Strange But True

* It was Democratic governor and presidential hopeful Adlai Stevenson who made the following sage observation: “A free society is a place where it’s safe to be unpopular.”

* Statistics show that for every 71,000 skydiving jumps made, there is only one fatality. That might not seem surprising until you put it in context: You have a one in 20,000 chance of dying from a regular fall right here on solid ground.

* A.A. Milne, the British author best known for his children’s books about Winnie the Pooh, had a teacher and mentor you might not expect: H.G. Wells, one of the acknowledged fathers of science fiction and author of such novels as “The War of the Worlds,” “The Invisible Man” and “The Island of Dr. Moreau.”

* Here’s a smart idea: Some fitness centers are now using the energy clients expend on its exercise bikes to help power the building’s lighting.

* Arctic biologists say that polar bears can go weeks without eating — which is certainly handy in an environment where food isn’t always easy to get. Evidently, if a polar bear goes a week to 10 days without eating, its metabolism will slow down and the animal will live off its fat reserves until it finds its next meal.

* According to not one, but two studies conducted on the subject, those who have a ring finger that is longer than their index finger tend to be better athletes. 

* If you drive a white automobile, you have a lot of company. There are more white cars in the United States than any other color.

Thought for the Day

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

--Albert Einstein.

(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.