Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 181
September 27, 2020
September 26, 2020
September 25, 2020
Atomically Bad Ideas For The Atomic Bomb
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
After the Trinity test in 1945—the first detonation of a nuclear device—J. Robert Oppenheimer immediately realized the world would never be the same.
He was right. After the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the world would spend the ensuing decade cowering in fear over the possibility of nuclear armageddon posed by these machines of death. These fears, however, didn’t stop scientists from coming up with some hair-brained ideas for the atomic bomb.
Filling Nuclear Landmines with Chickens
During the Cold War, tensions were high in Germany, with Western economics fighting a tacit war against Soviet communism. The country was split down the middle. The capitalist allies supported the West, while East Germany was controlled by the heavily militarized USSR.
Fearing the Reds would one day cross over and invade Eastern Europe, British scientists designed a series of nuclear bombs to bury in East Germany. The bombs were christened “Blue Peacocks” and weighed 7 tons. These plutonium-packed weapons yielded explosions equal to 10,000 tons of TNT.
The bombs would be destructive enough, and produce enough radioactive contamination, to make East Germany uninhabitable for Russian forces, or anyone else.
To keep winter temperatures from interfering with the bomb’s electronics, chickens would be put inside with enough seed to last ten days, so that they would keep the bombs warm enough for its eight-day countdown. The average chicken was calculated to produce nearly 1,000 BTU’s of heat per hour. Chicken wire became required to keep the chickens themselves from damaging the wiring.
By 1958, the project was scrapped over concerns the chickens could still accidentally damage the bombs, and a general hesitance to irradiate half of Germany.
Operation Plowshare: Use Nuclear Bombs Like Dynamite
Operation Plowshare began in 1958. The project was pushed into formation as Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. Political strategists wanted to know if it was feasible to build a second canal using nukes. This question kickstarted a whole movement, with scientists not asking if nuclear devices were the best solution to a problem, but instead asking what problems could be solved with a nuclear blast.
Excavation quickly became the project’s focus. The first experiment was dubbed “Sedan.” Scientists managed to create a giant crater in the Nevada desert. They displaced 12 million tons of Earth, but the test site was incredibly radioactive. It took seven months before people could stand in the crater without protection.
Seeing the Sedan crater as a success, the project’s scientists quickly formulated all sorts of civil engineering projects to make use of their new atomic shovel.
Crater from the 1962 “Sedan” nuclear test as part of Operation Plowshare.
One project hoped to use nuclear excavation to create an artificial harbor in Alaska. They planned to detonate 2.4 megatons of nuclear ordinance to create an inland pool of sufficient depth for ships, then connect it with a channel to the sea. Project Chariot came incredibly close to being carried out. The higher-ups were so impressed with the plan that they identified 33 other sites around the world as candidates for bomb-made harbors. In 1962, however, the project was called off. The harbor faced massive opposition from nearby residents, and the military and economic value of the harbor’s location was never adequately justified.
Ever-confident in the advancement of nuclear excavation technology, Plowshare’s next idea was to bore canals between oceans and seas. The Panama Canal may have been a great feat, but Plowshare scientists proposed a sea-level canal, one that didn’t require troublesome lochs.
They proposed a bigger and better Panama Canal, a channel to the Dead Sea for generating hydroelectric power, and even filling an enormous artificial lake in the Sahara.
While some of the economic concerns of using nuclear devices for construction made sense on occasion, environmental impacts made almost every proposal impossible. The operation did perform 27 nuclear tests on American soil and did help create a booming tourist industry in Las Vegas, they never really yielded results that made the technical challenge of harnessing fission for direct excavation practical.
Courtesy Las Vegas News Bureau
To this day some test sites remain radioactive, and many caused farm blights, town relocations, and water contamination. As the Cold War thawed, diplomats became increasingly interested in denuclearization, and Plowshare’s ambitions eventually became impossible due to treaty negotiations.
Nuking Hurricanes
While both of the previous plans have long been dismissed, the nuclear option for stopping hurricanes comes up again every year. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they get hundreds of inquiries every year, asking why they don’t just nuke a dangerous hurricane before it makes landfall. They basically explain that the force of the blast would have to cancel out the wind energy of the storm. Unfortunately, the amount of energy released by a fully developed hurricane is roughly equivalent to a 10-megaton bomb going off every 20 minutes—and that’s measuring the heat output alone. They go on to explain that the blast would disperse air in the storm, making the barometric pressure drop—likely making the storm worse.
Like Project Plowshare, the environmental effects are unknown, but weather experts have warned that the nuclear fallout could be carried straight onto land by a surviving storm.
