Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
[December 30, 2018-January 5, 2019] A double graduation, killer deal on diamonds, and finally there’s life on a celestial body besides Earth.
When Jeanne Calment died in 1997, the world believed her to be 122 years old. Research conducted by two researchers in France, however, question the validity of Calment’s claim. They purport that the woman who died in 1997 was actually Calment’s daughter, who had assumed her mother’s identity.
Dale Dickerson of Mississippi thought he’d surprise his wife with a diamond bracelet, but when the package he ordered arrived, it contained not just one, but 48 total diamond bracelets! In the spirit of the holidays, Dickerson decided to inform the company and send the extras back, a noble action rewarded by a complimentary pair of diamond earrings from the company, Jewelry Unlimited.
Braxton Moral of Kansas was in the third grade when his teacher told his parents that he was “really, really gifted.” Braxton, proved his teacher’s words true and is now set to graduate at 16 years old. He’s not just getting his high school diploma, however. Just three days after he finishes high school, he’s on track to also pick up his undergraduate degree from Harvard!
Dutch Astronaut André Kuipers spooked mission control in Houston when he dialed 911 from the International Space Station. Instead of being a desperate call for help, Kuipers explained it was a simple mistake. According to officials, the mistake is pretty easy to make on the station’s space phone. Astronauts have to dial 9 for an outside line, followed by 011 for an international number.
On January 2nd, the Moon got some new life. China’s Chang’e-4 lander brought a tin of seeds and silkworms to the far side of the Moon. Chinese researchers loaded a biodome of rockcress and potatoes along with the worms in order to study whether lunar cultivation is possible. These are the first organisms to visit the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
