While excavating for Bloomberg’s headquarters, archaeologists have discovered a ancient Roman stylus inscribed with (roughly) “I went to Rome, and all I brought you was this pen.”
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In the 15th century, Richard Strangways…
In the 15th century, Richard Strangways came up with imaginary coats of arms for old kings who had lived before heraldry. For the pre-Christian kings of France he painted a shield with 3 black toads.
Mavis Grind
Mavis Grind in Shetland is the only place in Britain where you can toss a stone across land from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
Marital Duels
In medieval Germany, married couples could legally settle their disputes by fighting a Marital Duel. To even the field, the man had to fight from inside a hole with one arm tied behind his back. The woman was free to move and was armed with a sack filled with rocks. The man had three clubs at his disposal. If he touched the side of his hole during combat, he would forfeit one of his clubs. Whoever lost the battle would be put to death.
Ghanaian coffins
Ghanaian coffins represent and celebrate the life of those buried in them. This casket was built for a fisherman.
If you are seated at the back…
If you are seated at the back of a Boeing 747, the walk to your seat from the front of the plane is longer than the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight.
Drive-in Movie Theatres
Despite some claims to the contrary, drive-in movie theaters in the United States are not making a comeback. In 2017 there exist about 330 operating drive-in theaters in the United States, down from a peak of about 4,000 in the late 1950s. In 1980, there were over 2400.
The world’s shortest international bridge
The world’s shortest international bridge is 3.2 meters long. It connects Spain and Portugal.
Anti-Selfies
Artist Stephanie Leigh takes “anti-selfies.” This involves pretending to be dead in front of tourist attractions around the world. She posts the resulting photos on Instagram, under the username STEFDIES. She explains:
“A selfie has controlled conditions, specific lighting, makeup/hair/wardrobe, an agenda, and is focused on the individual personality — it is a contrived and manipulated image distorted to achieve a desired result. STEFDIES is the polar opposite — I get one chance to get the shot, if it doesn’t happen, c’est la vie.”
More info: thisisinsider.com
via weirduniverse.net
Poland’s Crooked Forest
Around 100 trees in Poland’s Krzywy Las (Crooked Forest) share a common and bizarre curvature, but no one is quite sure why.