99-Year-Old Veteran Makes Strides At Ripley’s Aquarium Of Canada
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
[September 21-September 27, 2020] The funny side of science, a super sporty parrot, and the saga of a half-eaten sandwich—all round-up in this week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Ig Nobel Prize Celebrates Weird Science
On September 17, Improbable Research held the 30th annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony with winners ranging from a man who created a knife out of poop to studies on drunken earthworms and alligator bellows! For the past three decades, the Ig Nobel Awards have celebrated the humorous side of science, shining a light on funny projects that also make you think. Similar to The Nobel Prize, the Ig Nobel Awards include categories in Peace, Medicine, Economics, and Physics, but also offer more specific scientific categories such as Acoustics, Psychology, and Materials Science. The ceremony is usually held at Harvard University, but this year’s awards were virtual, hosting nominees from around the globe and winners from 29 different countries!
While all of the nominated projects were fascinating, some crowd favorites answer questions like:
What happens when you put an alligator in an airtight chamber filled with helium?
Can narcissists be identified by their eyebrows?
Why do chewing sounds drive people nuts?
Is a knife made out of poop an effective tool?
The poop knife took the prize for Material Sciences, led by Metin Eren, an assistant professor and co-director of the Experimental Archaeology Lab at Kent State University in Ohio. After years of fascination with a story of an Inuit man who made a knife out of his feces, Eren decided to replicate the tale to represent the number of narratives that are based on little to no evidence. Eren and his team froze human feces to minus-50 degrees Centigrade before filing it to a sharp edge. When the knife was put to use it, “failed miserably,” according to Eren, who believes the study made an important point that “evidence and fact-checking are vital.” The Ig Nobel Awards are highly lauded within the scientific community. For Eren, who last attended the ceremony as an undergraduate student at Harvard, winning was “a dream come true.”
The “Ick” Nobels: A man who made a knife out of frozen human feces and a researcher who found that people who study insects are creeped out by spiders are among the 2020 Ig Nobel winners. https://t.co/4YjOr0k2pu #odd
— AP Oddities (@AP_Oddities) September 18, 2020
Leaving A Lasting Impression
Researchers in Saudi Arabia have discovered human footprints left behind 120,000 years ago! Found in the northern region of Tabuk, the seven sets of prints are the earliest evidence of humans in the area and are believed to have been left by two people visiting a lake that has long-since dried up. The footprints are thought to be those of modern humans based on their stature and the lack of stone tools found in the area that would have been used by Neanderthals. Experts are using the footprints to learn more about the paths humans took to leave Africa, with the location indicating that following inland lakes and rivers may have been important to humans for survival. According to Mathew Stewart of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, footprint fossils are unique from other fossils, as they offer a glimpse into a short amount of time, from hours to days.
Get Your Wings in the Game
Fans of the Brazilian National Women’s Team were taken by surprise when a macaw decided to get its wings in the game. The parrot, and local soccer fan, landed on the head of Brazilian defender, Bruna Benites, during Saturday’s scrimmage, forcing a break in the game as it made itself at home. One of Brazil’s coaches lured the bird away with a soccer ball. The parrot wasn’t much of a kicker, opting to hop onto the ball and fly away with a dramatic squawk. Benites didn’t mind the interruption one bit and used it as an opportunity to raise awareness for the fires currently destroying the Amazon rainforest and Pantanal wetlands. In an Instagram post, Benites posted a statement of sorrow about the fires and loss of animal habitats. “Let us be aware! Let’s take care of our greatest asset, which is nature!” She later clarified that Saturday’s macaw was a local pet and regular at the team’s practices.
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September 24, 2020
Fresh Facts About The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Will Smith
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
From struggling rapper to 90s icon and movie megastar, Willard Carroll Smith Jr. has led one wild ride of a life so far. Better known as Will Smith, one of Hollywood’s most prolific and beloved actors, he’s taken on roles from Muhammad Ali in Ali to the wish-granting Genie in Aladdin. His talents and charisma are familiar all around the world, but there are a lot of incredible things about him that even his biggest fans don’t know.
Let’s “get jiggy” with some of the fresh facts about the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, from the world record he held to his mad skills with a Rubik’s Cube.
Will Smith is the only actor to gross $100 million domestically with eight movies in a row.
Even the biggest stars make mistakes every now and then, but Will Smith has done a fantastic job of picking out the best roles for himself—aside from turning down a role as Neo in The Matrix to make the tremendous flop that was Wild Wild West.
Over a period from 2002’s Men In Black II to 2008’s Hancock, Will Smith released eight movies in a row grossing $100 million in the United States, giving him the record-breaking title. No other actor since has released more consecutive movies with this monetary box office success! And as if one record wasn’t enough, Will also starred in Sony Pictures’ highest-grossing R-rated movie to date—Bad Boys For Life.
