5 things we learned this week

1 WHEN Donald Trump had Covid in October 2020, he hatched a plan to be wheeled out of hospital, dramatically stand up and open up his shirt – revealing a Superman logo underneath. The then President was so serious about the idea that he dispatched a staffer to go out and buy a Superman shirt.

2 IN SOUTH Korea, ‘Leeds era’ (lijeu sijeol) is a common phrase to describe someone’s heyday. According to The Korea Herald, the expression dates back to 2005, when star Korean footballer Park Ji-sung joined Manchester United. Playing alongside him was Alan Smith, whose career was faltering after a stellar stint at Leeds United. Korean fans picked up on Smith’s decline since his golden ‘Leeds era’, and the slang stuck.

3 SCIENTISTS have discovered a way to break down plastic bags within hours at room temperature – using insect spit. Special enzymes in the saliva of wax worms – moth larvae that infest beehives – have been found to degrade polyethylene. The potentially world-changing discovery came after a scientist who happened to be an amateur beekeeper cleaned out a hive and found the worms eating holes in an old bin bag.

4 FRED ASTAIRE was once invited by fellow actor Anthony Perkins to see his new Broadway show, but was too gentlemanly to tell him it was a dud. Astaire felt he had to say something positive when he visited his friend backstage. In the end, he simply said: ‘Tony, I don’t know how you do it!’

5 THE 16th Century Danish king Christian IV had a novel way to tax ships. Captains were free to declare their cargo at any value they chose, without it being audited – ‘but the King reserved the right to buy the cargo at that price’.