Einstein's Refrigerator Site Index

Site Index

At the request of many readers, the following represents an index to this website.
Stories are broken down by category.
Descriptions are identical to those on the site's main pages.

Note: Podcasts are excluded. The podcasts blog can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/category/podcast/

Please Note: This page is no longer being updated.
Click here to go to the current Useless Information site.

Forgotten Genius

Paul Kammerer

Do you remember when your high school science teacher told you never to fudge your data? Never, ever. Apparently, Paul Kammerer wasn't listening. He was once the most famous biologist in the world. Now he is the textbook example of scientific fraud and is virtually unknown. Find out how one single toad lead to his untimely death.

Joseph Priestley

You may never have heard of Joseph Priestley, but he is considered by many to be one of the greatest scientists of all time. What did he know that the leading scientists of the 1700's did not? Certainly not science. He never took a single science course during his entire lifetime. That was to Priestley's advantage. Check out this story to learn about his long list of important scientific contributions. Also, discover Priestley's role in the future of soft drinks and rubber.

The Matchstick Man

What do you do with your matchsticks after you burn them? Do you toss them away? What a complete waste of a natural resource. Could the landfills be filling up with these things? For an answer to this pressing problem, we need only to turn to a man named Jack Hall. He found the perfect solution to the used matchstick dilemma. He used the matches to build... Well, check out this incredible story to see what he used the matchsticks for.

Hmmm...

The Bath School Disaster

When people think about school violence, the tragic story of the Columbine shootings is the first thing that comes to mind. Few people, however, have any knowledge the most deadly act of school violence in American history. Even more surprising is that this was not a recent event , but actually occurred during the Roaring 20's.

Barnum

P. T. Barnum is best known for the circus that he founded. Exploitation should have been his middle name. If you were too short, tall, fat, skinny, hairy (you get the idea), you could get a job working for him. Surprisingly, he had an even greater effect on our culture - he changed the English language forever.

The Coldest Profession

Yes, it appears that scientists may have finally found what appears to be Earth's southernmost red-light district. Your first impression may be that this sounds like a story about lonely scientists living at the South Pole, but it is not. Instead, this is a story about penguins and what they do in their spare time. This time, however, it is the betrayed husband who is left home crying.

Fishes

I can hear you screaming already - your English teacher told you that the plural of fish is still fish. Supposedly, there is no such word called fishes. Well, your English teacher was wrong.

King Con

Count Victor Lustig could sell you just about anything. Rich or poor, if he decided to make you his next victim, he would certainly take you for all that you had. He never did sell the Brooklyn Bridge, but he did manage to sell the Eiffel Tower. And, he sold the tower not once, but twice.

Noah's Ark

Without a doubt, this is the most controversial Useless Information story found on these web pages. While not written with the intention of challenging religious belief, many have misinterpreted the story this way. What it is intended to be is an interesting mathematical analysis of how many animals the ark could actually hold. One thing that we can be sure of - it was certainly not a cruise ship.

The Pudding Guy

David Phillips is the type of guy that just loves pudding. Now, it just can't be any type of pudding. It must be Healthy Choice brand in those individual serving type containers. Phillips ended up buying 12,150 containers of this yummy stuff for his family. Why would anyone want so much pudding? Why did it have to be Healthy Choice brand? And what could any typical family do with all of this pudding. Check out this great story to find out...

Printers & Canteens

These two words are rarely ever used in the same sentence. Therefore, you are probably wondering what these two items actually have in common. In regards to your life, the answer is almost certainly nothing. If you are talking about the author's life, then there is one unusual similarity. Here's a hint: Some items just seem to be cursed.

Santa Claus

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! Did you ever wonder how Santa delivers all those gifts to the kids every year for Christmas? Let's just say that it's not an easy task and that this overweight fellow seems to defy the laws of physics. For the fifth year, we are proud to present this hilarious story. This is the only non-original article on the site, and, to make matters even worse, the story is totally fictitious. But, we had to keep our annual tradition of posting this it. Enjoy!

So You Want to Sell Your Body?

Our bodies seem to be a depository of lots of valuable minerals. So how much could you get for these selling these resources?

Incredible Stories of Survival

Hiroo Onoda

World War II ended way back in 1945. Someone forgot to tell Hiroo Onoda and his men, however. They kept fighting and fighting and fighting. And when that wasn't enough, they kept on fighting some more. Thirty years later, their war was still going on. It obviously ended, or you wouldn't be able to read this great story of survival.

