Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 88
May 11, 2022
May 10, 2022
Canada Takes A Bite Out Of Moon Crime
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
For those wracked with worry about space crime, help is on the way. Canada recently tightened its rules regarding astronaut conduct in space. On April 28, 2022, the Canadian Parliament reviewed a federal budget implementation bill that will make crime illegal in space and on the surface of the moon. While many on Earth are breathing a sigh of relief reassured that law and order will dominate the gravity-less expanses of the universe, lawless astronauts should be looking over their shoulders.
Here’s what you need to know about Canada’s war on crime (in space) and what this means for astronauts from the Great White North and beyond.
Keeping Canada’s Astronauts on the Straight and NarrowThe long arm of the law just got a lot longer with Canada’s new crime measure. But it isn’t as cutting edge as you might think. This act brings Canada up to speed with the legal framework already observed among astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS).
What’s more, this measure is also in keeping with Canada’s new role, along with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and NASA, as a member of the Lunar Gateway project.
The Lunar Gateway project has as its primary goal a small, international space station that orbits the moon. This station will support projects like the Artemis mission, a crewed lunar exploration. This project is expected to take off in the 2020s, although specifics remain unknown.
Law and Order: SpaceBut what does it mean for potentially criminal space travelers? The bill reads, “A Canadian crew member whom during a space flight, commits an act or omission outside Canada that if committed in Canada would constitute an indictable offense is deemed to have committed that act or omission in Canada.”
Once a law-breaking astronaut returns home to Canada, they’ll be prosecuted like other citizens in the Great White North. In other words, no lunar rover speeding, shoplifting moon rocks, writing bad space checks … you get the point. Is Canada being too strict? Not so much. Astronauts from other nations also fall under the jurisdiction of their country’s laws.
So, Russian cosmonauts are beholden to Russian laws, and the same goes for astronauts from the United States, Japan, and other nations involved in the modern-day Space Race.
Muddying the Legal Waters in SpaceIf you think all of this space crime stuff sounds ridiculous, you’re not alone. But we’ve already had at least one astronaut test the limits of the legal system outside the stratosphere. Anne McClain was accused of illegally logging into her ex-spouse’s personal bank accounts while she stayed on the ISS between December 2018 and June 2019.
After NASA investigated further, McClain was acquitted. What’s more, federal authorities charged her ex-wife with making false statements. This case illustrates just how critical it is to have procedures in place — even for space crime. So, think twice before you nab those ISS bathrobes as souvenirs, astronauts!
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!
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May 6, 2022
Research Shows Dog Behaviors Are Largely Unrelated to Breed
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Golden retrievers are friendly; Australian shepherds are energetic; Akitas are stubborn, and pit bulls are downright aggressive — or are they?
When it comes to dog breeds, you may think you know your pups, but a study released this week confirmed what dog trainers and pit bull advocates have known all along: every dog’s personality is special and unique!
If you live on this planet, you’re likely to have encountered an enthusiastic dog owner oversharing all of the amazing things about their most loyal companion. While we’re totally on board with the concept that every child is exceptional, this specific breed of enthusiasm got University of Massachusetts geneticist Elinor Karlsson thinking — just how much of a dog’s personality is actually an inherited trait?
Karlsson and her stacked team of researchers from MIT, Harvard, and the Darwin’s Ark Foundation interviewed 18,385 dog owners about their canine’s behavior, including if they’re friendly with strangers, whether they’re possessive, if they enjoy retrieving objects, and even whether they circle before taking a poo.
No Toxic Traits Here!
After comparing the survey results to the DNA of 2,155 purebred and mixed breed dogs, the researchers found that while some breeds may show a greater tendency to howl, retrieve, or respond to human direction, only 9% of all personality traits were directly related to genetics or breed.
Considering there was zero evidence linking any breed with aggression, this study is great news for advocates of breeds like pit bulls and rottweilers, who are often banned by apartments, homeowners associations, and even entire cities.
“It’s a major advance on how we think about dog behavior,” said Elaine Ostrander, who was not involved with the study but is a canine genetics expert at the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute.
