Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 24
June 3, 2023
June 2, 2023
Up Close & Peculiar: The Iconic Yellow Brick
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Today: Yellow Brick
Strap on your red heels and grab your closest lions and tigers and bears! Today we’re taking a trip down the yellow brick road and talking about The Wizard of Oz!
Right here, in the Ripley’s Warehouse, we have one of the bricks used on the set of The Wizard of Oz! Hundreds of these things were made but only a few of them are still in existence and this is one of them!
What intrigues me the most about this isn’t really the brick itself, but all the lore surrounding what was happening on top of the brick. I don’t know if you guys are as deep down the rabbit hole as I am, but there is a ton of controversy surrounding all the unusual things that happened while this film was being made. Just in the main cast alone, almost everyone sustained some type of injury during filming!
Absurd AccidentsOne of the most notorious involved the Wicked Witch, played by Margaret Hamilton. When she was filming her iconic exit from Munchkinland, in which she was engulfed in a fiery cloud of smoke before disappearing, something went wrong. She caught on fire and received third-degree burns which landed her in the hospital. After this incident, she very rightly refused to do any more stunts involving fire. This ended up being a good call, because not too far after the same thing happened to her stunt double!
Hamilton wasn’t the only one that landed in the hospital from the movie. In fact, one of the cast members was down almost before the camera started rolling. Buddy Ebsen, who was originally cast to play the tin man, had recorded all of his songs, done all his rehearsals, and made it all the way to filming until something went wrong. After just over a week on set, he started experiencing shortness of breath that eventually led to his lung collapsing. The culprit was the silver makeup he wore for his role, as it caused a severe allergic reaction. He spent over two weeks in the hospital and during that time Jack Haley was cast in his place.
The Cowardly Lion got out relatively unscathed, with the biggest issue being the costume. Believe It or Not!, the lion costume was made from real lion fur and allegedly weighed over ninety-pounds! Because of the unique fur pattern that each lion has, it was impossible to replicate, so Bert Lahr had to wear the same costume throughout the entire filming of the movie. Combining ninety pounds of costume with all those studio lights made for a very sweaty situation.
And last but certainly not least, how could I forget the icon, the legend, Ms. Dorothy. Although she wasn’t poisoned or set on fire, Judy Garland, at the tender age of sixteen years old, was put on a diet of chicken soup, coffee, and eighty cigarettes per day to keep her figure for the iconic role. Beauty really has always been pain.
A New PerspectiveThis was one of my favorite movies growing up but I’ll be honest, after knowing all the craziness that went on while on set I will be going into my next viewing with a very different lens.
Did you know about any of the mysterious incidents that took place on the set of this iconic children’s movie? Leave your reactions down below and I’ll see you next time!
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Golden Age Danish Artists Used Beer Byproducts in Their Paintings
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Nineteenth century Danish painters incorporated byproducts from beer in their artwork, according to a new study in the journal Science Advances. Researchers analyzed paintings from the Danish Golden Age and believe the painters used yeast and grains from breweries to prep their canvases. The discovery will be a major aid in preserving the paintings.
Last But Not YeastIt was an unexpected result as the team was searching for glue made from animals, according to study author Cecil Krarup Andersen, a paintings conservator at the Royal Danish Academy. Andersen told Live Science that the yeast and grains were byproducts of brewing beer and were as a paste on the canvas. The paste would smooth out the surface and stop paint from seeping through the material, similar to how gesso is used by modern artists today.
Scientists analyzed artworks by two of Denmark’s most famous painters: Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, regarded as the “father of Danish painting,” and his student, Christen Schiellerup Købke. Eckersberg was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts for 35 years, and Købke studied at the Academy. The paintings in the study were made in the 1820’s and 1830’s and feature images of ships and family portraits. They had previously been part of a conservation project in the 1960s, and the leftover trimmings were used by the researchers for the examination. The scientists tested strips of the canvas to see what types of proteins were present. The majority of the 10 paintings included yeast, wheat, rye, and barley proteins, which are Danish ale ingredients.
View from the Loft of the Grain Store at the Bakery in the Citadel of Copenhagen (1831) Christen Købke. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
According to the study, “The amount of evidence for yeast and cereal proteins is overwhelmingly high in those paintings where it is observed, too high to be simply due to contamination.”
