The Laser Harp was invented by Jean Michel Jarre.

_

Yes, it's true: despite popular demand, Matt Facts are back ( Read more... )

Cash Machine?
Yes.
Cash Dispenser?
Okay...
Automated teller machine? Only if you insist...

Hole in the wall? Absolutely. Ah, no. Actually, there's a difference. And no, I haven't lost my mind. This is building towards a valid Matt Fact. I wanted to point out that, in fact, Barclays Bank PLC own the copyright on the term "Hole in ( Read more... )

High heels are nothing new. As a riding shoe, they've been around since the early sixteenth century, but in fact, it turns out they're a lot older than that. Ancient Egyptian murals dating back to around 4000 b.c. depict butchers wearing high heels, apparently in order to keep their feet clear of offal. Of course, these weren't necessarily high ( Read more... )

Did you know that ice cream causes agression? Unlikely as that sounds, several studies have shown that there is a direct and significant correlation between ice cream sales and incidents of aggressive behaviour ( Read more... )

I think the BBC are going to put me out of action. Especially if they keep reporting things like this, this and this all of which, I feel, stray dangerously close to Matt Fact territory. I mean, you couldn't make this stuff up.

Maybe I should sue.

_

Ever wondered about sausages? And by sausages, I don't mean the bread-filled anaemic things you find lurking in plastic packs down the local supermarket. I mean the kind of traditionally prepared, traditionally cured sausages that are found all over Europe, and have been produced in pretty much the same way for hundreds of years. The ingredients ( Read more... )

As is often the case, J.B. Villaume was, in equal share, both a genius and an idiot.

On the one hand, he was a gifted restorer and copyist of musical instruments, and violins in particular. His work as a violin maker was held in particularly high regard owing to his ability to recreate the sound of a particular instrument by copying the ( Read more... )

I did tell you...

...that embryonic snakes
have four tiny limbs,
overgrown with tiny scales.
That humpback whales are
covered in lumps
because they’re allergic to seawater.
Eric Idle Died.
Golden Retrievers and
Labradors
are basically
two of a kind.
I can’t even see that spot on your chin,
and even
ifI could ( Read more... )

Post-it Notes

John Stringfellow was a remarkable chap. Notable for several distinct inventions and contributions to modern life, including the first successful powered flight. (The Wright Brothers are often mistakenly credited with this achievement - in fact they were only the first to successfully pioneer manned flight on a powered vehicle.) ( Read more... )