Gaming

WTF Fun Fact 13624 – The Phantom Touch Illusion

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Using Virtual reality (VR) scenarios where subjects interacted with their bodies using virtual objects, a research team from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany unearthed the phenomenon of the phantom touch illusion. This sensation occurs when individuals in VR environments experience a tingling feeling upon virtual contact, despite the absence of physical interaction.

Unraveling the Mystery of Phantom Touch

Dr. Artur Pilacinski and Professor Christian Klaes, spearheading the research, were intrigued by this illusion. “People in virtual reality sometimes feel as though they’re touching real objects,” explains Pilacinski. The subjects described this sensation as a tingling or electrifying experience, akin to a breeze passing through their hand. This study, detailed in the journal Scientific Reports, sheds light on how our brains and bodies interpret virtual experiences.

The research involved 36 volunteers who, equipped with VR glasses, first acclimated to the virtual environment. Their task was to touch their hand with a virtual stick in this environment. The participants reported sensations, predominantly tingling, even when touching parts of their bodies not visible in the VR setting. This finding suggests that our perception and body sensation stem from a blend of sensory inputs.

Control Experiments and Unique Results

A control experiment was conducted to discern if similar sensations could arise without VR. This used a laser pointer instead of virtual objects. That experiment did not result in the phantom touch, underscoring the unique nature of the phenomenon within virtual environments.

The discovery of the phantom touch illusion propels research in human perception and holds potential applications in VR technology and medicine. “This could enhance our understanding of neurological diseases affecting body perception,” notes neuroscience researcher Christian Klaes.

Future Research and Collaborative Efforts

The team at Bochum is eager to delve deeper into this illusion and its underlying mechanisms. A partnership with the University of Sussex aims to differentiate actual phantom touch sensations from cognitive processes like suggestion or experimental conditions. “We are keen to explore the neural basis of this illusion and expand our understanding,” says Pilacinski.

This research marks a significant step in VR technology, offering a new perspective on how virtual experiences can influence our sensory perceptions. As VR continues to evolve, its applications in understanding human cognition and aiding medical advancements become increasingly evident. The phantom touch illusion not only intrigues the scientific community but also paves the way for innovative uses of VR in various fields.

—WTF fun facts

Source:

WTF Fun Fact 13577 – Man Wins Lottery 20 Times

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You might marvel at the luck of the gentleman behind those “man wins lottery 20 times” headlines. But it’s a little trickier than it sounds.

A Leap of Faith on Lucky Numbers

Fekru Hirpo’s choice of numbers, 2-5-2-7, wasn’t a common strategy. Usually, the top prize for the Pick 4 game in Virginia is $5,000. However, in a unique twist of events, Hirpo didn’t simply play his numbers on a single ticket. He purchased 20 identical lottery tickets, all bearing the same four numbers. By doing so, he exponentially increased his chances of multiplying his potential jackpot.

When the draw took place on April 5, Hirpo’s gamble paid off handsomely. The seemingly innocuous numbers were declared the winners, turning what would have been a $5,000 win on a single ticket to an impressive haul of $100,000 for Hirpo. But what made him adopt this unprecedented strategy?

According to a news release, Hirpo himself confessed to lottery officials that he doesn’t usually buy multiple tickets with the same numbers. This time, however, intuition nudged him in that direction. “Something just told him to do it,” the release stated.

A Glimpse at the Odds

For those wondering about the odds, the Virginia Lottery sheds some light. The chances of Hirpo’s specific number combination emerging victorious stood at a staggering one in 10,000. So, despite the long odds, Hirpo’s trust in his numbers and the unique strategy of buying 20 identical tickets was nothing short of a masterstroke.

He purchased his tickets from a Four Mile Run Shell in Arlington, which will likely now gain some attention from other lottery hopefuls.