Beer BaseDuring the 19th century, beer was not cheap, so it is unlikely that The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, which supplied materials and prepared canvases for its artists, was using the alcoholic beverage on the canvases, according to lead author Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo, a heritage scientist at Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana. Leftover mash from local breweries is a more likely explanation.
Recycling materials was not unusual, according to Andersen. He noted that artists would also make canvases out of sails and glue out of boiled leather straps. There are also records that indicate beer products were used in artmaking. It was used to clean and restore paintings, and Danish literature reports beer being used as an adhesive, paint binder, and paint liner.
Beer and art are major elements of Danish culture, and this study demonstrates their connection. Anderson explained, “What represents Denmark? Well, beer is one of the first things that some people think about. But then also, this particular time and these particular paintings are deeply rooted in our story as a nation.”
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Golden Age Danish Artists Used Beer Byproducts in Their Paintings
June 1, 2023
A Porcupine? A Bird? A Reptile? Nope, It’s an Echidna!
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Your first glance of an echidna is unforgettable. And likely an experience that’ll leave you rubbing your eyes or doing a double take. We don’t blame you. After all, it’s difficult to wrap your head around this strange combo of so many different critters.
Echidnas look like porcupines with their quill-covered bodies. But their narrow, toothless beaks scream bird. Add to the mix egg-laying, and you might be tempted to lean toward reptiles. But then, how do you explain their kangaroo-like pouches?
No matter how you slice it, echidnas are a puzzle of crazy pieces that shouldn’t fit together. Yet somehow, they do. Keep reading for the full scoop on these one-of-a-kind animals.
Echidna 101Some people call echidnas spiny anteaters. They live in Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. About the size of a house cat, they weigh between five and 20 pounds and measure between 14 and 30 inches long.
Multiple species of echidnas exist. They include the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus). You’ll also find three species of long-beaked echidnas in the Zaglossus genus.
Besides the length of their snouts, short-beaked echidnas have smaller bodies and longer hair than their long-beaked relatives. And when it comes to long-beaked echidnas? One boasts naturalist ’s name (Zaglossus attenborough). (If you’re wondering, he’s the voice behind countless wildlife documentaries.)
The Perfect Insect-Devouring CritterWhat’s the deal with those strange beak-like mouths? They include smooth tubes concluding in itty-bitty mouths with no teeth. They use these structures to probe the ground for termites and ants, two of their fave treats.
Electroreceptors cover their beaks. These receptors detect electrical signals produced by insect muscles. In other words, they’re nature’s perfect insect hunters! What happens when they find a feast of six-legged creatures? Their powerful claws expose them, and their sticky six-inch-long tongues do the dirty work. (The “Tachyglossus” in Tachyglossus aculeatus means “quick tongue.”) Hard pads at the back of their tongues and the roofs of their mouths grind down their creepy-crawlie meals.
As for their porcupine-like spines? Despite their appearance and the nickname “spiny anteaters,” the needle-like structures on their backs aren’t needles or spines. Instead, scientists describe them as modified hairs.
These modified hairs measure up to two inches long and cover their bodies. You’ll find them everywhere except legs, faces, and undersides. Fur between the “spiny” hairs provides echidnas with insulation. These massive hairs act as visual and physical deterrents. But they’re not as devastating as porcupine needles. When spooked, echidnas curl up like hedgehogs.
The Lowdown on MonotremesDespite their pokey appearances, echidnas have more in common with duck-billed platypuses than porcupines. Unlike their famous billed cousins, however, echidnas aren’t venomous. But all species of both animals fall under the larger monotreme umbrella as egg-laying mammals.
Male echidnas line up for days to have a chance of mating with a female. They stand nose-to-tail in lines of up to 12, waiting for a signal from the gal in question. When she’s ready for romance, the males dig trenches around her. Next, they attempt to hurl each other into the trenches. The last echidna standing wins.
Twenty-two days after mating, a female echidna lays one leathery egg in her belly pouch. Ten days later, the egg hatches. Out comes a jellybean-sized baby, known as a puggle. The puggle stays in the pouch for the next seven weeks, enjoying milk secreted from its mother’s glands.
Eventually, mom transfers her puggle into a burrow. There, it stays hidden for seven more months. Every handful of days, mom returns with a meal for her baby. But apart from caring for offspring and the mating line, echidnas prefer solitude.
