Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 259
July 31, 2019
That Time The U.S. Military Accidentally Dropped An Atomic Bomb
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
With the unrivaled power to flatten cities and snuff out tens of thousands of lives in an instant, great measures have been taken in securing nuclear arsenals around the world. While their security may be the greatest in the world, that doesn’t mean a few atomic bombs haven’t gone off accidentally.
Since their inception in 1945, over 50 nukes have befallen the United States military. Many of these accidents were the result of contamination, but a few dozen involved the loss of nuclear warheads altogether.
Secret Nukes In Canada
The first known unplanned drop of atomic weapons occurred on November 10, 1950. While on a mission to return atomic weapons that had been secretly deployed in Canada, the plane transporting the bombs had engine trouble. Fearing a crash with the bombs aboard would result in catastrophe, they jettisoned the devices. They rigged the devices to blow in mid-air, but the detonation wasn’t atomic. The blast may have had a fraction of the power, but it did scatter a hundred pounds of uranium over British Columbia.
Three more bombs would be jettisoned from damaged aircraft before the end of the 1950s. Surprisingly, none of these bombs were ever recovered. This became a trend in ongoing atomic bomb losses, with the ocean swallowing up nearly a dozen intact nuclear warheads.
The Biggest Whoopsie
The first accidental deployment of an atomic bomb by an undamaged aircraft occurred on March 11, 1958. As part of a secret military training exercise codenamed Operation Snow Flurry, a Boeing B47E was loaded with nuclear armaments. At the time, tensions were rising and a war with the Soviet Union looked as though it could erupt at any moment.
Noticing a harness warning light was on, Air Force Captain Bruce Kulka was summoned to the bomb bay. While inspecting the harness pin assembly, he accidentally engaged the manual release. The bomb dropped and smashed through the closed bomb-bay doors, hurtling 15,000 feet above the State of South Carolina. The Mark 6 nuclear bomb was capable of obliterating a city. It landed on a children’s playhouse in the town of Mars Bluff and exploded. Thankfully, only the bomb’s conventional ordinance was triggered. No atomic detonation occurred.
A nearby family was injured, but the playhouse was empty, and nobody was killed. The explosion left a 70-foot-wide crater that still exists to this day.
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Even Higher Stakes
Three years after the incident over South Carolina, the military had even more deadly bombs in the air. Hydrogen bombs rely on fusion to create explosions many times larger than simple atomic weapons. On January 24, 1961, a B-52 bomber caught fire and exploded in mid-air after suffering a fuel leak. Two Mark 39 hydrogen bombs survived the explosion. Stabilized by automatically deployed parachutes, the bombs immediately began arming themselves over Goldsboro, North Carolina.
One touched down relatively undamaged, but the other slammed into a nearby swamp at 700 miles per hour, burying itself 20 feet deep in mud. Thankfully, the pilot’s arm-mounted safety switch prevented a detonation. The Air Force was able to very carefully disarm the weapons, though the uranium contained in the sunken bomb was never recovered. Instead, the Air Force bought the land and fenced it off.
Lost At Sea
On December 5, 1965, an A-4e Skyhawk equipped with a nuclear bomb was sitting on the deck of the USS Ticonderoga when it fell off the side of the ship, into the ocean. The coordinates of this incident have been disputed, though it’s known the ship was off the coast of Japan. The jet, bomb, and pilot were never recovered.
Finally Recovering A Bomb Lost At Sea
While many of the United State’s nuclear blunders happened either at home or over international waters, a collision between a B-52 bomber and a refueling tanker dumped four bombs over the country of Spain. Two exploded in the air, spreading radioactive plutonium. A third landed intact on a farm, and a fourth was lost at sea, but eventually recovered after a three-month search involving 12,000 people.
More Human Error
The most recent known nuclear arms catastrophe occurred on September 18, 1980. While performing maintenance at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, a worker dropped a nine-pound socket that fell 80 feet and pierced the fuel tank of an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile. The facility was immediately evacuated before an explosion destroyed the missile silo. Most were spared any injury, and the missile’s warhead was thrown into the air before landing just a hundred feet from the launch complex’s entrance.
