Archive for January, 2010
There is a Nocebo Effect which is the Evil Twin of the Placebo Effect
Today I found out about the “nocebo effect” which is more or less the evil twin of the placebo effect. The nocebo effect is an effect where a patient is given or told something that should make no difference whatsoever to their health, but ends up causing negative side effects because of what they believe [...]
Toilet Paper was First Used by the Chinese
Today I found out that toilet paper was first used by the Chinese about 1300 years before it caught on with the rest of the world. The first references of people using toilet paper dates back to the 6th century AD in the Chinese Imperial courts and amongst the other wealthy citizens of China. This [...]
Simo Häyhä, “White Death”, Sniped Over 542 Soviet Soldiers in WWII
Today I found out Simo Häyhä, arguably the greatest sniper to ever live, sniped over 542 invading Soviet soldiers in World War II using nothing but a bolt action rifle that had no scope. He also has the distinction of having recorded the highest number of confirmed kills by any sniper in any major war; [...]
The 7-11 Double Big Gulp Holds 200% More Than the Average Adult Human’s Stomach
Today I found out that the 7-11 Double Big Gulp holds about twice the amount of fluid than the average adult human’s stomach. The average adult human’s stomach can hold comfortably about 32 ounces at any given time (edit: excepting Americans who apparently can hold about 138 times that amount despite science’s official averages). The [...]
How to Survive Being Buried Alive in a Coffin
Today I found out how to survive being buried alive in a coffin. Yesterday, I posted an article on taphophobia and I got an email from a reader wondering if I could write-up an article on the best ways to actually get out of a coffin, if you happen to find yourself buried alive in [...]
Tibetan Monks Can Raise the Temperature of Their Skin Through Meditation
Today I found out that some Tibetan monks really can control the temperature of their skin through meditation. Specifically, they have been shown to be able to raise their skin temperature, measured from their toes and fingers, as much as 17 degrees Fahrenheit, while their core temperature stays normal. Scientists from Harvard University, lead by [...]
In WWI, Alvin York Captured 132 German Soldiers Pretty Much Single Handed
Today I found out that in WWI Alvin York almost single handedly captured 132 German soldiers using nothing but a rifle and a pistol, while the German soldiers having among them 32 machine guns along with rifles and pistols and the advantage of being above him in the biggest of the forays. And did I [...]
NASA Uses the Movie Armageddon in Their Management Training Program
Today I found out that NASA uses the 1998 film, Armageddon, in their management training program. It turns out, to absolutely no one’s surprise, that this is not because it’s an incredibly well thought out movie in how to stop an asteroid from hitting the earth… No, they use it because it contains over 168 [...]
Conan O’Brien Spent Two Years as a Writer and Producer of the Simpsons
Today I found out that Conan O’Brien spent two years as a writer and producer of The Simpsons before replacing Letterman as the host of Late Night. After becoming burnt out working at Saturday Night Live, Conan quit and decided to do something else, though he had no idea what. When Mike Reiss and Al [...]
What Started World War I
Today I found out what started World War I. The commonly held notion that it was started out of outrage over the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie at the hands of Serbian nationalist secret society known as the “Black Hand” isn’t entirely correct. In fact, the Emperor Franz Josef [...]
