Historians and anthropologists generally agree that the four most significant inventions and discoveries in the history of humankind are fire, speech, agriculture and the wheel. Not everyone agrees.
Every day, the average adult human breathes in about 700,000 cubic inches of air. Many of those cubic inches are becoming increasingly polluted.
Niccoló Paganini (1782-1840) was a 5’ 5” much-celebrated violin virtuoso. Some experts say that he was the best ever. Nicky was also a gifted composer who wrote pieces so complicated that Paganini did not believe that any violinist could ever play them – and no one did while he was alive. I’d wager a small sum that Doug Kershaw could’ve played those tunes. He was good and he was Cajun.
A botanist in Germany has been growing edible mushrooms that grow to sizes larger than basketballs. One of those behemoth Agaricus bisporus can weigh in excess of 2.5 pounds (the mushrooms, not the basketballs).
Approximately 85% of the living people age 100 years or more are women.
Oh well, it seemed like a good idea: In 1994, the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Team hired a special motivational speaker to inspire athletes to strive to exceed all normal expectations. One feat the speaker demonstrated was how to tear a Milwaukee phone book in half by simply demanding more of one’s “self.” The following week, starting Milwaukee pitcher Steve Sparks dislocated his right shoulder while trying to rip a phone book asunder. Mr. Sparks is right-handed.
Polar bears are very skilled smellers. Biologists claim that a mature Ursus maritimus can detect the scent of a seal while the seal is 18 miles away swimming under ice.
The first American novel to sell one million copies was Uncle Tom’s Cabin, authored by Harriet Beecher Stowe and published in 1852.
Big Brother Hoosier may be watching. It is illegal to open a can of food using any sort of firearm in Indiana.
There is a word used in Indonesia that describes the situation wherein a man re-marries his former wife: rujuk.
Sugar was first added to commercially-sold chewing gum in 1869 – by a dentist.
Records indicate that Abraham Lincoln’s mother died as a result of drinking milk from cows that had consumed a plant called snakeroot.
So far, the only real Oscar to win an Oscar was Oscar Hammerstein II (1942 and 1946). Well, exercise caution while self-motivating with a phone book … and enjoy a great day
James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at [email protected].