Source: That Time The U.S. Military Accidentally Dropped An Atomic Bomb
July 30, 2019
When Sonar Wasn’t Enough: The Bathythermograph
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
A World War II Submarine Detector
A terror of the seas, the German U-boat struck fear into the hearts of Navies and ocean liners all over the world. Though early submarines could only perform brief underwater missions to strike ships from below, by the time World War II engulfed the Pacific, the high-seas game of cat-and-mouse had become far more deadly.
Underwater sound detection systems had gotten their start in 1917 Britain. Thrown into anti-submarine testing, the American version—SONAR—was quickly adopted by ships in order to sniff out subs. Suspecting a submarine to be in the vicinity and pinpointing them for a counter-attack, however, had great disparity. Aiming a torpedo at a hidden submarine required immense precision.
At the time, sonar readings could be thrown off by variances in depth and water temperature. Thankfully, a secondary sensor was able to fill in the variables. The bathythermograph was a torpedo-shaped device strung behind ships via cable. Operators normally had access to a small shack at the aft of the ship, and manned a winch attached to the device. In rough weather, this area would often be totally covered by waves. If the equipment was deployed, someone would have to man the cables, risking being swept away by turgid water. Because the design hadn’t been well tested, leaving the winch unattended would result in it unwinding until the bathythermograph was lost. Onlookers would often see technicians disappear from sight behind the waves.
Though it was attached to the ship with a cable, the bathythermograph required purely manual readings. To check depth and temperature, technicians would load an oil-covered slide into the torpedo-shaped housing, let it loose, then reel it back in to take a reading.
As these sensors advanced, submarines themselves would eventually make use of them. With bathythermographs mounted to their sides, submarines became capable of attacking ships without ever making visual contact.
The Private Lives Of The Conjoined Bunker Twins – Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Episode 008
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In 1824, a merchant working between Singapore and Bangkok saw what he thought was some kind of human animal—a creature with two heads, but only two arms, swimming in the Chao Phraya River.
This week, Brent and Ryan discuss the legendary conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker. These twins began as duck sellers in their humble village, traveled as sideshow performers, and eventually became wealthy slave-owners in the American South.
The Mystery Of Kodinhi: India’s Town Of Twins
For more weird news and strange stories, visit our homepage, and be sure to rate and share this episode of the Notcast!
Source: The Private Lives Of The Conjoined Bunker Twins – Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Episode 008
July 29, 2019
Travels With Phoebe, The Taxidermy Dog
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
A little over a year ago, a deceased Jack Russell terrier named Phoebe opened an Instagram account and started posting photos and videos with a little help from her former owner, Mitch Byer. Her adventures from beyond the grave made Phoebe an immediate Instagram sensation, though four years have already passed since her demise. Despite long ago surpassing her expiration date, her fame and social following continue to grow.
Maybe this isn’t all that surprising. After all, Forbes puts out an annual list of deceased celebrities who continue to earn big bucks. In 2018 alone, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, earned an impressive $40 million, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, raked in an astounding $400 million. That said, the difference between these musical icons and our friend, Phoebe, is that these stars established their fame well before their untimely deaths.
Phoebe has known no such luxury. She has pulled out all the stops to achieve social media fame post-mortem. Mitch has supported her through the media blitz and, it’s safe to say, he’s enjoying the limelight even more than she is.
My Dead Dog and Me
Twenty-seven-year-old Mitch and timeless Phoebe are definitely doing their parts to keep their hometown of Portland, Oregon, weird, and Mitch has the Instagram snapshots to prove it. Accompanied by fitting hashtags such as #mydeaddogandme, #deadandthriving, and #sleepydog, these images both pique your curiosity and make your spine tingle.
For one, Mitch loves taking Phoebe on road trips. In fact, the stuffed pooch’s social media stardom began November 20, 2017, after he posted a photo of her in the passenger seat of his locked vehicle with a sign reading: “Don’t worry, the dog is already dead. She’s taxidermied. Please don’t break my window.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Phoebe & Mitch (@mydeaddogandme) on Nov 20, 2017 at 12:46pm PST
Not only did his photo highlight some of the problems that arise when traveling with a dead dog, but it inspired a cult-like following that has burgeoned to more than 4,500 fans. The creepy pics and tongue-in-cheek notes have continued—a macabre knockoff of Steinbeck’s sprawling travel narrative Travels with Charlie. Only this Charlie is, for all intents and purposes, a glorified mummy.
