Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 192
July 20, 2020
Your Memory Is No Match For Griffin, The Ivy-League Parrot
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[July 13-July 19, 2020] Griffin the Harvard parrot, corpse plants, screams to-go, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Feast Your Eyes on the Stink Cam
Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, is celebrating the blooming birthday of a very unique plant known as the corpse flower, or Amorphophallus titanum. Corpse flowers are among the largest and rarest flowering plants in the world. Due to their rarity, and extremely fast bloom time of only 24-48 hours, it’s no surprise that tickets to see and smell this pungent-smelling plant have already sold out at Longwood Gardens. But, while you may be missing the scent of rotting raw meat, as it is so lovingly-described, not to fret! You can catch up with this corpse plant on the garden’s “Stink Cam!” Put your petal to the metal folks—the Longwood Gardens haven’t had a corpse plant on their grounds since 1967!
I humbly announce that tickets to see me today are sold out (and tickets are limited for tomorrow, 7/15)! I’ll be blooming for just a few more hours and then I plan to deflate in a final glorious swansong. It will be DRAMA! Watch me live starting NOW! https://t.co/sXA3EiSDzW
— longwoodgardens (@longwoodgardens) July 14, 2020
Need to Release Some Steam? Send Your Scream!
Looking for the “perfect place to let your frustrations out?” Perhaps Iceland could be that place. The country’s tourism board has created a way for frustrated folks to let off some steam: the power of “scream therapy.” Participants are invited to record their screams, from the comfort of their own home, and send them to be played over a loudspeaker in a remote part of the country. The campaign allows senders to choose their locations such as the peak of Festarfjall in Reykjanes Peninsula and Skogafoss waterfall. Let your screams be heard because, as their tagline says, “It looks like you need Iceland.”
Madonna or Lilyonna?
Four months in quarantine has lead to some serious sparks in creativity at this U.K. nursing home. The residents of Sydmar Lodge Care Home in Edgeware, England, were part of a full-fledged photoshoot hosted by their activities manager at the home, Robert Speker. This iconic project recreated some of the most notable names and album covers in history while casting the residents as the rock-stars. Speker was the makeup and ‘tattoo’ artist for each of the residents, as well as the photographer and Photoshop expert. The residents reimagined every album from Bruce Springsteen to Madonna to Elvis Presley. We definitely recommend scrolling through his Twitter feed to see it for yourself.
Sydmar Lodge Care Home residents and carers have been recreating classic album covers. The home has now been in lockdown for 4 months. pic.twitter.com/XS5YQ4f1Sw
— Robert Speker (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020
Super Mario Bros Levels Up
A sealed copy of 1985 video game the Nintendo Entertainment System game, ‘Super Mario Bros,’ set a new world record when it was auctioned for $114,000. Coincidentally, back in February 2019, another copy of the same game sold for $100,150! Heritage Auctions stated that this copy was considered especially rare because it was part of a short production run with a cardboard hang-tab underneath the plastic, a feature found shortly after Nintendo started using shrink-wrap instead of stickers to steal boxes. Still in its original, sealed packaging, it was no surprise to Heritage that the demand for this game was extremely high.
Dallas-based Heritage Auctions sells vintage Super Mario video game for $114,000 https://t.co/HT8SQjbYJX via @dallasnews#SuperMarioBros #Videogames #Comics pic.twitter.com/rhaSki4ueK
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) July 14, 2020
Give This Bird A Scholarship!
Griffin, the African grey parrot, certainly knows a bit more than a few common bird tricks! He is the subject of a recent study involving a group of 21 students at Harvard University and a challenging memory game. Griffin was tasked with locating a colorful pom-pom hidden under a plastic cup after it was shuffled around a table several times, otherwise known as The Shell Game. The group of students was also given the same task. And, Believe It or Not!, Griffin matched or outperformed them in 12 of 14 trials. Lead study author Hrag Pailian, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, told The Harvard Gazette, “We had students concentrating in engineering, pre-meds, this, that, seniors, and he just kicked their butts.” We think that deserves a bit more than a few cashew crackers!
