Random Fact Sheet #93 – Uncovering 35 Little-Known Facts

Sugar rushes were determined to be a myth in 1985 (and again in 1995)

2. By following USDA dietary guidelines, you can't simultaneously meet both their potassium and sodium intakes.

3. Loofah sponges come from luffa plants, a species of the gourd with edible fruits. Once dried and peeled, they reveal a matrix of tough fibrous tissues inside that act as wonderful natural sponges.

4. In Oklahoma, there exists a ghost town named Picher, which is so polluted from lead mining that leftover minerals have caused the rivers to turn red. Children who went swimming in the arsenic-filled water thought they were just getting sunburnt. In reality, they were covered in chemical burns.

5. There were 2 DC heroes called Dogwelder, whose power was to weld dogs to people. Dogwelder II sacrificed himself to save the universe by welding two suns together.

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, guitarist for Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers is a ballistic missile expert who regularly contracts with the Department of Defense.

7. Karate Dojos are structured so that the lowest ranking students are nearest to the dojo entrance, meaning in the event of an attack the students would be killed first and the sensei (martial arts teacher) would remain safe.

8. The Ebionite Christianity was a very old belief (dates back to 180 C.E.) that Jesus was a human prophet who was born normally and had brothers. It was deemed heretical in Nicaea Council.

9. Winston Churchill served as Member of Parliament for 64 years. He served under both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.

10. Certain mammals such as the red kangaroo or roe deer can perform Embryonic Diapause, the ability to "pause" embryo development in unfavorable environmental conditions, effectively saving the embryo and the mother's life in bad conditions.

Anarchists believe in a society free of rulers, not one in which there are no rules.

12. The 1st overall draft (Jay Berwanger) pick in the inaugural NFL draft ultimately decided not to play in the NFL, rejecting offers from two teams, to ultimately work for a rubber company.

13. The cast of "Cheers" was not allowed by NBC to attend the funeral of Nicholas Colasanto (Coach) because it interrupted filming. John Ratzenberger (Cliff Clavin) was sent by NBC to represent the cast.

14. When an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City in 1985, a hospital collapsed but nearly all the babies survived. They are known as the "miracle babies" for surviving 7 days without nourishment, water, warmth or human contact.

15. Cycling commuters have 41% lower risk of death from any cause, 52% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and 40% lower risk of dying from cancer.

Hutton Gibson, the father of critically acclaimed actor Mel Gibson, is a Jeopardy champion and Holocaust denier. He also believes in 9/11 conspiracy theories and rejects the Second Vatican Council because it is "a Masonic plot backed by the Jews".

17. Charlie Sheen's revelation that he was HIV-positive sparked an increase in testing equivalent to 7 World AIDs Days.

18. Charles Darwin had a gravel path installed at his home that he would walk around each day as he thought about problems. He would stack stones at the start of his walk and knock them down one by one as he went round, describing the difficulty of the problem as a three, four, or five-flint problem.

19. The Voyager 1 is still alive and well. In 2017, it used its rockets to maneuver for the first time in 37 years.

20. In Japan, there are strict social rules for writing a resume. For example, the photo must be attached, along with detailed personal information. Applicants use a uniform template. If it is written by hand, it must be in black ink, with no white out. Photocopies are not accepted.

An English Cartographer named John Spilsbury is credited with creating the first jigsaw puzzle. He cut apart wooden maps to use as educational tools to teach geography. He called it a 'dissected map'.

22. When the head of Universal Studios saw a film by a young student named Steven Spielberg, he called him in for a meeting, offered him a 7-year contract and told him, "a lot of people will stick with you in success; I’ll stick with you in failure."

23. The reason soccer lost popularity in America was primarily due to the Great Depression which caused many clubs to default and the shutdown of the American Soccer League.

24. There's a Batman miniseries called "White Knight" which reverses the roles of Batman and the Joker. The comic takes place in the world where Joker has been rehabilitated and now has to save Gotham City from the Batman.

25. Around 80% of ‘close door’ buttons on elevators don’t do anything.