Fekru Hirpo isn’t the first individual to harness the power of repeating numbers in a lottery game. Not too long ago, a woman from Boca Raton, Florida, employed a similar strategy. She decided to play the same numbers on two Mega Millions tickets. As luck would have it, both her tickets matched all five white balls, resulting in a win. While she didn’t get the Mega Ball, her dual wins netted her a whopping total of $4 million.

The Future with His Fortune as Man Wins Lottery 20 Times

As for Hirpo’s plans for his newfound wealth? He remains tight-lipped. He’s indicated no immediate plans for his winnings. Whether he decides to invest, indulge in a luxury, or maybe just buy more lottery tickets, one thing is clear: his faith in his numbers and his audacious strategy will be talked about for a long time.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “Virginia man wins $100,000 after playing same numbers on 20 lottery tickets” — FOX 5 San Diego

WTF Fun Fact 13362 – Super Mario’s Original Name

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Do you know Super Mario’s original name wasn’t Mario? We positively clutched our pearls when we found out. We can’t imagine the iconic video game character called anything else. But do you think Super Mario would be the legend he is today if his name had simply been “Jumpman”?

Mario’s original name: less than super

Super Mario, the iconic video game character loved by millions, has become synonymous with Nintendo and gaming itself. But let’s shed some light on the man behind the mustache and his journey to gaming stardom.

Super Mario was brought to life by renowned game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto’s vision for a new arcade game with a unique character led him to create what would become one of the most recognizable figures in gaming history.

During the early development stages, Miyamoto initially named the character “Jumpman.” While it’s pretty lame, the name Jumpman aptly described Mario’s ability to leap across obstacles and enemies. It’s just a little too on the nose.

Landlord, plumber, icon

However, it was during the game’s U.S. release that Jumpman’s name took a turn.

As the story goes, Nintendo of America’s landlord confronted the company about late rent payments while they were finishing the game. That landlord’s name was Mario Segale. Impressed by Segale’s assertiveness, Nintendo’s staff decided to honor him by renaming their beloved character. Thus, Jumpman officially became Mario, forever linking the iconic plumber to a chance encounter with a cranky landlord. (We assume they also eventually paid their rent.)

With his new name, Mario catapulted to fame. The character debuted in the arcade classic “Donkey Kong” before getting his own “Super Mario Bros.” on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Mario’s adventures are now a staple of the gaming industry and he’s demonstrated his enduring appeal and ability to captivate players across different genres and generations.

What’s in a name?

The character has made appearances in numerous spin-offs, cartoons, comics, and even a Hollywood film. His likeness and iconic catchphrases have become embedded in popular culture, making him an instantly recognizable and beloved figure around the globe.

Super Mario’s dominance shaped the future of video game design. But we’re not sure things would have been that way if Super Mario’s original name had stuck.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “‘Super Mario Bros.’ debuted 35 years ago — here’s how Mario accidentally became a gaming superstar” — CNBC

WTF Fun Fact 13295 – Longest Video Game Marathon

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A Canadian man named Kory Breaden from Nanaimo, British Columbia, recently broke the world record for the longest video game marathon by playing Call of Duty: War Zone for 145 hours straight on his PS5. But he hasn’t yet clinched the official Guinness Book of World Records title yet.

The record still belongs to Carrie Swidecki who played Just Dance 2015 in 2020 for 138 hours and 34 minutes. She played the game with witnesses at Otto’s Video Games and More, in Bakersfield, California from 11 to 17 July 2015.

What it takes to play the longest video game marathon

According to CTV News (cited below),

“The biggest challenges he had to overcome were technical glitches like his Zoom meeting that was used for his witnesses crashed 24 hours into playing and Breaden had to fix the problem while matches were reloading. For every 60 minutes of play, Breaden was allowed a 10-minute break which could be accumulated into longer breaks…His achievement has been submitted to the Guinness World Records for official verification.”

The Guinness Book of World Records has strict guidelines for video game marathons to ensure fair play and safety for the participants. These include mandatory rest breaks, witnesses to verify gameplay, and rules against cheating or exploiting glitches in the game.

