In 1998, President Bill Clinton read a novel about a mad scientist who spread a virus in NYC. Concerned about this risk, he established the Strategic National Stockpile, which contains billions of dollars in medical supplies (many being used now).
Speakers of the indigenous Australian…
Speakers of the indigenous Australian language Dyirbal switch to a completely different dialect in the presence of their mother-in-law.
Nepali men carrying car to Kathmandu
Adolf Hitler gifted King Truibhuvan of Nepal with this 1938 model Mercedes Benz, which was the first car ever seen in Nepal. It was carried to the capital by men as in 1940s there were no roads in the city.
Instead of “pass/fail” Japanese students …
Instead of “pass/fail” Japanese students used to receive college entrance exam results via telegram with a message, “cherry blossoms are blooming” (pass), or “cherry blossoms are falling” (fail).
A man taught himself how to pick…
A man taught himself how to pick the “unpickable” lock boxes of pay phones. He stole an estimated $500,000 in quarters from phones in 30 states, taunted the FBI, and was featured on America’s Most Wanted twice. After getting caught, he had to pay back $800.
Svalbard, a Norwegian…
Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago with a population of 3 000, is the only visa-free zone in the world meaning that anybody may live and work there indefinitely regardless of country of citizenship.
The brains of Apple devotees…
The brains of Apple devotees respond to their products in the same way the brains of people of faith respond to religious imagery.
In 2006 three men tried to steal…
In 2006 three men tried to steal a koala from a Queensland, Australia zoo. They gave up after the koala “scratched the sh*t out of them”, so they stole a crocodile instead.
The iconic billboard from the “Boeing Bust” era of the 1970s
When Boeing fired over 70,000 employees in Seattle during the 1970s Boeing Bust, a billboard was placed on the highway leaving Seattle stating: “Will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights.”
Detroit holds the record…
Detroit holds the record for the city with the most rejected bids to host the Olympics.