It started popping up in recent years as a popular wallpaper on web pages (especially those that have a pop culture theme). Just the sight of it made Baby Boomers all nostalgic and asking “What is that design? I know I’ve seen it before…” Where you saw it was probably in your parents’ bathroom or on your grandma’s old kitchen table.

It was originally called “Skylark,” but most folks refer to it as the “boomerang” pattern, and its recent surge in popularity surprises Formica, the designers of the kitschy laminate. Formica got its start in 1912 when the company’s founders developed a way to coat mica with resin, cure it, and then press it flat. The product was used as an insulator for automobile components, radio parts and other industrial gizmos. When Westinghouse began marketing a similar type of insulation, Formica decided to find another niche.

It came in the form of the post-WWII housing boom. Formica patented a rotogravure printing process that produced decorative designs on sheet laminate that could be used on tables and counter tops. In the early 1950s, Milwaukee designer Brooks Stevens came up with a pattern of interlocking “boomerangs” in blue, pink and yellow against a gray background. Skylark, as it was named, appeared in restaurants and on passenger trains and soon became one of Formica’s most popular patterns.

As times and tastes changed, Formica dropped Skylark from its product line and added more subtle, earthy colors and designs instead. In 1988, the company re-released Skylark in updated “punk” colors, but it quickly became clear that customers were clamoring for the original. As of 2005, the original Skylark returned in all its aqua and charcoal-gray glory.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

Who knew that something as seemingly simple as tape would have such a confusing history?

In 1942, the Permacel division of Johnson & Johnson developed a special type of waterproof tape for use by the U.S. Army to help seal ammunition boxes. That much is certain. But as for what the new tape was called, even the folks at Johnson & Johnson can’t say for sure. Folk etymology would have us believe that either because the tape repelled water (like off a duck’s back), or because the tape’s backing was made of cotton duck fabric, soldiers started referring to it as “duck tape.” But historians browsing through military manuals of that era can find no reference to the adhesive by that name.

Meanwhile, military personnel found that the tape was effective in making quick repairs on everything from jeeps to aircraft. Once the war ended, veterans brought the tape with them into civilian life, and it found a prominent place in the booming housing industry, used to attach or repair heating and cooling ducts. Once it became more common in the private sector, the color of the tape was changed from olive drab to silver. It was also at this juncture that the adhesive began to be referred to as “duct” tape.

 In 1982, Henkel Consumer Adhesives trademarked the name “duck tape” and began selling the sticky stuff under that name. Henkel’s CEO admitted that he chose the name because when customers had previously asked for “duct tape,” it sounded like “duck.” So, much like the chicken and the egg controversy, the duck versus duct mystery remains ambiguous.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

In the world of niche marketing, Robert Barker of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, has definitely maintained an unusual foot in the door; a 10-gauge steel door, to be precise. The Bob Barker Company is the country’s largest supplier of equipment for correctional facilities.

From toiletries to linens to electronics, prisons need supplies just like hotels and restaurants do. There is a slight difference, of course; hotel guests don’t occasionally try to fashion spoons into weapons. Due to their customer base, Bob Barker has very stringent quality control procedures. Smocks and jumpsuits are made of heavy-duty fabric that makes it difficult to tear or form into a noose. Toothbrushes are systematically ground against cinder block to make sure they can’t be turned into a shank. No pork by-products are used in their cosmetics or toiletries in order to prevent religious objections. The company’s mattresses are tested to ensure they meet strict fireproofing standards. Despite all the exacting specifications necessary to its products, Bob Barker manages to maintain competitive prices and quick turnaround time, which is why the company gets the majority of the available detention center supply contracts.

Unfortunately, if you’re an average consumer who has a hankering for a jumpsuit that can’t be removed by the wearer, you won’t be able to buy one from Bob. His company sells products only to federal, state, and local government agencies.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

Fans who watched the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap may remember that the band’s lead singer, David St. Hubbins, claimed to be named after the patron saint of quality footwear. It turns out there is a patron saint of shoemakers, and his name is St. Crispin. Crispin was born into a wealthy Roman family in the third century C.E. and he spent most of his life cobbling shoes for the poor.

A patron saint is a particular saint chosen out of the pool of 10,000-plus available beatified souls to act as a special protector or guardian of a certain area of life. They are usually chosen because of a talent or interest in their own lives. For example, St. Francis of Assisi loved nature, so he was chosen as the patron saint of animals and the environment. Towards the end of her life, Clare of Assisi was imprisoned, and when she couldn’t attend mass, an image of the service would magically display on the wall of her cell. She eventually became the patron saint of television. (Yes, really.) There is also a patron saint of pawnbrokers, and even one for the Internet.