Low Temperatures and Long LivesLike other warm-blooded animals, echidnas maintain their body temperature. But it’s the lowest in the mammal world at a chilly 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Moreover, it can fluctuate from 41 to 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit based on factors like hibernation.
The animal can also transition in and out of torpor at any time of day and any season. During periods of torpor, their bodies feel cool to the touch, non-responsive, and exhibit lowered respiration and heart rates. Put another way, they’re experts at playing dead.
While their temperatures may vary widely, that doesn’t mean they get the short end of the stick regarding life span. Anecdotal evidence points to 45-year-long life spans in the wild. And domestic echidnas have lived for upwards of 50 years! As it turns out, slow metabolism and low body temperature make for longer lives.
Although echidnas fall back on incredible longevity, they face many natural predators. These include foxes, goannas (monitor lizards), feral cats, domestic dogs, dingoes, and even eagles. Echidna burrows also prove vulnerable to snakes, especially since babies don’t have fully formed spines for protection. Some species are critically endangered, which makes conservation vital. There’s no other creature like them on the planet, and conservationists are working hard to ensure that never changes!
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: A Porcupine? A Bird? A Reptile? Nope, It’s an Echidna!
May 31, 2023
Mushroom Coffins: The Earth Will Thank You Later
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Everything about standard burial practices is bad news bears when it comes to the environment. Sinking lacquered coffins and metal caskets into the ground represent just the beginning of the problem. Approximately 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals enter the soil each year through embalmed bodies, not to mention that four million acres of forest end up in coffins. All told, the square footage of cemeteries in America totals one million acres!
Cremation isn’t much better. It releases gases like carbon monoxide, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and more into the air. No wonder people continue to look for more eco-friendly ways to leave this earth … and maybe leave it a better place.
Enter mushroom coffins. Invented by an intrepid Dutch inventor, these sustainable tombs offer sleek simplicity in a container guaranteed to decompose within 45 days.
Decomposing Trad Burial PracticesA traditionally embalmed body takes between five to ten years to decompose, leaving behind a pile of bones and a sludge of toxins. But of course, this figure depends on the embalming job, soil conditions, other environmental factors, and more.
Even the liner of a coffin can significantly impact the body’s condition over time. Once human remains skeletonize, all bets are off. It can take decades (or far longer) for bones to disintegrate.
How Green Burials CompareContrasted with green burials, the differences prove shocking. On average, bodies given natural burials experience major decomposition within as little as six weeks.
world’s first living coffin made of mushroom mycelium gives human nutrients back to nature https://t.co/BRJyVVHjbI pic.twitter.com/QNoYZ1FOQE
— designboom (@designboom) September 18, 2020
That’s when most of the soft tissue breaks down due to moisture absorption via the surrounding soil. Full decomposition usually occurs within two years, although bones may remain for another two decades in moist soil.
Splitting the Difference Between Tradition and InnovationGreen burials come with clear advantages for the environment. But many people still require convincing about this type of interment.
Moreover, falling back on traditions can provide comfort for those facing loss. Fortunately, mushroom coffins offer a better way to say goodbye to loved ones while still adhering to more traditional final wishes.
Similar to an “Unpainted Egyptian Sarcophagus”Bob Hendrikx, 29, of the Netherlands, invented the fungi tomb, and it remains his passion project. He researched how nature recycles as he worked to create a better means of green burial.
This led him to mushrooms. He explains, “I learned that they are the biggest recyclers on the planet. So, I thought, hey, why can we not be part of the cycle of life? And then decided to grow a mushroom-based coffin.”
Some have likened the coffin to an “unpainted Egyptian sarcophagus.” Its lines prove minimalistic and sleek. And it can even be draped with moss, providing a soft spot for a body during the funeral.
Mushrooming Green BurialsLoop Biotech manufactures the coffins, promoting them as a way to participate in the “circle of life.” In partnership with Natuurbegraven Nederland (Nature Burials Netherlands), Loop Biotech embeds mushroom-entombed remains in protected parks.
And this new green burial method appears to be mushrooming, especially across Northern Europe. Why? Because local populations are eco-conscious. They’re also familiar with the role of mushroom in natural ecosystems.
Buried in MushroomsCan Loop Biotech keep up with spiking interest in fungal burials? Currently, the company boasts the capacity to cultivate 500 coffins simultaneously. And they also make urns for individuals who prefer cremation.
