Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 48
January 1, 2023
Happy Nude Year! Japan’s Nearly Naked New Year’s Festival
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
For the past 500 years, residents of Okayama, Japan, have celebrated New Year’s by assembling more than 10,000 loincloth-clad men who try their luck at catching talismans thrown into the crowd.
Nude Year, Nude MeDuring the event, the sea of semi-nude men takes the mosh pit concept to the next level as they lunge, twist, and wrestle to grab hold of two little sticks — symbols of good fortune. The sticks are known formally as talismans and are thrown into the crowd by priests.
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Prior to the event taking place, the participating men prepare a slip of paper containing their name, blood type and emergency contact number. This gets tucked into their loincloth, just in case!
Out with the Old, In with the NudeBesides auspicious tidings, participating in the festival comes with the possibility of a fruitful harvest. Known locally as the Saidaiji Eyo Festival, it remains the most famous of the Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Men Festivals) in Japan.
Editorial credit: StreetVJ / Shutterstock.com
The event is designed to spark an interest in younger generations and, prior to the rush for talismans, participants spend time purifying themselves with cold water and running around the temple grounds before the festivities take place.
Escape the Ordinary With Ripley’s Latest Book!Find this story and more inside Ripley’s all-new book! Escape the Ordinary‘s 256 pages spark curiosity, challenge perception, celebrate differences, and curate a sense of wonder for the weird world around us! Available now on Amazon and at most major retailers.
Source: Happy Nude Year! Japan’s Nearly Naked New Year’s Festival
December 31, 2022
December 30, 2022
World’s Toughest Material Has Bizarre Property, Scientists Find
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The claim that the toughest material on Earth only gets stronger under extreme temperatures sounds like something out of a superhero movie, but according to a recent scientific study, it’s totally real.
Keep reading to find out more about this wonder substance that ranks up there with vibranium.
Tough StuffThe Earth’s toughest material is a metallic alloy consisting of chromium, cobalt, and nickel. It is 100 times stronger than graphene, a supermaterial 200 times stronger than steel and 1,000 times lighter than paper.
While researchers were previously aware that the material was tough, they were surprised to learn it becomes even tougher when exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Other materials, including graphene, get increasingly more brittle as temperatures drop, while this high entropy alloy (HEA) is extremely fracture-resistant.
Robert Ritchie, a University of California Berkeley professor, senior faculty scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and study co-author, told Live Science: “The toughness of aluminum alloys used in aircraft is 35 megapascals per meter. This material has a toughness of 450 to 500 megapascals per meter… these are mind-boggling numbers.”
Real-world Uses
MSE’s own Professors Ritchie, Minor, Asta, and colleagues at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have produced the toughest material in the world. The work is focused on an alloy of chromium, cobalt, and nickel and shows a pathway to producing a material that is ductile and very strong pic.twitter.com/kllfvzfypO
— Berkeley MSE (@BerkeleyMSE) December 15, 2022
So, what applications would be ideal for this tough alloy? It could be incorporated into space infrastructure or used to build fracture-resistant containers for clean energy projects. For example, a good application may be hydrogen storage containers for hydrogen-powered vehicles. The problem is that nickel and cobalt are extremely costly, so the alloy will not be used outside of a laboratory anytime soon, according to Ritchie.
HEAs are comprised of an equal mix of elements, while other alloys are made of one predominant element with other elements mixed in. The chromium-cobalt-nickel alloy bends under pressure, and this malleability keeps it from fracturing. When exposed to a lot of pressure, it doesn’t deform or break like other materials do. In fact, it becomes even stronger in colder temperatures.
Scientists initially tested the alloy by exposing it to liquid nitrogen in temperatures around minus 321-degress Fahrenheit. Instead of weakening, the alloy got stronger. Researchers then exposed the alloy to liquid helium, which can reach temperatures of minus 424-degrees Fahrenheit.
Scaling UpCompared to graphene, the HEA was exponentially tougher. According to physicist Dong Liu, a study co-author from Bristol University, graphene is strong but lacks damage tolerance. “It’s very brittle and shatters just like a mug you throw on the floor that shatters into pieces,” he told Live Science.
And while graphene may be tough, it only maintains its strength in “nanometer-level scales,” while the chromium-cobalt-nickel alloy was tested in cigarette-pack-sized portions. This makes it a more practical material for common items.
Further research on the HEA needs to be conducted to determine its usability in real-world conditions. Ritchie, meanwhile, is keen on developing new alloys that are similarly tough using a variety of different elements from the periodic table, thus creating “millions of new alloys.”