Will Smith became a millionaire before the age of 18.
Before ever becoming an actor, Will Smith had aspirations to make it as a rapper. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Will was born into a place where he claimed, “everybody is a rapper.” The environment and influence of his hometown no doubt certainly inspired his decision to get into the music scene. And though he was young, his dreams were big and his successes to follow would even bigger.
Will met long-time collaborator and good friend, Jeff Townes, also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff, at the young age of 16, and it quickly became clear that the duo would do great things together. They began working on new music, breaking through with the massive debut single “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble.” This laid the foundations for the album Rock The House (1987), that truly launched his career. The album reached number 83 in the Billboard Top 200, and before his eighteenth birthday, Will was a millionaire!
Will Smith has been his adult height since he was 13 years old.
One thing that many fans just love to find out about their movie star idols is their height. After all, if you’ve only ever seen somebody on the big screen, it’s a tough thing to gauge or to really imagine. As far as Will Smith is concerned, that’s an easy question.
Will Smith is now 51 years old, and the answer to his often-searched height hasn’t changed since he was 13 years old! He stands 6 feet 2 inches tall, having gained 60 pounds or so since he first hit this height almost four decades ago.
Will Smith’s home is equipped with paperless toilets.
Not only do celebrities drive trends for fashion and the like, but they also have enormous audiences to influence and inspire. Will, free to enjoy the very best of everything, has an ecologically conscious side. And, as a result, he’s a huge proponent of paperless toilets, which allows him to be more green and please his gadget-loving nature! The actor uses a loo that sprays water and air on toilet users’ backsides.
“It’s a gift from heaven, believe me,” he stated in 2007. “People think it’s all about suction and that they’re going to have their insides removed by this marvel of modern engineering—but it doesn’t suck, it blows.” Luckily, he’s still considerate of those who may not be so forward-thinking when it comes to their toilet habits: “not everyone can handle this thing emotionally, so I’ve made sure I also have a few normal toilets in my house,” he added.
Will Smith can solve a Rubik’s Cube in 55 seconds.
In any movie or television show, characters often perform surprising feats that make us wonder whether or not the actor or actress can actually perform these talents in reality.
In The Pursuit of Happyness, Will’s character tangles with a Rubik’s Cube. This appearance not only brought the puzzling device back into pop culture, but it also left fans wondering if the actor was really capable of solving the cube as quickly as it seemed in the film.
Ever the professional, Will didn’t want a hand double or any other sort of trickery for this scene, explained Tyson Mao, world blindfolded Rubik’s Cube solving champion and creator of the World Cube Association. Mao taught Smith the basics and the actor perfected the art by practice until he could solve the puzzle in just 55 seconds.
Will Smith has a passion for chess.
The Will Smith that fans are familiar with from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an energetic, enthusiastic, and caring young man, with a mind-boggling 90s fashion sense that is absolutely second to none. He’s got the street smarts, but the show provides no inclination at all towards scholarly pursuits.
The aspect of Will’s life we are presented with throughout the Fresh Prince series doesn’t exactly allude to a young man with a passion for chess. However, Will has thanked his father for teaching him to play the game, commenting that it taught him crucial principles of how to live life, including a few that he tries to pass on to his own children.
“The elements and concepts of life are so perfectly illustrated on a chessboard,” he has said. “Whatever move you’re going to make in your life to be successful, you have to accurately access the next couple of moves–like what’s going to happen if you do this? Because once you’ve made your move, you can’t take it back. The universe is going to respond.”
Barack Obama has tipped Will to play him in a hypothetical movie.
Will’s high cachet in the film industry has given him the opportunity to play the part of some truly incredible people. From Muhammad Ali in Ali to Dr. Bennet Omalu in Concussion, these are some lofty roles.
Incredibly, according to Will, Barack Obama would be more than happy for the actor to play him in a movie. “I talked to Barack about it,” Smith said on an episode of Carpool Karaoke in 2017. “He told me that he felt confident that I had the ears for the role.” High praise indeed!
Will Smith held the Guinness World Record for most public appearances in 12 hours.
Another thing that Will’s fans have always admired him for is his strong worth ethic. The actor has stated many times, it is not status, fame, or fortune that leads to success, but our willingness to keep pushing to improve ourselves.
And Will certainly practices what he preaches. During the promotion of hilarious rom-com Hitch in 2005, he traveled across England, making three separate appearances in Manchester, Birmingham, and London within a 12-hour span! Greeted by thousands of fans in each city, Will was dressed casually in a camel coat, jeans, and leather cap for each of these red carpet affairs.
