Sylvia Shults's Blog, page 34
April 12, 2021
Today I Learned …
The distance a frog can jump is not determined by the power of its back legs, but by the strength of its front legs, which have to withstand the force of landing.
April 5, 2021
Today I Learned …
Hummingbirds shut down their kidneys at night. Because of their small size and incredibly fast metabolism, hummingbirds have to keep just the right amount of water in their bodies. During the day, the birds take in water from nectar, and excrete it. But at night, they have to retain enough water to keep their bodies functioning. Slowing their kidneys down prevents water being lost.
March 29, 2021
Today I Learned …
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper is so high, and its elevators are so fast, that you can watch the sun set at ground level, travel to the roof, and watch it set again. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harken)
March 22, 2021
Today I Learned …
Michelangelo was called a heretic for giving Adam a belly button on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harken)
March 19, 2021
Lights Out: Devil’s Den, Gettysburg
The rocky area of Devil’s Den and Little Round Top saw some of the fiercest fighting on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. What paranormal effects has this had since the battle? Join me to find out. https://youtu.be/LuavLYTcg1U
March 15, 2021
Today I Learned …
Hewlett-Packard printer ink is twenty times more expensive than 2003 vintage Dom Perignon champagne. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harken)
March 8, 2021
Today I Learned …
The static on a untuned television set is partly caused by photon radiation left over from the Big Bang 14 billion years ago. (From Ripley’s Believe It or Not: Eye-Popping Oddities)
March 3, 2021
Lights Out — Gettysburg Ghost Tour
Join me for a walking tour of Gettysburg, with spooky stories from Sleepy Hollow Tours. https://youtu.be/-Wxh9aIpz6g
March 1, 2021
Today I Learned …
In Saudi Arabia in 1979, the Arab News issued this admirable report: “We regret we are unable to give you the weather. We rely on weather reports from the airport, which is closed because of the weather. Whether we are able to give you the weather tomorrow depends on the weather.” (From Bizarre World, by Bill Bryson)
February 22, 2021
Today I Learned …
A woman in Mauretania was granted a court injunction to make her husband, who was a farmer, stop using her instead of his cow to pull a plough through the fields. The husband explained that he was reluctant to use the cow because he believed his late mother was reincarnated in it. In Singapore, a young bride had to go to court to force her husband to stop letting his mother sleep under their bed. And in Chicago one Allen C. Farber brought a suit against his former in-laws, claiming that his ex-wife had been cautioned by her mother not to bear Farber any children because they might look like him. (From Bizarre World, by Bill Bryson)