So … what is the point of a patron saint? Catholics sometimes ask saints to pray for them in particularly difficult situations. And, in older times, patron saints also provided us with holidays; St. Crispin was martyred on October 25, so for many years, it was traditional for shoemakers to close up shop on that day and celebrate. There was even a little song that went along with the celebration: “On the twenty-fifth of October, Cursed be the cobbler that goes to bed sober.”

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

What’s the difference between a swamp, a marsh and a bog? Some folks use the terms interchangeably to describe wetlands, but there are distinct differences between the three.

Swamps typically hold six to 12 inches of water and are fed by groundwater. They are divided into two categories: forested swamps, which are dominated by hardwood trees; and shrub swamps, which are home to willows, dogwoods, elderberry and other low-growing bushes and small trees.

Marshes can contain water levels anywhere from two inches to three feet, but the vegetation is strictly herbaceous, such as cattails, grass, and sedges.

Bogs receive most of their water from precipitation and are comprised mainly of peat – slowly decaying plant matter. The soil and water in bogs are highly acidic from the decomposing vegetation, so besides sphagnum moss and deer grass, they are home to carnivorous flora, such as pitcher plants and cobra lilies.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

… it took place in January at a ski resort in Idaho. In 1969, a sales rep for a company called K2 hired a filmmaker to shoot some footage of professional skiers “hotdogging” on the slopes in Sun Valley. The 12-minute film was used as a promotional tool to sell K2’s new line of skis, and the distributors loved it. They clamored for a new film the next year, and the next.

In January 1971, production on the third film was wrapping up when a K2 rep informed the filmmaker that the following week was “airline week” at Sun Valley, and gave him 200 K2 T-shirts to give away to the flight attendants that would be there. Officials got together and decided to award a prize to whomever looked the “best” in a T-shirt. After a few rounds of drinks, they decided to add a degree of “difficulty” to the contest – the ladies would have to dive into the resort’s heated pool clad in the shirt, and extra points would (of course) be awarded if she did so sans brassiere. Not surprisingly, attendance for the contest was standing room only, and a roaring success. A similar event was staged later that year by K2 at the Red Onion in Aspen, and that time Playboy had photographers on the sidelines and ended up featuring many of the participants in a full-color spread.

Dick Barrymore, the filmmaker who’d spawned the whole T-shirt contest idea, was later named Male Chauvinist of the Year by Student Skier magazine.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

…and those “in case of emergency” placards in hotel rooms, as well. The recent sinking of the cruise ship Sea Diamond reminded us of the R.M.S. Titanic, which got us to thinking – why do people do seemingly nonsensical things during a disaster or other emergency?

Psychologists attribute it to “patterned behavior.” From the time humans are born, they are influenced by the behavior of those around them. At home, our parents teach us to listen to our elders and do as we’re told; at school we long to conform and hesitate to go against the grain. Our brains also adjust to routine, so much so that at the first sign of a fire in a building or water leaking into a ship, we don’t quite process the information. For a few precious moments it eludes detection by the “flee or die” portion of our brains.

This patterned behavior has been responsible for many needless deaths during some highly publicized disasters. When fire was discovered at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in 1977, a busboy ran to the microphone onstage and urged patrons to evacuate, but no one budged because they didn’t take him seriously. He wasn’t the “authority figure” that they’d been programmed to obey. Another common occurrence that results in unnecessary casualties is the tendency for panicked people to try and exit via the same door they used to enter the facility. Hundreds of people regularly ignore the various lit “EXIT” signs as they try to push their way to the entrance.

Whether you’re on a cruise ship, in an airplane, or at an auditorium or hotel, it’s smart to pay attention to safety drills and note where your nearest exits are in case of emergency. If your brain “records” such information, it is more likely to recall it during a precarious situation.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

Whether it’s an over-the-counter tablet or a prescription-only drug, all medications have a finite shelf life. Medications are made from organic molecules, which have diverse physical and chemical properties. The structure of the molecule, the packaging of the product and environmental factors all contribute to the medication’s eventual degradation and decomposition. Before a drug hits the market, the manufacturer has done extensive testing under “normal” storage conditions as well as accelerated stability tests under extreme conditions. When this data is correlated, the over-time stability of the drug can be measured.

