15 Fun Facts We Didn't Know About Tomatoes, Kevin Bacon, and More

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15 Fun Facts We Didn't Know About Tomatoes, Kevin Bacon, and More

We all know and love tomatoes, but did you know that they were once seen as dangerous? It wasn't until medical benefits of the fruit were discovered that people started to see them in a different light. The unripe tomato was found to have healing properties when applied to the skin and soon enough, tomatoes became a staple in many dishes. 

You might not think twice about dancing along to 'Footloose' at your friend's wedding reception, but for Kevin Bacon, it's something he tries very hard to avoid. In fact, he revealed on 'Conan' that he hands the DJ $20 with strict instructions not to play the tune - bribing them so we can all enjoy our weddings without feeling like we're reliving his iconic movie moment. 

If you're ever lucky enough to be on set with Joe Pesci, try not to get in his way first thing in the morning. The crew for 'Home Alone' tried to make him come into work earlier but he fought for his right to tee-off by talking passionately (and probably very loudly) about how important it was to him.

They thought they were done digging for the day, until they found THE SWORD.

CRACKED Who needs a lightsaber when you have the Sword of Goujian? In 1965, an excavation team discovered the Sword of Goujian in a tomb in Hubei, China. This ancient Chinese dagger is more than 2,500 years old and was found in near-perfect condition. The blade could still cut twenty pieces of paper and the markings on the sword remained intact.

Modern Met

So that's why we feel so refreshed after a good night's sleep!

CRACKED The answer to why we sleep, according to neuroscientists? To clean our brains, of course. Neuroscientists believe they have found the answer to why we sleep: cleaning the brain. When we slumber, a network of transport channels through our brains expands by 60%, increasing the flow of cerebral spinal fluid. This surge clears away metabolic waste products, such as ß amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Science / Slate 

In Hong Kong, the dead are not always allowed to rest in peace.

CRACKED In Hong Kong, space is at a premium and even the dead must make way. In Hong Kong, space is limited and the dead are not always allowed to rest in peace. After six years, remains may be exhumed and cremated if no action is taken by the family. This controversial approach to land shortage is faced with criticism from those who revere their ancestors.

Coconuts

Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of diamond go missing after a car crash.

CRACKED E les 29 Z PLM Steinneh . - R JAGUAR M RAC Jaguar's $250K diamond nosecone mystery: still unsolved today. In 2004, at the Monaco Grand Prix, Jaguar Racing put real diamonds worth approximately $250K apiece on the nosecones of its two cars in the race as part of a promotion for Ocean's Twelve. However, one of the drivers crashed on Lap 1 and lost his nosecone - and diamond - sparking a mystery that remains unsolved today.

The Drive

Maybe lobsters could theoretically live forever.

CRACKED Lobsters are kind of immortal. Lobsters don't die of old age, but instead from exhaustion during molting. This is because they have an enzyme called 'telomerase' which restores the length of telomeres, increasing the number of divisions a cell can make before it dies or becomes inactive.

Newsroom / News 10 

The Make-A-Wish Foundation got a young boy's input on designing his own Yu-Gi-Oh! card.

CRACKED TYLER THE GREAT WARRIOR FARTH TYL-EN001 A kid with cancer got to design his own Yu-Gi-Oh! card. The Make-A-Wish Foundation made a young boy's wish come true by helping him design his own Yu-Gi-Oh! card. Tyler Gressle, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, had his dream realized when he got to go to New York City and meet 4Kids Entertainment officials. His creation, Tyler the Great Warrior, was unveiled on August 5, 2005.

Yugipedia

Habanada peppers: just as delicious as habaneros, but without that pesky burning sensation!

CRACKED Looking for a pepper with all the flavor but none of the heat? Just because a Habanada pepper is related to the habanero doesn't mean it packs the same punch. In fact, these peppers have been bred to be totally heatless while still maintaining that juicy, fruity flavor.

Fruit Stand / MI Gardener 

Tom Mansfield took 200 cups of coffee's worth of caffeine powder and died.

CRACKED A guy died after consuming the equivalent of 200 cups of coffee. Father-of-two Tom Mansfield died after consuming a mixture of caffeine powder and water on 5 January 2021. The 29-year old from Colwyn Bay, UK miscalculated the amount of powder he was meant to use, accidentally taking the equivalent of 200 cups of coffee.

BBC

Mister Rogers went toe-to-toe with Ice Cube over unauthorized sampling.

CRACKED Mr. Rogers sued Ice Cube. In 1990, Fred Rogers sued Ice Cube over unauthorized sampling of his theme song. Ice Cube suggested that Rogers actually profited from his track, but Rogers ultimately won.

Global News / Guideposts 

Before Joe Pesci could start his day of being a bad-guy on set, he tee'd off for some golf.

CRACKED Joe Pesci insisted on playing golf before Home Alone shoot days. The crew tried to make him come in earlier, but he fought for his right to tee-off by talking passionately (and probably very loudly) about how important it was to him.

Golf / The Things 

In the 19th century, Americans drank a staggeringly high amount of alcohol.

CRACKED THE WORLD'S . WHISKEY JIM BEAM JIM BEAM JIM BEA JIM BEAN JIMBER JIMBEAN low SINCE B on : FOR MENTUCKY ГАДО - - BOURBON BOURBOV BOURBON BOURBON KENTUCKY STRAIGHT KENTUCKY STRAIGHT KENTUCKY STRAIGHT WITH BOURBON BOURBON BOURBON Auto WHISKEY - Austin - - WHISKEY - ... WHISKEY - - - Jaman James eur - MOVIE as moon L Sente VIS AWAY In the 19th century, alcohol - 750 2F HEAM 4YR 0th 99 $20.89 consumption in the US was extremely high. We have always been a nation of drunks, but by today's standards, average alcohol consumption in large parts

Paste    

Tomatoes: the fruit we once thought was deadly.

CRACKED Everyone used to be afraid of tomatoes. Tomatoes were seen as dangerous, until people noticed the unripe tomato had healing properties when applied to the skin.

CNN

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