Strange But True


STRANGE BUT TRUE- 007 legends: Culture shaped by Bond, James Bond Published on Mar 5th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. It stands unique as quite likely the only movie in history to establish two urban legends that have remained part of our culture for more than 40 years.–...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Athlete's foot: Big toe gives skiiers an edge Published on Feb 28th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Without looking, can you say whether your big toes are longer than your second toes? Asked another way, do you have a natural athlete's foot? –J. Esposito...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Not happening: Some activities verboten while asleep Published on Feb 21st, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Flying through the air, traveling back in time, talking with the dead... In dreams, it may seem like "anything goes" but it doesn't always work that way. What...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Free-flowing: How bats drink like 'the Count' Published on Feb 19th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. The vampire Dracula is fictional but "draculin" is real stuff. Where might this "horror" be encountered?–B. Stoker A. We're not making up the name. It's...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- High hopes: When are billionaires 10 miles tall? Published on Feb 14th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Imagine the world's people going by in single file, starting with the heightless and proceeding gradually to the very tallest. The procession takes a full hour...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Not silly: There's gold in that plastic egg Published on Feb 12th, 2008 1 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. At times it'll act like a liquid, at times like a solid. It can flow, bounce, stretch when pulled slowly or break if pulled fast. What were General Electric...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Counting sheep: Numbers not what they appear Published on Feb 7th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. "I see you've got 3 fine sheep in the field there," you say to the farmer. "Actually," he replies, "there might be 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 or 4, depending." Depending on...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Shirt on: Amplification rules the trusty tube Published on Feb 5th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. At your doctor's for a routine physical, you're feeling a bit rambunctious and ask what she can hear through that trusty stethoscope of hers. "And hey, Doc,"...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Blind images: They'll see you in their dreams Published on Jan 31st, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Do the blind picture the people they meet but have never seen? –Homer A. It is well-established that people who lose their sight through disease or...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Don't be picky: 'Splendid splinters' can be deadly Published on Jan 24th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. They're the oldest nonlithic tools in service of the oldest human habit. The American writer Sherwood Anderson died from using one of these– and you could...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Emotional rescues: Why silly love songs aren't silly Published on Jan 22nd, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Why are love songs so moving to so many of us?–P. McCartney A. They obviously pique our sense of beauty, memory, regret, longing, sensuality. And there's...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Hot hornet: Bees kill invader with body heat Published on Jan 17th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. The giant hornet Vespa mandarinia japonica invades a hive of Japanese bees upon which it preys, but they will have none of it. Within 20 minutes, the hornet is...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Crocodile rocks: what makes it all go down easy Published on Jan 15th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. What do crocodiles, feeding often on whole fish, muskrats, turtles, etc., use for a digestive aid?–E. John A. They swallow stones– up to 15 pounds...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Tastes like... Don't say it; just enjoy! Published on Jan 10th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. On the world's menu are dung-driven coffee, saliva soup, maggot cheese, and more. Are these foods "in bad taste," or are they delicacies? –A. Bourdain A....
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Dining tip: Why you should order the sweetbreads Published on Jan 8th, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. In an unfamiliar restaurant, could an understanding of economics help you decide which menu items to order?–W. Puck A. Despite the daunting plentitude of...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Blow out: Don't burp while lighting up Published on Jan 3rd, 2008 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Well, excuse us, but when might stomach or intestinal gas have explosive consequences? –J. Carrey A. Forget those flame-throwing flatulators of college...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Piece of cake: Getting the most from fewest cuts Published on Dec 20th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. You have one round cake, seven guests, and the scholasticist of the group insisting three straight knife cuts will divide the dessert into eight equi-sized...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Don't sneeze: How to keep a spoon dangling Published on Dec 13th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Here's one for the riotous road: the nose spoon-hang. What keeps the lightweight utensil suspended there, to the amazement or sarcasm of onlookers? –C....
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Don't touch: Tiger poo spy gear tracks enemies Published on Dec 6th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. If ever there were disguised radio transmitters it was these, looking quite harmless but with very serious logistical intent. Had a movie been made about them,...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Death cat: Foresighted feline sees grim reaper Published on Nov 29th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Who was the surprising "angel of death" at a certain nursing home, stopping by for a visit whenever a demise grew imminent? –J. Kevorkian A. An adopted...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Not in the rain: Try singing in the shower Published on Nov 22nd, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Guys, why is the shower stall the perfect place for you to do your Placido Domingo imitation? –M. Carter A. A main reason an amateur singer may sound...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Random acts: Generosity promotes good health Published on Nov 15th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Paying a compliment, telling a funny joke, sending a thank-you note, listening to someone attentively, donating to a hunger center, teaching a child to read,...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Indestructible: Very little fazes cockroaches Published on Nov 8th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Cockroaches are a hardy breed, going back to the time of the dinosaurs. How much punishment can one take? –F. Kafka A. That's what Jason Maron, then a...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Tranquil tabby: Prozac helps keep pets purring Published on Nov 1st, 2007 2 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. What are all those pets doing taking Prozac-like medications? If they're depressed, they certainly can't tell anybody about it. –A. Pontuso A. Psychiatric...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- How sweet! Newlyweds, warriors-- both love honey Published on Oct 25th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. It's pretty robust stuff in that it never spoils– never ever. It's also a handy thing to have around, even on a battlefield: during WWII, it was used to...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Eyes heavy? Can't tell a poker from a pencil? Published on Oct 18th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. When might touching your forearm with a harmless pencil cause blistering like a red-hot poker? –F. Mesmer A. When you've been hypnotized and told the...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Pained: Windows can transmit secrets Published on Oct 11th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. Confidential conversations behind closed doors are one thing. But what about behind closed windows? –B. Clinton A. Maybe you've heard about LIDAR for...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Tailprints? Whirls and loops enhance friction Published on Oct 4th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. What's on the tail of a New World monkey that we humans have as well, and essentially for the same biological reason, though for us their cultural function gets...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Hammered: Spin around and then let 'er rip Published on Sep 27th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. People will tell you it's the crudest and rawest event of the Olympics, where the athlete can lose his balance, get pulled off his feet, and feel like his arms...
STRANGE BUT TRUE- Milking it: How many squirts to fill a canyon? Published on Sep 20th, 2007 0 comments DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. A busy dairy farmer, but maybe not quite busy enough, wonders: "How long would it take my Daisy to fill the Grand Canyon with her milk?" –C. O'Leary...