Inventive Genius

Aspirin

The inventor of this modern miracle drug saw no use for it. Luckily, aspirin's formula was rediscovered nearly fifty years later and the rest is history. But, did you know that aspirin was included as part of the Treaty of Versailles?

Band-Aids

I'm stuck on Band-Aid 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me. Millions of these little adhesive strip have been sold over the years. Yet, their existence may never have been if it weren't for Listerine.

The Brassiere

Mary Phelps Jacob is widely credited with inventing this article of clothing way back in 1913. Did she really invent this garment? Better yet, did you know that it could possibly kill you? Check out the real answers.

Condoms

Many men hate wearing these things, but one cannot deny that they are an effective form of contraception. Find out where this latex rubber device came from and what it has in common with America's favorite soft drink, Coca-Cola.

Journal Article "Effect of "Coke" on Sperm Motility"

Eveready Batteries

The man that invented the Eveready battery gave away the company so that he could play with his model trains. As foolish as this may sound, it was the best decision that he ever made.

Lightbulbs

Who invented these illuminating devices? If you said Thomas Edison, you would be wrong. Find out who really invented the lightbulb and what it means to be Westinghoused.

Matches

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match... It just wasn't that simple. Making a device to turn friction into flame turned out to be much more difficult and dangerous than you could ever imagine.

Article "Match Patent Ended For Humanity's Sake"

Microwave Ovens

A melted candy bar and some egg on someone's face are responsible for the invention of the first microwave. Check out the interesting history of this product's development. Also, is there any truth to the rumor that people have cooked their babies alive in these cooking machines?

Paint

Brush-it-on. Roll-it-on. Or, just plain slop-it-on. Would you believe that when ready mixed paint was invented, many people had great doubts that anyone would ever buy it? It seems that consumers preferred to mix their own paint.

Pez

It's hard to believe, but those old flip-top head dispensers could be worth big $$$. Would you believe that those little candies were available in Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Licorice, and Chlorophyll flavors? Find out what other flavors were once marketed and the answer to the most obvious question - Why are they called PEZ?

Pink Flamingos

Love them or hate them, they are just hard to ignore. The plastic pink flamingo has become a part of the American landscape and has had more staying power than just about any celebrity. The subject of many jokes, this truly American object was actually designed by a real artist as a serious piece of art. Follow the path of the pink flamingo from its birth through to its gain of legendary status.

Q-Tips

One would think that inventions do not come any simpler than this. Put a little cotton on a stick and you're in business. Unfortunately, it was not that easy. And what is with the strange name?

S.O.S Pads

These little soapy pads were originally designed as a giveaway to help sell aluminum pots and pans to housewives. The cookware didn't sell, but the pads were an instant success. By the way, the pads are not named after the famous distress signal.

Zippers and Velcro

Hey! Your fly is open! (made you look...) Trying to get people to use the zipper many years ago was virtually impossible - this contraption constantly rusted closed or failed miserably. Of course, we now have that modern invention known as Velcro? to solve these problems.

Presidents and Rulers

David Rice Atchison

What would you do if you could be President of the United States for one day? Would you start a war? Pardon all the criminals? It just so happens that David Rice Atchison is the only man in history to have had this honor. Find out what Atchison did during his 24 hours in power.

James Garfield

James Garfield will never be one of the best remembered Presidents of the United States. You probably didn't even know that he was assassinated. His assassin shot him twice, but probably did not kill him. Find out who the real murderers are and how Alexander Graham Bell helped speed up his death.

William the Conqueror

This great legend in history had an accidental death. His funeral was the real highlight (if you can call it that), however. His corpse sent the worshippers running out of the church. You should be glad that you did not have to attend.

Unbelievable!

The Fugitive

You are probably thinking about the endless stories of Dr. Richard Kimble and his escape from justice. This is actually the story of another fugitive named Robert Burns whose run from justice inspired two Hollywood movies, books, and a change in the Georgia penal system. He had one fascinating journey!

Headless Mike

You've probably heard that old expression about running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Well, Headless Mike gives new meaning to this expression. Check out this article for one of the oddest stories that you may have read in a while. Warning: it's not pretty, but you'll probably remember it for the rest of your life.

Sawing Off Manhattan

What would you do if you heard that the island of Manhattan was sinking into the Hudson Bay due to the added weight of its buildings? Such a problem faced the people of this great city. It took the ingenuity of one man to find a solution. The plan was to saw off the end of the island and spin it around. Impossible, you say? Check out this wild story to see what really happened.

