THE FUN PANEL

z A team of Japanese scientists and engineers created a fire alarm for the deaf that works by spraying vaporised wasabi into the air – it will even wake them up if they’re sleeping.

z Bees can fly higher than Mount Everest.

z In 1960, during a period of high tensions between Havana and Washington, a Cuban cow got hit by a chunk of a falling U.S. satellite. Islanders got a dig in at their American neighbours by parading another cow through the streets sporting a sign that read, “Eisenhower, you murdered one of my sisters!”

z Before trees existed, the earth was covered with giant white mushrooms.

z All astronauts going to the International Space Station have to learn to speak Russian, as the controls of their Soyuz spacecraft are in that language.

z Fried chicken originated in Scotland.

z Off-duty paramedic Matthew Mcknight earned the dubious Guinness World Record for furthest distance thrown by a car when he was hit by a vehicle traveling 112km/h and was catapulted 36 metres. Amazingly, while he suffered serious injuries, he managed to recover.

z You’re more likely to be bitten by a human than a shark.

z Not that we think you’d actually drink this much, but 37 litres of carrot juice will kill you. Its vitamin A content is high enough to make your brain swell, along with other nasty symptoms. By the way, you can also overdose on the vitamin by eating a pound of polar bear liver every day.