Although humans being born with tails isn’t exactly common, it’s also not impossibly rare either. There have been 23 cases of true vestigial tails reported since 1884. According to the Annals of Plastic Surgery , “Vestigial tails contain adipose and connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves and are covered by skin. Bone, cartilage, notochord, and spinal cord elements are lacking.” Of course 23 out of approximately 16 billion meets my definition of rare (1.4 E-6).
1 Like
I hear whenever they are asked, " Heads or Tails?", they always pick tails.
1 Like
1 Like
28 Second Mark - Jose Cardenal and Bill Madlock bat at the same time!
1 Like
In honor of the eclipse next week
8 planets in the same night sky
You’ve probably watched action movies where all eight planets align, but this is virtually impossible based on the currently accepted laws of physics. According to experts, all eight planets only line up within 1 degree every 13.4 trillion years. Since scientists think our solar system only formed around 4.6 billion years ago—and roughly 5 billion years from now, our sun will collapse under its own mass—this phenomenon will likely never occur.
While no inhabitants of this solar system will ever see all eight planets align, future generations may be able to see all eight planets within the same 180-degree-wide patch of the night sky. This event is predicted to occur on May 6, 2492. For those who can’t wait quite that long, five planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Mercury—will appear in the same part of the sky in 2040.
1 Like
The odds of the OSIRIS-REx mission successfully collecting a sample from asteroid Bennu are truly remarkable! Let’s break it down:
- Mission Planning and Execution:
- The OSIRIS-REx mission was meticulously planned and executed by a team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and space enthusiasts.
- They had to calculate precise trajectories, design the spacecraft, and ensure it reached Bennu’s vicinity with incredible accuracy.
- Navigating Space and Gravity:
- Bennu is a small, irregularly shaped asteroid hurtling through space.
- The spacecraft had to navigate through the vastness of the cosmos, overcome gravitational forces, and approach Bennu with precision.
- Touch-and-Go Maneuver:
- The most nail-biting moment was the touch-and-go (TAG) maneuver.
- OSIRIS-REx descended to Bennu’s surface, briefly touched it, and collected the sample.
- Imagine the precision required to perform this delicate operation on an asteroid millions of miles away!
- Sample Collection Challenges:
- Bennu’s surface is rugged, covered in boulders, and lacks large flat areas.
- The spacecraft’s sampling arm had to avoid obstacles and find a suitable spot for collection.
- Sample Return Journey:
- After collecting the sample, OSIRIS-REx had to escape Bennu’s gravity and begin its journey back to Earth.
- The sample container had to survive re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.
- Mission Success:
- Despite all these challenges, OSIRIS-REx triumphed!
- It brought back a precious 60-gram sample from an ancient asteroid, providing insights into our cosmic origins.
In summary, the odds of this mission succeeding were incredibly slim, but human ingenuity, determination, and scientific prowess made it possible. 
1 Like
The highest BAC ever recorded in known history - 1.480
The driver initially survived the crash but later died
Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes. BAC is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume of blood.
One standard drinkTrusted Source contains around 14 grams of pure alcohol. That roughly translates to:
- 12 ounces of beer (at 5 percent alcohol)
- 5 ounces of wine (at 12 percent alcohol)
- 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits
As a general rule, one standard drink will increase your BAC by 0.02 percent. So, while it might only take four drinks for you to be legally intoxicated, it’d take quite a bit more to kill you.
The average person would have to consume 25 standard drinks to reach 0.40 percent BAC. Bear in mind that the drink you’re holding might be larger than a standard drink.
For example, you might have more than 12 fluid ounces of beer in your glass, and it might be stronger than 5 percent, in which case it’d take fewer drinks to get you more drunk.
On April 26th, 1975 , former heavyweight champion George Foreman stepped into the ring for one of the most peculiar events in boxing history. In Toronto, he faced the challenge of fighting five opponents consecutively, with each bout scheduled for three rounds
He did have a distinct weight, height, and skill advantage. In mean George days, he was a monster.
1 Like
I’m waiting for the day Mike Tyson faces off against 5 when he’s 80.
1 Like
While FEMA and the insurance companies have developed 100 year flood plans this does not mean these floods occur every 100 years. Fort Calhoun Nebraska (and much of the Missouri River Watershed has seen at or above 100 year flood stages 3 times recently 1954, 2011, 2019. Got the t-shirt in 2011 
2 Likes
Researchers at Ohio State University inspected 10,878 white American baby-booming women.
They looked at their IQ data. You’ll be stunned into removing all the hair dye from your bathroom when I tell you that blondes actually had a slightly higher IQ than women of all the other hair colors.
Blonde women enjoyed an average IQ of 103.2. Those with brown hair mustered a mere 102.7. Redheads managed 101.2. And what’s with black-haired women? Theirs was an average IQ of 100.5.
The appropriately named Marilyn vos Savant is in a class of her own. According to Guinness World Records, her astonishing IQ of 228 is the highest ever recorded.
50 Second Mark - Actually losing your shirt at the poker table!
1 Like
An example of the importance of patience in baseball:
The Chicago Cubs drew six bases-loaded walks in the fifth inning against the Pirates on 5-11-2024, the most by a major league team in a single inning in 65 years.
- Michael Tauchman (double) and Seiya Suzuki (infield single) reached base against Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes to kick off the inning.
- The Pirates then replaced Skenes with reliever Kyle Nicolas, who struck out Cody Bellinger and Christopher Morel.
- However, Nicolas hit Ian Happ with a pitch, setting the stage for the Cubs’ rally.
- The Cubs proceeded to draw bases-loaded walks from Nicolas: Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch, and Miles Mastrobuoni all received free passes.
- The Pirates made another pitching change, bringing in veteran lefty Josh Fleming, but he also struggled. Fleming walked Yan Gomes and allowed an infield single to Tauchman, tying the game at 6-6.
- After a rain delay, the Pirates turned to right-hander Colin Holderman, who issued two more bases-loaded walks: one to Suzuki and another to Bellinger, giving the Cubs a seven-run inning and an 8-6 lead.
- Unfortunately for the Cubs, catcher Yasmani Grandal of the Pirates later hit a three-run home run, securing a 10-9 victory for Pittsburgh1.
This impressive display of patience and strategic play by the Cubs stands as the most bases-loaded walks in an inning by any MLB team since the White Sox achieved eight walks in a single inning back in 1959.
This unrelated photo can be used as a caption contest for this event.
I’m thinking, " You want us to change the rules to ball 5? "
1 Like
Finding a four-leaf clover
This genetic plant quirk brings the luck of the Irish to just 1 in every 10,000 clovers, says Dr. John Frett, professor of plant and soil sciences at the University of Delaware.
That doesn’t mean you won’t find one, though: The Guinness World Record for the most four-leaf clovers collected in a single hour goes to Gabriella Gerhardt of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, who, on Sept. 21, 2019, gathered 451.
1 Like
1 Like
(youtube.com)In ice hockey, Joe Malone achieved the highest goal-scoring performance in a single NHL game. He scored 7 goals for the Quebec Bulldogs back in 1920.
Malone (front row, middle) with the 1913 Stanley Cup champion Quebec Bulldogs
Good graphic, Southwestmba.
1 Like
1 Like