wtf fun fact

WTF Fun Fact 12760 – 4th of July in Space

A 4th of July in space is certainly one to remember.

But space isn’t the first place we’d think of as an ideal place to celebrate America’s independence day. After all, the good hot dogs are down on Earth.

STS-4 mission astronauts TK Mattingly and Hank Hartsfield were the first astronauts to do it. It took 20 years of space flight for astronauts to be there on that day. Now, with the International Space Station almost always occupied, it’s quite common.

Space shuttle Columbia’s 4th of July in space

The first time it happened was on July 4, 1982

According to NASA (cited below): “That all changed with the STS-4 mission. On July 4, 1982, on the final day of their mission, astronauts Thomas K. ‘TK’ Mattingly and Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield guided space shuttle Columbia to its first concrete runway landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. President Ronald W. Reagan, who two years later instructed NASA to develop a space station, and First Lady Nancy Reagan greeted Mattingly and Hartsfield as they disembarked from Columbia. Shortly thereafter, the President led a celebration in front of space shuttle Enterprise, saying, “TK and Hank, you’ve just given the American people a Fourth of July present to remember.“ To cap off the event attended by 45,000 people and broadcast on television, President Reagan gave the signal for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying Challenger, NASA’s newest space shuttle orbiter, to take off to begin its transcontinental ferry flight to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.”

After that, Independence Day in space became more common.

Future Independence Days in space

NASA described future July 4th space flights: “Ten years passed before another crew celebrated the Fourth of July holiday in space. The seven astronauts of STS-50 had completed about half of their 14-day USML-1 mission on July 4, 1992, but the busy pace of the science flight allowed little time for celebrations. Three years later, 10 people orbited the Earth during the historic STS-71 first shuttle docking mission to the Mir space station. In fact, on July 4, 1995, space shuttle Atlantis undocked from Mir, returning NASA astronaut Norman E. Thagard and his two Russian cosmonaut colleagues from a three-month mission aboard Mir. By coincidence, for shuttle crew members Bonnie J. Dunbar and Ellen S. Baker, this marked their second Fourth of July in space as they both served on the STS-50 crew three years earlier. The day’s undocking activities left little time for celebrating, although Mission Control played “America the Beautiful” as the wake-up song that morning. To satisfy Thagard’s request, following their landing at KSC, ground teams treated him and his colleagues to some belated Fourth of July fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, and hot fudge sundaes.” – WTF fun facts

Source: “Fourth of July Holidays in Space” — NASA

WTF Fun Fact 12759 – The Bayeux Tapestry

No one knows the exact origins of the Bayeux Tapestry. Our best guess is that it was commissioned in the 1070s, even though the first written reference to it wasn’t until 1476.

Hundreds of years later, this famous piece of medieval art was described in a cathedral treasury as “a very long and narrow hanging on which are embroidered figures and inscriptions comprising a representation of the conquest of England.”

And that’s precisely what it is. And when they say “very long,” they mean it’s over 200 feet long. That’s a lot of embroidering.

The Bayeux Tapestry

Historians believe the tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, who was the half-brother of William the Conqueror. Some say it was created in Kent, England even though it eventually made its way to Bayeux, which is in Normandy, France. That’s where you can still find it today (though there’s a painstakingly-made replica at the British Museum.)

Britannica (cited below) describes the scenes: “The story begins with a prelude to Harold’s visit to Bosham on his way to Normandy (1064?) and ends with the flight of Harold’s English forces from Hastings (October 1066); originally, the story may have been taken further, but the end of the strip has perished. Along the top and the bottom run decorative borders with figures of animals, scenes from the fables of Aesop and Phaedrus, scenes from husbandry and the chase, and occasionally scenes related to the main pictorial narrative.”

Tapestry as history

The tapestry is considered a historical document. And we should be glad it’s safe – it has escaped destruction many times. According to Britannica:

“When first referred to (1476), the tapestry was used once a year to decorate the nave of the cathedral in Bayeux, France. There it was “discovered” by the French antiquarian and scholar Bernard de Montfaucon, who published the earliest complete reproduction of it in 1730. Having twice narrowly escaped destruction during the French Revolution, it was exhibited in Paris at Napoleon’s wish in 1803–04 and thereafter was in civil custody at Bayeux, except in 1871 (during the Franco-German War) and from September 1939 to March 1945 (during World War II).”

