Strange But True: Barbie engineer

By Lucie Winborne

• Silver conducts electricity better than any other substance.

• The origin of the phrase "to put someone on hold" was Alexander Graham Bell handing his telephone to his partner, Mr. Watson, and saying, "Here, hold."

• There are 86 LEGO bricks for every person on earth.

• Barbie was co-designed by engineer and professional missile designer Jack Ryan, who was also the sixth husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor.

• The flute requires more air than any other instrument, including the tuba.

• One of Stan Laurel's favorite practical jokes was a trick toilet built into the bathroom of one of his homes. When flushed, it sank into the floor.

• An ounce of gold can be stretched more than 50 miles.

• The first prototype of cold cream was created around 150 C.E. by the Greek physician Galen.

• A dashboard was initially a piece of wood attached to a horse-drawn carriage to prevent mud from splattering up from the horses and onto the driver.

• Chefs traditionally wear white because the chef of the first prime minister of France believed it was the most hygienic of colors.

• Over 80% of patients on the U.S. national transplant waiting list need a kidney.

• Scientists believe that the nictitating membrane (the small pink tissue in the corner of a human eye) is the remnant of a third eyelid, similar to the semitransparent eyelid used by birds, reptiles, fish and other mammals.

• The first movie fashion fad was Hollywood star Mary Pickford's long curls.

(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.