Braedon reported that he believe he only slept for around 11.5 hours throughout the marathon. His energy came from high-protein snacks. Alas, towards the end, he switched over to “eating high-carb greasy junk food like McDonald’s fries that kept me going.”

Struggling to make it

He even suffered an injury during play. After 90 hours, his left thumb became swollen and bruised. But he continued through the pain.

Braeden admits to nearly nodding off many times toward the end and watching the John Wick movie series in the background to stay alert.

“To have all the gunshots and everything go off while I was playing, that seemed to help me power through the last couple hours,” he said. Braeden hopes eventually clinching the world record will actually open some doors for him in the gaming world and look good on his resume.

According to CTV, “Breaden says he broke other records while playing, including longest time playing a battle royale event; longest time playing a Call of Duty game; and longest time playing a first-person shooter game.”

However, the Guinness Book of World Records has yet to accept the results. It’s unclear why that is. After this feat, he slept for 18 straight hours.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “Nanaimo man hopeful his 145-hour videogame session is a new world record” — CTV News, Vancouver Island

WTF Fun Fact 13234 – Oregon Trail Game History

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How much do you”know about Oregon trail game history?

The video game “Oregon Trail” was created by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger in the early 1970s. The men were employees of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) at the time. MECC is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating educational software for schools.

The goal was to create a game that would teach students about the challenges faced by pioneers on the Oregon Trail during the mid-19th century.

Oregon Trail game history

The game was initially released in schools in 1971. It quickly became popular among students and teachers alike.

Oregon Trail was designed to be both educational and entertaining. The game was set up as a role-playing experience, and players had to make decisions about supplies, health, and other aspects of their journey.

Playing the game is meant to be difficult. Players have to overcome various obstacles (like dysentery!) and challenges in order to reach their destination in Oregon.

Over the years, the game has been released on a variety of different computer systems and platforms, including home co”‘uters and gaming’consoles.

Why the game is popular

One of the key reas”ns for the success of Oregon Trail is its unique approach to teaching history. It’s also able to engage players on an emotional level.

The game was designed to be immersive. If players made poor decisions about supplies or health, they could die or lose a family member. This created a sense of tension and excitement, and players felt a real sense of accomplishment when they finally reached their destination.

The game inspired a generation of young people to learn about history, and it also helped to popularize the idea of using computer games for educational purposes.

Over 65 million copies of Oregon Trail have been sold since its initial release in 1971. The game continues to be popular and widely recognized as a classic of the gaming world. — WTF fun facts

Source: “‘The Oregon Trail’ at 50: The story of a game that inspired generations” — Fast Company

WTF Fun Fact 13213 – The First Video Game

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The first video game ever created was called Tennis for Two. The game was played on an oscilloscope. It was created by physicist William Higinbotham in 1958.

Is Tennis for Two the first video game ever?

“Tennis for Two” is considered to be the first video game ever created, even though we’d hardly recognize it as a video game today.

Developed by physicist William Higinbotham in 1958, the game was played on an oscilloscope and was a simple simulation of a game of tennis (kind of like Pong).

An oscilloscope is an electronic instrument that allows people to visualize electrical signals. In the case of Tennis for Two, the oscilloscope was used to display the game on its screen.

The game consisted of two dots, representing the ball and the paddles, which could be moved up and down by players using knobs. Players would try to hit the dot back and forth across the screen. The game ended when one player failed to hit the dot (or ball) ball back to the other side.

Despite being pretty basic, Tennis for Two laid the foundation for the modern video game industry.

Who played Tennis for Two?

The first video game was created as a demonstration for visitors at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where its creator worked.

“Tennis for Two” was an instant hit with visitors to the laboratory. In fact, the game was played by thousands of people over the course of the next few years and featured in newspapers and magazines, sparking public interest.

Tennis for Two was the first game that allowed players to compete against each other in a virtual environment, and it provided a new way for people to interact with technology. Of course, very few people had the tools to play it.