The Bayeux Tapestry is also the first depiction of Halley’s comet as well, which we know appeared in 1066 during the Norman Conquest. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, as William the Conqueror left for England, “a portent such as men had never seen before was seen in the heavens.”

It was considered bad luck at the time for the English King Harold II, who was defeated at the Battle of Hastings. – WTF fun facts

Source: “The Bayeux Tapestry” — Britannica

WTF Fun Fact 12758 – Jason deCaires Taylor’s Underwater Sculptures

Jason deCaires Taylor is an environmentalist and artist who is drawing attention both to and away from the world’s vulnerable ocean reefs.

While there are many factors affecting the world reefs and the rest of the aquatic ecosystems, tourism has been a major factor in damaging some of these structures. So Taylor has decided to give people something else to visit – underwater sculptures.

The underwater sculpture parks of Jason deCaires Taylor

Throughout the world’s oceans, you will find amazing, sustainably made sculptures – and in some cases entire sculpture parks. Divers can not only visit these, but in some cases they are becoming their own ecosystems.

According to CBS News (cited below0: “Each year, over half a million people worldwide visit Taylor’s museums and sculpture parks. These unique underwater attractions act as portals to the marine world and provide visitors with intimate encounters with marine life and an alternative perspective on our blue planet.”

The underwater sculpture park

Luckily, you don’t have to be an expert diver to visit many of these creations. In fact, you can just get out your snorkle for most of them.

Taylor’s Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park off the coast of Grenada is a mere 15 feet deep. It was created after a hurricane damaged many coral reefs off the coast of the island.

According to CBS news: “The sculptures made of non-polluting concrete kept growing and changing as ocean creatures moved into them along with plants and fish. Coral is slowly turning the sculptures into artificial reefs.”

Encouraging life under the sea

Taylor builds his eco-friendly pH-neutral concrete sculptures in barren parts of the underwater world. That way, he’s not displacing anything that already lives there.

In the end, the fact that his art encourages life to flourish nearby is giving aquatic creates more options to sustain life. – WTF fun facts

Source: “Artist turns seafloor into art by creating underwater museums” — CBS News

WTF Fun Fact 12756 – Roadless Giethoorn Village

If you’re headed to The Netherlands to visit the Dutch village of Giethoorn, don’t bother renting a car. There’s nowhere to drive it.

Most of Giethoorn is traversed by boat along its canals. Of course, if you need some more exercise, there are paths for pedestrians and bicycles.

Visiting a fairytale in Giethoorn Village

Many call it a “fairytale” village, in part because of the thatched-roof houses and beautiful views. But it’s also incredibly quiet without any automobiles adding to the noise pollution.

The village is a collection of small “peat islands,” and those islands are connected by bridges (but they’re still not roadways). It is believed to have been founded in the 12th century and named in the 13th century.

According to National Geographic (cited below): “The story goes that its original farmer-settlers discovered a collection of horns belonging to wild goats thought to have died in the Flood of 1170. “Goat horn,” or “Geytenhoren,” was shortened to Giethoorn, and the name stuck. Centuries post-flood, water continues to define the village’s living history and landscape.”

When you boat, hike, or otherwise traverse the landscape, all you can hear is nature.

Getting to Giethoorn Village

NatGeo also tells you how to plan a trip: “You can get to Giethoorn by a combination of train and bus. To avoid crowds, opt for the months of April, May, June, or September, and keep in mind that weekday visits may be best. Though this “Dutch Venice” feels quite removed from capital city of Amsterdam, it’s only about 75 miles away. And a two-hour journey is well worth the feeling of traveling back in time.”

I don’t know about you, but I could certainly use some peace and quiet and a few days away from honking horns, revving motorcycles, and all the city sounds that make it hard to hear the natural world. – WTF fun facts

Source: “Visit the charming Dutch village where cars aren’t allowed” — National Geographic

WTF Fun Fact 12755 – The Caño Cristales, Colombia

The Caño Cristales is a river in Colombia that some call the “Liquid Rainbow.”

But before you start planning a trip to the Colombian National Park of La Macarena, you should know that it’s rare to see all of these colors together. For the most part, the river looks red.

What causes the colors of the Caño Cristales?

The water of the river is actually crystal clear. It’s what lies beneath that brings the river to life – quite literally.