The expiration date listed on a drug container indicates the point at which the medication dips below 90 percent of its full effectiveness. For the majority of medications, the danger of dosing after the posted expiration date is simply that the medication will no longer be effective. Interestingly enough, the bathroom medicine cabinet, where most folks store their pills, is one of the worst places to keep pills if you hope to extend their shelf life. The heat and humidity in the typical bathroom during a morning shower is detrimental to the potency of most medications. In fact, many mail-order pharmacies take special precautions when shipping to hot, sunny climates, where soaring temperatures can nearly ruin a package of medication that sits in a stifling mailbox all day long.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

We don’t know whether feminine hygiene product manufacturers have noticed it or not, but there is a distinct aroma in the air after a rainfall, particularly if the weather has been dry for a long period of time. And it’s not particularly girly; it smells more or less like moist dirt. That odor is due to streptomyces (a type of bacteria) in the soil. Streptomyces release chemicals called geosmins, which are what give freshly tilled soil its characteristic aroma. After a long, dry spell, the geosmin spores are blown about on the ground. Then when the rain finally comes, the moisture creates an aerosol-type spray when it hits the ground, agitating the geosmins and creating that “rain smell.”

Even in the desert, a slight dampening of the soil will cause the streptomyces to emit their signature fragrance. The very sensitive nose of the camel can detect that odor in the breeze, which is how they are able to find the location of water deposits from distances of up to 50 miles.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

How did Deluxe get to be the check printer of choice? As with many things in life, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Back in 1886, when William Roy Hotchkiss was only 10 years old, he took a job at the local newspaper to help supplement the income from his family’s Wisconsin farm. He learned the intricacies of printing, and after he graduated from high school, Hotchkiss purchased several local newspapers and embarked upon a career in publishing. When he became ill in 1913, his doctor recommended not only a change in location, but also a change to a less stressful career choice. Will and his family moved to sunny southern California, where he gave chicken farming a try, but it wasn’t long before Hotchkiss realized that his heart was still in printing.

In 1915, Hotchkiss moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, and came across a new opportunity, printing bank checks. The paying-by-check phenomenon was relatively new in the United States, and he felt that he could find success by focusing on that niche market. He did this by setting up a way to make checks in mass quantities with the account holder’s name and address already printed on them.

He was right … but not right away. Deluxe Check Printers opened in 1915, but it wasn’t until a few years later that his company would start making a profit. Up through World War I, it was something of a stigma in the U.S. to pay one’s bills with anything but cash. When the Roaring Twenties rolled around, debt lost most of its stigma, and prosperous Americans didn’t want to carry the large amounts of cash necessary to finance their swinging lifestyles. Checking accounts became more commonplace, and since Deluxe already had all the equipment in place to meet the demand, they became the default check printer for most banks. By concentrating solely on checks, Deluxe has been able to maintain many of those early relationships, even through the never-ending turnstile of financial institution mergers.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

The wrecking ball is often used as a sight gag in cartoons and on sitcoms – stalwart patrons valiantly stage a sit-in to save a neighborhood haunt and are nearly crushed when the huge steel ball on a chain drops through the ceiling. Wrecking balls are one of the oldest tools used to dismantle a building, but they are slowly vanishing from the demolition scene.

The ball is made of forged steel, which means it is formed under high pressure while the metal is soft (not molten), which helps to strengthen it. Suspended from a crane, a wrecking ball can weigh anywhere from 1,000 lbs. to several tons. The modern ball isn’t spherical, but more pear-shaped, which makes it easier to pull it back through a surface after it has broken through.

There are drawbacks to using a wrecking ball, though. It requires a specially trained crane operator, since controlling the swing of the ball is all-important. Missing the target may tip or overload the crane, and a mild swing-back may cause the ball to hit the boom. Wrecking balls also create a lot of dust, vibration and noise, and many cities won’t allow them as a result.

Today, excavators are on the front line of most demolition jobs. Wrecking balls are often employed just to break apart concrete flooring.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

Why are so many celebrities adopting foreign babies? In fact, regular citizens are also looking beyond American shores when it comes to adoption as well. It’s just that the movie stars get more press coverage for their multi-cultural families.

There is no shortage of older adoptable children in the United States, but according to adoption experts, the majority of prospective parents are seeking infants. While older orphans languish in the system, it can take many years on a waiting list before a match occurs. Even then, it’s not necessarily a done deal, because the birth mother can change her mind and take her baby back until all the right papers are signed.

