Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 242
October 25, 2019
Rats Find Driving To Be Relaxing
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[October 20-26th, 2019] Driving rats, a 7,800-year-old pearl, the loudest bird, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Road Rage Rats?
While stepping into a car might not be a relaxing experience for those of us with lengthy commutes, rats apparently find the activity relaxing. A team of researchers at the University of Richmond have taught a pack of rats how to drive. They don’t pilot regular automobiles, but instead have their own little electric cars made from food containers. Learning seemed to have relaxed the rats, who were rewarded with Froot Loops for successfully operating their motor vehicles.
Kelly Lambert/University of Richmond
7,800-Year-Old Pearl
Discovered in 2017 on Marawah Island, off the coast of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, it took nearly two years for experts to determine the age exact age of an ancient pearl. Dating back to somewhere between 5600 and 5800 B.C., the pearl formed naturally before being traded. At only 0.13 inches in circumference, its size may not be impressive, but its age certainly is.
Abu Dhabi Department of Tourism Handout
19-Hour Flight
Making its way to Sydney, Australia, from New York City, Qantas Airlines completed the trip in just 19 hours and 16 minutes. The flight was a test run for a non-stop flight between the cities and carried a small group of passengers subjected to a battery of tests and experiments to prevent severe jetlag. Their meals and sleep schedule were planned out and they were even able to exercise in the empty economy class.
Headphone Warning
In the newest issue of Current Biology, scientists have finally determined the loudest bird on Earth. The white bellbird is native to northeast South America and has a call as loud as a pneumatic drill. Its mating song reaches an ear-splitting 125 decibels and is capable of damaging human hearing.
A Not-So-Quick Detour
A 65-foot stretch of construction in the United Kingdom’s city of Dorset is sending drivers on a 41-mile detour. Closed for five days for a sewage project, a trip that normally takes just a second to complete at the posted 30 miles per hour speed limit now will take upwards of an hour.
Source: Rats Find Driving To Be Relaxing
Weird Remedies For A Pearly White Smile
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The search for a winning smile has been one for the ages, and plenty of people from all over the world have strived since the dawn of civilization to whiten their teeth. It wasn’t always easy.
As you might imagine, there have been more than a few curious theories on what might get the job done—including the application of urine and even filing down teeth to remove their stained top layers. Below, a look at the good, the bad… and the ugly.
Smile Like an Egyptian
The Egyptians are commonly thought to be the first humans obsessed with whiter teeth, and they developed a technique that actually worked; they’d apply a mixture of pumice and white vinegar to their teeth. This was about 4,000 years ago.
Urine Luck!
Meanwhile, Romans were known to use a blend of goat’s milk and human urine—the ammonia contained therein was known to be a strong bleaching agent. Uh, we’ll pass.
File Under: Bad Ideas
In the 17th century, barbers added tooth care to their services. What could go wrong, right? To be fair, there really wasn’t a whole lot to dentistry at the time; if a tooth was acting up, you’d yank the offending chopper and get on with your day.
But, if you found the thought of whitening teeth as the Romans did—with human urine—to be a turn-off, consider your barber essentially sanding teeth down with a metal file to then apply an acid. If we need to explain why that wasn’t a good idea, then you might be lacking in some fundamentals of tooth care yourself—and should probably get to a dentist, stat.
Other Teeth Tips & Tricks
Charcoal might not be your first choice when it comes to whitening teeth, but it’s long been considered a common asset in the battle against stained teeth—with plenty of current-day celebrities swearing by its benefits. The pros recommend it, too, for removing stains; they caution, however, that it might be lacking for the actual job of long-term whitening.
Sage and salt rub is another natural option, usually applied as a paste.
Elecampane flower has been recommended over the years for everything from upset stomach and healthy teeth, to whooping cough and magic potions.
Clove mouthwash. Whether you make your own or opt for the commercial variety, cloves have been collecting acclaim as a go-to herbal supplement for hundreds of years. Halitosis? Swollen gums? How about “remineralizing” those pearly whites? You name it, and cloves have been reported to help heal and manage.
By Bill Furbee, contributor for Ripleys.com
October 24, 2019
There’s Been An Astrological Mistake With Your Zodiac Sign
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Whether you’re a strong believer or a total skeptic of the zodiac scene, we’re all guilty of skimming through the horoscope section of the daily newspaper. Are the stars truly to blame for your lack of communication with your coworkers or your love life going completely awry? Well, there’s a good chance that even if the papers accurately printed your weekly horoscope, you’re still reading the wrong one. Because—newsflash—the stars have shifted and so have our zodiac signs.