Dead and Thriving
But, Phoebe proves more than a one-trick puppy. Besides road trips with Mitch, she continues to participate in family gatherings.
Instagram photos show her dressed up for Halloween, complete with a witch hat, helping out with Thanksgiving dinner, and getting in the Christmas spirit. In fact, a video of her wearing a Santa’s hat and riding a model train around the Christmas tree racked up more than 2,464 views. She also participated in the New Year’s Eve countdown, complete with a tinfoil hat.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Phoebe & Mitch (@mydeaddogandme) on Dec 16, 2017 at 6:03pm PST
Phoebe has made appearances at plenty of bars and other public spots, too. Mitch’s favorite “stuffed” experience occurred at a truck stop along the Oregon Coast. After being granted permission from the confused bartender to bring Phoebe inside, patrons soon warmed up to the ice-cold pooch. Mitch believes he even convinced a few people to get their own pets stuffed when the inevitable happens.
For reference, there are also a few images of pre-fame, pre-death Phoebe on Instagram. These provide a welcome respite from the otherwise “stiff” vibe.
Phoebe’s Immortal Transformation
A beloved family pet, Phoebe originally passed away in 2013. Mitch’s mom made the fateful decision to have Phoebe’s body preserved for posterity. But, as one may imagine, she faced huge obstacles. As she called around to taxidermy businesses across Oregon, she learned that Northwestern taxidermists wanted nothing to do with stuffing family pets.
Fate seemed to have taken another sad turn until she widened her taxidermist-search to a national scope. After extensive research and countless phone calls, she found a firm in Colorado that was up for the challenge. They transformed Phoebe into a remarkably lifelike pup, posed ever-alert, and waiting for her next adventure.
Living on in Hearts
Mitch’s mother wasn’t sure how the rest of the family would react to Phoebe; initially, she hid her. When Mitch finally saw Phoebe, he completely cracked up, but Mitch’s sister had a very different reaction. She couldn’t stop crying.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Phoebe & Mitch (@mydeaddogandme) on Oct 11, 2018 at 10:19am PDT
Instagram viewers have also shared mixed feelings about Phoebe, cycling through everything from amusement to love and revulsion. Comments run the full gamut from the.real.skippy02’s “This Is a freaking stroke of gratuitous genius!” to drpepperpepsi’s “There are limits, sir.”
But, apparently, there are few limits when it comes to a man’s love for his dead family pet.
By Engrid Barnett, Contributor for Ripleys.com
July 28, 2019
July 27, 2019
July 26, 2019
Is The Flamethrower Drone A Good Idea?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[July 21-27th, 2019] A flying flamethrower, ants visible on radar, an underwater museum, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Sky On Fire
While the debate over weaponized drones is usually focused on military applications, a new debate is being stirred up by a company attaching commercial-grade flamethrowers to drones. The Throwflame TF-19 Wasp can hit targets in the air with a 25-foot jet of fire. Its one-gallon tank supports 100 seconds of fire time. While the company admits the sight is spectacular, they do point out that there are practical applications, like clearing debris from power-lines, controlled burns, and wasp removal.
Does A Swim Count As A Shower?
According to a recent poll, more Americans count taking a dip in a swimming pool as a shower than you might think. The Center for Disease Control weighed in on this public debate after issuing a survey to American adults. By a narrow margin, they determined that the majority of Americans say a quick dive counts as a shower. According to them, 51% of Americans admitted to the bathing alternative.
Underwater Museum
The country of Jordan may not sound like the ideal tourist spot—with arid deserts and barren plains—but they’re hoping to attract new visitors by opening a military museum… underwater. The museum is located in the depths of the Red Sea, accessible only to divers. A total of twenty vehicles make up the museum, including tanks, a helicopter, anti-aircraft guns, and armored vehicles.
Ants On Radar
When weather radar started showing clouds of rain forming over southern England, meteorologist Simon King noted something was off. The radar images weren’t showing rain, rather giant clouds of flying ants! In a bizarre event each year, clouds of ants descend on England to mate, forming new colonies when the timing’s right. No one’s sure what triggers these events, but they always cause a minor nuisance.
Flying ants!!!
Swarms of them flying into the sky in S Eng are being picked up as rain on the radar image this morning…!#flyingantday #flyingants
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