Random Thursday

Let's talk about feet with Leslie Gilbert Elman's Weird But True! These first few facts are regarding actual feet. So let's see what weirdness we'll learn today!

(image borrowed from YouTube)

Walking across hot coals will hurt less than running across them. If you use quick, light steps limit contact between one's foot and the hot surface. Whereas running across thrusts the foot against the ground more forcefully.

Makes sense. And owww!!!

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Walking on your toes requires 83% more energy than by regular walking.

I can see that.

(image borrowed from Shutterstock)

There's an average of 1.7 of every 1,000 babies being born polydactyly--meaning they have an extra toe or finger.

(image borrowed from Live Science)

The earliest example of a prosthetic appendage is an artificial toe found on a female mummy in Thebes in 2000. The toe was made from wood and carve and painted to look realistic and was attached to the woman with leather laces. This was not an unusual thing to find on mummies, these nonfunctional prostheses were used for cosmetic reasons or sometimes were even attached post-mortem, so that the body would appear whole in the afterlife. This toe found on the lady though was clearly used for function as there was evidence of wear on the underside of the toe.

Note: I am not positive that this image is from THAT mummy, though it's a pretty likely guess as it is! ;) 

(image borrowed from Live Science)

When an axolotl salamander loses a leg, it will simply grow a new one in about three weeks.

I always found that oddly fascinating when animals can regrow a missing limb.