WTF Fun Fact 12439 – Alien Abduction Insurance

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After noticing his homeowners insurance didn’t cover alien abduction, Florida insurance agent Mike St. Lawrence (of the St. Lawrence Agency)decided to offer it. You can purchase limited coverage for $19.95 or comprehensive alien abduction insurance for $24.95.

St. Lawrence has sold over 6000 policies to those who “want to believe.”

According to WFLA News, “Eachpolicy includes $10 millionworthof coverage as well as outpatient psychiatric care,sarcasm coverage,anddoubleidentity coverage.Policyholders can claim to be eligible for double the standard coverage, but that payout would be based on verifiable and extreme circumstances.”

“I take a very opened mind approach to this, whether it’s happening or not. But if you get one of our policies, show you have a sense of humor about it,” said St. Lawrence.

In order to start the process of filing a claim, a person will have to obtain a signature from an “authorized, on-board alien.”

“Some way, you have to be able to prove it, and I have had a couple exceptionswhere they didn’t get a signature,” St. Lawrence told WFLA.

Alas, there’s another downside hidden in the fine print. The payout to you or your beneficiaries comes in the form of $1.00/year for 10 million years.

Believe it or not, St. Lawrence has paid at least two claims. He told WFLA that apolicyholder submitted a Polaroidpicture with alleged aliens as proof.–WTF fun facts

Source: “Don’t sweat alien threat” — SF Gate

WTF Fun Fact 12438 – Rome’s Sacred Chickens

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Ancient Roman priests raised sacred chickens that were used to interpret omens. For example, the chickens were used to predict the outcome of military battles.

Here’s how it worked: The chickens were let loose from their cages and had feed sprinkled in front of them. If they ate their food with gusto, stomping their feet, it was assumed that the gods were telling the naval leaders that it was ok to go to battle because the outcome would be favorable. If the chickens did not eat, the Romans assumed they were being told by the gods that they were destined to lose.

Of course, plenty of generals wanted to undertake battles with the permission of chickens, so one way they got around it was to deprive the chickens of food for a few days leading up to the decision. That way, the chickens would be hungry enough to eat regardless.

It was thought that no soldiers would willingly follow a general into war if the sacred chickens hadn’t given the right omen.

In 246 BCE, naval commander Publius Claudius Pulcher wanted to lead his fleet into battle with the Carthaginians during theFirst Punic War(264–241BCE). However, his sacred chickens didn’t eat their grain. That’s when, according to legend, he made a fatal error in 249 BCE.

Seeming to mock the gods’ obvious omen, Claudius threw the chickens overboard into the sea, proclaiming that if perhaps they weren’t hungry, they were thirsty. A sacrilegious move like this would have likely horrified the troops.

Claudius and his fleet paid the price, suffering the only naval defeat of the entire war at the Battle of Drepanum. And it was a significant loss, with 93 of his 123 vessels destroyed.

Claudius was accused of treason and fined as a result. Variations of the story appear in the works of ancient writers Valerius Maximus, Suetonius, and Cicero. –WTF Fun Facts

Source: “Publius Claudius Pulcher, Roman commander,” — Encyclopedia Britannica

WTF Fact 12437 – The Speed of Snow

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Most snowflakes fall at a speed of 1.5 mph, though some can reach up to 9 mph if they have picked up enough moisture to gain more mass.

Your typical snowflake traveling at a speed of 1.5 mph travels a long way before hitting the ground – 45 minutes to an hour.

Some other fun facts about snow include:

  • Snow is not white, it’s translucent
  • The first ever snowflake photograph was taken in Vermont in 1885
  • Chionophobia is the condition of being afraid of snow (that’s different from simply not liking it, of course)
  • While it can be too warm to snow (of course), it can never be too cold to snow
  • Snow can actually warm you up becase it’s at least 90% trapped air – that’s why animals burrow in the snow for warmth and people can live safely in igloos
  • Each winter in the US, roughly 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (or 1 septillion – that’s 24 zeroes!) fall from the sky

– WTF fun facts 

Source: “10 facts about snow” — Met Office

WTF Fun Fact 12436 – Ocean Depths

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There’s a lot we don’t know about the ocean because humans simply can’t get to the very bottom. In fact, we don’t even know where the deepest spot on the planet lies because we’ve only mapped about 10% of the ocean floor in high resolution.

