36 Superb Random Facts To Make Your Day Extra Special | Random List #162

A 'mirror box' can be used to alleviate phantom limb pain. The patient places both their good limb and residual limb into the box and the mirror shows the reflection of the good limb. This allows them to 'move' the phantom limb from painful positions.

27. The deep-sea snail known as the Scaly-Foot Gastropod, which was only recently discovered in 2001, has a shell so well constructed that the U.S. military is researching its design, hoping to incorporate its defensive layers to improve military armor.

28. Haru Urara is a Japanese racehorse who became a famous role model because she never gave up, despite losing over 100 races in a row. For her 106th race, Japan’s premier jockey was brought in to ride her and try to deliver that long sought-after victory. She came 10th out of 11.

29. The term "Regulatory Capture" was a form of government failure in which a regulatory agency, created to serve the public interest, instead advances the interests of the industry it is meant to regulate, resulting in a net loss for society.

30. After Speedo released the LZR Racer in 2008, 93 world records have been broken by swimmers wearing an LZR Racer and 33 of the first 36 2008 Olympic medals have been won wearing it as of 24 August 2009. Its “technological” advantage led it to be banned from further high-end competitive use.

In 1998, an 8-year-old boy named Robbie Middleton was tied to a tree and set on fire. Thanks to a deposition he gave on his deathbed, his family was awarded $150 billion in damages.

32. A 3-year-old girl named Emma Bazzard from Bristol was awarded for bravery after successfully calling and informing emergency services that her pregnant mother had an accident and was unconscious. Remaining calm through the whole affair she gave them the address, checked if she was breathing and where she got hurt.

33. Olivia Hooker was a survivor of the Tulsa race massacre who became the first African-American woman to enter the U.S. Coast Guard in 1945.

34. A man named Babani Sissoko used black magic to con the Islamic Dubai Bank of more than $240 million. He served half of his 43-day sentence and paid fines ($1.25 million) with the money defrauded from the bank.

35. On the island of Daphne Major in the Galapagos, scientists watched for the first time a new species form in the wild, it was a new bird species (Big Bird lineage) that evolved only within two generations.

During a 1989 Christmas television broadcast, a Santa Claus encouraged all children to hold the phone to the TV, tricking them into dialing a 1-900 number that automatically charged several dollars to their parents' phone bill.