The Starry Discovery
If you’re not familiar with astrology, there are a few things you should know. First and foremost, astrology and astronomy are in no way the same thing. Astronomy is a total science—the study of everything in outer space. Astrology, on the other hand, has no scientific makeup; it falls more under the category of pseudoscience or metaphysics.
Astronomers, like our friends at NASA, and other scientists know that the alignment or position of stars, light-years away, has zero effect on our day-to-day activities on Earth. But early “astronomers,” like the Babylonians would beg to differ.
The Babylonians were the original inventors of the zodiac. They determined the 12 signs by which constellation the sun was “in” on the day you were born. As the sun traveled through the sky over the course of one year, it spent about one month in each constellation. The signs were named after their corresponding constellations and their dates were based on the apparent relationship between their placement in the sky and the sun.
“Rewriting” The Stars
Contrary to all of their daily observations and star-reading abilities, ancient astronomers still did not fully understand how Earth, the Sun, and the stars moved. And, as it seems, they totally took the easy way out when creating the zodiac circle.
Since the Babylonians already had a 12-month calendar, and there were, apparently, 12 parts to the zodiac, things lined up a bit too perfectly. In fact, the scientists at NASA believe the 12-and-12 match-up was no happy coincidence, but that the Babylonians skipped over a 13th zodiac sign—on purpose.
Lucky Number 13
Approximately 3,000 years ago, the sky spelled out Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces for the Babylonians. But, besides the 12 familiar constellations, the Sun also aligned with a constellation named Ophiuchus for about 18 days each year. Yes, the Babylonians knew about Ophiuchus, and yes, they left it out of the lineup on purpose.
What’s more, they also failed to note that the sun doesn’t spend an equal amount of time lined up with each constellation; none of them fit neatly into a one-month period. Because the constellations are different sizes and shapes, the sun spends varying lengths of time in line with each one. Take Virgo for example. The sun aligns with this constellation for 45 days. On the contrary, it points to Scorpius for only seven days. Something doesn’t quite add up here.
So, NASA did the real math 3,000 years later, locating and explaining the validity behind the 13th missing sign:
“When the Babylonians first invented the 12 signs of zodiac, a birthday between about July 23 and August 22 meant being born under the constellation Leo. Since then, the sky has shifted because Earth’s axis (North Pole) doesn’t point in quite the same direction.”
For those avid horoscope readers, this information may totally tarnish your relationship to the stars and everything you thought you knew about being a strong Virgo or a harmonious Libra. And, if you haven’t heard, Mercury will shortly be in retrograde, so your astrological-self is about to be thrown all out of whack.
The “new” zodiac signs are as follows:
Capricorn: Jan 20 – Feb 16
Aquarius: Feb 16 – March 11
Pisces: March 11 – April 18
Aries: April 18 – May 13
Taurus: May 13 – June 21
Gemini: June 21 – July 20
Cancer: July 20 – Aug 10
Leo: Aug 10 – Sept 16
Virgo: Sept 16 – Oct 30
Libra: Oct 30 – Nov 23
Scorpio: Nov 23 – Nov 29
Ophiuchus: Nov 29 – Dec 17
Sagittarius: Dec 17 – Jan 20
Horoscope Says…
Now, just because modern-day astronomers have no scientific data to back up the associations of sun alignment to particular human activity doesn’t mean you have to throw all of your star-studded beliefs to the wayside. It has been centuries since the Babylonians gave us these astrological identities. And in those centuries, it’s safe to say that each sign has developed an extremely robust group of personality traits, myths, animals, colors, and associations. If your sign holds to its true colors, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to your original Babylonian assignment—and let’s be real, most newspapers are in denial about Ophiuchus existing and won’t print it anyway.
So, my astrological friends, if the stars aren’t aligning for you each and every day, there’s no reason to fret. You may just be reading the wrong sign.
Source: There’s Been An Astrological Mistake With Your Zodiac Sign
Was The Bible’s Forbidden Fruit Really An Apple?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In 2017, people celebrated the 350th anniversary of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, one of the most influential works of English literature. The 10,000-line poem dramatizes the oldest story in the Bible and featuring: God, Adam, Eve, and Satan—who takes the form of a silver-tongued serpent.
Central to the story, too, is the “forbidden fruit.” Harvested from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, God expressly forbids Adam and Eve from eating it. So, of course, they devour it. Their taboo snack results in a curse plaguing humanity with toil, disease, and death. What’s more, Adam and Eve get banished from the Garden of Eden.