A forgotten history

Despite its success at the time, Tennis for Two was not developed further. It was eventually forgotten as the video game industry continued to evolve. But it paved the way for the creation of more advanced and sophisticated games.

By the time Pong was created (the game considered to be the first arcade video game), most people didn’t know about its predecessor.

Pong was created in 1972 by Atari, and it could be played on arcade machines or home consoles.

While Tennis for Two is a two-player game, Pong could be a one or two-player game. And while Tennis for Two had no scoring system (the game simply ended when one player failed to hit the dot), Pong kept score. Each time a player fails to hit the ball back, the opponent scores a point. The game ends when one player reaches a certain number of points. — WTF fun facts

Source: “The Complete History of Tennis for Two” — History Computer

WTF Fun Fact 13077 – The Origin of Bowling

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Who knew the origin of bowling goes back thousands of years?! It could go back to over 5000 years, to be exact.

What is the origin of bowling?

According to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame (cited below): “A British anthropologist, Sir Flinders Petrie, discovered in the 1930’s a collection of objects in a child’s grave in Egypt that appeared to him to be used for a crude form of bowling. If he was correct, then bowling traces its ancestry to 3200 BC.”

If Petrie’s assessment is inaccurate, bowling would still be many centuries old. It could go back to 300 AD Germany. At the latest, we know bowling was already popular in 1366 in England “A German historian, William Pehle, asserted that bowling began in his country about 300 AD. There is substantial evidence that a form of bowling was in vogue in England in 1366, “when King Edward III allegedly outlawed it to keep his troops focused on archery practice. And it is almost certain that bowling was popular during the reign of King Henry VIII.”

Variations on bowling

Of course, ancient and medieval bowling didn’t have the same technology as we do today. These games were variations on trying to hit pins with balls.

Immigrants from Germany, England, and the Netherlands all brought their own pin games to America, where lawn bowling became popular.

But bowling was rarely a wholesome sport. Aside from getting banned in England briefly in the 14th century, “An 1841 Connecticut law made it illegal to maintain ‘any ninepin lanes,’, probably because bowling was the object of much gambling.” By this time, New England mansions were already home to personal bowling lanes.

“While it is uncertain where the tenpin game evolved, by the late 1800s it was prevalent in many states such as New York, Ohio and as far “west” as Illinois. However, details like ball weights and pin dimensions varied by region. But that changed when restauratnteur Joe Thum finally pulled together representatives of the various regional bowling clubs. On September 9, 1895, at Beethoven Hall in New York City, the American Bowling Congress was born. Soon, standardization would be established, and major national competitions could be held.”

In 1914, we saw the first modern bowling balls in America. By 1952, we had automatic pin setters and bowling was becoming popular on television. —WTF fun facts

Source: “History of Bowling” — International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame

WTF Fun Fact 13066 – Video Games and Surgeons

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Surgeons who play video games for at least a few hours a week make fewer errors during surgery. This specifically relates to non-invasive and very precise laparoscopic surgery.

Surgeons who play video games

In an article titled The Impact of Video Games on Training Surgeons in the 21st Century (cited below), researchers from Beth Israel Medical Center, New York University Medical Center, Montefiore Medical Center, Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, Iowa State University, and Virginia Commonwealth University found that video games are correlated with better surgical outcomes.

According to the authors:

“Past video game play in excess of 3 h/wk correlated with 37% fewer errors…and 27% faster completion…Current video game players made 32% fewer errors…performed 24% faster…and scored 26% better overall…than their nonplaying colleagues…Regression analysis also indicated that video game skill and past video game experience are significant predictors of demonstrated laparoscopic skills.”

Videos games for surgical success

The researchers set out to measure the relationship between “laparoscopic skills and suturing capability, video game scores, and video game experience.”

Because they found a correlation between video game skills and positive laparoscopic surgical skills, the researchers suggest that medical training curricula might video games in the future. But this applied to surgery that didn’t require a large incision. Instead, laparoscopic surgery uses a small incision or hole and is largely computer-guided. It’s a more popular kind of surgery because there are typically fewer risks involved for the patient and less down-time.