The Caño Cristales lies at the center of three distinct ecosystems, so it’s hard for flora or fauna to thrive there. But one organism has managed to get the hang of it –

is quite clear due to a lack of biodiversity. The colors are caused by red algae called Macarenia clavigera that cling to the rocks beneath and reflect different hues depending on the depth of the water and time of year.

Care for a visit to Caño Cristales?

If you do want to visit the Caño Cristales, it’s most colorful during the algal bloom and will turn red from late May and late November, but the peak time to see the colors is between July and October.

But you cannot visit alone – it’s just too hard to get to. You’ll need a guide for the park. You also cannot swim or be anywhere near the river if you’re wearing sunscreen or any body cream, since it may kill the algae.

But according to Culture Trip, “In spite of that, there is a lot more to see and do on a tour to Caño Cristales than just seeing the red river. The river itself is located alongside the huge La Macarena National Park, which is a vast area home to savannahs, incredible rock formations, jungles, and bird and mammal watching. Most tours last three to four days and take in a variety of sights.” – WTF fun facts

Source: “10 Things to Know Before Visiting Caño Cristales, Colombia” — The Culture Trip

WTF Fun Fact 12754 – Sudan Pyramids Outnumber Egypt’s

Interested in ancient civilizations? Want to see pyramids without all the tourists? Then you may want to consider visiting the Meroe region in Sudan. In Sudan, pyramids outnumber the Egyptian kind by nearly 2:1.

Nubian pyramids in Sudan

The pyramids belong to the ancient Nubian kings, who lived in the northern part of present-day Sudan. Meroe was the capital city of the Kingdom of Kush. The structures themselves are nearly 5000 years old and are largely untouched these days.

The main source of destruction to the pyramids was an Italian “explorer” named Giuseppe Ferlini. He blew up quite a few and destroyed the tops of many structures in his hunt for the kings’ treasures in the 1880s.

What’s inside Sudan’s pyramids

These little-known Nubian tombs have paintings on the inside celebrating the kings buried inside. And since the Nubians did business with other ancient civilizations, you can see Greek and Roman, influences in the artwork.

Since the Kushite kingdom is part of the Nile River Valley, the most prominent influence is that of the Egyptians. (Of course, Egypt’s pyramids are much older, dating back to the era of the New Kingdom from the 16th century BC to the 11th century BC).

Of course, many of the tombs were raided by Ferlini during his destructive episode, and the “loot” now resides in many European museums. But they had been plundered in ancient times as well.

Preserving the past

Luckily, the Nubian pyramids are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are generally protected from more harm. Until 2019, National Geographic funded further excavations of the site to learn more about the ancient kings and their civilization.

Much of the excavations require researchers to dive underwater to enter the structures.

According to NatGeo, “The largest and oldest pyramid at Nuri belongs to its most famous resident: the pharaoh Taharqa, a Kushite king who in the seventh century B.C. rallied his troops to the northern edges of his empire to defend Jerusalem from the Assyrians, earning him a mention in the Old Testament.” – WTF fun facts

Source: “Dive beneath the pyramids of Sudan’s black pharaohs” — National Geographic

WTF Fun Fact 12753 – The Rarity of Green Eyes

We knew green eyes were rare, but they seem even more special knowing that only 2% of people in the world have them.

Green-eyed people are everywhere

But if your friend tells you their newborn has green eyes, they’re clearly seeing something different. All babies are born with some shade of brown or blue eyes. As their eyes are exposed to more light over time, their eye color begins to change into what their own unique genetics dictates. But this can take up to three years!

It may be no surprise that most people with green eyes can be found in Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Europe (or they’re descendants of people from that area). The red hair-green eye combo is pretty classic. However, anyone can technically have green eyes, including people who are Black, Arabic, Hispanic/Latino, etc.

If you were to guess the country with the most green-eyed people, would you choose Ireland? We would have. But, in fact, Iceland is the country with the largest population of green-eyed people. in fact, over 80% of Icelanders have blue or green eyes.

The myth of the Punnett square

Another interesting thing about eye color is that it’s not as simple as we learned in high school biology (remember Punnett squares?!). Genetics plays a role, but the contribution of different genes to our melanin cells (the cells that give our skin and eyes their pigment) is more complicated than we were taught. So don’t break out the paternity test as soon as you see an unexpected eye color. Even two parents with blue eyes can have a brown-eyed child!

