Tower of Terror
The most forceful rollercoaster in the world is “Tower of Terror” at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg, South Africa. At the bottom of the ride’s huge drop, people experience a G-force of 6.3g, twice the G-force of a space shuttle launch.
In 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patented riveted jeans to reinforce stress points for hard-working miners.
Tom Hanks is Abraham Lincoln’s third cousin, four generations removed.
Messi sent a signed jersey to a boy who wore one made from a plastic bag.
Daisugi is a 14th-century Japanese pruning method that produces straight lumber while keeping the parent tree alive and intact.
Inspired by trampolines, Moon Shoes let kids bounce—but led to twisted ankles and safety recalls.
Snow gum trees reveal colorful bark streaks as outer layers peel and oxidize at different stages.
Geta sandals elevate feet from mud and once let geishas announce their presence through distinct, echoing clicks
These common veggies don’t grow in the wild—they were bred from wild cabbage.
Erika Eiffel symbolically married the Eiffel Tower, highlighting objectophilia and challenging norms about love and identity.
Avocados contain persin, which is toxic to many animals.
Doha, Qatar is the first city to use blue roads to lower asphalt temperatures by up to 20°C.
Bolivia’s San Pedro Prison runs without guards inside—prisoners govern, work, and live with their families.
The packaging problems of round fruit can be solved by making them square. In Korea, some apples are grown in plastic moulds so they take on a square shape.
Jupiter’s moon Ganymede may have more water than Earth—beneath its frozen surface.
Superstition leads many skyscrapers to skip labeling the 13th floor—though it still exists physically.
The arteries of a blue whale are so massive, a human could swim through the largest ones.
In 2018, a typo at Samsung Securities triggered a $100B stock error—causing chaos and a sharp price drop.
Ostriches have the largest eyes of any land animal—great for spotting danger on the savanna.
During WWII, British women carried gas mask handbags—blending fashion with survival; today, they’re rare, clever collectibles.
Legend says the Chesterfield was designed to keep coats crisp and catch cigar ash in its folds.
Built in 312 BC, this Roman road has stood the test of time.
Innovative Pugedon machines in Istanbul let people recycle bottles and cans to dispense food and water for stray dogs and cats.