By Noelle Talmon, 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: World’s Toughest Material Has Bizarre Property, Scientists Find
December 29, 2022
Snoopy First Appeared in a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Cartoon
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Believe It or Not!, Snoopy, the famous Peanuts character, made his first appearance in a Ripley’s cartoon! That’s right, as a kid, Charles Schulz looked up to famed illustrator Robert Ripley and sent him a drawing of his own, only for it to be featured in Ripley’s cartoon in 1937!
Schulz likely didn’t realize the cultural impact Snoopy would eventually have and how could he? Inspired by Robert Ripley as a young boy, Schulz would go on to illustrate some of the most prolific cartoons in history!
But that’s not all, both Ripley and Schulz are from Santa Rosa, California, which really goes to show that Santa Rosa is built different when it comes to fostering iconic artists. Let’s dig deeper into the history of Charles Schulz and learn more about the man who has left a major mark in the world of illustration and comics!
A Star is BornCharles Monroe “Sparky” Schulz once described his life as being “one of rejection.” This sentiment is at odds with the way he’s thought of today. By the time he died on February 12, 2000, he was one of the most celebrated cartoonists of all time.
Schulz may have said that about his life because for some time it, and even the Peanuts comics, wasn’t always one of success. Schulz was born on November 26, 1922, so we’re looking back at a career following what would have been his 100th year!
Boy’s Best FriendOne of the most beloved characters Schulz ever drew was Charlie Brown’s loyal canine companion, Snoopy. Born on the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, the playful pup appeared sporadically throughout the comics before becoming a major character. But you may be asking, how did the idea for Snoopy come about and what was Ripley’s role in all of this?
Schulz, nicknamed Sparky as a kid, was inseparable from his own black-and-white dog, Spike. There’s even a book about the pair by author Barbara Lowell. Spike was something of a character; he could ring the doorbell of the family home, understood more than 50 words, and ate the most shocking things without getting sick.
Enamored with his pup and his abilities, 14-year-old Schulz drew a picture of Spike, which Schulz submitted to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! The drawing of Schulz’s dog was described as “a hunting dog who eats pins, tacks and razor blades.”
Ripley featured the artwork and story in the February 22, 1937, panel. It was Schulz’s first professional publication, and the sketch of the cute little dog would later serve as inspiration for “Snoopy” in the comic strip Peanuts.
It would be years before Schulz successfully published again. You may be surprised to know a number of publications turned down a comic strip featuring Charlie Brown. Before it was called Peanuts, Schulz submitted his comic called “Li’l Folks” to a variety of papers and was continuously rejected. The name was changed when it was accepted in 1950 by United Feature Syndicate, and Schulz began to build the world of Peanuts.
Meet the CharactersOriginally, the comic didn’t seem to be that different from other four-panel strips at the time. The difference was that Schulz managed to create characters that deeply connected with people of all ages.
There’s Charlie Brown, who is loyal, determined, and a bit insecure. He deals with a lot of failures, but he always gets back up to try again. Snoopy is a faithful dog with a vibrant imagination. Lucy is a bit bossy and controlling, but she’s also a problem-solver. The list goes on to include characters like Sally Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, and Schroeder.
Schulz listened to his fans and what they wanted, and he continued to add more characters. Originally worried he wouldn’t be able to do justice to a Black character, he avoided adding one for some time. However, following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a Black schoolteacher named Harriet Glickman wrote a letter to Schulz, encouraging him to add more diversity to his comics. After a few letters back and forth, Franklin Armstrong debuted in the comics on July 31, 1968.
Named after Peanuts’ Franklin and cartoonist Robb Armstrong, Peanuts has launched The Armstrong Project to foster opportunities for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, starting with endowments at Howard University and Hampton University!
— PEANUTS (@Snoopy) July 21, 2022
The official website describes Franklin as a “busy kid: he plays baseball and is learning guitar, he’s a member of a swim club and of 4H. Though his life is active, Franklin is never too busy to help his friends. He is supportive and smart and always willing to lend a hand. He also enjoys spending time with his grandparents and learning about the old days from them. And even though he thinks Charlie Brown’s friends are a little weird, he’s happy to be part of the gang.”
What’s Next for the World of PeanutsThe comic was so successful that it spurred TV shows, movies, and every imaginable kind of merchandise. The holiday specials are one of the most popular seasonal programs on TV and watching the Halloween and Christmas specials are a tradition for a lot of people. Believe It or Not!, the Peanuts cartoons generate about $2 billion per year in retail sales worldwide, according to NBC Connecticut.
Loyal fans needn’t worry, though, because no new comics will be made without Schulz. The artist died on February 12, 2000, and his comic announcing his retirement ran the next day — it was the last new one to ever run. Though there are plans to still create new specials and merchandise, everything is based on previous comics.