While the authors acknowledged the drawbacks of playing video games excessively (such as poor grades and possible heightened aggressiveness), they also highlighted the benefits.

More specifically:

“Disturbing negative correlations with video game play include lower grades in school; aggressive thoughts, emotions, and actions (including physical fights); and decreasing positive prosocial behaviors. Excessive game playing has also been linked to childhood obesity, muscular and skeletal disorders, and even epileptic seizures. Other physical findings have included increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones (norepinephrine and epinephrine)… However, positive benefits of video game play include increased performance on eye-hand coordination tasks and neuropsychological tests and better reaction time, spatial visualization, and mental rotation.”

The benefits of gaming

The authors cited other studies that found correlations between playing video games and the ability of gamers to process visual information, improve their spacial awareness skills, and develop better visual attention processing.

These are all crucial skills for surgeons. — WTF fun facts

Source: “The Impact of Video Games on Training Surgeons in the 21st Century” — JAMA Surgery

WTF Fun Fact 13006 – Brain Cells Learn To Play Pong

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Fun Fact: Lab-grown human and mouse brain cells living in a petri dish became sentient enough to learn to play the video game Pong.
That’s right – scientists found that brain cells learn to play Pong, the 1970s tennis-type video game.

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In news that we don’t find even remotely comforting, brain cells grown in a petri dish have been shown to become sentient enough to learn to play video games. And we’re not kidding when we say that their next plan is to get the brain cells drunk and see what happens.

Sentient brain cells living in a dish

To be clear, these are cells that are living in a petri dish – not a person. They are human cells derived from stem cells and mouse cells derived from embryonic cells. There are 800,000 cells in total involved in the experiment.

Not only have the cells learned to play the game Pong, but they keep improving. “They played longer rallies and were aced less often,” reported The Guardian (cited below). Of course, Pong is a very simple game, which is why the researchers chose it in the first place.

The study that revealed the experiment was just published in the journal Neuron.

The researchers hail from Cortical Labs, Monash University, the University of Melbourne, and University College London.

How can brain cells learn to play Pong?

According to The Guardian, the researchers out the cells on something called the “DishBrain,” “a multi-electrode array that can sense cell activity and stimulate the cells, then gave the cells feedback on whether the paddle was hitting the ball.”

Within five minutes the cells started to communicate using electrical activity to operate the game. It sounds like sci-fi, but it’s true.

“Now the researchers will see how the cells perform when they are drunk or given medicines. They hope to use the DishBrain to learn more about conditions such as epilepsy and dementia.”

“This is the new way to think about what a neuron is,” a researcher said. — WTF fun facts

Interested? See for yourself:

https://youtu.be/x0NM7iVo9MQ

Source: “Scientists teach brain cells to play video game Pong” — The Guardian

WTF Fun Fact 12932 – Nigel Richards, French Scrabble Champion

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Nigel Richards is from New Zealand. He’s a worldwide Scrabble champion, but his most impressive feat may just be winning the French-language Scrabble World Championship without actually knowing how to speak French.

Memorizing vs learning

If you’ve ever tried to learn a language, you know that there are two parts to success – grammar and vocabulary. You can be great at grammar, but if you can’t memorize new words then it doesn’t do you much good. Equally, you can know lots of vocabulary words, but if you can’t put them together in a sentence (or even pronounce them), you can’t actually speak the language.

Nigel Richards memorizes the dictionary

Before trying his hand with French, New Zealander Nigel Richards won a couple of English-language Scrabble championships. But that clearly wasn’t enough of a challenge. That’s when he decided to tackle French.

But when you’re playing Scrabble, grammar doesn’t matter, only the words in the dictionary do. So Richards decided to try and memorize as many words as possible from the French dictionary.

Clearly, he did a great job, because he beat all of the actual French speakers in a 2015 tournament.