In his poem, Milton refers to the “forbidden fruit” twice as an apple. And he’s just one of a long line of writers and artists who have blamed humanity’s expulsion from paradise on this humble fruit. But, was the forbidden fruit in the book of Genesis an apple? Not likely. Here’s why.
The Western Tradition’s Obsession with the Apple
The Western tradition is littered with representations of the apple. You’d be hard-pressed to find another fruit that pops up as frequently in everyday speech, art, and literature. It also represents a common symbol found in ancient mythology. In Scandinavia, legends told of the Golden Apples grown in Asgard and harvested by the goddess Idunn. One bite bestowed Scandinavian gods, like Thor, with immortality.
In Greek mythology, the Golden Apple led to a fight between three goddesses—Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. This conflict laid the foundations for the Trojan War before Paris ever laid eyes on Helen of Troy. Nearby, in the Middle East, The Arabian Nights spoke of the magic apple of Samarkand, capable of curing all human disease.
Besides mythology, the enigmatic apple has been painted by countless masters including Caravaggio, Dürer, Titian, and Magritte as a symbol of the Fall. And authors have long waxed poetic about the “forbidden fruit,” from Dante to Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson to Christina Rossetti.
Curiously, though, an apple is missing from Michelangelo’s 16th-century masterpiece, Temptation and Fall, painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In its place, Eve clings to a “forbidden fig.” Is this a clue to the real identity of the forbidden fruit? The answer lies in a closer examination of history.
How Apples Became Associated with the Forbidden Fruit
The Book of Genesis in the Old Testament reveals an interesting omission. The forbidden fruit that the serpent pawns off on Eve is never specifically named. Instead, the generic Hebrew term peri is used.
Since peri can refer to any fruit, a debate has raged for centuries over what Eve ate. From grapes to pomegranates, apricots to figs, olives, and even grapefruit, Rabbinic commentators came up with plenty of contenders besides apples.
So, how did the apple, a simple fruit beloved by the Western tradition, transform into a symbol of evil and exile? You can blame that on a Latin pun that made its way into Jerome’s fourth century A.D. translation of the Bible.
When Jerome translated the Old Testament into Latin, he opted for a clever, though confusing, wordplay using the term malus. Malushas two distinct translations:
An adjective meaning “evil” or “bad”
A noun used to refer to “seed-bearing fruit such as apples, figs, and peaches”
As early Christians wrestled with which fruit first tempted Adam and Eve, the apple made sense. Not only did the Latin pun lead to a common misunderstanding about the fruit identified in Genesis, but the apple’s prominent, supernatural role in pagan mythology (e.g. Golden Apples of Iddun, etc.) may have also worked against it. The malus theory even explains why Michelangelo opted for the fig in his Sistine Chapel fresco.
The Fall of the Apple
But what truly sealed the apple’s fate as the “forbidden fruit?” A popular 16th-century engraving by German artist Albrecht Dürer.
Completed in 1504, it became the template for masterpieces by painters such as Lucas Cranach the Elder. Cranach’s depiction of Adam and Eve includes a smattering of apples hanging from the tree above the couple, vibrant and misunderstood temptations.
By the time Milton rolled around with his epic poem in the 17th century, the vilification of the apple was complete. Countless works of art depicted it as the culpable fruit. In Paradise Lost, Milton simply finished the job. By speaking of Adam and Eve’s disastrous snack as the Apple—with a capital “A”—he cemented the food’s reputation as the “forbidden fruit.”
Ultimately, the apple’s fate as the forbidden fruit may also have something to do with its elegant appearance. It makes for a far more tantalizing object of delight in paintings than other options, such as grapefruit.
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
October 23, 2019
The Grave Symbolism Of Cemeteries
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If you’ve ever taken a casual stroll through a cemetery—because, who hasn’t?— it’s easy to see variety in headstone design. Usually created by the loved ones of the deceased, the engravings atop the granite can tell a lot about the person buried beneath it. But, kind parting words and loving goodbyes weren’t always the standard procedure. In fact, some grave carvings were symbols of the dead’s summoning to hell. Here’s the deadly scoop on cemetery symbolism.
