Random #369 – 50 New Random Facts

Triboulet was a royal jester for King Francis of France who faced a death sentence for mocking the King and Queen. King Francis granted him the unusual choice of his method of death, to which Triboulet cleverly retorted, "... I ask to die from old age." Consequently, he was spared and banished from the kingdom instead.

2. Actress Jane Kaczmarek received Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Lois in Malcolm in the Middle for seven consecutive years, encompassing the entire duration of the show, but never secured a win.

3. In 1951, during the Korean War, 600 British soldiers found themselves outnumbered by a staggering 30,000 Chinese soldiers. Brigadier Tom Brodie, in a classic case of British understatement, informed his American superior, "Things are a bit sticky, sir." Unfortunately, the General misinterpreted the situation and failed to send assistance. As a result, most of the soldiers were either captured or killed.

4. In 2005, a sheep in Turkey leaped off a cliff, and astonishingly, 1500 more sheep followed suit, one after the other. Tragically, 450 sheep perished in the fall, while the rest survived by landing on the soft, cushioned pile of their woolly companions.

5. The American submarine USS Chopper encountered a harrowing incident in 1969 when it suffered an electrical failure while diving. This malfunction caused the submarine to tilt nearly vertically downward, dangerously close to reaching crushing depths. As the crew tirelessly worked to regain control, the submarine unexpectedly shot up, nose-first, nearly breaching the water's surface.

Humans domesticated the silk moth 5,000 years ago for sericulture. Over time, they lost their ability to fly, became unafraid of predators, and even lost their native color pigments as camouflage was no longer necessary in captivity. They have become entirely reliant on humans for their survival, including the search for a mate.

7. The Coastline Paradox highlights the impossibility of accurately measuring the length of a country's coastline. Paradoxically, the more precise the measurement, the greater the length appears to be, sometimes even approaching infinity.

8. The creators of Donkey Kong Country initially intended for the Kongs to be voiced by actual gorillas. They spent hours recording gorillas at a zoo, only to discover that gorillas are notably quiet animals. Left without the sounds they needed, they had a programmer imitate gorilla sounds instead.

9. Originally conceived as a Martian character, Spock's home in Star Trek was changed to the fictional planet Vulcan by Gene Roddenberry. This alteration was made due to Roddenberry's concern that humans might land on Mars during the show's runtime, making the concept appear outdated.

10. In France, bars are prohibited from offering a Happy Hour promotion without simultaneously reducing the prices of non-alcoholic drinks.

A territorial loophole caused by the changing of a river's course in 1843 created a de facto lawless zone along the Dutch and Belgian borders. This area gained notoriety for hosting illegal raves, drug deals, and prostitution. The loophole was finally closed in 2018 after the discovery of a headless corpse within its confines.

12. The loudness of a howler monkey's calls is proportionate to the size of its testicles, as researchers have observed that smaller testicles are associated with louder monkeys.

13. Major League Baseball (MLB) consumes an average of 84 to 120 baseballs per game, totaling approximately 900,000 balls in a season at an estimated cost of around $10 million.

14. During the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, Neil Armstrong operated the Hasselblad camera, and the majority of the photographs he took were of his fellow astronaut, Buzz Aldrin. Only one photograph of Armstrong, captured by Aldrin while he was engrossed in experiments, exists from that momentous day.

15. The now-defunct bank Wachovia laundered an astonishing $378.4 billion between 2004 and 2007 on behalf of the Mexican and Colombian cartels. They had to forfeit $110 million but were only fined $50 million.

Between 1988 and 1998, Wendy's introduced a buffet known as the Superbar, which featured Mexican cuisine, pasta, salad, and fruit alongside their regular menu.

17. The origin of the piña colada is a subject of heated debate. While the restaurant Barrachina (in 1963) and the Caribe Hilton Hotel (in 1954), both located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, lay claim to its creation, a London Hotel's cocktail book published in 1930 included a recipe for the drink.

18. When the legendary Andre the Giant passed away, there was no crematorium in France large enough to accommodate his body, necessitating the transportation of his body to the United States.

19. Germany stands as the only country where one cannot "travel through time" and view past "Street Views" on Google Maps due to stringent privacy regulations.

20. Samuel C. Upham, an independent counterfeiter in the Northern states during the American Civil War, produced such a vast quantity of counterfeit Southern currency that experts estimate it constituted approximately 1-3% of the total currency supply within the Confederacy.

Rube Goldberg never personally constructed a Rube Goldberg Machine; instead, he featured these intricate contraptions in biweekly comic strips. Other individuals were responsible for bringing his designs and similar devices to life.

22. Jazz musicians exhibit a fascinating phenomenon during their performances. They deactivate their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, responsible for self-monitoring performance, and activate their medial prefrontal cortex, aiding in storytelling. This pattern of brain activity closely resembles the brain's state during dreaming.

23. Albino redwood trees do exist, but they cannot independently produce their own food. As a result, they are considered parasites because they rely on nutrients sourced from neighboring trees.

24. Apple's iconic "1984" ad for the Macintosh computer was secretly broadcast once on local television in Twin Falls, Idaho, in December 1983, a month before its national debut during Super Bowl XVIII. This tactical move allowed it to qualify for the 1984 Clio Advertising Awards.

25. In 2018, scientists at MIT achieved a remarkable feat by creating an ion-powered plane. This aircraft had no moving parts and successfully flew a distance of 60 meters, relying solely on thrust generated through the electrodynamics of ion flow.