What we do know is that among the areas we’ve measured, the average depth of the ocean is 12,080 feet. For those who prefer different units of measure, that’s 3,682 meters, or 3.7 kilometers, or 2.3 miles – or, you know, 8 Empire State Buildings.

These measurements are taken from data gathered in 2010 and only provide an estimate.

Did you know there are different names for deep ocean zones?
– Littoral zone (from the shore to about 200 feet deep) tends to be shallow and has no formal definition.
– Bathyal (3,300 to 13,100ft)
– Abyssal (10,000 and 20,000 ft)
– Hadal zone (20,000 to 36,000 ft): This is the deepest part of the ocean, and you have to make your way into trenches created by tectonic plate shifts in order to reach them.

The ocean’s deepest known point is Challenger Deep, in the western Pacific’s Mariana Trench. It’s deeper than Mt. Everest is tall. –WTF fun facts

Source: “How deep is the ocean?” — Natural History Museum

WTF Fun Fact 12435 – Our Messy Garages

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A 2015 survey from Gladiator® GarageWorks found that a significant number of Americans were using their garages for things other than storing their cars.

A press release announcing their results states:

“For approximately one out of four Americans, the garage is so unorganized it can’t even fit one car, according to an April 2015 homeowner survey from Gladiator® GarageWorks…And with an average cost of a new car just above $30,000, the inability to house and protect this investment in your own garage can be an issue.”

Even those of us with tidy homes are likely to have at least a mildly embarrassing situation going on in the garage. Gladiator®  goes on to state that “While 92 percent of homeowners surveyed described their home as somewhat or very organized, one-fourth of them admitted embarrassment with the garage and nearly one third said they keep their garage door shut so others won’t see the mess.”

The survey also found that 1 in 5 homeowners have argued with their spouse over the state of their garage. That’s not surprising, especially if you live in an area where there’s snow, and you have to clean your car off each morning due to clutter in the garage.

Here are some other “fun facts” the survey revealed:
– 27% of people use the garage for hobbies
– 23% use it to work on cars
– 19% of Americans use their garage to do projects such as woodworking or carpentry
– 13% use it as an area for exercise or sports

If you do work up the motivation to clean out your garage, keep in mind that it’s crucial to dispose of items properly – especially things like old paint and household chemicals. Check with your county about ways to dispose of these items. And if you don’t think you need to worry about that, consider that that survey also found that one-third of homeowners don’t even know what’s stored in their garage at the moment! – WTF fun facts 

Source: “Almost 1 in 4 Americans Say Their Garage is Too Cluttered to Fit Their Car” — PR Newswire

WTF Fun Fact 12434 – The Kitchen Toe Kick

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It’s always interesting to find out there’s a reason behind something you’ve totally taken for granted. Unless you’re remodeled your kitchen or are a contractor, you may not have thought much about the design of kitchen cabinets (beyond daydreaming about new ones).

Even those of us who have imagined getting a whole new kitchen rarely look closely at that space between the cabinet and floor and wonder why it’s there. (It’s likely the case in your bathroom as well.)

Between the floor and the cabinet base is something called the toe kick, and it’s meant to do pretty much the opposite of what it sounds like. It keeps us from kicking the bottom of the cabinets with our toes.

The goal of the toe kick is mainly ergonomic – that is, it makes life more comfortable, enabling us to stand for longer without getting fatigued or developing a backache from leaning). And it’s a safety issue as well. Have you ever tried to lean over a surface while using a knife? It’s not so stable. (Trust me, I just tried it, so you don’t have to.)

We’ve always taken our toe kick for granted, and since most of us have a backache most of the time, maybe it doesn’t seem that important. But not having one would only make things worse.

There are no legal requirements or codes for building toe kicks, so you may see super-retro kitchens or hyper-modern ones without this feature. But it’s generally the case that experienced carpenters just know the ideal dimensions and build one into your kitchen.

The standard depth for a toe kick is 3 inches, while the height is 3.5 inches. Most cabinets conform to these measurements (certainly any you buy from the hardware store). However, if you’re having your kitchen remodeled and are very tall or have otherwise larger-than-normal feet, you can always ask your contractor to give you a little extra room down there.
– WTF fun facts 

Source: “Ideal Toe Kick Dimensions and Height for Cabinets” — ThoughtCo

WTF Fun Fact 12433 – Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus

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The city of Cincinnati, Ohio, is named after the Roman statesman and general Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus.

