{"id":35626,"date":"2014-09-13T00:00:23","date_gmt":"2014-09-13T07:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=35626"},"modified":"2014-09-12T20:15:05","modified_gmt":"2014-09-13T03:15:05","slug":"weekly-wrap-volume-55","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2014\/09\/weekly-wrap-volume-55\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Wrap Volume 55"},"content":{"rendered":"
This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here<\/a>.<\/div>\n

\"gecko-340x510\"<\/a>Why a Gecko’s Feet Can Stick to Almost Anything<\/a><\/p>\n

It has been observed since the 4th century BC that geckos have the ability to climb walls, hang upside down, and apparently \u201cstick\u201d to anything. Aristotle was the first known to have commented on the phenomenon, stating gecko\u2019s have the ability to \u201crun up and down a tree in any way, even with the head downwards.\u201d It wasn\u2019t until recently that it was discovered what gave them this spider-man-like ability. Gecko\u2019s have millions of tiny… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"first-night\"<\/a>Jus Primae Noctis: Fact or Fiction?<\/a><\/p>\n

The practice of jus primae noctis (\u201cright of the first night\u201d) is, in simplest terms, the right of the local noble to deflower local peasant brides on their wedding night before their newlywed husbands. Precedence for this practice supposedly goes back for many thousands of years, with the first reference of something like it going all the way back to the Epic of Gilgamesh from over four thousand years ago. This practiced (apparently) reached its crescendo during the Middle Ages in Europe, and today is popularly depicted in Hollywood in such films as Braveheart. But did it really ever happen?… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"did-you-know\"<\/a>The High School Dropout Who Co-Created Trivial Pursuit<\/a><\/p>\n

In December 1979, in the depths of a Montreal winter, two Canadian newspapermen created one of the most popular board games the world has ever known. High school dropout Chris Haney was the photo editor of The Gazette<\/em>. He had originally dropped out of school at the age of 17 in order to take a copy boy job with the Canadian Press, the company his dad worked for.\u00a0 After his eventual Trivial Pursuit fame and riches, he would state he regretted his decision to drop out of school\u2026 at the age of 17; he stated he wished he\u2019d done it at 12. (Incidentally, Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy\u2019s and the man partially responsible for saving KFC, was also a high school dropout<\/a>.) In any event, Haney\u2019s buddy, Scott Abbott, was the sports editor for The Canadian Press.<\/em> According to legend, after realizing that… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"potato\"<\/a>The Truth About the Origin of Potato Chips<\/a><\/p>\n

The prevailing story of the origin of the potato chip starts in Saratoga Springs, New York, a historically affluent and resort community. It was 1853, eight years before the beginning of the Civil War. Known for its mineral springs and their supposed rejuvenation properties, Saratoga Springs had just started becoming a tourist destination with help of the railroad that cut through the town. Resorts, inns, restaurants, and spas had begun to crop up along the shores of Saratoga Lake. Moon\u2019s Lake House, owned by Cary Moon, was one of the finest of those restaurants. Vacationers and wealthy summer home owners visited the restaurant often. At the restaurant, two people shared the cooking responsibilities, Catherine \u201cAunt Kate\u201d Weeks and her brother (or brother-in-law, depending on who\u2019s telling the story), George Crum… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"Molly\"<\/a>The Amazing Molly Schuyler<\/a><\/p>\n

Big appetites can come in small packages. Case in point: 5\u2032 7\u2033 and 125 pound Molly Schuyler, who lives with her husband and four kids (ages 5, 6, 7 and 10) in Bellevue, Nebraska. She maintains her lean frame by typically sticking to lots of vegetables, salads without dressing and keeping up with her four kids. She also notes, \u201cWe (competitive eaters) don\u2019t eat like crazy all the time. That would just be impossible.\u201d Working on her craft, what she has referred to as \u201ca stupid human trick,\u201d since she was a child, Molly noted that… (more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Bonus<\/span> Quick Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n