One Lucky Soul: Random Stuff You May Not Know: Three

1- Largest Flying Bird Ever

Discovered decades ago and formally described in 1980, Argentavis magnificens is the largest bird known that was capable of flight. Its name means “magnificent Argentine bird”, or more literally “magnificent silver bird”, and it lived six thousand years ago during the Miocene period throughout Argentina.

With a 8.3 m (27 ft) wingspan, a length of up to 3.5 m (11 ft), a height on the ground of up to 2 m (6.6 ft) and weighing approximately 70 kilograms (150 pounds), this gigantic beast was nearly the size of a Cessna 152 aircraft. Though size wise, it ranks second after the extinct Elephant Bird (Aepyornis) of Madagascar, which was flightless.

Even though the muscles of the Argentavis were well-developed, they still were not sufficient to generate enough lift for it to leave the ground. It is held, however, that it flew mainly by soaring; using mountain slopes and headwinds to take off, and only using flapping flight during short periods. Or so it is believed.

2- Conformité Européenne ≠ China Export

In recent years, we’ve got used to the fact that if a product bears the CE (Conformité Européenne) logo, it is safe. The reason for this assumption is the goods’ compliance with EU standards. Unfortunately, there exists a much similar mark which the majority of consumers, and even some sellers, mistakenly consider as the genuine CE of the European Union. This other logo, however, symbolizes something quite different.

The logo means that the product was manufactured in China, and it stands for “China Export”. Such uncanny similarity is not a mere coincidence; it actually expresses the aggressive approach of the Chinese in confusing consumers of the world.

The China Export logo is not registered, it does not confirm positive test results, and is placed by Chinese manufacturers arbitrarily. Note that the two letters in the original form a sideways number 8, while it's not the case in the replica.

Now keep those eyes open.

3- Maspero

This is a Snapple fact that many, if not most, Egyptians don’t know: The Radio and TV Building in Cairo was named after the French Egyptologist Gaston Camille Charles Maspero (June 23, 1846 – June 30, 1916) in honour of his good deeds and contributions to research and preserve the ancient Egyptian monuments.

Maspero was the director general of excavations and antiquities for the Egyptian government and was responsible for locating a collective royal tomb of prime historic importance. He taught Egyptian language in Paris from 1869 until his appointment as professor at the Collège de France in 1874. In November 1880, he went to Egypt as head of an archaeological mission, which grew into the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology.

Apparently the Egyptian director Shadi Abdel Salam had recorded his presence in the feature film The Mummy.

4- Plastic Bridges for the Migration of Christmas Island Crabs

Every year around January on Christmas Island, over 120 million fearless young crabs make their way from spawning-grounds inland in a mass migration towards the sea — clogging up the island's roads on the way. As a result, thoughtful rangers close car lanes to avoid having any crushed crustaceans.

All those millions of red crabs don't seem to bother the island's 1,200 inhabitants too much. “It is difficult to see crabs in the houses,” one local resident told BBC Brasil. Still, rangers are doing their best to keep the little crabs on course as they make their way to the sea. They even built plastic bridges to help them overcome difficult obstacles and putting up little fences to help guide them along.

Faith in Humanity...Restored.

5- Self-Surgery by Leonid Rogozov

Leonid Rogozovgozov is a Russian general practitioner who took part in the sixth Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1960–1961. He was the only doctor stationed at the Novolazarevskaya Station, and, while there, developed peritonitis; which meant he had to perform an appendectomy on himself, a famous case of self-surgery.

On the morning of 29 April 1961, Rogozov experienced general weakness, nausea, and moderate fever, and later pain in the lower right portion of the abdomen. All possible conservative treatment measures did not help. By 30 April, signs of localised peritonitis became apparent, and his condition worsened considerably by the evening. Mirny, the nearest Soviet research station, was more than 1,600 km (1,000 mi) from Novolazarevskaya. Antarctic research stations of other countries did not have an aircraft, and severe blizzard conditions prevented aircraft landing in any case. Rogozov had no option but to perform the operation on himself with the help of a driver and meteorologist, who were providing instruments and holding a mirror to observe areas not directly visible.

He was fine after several days, and the self-surgery captured the imagination of the Soviet public at the time. In 1961 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.

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