to 22 times its own weight in liquid and is twice as absorptive as cotton. The moss is also antiseptic, making the surrounding environment acidic.
