If you happen to be in Key West, Florida, for the holidays, stop by the Bourbon St. Pub, where each new year is greeted by a massive shoe. Sushi, a local drag queen, climbs into an oversized piece of footwear and is (carefully) dropped from a balcony every December 31. Meanwhile, Eastover, North Carolina residents have taken to dropping 30-pound ceramic fleas on the last night of the year. In North Carolina, the town of Mount Olive (home of the Mt. Olive Pickle Company) holds a New Year's Eve "Pickle Drop," in which a giant pickle slides down a flagpole.

The countdown utilized by Fritz Lang to generate tension in his 1929 silent film Frau im Mond's rocket launch scene not only changed film history but also influenced NASA to adopt countdowns before its own blastoffs. However, it is not a race against the clock. NASA is free to suspend the clock to investigate mechanical issues.

Lao-Lao is a powerful rice whiskey produced in Laos that costs less than a dollar per liter! The spirit is the cheapest in the world and can be found in any corner store, a mom-and-pop business, or market across the country. However, before you get too thrilled, the extremely low price has its own set of consequences. It tastes like a bottle of Methylated Spirits, has caused blindness on extremely rare occasions, and is a sure bet that you won't recall the events of the previous night. Of course, this is all hearsay. Take this as a warning.

It's no surprise that Switzerland is recognized across the world for its high-quality chocolate, but do you know how much chocolate is produced and consumed there? Approximately 180,000 tonnes of chocolate are produced each year, with an average of 11 kilos consumed by each person. A chocolate train is even available!

An iceberg with 20 billion gallons of fresh water could supply a million people for five years, but it would have to be towed across 10,000 kilometres of open ocean to the coast of Fujairah, which could take a year.

The first version of a vision aid, known as a "reading stone," was invented 1000 years ago. It appeared to be a small magnifying glass. However, the first wearable vision aid is thought to have been invented in the thirteenth century by Italian Salvino D'Armante. So we can thank Italy for both a cool accessory and delicious food.

Pulp Fiction was one of the great 90s flicks, but there are a few facts about the film you might not be aware of. One such fact about the Quinten Tarantino film is that one of the scenes was shot in reverse. When Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace suffers an OD and must be brought back to life with a shot of adrenalin, John Travolta’s Vincent Vega plunges a needle into her chest. To avoid any injury, this scene was actually shot in reverse. Travolta was filmed pulling the needled out of Thurman’s chest. Who would have known? 

Copper cookware is an efficient heat conductor with little thermal inertia, ensuring constant temperatures. As a result, this substance is a must-have in the casseroles and jam pots of renowned Michelin-starred chefs.

The Taj Mahal is almost perfectly symmetrical, in keeping with Persian and Islamic architectural principles. The minarets (towers), walls, rooms, and even gardens are all symmetrical. The Taj Mahal, one of the world's most perfectly symmetrical structures, is known for its white beauty and sheen. The placement of Shah Jahan's cenotaph — and his grave — are possibly the only elements of the Taj that do not adhere to perfect geometric proportions and symmetrical precision.

The Banasura Sagar Dam in Wayanad is India's only earth dam. It is also Asia's second biggest earth dam. Speedboating and camping are available here, with spectacular views of the Banasura hills in the background.

Krill are the primary target of Antarctic fishing, measured by catch volume. Omega-3 oil supplements for people and feed for animals, including farmed fish, are two high-end items made from krill.

Hours of hard effort were necessary for the study that earned Marie Curie her first Nobel Prize. She and her husband had to show multiple samples of new elements to prove they had discovered them by breaking down ore into its chemical components. The area, according to Curie, was hot in the summer and draughty in the winter, with a glass roof that didn't entirely shelter them from the rain. After visiting the Curies' shed to witness where radium was discovered, the renowned German scientist Wilhelm Ostwald. Because their usual labs were too small to support the procedure, they relocated their operations to an old shed behind the school where Pierre worked.

The 37th President of the United States (and the only president to resign from office) was a gifted musician. He was a multi-instrumentalist who could play the piano, saxophone, clarinet, accordion, and violin.

Many fans recognise the portmanteau that makes the name "Gundam" as "gun" and "freedom," but this is just half the tale. While it was the original notion, and how the authors arrived to "Gundam," they finally chose "Gundam." Yoshiyuki Tomino, one of the series' animators who helped conceive the concept, imagined the Gundam as a robot brandishing a pistol so strong that it would hold back foes like a dam holds back water.

One of the most well-known facts about Jaigarh Fort is that it is home to the World's Largest Cannon on Wheels. This, known as Jaivana, was made in the Fort's cannon foundry. I don't think my photographs do this cannon's massive size justice. The amusing aspect is that, despite its size, it was never utilized in a conflict! It was only fired once for a test, and the cannon projectile went 35 kilometres.

While the British forbade lipstick, it remained a popular option in the good old USA, or more correctly, the American colonies. Colonial ladies altered the color of their lips by smearing red ribbons on them and sipping lemons. One colonial-era whisky company even advertised that it would turn consumers' lips crimson. They were probably mixing up the lips with the nose and Gin Blossoms. The original first lady, Martha Washington, had her own formula for lip rouge. She combined hog's lard with spermaceti discovered in whale intestines. That sounds really revolting!

Perhaps he is the king (or queen) of diplomatic blunders. When Wonder Woman was illegally detained by the Department of Metahuman Affairs, Hippolyta devised a plan to invade Washington, D.C. and murder everyone in sight. Sure, it was a Circe manipulation plot, but that was a little far-fetched! In fact, the series was panned for its violent and gruesome nature – after all, it's not every day that DC fans read about Amazons murdering innocent children in Washington.

When perfumers try to derive the scent of a flower, many of its aspects are lost once it’s dried and pressed into oils. So perfumers try to add those characteristics back by adding notes which make it smell more realistic. One weird way that’s done in the case of white florals, is by using Indole. Derived from coal tar, this smells like camphor and mothballs when pure, and gives a fecal scent to enhance the intensity and depth of jasmine perfumes to make these fragrances smell more like the real flower.

It may be time to discuss your vitamin D levels with your doctor if you're attempting to prevent or treat type 2 diabetes.

The government decided to declare Hindi the official language of India in order to bring unity to the entire country. Previously, many states recognized Hindi as their official language. Following this, Hindi is spoken in every state in the country.

In 1996, a team of anatomists at the University of Adelaide in Australia revealed that koala and human fingerprints are readily confused, most likely due to the fact that koalas are primates' progenitors.

Low bush blueberries are wild, whereas highbush blueberries are grown.

Among all the animals, termites are among the best builders. They build enormous mounds that tower over the ground, and they use the tunnels therein to move between their nests and their source of food. When compared to termites' relative size, one mound that was found in Africa was an incredible 42 feet high. That is approximately the height of a two-story structure!