According to NPR (cited below): “It was only in late May [of 2014] that Richards began his quest to win the French world title, according to theFrench Scrabble Federation. That’s when he set about memorizing the French Scrabble dictionary.”

Richards obviously has an impeccable memory. After all, there are 386,000 words in French Scrabble and only 187,000 in North American Scrabble.

Scrabble expert Stefan Fatsis told NPR: “Basically, what he does is, he looks at word lists and looks at dictionary pages… he can conjure up the image of what he has seen. He told me that if he actually hears a word, it doesn’t stick in his brain. But if he sees it once, that’s enough for him to recall the image of it. I don’t know if that’s a photographic memory; I just think it’s something that his brain chemistry allows him to do.” —WTF fun facts

Source: “Winner Of French Scrabble Title Does Not Speak French” — NPR

WTF Fun Fact 12832 – Humanity’s Obsession with Call of Duty

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Millions of people have answered the Call of Duty, religiously okaying the first-person shooter video game from Activision over the years.

In fact, every year, Call of Duty players collectively log 475,000 years of gameplay. If you add that up over the course of just six years, it has cost players a combined 2.85 million man-years. That’s more than 14 times longer than humanity has existed!

Answering the call of duty

According to Gamerrant: “Call of Duty, which began all the way back in 2003, has 16 console games and one mobile game over those 17 years. Since these titles have been available across many platforms and are incredibly replayable, many individuals have put in an amazing number of hours just trying to trick out their arsenal, fulfill other challenges to get the best gear, or just play with friends. With Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019) smashing sales records too and player loyalty at an all-time high, those hours have really added up over the years.”

And there are more impressive stats :

“The oldest human remains have been carbon-dated at about 200,000 years old, so that makes the collective years and hours spent playing Call of Duty an absolutely mind-blowing number. Considering that there are currently 7.8 billion humans on earth right now, that’s about 3.2 hours per human. With more than 300 million copies of Call of Duty sold worldwide over the last 17 years, with many of the games breaking records (like Black Ops 4, Modern Warfare, and more), that’s about 80 hours per copy.”

Bringing people together

Apparently, some consider Call of Duty not a violent hobby but a way of connecting people. Gamerrant called it “a wonderful tool to stay connected while having some fun. Also, with this many gamers and the devs working together, they can help generate donations for natural disasters, like the Australian wildfires. All told, these amazing numbers are both a boon for Call of Duty and its devs as well as fans of the series worldwide.”

–WTF fun facts

Source: “Humankind has now spent more time playing Call of Duty than it has existed on Earth” — Washington Post

WTF Fun Fact 12788 – Monopoly, The Landlord’s Game

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Charles Darrow is credited with inventing the board game Monopoly, but even he wasn’t aware of the real inventor of the game. Lizzie Magie invented Monopoly, only she called it “The Landlord’s Game.”

The Landlord’s Game becomes Monopoly

In 1932, Charles Darrow was playing a real-estate board game with friends. It wasn’t a game you could buy in a box, but one that was passed between friends who made their own boards. Darrow presumably had no clue it had been invented by a progressive feminist writer named Lizzie Magie nearly three decades earlier. She had called it The Landlord’s Game, but it was colloquially known as “the monopoly game.”

Darrow was so taken with it that he asked for a set of rules and took the idea to Parker Brothers. Then he seems to have taken credit for inventing it altogether, which helped him make millions in royalties.

According to The Guardian (cited below), “one journalist after another asked him how he had managed to invent Monopoly out of thin air – a seeming sleight of hand that had brought joy into so many households. ‘It’s a freak,’ Darrow told the Germantown Bulletin, a Philadelphia paper. ‘Entirely unexpected and illogical.'”

The Real “Monopoly”

Magie wrote about her game in a political magazine in the early 20th century, noting: “It is a practical demonstration of the present system of land-grabbing with all its usual outcomes and consequences. It might well have been called the ‘Game of Life’, as it contains all the elements of success and failure in the real world, and the object is the same as the human race in general seem to have, ie, the accumulation of wealth.”