Puritan Gravestones
When some of the first cemeteries began popping up in the 1600s, Puritanism was the mainstream religion. Puritans were very much removed from the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Refusing to display the same religious symbols, the Puritans created engravings and designs more closely aligned with their own beliefs. Puritans were adamant about not attributing human characteristics to spiritual beings, such as God and angels. Which is why you won’t find any cherubic cheeks smiling at you in 17th-century grave carvings. Symbols became literal translations of family harmony or drama—death’s heads, rising and setting suns, and pointing hands were all common embellishments.
The Death’s Head
The first of many headstone symbols, the death’s head was created as a result of the Puritanical bleak view of life and death. Adorning the top of a stone, the death’s head is a simple skull with wings. As you may imagine, the skull stood for physical death while the wings embodied spiritual resurrection. Occasionally the wings were replaced with crossbones, and in some instances, a skull with no wings or bones was a statement of mortality.
The Hourglass
The hourglass represents the passing and stopping of time. If the hourglass is shown on its side, it symbolizes the fact that the deceased had passed unexpectedly. To make things more morbid, carvers would occasionally add wings to the hourglass to say that “time flies.”
Contrary to modern-day views, in the 17th century, people didn’t fear death. The Grim Reaper, his scythe, and the ticking away of time were common images used to symbolize an inevitable part of life: the end. The mindset about death was solemn, and Puritans would contemplate mortality and the fleeting nature of life by understanding that God was in control of death—there was no purpose for fighting it.
The Sun
To exemplify their earthly connection, Puritans positioned either the rising or setting sun in their carvings. However, the two symbols held wildly different meanings.
A rising sun represented the family’s hope that the deceased would be resurrected. While, on the contrary, a setting sun meant that the family believed there was no hope for the poor soul.
A bushel of wheat shared meaning with the rising sun. In addition to a hopeful resurrection, the wheat also represents a bountiful and joyous life and was typically carved on the stones of farmers.
Hands
With three possible gestures, hands were used to signify the spiritual views of the departed. A hand pointing up meant the family believed the dead would ascend to heaven.
But, a hand pointing down meant the family was requesting that God pull their soul from hell to heaven, usually following a sudden death.
Hands embraced in a shake were the most neutral of the gestures, as they simply meant “Goodbye.” Shaking hands were typically used when the family knew death was approaching.
The final nail in the coffin for Puritan gravestones was the epitaph. Carvings would read “Here lies the body of” to clarify that the entire mortal corpse of the deceased was in the ground, but the soul was ready to be received—through reward or damnation—into its eternal resting place.
After years of wear, it’s now often difficult to distinguish these designs from one another. But we dare you to take a walk through the tombstones and see what engravings you can identify.
Here lies the fear of the unknown.
By Briana Posner, Junior Editor at Ripley Entertainment
October 22, 2019
The Beauty Of A Corrosion Cast Heart
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From the time of ancient Greek philosophers, humankind has understood the heart to be the organ responsible for circulating blood around the body. In the second century, the Greek physician Galen was able to determine that veins carried blood throughout the body thanks to the steady beating of the heart, and Leonardo da Vinci sketched the human heart and surrounding blood vessels with all the precision and detail possible of a master artist.
The human understanding of how the heart worked remained unchanged for hundreds of years, but by 1967 physicians had learned so much that they were able to successfully transplant a heart into a living person.
Today, scans and computer imaging have given us a better picture than ever before of how hearts function, but there’s always room for analog techniques.
Corrosion Casting
While observation and dissection can reveal much of the structure of a heart, corrosion casts can give scientists and doctors a picture closer to what a real, functioning heart looks like.
To make a corrosion cast, first all of the fluid must be removed from an organ. The veins and even tiny capillaries must be carefully drained, ensuring that no blood remains to clot or disrupt the resin used to make a record of their structure.
Once the fluids have been removed, colored resin is carefully fed into the blood vessels. Different colors can be used to differentiate between oxygen-carrying arteries, or oxygen-poor veins, or to highlight any other structures.
What eventually remains is a highly detailed model that accurately represents the size, shape, and volume of blood vessels.
Finding A Real Lost City – Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Episode 20
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The search for the Lost City of the Monkey God has gone on for over a century. One claimed to have found it, in the 1940s, but he died before being able to return. Today, explorers and scientists have used cutting-edge technology to once again locate this mysterious city.
This week on the Notcast, Brent and Ryan talk to Douglas Preston about his search for the lost city, and the dangers his team faced along the way. These dangers included mile-high mountains, venomous snakes, drug cartels, and even a mysterious flesh-eating illness.
For more weird news and strange stories, visit our homepage, and be sure to rate and share this episode of the Notcast!
Source: Finding A Real Lost City – Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Episode 20
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