Did you know: Does a famous American highway cross itself‭?‬

The worst of summer is now upon us.

During August, we experience the most heat, the most humidity, the highest heat indexes … and the highest utility bills for running air conditioning.

In the southern latitudes, though, it’s the depth of winter.  Cold, snow, wind … almost worth trading for, I think.

Almost.

All things being equal, I’ll keep my summer heat and humidity.  I’ve never been much of a snow bunny.

But I will also add in some nifty trivia, which is here for you right now!  Enjoy!

Did you know …

… some employers offer their workers places to nap?  Companies such as Nike and Google cite research that shows naps refresh our bodies, make us more attentive, and improve our moods.  The same research shows that fatigue at work contributes to some $18 billion a year in lost productivity, and tired employees are at a higher risk for auto accidents while on their way home from work.  (Suddenly, I don’t feel so bad about catching forty winks at my desk sometimes.)

… the U.S. Government’s official “expert” on marijuana once claimed it turned him into a bat?  Dr. James C. Munch (1896-1981), who served as an “expert” on marijuana to the government from 1938 to 1962, testified in court in a murder case in 1938 that he had smoked marijuana and, after two puffs, he was turned into a bat.  As a bat, Munch claimed, he “flew around the room and down a 200-foot-deep inkwell.”  Munch was advised after his appearance in the case not to be a witness in court any more, or he would lose his appointment as a “special expert.”  (Among other things.)

… instant ramen noodles were invented to prevent starvation?  In 1958, a Japanese businessman named Momofuku Ando (1910-2007) brought to market a product called Chikin Ramen.  These were dry, close-packed noodles with a chicken seasoning packet designed to be cooked quickly and to provide quick nutrition.  The noodles became popular because of the food shortages that plagued Japan in the years following World War II, and since their introduction they have become a staple for college students worldwide.  (A tasty way to evade starvation!)

… you may know someone who’s involved in apotelesm?  If you do, I hope you can at least pronounce that.  Apotelesm is an archaic term for the casting of a horoscope.  The term comes from the old Latin word apotelesma, meaning “effect of the stars on human destiny.”  (It’s all in the stars, friends.)

… anteaters do not have teeth?  Instead, they slurp up ants, termites, and other small insects with their long, sticky tongues, then crush the little bugs against the insides of their mouths.  After they’ve been swallowed, the insects are then crushed up again by the anteater’s stomach muscles.  (So who needs teeth?)

… a famous American highway actually crosses itself?  U.S. Route 66, made famous in songs, stories and a really cool 1960-64 television series, snaked from Chicago to Los Angeles and was a major artery in westward (and eastward) travel until the development of the Interstate highway system in the 1970s.  In downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, however, there is a corner where Route 66 actually crosses itself.  Until 1937, the highway through that part of town ran in a north-south direction.  That year, the alignment of the highway was changed to east-west in the city, and now, at the intersection of Central Avenue and Fourth Street in Albuquerque, you can stand at the corner of Route 66 and Route 66.  Additional trivia note:  Route 66 disappeared from maps in 1985, but it is still referred to fondly by residents near the highway.  It was replaced by five stretches of Interstate – I-55, I-44, I-40, I-15, and I-10.  The television show Route 66 was shot all across the country, but almost never along the actual highway.  (Get your kicks …)

… the giant sequoia tree takes a long time to flower?  One seed from a giant sequoia can take 175-200 years to flower, the longest time in the plant world.  (Maybe so, but look at the result!)

… requiring information about children on tax returns had a curious effect?  In 1987, the Internal Revenue Service began requiring taxpayers to list the Social Security numbers of children claimed as dependents.  As a result, some seven million children “disappeared” from tax returns.  (Gee, I wonder how that happened.)

… a classic 1990s disaster film had its military support withdrawn?  Independence Day, the 1996 alien-invasion disaster movie, received significant support from the Department of Defense for its production – until the military realized that a portion of it was set at the super-secret “Area 51” in Nevada.  When the moviemakers would not remove the references to Area 51 from the script, the DoD pulled its support for the film.  (Insert your favorite conspiracy theory here.)

… some people believe everything they see on television?  Case in point:  On May 17, 1991, a Soviet television interview program called The Fifth Wheel put forth the theory that the founder of the country, Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924), consumed a great number of psychedelic mushrooms during his lifetime – so many that he eventually became a mushroom himself.  The program was a satirical hoax, of course, put on as the strict media controls in the country were being eased during glasnost.  A group of Communist party members, however, believed the line they were being fed, and after appealing to the party leadership about the truth, the leadership had to declare officially that Lenin could not be a mushroom, because “a mammal cannot be a plant.”   (Make of that what you will.)

Now … you know!

You can reach Jack Bagley at didyouknowcolumn@gmail.com