Source: Your Memory Is No Match For Griffin, The Ivy-League Parrot
July 19, 2020
July 18, 2020
July 17, 2020
The Strangest Conspiracy Theories The Interwebs Has To Offer
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
It’s a sign of the times. While the world has been battling a pandemic and social issues, we have also been battling the spread of misinformation. Conspiracy theory culture really began at the time of the JFK assassination. Americans desperately wanted an explanation, even if that explanation was a bit out there or just a way of projecting politics. Then, in the 1990s, came along the Internet and the golden age of theory. Now, conspiracy theories are having a moment, but sadly, not the fun and kooky ones.
The Moon Landing Was Faked?
No conspiracy theory list would be complete without a mention of the “faked” 1969 moon landing. Neil Armstrong’s giant leap launched probably the most persistent conspiracy theory of the 20th century.
Even if there was any credible evidence that the Apollo mission was a hoax, conspiracy theorists must also account for later moon missions, man-made objects left on the moon, the many extraterrestrial rocks that have been studied and verified, and the personal opinions of astronauts. Yep—how would you feel if someone accused you of faking one of your greatest accomplishments? You’d probably fight back with an argument… or punch, like Buzz Aldrin? In 2002, when a conspiracy theorist confronted Aldrin, calling him a “coward and a liar,” the 72-year-old punched the accuser in the jaw. Take that conspiracy theories!
Taking this theory one step further, some believe that the moon landing footage was produced by Stanley Kubrick due to his experience directing 2001: A Space Odyssey. Apparently, Kubrick’s The Shining is rife with clues…
Paul McCartney and Elvis: Dead or Alive?
Ask a pop culture theorist and they will tell you that Beatles guitarist Paul McCartney died in 1966. That would have been at the height of the band’s fame, so naturally, it had to be covered up—going so far as to hire a look-and-sound-alike to take Paul’s place.
Here’s where it gets weird. It is thought that the band and its management wanted to keep Paul’s death from the press and public, but also wanted fans who loved and cared about the icon to be aware of the tragedy. To do so, clues were places in album art and lyrics. For example, on the cover of Abbey Road, only McCartney is barefoot and out of step with the rest of the band.
Abbey Road album cover || CC: Ian Burt via Flickr
Just let this one be, because Elvis’s life and death are also up for discussion.
It is widely accepted and recorded that Elvis Presley passed away on August 16, 1977, but conspiracy theorists think the King faked his death and is now working as a groundskeeper at Graceland.
Hollow or Flat Earth?
Thanks to coverage in the mainstream media, recent documentaries, and celebrities like B.o.B and Shaquille O’Neal who’ve concurred, many of us know about the flat earth theory. Believe It or Not! the anti-spherical sentiments of the Flat Earth Society were established way back in the early 1800s by English inventor Samuel Birley Rowbotham and continue on today.
While Flat Earthers get all the attention, there is also a conspiracy that supports the Earth being hollow. Taking it one step further, some believe there might even be a highly advanced civilization living inside Earth. This theory also has historical roots dating back to the 17th century when Edmond Halley—of Halley comet fame—suggested the Earth must be hollow because of its changing magnetism.
Britney Spears: A Government Coverup?
Britney Spears had a rough few years in the mid-aughts, but some believe it was all orchestrated by the government—not a toxic battle between public and private life. Her public meltdowns happened to line up with multiple Bush administration mishaps.
The first happened in 2004. Just a week away from the United States vs. Libby trial and the Bush administration embarrassed to say “Oops I Did It Again” standing next to Scooter, Britney married—and quickly annulled 55 hours later—her childhood friend Jason Alexander.
In 2006, outrage shifted from president to popstar when Britney was photographed driving with her baby boy on her lap. Next, Britney divorced her second husband, Kevin Federline, when Bush dumped Rumsfeld. Then, Britney shaved her head and went on her umbrella rampage as the Times was reporting Al Qaeda regaining power in Afghanistan.
Of course, conspiracy theorists think there’s more to it than coincidence, as there is a clip of Britney Spears endorsing Bush in Fahrenheit 9/11.
Vampires and Cannibals in the Royal Family?
From claims about Princess Diana’s death to Meghan Markle being a robot, there is no shortage of conspiracy theories about the Royal family. Luckily, this one has some foundation in fact.
