Strange But True: Towel Museum

By Lucie Winborne

• The atomic clock known as the NIST-F1 Cesium Fountain Clock, created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Colorado, is so accurate that it won't gain or lose a second in 20 million years.

• Compared to the production of standard paper, recycled paper production reduces air pollution to up to 73%.

• The Towel Museum in Japan showcases a vast collection of towels from different countries, each with its unique designs and cultural significance.

• Lobsters pee out of their face.

• A crow funeral is much like a human funeral -- the birds gather around a fallen fellow crow, call to each other and pay close attention to their late peer.

• The tradition of a wedding cake topper originated in ancient Rome, where figurines depicting the bride and groom were used for good luck.

• Female turkeys don't gobble.

• Matthias Buchinger, known as the Little Man of Nuremberg, was born without hands or feet and was only 29 inches tall, but still managed to perform numerous magic feats and illusions, including the famous cups-and-balls routine.

• The first knitting union, founded in Paris in 1527, allowed only men as members.

• Will Shortz, a crossword editor for The New York Times, designed a degree program at Indiana University in enigmatology, or the study and science of puzzles.

• Ancient Romans gargled with urine to whiten their teeth.

• Since the prosthetics Heath Ledger wore on his mouth during filming of "The Joker" would loosen as he spoke, he kept them on by frequently licking his lips, a trait that suited his character and was therefore incorporated into the film.

Thought for the Day: "The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself --the invisible battles inside all of us -- that's where it's at." -- Jesse Owens

(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.