Horses with mustaches, a voting bird, and 800 blood types: 10 facts that will make you reconsider reality (11 photos)

Reality sometimes throws up plots more compelling than any blockbuster. While we go about our daily lives, somewhere horses are growing bushy mustaches, pigeons are electing popes, and cows are setting blood type records.





This collection features stories that seem outlandish, but are documented. From a feudal lord who sent salt to an enemy to a Sopranos actor who bought a painting for $68,000, when its actual value was $10 million. See if your brain is ready for this.

1. The Return of the Lost Treasure



A Canadian man forgot he had hidden $100,000 inside a 1980s television, and the bills were returned to him three decades later after a worker at a recycling plant disassembled the television and found the money. It turned out the man had forgotten about the stash when he gave the television to a family friend years earlier.

2. "I fight not with salt, but with the sword"





When the Japanese daimyo Uesugi Kenshin learned that his main rival Takeda Shingen had lost his supply of salt (a vital food preservation product in medieval Japan), Kenshin sent salt from his lands to the enemy, declaring, "I fight not with salt, but with the sword."

3. Friendly Encounters with the "Green Man"



In 1919, as a child, Raymond Robinson was seriously injured in an electrical accident. This left him so disfigured and traumatized that he avoided public appearances and showing his face. Instead, he took long walks at night. Locals would seek him out in the neighborhood just to exchange a few words. Robinson died in 1985 at the age of 74. His story became an example of how a community treated a traumatized person with understanding and respect.

4. A Unique Animal



Cows have over 800 different blood types, while humans have only about 8 (ABO and Rh). This makes cattle one of the most diverse mammals in terms of blood type diversity.

5. The Stove as a Bathhouse



You could wash yourself inside the stove. After cooking, when the heat subsided, the housewife would rake out the coals, cover it with straw, set out cast-iron pots of water, and the family would steam. Once heated, the stove was the most sterile place in the house. The high temperature killed harmful microorganisms, there were no drafts, and in winter, it was the only island of warmth. Incidentally, the phrase from the fairy tale about Baba Yaga, who climbed into the stove, had not only a fairy tale but also a very real meaning.

6. A Great Buy



Actor Federico Castelluccio, who played the hitman Furio on The Sopranos, spotted a painting by German expressionist artist Heinrich Campendonk at auction with an incorrect description. He purchased the painting for $68,000, but an expert later valued it at $10 million.

7. The Dove That Elected the Pope



In 236, after the death of Pope Anter, a gathering in Rome gathered to elect a new pontiff. Dozens of worthy candidates were discussed, but then a dove landed on the head of a random visitor, a simple peasant named Fabian. The crowd took this as a divine sign and immediately proclaimed Fabian pope. He reigned for 14 years until he was executed for his faith under Emperor Decius.

8. The Flynn Effect: Declining Intelligence After a Long Period of Growth



The Flynn Effect describes the phenomenon of average IQ scores rising by approximately 3 points per decade throughout the 20th century. However, recent data show that in some developed countries, this growth has stalled or even reversed. The current generation is performing lower than their parents. The reasons for this reversal are debated, including changes in teaching methods, less emphasis on logic, the effects of migration, declining health, declining nutrition, and the possible impact of digital technologies on cognitive abilities. A clear consensus has yet to emerge.

9. The Birthing Bed as a Battlefield



The Aztecs considered childbirth a sacred battle, in which the mother, at the cost of her life, captured a precious trophy—a child—from the otherworldly forces. A woman who died in childbirth (called a cihuateteo) was buried with the honors worthy of a fallen warrior. She was sent to the House of the Sun, the abode of the chosen ones. The body was guarded to ensure that no one stole her left hand and hair. These relics were considered the most powerful amulets.

10. With a Mustache



Some horses, such as Gypsy draft horses or Friesians, have a real mustache growing above their lip. Some have a modest tuft, while others have lush, drooping whiskers that make the horse look like an old cavalryman. This isn't an oddity or lack of grooming, but a natural characteristic of the breed.