According to genealogy records, Prince Charles is believed to be a descendant of Vlad the Impaler. This lineage can be traced back through Charles’ great grandmother Queen Mary and Vlad IV, the half-brother of the inspiration behind Dracula. The Prince is, in fact, a great-grandson 16 times removed to Vlad Tepes. Believe It or Not! Prince Charles has even appeared in a promotional video for the Romanian National Tourist Office.
If his connection to the notorious ruler isn’t enough, porphyria, an iron-deficiency that makes skin sensitive to sunlight, is also present amongst the royals. To top it all off, while some think Price Charles feasts on blood, others believe the Queen is a cannibal. In 2012, a serviceman at Windsor Castle claimed to discover human remains inside Queen Elizabeth II’s private freezer.
Finland Who?
Thanks to a Reddit thread, there is a theory that Finland is a fictional landmass, concocted by the Japanese and the Soviet Union during the Cold War in an effort to secure fishing rights in the Baltic Sea. Reddit user Raregans suggested Finland’s population is actually made up of people from eastern Sweden, northern Estonia, and western Russia. While this theory likely began as a joke, it quickly gained traction online and expanded—expanded to claims like the fish that are caught in “Finland” are shipped via the Trans-Siberian railway to Japan under the disguise of Nokia products. To those that believe this theory, the railway and Nokia were created for this sole purpose.
No need to book a flight to fact check. The Internet has spoken.
The Truth
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is based entirely on fact. Our books and attractions are filled with stories and exhibits that are incredibly hard to believe, but undeniably true. We can’t vouch for these conspiracies, but these fringe fantasies certainly exist out there.
In fact, developmental psychologists have found that feedback and other people’s reactions, rather than logic and data, boosts people’s sense of certainty. This means if you think you know a lot about something, even if you really don’t, you’re less likely to explore the topic further and question reason or contrary evidence.
Thanks to this human nature, we’re left with some strange theories and they keep on coming.
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: The Strangest Conspiracy Theories The Interwebs Has To Offer
July 16, 2020
Who Really Invented The Bagpipes?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Each year, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo puts on a spectacular performance of bagpipers and drummers in Scotland. The event draws crowds of 220,000. More than 100 million spectators tune in via television. Of course, the showstopper of the annual tattoo remains the pìob-mhór or Highland bagpipes.
No modern-day nation is as closely associated with the drone of pipes as Caledonia. (That’s the Latin name given by the Romans to Scotland.) Yet, the origins of the instrument stretch back many thousands of years and miles. Here’s what we know.
Archaeological and Historical Breadcrumbs
Tracing the history of the bagpipe is no easy task. Like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumbs, clues about the instrument’s origins are scattered across time and geography. Nonetheless, history sleuths have compiled a lengthy lineage for the instrument.
The evolutionary chain originated in Sumeria during the third millennium BC. From Sumeria, the double pipes traveled to Egypt, Phrygia, Lydia, and Phoenicia. Then, they came to Greece and Rome. Eventually, they made their way to the northernmost frontiers of the Roman Empire. A military staple, they were often sounded along the walls dividing Roman-occupied Britain from unconquered Caledonia.
Disfigured Faces and the “Reproach of Athena”
Ancient references to bagpipes exist in literature. They start with accounts from Greek writers such as Aristophanes, Thucydides, and Aristotle. Medieval mistranslation of the Greek word “aulos” (and the Latin word “tibia”) as “flute” led to centuries of confusion, though. As it turns out, “aulos” and “tibia” were double-pipe reed instruments. The musical “great-grandparents” of today’s bagpipes.
There was one massive problem with the aulos, though. It caused the “reproach of Athena,” or facial disfiguration. The deformation resulted from continually puffing out the cheeks while playing. The resulting look was anything but pretty, according to ancient writers. What’s more, the instrument was tough to master. Students often broke their pipes out of frustration or fear of flappy cheeks. Fortunately, the bagpipe’s iconic “airbag” was added by the Romans, giving ancient faces a break.
Greeks stayed away from bags, though. Instead, they invented phorbeia to protect their cheeks. Phorbeia were leather bands, which passed around the cheeks and across the mouth. A hole in the leather allowed the wearer fill the pipes with air. The contraption supported the cheeks, preventing disfigurement. It also looked like a dog muzzle. Nevertheless, it let Greeks keep playing without compromising their good looks.