Sustainable urns have a sapling sticking out. That way, when the urn breaks, the ashes inside nurture and feed the young tree. Besides making burial better for all involved, Hendrikx sees his invention as a game-changer regarding views about death. “It brings a new narrative in which we can be part of something bigger than ourselves.”
How much does it cost to go down in a mushroom? Right now, Loop Biotech ships solely across Europe. Urns cost a little over $200 and coffins in excess of $1,000. While some might balk at these costs, getting buried in a fungus sarcophagus remains far more affordable than serving a pound of black and white truffles at your next dinner party!
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Surviving The Apocalypse In Style: The 15-Story Underground Shelter
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Nuclear war, societal collapse, biological warfare, zombies? There are many ways the world could end — and the super-rich are already preparing for it.
Billionaires have been building doomsday bunkers for decades, but the COVID pandemic triggered an even higher demand. In August 2022, billionaire Peter Thiel (who co-founded PayPal) was refused consent for building a bunker-like lodge in a remote area of New Zealand — but he’s not the first and won’t be the last to look at New Zealand. The country’s isolated location is considered an ideal place for many to survive the end of times.
Surviving the Apocalypse on American SoilNot that you have to fly to the other side of the world to escape the end of the world. Whether hidden in plain sight or built entirely underground, the US has a thriving industry built around “preparing for the end,” and things just keep getting bigger and better.
In 2017, bunker-building company Vivos xPoint (xPoint being “the point in time when only the prepared will survive”) announced it was building the largest survival community on Earth in South Dakota by converting an abandoned military base into “575 private military-built, concrete and steel, all-risk bunkers.”
Blast Door Entrance to Vivos xPoint Bunker. Credit: VigilanteScout Via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Located within a 24-hour drive from virtually all points within the United States and away from known military targets, the bunker and the land around it are almost the size of Manhattan and have everything you might need to survive the apocalypse — including must-have gems like a gym, gardens, and a movie theater.
And they aren’t the only ones. Texas’ Trident Lakes luxury bunker is home to 600 condominiums, a golf course, and 12 helipads, while the luxurious “Underground House” in Las Vegas features 15,000+ square feet of space designed to mimic the outdoors, complete with “fake” sunsets and a barbecue grill.
Exploring the Majestic 15-Story Underground Bunker in KansasIf having your own doomsday shelter feels a little lonely, you have options. Survival Condo, a more community-oriented complex in Kansas, already has 14 apocalypse-proofed condos for sale.
The 20,000 square foot complex comes complete with a saltwater swimming pool, a movie theater, a custom bar and lounge, a general store, and even a dog park — because, yes, Fido gets to survive the end of the world too. Luxuries aside, the condo complex has everything you need to survive too, including air and water filtration systems, hydroponic food systems, and 10-foot thick concrete walls that can withstand the impact of a 20-kiloton nuclear warhead.
And to ensure you don’t go crazy looking at concrete walls, rooms in all condos come equipped with flat screen HD TVs instead of windows — so you can choose to project your favorite landscape on them or even tune in to the real world outside.
Survival Condo is the brainchild of former US government contractor Larry Hall, who in 2008 bought the Atlas F. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Silo for $300,000. A total of 72 Atlas F. missile silos were built around the U.S. during the Cold War but all were decommissioned by the end of the 1960s. Today, they are a popular choice for bug-out bunkers because they are quite deep (Hall’s bunker is 15 stories deep) and basically impenetrable. To be fair, Hall did get quite a bargain — a similar 18-story deep Atlas F silo in New York went on the market in 2017 for close to $3 million.
After years of hard work, Hall finally unveiled Survival Condo in 2014 — a sort of underground city that can hold up to 75 people in a number of different units. By 2017, almost all condos had been sold. According to the official website, “Survival Condos run from $1.5 mil to $4.5 mil and most banks will not finance” — so we prepared to hand over a lot of cash upfront. The most expensive units, the Penthouses, are “approximately 3600 sq. ft. on two levels starting at $4.5 Million USD and can be completely customized to the buyers tastes and needs.”
After all, if you’re going to survive the end of the world, why not do it in style?
By Diana Bocco, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Surviving The Apocalypse In Style: The 15-Story Underground Shelter
May 30, 2023
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