After serving as Roman consul (the highest elected position) in the 5th century BCE, he retired to his farm.

In 458 BCE, the Aequi people broke a treaty with Rome and launched an invasion in the city of Tusculum. Rome raised two armies to fight them off, but the consuls at the time were unable to get an advantage over the invaders. The Roman army was surrounded.

In times like this, the Roman Senate was entitled to appoint a “dictator” for a 6-month term. This man would have ultimate power over political affairs and the armies. Remembering that Cincinnatus was a great general and consul, a group of senators traveled to his farm and asked him to become dictator until the crisis was over.

As the historian Livy describes it, Cincinnatus called for his toga (the proper attire to meet with Roman leadership), wiped off the sweat and dirt, put down his plow, and finally agreed to the request – but it took some convincing. He eventually agreed for the good of Rome.

Cincinnatus took over the army and led to Romans to a swift victory. He returned to the city as a hero and could have lived a life of luxury and power. However, immediately afterward, he relinquished the title of dictator, returned to his farm, and picked up his plow in the very same place he left it.

He was in power for 15 full days, retiring on the 16th day.

Cincinnatus is held up as a paragon of civic virtue. US President George Washington, who also could have maintained absolute power but put it aside in favor of the new Constitution, is referred to as The American Cincinnatus. – WTF fun facts 

Source: “Our history: Who was Cincinnatus, inspiration for city’s name?” — Cincinnati.com

WTF Fun Fact 12432 – Spring Fever

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The dawn of spring brings mixed feelings and physical reactions. While some poets have long written about “spring fever” as something associated with romance, pleasure, and good spirits, others find March to be a little more gloomy.

You won’t find a doctor diagnosing you with spring fever, but if you notice a change in mood or energy as the days get longer, you’re not alone.

Many people welcome the dawn of spring weather and the return of sunshine. Their ability to spend more time outside is a mood-booster, and they feel restless to get things done after a long and dark winter. Interestingly, these good moods tend to decrease in the hot summer months.

Other less ideal symptoms of this so-called “spring fever” can include an increased heart rate, appetite loss, and mood swings.

Then there are those for whom spring is a curse and who might think of spring fever as the bad kind of fever. There may be some truth to this as well. Some experience a more depressed mood and lack of energy at the start of spring as their bodies adjust. One theory is that the body has used up so much of its serotonin reserves by the end of winter that it leaves people depleted. The return of sunlight helps re-make this serotonin, but the physical process and the hormonal fluctuations involved can cause lethargy.

Some researchers have even hypothesized that rising temperatures cause blood vessels to expand and lead to a drop in blood pressure, leading to headaches. Then there are the people who suffer from “reverse seasonal affective disorder.” The list of spring maladies goes on and on.

However, fever isn’t typically a symptom of any of these reactions, so spring “fever” is more of a nickname.

And don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the allergy sufferers! For so many of us, spring pollen and the swirling of dust particles that occurs as we open our windows again can be a real downer. While allergies don’t cause a fever either, sinus infections can. –WTF fun facts

Source: “Does“Spring Fever”Exist?” — Scientific American

WTF Fun Fact 12431 – The Disappearing Tuscan Village

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Lake Vagli in Tuscany is a man-made reservoir created in 1946 when a dam was built nearby. At the time, the hydroelectric dam forced the 150 residents of the 12th-century medieval village to abandon it entirely and be relocated to the nearby town of Vagli Sotto.

However, when maintenance is done on the dam, the lake drains, and the village reemerges and becomes a popular tourist attraction. People have only seen the village four times since the dam was built – in 1958, 1974, 1983 and 1994. However, there will be another opportunity in 2023 when 34 million cubic meters of water are removed yet again.

In 1994, the last time the village was visible, nearly 1 million people came to see it, providing a significant tourism boon to the area. Visitors can see medieval homes, bridges, a cemetery, and a church.

If you’re planning a trip to Italy next year, plan to stop in Tuscany’s Lucca province for a look. But you may want to check on its progress first. The lake was supposed to be drained in 2021, and presumably, the pandemic stopped that. It takes an amazing amount of effort to reveal the village though, so the Italians are likely to make a big deal out of it. – WTF fun facts 

Source: “Italian village underwater since 1994 could resurface” — CNN