November 26, 2022, would have been the cartoonist’s 100th birthday, and since there won’t be any new comics, it’s great that we have so many to look back on and enjoy. We here at Ripley’s feel honored to be a small part of the story!
By Kelsey Roslin, 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: Snoopy First Appeared in a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Cartoon
December 28, 2022
The Secret to Glass Frog Transparency Revealed
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Creatures are at their most vulnerable during sleep cycles. As a result, some get around it altogether… at least for a while. For example, newborn dolphins don’t get any shuteye for the first month of their life, keeping at least one eye open for predators. Scientists have found their mothers don’t get any sleep during this period, either.
Some fruit flies survive on just four minutes of sleep per day, and alpine swifts have honed the ability to fly up to 200 days straight without landing, let alone sleeping. (The debate continues about whether they’ve somehow learned to sleep while flapping.) And bullfrogs are known for extended periods without sleep followed by episodes of brumation or “binge sleeping.”
But when it comes to glass frogs, they’ve found the best of both worlds by perfecting the art of camouflage while they nap. As a result, they can snooze the night away without fear of becoming a snack.
Sleeping is Vanishing for Glass FrogsInstead of finding the perfect hidey-hole or refusing to sleep, glass frogs have developed a remarkable adaptation that ensures they always get enough beauty rest: They congregate on green leaves where their brightly colored backs naturally blend in.
A Fleischmann’s glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni) can often be spotted lying very flat against a leaf looking more like a leaf with a pair of eyes
[read more: https://t.co/WdGy8FMrKJ]
[KERO__v: https://t.co/OpH8yUNfDh] pic.twitter.com/eTb98LpKsO
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 24, 2022
But their reddish-hued underbellies could mean all bets are off. That’s where a nifty camo trick comes into play. A study in Science recently reported the incredible findings after researchers observed northern glass frogs (Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni) while asleep, after exercising, and while under anesthesia. When glass frogs decide to hit the hay (or leaves), their bodies go into transparency mode.
What does this so-called transparency mode entail? Up to 89 percent of the red blood cells in their body go to the liver, hiding there. The process swells the liver to twice its normal size, rendering their translucent bodies otherwise invisible.
The Impossible Feat Scientists Have Yet to ExplainWhy the need to hide the red blood cells? Because the frogs’ bodies are so transparent you can watch their hearts beating through their skin. This goes for the red blood cells circulating through their arteries and veins, too. This circulation is a dead giveaway to predators of their presence, hence the blood hiding strategy.
Scientists still don’t understand how this physiological feat is possible. After all, the blood must crowd so tightly into the liver, it should lead to clotting. Yet, it doesn’t.
🤯THIS JUST IN🤯
When asleep, glass frogs HIDE THEIR RED BLOOD CELLS INSIDE THEIR LIVERS, which are covered in GUANINE-CRYSTAL DISCO MIRRORS that scatter light & make the frogs 2-3 TIMES MORE SEE-THROUGH.
🪩🪩🩸🩸🩸
🩸🩸🩸🪩🪩
Study in @ScienceMagazine https://t.co/Jew9w6YgT0 pic.twitter.com/XFvu4theDo
— Jason Bittel (@bittelmethis) December 22, 2022
Jesse Delia from New York’s Museum of Natural History explains, “They somehow pack most of the red blood cells in the liver, so they’re removed from the blood plasma. They’re still circulating plasma… but they do it somehow without triggering a massive clot.”
Glass Frog Transparency and Human HealthWhile there’s still a lot more to learn about how their bodies achieve this state without long-term adverse side effects, the findings provide a window into how one of the only transparent land animals in the world functions. Moreover, some scientists believe further study of how the frogs avoid red blood cell clotting could lead to anti-coagulation medication breakthroughs for humans.
According to Sönke Johnsen of North Carolina’s Duke University, “The clotting process for frogs is not so different from that of humans, so whatever we learn from the frogs could end up being relevant to human clotting.” While these advances may still be decades away, diving more into the glass frog’s superpower could pave the way for significant advances in treating heart attacks, strokes, and more.
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!
December 27, 2022
Ripley’s Answers the Most Googled Questions of 2022
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
There may be no such thing as a stupid question, but most of us would still prefer our internet inquiries to stay between Google and ourselves. Luckily for us, the search engine’s public data is anonymous! So as 2022 comes to an end, we’re diving into some of the most Googled questions of the year to finally give you the answers you deserve… with a Ripley’s twist!
Who am I? ~12,000,000 searchesIt’s been a strange few years, and — judging by the number of people asking Google about their identity — it seems like we may be having a collective existential crisis.