Auletes wearing a leather strap called a phorbeiá (φορβεία) in Greek or capistrum in Latin, to avoid excessive strain on the lips and cheeks due to continuous blowing.
Who was the first army to march to pipes and drums? If you guessed the kilted Celts, you’re wrong. It was the Spartans. According to Aristotle, “It was their custom of entering battle to the music of pipe players which was adopted in order to make the fearlessness and ardour of the soldiers more evident.”
The music also had practical applications. It allowed thousands of Spartans to march in sync. Thucydides noted, “They advance slowly to the music of many pipe players which were stationed at regular intervals throughout the ranks, marching together rhythmically, that their ranks might not be broken.” Take that, Xerxes!
Nero Was a Piping Fool
Romans “borrowed” the aulos from the Greeks, along with their gods, mythology, togas, columns, etc. Then, they formed a piper’s guild. Soon pipes were featured at public games, funerals, religious ceremonies, and theater performances. Some say Caesar decided to cross the Rubicon only after seeing and hearing a lone piper on the other side.
Ovid talks about pipers dressed in elaborate costumes, and the Roman Emperor Nero may have been piping (instead of fiddling) when Rome burned. According to the Roman historian Dio Chrysostom, “They say [Nero] can…play the aulos both with his mouth and also with his armpit, a big bag being thrown under it, in order that he might escape the disfigurement of Athens.”
So how did the bagpipes finally get to Scotland? Double reed pipes were already a familiar sight in ancient Britain by 43 AD when the Romans invaded. The Latin army introduced the bag. By the time the Romans left, the instrument flourished in Britain and Gaul (modern-day France). There’s even a fascinating oral tradition passed down among Italian bagpipers to this day. Frank J. Timoney learned the legend while in Italy.
More Piping Escapades with Caesar
According to tradition, when Caesar invaded Britain, he hid his bagpipers from the mounted Celtic forces who opposed him. When the cavalry moved in, Caesar ordered the pipes to sound. The unexpected nasally drone spooked the Celts’ horses, causing them to lose to the Romans. Understanding the reason for their defeat, the Britons came to worship the instrument for its magical qualities.
Whether there’s any truth to the myth, we’ll likely never know. It’s ironic to think Caesar may have defeated the Britons with bagpipes, though. No matter the case, they remain a staple of Celtic culture in Scotland and Ireland to this day.
By Engrid Barnett, 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!
July 15, 2020
The Ark Of Williamstown, Kentucky
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
EDITORS NOTE: This article is a point-of-view story written by Ripley’s contributor and Believe It or Notcast host, Ryan Clark. From vampires in New Orleans to Skunk Apes in South Florida, Ryan has seen it all on his many Notcast adventures.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — You can’t see it from the road. That would be silly.
Because most people who want to come here really just want to see it, so it’s been built far past the interstate, out in the middle of a field. You pay for a ticket, and then you hop on a bus for a one-mile ride just to get to its location.
You wind your way up a hill and—as if part of some sort of dream—it materializes, out in the distance. When you first see it, you think, ‘Wow. That sucker is BIG.’
Welcome to The Ark Encounter. As in, Noah’s Ark. From the Bible.
The 510-foot-long structure rests on a hilltop in a rural Kentucky county, about 40 minutes south of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is so large, and its building must have been such a massive undertaking, that you cannot come away anything but impressed.
Even though the entire setup is rather odd. But, more on that in a minute.
Lions and Tigers and Dinos
The Ark Encounter is an amusement park built by Ken Ham, an Australian creationist who is the CEO of Answers in Genesis, a Christian ministry that also operates the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., about 45 miles north of the Ark.
Not familiar with Creationism? Here’s the deal: Creationists reject evolution and believe that, based on the Bible, the Earth was created in a few days about 6,000 years ago. So, throughout both the Museum and the Ark exhibits, Ham and his staff have portrayed dinosaurs as living alongside humans—in a direct contradiction to science, which shows evidence that the terrible lizards lived over 65 million years ago. Why would Ham and his followers refute scientific fact? Because it is the only way Creationists can explain the existence of the creatures.
