Strange But True: Feb. 15, 2017

STRANGE BUT TRUE

* It was the multitalented Pierre Beaumarchais — born in the 18th century, he was a revolutionary in both France and America as well as a watchmaker, diplomat, musician, spy, inventor, publisher and arms dealer — who made the following sage observation: “It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them.”

* Sharks burp. Yep, even underwater. Evidently, it’s how they regulate the depth at which they swim.

* You’ve almost certainly heard people refer to the school they attended as their alma mater, but do you know where the term comes from? In Latin, “alma mater” means “bounteous mother.” It was in the early 1800s that people began applying the term their beloved schools.

* The skin of the African elephant, the largest land animal alive in the world today, weighs 2,000 pounds by itself.

* You might be surprised to learn that the bagpipe did not originate in Scotland. This ancient instrument existed in Asia in the pre-Christian era. Those who study such things say that the Emperor Nero was a bagpiper, even performing publicly at Roman athletic events.

* Those who keep track of such things say that, across the globe, there are more people who have cellphones than have toilets.

* If you’re like most Americans, you’ve probably played with a NERF ball at some point in your life. You might not realize, though, that NERF stands for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam.

* Actor Tom Cruise attended 15 different schools when he was growing up.

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Thought for the Day: “A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field or in the conduct of its business, cannot help making celebrities of the people who would destroy it.” — Lewis H. Lapham

(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.