Eye color is actually a polygenic trait (whereas Punnett squares would have had us believe it just took two genes and no more).

People with blue eyes have genes that produce the fewest melanin cells. Green-eyed people have more melanin in their eyes than blue-eyed people. But it’s the combination of that along with the presence of a yellow pigment called lipochrome that makes eyes appear green. – WTF fun facts

Source: “12 Mind-Blowing Facts About Your Body” — Newsweek

WTF Fun Fact 12751 – Snails Can Sleep For 3 Years

You know have knowns snails live their lives at a leisurely pace, but snails can actually sleep for three years at a time!

They’re also hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female reproductive organs, so they don’t even need other snails to mate. They are the ultimate hermits.

But those three-year naps aren’t necessarily a good thing (no matter how comforting they might sound to your right now).

Snails sleep longest in summer

Some snail hibernation is called “estivation.” Hibernation is something that happens when animals sleep to conserve energy in the winter. Snails also sleep in the summer – that’s estivation. Snails can actually do both, but it mostly depends on species or geography (nevertheless, it’s still a skill we’re jealous of).

But why do snails sleep for three years?

Well, not all do. In fact, a three-year estivation typically occurs when the snail’s resources are so depleted that it’s either sleep-or-die. (Yes, we know how relatable this sounds – especially if you have little ones.)

A gooey slumber

Even if snails are estivating for much shorter periods of time, they secrete mucus that covers their whole bodies if the weather is too hot or dry. The mucus helps to protect them from hot or dry weather.

Snails need moisture to survive, so they just provide their own!

Of course, a gooey nap doesn’t protect them from predators thinking they’re dead.

Snail power naps

Snails usually sleep for about 15 hours at a time and then are awake for 30 hours. But that’s under optimal environmental conditions (which are kind of hard to come by these days, no matter what your species.)

This kind of sounds like a productive schedule, if we’re being honest. (Or maybe we could just use a very alert 30 hours to get our work done.)

Beware the sleeping snail

If you think a snail is dead, consider that it may just be taking a power nap. This is especially the case if you keep a snail as a pet. If it is stuck to the side of an aquarium but not moving, it’s likely still alive because it’s secreting mucus to make it stick.

Pet snails are unlikely to hibernate for years (mostly because if humans are providing suboptimal conditions, it’s likely bad enough to just kill the snail).

If the snail’s body is shriveled and dry (if you can see into the shell), then the snail is almost certainly dead (sorry for your loss).

And if you see a snail in the garden, well, that’s up to you and how much you want them around, but crushing it because you think it’s dead could be a deadly mistake for the snail.

– WTF fun facts

Source: “Let’s Learn Exactly How Some Snails Sleep” — AZ Pet Vet

WTF Fun Fact 12750 – The Corpus of Galen of Pergamon

Galen of Pergamon was a Greek physician working in the Roman Empire in the second century AD. It’s believed he wrote hundreds of treatises. He was a well-known figure in his own time who treated politicians (including Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius) and gladiators alike.

Galen of Pergamon’s treatises

Galen wrote so many medical treatises during his lifetime that had to distill them later on into at least three treatises. He titled these: “On My Own Books,” “On the Order of My Own Books,” and “On My Own Opinions” (the latter only survives in fragments).

He wrote about anatomy and physiology, ethics, pharmacy, medical instruments, hygiene, and even the philosophy of medicine. Much of his work was based on the Hippocratic Corpus. However, he took issue with many of the ideas in those ancient Greek works.

By writing the organizing treatises, Galen meant to set out a curriculum for aspiring doctors. This would allow them to understand the order in which to read his books and what larger philosophical points to take away from each.

Galen outside of medicine

Galen was so prolific that he even wrote on subjects that typically lie outside medicine, such as linguistics. But many of those works are lost and we only know about them via references in other treatises.

Galen is also considered an ancient philosopher and engaged with matter of logic and the texts of Aristotle, Plato, and the Stoics.

Despite all of his medical experimentation and the scientific nature of his writing, he also claimed to have knowledge of medicine thanks to the ancient Greek healing god Asclepius. He also believed that the human body was such a perfect and divine machine that it was certainly created by a greater being. However, he does not engage directly with other metaphysical questions about what else that god might believe or dictate about the world.

– WTF fun facts

Source: “Galen” — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy