Random Most Surprising Things We Learned In 2022 (17 items)

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  (#11) In The 18th Century, Powdered Wigs Were A Popular Way For The Elite To Hide Their Syphilis

  In the second half of the 18th century, powdered wigs became a major status symbol for the ruling class. Syphilis was the main cause of these wigs coming into fashion, as the disease was rampant in Europe during the period and affected more Europeans than the plague.

  With the hairline being an important symbol of status for men at the time, the syphilitic side effect that caused patchy hair loss and the graying of one’s hair obviously was a large concern. Wigs became the easy (yet expensive) fix for hiding the hairline.

  Once King Louis XIV of France and his cousin King Charles II began wearing them, the fashion quickly caught on with other members of the ruling class, courtiers, and eventually merchants. The white powdered wigs eventually fell out of favor, replaced by individuals simply powdering their own natural hair instead.
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  (#17) Lightning Can Absolutely Strike The Same Place Twice

  It's highly likely that lightning will strike in the same place more than once, especially if it hits an exceptionally tall and protruding object. The Empire State Building, for example, is struck approximately 25 times a year. 

  Also, just because the sky is clear doesn't mean that outdoor enthusiasts should ignore warning signs of an impending storm. If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to become a physical danger - even if there isn't a cloud in sight. 
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  (#7) Turtles Breathe Out Of Their Butts To Survive Winter Under Frozen Water

  Animals often go to great lengths to survive the winter. Birds fly thousands of miles south looking for warmer weather; bears and some reptiles store up fat and body heat to hibernate during the colder months; other critters grow thick furs or fluffier feathers to serve as winter coats - and turtles breathe through their butts. 

  North American pond turtles spend more than half of their lives without air underwater, so it's no surprise the species has adapted some interesting coping strategies for surviving changing climates. These aquatic turtles dwell in frigid conditions during the winter months, forcing them to lower their body temperatures and significantly slow their metabolisms for survival.

  This technique, called brumation, makes breathing much less important, as the hardy reptiles need smaller amounts of oxygen to survive. Still, they do need a little air to keep them moving in the winter months. So, they use a technique called cloacal respiration - a process that filters oxygen directly from the water through their butts and into their lungs.
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  (#14) A 97-Year-Old Former Nazi Secretary Was Convicted For Her Role In 10,000 Murders During WWII

  In late 2022, 97-year-old Irmgard Furchner received a criminal conviction for her role as a secretary at the Stutthof concentration camp during World War II. Prosecutors alleged she was an accessory to the murder of 10,505 people at Stutthof, where she “aided and abetted those in charge of the camp in the systematic killing of those imprisoned there between June 1943 and April 1945 in her function as a stenographer and typist in the camp commandant’s office.”

  The Washington Post notes that Furchner was tried in a juvenile court, since she was 18 and 19 when she worked at the camp. The nonagenarian received a two-year suspended sentence.

  Though nicknamed "the secretary of evil," Furchner has claimed that she did not know the details of what occurred at the concentration camp. “I’m sorry for what happened, and I regret that I was at Stutthof at the time,” she said in her closing statement. “I can’t say any more.”

  During the trial, prosecutor Maxi Wantzen argued that Furchner could not have been ignorant of what was happening at Stutthof. “If the defendant looked out of the window, she could see the new prisoners who were being selected,” he said. “Nobody could miss the smoke from the crematorium or not notice the smell of burned corpses.”

  According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, more than 60,000 people perished at Stutthof during the war. 
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  (#4) Dragonflies

  • Book

  Dragonflies have a 95% success rate in killing their prey, making them the most successful predatory hunters on the planet. In comparison, cheetahs have a 58% success rate, and lions are successful only 25% of the time. 

  Dragonflies' slender bodies, long, transparent wings, and multifaceted eyes make the insects ideal hunters. They can fly at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, and their wingspan and design offer the predatory insects agility and mobility their prey lack. Dragonflies are also equipped with multiple lenses and a vast field of vision, with brainpower that is evolved enough to course-correct as soon as they lose sight of their prey.

  This is excellent news for humans because dragonflies' most probable targets are pesky summer insects people try to avoid, such as mosquitoes and flies.
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  (#8) Squirrels Can't Die From Falling

  Many squirrel species are tree dwellers, so it's easy to assume that falling from their high-branched abodes would be an inherent danger. However, the fluffy-tailed rodents, which usually weigh from 1 to 1 ½ pounds, are genetically designed to survive an unexpected plunge toward the earth - no matter the elevation. 

  Squirrels are small and light, and their stretchy bodies and bushy tails create a significant drag in the air, allowing them to glide (to a degree) before they safely land on the ground after a leap or fall. Because squirrels reach a low terminal velocity after just a few seconds and maintain the fall speed regardless of their initial height, they can safely drop out of the stratosphere or a local oak tree at roughly the same rate. 

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