26Fang Xiaoru
Fang Xiaoru was an orthodox Confucian scholar-bureaucrat of the Ming Dynasty, who refused to serve Emperor Yongle, who had usurped his nephew. Fang was executed by ‘waist severing’ and he managed to write the Chinese character “篡” meaning ‘usurper’ 12 times with his own blood after being cut in half.
27. When Marvin Gaye recorded “What’s Going On”, he played it for Motown’s Berry Gordy Jr. who said it was “the worst thing I heard in my life.” Only after Gaye threatened to leave the label was it released. It became a massive hit and is considered the 4th greatest song of all time by the Rolling Stone.
28. Humans weren't the first species to discover agriculture. That honor goes to multiple species of ants (and termites) who beat us to it by 50-60 million years. Ants actively cultivate fungus much like humans farm crops as a food source.
29. Terry Gilliam's movie version of Watchmen was going to end with Doctor Manhattan going back in time to save himself from becoming Doctor Manhattan, causing Rorschach, Nite Owl, and Silk Spectre to be transported to an alternate universe where “The Watchmen” only exist in comic form.
30. In 2009, researchers were successful in duplicating the glue that the sandcastle worms secrete and use to stick sand grains together underwater. They believe the glue has applications as a biocompatible medical adhesive, for instance, to repair shattered bones. For bone repair, it can replace pins and screws.
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31Caterpillars
Caterpillars almost completely digest themselves into a protein-rich soup inside their chrysalis and then form their adult body around 'imaginal discs', highly specialized cells that rapidly form into adult parts.
32. After losing a son and extreme financial hardships, the song "It Is Well With My Soul" was written by American lawyer Horatio Spafford while on his way to meet his grieving wife as he passed by the area where his four daughters had recently died from a collision in the Atlantic Ocean.
33. Adult mayflies don't have a functioning mouth or digestive system, simply because they don't live long enough to need them.
34. Black pepper and white pepper actually come from the same plant. Black pepper is cooked and dried unripe fruit, whereas white pepper is ripe fruit seeds.
35. Serial killer Edmund Kemper was so friendly with his local police that they initially thought his phone call confessing to killing his mother was a weird prank. They also didn't know he'd killed his own grandparents in his teens because that record was expunged.
36Icelandic Elf School
The Icelandic Elf School in Reykjavík, Iceland offers lectures and guided tours about Icelandic folklore. The organization teaches about the hidden people and the 13 different kinds of elves that the organization believes inhabit the country of Iceland.
37. Jellyfish will almost disappear if left out in the sun. Because they are 98% water, they mostly evaporate into thin air.
