15 Bowls of Trivia We Supped on This Week
Roy Bean was a judge in the Old West — the “Only Law West of the Pecos,” he called himself. Paul Newman played him in a movie, and he's popped up as a character in a bunch of other movies and TV shows, too. Since his town had no jail, Bean would often assign criminals fines instead, and he’d keep the money for himself. Other times, he’d punish the defendant by making him buy drinks for the entire jury.
Old-timey justice wasn’t always so fun, though. Read why below, along with some unexpected news about your own future.
Sneaky Seals
SEAL Team Six got their name to confuse the Soviets. There were only two SEAL teams prior to them, which meant this team should have been SEAL Team Three. Instead, they got the name SEAL Team Six, so if any Soviet spies heard the name, they’d conclude the U.S. had more SEAL teams than it did.
The Endoscope Show
An audience member sued the Blue Man Group, saying they shoved a camera down his throat when they brought him onstage. The group had done no such thing. They placed a camera near his mouth then played a prerecorded video of a camera entering someone, as a stage trick.
Big Grey Disc
The Moon is one of the dullest objects in the solar system. We mean dull in terms of how reflective it is. If it were more reflective as a result of being smoother (like, say, the Neptunian moon Triton), it would be seven times brighter.
Beloved Claw
Charles Dickens’ favorite cat had no name. There was no point in naming it, as it was deaf. When the cat died, Dickens cut off its paw and had it made into a letter opener.
And They Called Me Mad
Scientists have the power to summon lightning out of clouds, using lasers. They can also trigger lightning with rockets, but that’s an older technology and involves fewer lasers so is not worth considering.
For Exposure
The Phantom of the Opera didn’t wear a half-mask in the book, like he does in the play. He wore a full mask, and he was going to in the play as well. But during rehearsals, pulling off the full mask also pulled off the actor’s wig, forcing a redesign.
Profane Acrostic
In 2013, a British headmaster announced the retirement of a teacher with a letter that began with these words: “We all now know every really great teacher has to finish one day.” People noticed that the first letters of the first words in the message spelled “wanker,” and so, the headmaster soon had to step down.
Straight to Jail
Kansas used to have a law that sent any woman with an STD to jail. It’s unclear if authorities actually tested the suspects for having any infection, as the state put some in jail simply under suspicion of having STDs.
RIP, Tree
In 2019, a Florida woman sat inside a hollow tree to smoke meth. She lit a fire to keep warm and accidentally burned the tree down. The tree had been 3,500 years old and was the fifth-oldest tree on Earth.
Texas Justice
When an Irishman shot a Chinese railroad laborer in the 19th century, the case came in front of Texas judge Roy Bean. “Homicide is the killing of a human being,” said Bean. “However, I can find no law against killing a Chinaman.” He and the Irishman then went out for drinks.
The 13th Step
The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous had such a reputation for sleeping around, it worked its way into the lore. Thanks to Bill W.’s proclivities, people started saying that sex with someone else at AA was “the thirteenth step” of the 12-step recovery process.
The Second Lunar Visitors
An Israeli spacecraft tried to land on the Moon in 2019 but crashed. It dislodged thousands of tiny animals called tardigrades, which are believed to have survived the initial crash.
Sweet Memories
In the Isola Sacra Necropolis, south of Rome, archaeologists found a tomb with ancient graffiti going back thousands of years. The words written on the tomb resonate even today. They read: “I remember touching the buttocks of a certain girl, whose ashes cover the golden earth.”
Trademark Infringement
Christopher Wallace was best known as a rapper under the name The Notorious B.I.G. He called himself “Biggie Smalls” earlier, but he switched his rap name, not because he thought "Notorious B.I.G." was cooler but because an actor who’d first called himself Biggie Smalls sued him.
The Road Ahead
There’s a psychological phenomenon known as the end-of-history illusion. We’re all able to look back and see how we’ve matured and otherwise changed, but it feels as though you will never develop any further from where you are now. But don’t worry. You will.
