Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 53
December 2, 2022
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Singing Crowd Controllers Are True Stars of Qatar’s World Cup
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
On Sunday, November 20, 2022, the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor welcomed the 2022 FIFA World Cup with an opening ceremony that included big names like Morgan Freeman and local YouTube phenom Ghanim Al Muftah. South Korean Jung Kook of BTS fame also performed, rounding out a star-studded evening. While these celebs have global followings, they’re not the only ones vying for the spotlight at this year’s competition.
Enter the surprise stars of Qatar’s World Cup: the singing street marshals of Doha. Also known as Last Mile Marshals, these men have gained national and international attention with their never-ending chanting. Here’s everything you need to know about soccer’s unlikely new stars and their unprecedented impact on the 2022 World Cup.
Last-Mile Marshals and the 2022 World CupAcross Doha, you’ll find tall chairs reminiscent of lifeguard perches. But they look entirely out of place, far removed from pools and beaches. So, what’s the scoop on these lofty thrones? They house Qatar’s singing street marshals, and the marshals’ chanting performances have indelibly impacted the current games.
Singing street marshals are Qatar World Cup’s surprise stars https://t.co/SfnzuBsU8o pic.twitter.com/h6YRzrSvtl
— New York Post (@nypost) November 26, 2022
Who are the Last Mile Marshals of the Middle East’s premier World Cup? Many hail from African nations like Ghana and Kenya. These migrant workers were drawn by the allure of well-paying jobs, having answered ads in the months leading up to November. Carrying bullhorns, they’re assigned the task of directing traffic. Although the mission sounds simple enough, some street marshals soon realized they had their work cut out for them.
Singing People in the Right DirectionSinging street marshals weren’t always a thing. In fact, these employees got off to a rather rough and atonal start. After spending hours screaming the same messages repeatedly through bullhorns, many Last Mile Marshals had hoarse voices and an overwhelming feeling of frustration.
After all, attempting to crowd control 1.2 million fans daily can feel overwhelming, and repeating the same information is mind-numbing at best. So, the most innovative and creative marshals began singing their instructions. By belting out their commands in a singsongy way, they received the immediate attention of fans. They also captivated their intended audiences, even encouraging them to sing back, call and response style.
Infusing Doha, Qatar, With Musicof Kenya was the first marshal to belt out his street directions. He recalls, “I decided to come up with an idea where I can engage the fans and be interesting at the same time. That’s how I came up with the idea and thank God it is trending now.” Other singing marshals quickly got into the action, recognizing the power of infusing their instructions with rhythm and melody.
The chants have become so catchy that some fans can’t get them out of their brains, even amid REM cycles. And this is especially true for the marshals themselves. But it all proves well worth it because of the highly effective and memorable nature of the communications.
Abbas confesses, “Even when I sleep at night, I hear ‘metro, metro, metro’ ringing in my head.” It’s hard to deny the infectious nature of the performances delivered by the singing marshals, which some have even declared the unofficial soundtrack of FIFA’s 2022 World Cup.
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!Source: Singing Crowd Controllers Are True Stars of Qatar’s World Cup
If You Are a Mosquito Magnet, It Could Be Because You Stink
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
If you’re convinced that you attract more mosquitoes than your friends do, you could be right — and it could be because your skin smells like stinky feet!
Recent research from New York’s Rockefeller University published in the journal Cell reveals that the insects prefer the scent of certain people’s skin over others. In fact, some humans are 100 times more alluring to mosquitoes because of the odors they emit — Believe It or Not!
Buzz OffParticipants in a three-year study wore nylon sleeves on their arms to cover their scent, but regardless of what odors (i.e., perfume or type of shampoo) were mixed in to disguise the smell, the mosquitoes repeatedly returned to the same scent, according to CBS.
Researchers found that “mosquito magnets” have a chemical makeup with raised levels of 50 molecular compounds. These compounds are found on the moisturizing barrier of their skin. People who are the most attractive to mosquitoes have more carboxylic acids than other humans. Carboxylic acids contribute to a person’s body odors when substances are mixed with a human’s bacteria.
“Compelling evidence for the role of carboxylic acid in guiding the mosquito’s preference toward specific people”https://t.co/wredsoM8ux @CellCellPress pic.twitter.com/EvMS4VES25
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 28, 2022
Mosquito magnets in the study had much higher levels of three carboxylic acids in addition to 10 unidentified compounds in the same chemical class. “The specific blend of these and other carboxylic acids varied between different high attractive subjects. Therefore, there may be more than one way for a person to be highly attractive to mosquitoes,” the researchers stated (via IFL Science).
So, what does this acid smell like? According to researchers, it resembles stinky feet and cheese. However, this scent may not be detectable by other humans, which, let’s face it, is probably a good thing.
Researchers plan on using their results to create products that will help mosquito magnets avoid getting bit by the bloodsuckers. This is important because some species of mosquitoes can spread yellow fever, dengue, Zika, and other diseases, which impact around 700 million people annually, Jeff Riffell, a professor at the University of Washington who wasn’t involved in the research told the Washington Post.
Mosquitoes find humans through their breathing, and female mosquitoes need blood in order to reproduce. In addition to the scent that certain humans emit, mosquitoes are also attracted to pregnant women and those who’ve consumed a few beers!
Bug OutThe researchers concluded, “Understanding what makes someone a ‘mosquito magnet’ will suggest ways to rationally design interventions […] to make people less attractive to mosquitoes. We propose that the ability to predict which individuals in a community are high attractors would allow for more effective deployment of resources to combat the spread of mosquito-borne pathogens.”
Unfortunately, there’s no way to change your mosquito magnet status as of right now. According to Leslie Vosshall, chief scientific officer at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the study’s lead researcher, “If you’re a mosquito magnet today you will be a mosquito magnet three years from now.”
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: If You Are a Mosquito Magnet, It Could Be Because You Stink
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The Kings of the Salisbury Plain
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
When viewed from above, the Salisbury Plain of South Georgia Island in Antarctica appears to be covered by flowing rivers of white and brown, but a closer look reveals thousands of penguins!
Breaking The IceStanding about 3 feet (0.9 m) tall, king penguins are the world’s second-largest penguin species after the emperor penguin. Known for forming enormous colonies, the group at Salisbury Plain contains hundreds of thousands of individuals.
A collection of King Penguins at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia. Editorial credit: Robert McGillivray / Shutterstock.com
Despite this reproductive success, most king penguins take two full years to raise a single chick. Interestingly, their fluffy brown chicks were once mistaken as a distinct species and dubbed the “woolly penguin” by scientists.
Behind the Plain
The landscape of the Bay of Isles from Prion Island. Editorial credit: Robert McGillivray / Shutterstock.com
Salisbury Plain is considered a glacial outwash plain and is located on the north coast of South Georgia. Believe It or Not, the outwash was formed by the withdrawal of the Grace Glacier and is surrounded by bluffs and bookended with the Lucas and Grace Glaciers making for quite the picturesque scenery.
Good To Be KingKing penguins closely resemble emperor penguins in their look and habits even including the golden yellow plumage on their neck and throat! King penguins, like emperor penguins, also lay one egg during their breeding season and incubate the egg under a fold of skin while cradling it between their feet.
A group of six King penguins. Editorial credit: Ondrej Prosicky / Shutterstock.com
Although penguins are the main draw, at Salisbury Plain an abundance of wildlife can be found including elephant seals, fur seals, albatrosses and more!
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: The Kings of the Salisbury Plain
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