In the Creationist version of the story, Noah was tasked by God to take two of every living animal—elephants, giraffes, and yes, triceratops and velociraptors—on to a big boat that he and his family built to avoid the Great Flood, which essentially cleansed the world of everything else.
Must have been an interesting scene below deck, right? I know what dinosaurs can do (I’ve seen all the Jurassic Park movies). Seems like the boat would have been the dinosaurs’ version of a Golden Corral buffet. But, not to worry. Creationists believe all dinosaurs are plant-eating creatures, so no one gets chomped.
‘There’s Nothing Here’
The entire grounds of the Encounter are impressive. The site includes the boat, which is as tall as a seven-story building, at the center of the park. Around it, you’ll find one of the world’s largest restaurants (the 1,500-seat Emzara’s Kitchen, named for Noah’s wife—get the “Two by Two” bacon double cheeseburger for $9), a petting zoo (with goats, ponies, kangaroos, and camel rides), zip lines, a 2,500-seat theater, snack huts, and gift shops.
Built in 2014, Ham got more than $18 million in tax incentives (including 78 acres of land for $1) from the city and state to bring the $120 million attraction to Williamstown. He did so by promising hundreds of new jobs to this town of about 4,000 people. And he said the region would benefit from countless new hotels and restaurants that would be built to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to make their pilgrimage to the site.
The catch? The jobs were only for people who claimed to be of the Creationist faith, and those hired would be required to sign a waiver proving it. On top of that, six years later, townspeople say they have seen little added development in this rural county, and few, if any, new customers in their city—because people don’t stay in Williamstown when they see the Ark.
They stay in other nearby towns and drive to and from the area. Simply, the promised riches have not come.
The Grant County Judge-Executive was quoted in a recent documentary about the Ark saying that “maybe a few cars a day” pass through downtown Williamstown. “But there’s nothing here.”
Still, Ham built it. And the people have flocked to it.
‘This is Sacred Ground’
When I visited the Encounter early this spring, I was amazed at how many people were also there. Large numbers of families, both young and old. Many had traveled from several states away to see the sights. There were folks from different countries speaking different languages.
And it wasn’t difficult to see why. It’s hard not to just bolt straight for the ship when you get off the bus, so that’s what I did. I’d paid a pretty hefty price for an adult ticket, so I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.
Inside the Ark are three decks, each with dozens of dioramas, models, videos, and learning stations. There’s also a food garden. Of course, there are also numerous places to buy gifts and snacks. You can see illustrations of how Noah built the ship, along with examples of all the animals on board (including dinosaurs) in their cages. You can pet a few real animals, like llamas, which are brought into the ship from the park’s petting zoo. And you can also watch a video (produced by Answers in Genesis) that explains why the media covers the topic the way they do. (It shows a stressed-out TV reporter, looking for a story and not believing in the Ark, who then visits the park. After the visit, she becomes a believer and her life is changed for the better).
Check out exhibits showcasing Noah’s living quarters, another on flood geology, and yet another on the Ice Age. I learned the Ark Encounter says Noah brought 1,398 kinds of animals on the ship—6,744 animals in all. And they explain how they got to these numbers.
Then, you can literally buy anything with an Ark on it in the main gift shop at the end of your tour. There are stuffed animals. Books. Action figures. Fudge. No opportunity has been missed. Overall, as an entertainment venue, the Ark is second to none. It was an enjoyable way to spend about four hours if you want to learn about the Creationist view of this iconic Biblical event. Just bring your walking shoes, your camera, and a coat if it’s chilly.
Near the end of the tour on deck three, one of the last things I saw was a cutaway of the Ark, a 1:48 scale model, and it was really interesting. In fact, two older women were so eager to see it, they jockeyed for position to take pictures, and they ended up pushing one another and shouting—all in front of other families and children.
“Excuse me!” one yelled.
“Excuse you!” the other replied.
After a bit more yelling back and forth, one uttered my favorite line.
“Lady, you can’t act this way—this is sacred ground!”
I laughed; I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it wasn’t really sacred ground at all.
It’s just an amusement park located a few miles from the interstate.
By Ryan Clark, contributor for Ripleys.com and host of Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast
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!
Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog
- Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s profile
- 52 followers
