Up to 70% of people will experience a hypnagogic jerk when falling asleep. A hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary muscle spasm that occurs as a person is drifting off to sleep. The phenomenon is so named in reference to the hypnogogic state — the transitional period between wakefulness and sleep.
18th century infamous rivals, Kitty Fisher and Maria…
18th century infamous rivals, Kitty Fisher and Maria Gunninng, died the same way by lead poisoning by excessive use of make-up. At the time, make-up contained Lead, a poisonous substance, that would make a person look pale. A sign of beauty at the time.
Research indicates black Americans really do tip waiters less…
Research indicates black Americans really do tip waiters less than whites Americans, but likely as part of a cycle: waiters resist serving African Americans, or they provide poorer service, which discourages blacks from patronizing table-service restaurants.
In 2008 a school Camden, NJ forced 7 students to eat their…
In 2008 a school Camden, NJ forced students to eat their lunch off the floor for 2 weeks after a child accidentally spilled water while refilling a water cooler. 7 students won a $500,000 legal settlement.
Detroit’s city flag contains a four-world Latin phrase…
Detroit’s city flag contains a four-world Latin phrase on the seal: “Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus.” It translates to “we hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes”. But it’s not a reference to the city’s present-day struggles. The flag was designed in 1907 and officially adopted in 1948, and the motto dates back […]
In 1923 the State of Illinois passed an act declaring “American”…
In 1923 the State of Illinois passed an act declaring “American” (as opposed to “English”) to be the state’s official language. The act was proposed by Senator Frank J. Ryan of Chicago who was “fed up” with American being called English. Ryan, in turn, got the idea from Montana Congressman Washington McCormick, who had tried, […]
Chinese mathematician Yitang Zhang could not get an academic…
Chinese mathematician Yitang Zhang could not get an academic job upon graduating, having to work as an accountant and a delivery worker for a New York City restaurant. He later went on to solve a math problem that had been unsolved for 150 years and won a MacArthur Genius Grant.
A 75 year old woman was arrested after she took a hammer…
A 75 year old woman was arrested after she took a hammer to a Comcast customer service center and smashed up the waiting room. “It had never occurred to me to take a hammer to a phone company before, but I was just so upset…”
In the event of a quarantine situation in New York City…
In the event of a quarantine situation in New York City, The U.S. Government has a contingency plan of placing snipers in strategic locations to prevent people from escaping the Island of Manhattan on inflatable mattresses.
The F-117A stealth fighter shot down by the Serbians…
The F-117A stealth fighter shot down by the Serbians in 1999 was picked up on radar because it had opened its internal bomb doors – the open doors increased its radar profile, allowing a SAM missile crew to get a lock on.