Every winter, Lost Lake Oregon drains through a mysterious hole, the origin of which has baffled scientists for years. Dondurma is thought to have originated in Maraş, Turkey, which is why it’s also called “Turkish ice cream,” though it is also found in the Eastern Mediterranean. A parasitic marine isopoda, the tongue eating louse makes its way inside the fish’s mouth, where it attaches to the tongue—all while undergoing a sex change. You’ve heard of The Muppets. But have you heard of Wilkins and Wontkins? These two early Muppets characters featured in commercials for Wilkins Coffee in the 1950s. Kopi luwak, otherwise known as “cat poop coffee,” is the world’s most expensive coffee. But there’s a dark side to the industry, which has been criticized in recent years. The oakleaf or dead leaf butterfly is commonly cited as a classical example of camouflage: with its wings closed, it resembles a dry leaf, making it safe from predators. The bird eating spider, also known as the Goliath birdeater, is the largest spider on the planet. Despite its name, however, it rarely preys on birds, preferring small rodents, amphibians, and insects instead. Cotton Candy grapes are a taste sensation but the path to cotton candy enlightenment was an arduous journey. From ten thousand plants, just one was selected. The Countess of Castiglione would use her beauty to seduce a monarch and influence the formation of Italy. However, her true legacy was her pioneering work in photography. Dead skin cells, pet hair and carpet fibres are part of the cornucopia of ingredients that make up dust. No surprises there, but could dust have a sinister side? Mostly invisible to the naked eye, dark lightning produces enormous bursts of gamma rays that create showers of electrons and positrons, the electrons’ anti-matter equivalent. Is vegan leather ethical? It depends, but a new generation of vegan leather products are trying to usurp real leather as a sustainable replacement. Discovered at a depth of 1980 metres below the earth’s surface; the eyeless Deep Cave Springtail is currently the world’s deepest living creature. The 1904 Olympic Marathon had 32 questionable athletes who engaged in ridiculous acts that would’ve gotten them disqualified today. From a shy girl who suffered panic attacks to a professional bodybuilder, Yeon Woo Jhi is an inspiration and a force to be reckoned with. An extinct flightless bird found only on the island of Mauritius, the dodo has been extinct for over 350 years, giving rise to the expression “as dead as a dodo.” Humans have unearthed only a fraction of Libyan Desert Glass, a naturally occurring glass found on a scale unlike anywhere else in the world. In 1883, a volcano erupted on a small island in Indonesia with such force that it tore the island in two and resulted in the Loudest Sound Ever. Evidence suggest the CIA’s “heart attack gun” was inspired by the KGB’s spray gun: both weapons caused heart attacks in their victims. Pablo EskoBear died after ingesting 40 kg of cocaine. He now stands as a lesson to us all in the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall. A weeb, or weeaboo, is a Japanophile: someone who appreciates and loves Japanese culture, its people and history. The previous term, “Wapanese,” is now considered derogatory.
Lost Lake Oregon: The Lake That Disappears in Winter
Dondurma: Turkish Ice Cream Like No Other
Tongue Eating Louse: The Parasite That Undergoes Sex Change
Wilkins Coffee Commercials and the Muppets You Never Knew
Cat Poop Coffee: The Dark Side of the Luxury Beverage
The Dead Leaf Butterfly: Creatures of Camouflage
Theraphosa blondi: The Bird Eating Spider
How Are Cotton Candy Grapes Made? Designer Fruit Alchemy
The Countess of Castiglione: Napoleonic Femme Fatale
Where Does Dust Come From, and Does it Have a Sinister Side?
Dark Lightning: A Cosmic Force on Earth
What is Vegan Leather Anyway?
Deep Cave Springtail: The Deepest Land Animal
The Unbelievable Ridiculousness of the 1904 Olympic Marathon
The Transformation of Yeon Woo Jhi
As Dead as a Dodo: Who Actually Did the Deed?
The Secret Behind Libyan Desert Glass
You Need to Know about the Loudest Sound Ever
Was There Really a CIA Heart Attack Gun?
Cocaine Bear of Kentucky: When Animals Go Wild
What Is a Weeb or Weeaboo?
The Bundling Bag: Controlling 17th Century Teenage Hormones
The custom of the bundling bag has existed within Western Europe and later North America for over half a millennia. It is allegedly still practiced by some religious New England communities.