Mental Floss: Instant Knowledge (33 page)

USEFUL FOR:
cocktail parties, Sunday school, and making conversation in really long lines at Six Flags

KEYWORDS:
you must be this tall…

THE FACT:
When Coney Island became overrun with beer halls, LaMarcus Thompson, a preacher, feared the demon liquor would send the souls of the beachgoers straight to hell, so he decided to give them something else to scream about.

In 1884, Thompson shelled out $1,600 to open the Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway, an incredibly lame ride that maxed out somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 miles per hour. Nevertheless, it was an instant hit with easily entertained Victorians. Even at a mere five cents a ticket, Thompson regained his investment in less than three weeks. As the money rolled in, he gave up preaching anything but the gospel of roller coasters and went on to become the original coaster tycoon.

USEFUL FOR:
cocktail parties, chatting up thrill seekers, and explaining to your kid why the coaster you just waited in line for 45 minutes to ride really was fast enough

KEYWORDS:
Can’t this thing go any faster?

THE FACT:
Not all early roller coasters were as dull as Coney Island’s first coaster, the Gravity Pleasure (which went a whopping 6 miles per hour). Of course, they weren’t as safe, either.

In about 1895, a ride called the Flip-Flap Railway opened on Coney Island. It was arguably the world’s first loop-the-loop-style coaster, but with one key difference: The loops of the Flip-Flap were perfect circles. This doesn’t sound like a big problem…until you start considering physics. Modern coasters use elliptical loops and reach a maximum g-force of 6g’s. By contrast, in the tight circles of the Flip-Flap, passengers experienced up to 12g’s of gravitational force, which, coincidentally, is also the limit of force the human body can withstand. Many riders’ necks were snapped as they hung on for dear life to safety-belt-less wooden carts. Despite this hazard, the death coaster managed to remain open for eight years.

(secret agent man)

USEFUL FOR:
barroom banter, drive-thru chatter, and anytime you spot a clown

KEYWORDS:
top secret, covert ops, or Happy Meal

THE FACT:
Who knew the CIA and McDonald’s had so much in common?

McDonald’s execs, like their less delicious counterparts at the Central Intelligence Agency, uphold an intense policy of employee secrecy. Clowns who portray Ronald McDonald are strictly forbidden to disclose their identities. It’s also taboo for two (costumed) Ronalds to be in the same place at the same time. In fact, the only time they get together is at the biennial Ronald McDonald Convention, which, as you might imagine, is also very top secret. All of this helps maintain the image that Ronald, the second-most-recognizable figure worldwide (after Santa), is a single, magical character. There are, of course, many Ronalds—an estimated 250, in fact. Their average income is about $40,000 a year, but the busiest clowns can bring in as much as $100,000. The Ronald McDonald who appears in the company’s television commercials earns a salary of more than $300,000. We could tell you who he is, but we’d be risking a lifetime of toyless Happy Meals. Some things just aren’t worth the risk.

(and his sweet tooth)

USEFUL FOR:
cocktail parties, chatting with Desert Storm vets, and making people really curious about one of the world’s worst tyrants

KEYWORDS:
Saddam Hussein, chocolate, pizza party menu

THE FACT:
The bizarre contents of Saddam Hussein’s residences—velvet paintings of Elvis and all—have provided endless fodder for cocktail conversations, but none like his fridge.

Amid the revelations of Saddam’s incredibly bad taste, it was also revealed that Saddam was a bit of a sugar fiend. In his last rather ignoble residence—the “spider hole” where he was finally apprehended in Ad Dawr in December 2003—American soldiers found a refrigerator filled with Mars and Bounty candy bars and 7-Up. Thank God! No longer relegated to the realm of middle school sleepovers and Little League pizza parties, these snack foods have finally broken through to a new demographic: dictators evading prosecution for crimes against humanity.

USEFUL FOR:
chatting with punks, moms who use natural diapers, and anyone who loves safety

KEYWORDS:
pin, prick, or pinprick

THE FACT:
If you’re looking for someone to thank for the invention of the safety pin, all credit should go to Walter Hunt—and his inability to pay off his debts.

In 1849, Hunt was a prolific, if not entirely well off, inventor whose previous efforts included a repeating rifle, artificial stone, and an ice plow. Unable to draw any of his inventions, he was forced to hire a draftsman to produce the diagrams that had to be submitted with his patent applications. Several patents later, Hunt found himself in debt to the artist for a whopping $15. Realizing he wasn’t going to get the cash, the draftsman proposed an alternate way for Hunt to pay him back. He dared Hunt to invent something using only a piece of wire and to hand over the rights. In return, the debt would be forgiven and the draftsman would pay Hunt $400. It seemed like a great deal—that is, until Hunt’s hours of twisting produced the first practical safety pin. The draftsman walked away with a million-dollar patent under his belt, while Hunt got $400 and, we assume, a lifetime of bitterness.