Today I learned...

… Have you ever noticed that on US military uniforms, it looks like the US flag is backward? Normally, the flag is hung horizontally in such a way that the stars are on the upper left-hand corner when you look at it straight on. However, on a vehicle or a uniform, it is oriented so that the stars are in the upper right-hand corner. Why? I’ve been told it’s because the US leads the way, so the stars (representing the states) go first.

… The medical use of leeches is called Hirudotherapy. In ancient times, the leeches were used to rid the body of “excess blood” when the skin became flush. Today they are used in a similar way- to keep blood from coagulating during microsurgery and a means to restore blood flow when reattaching severed body parts.

… Actor Tommy Lee Jones played offensive guard at Harvard, where he roomed with two guys who went on to become rather famous themselves: Al Gore and John Lithgow. Sweet. Except for that Al Gore part. I would hate to be forced to spend any time at all with him, especially in a small room. Ick.

…In 1930, a professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, followed a burrow in Syria until he found the animal at the other end: a female rodent with 12 babies. These were the first golden hamsters to be found alive in nearly a century. Two pairs of descendents were sent the US in 1938. By 1950, there were approximately 100,000 golden hamsters in the USA… all of whom are descendents of the mother and 12 babies found in Syria in 1930. Thanks, Professor Aharoni!