Misc. »
There was Once a Baseball Player Traded for Bats
Today I found out there once was a baseball player traded for baseball bats. “Bat Man”, as he was nicknamed after the trade, was actually named John C. Odom. His life ended tragically just
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The Novel ‘Gadsby’ has 50,110 Words, Yet None of them Contain the Letter “E”
Today I found out Ernest Vincent Wright’s 1939 novel Gadsby is over 50,000 words long, yet doesn’t contain a single letter “e” anywhere other than the cover. Given that ‘e’ is the most commonly
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In High School, MLB Star Justin Verlander Traded a Small Percentage of His Eventual $3.12 Million Signing Bonus for a Chocolate Milk
Today I found out that in High School, Major League Baseball star pitcher Justin Verlander traded a small percentage of his eventual $3.12 million signing bonus for a 50 cent chocolate milk. This happened
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Most Streets in Japan Don’t Have Names
Today I found out most streets in Japan don’t have names. In Japan, they use a very different addressing system than is used in most Western countries. Rather than streets having names (the space
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The Inventor of the Pringles Can was Buried in One
Today I found out that the inventor of the Pringles can was buried in one (part of him, anyway). Upon his death in 2008, just 20 days shy of his 90th birthday, the inventor
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It Costs More Than Double What Pennies and Nickels are Worth to Produce Them
Today I found out that it currently costs more than double what pennies and nickels are worth to produce them. In 2006, the U.S. Mint sent a letter to Congress informing them that for
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How Baseball Groundskeepers Achieve Checkerboard Patterns in the Ballpark Grass
Today I found out how baseball groundskeepers achieve checkerboard patterns in the ballpark grass. Most of us have had the opportunity to stand in awe as our eyes perceive the beauty of a perfectly
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Why Anvils are Shaped as They Are and Why Blacksmiths Often Tap the Anvil After a Few Strikes on the Object They’re Working On
Today I found out why anvils are shaped the way they are and why blacksmith/farriers/etc. sometimes tap the anvil after a few strikes on the object they’re working on. Anvil shape has evolved greatly
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The Origin of Basketball
Today I found out the origin of the sport basketball. Surprisingly, unlike most sports whose origins are somewhat obscure, often being the combination of other sports and developed gradually through time, basketball has a
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Marshmallows Were Originally Made from the Sap of the Marshmallow Plant
Today I found out marshmallows were once made from the sap of marshmallow plants. Whether they are a hot chocolate topping treat, in the form of a sugar-coated critter, or roasting over a campfire,
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