Random Most Surprising Things We Learned In 2022 (17 items)

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  (#7) Turtles Breathe Out Of Their Butts To Survive Winter Under Frozen Water

  Animals often go to great lengths to survive the winter. Birds fly thousands of miles south looking for warmer weather; bears and some reptiles store up fat and body heat to hibernate during the colder months; other critters grow thick furs or fluffier feathers to serve as winter coats - and turtles breathe through their butts. 

  North American pond turtles spend more than half of their lives without air underwater, so it's no surprise the species has adapted some interesting coping strategies for surviving changing climates. These aquatic turtles dwell in frigid conditions during the winter months, forcing them to lower their body temperatures and significantly slow their metabolisms for survival.

  This technique, called brumation, makes breathing much less important, as the hardy reptiles need smaller amounts of oxygen to survive. Still, they do need a little air to keep them moving in the winter months. So, they use a technique called cloacal respiration - a process that filters oxygen directly from the water through their butts and into their lungs.
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  (#11) In The 18th Century, Powdered Wigs Were A Popular Way For The Elite To Hide Their Syphilis

  In the second half of the 18th century, powdered wigs became a major status symbol for the ruling class. Syphilis was the main cause of these wigs coming into fashion, as the disease was rampant in Europe during the period and affected more Europeans than the plague.

  With the hairline being an important symbol of status for men at the time, the syphilitic side effect that caused patchy hair loss and the graying of one’s hair obviously was a large concern. Wigs became the easy (yet expensive) fix for hiding the hairline.

  Once King Louis XIV of France and his cousin King Charles II began wearing them, the fashion quickly caught on with other members of the ruling class, courtiers, and eventually merchants. The white powdered wigs eventually fell out of favor, replaced by individuals simply powdering their own natural hair instead.
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  (#17) Lightning Can Absolutely Strike The Same Place Twice

  It's highly likely that lightning will strike in the same place more than once, especially if it hits an exceptionally tall and protruding object. The Empire State Building, for example, is struck approximately 25 times a year. 

  Also, just because the sky is clear doesn't mean that outdoor enthusiasts should ignore warning signs of an impending storm. If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to become a physical danger - even if there isn't a cloud in sight. 
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  (#12) Gin and tonic

  • Beverage

  Malaria in colonial India was a major problem for British citizens and soldiers and, as a result, they relied on quinine to combat the disease. Derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, quinine was popular with European settlers in South America during the 17th century as an anti-fever drug. In colonial India, it was again used for fevers, and due to its bitterness, was usually mixed with soda water and sugar.

  The bubbly beverage soon became a new drink - tonic water; the first patents for it appeared as early as 1858. Schweppes tonic water entered the market in 1870 as "Indian Quinine Tonic" and was mixed with alcohol, namely gin. 

  The addition of gin to quinine and tonic water had been taking place for decades by the time commercial concoctions came on the scene. In British India, a daily gin and tonic was essential to maintaining imperial control. Part medicinal and part social, imbibing these cocktails became part of life for British expatriates. When they returned to England or ventured to other parts of the world, gin-and-tonic drinkers took their affinity for the beverage with them.  
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  (#4) Dragonflies

  • Book

  Dragonflies have a 95% success rate in killing their prey, making them the most successful predatory hunters on the planet. In comparison, cheetahs have a 58% success rate, and lions are successful only 25% of the time. 

  Dragonflies' slender bodies, long, transparent wings, and multifaceted eyes make the insects ideal hunters. They can fly at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, and their wingspan and design offer the predatory insects agility and mobility their prey lack. Dragonflies are also equipped with multiple lenses and a vast field of vision, with brainpower that is evolved enough to course-correct as soon as they lose sight of their prey.

  This is excellent news for humans because dragonflies' most probable targets are pesky summer insects people try to avoid, such as mosquitoes and flies.
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  (#1) An 'I've Got A Secret' Contestant Witnessed The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln

  Born in 1860, Samuel J. Seymour of Maryland was a guest on I've Got a Secret in 1956 at the age of 96, when he told the panel and audience that he witnessed the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. 

  In 1865, at the age of 5, Seymour, his nurse Sarah Cook, and his godmother Mrs. George S. Goldsborough went to see Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre. He recalled sitting in balcony seats across from the Presidential Box when he witnessed John Wilkes Booth leap from the box, and President Lincoln fall over.

  Seymour was one of around 1,500 people present during Lincoln's assassination. 

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