Random #380 – 50 Remarkable Random Facts

Woodlice don't pee. They eliminate their nitrogenous waste by releasing ammonia gas through tiny holes in their shells, resulting in a pungent smell.

27. In 2007, a 12-inch-tall Jack Russell Terrier named George sacrificed his life to save five children from a dog attack in New Zealand. George was celebrated, and a statue was made in his honor.

28. Not everyone experiences hearing their insides. The condition of loudly hearing one's breathing, voice, and bodily functions is called eustachian tube dysfunction.

29. floresiensis, an extinct species of proto-humans, inhabited parts of Indonesia, with adults reaching heights of around 1m and weights of approximately 25kg.

30. The Oceanographic Museum at Monaco flushed decorative algae into the Mediterranean Sea, creating an invasive patch of algae that has now spread over 190km of coast.

The Treaty of Versailles included a clause demanding that Germany return the skull of Chief Mkwawa, an East African leader who fiercely resisted German colonialism.

32. On the Soviet supersonic plane Tu-144, the noise was so intense that people sitting next to each other could only hear each other by yelling. Even individuals sitting two seats apart couldn't hear each other, even when screaming.

33. President Theodore Roosevelt is the only person to have been awarded both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor.

34. Dogs intentionally try to make humans laugh. They understand that laughter signifies play, and play is perceived as positive.

35. Hasbro released a version of Monopoly specifically for millennials, which, among other things, claims, "Forget Real Estate, You Couldn't Afford It Anyway." The game features Mr. Monopoly wearing polarized glasses and holding coffee with a cardboard sleeve.

There was no hot water supply on board the Apollo Lunar module or Command module, so all meals were served cold. Astronauts Scott and Irwin requested additional food as walking on the moon required significant reserves of energy and stamina.

37. The original Godzilla suit was made out of concrete due to shortages of rubber in post-war Japan. The suit weighed 100kg and became too hot to touch.

38. Williams Lake, a small city in Canada, has been celebrating Wrestling Day on January 2nd every year since 1959. On this day, all businesses are closed so that people can wrestle with their hangovers for an extra day after New Year's Eve.

39. Miki Matsubara, a Japanese composer, lyricist, and singer, destroyed all her sheet music and albums when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2000. She told those around her, "Please live your life without regrets."

40. In 1998, Frito-Lay released their WOW! line of potato chips, marketed as "fat-free" by being cooked in Olestra, an indigestible synthetic fat. It caused severe gastrointestinal problems, including the now-infamous "anal leakage."

Yang Kyoungjong, a Korean soldier during World War II, was conscripted to fight for Japan. He was then captured and forced to fight by the Russians, and he was once again captured and compelled to fight for the Germans at Normandy. Finally, the Allies captured him and sent him to the US.

42. During a test flight in 1961, a DC-8 became the first passenger jet to break the sound barrier and go supersonic, with Chuck Yeager as the chase plane pilot.

43. There were numerous animals on the Titanic when it set sail, including 12 dogs. Three of them survived the disastrous maiden voyage: two Pomeranians and a Pekingese.

44. The Macbeth superstition states that if anyone says the name "Macbeth" outside of rehearsals or a performance in a theater, the production of the play will be cursed.

45. Exercise Tiger, a large-scale practice run months before the D-Day invasion, resulted in the deaths of 749 men due to friendly fire from communication errors and attacks from Nazi E-Boats. Eisenhower ordered all servicemen to be sworn to secrecy, and the incident was publicly unknown until the 1980s.

Air Force One has had more takeoffs than landings. When Gerald Ford was sworn in, the aircraft SAM 27000 was airborne with Nixon onboard. As a result, the callsign changed from Air Force One to SAM 27000 mid-flight.

47. The largest diamond known in the universe can be found on a white dwarf named BPM 37093, whose core crystallized, turning it mostly into a diamond. The diamond is 10 billion trillion trillion carats, leading scientists to give it the nickname Lucy after the iconic Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

48. A glue fire in 1889 destroyed 31 blocks of Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. The streets were later elevated, leaving a network of unused underground passageways and basements.

49. Thomas Edison liked to take naps while holding spheres. When he nodded off, he'd drop the spheres and be awakened. The naps were meant to drive creativity. A 2021 experiment found the spheres acted as a "hypnagogia catcher," allowing participants to have more spontaneous thoughts and creativity.

50. Cows actually have only one stomach, but it has four different compartments, so they are often described as having four stomachs. Each compartment (rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum) is used for a different stage of their digestive process.