As a result, many couples (and individuals) have turned to China, Guatemala, Russia and South Korea (the four most popular countries for foreign adoptions) to find babies. With the added fees and airfare, foreign adoptions are comparably expensive to domestic ones. The benefit to parents is that the adoption requirements in other countries are usually more lenient, which may give older couples, same-sex couples and single parents the advantage they need. Even as we speak, however, adoption laws and procedures are being tightened around the world. Romania, for example, all but eliminated foreign adoptions once stories about baby stealing and selling hit the wires.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

Computers, big-screen TVs and other consumer favorites are progressively being equipped with more bells and whistles, yet their prices are coming down. So why does a relatively uncomplicated pair of eyeglasses still cost so much?

Eyeglass frames are typically marked up anywhere from 600 to 1000 percent. Most frames are manufactured in China, then sent to Italy or Germany for minor tweaking and finishing touches so that Armani or Gucci can slap a “Made in the EU” label on them. To remain competitive, storefront opticians only make 15 to 20 percent on each sale, but costs are high. Unlike shoes or clothes, not everyone needs glasses. The average person buys glasses only when his prescription changes, which may mean a gap of several years. And a person rarely buys more than two pairs of glasses at a time.

The average non-chain optical store rakes in $500,000 in sales per year, but out of that comes rent and utilities, insurance, and staffing costs. The salary of an on-site optometrist alone could run as high as $100,000 annually. If the shop makes glasses while you wait, whatever is left ends up paying for their very expensive in-store lab equipment. Large chain stores get more customer traffic, so they’re able to offer slightly lower prices. But the popularity of contact lenses (which are available online and via mail order) and permanent corrective vision surgery has had quite an impact on business.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

The first tabloid magazines (often called “scandal sheets” back in the day) hit the market in 1952. That was the year that Generoso Pope, Jr., purchased New York’s National Enquirer for $75,000. The original Enquirer had been a tip sheet for horse racing fans, but Pope immediately changed the focus from the track to the truly incredible. Racy romance stories and grisly crimes were the grist for his mill. The Enquirer’s circulation hit one million copies per week after Pope expanded placement beyond newsstands to alternate outlets like grocery stores.

In the meantime, Confidential magazine also hit the stands. It relied on shocking celebrity stories, whether their truth could be verified or not. When the Enquirer saw Confidential’s sales figures, it revamped its editorial content to focus on celebrity gossip. And there was no better source for outrageous behavior than Judy “is she having her stomach pumped this week” Garland. Then Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s very public romance came along, followed by the phenomenal popularity of Elvis Presley. Eventually, Confidential was hit with one too many lawsuits and went out of business. The Enquirer learned from Confidential’s mistakes and had reporters pose as maids and bellboys in order to get the latest (and truest) scoops.

Most years, there was no shortage of juicy celebrity gossip for tabloids, but a dry spell in the 1970s had publishers stymied. The situation was resolved when pop duo Sonny and Cher got their own hit TV show. Suddenly the tabloids realized they could triple their sales simply by featuring the glamorous Mrs. Bono (and her reported extra-marital relationships) on the cover.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com

Why do older drivers seem to prefer automobiles that are so huge they can’t even see over the steering wheel?

It’s not just a stereotype – according to J.D. Power and Associates, the average age of the American car buyer in 2006 was 47. But the average age of the folks who bought Buicks and Crown Victorias was 62. A study done at the University of South Florida found that seniors definitely showed a preference for vehicles with a longer wheelbase; that is, a longer distance between the front and rear axles. Part of the reason, the researchers found, was that that was the type of car the 70-and-over crowd remember fondly from their youth, the two-ton, longer, lower, wider ride with wraparound windshields and soaring tail fins. Older folks also feel safer with a few feet of steel protecting them in case of a collision. And most of them find it easier to slide behind the wheel in a roomy Park Avenue than something smaller.

As Baby Boomers age, the percentage of older drivers on the road will increase. By 2030, there will be an estimated 30 million American drivers over the age of 65. With that in mind, the automotive industry is actively taking steps to make cars more user-friendly for senior customers. A perfect example? Design engineers can now don special “age suits” that give them limited vision and hearing, and which restrain their movements in order to mimic arthritic hands and knees.

By Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik

Questions or comments? email trivia@mentalfloss.com