Ripley's Believe It or Not by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for January 13, 2012
January 12, 2012
January 14, 2012
Transcript:
Woodpeckers have a third eyelid that keeps their two eyeballs in place as they ram trees with their beaks at forces in excess of 1000 Gs! Tom Stuker, a sales consultant from Bloomingdale, Ill., USA, has collected 10 million airline frequent flyer miles! Mizuna lettuce was the first plant to successfully grow through two generations in space- aboard the Mir space station.
More From Ripley's Believe It or Not
jennifer almost 13 years ago
Hmmmmm … 1,000 G’s ? Sounds a bit exaggerated, but perhaps the techs that design helmets for fighter pilots could learn from the structural integrity of the woodpecker’s cranium?
FatTonyBalducci almost 13 years ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUD4y74YDik&feature=related
Loijen almost 13 years ago
It’s pretty obvious to me that Tom is afraid of flying!
Puddleglum2 almost 13 years ago
Tom sounds kind of ‘flighty’ to me!
Stephen Gilberg almost 13 years ago
Has Tom met George Clooney? As for the woodpeckers, I’m thinking of the cephalopoid from MIB.
comicnut4636 almost 13 years ago
I remember one morning (when I lived in Orlando,FL) I was awaken by a terrible metalic rattling outside. I got up to see what was going on, when looked up at the metal gutter…there was a Woodpecker pecking away at the metal gutter. WIERD but true.
iced tea almost 13 years ago
I was wondering if anyone still sees and ivory billed woodpecker these days?
stuart_harrison almost 13 years ago
@ Night Gaunt – “G” is not a measure of force, but of aceleration, or in this case the deceleration of the woodpeckers skull every time it’s beak hits a surface it’s pecking at. It can be calculated using an extremely high frame rate camera and a background you can make accurate measurements against.