10 Random Facts - September 2020 Edition

1. Crabs have some really cool physical features.

For instance, their stomachs have teeth to help them digest food since most crabs have rather soft mouths. Another fun feature that most crabs share is their flat bodies that enable them to fit in narrow spaces. A small amount of land crabs even have lungs as well as gills meaning that they have dual-circulatory systems.

Bonus Fact: Hermit crabs are not true crabs. They were misnamed and are technically more closely related to certain kinds of lobsters than to their namesakes.

2. Dandelions are so much more than weeds.

While scientifically these flowers are actually weeds they're still undeniably beautiful and can mean many different things. Technically the name originates from the word Dens-leonis which means "lions tooth". But the dandelion's floral meaning is to provide happiness and promise total faithfulness to a loved one. They can also represent healing since they have some medicinal properties among their many uses. A lot of people put them in salads, but they can even be used to make wine.

3. American Eskimo dogs didn't come from America.

In reality the dog came from Germany and are descendants of the German Spitz. They came to America with their German owners when they immigrated. Once they got here they became quite popular as family pets, and even found some fame in the circus. The dogs were easily trainable and could perform numerous agility tricks, so this made them perfect for circus life. In fact, the Eskie was the first dog that we know of to walk a tightrope.

4. Originally Pilates was done completely on the mat.

Over time people have added different variations to the popular workout including Yogalates and Piloxing. They've also added different equipment to change things up, but in the beginning Joe Pilates (who was as you can guess the creator of the exercise) had a sequence of thirty-four mat exercises. These include classics like the hundred and the roll-up, and the less well known ones such as high scissors or the crab.

5. Some beans can be poisonous.

Well some uncooked beans at least. Red kidney beans are dangerous if left uncooked because of a toxin in them called phytohaemagglutinin. You'll experience severe nausea and vomiting which should clear up after a few hours. You can avoid this by simply boiling the beans for at least ten minutes, and you should keep in mind that even you plan to cook the beans in your slow cooker you still need to follow this rule because if you cook the beans at less than boiling temperatures it will only multiply the toxicity. Raw lima beans contain something called linamarin which decomposes after you consume the bean into a toxic chemical called hydrogen cyanide. And although in the U.S. lima beans are required to have relatively low levels it can still be deadly if consumed in large quantities so it's extra important to make sure to cook those beans for at least ten minutes as well.

6. There's more behind the sounds in Overwatch than you know.

That glorious sound you hear when you hit something, it's the sound of a beer bottle opening. In reverse! And did you know that each character has their own unique footsteps? This enables experienced and wily players to recognize who their foe is before they're even visible, giving them a nice advantage.

7. Your laundry gets way dirtier than you think.

After you read the following, I guarantee your clean laundry will smell that much fresher to you. Believe it or not, on any given day an average adult will produce about one liter of sweat, and that's not all. Your body also produces about ten grams of salt, forty grams of grease and sebum, and ten grams of skin cells and flakes. Since most of that ends up on your clothes... needless to say laundry is very important. And honestly the grossest part of this newfound information is that seventy percent of laundry soil is invisible so you never really see just how dirty your clothes are.

8. Charlie Puth's famous eyebrow slit isn't purposeful.

It actually has a way more frightening story behind it. When Puth was just two years old he was attacked by a dog and almost died from the head trauma. The injury required quite a few stitches and resulted in a permanent circular scar on his right eyebrow. The singer actually disapproves of his fans shaving their eyebrows to mimic him saying that when he sees those pics online he thinks, "Oh goodness, I hope your Mom doesn't get mad at you."

9. There is a rather strange ship in the comic world having to do with Avengers.

In the comics there are many different universes. Some of them are familiar, this one is not. Apparently in this universe Tony is actually Natasha and she goes by Iron Woman. Not too weird so far, I'm all for that girl power. But get this, she ends up not only falling for but marrying Steve Rogers. 😳 You heard it correctly, Mrs. Captain America. What would Pepper say?

10. Scientists used to think that the brachiosaurus could swim.

They thought that such a huge thing couldn't live on land, and that they needed the water's help to support their weight. Their theory was also "supported" by the fact that the brachiosaurus's nostrils were on the top of its head. Which would make sense if you think about them walking along the bottom of bodies of water and sticking their neck and head up like a giant snorkel to eat and breathe. But as cool as that would've been unfortunately science disagrees. You see, sauropods (which the brachiosaurus was) had air-filled pockets inside of them. Therefore if they entered too deep of water, it would've made them buoyant and unstable. So since they float, the theory sunk.