Slip Slidin' Away

We tend to think of rocks as objects that remain in the same place for long periods of time. Weathering, erosion, or even mankind has been known to move them. Yet, there are rocks in Death Valley, California that seem to mysteriously move hundreds of feet at a time. Do these rocks have legs? Did the aliens from outer space move them? Or was it some other supreme power? Why don't you take a look...

The US Camel Brigade

It’s hard to imagine the old west without images of the classic cowboy riding his horse off into the sunset. Yet, if things had gone differently, those old western movies would have had John Wayne riding into town on his camel. When the Lone Ranger was blurting out, “Hi yo Silver, away!” he would have been referring to his two-humped friend. And Roy Rogers would have had a dromedary named Trigger.

Why? Why? Why?

Arbor Day

This simple little celebration is enough to bring learning to a complete halt in one small upstate New York community. Just where did the idea of planting trees come from? Why was the celebration so important a century ago, yet largely forgotten by all today? Now you can know...

Honeybees

Can you imagine having to compete with thousands of other males to win the heart of the only mating female in the kingdom? Even worse, once you do get her, your genitals end up exploding.

Motion Pictures

What's the deal with those old movies? They run so fast. Antique cars zoom across the screen. People walk across the street like their pants are on fire. It's seems like someone was able to put time on fast forward.

Raisins

You probably know that raisins are just plain old dried-up grapes. Do you have any idea what the difference is between the Golden and Sun-Dried varieties? Now you can know.

Teflon 1

That old magic question is finally answered - If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they get Teflon to stick to the pan?

Teflon 2

And since the manufacturers have obviously gotten it to stick, is it true that the fumes produced by the Teflon are actually toxic? Hint: your pet birds are in grave danger.

Total Cereal

The breakfast cereal that provides you with 100% of the recommended amount of iron. Do you know how they get the iron into the cereal? You may not want to know.

Tomatoes

Are you tired of those rock hard tomatoes that the local supermarket sells? What ever happened to those juicy specimens that were available years ago? Would you believe that the red tomato is really a green tomato?

You've Got To Be Kidding!

1904 Olympics

Fascinating Story!

The Olympic Committee probably wants to forget that these 1904 St. Louis games ever occurred. The whole affair ended up being one big circus sideshow. How about a gold medal in mud throwing, totem pole climbing, or spear throwing? Check out this story for a good laugh.

Contact Lenses for Chickens

Sounds like a ridiculous idea, but it's true. Chickens are being outfitted with contact lenses. Find out why these chickens are seeing red.

The Electric Pickle

Edison may have missed the boat on this one. Why use the standard incandescent and fluorescent bulbs that we are so familiar with when we could be lighting our homes with pickle power? I am not kidding here... The guys at Digital Labs actually did research on this. And, the pickles really do glow!

Fight!

Many people never hesitate to scream "A FIGHT!" at the first indication of a brawl. Yet, these words proved to be extremely deadly at Birmingham's Shiloh Church in 1902. Surprisingly, no fight ever occurred and no punch was ever thrown. Find out what really happened.

Homogenized Milk

Did you ever wonder what homogenized actually means? You probably drink it every single day, but the homogenization process was a hard sell when it was first introduced to the marketplace. So tough was it to move this new product that the salesmen had to resort to a unique marketing gimmick - bottles of vomit.

Nose Picking

Remember that Seinfeld episode in which Jerry was caught picking his nose by his beautiful date? He kept screaming to her that "It wasn't a pick", but she refused to listen and dumped him immediately. Just how common is this disgusting habit? Check out this story - you'll be amazed at what they are studying in our research institutions these days.

The Other Stories

M.I.T. students that paid admission to a dance based on their girlfriend's weight. A guy that had more than one hundred shoe tacks removed from his stomach. A kid that collected some 334,000 dead flies in jars. Naturally cooked apple pie. What it means to be "sucking brains". These are the oddball stories that almost got away.

Sleeping Beauty

In the Walt Disney version of this story, Sleeping Beauty is awakened by the handsome prince and they live happily ever after. The original version did not quite read the same way. Instead, the fairy tale is really a story of rape, illegitimate children, and cannibalism...

Toothcare

Billions of dollars are spent each year to help keep our teeth cavity free and looking pearly white. We have toothpaste with baking soda, peroxide, and whiteners in what seems to be every flavor and color possible. Luckily, one flavor is no longer used - that of Portuguese urine!

Vinegar

It's the stuff that we use on our salads all of the time. But, this food product also doubles as the chemical acetic acid. In this true-to-life story (meaning that it happened to the author), find out what kind of protective gear you will need to eat that delicious salad.

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Description of books that may be of interest.

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