About a million times a month, people took to the old Google box to do some soul-searching this year, but they may want to give Taylor Humphrey a ring instead. The 33-year-old New Yorker is a who specializes in picking the perfect moniker to suit a child’s personality before it’s even born! Considering the thorough questionnaire and genealogical investigation involved in her process, she could probably make a killing doing the reverse as well!
What song is this? ~18,000,000 searchesWhether identifying a new tune to add to a playlist or being unable to recall the artist, music lovers typed “what song is this” into Google around 18 million times this year.
One person who has no problem with musical recall is the 35-year-old who played a mean sax during his 9-hour-long brain surgery! The surgical team was also intimately aware of the songs — which included the 1970 film “Love Story” theme song and the Italian national anthem — to ensure they’d notice any changes that may indicate that the area they were probing should be avoided.
Where am I? ~18,000,000 searches
SAX SURGERY: Surgeons carry out an awake brain surgery on a 35-year-old patient as he plays on his saxophone.
Doctors say the operation to remove a brain tumor was entirely successful. https://t.co/XFUiuw1WrW pic.twitter.com/YEItSsoJMc
— ABC News (@ABC) October 17, 2022
We’re not sure why lost individuals didn’t take this question to Google Maps, but the New Zealanders at least have an excuse for their confusion.
You may have learned about the world through that song about the seven continents, but your elementary school teacher was wrong. Aside from border changes throughout history, an entire continent was completely missing for 375 years! There are actually eight continents, with Zealandia falling right under the Kiwi nation!
What time is it? ~21,960,000 searches(Shout out to the millennials and Gen-Zers who just sang “summertime!” — way to go, Wildcats!)\
Figuring out what time it is can be a little tricky, especially when you factor in that pesky daylight savings! While we know that ancient civilizations used the sun to track the time of day, somewhere along the way, sunflowers became nature’s clocks by proxy. While these plants sure are pretty, they’re actually not a reliable source of time — at least not when they get older. Younger and wiser is the way with these buds, whose circadian rhythm is similar to that of a human!
Why is the sky blue? ~5,400,000 searchesWe spend most of our lives under the beautiful hue, so it’s only natural to question why it’s there. (It’s because sunlight gets scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere, and blue light waves get scattered the most.) But did you know the color blue hasn’t always existed?
Well, technically it has, but humans haven’t always perceived it as its own separate shade. In almost every language, blue is the last color to appear. (Black and white are the firsts.) As it turns out, the division between colors is much broader in the earlier stages of language. It’s theorized that blue is last because it doesn’t appear frequently in nature, so we didn’t need a word for it. In fact, the only ancient language with a distinct word for blue was that of the Egyptians, who used blue dyes.
How many ounces in a cup? ~32,880,000 searches
Egyptian blue was relatively inexpensive to produce and was traded throughout the Roman Empire as a less costly alternative to indigo, which was imported from India. In the ancient Egyptian language Egyptian blue was known as hsbd-iryt, which means artificial lapis lazuli. pic.twitter.com/X6CHnWdvTx
— Archaeo – Histories (@archeohistories) December 31, 2021
1 cup = 8 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons, or half a pint. The U.S., as well as Liberia and Myanmar, are the only countries in the world to still use the British Imperial System of measurement. Shout out to our founding fathers for making measurements complicated!
While Thomas Jefferson was a big proponent of the shiny new French metric system, he was outvoted in favor of the old standby of the time. Since then, the majority of the world has made the swap, but the U.S. decided the time and money needed to join in wasn’t worth it. However, whether you use ounces or milliliters in your kitchen, take a dive into the history of gelatin salads and watch our BION Bites host struggle to recreate some iconic — and somewhat disturbing — recipes you are not going to want to miss!
Where’s my refund? ~89,760,000 searchesWondering where your tax refund is may be a seasonal problem, but it’s a common one. There were 7,480,000 searches per month on average from people trying to track down their refunds this year!
Photos courtesy of Library of Congress.
We may not have an in with the IRA, but you know who would probably know exactly when to expect your refund? Finance wizard and frugal queen, Hetty Green! Eccentric outfits and questionable hygiene aside, Hetty ruled Wall Street with an iron fist, never taking “no” for an answer — and always knowing where her money was.
What to watch? ~109,680,000 searchesWhen thinking about streaming services, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV, or HBO Max may come to mind first. But did you know there are actually over 200 streaming services available? That’s a lot of content!
It’s no wonder, then, that possibly the most Googled question of 2022 is “What to watch?” with an astounding 9,140,000 searches each month! While you decide between that groundbreaking documentary and Lindsay Lohan’s career-reviving Christmas movie, may we recommend tuning into The Kardashians for a behind-the-scenes look at another of this year’s trending topics — the Marilyn dress.
By Kelsey Roslin, 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!Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog
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