You never knew what you were missing. http://www.JunkWorthKnowing.com http://www.junkworthknowing.com/images/rsslogo.gif http://www.junkworthknowing.com 144 51 You never knew what you were missing. We see them all the time on movie out-takes, but what's the actual purpose of the clapperboard (sometimes called a slate), and why is it clapped together? The main function of a clapper board is to allow the video and audio, which are recorded separately, to be synced during editing. The "clap" noise registers on the audio recording and which can then be timed to match the physical closure of the clapperboard on film, insuring the rest of the take is synced... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/popculture/the_clapperboard_slate_explained Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST In 1901 construction was started on a tower in Long Island like no other. Designed to send transatlantic radio signals and provide power to nearby businesses without the use of copper lines, the 55 foot tower loomed ominously.  The dream of Nicola Tesla to provide free power with no lines by harnessing the ionosphere would be demonstrated with this project and backed by notable investors such as J. P. Morgan himself... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/technology/nicola_teslas_wardenclyffe_tower Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST Slated to be the third largest bridge in the world, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was plagued with issues before ground was even broken. Scale models showed it was unstable even in moderate winds. Nevertheless, construction started and the bridge was completed as planned. The bridge deck would shift up and down a staggering 10 feet with only a slight breeze. Construction workers needed to chew on lemon slices to attempt to avoid motion sickness while working... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/disasters/the_tacoma_narrows_bridge_collapse Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST Appealing to our comedic side, the thought of an exploding whale paints an entertaining picture. The picture is not as absurd as you might think, this very thing has occurred more than once. The reasons behind the events are both natural, and by the hand of man. The first recorded incident was the 1970 explosion of a whale in Oregon. More recently, in 2004 a dead whale spontaneously exploded while on the back of a truck in a Taiwanese City covering the street with whale guts... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/nature/a_brief_history_of_exploding_whales Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST A childhood wouldn't be complete without at least one encounter with a Ouija Board. Our skepticism for it makes any messages from supposed spirits seem laughable, after all, how can a commercial board game be a portal to another dimension? Originally referred to as a talking board, the first example is dated to 540 B.C. and it was far removed from the entertaining game it is today... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/popculture/origins_of_the_ouija_board Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST Spy novels, conspiracy magazines, and science fiction movies have exposed us to the power of truth serums. These elixirs allow everything from state secrets to the location of valued assets to pour out of their subjects. The real power of these truth drugs varies greatly, and their purported uses are numbered. What truth is really behind this class of drugs?.. http://www.junkworthknowing.com/medicine/the_truth_behind_truth_serum Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST A fishing trawler sailing on the South coast of Iceland noticed a menacing plume of black smoke on the morning of November 14, 1963. Thinking it was a boat on fire the crew of the trawler moved closer to help. On closer inspection the crew realized this wasn’t a ship on fire, but rather something very few have ever witnessed: a volcanic island being born. Over the next few months the island would fend off the eroding forces of the Atlantic to grow to over 2.5 square kilometers in size... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/nature/surtsey_the_birth_of_an_island Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST Often associated with the Devil himself, most people would struggle to think of something positive Hitler contributed to society. Nevertheless, Nazi Germany did have its slight upsides even if for maligned reasons; particularly when it came to its anti-smoking campaign, which was the world's first. The reasoning behind it however fell to a combination of Hitler's personal distaste for tobacco and his concern for its negative impact on reproduction when consumed by "Aryan" women... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/medicine/nazi_hitlers_anti-smoking_movement Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST Many underhanded people try their hand at fraud, but to be so well known for it that a form of it is named after you takes a special person: meet Charles Ponzi, of the original Ponzi scheme. The roots of his scheme started off honest enough. Ponzi discovered an arbitrage opportunity with international postal reply coupons. The idea was completely legal, but things took a turn for the worst after investors were suckered into investing with a promised 50% return... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/popculture/the_original_ponzi Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST For thousands of years countries in South and Southeast Asian employed elephants to crush and dismember prisoners and traitors. Owned by royal families and carefully trained, the elephants could make the process quick and easy, or long and painful. The sight of such occurrences were often written about by early European travelers much to the disbelief of others. Execution by elephant was a symbolic occurrence within many cultures... http://www.junkworthknowing.com/history/crushing_by_elephant Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST