Fascinating Fact Fridays

The year was 897. Europe was in turmoil. Rival kings clashed for power. The Church was embroiled in bitter disputes. And in the heart of Rome, an event was about to unfold that would shock even the most hardened of souls. A trial. But not just any trial. The accused? A leader of men. One might say the holiest of men. Pope Formosus. The problem? He had already been dead for a year. Dragged from his grave, dressed in his decayed papal robes, his lifeless body would stand trial in one of the oddest displays of revenge the world had ever seen. This was no ordinary court. This was the Cadaver Synod ( Dreadful Council) . The road to this grisly trial began with power struggles that had plagued the Church for years. Pope Formosus, who had served as bishop in various regions, was a man of ambition, navigating alliances and grudges in a way that left few untouched. He played a dangerous game, endorsing rival rulers, making friends and enemies with whiplash speed, and ultimately crossing the...

  It might be fair to say that the United States has a bit of a hoarding problem. From gold to oil to nuclear warheads, we just can’t seem to stop stockpiling everything and anything. One strategic reserve you may not be aware of though is kept just outside of Springfield Missouri, and to us Americans it’s just about as precious as gold—cheese. [Obligatory Pun Warning!]  Let’s peel back the rind on this Fascinating Fact, shall we? The origins of America’s cheese stockpile can be traced back to the late 1970s, when rising dairy prices and shortages sparked concern. With inflation on dairy products reaching 30%, the government decided to step in. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter initiated a plan to revitalize dairy production, funneling two billion dollars into the industry over the next four years. This policy was designed to stabilize prices and boost supply, a welcome relief for farmers. However, this financial support led to an unforeseen issue—by the early 1980s, the country...

Throughout history, mankind has enlisted a wide array of animals in the art of warfare—from the mighty war elephant to the faithful horse and, of course, the trusty messenger pigeon. But during World War II, one man took a wildly different approach, developing one of the most unusual and unconventional animal-based strategies yet—Project Pigeon. B.F. Skinner, an influential American psychologist and behaviorist, was best known for his pioneering work in operant conditioning—the study of how behaviors can be shaped and reinforced through rewards and punishments. His innovative research on training animals using positive reinforcement led to groundbreaking discoveries in both human and animal behavior, but Skinner really put his research to the test when the U.S. Navy came knocking. At the height of World War II, precision-guided missiles were still a dream rather than a reality. The U.S. military was seeking ways to accurately strike distant, moving targets, especially German battle...

Naked mole-rats are neither rats, moles, nor even technically naked! I was shocked to discover this, especially since I grew up watching the early 2000s Disney Channel show Kim Possible , which I considered an excellent source of naked mole-rat knowledge at the time. These pink tricksters do get a nod however for being some of the oddest mammals on our planet. Did you know that naked mole-rats are the only mammal species to live in a “hive” society? Much like ants or bees, their colonies are structured around a strict hierarchy. From birth, naked mole-rats are assigned roles as workers or soldiers, all under the command of a single, all-powerful queen. ( Ask Ashlee for context ) As the world's only cold-blooded mammal, naked mole-rats have a very slow metabolism, contributing to their amazingly long life spans–up to 30 years in some cases! They can even slow their own heartbeat to conserve oxygen, allowing them to survive completely without it for up to 18 minutes with no ill effec...