This endeavor officially held a Guinness World Record until 2009 when it was surpassed by Indian actor, Abhishek Bachchan. For his movie Delhi 6, Bachchan made red carpet appearances at an astonishing seven different cities in his home country in the same time period of just 12 hours.
You can spend a night in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air mansion.
In honor of the show’s 30th anniversary, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air mansion will be available those L.A. local residents lucky enough to secure a room in the iconic 90s home. Renters can try their luck at a night using the Airbnb website beginning on September 29th. Only groups of two locals will be able to experience this epic sleepover experience each night, but the lucky duos will have access to Will’s entire side of the house.
During the one night stay, guests will have access to the poolside lounge area, a dining room, and a room fit for the Fresh Prince himself. The bedroom includes a basketball net and turntables to spin classic songs on. Other perks include access to Will’s wardrobe and a virtual welcome by DJ Jazzy Jeff.
And, if you aren’t local to the Los Angeles area, or you aren’t one of the lucky few to secure a spot in the home, you can find a sneak peek of what’s inside on the Airbnb website—or by shamelessly scrolling the always-entertaining Instagram profile of Will Smith himself.
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A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith) on Sep 13, 2020 at 6:00pm PDT
By Chris Littlechild, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON!
Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
Source: Fresh Facts About The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Will Smith
September 23, 2020
Unlocking Lincoln Featuring Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris: LIVE September 28th @ 3 p.m. EST
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Believe It or Not!, a thick, two-inch tuft of hair clipped postmortem from the head of Abraham Lincoln was purchased earlier this month at auction for more than $81,000. Gaining a flurry of media attention, the buyer was largely reported as anonymous. As many suspected, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! had the winning bid, and the historic relic arrived at Ripley’s Warehouse on September 17, 2020. However, the questions keep coming in…
What could these locks tell us? How can authenticity be scientifically determined? Crazy, but is cloning possible using only this tuft?
The theories being posted around the exhibit have also been interesting, from elaborate National Treasure plots to Jurassic Park vibes…
The mystery person that bought Abraham Lincoln’s hair might be plotting on bigger things. #Quarantinewhile https://t.co/j0b1IjdwXS pic.twitter.com/585sU48OLU
— A Late Show (@colbertlateshow) September 16, 2020
To address all of these curious questions and comments, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is hosting, Unlocking Lincoln featuring Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, on Monday, September 28th @ 3:00 p.m. EST, LIVE on Facebook and Twitch.
Meet the Panelists
Dr. Fitzharris, medical historian, author, and Smithsonian Channel host, will be joined by DNA expert, Dr. Dean Hildebrand, and John Corcoran, Ripley’s Exhibits Director. In this live, moderated discussion, these three will dive deeper into the exhibit’s history and answer all of your questions.
Ripley’s is proud to welcome Lindsey Fitzharris, medical historian, bestselling author, and host of “The Curious Life and Death Of…”
Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris is a bestselling author, television host, and medical historian with a doctorate from Oxford University. Her debut book, The Butchering Art, won the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for Literary Science and has been translated into seventeen languages. Dr. Fitzharris writes regularly for a variety of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Scientific America, The Guardian, The Lancet, and New Scientist. Her new television series on the Smithsonian Channel, The Curious Life and Death of…, explores some of the most mysterious deaths in history.
Dr. Dean Hildebrand is a recognized forensic DNA expert and the Dean of the School of Computing and Academic Studies at the BC Institute of Technology. Dr. Hildebrand received his BSc and Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and continued to help develop the University’s Forensic Science and Technology program—the largest of its kind in Canada. Dr. Hildebrand uses his expertise to assist in humanitarian efforts, as well as assist the BC Coroners Service in maintaining their unidentified remains and missing person DNA database.
John Corcoran is a Director for Ripley Entertainment, focusing on exhibits and new business models, such as touring shows. With more than 37 years’ experience in the industry, John is an IAAPA Certified Attractions Executive and is a walking encyclopedia for the Ripley’s brand, knowledgeable on the company’s history and vast collection.
The panel will be moderated by Sabrina Sieck, Ripley’s Creative Content Manager and host of Cool Stuff Strange Things.
Tune In September 28th
Join the conversation LIVE on Facebook and Twitch Monday, September 28th @ 3:00 p.m. EST. Have any questions that you want to make sure get answered? Message us on Facebook and we’ll be sure to address them!
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Lincoln’s hair arrived at Ripley’s Warehouse on September 17, 2020.
Source: Unlocking Lincoln Featuring Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris: LIVE September 28th @ 3 p.m. EST
September 22, 2020
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