Much like humans, multiple factors come into play to influence a dog’s personality, including its environment. So keep on snuggling!
From Wild Animal to Man’s Best Friend
The history of dog domestication is lengthy, with evidence placing the beginning of the practice at around 20,000 years ago and some estimates going back more than 100,000 years!
In that time, selective breeding was commonplace with ancient humans breeding dogs for specific tasks, such as hunting, herding, and sitting on their laps. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that people began classifying the animals outside of these generic categories, and tracking their bloodlines.
What began as noblemen and shepherds breeding to improve these individual skills and amplify physical traits like coat color and texture and ear shape ultimately expanded to create the 400-plus designer dog breeds recognized today.
Considering the intentions behind breeding, we’d like to submit a request for a part two of this study. If a dog’s breed doesn’t dictate it’s personality, does it’s owner’s personality dictate the breed of dog they get?
We’ll be waiting.
By Meghan Yani, 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: Research Shows Dog Behaviors Are Largely Unrelated to Breed
May 5, 2022
Crocs In A Church: Not A New Movie, But An Ancient Form Of Décor
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
When one thinks of a church, often the cross or beautiful stained-glass windows take center stage. At the Santuario Madonna Delle Lacrime Immacolate (or Sanctuary of Our Lady of Immaculate Tears) in Ponte Nossa, Italy, an ancient crocodile suspended from the ceiling crocs the world of many unsuspecting tourists.
The Body of CrocodileWhile exactly how the crocodile arrived at the church is lost to time, the Sanctuary of Our Lady has documents dating back to 1514 discussing the creature’s removal from the holy grounds. At over 500 years old, it is one of the oldest known examples of taxidermy, a process of preserving a deceased animal’s body for display purposes. The crocodile definitely showed up wearing his Sunday best, as its quality hide takes the credit for the taxidermy lasting so long.
Crocodile hanging inside the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Immaculate Tears in Ponte Nossa, Italy. Credit: Ago76 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Two Crocodiles and a Mannequin Walk Into a BarThe Sanctuary of Our Lady isn’t the only church with reptilian decorations. Within the Santuario Della Beata Vergine Maria Delle Grazie (Sanctuary of Our Vergine Maria of Grace) in Curtatone, Italy, also resides a hanging crocodile (pictured at the top of this article).
Rumor has it that the crocodile arrived at the church during the 15th or 16th century after escaping an exotic private zoo owned by Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua. Following his escape, a fisherman killed and stuffed the crocodile, who convinced the church to chain it to the ceiling.
Despite the oddity of seeing a chained-up crocodile, it feels at home with the Maria of Grace’s other inhabitants: a series of life-size mannequins. These works of art, made of papier-mâché, wood, and woven cotton, depict tragedies averted by divine intercession. These mannequins include men hung by their hands and condemned to the guillotine. Between the crocodile and mannequins, the Maria of Grace is a beautiful, but unsettling experience.
Zairon via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sacred Protector or Swampy Decoration?While a crocodile seems like an out-of-place prop in a church, many believe the scaly ornament has a deeper meaning. In the New Testament’s Book of Revelations, crocodiles are associated with the Leviathan, a fire-breathing reptilian creature symbolizing the devil. The hanged crocodile represents a warning to ward off evil and devilish spirits and other trespassing crocodiles.
In the case of an old town hall in Brno, Czechia, its inhabitants spread a legend that a dragon pillaged their town, destroying any people or livestock in its sight. However, the dubbed “Brno Dragon” is actually just a stuffed crocodile that hangs in its mayoral office. To the people of Brno, the crocodile sells the legitimacy of the legend and symbolizes their victory over evil.
The Brno Dragon. Credit: josefnovak33 via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Just Hanging OutNot only do hanging crocodiles appear in more places than one would think, but the Nubians in southern Egypt use the brute animals in a similar way to this day. By displaying a mummified crocodile in their doorway, it conveys the strength of the household and grants protection against the evil eye.
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But whether a spiritual symbol or a unique interior design choice, just pray that these ornaments don’t bite.
By James Whelan, 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: Crocs In A Church: Not A New Movie, But An Ancient Form Of Décor
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