Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 463
August 11, 2016
Steve Jobs Hated License Plates and Never Used One
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Steve Jobs had multiple cars, but he didn’t put licence plates on them, and it was perfectly legal.
There was a loophole in California law that gave owners a six month grace period before they had to get a license plate
Exploiting the loophole, Steve Jobs would lease multiple cars, all of them identical, every six months
When it would come time for him to get a license plate, he’d just get a brand new car
This particular loophole is in the process of being closed by new legislation
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
August 10, 2016
Japan’s Melody Road Lets You Play Music With Your Tires
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Japan’s melody road plays music as you drive over it at the correct speed.
The road works via small grooves in the asphalt that cause the tires to vibrate
How deep and widely spaced the grooves are determine the melody
Musical roads are known to exist in six countries
Denmark
Japan
South Korea
United States of America
Mexico
San Marino
The grooves work best on long straight stretches of road
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Source: Japan’s Melody Road Lets You Play Music With Your Tires
Sled Dogs are Forever Banned from Antarctica
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Even though they played a crucial role in traversing the continent, sled dogs are banned from Antarctica.
In 1911, sled dogs hauled supplies for Norwegian explorers led by Roald Amundsen
Amundsen’s expedition was the first to reach the South Pole
Dogs were kept and used in Antarctica for years thereafter
In 1993, they were banned from the continent due to fears that they might transmit canine distemper to the local seals
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
How Glen the Balloon Guy is Advancing Balloon Art
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Balloons are fun! That’s just a simple fact. And it’s possible no one knows that better than Glen the Balloon Guy.
Glen LaValley had the kind of life you’re told to aspire towards. For 25 years, he worked steadily in the project management and IT field. But something was missing. As I think is often the case for people working a standard nine to five, Glen’s creativity itch wasn’t being scratched.
When his daughter was born, he started looking into ways to entertain her and become more social. At first, he tried his hand at magic tricks.
[I] found them fun and captivating, but when the trick was over there was nothing left behind except memories.
Around the time his daughter turned three, he started making balloon animals as a way to entertain her and his nieces and nephews. After a lot of practice, he got really good at it. He got so good at twisting balloons into impossible shapes that, one year ago, he quit his job and started pursuing his passion full-time.
I really enjoy watching people’s expression of wonder as I create balloon sculptures out of almost nothing, and to see their delight and smiles when I hand them the figure makes me feel like I made the world a little bit better place to be.
Now, Glen can be booked for parties, festivals, and big events. He’s based in Edmonton, AB, and if you’re interested in experiencing his work up close and personal, you can contact him through his website.
Balloon Art
August 9, 2016
Can I Interest You in Some Very Healthy Cockroach Milk?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Researchers are studying properties of cockroach milk. You read that correctly, and you’re welcome to be as grossed out as needed. But the scariest part of this study is yet to come. It turns out that this milk might actually be healthier for you than cow’s milk.
So how long until dairy farms are put out of business in favor of cockroach farms? Luckily, that nightmarish prospect isn’t really on the table. But that’s not to say you should rest easy about these findings.
Soy, Almond, or Cockroach Milk for Your Coffee?
Only one breed of cockroach is known to produce the milk-like substance. The Pacific beetle cockroach is the only one that gives birth to live young. That knowledge alone is the creepiest thing I’ve heard all week. There’s a cockroach out there that has live baby cockroaches instead of eggs.
Much like any other creature that gives live birth, these insects have to nurture their young somehow. The Pacific beetle roach does this by producing milk-like protein crystals to feed the embryos. It’s these crystals that have researchers so fascinated.
The crystals are like a complete food — they have proteins, fats, and sugars. If you look into the protein sequences, they have all the essential amino acids.
The good news is it isn’t an actual milk you’re likely to find in someone’s fridge. The bad news is that it’s starting to seem like the substance is healthier than the milk that is currently in your kitchen. According to the study, a single crystal is estimated to contain more than three times the energy of an equivalent mass of dairy (buffalo) milk.
Where to Go From Here
Scientists have found a way to sequence the genes for the milk protein and make the substance in a lab. So if there ever does come a time when cockroach milk finds its way to supermarket shelves, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing it was grown in a lab instead of harvested from an actual roach.
But that does seem to be the plan for this new discovery. The crystals are so complete and chock-full of everything the body needs that scientists are saying they’d make a good protein supplement. Perhaps this could provide an easy and inexpensive option to people needing a full meal’s nutritional value but lack the means to get lunch through conventional means.
If you need food that is calorifically high, that is time released and food that is complete, this is it.
Be that as it may, I think a protein supplement made from any part of a cockroach is going to be a hard sell.
Source: Can I Interest You in Some Very Healthy Cockroach Milk?
Can I Interest You in Some Very Healthy Cockroach Milk
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Researchers are studying properties of cockroach milk. You read that correctly, and you’re welcome to be as grossed out as needed. But the scariest part of this study is yet to come. It turns out that this milk might actually be healthier for you than cow’s milk.
So how long until dairy farms are put out of business in favor of cockroach farms? Luckily, that nightmarish prospect isn’t really on the table. But that’s not to say you should rest easy about these findings.
Soy, Almond, or Cockroach Milk for Your Coffee
Only one breed of cockroach is known to produce the milk-like substance. The Pacific beetle cockroach is the only one that gives birth to live young. That knowledge alone is the creepiest thing I’ve heard all week. There’s a cockroach out there that has live baby cockroaches instead of eggs.
Much like any other creature that gives live birth, these insects have to nurture their young somehow. The Pacific beetle roach does this by producing milk-like protein crystals to feed the embryos. It’s these crystals that have researchers so fascinated.
The crystals are like a complete food — they have proteins, fats, and sugars. If you look into the protein sequences, they have all the essential amino acids.
The good news is it isn’t an actual milk you’re likely to find in someone’s fridge. The bad news is that it’s starting to seem like the substance is healthier than the milk that is currently in your kitchen. According to the study, a single crystal is estimated to contain more than three times the energy of an equivalent mass of dairy (buffalo) milk.
Where to Go From Here
Scientists have found a way to sequence the genes for the milk protein and make the substance in a lab. So if there ever does come a time when cockroach milk finds its way to supermarket shelves, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing it was grown in a lab instead of harvested from an actual roach.
But that does seem to be the plan for this new discovery. The crystals are so complete and chock-full of everything the body needs that scientists are saying they’d make a good protein supplement. Perhaps this could provide an easy and inexpensive option to people needing a full meal’s nutritional value but lack the means to get lunch through conventional means.
If you need food that is calorifically high, that is time released and food that is complete, this is it.
Be that as it may, I think a protein supplement made from any part of a cockroach is going to be a hard sell.
Source: Can I Interest You in Some Very Healthy Cockroach Milk
The Case of Spontaneous Combusting Horse Manure
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
It’s been so hot in Upstate New York that a pile of horse manure spontaneously combusted.
On July 5th, authorities in Cayuga County responded to calls about stinky smoke
They traced the source of the smell to piles of burning horse manure in a stable
The stable owners said it wasn’t uncommon for piles of horse manure to spontaneously combust
It took three fire departments over two hours to put the fires out
The stable owners were told to start start housing their horse poop differently to avoid another fire in the future
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
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