She created two sets of rules – “an anti-monopolist set in which all were rewarded when wealth was created, and a monopolist set in which the goal was to create monopolies and crush opponents,” according to The Guardian’s story about a book on the history of the game titled, The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board Game by Mary Pilon.

Magie had even patented the game and published a version through the Economic Game Company. It was popular among progressive intellectuals, but interestingly enough, the monopolist’s rules became far more popular.

The real Monopoly

Magie wasn’t sure what to think when Parker Brothers approached her about buying the rights to the game for $500 after they were approached by Darrow, but she did sell them. Only later did she find out why they wanted to buy them. And she never received any of the millions in royalties that Darrow did. Nor did she receive any of the credit until recently.

According to The Guardian, “She died in 1948, a widow with no children, whose obituary and headstone made no mention of her game invention. One of her last jobs was at the US Office of Education, where her colleagues knew her only as an elderly typist who talked about inventing games.”

Today, Parker Brothers is owned by Hasbro, which still credits Darrow with inventing the game in 1935. – WTF fun facts

Source: “The secret history of Monopoly: the capitalist board game’s leftwing origins” — The Guardian

WTF Fun Fact 12585 – Ronald Wayne Sells Apple

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We’ve all heard of Apple co-founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. But do you remember the third co-founder, Ronald Wayne?

The trio founded Apple Computer Company (now Apple, Inc) in 1976. But while Wozniak and Jobs each owned 45% of the company, Wayne had 10%, which would make him the tie-breaker in any disagreements between the two Steves.

He was the administrative brains among the computer geeks. And like any good businessman, he wanted to mitigate his risks.

Funny enough, Wayne’s first business sold slot machines (and ran out of luck, going into debt that he had to pay off personally).

The three met when they all worked at Atari, and Wayne invited Wozniak and Jobs to his house to discuss the future of computers. Jobs suggested they start a business, with Wayne (who was the 41-year-old “elder”) at the time acting as “the adult in the room.”

Wayne drafted the partnership agreement and designed Apple’s first logo (which was replaced the following year). But he got cold feet as he considered the future of the business in light of his past failure and the resulting debt.

Legally, all partners in a company are responsible for its debt, so when Jobs made a purchase order with a $15,000 loan, Wayne started to get cold feet. The vendor Jobs purchased from wasn’t known for being speedy with their deliveries, and Wayne saw warning signs.

His job at Apple also wasn’t his passion – he enjoyed engineering and his slot machine designs. So he did what any intelligent businessman might do – he moved on to greener pastures. Well, at least they seemed greener at the time.

Renouncing his 10% of the ownership after just 12 days (though Wozniak’s account is that it took a few months), Wayne sold his shares back for $800.

Just for comparison, in 2011, the contract signed by all 3 men in 1976 was sold at auction for $1.6 million. (Oh, and Wayne sold that as well – in the 1990s he gave it up for $500 before he knew what it might be worth someday.)

Wayne says that he made the best decision he could with the information he had at the time, which is respectable. And while he retired to a trailer park to collect stamps and play penny slots, he insists he doesn’t regret the decision.

Had he stayed with the company, his life would have certainly been different. Those shares would be worth a mind-boggling $300 BILLION today. – WTF fun facts

Source: “Apple just hit a $1 trillion market cap—here’s why its little-known third co-founder sold his 10% stake for $800” — CNBC

WTF Fun Fact – PS2 Missile Guidance

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WTF Fun Fact - PS2 Missile Guidance

Sony needed special export permits from the Japanese government for the export of PlayStation 2s. The PS2 was so good at processing high-quality images quickly that the Japanese government believed it was possible to adapt it for use in missile guidance systems. – WTF Fun Facts

Source: https://www.pcmag.com/news/20-years-later-how-concerns-about-weaponized-consoles-almost-sunk-the-ps2