Monkey Business, Space Walnuts & Theatrical Taboos

SomA baboon with a job, a moon that shouldn’t exist, and a Hollywood word so cursed it shut down productions—let’s dive in!

Some facts are so weird they feel made up—but history, space, and Hollywood drama have the receipts. From a monkey who punched the clock to a moon that defies astrophysics, and the most chaotic word in cinema history, today’s lineup is packed with surprises.

🐒 Jack the Baboon: The Railroad Worker with Zero Complaints

• Hiring workers can be tough, but have you considered a baboon?

  In the late 1800s, a disabled railway signalman in South Africa named James “Jumper” Wide trained a baboon named Jack to help him operate the switches. Jack learned how to pull levers, change tracks, and even deliver keys to train conductors—all while working for a steady paycheck of food.

  At first, people thought Jumper Wide had lost his mind (or at least his job security). But Jack proved to be so good at his duties that railway officials tested him, and he passed with flying colors. He worked for nine years without making a single mistake.

  🔹 Takeaway: If a baboon can hold down a job for nearly a decade, maybe we should all rethink our career aspirations.

🌑 Saturn’s Moon That Shouldn’t Exist

• Of all the weird moons in our solar system (and there are over 200 of them), Iapetus might be the strangest.

  Discovered in 1671, Iapetus has two faces—one half is bright as snow, while the other is dark as coal, making it look like a cosmic yin-yang. Scientists were puzzled for centuries until they realized the dark side is covered in space dust, which it collects like a giant flypaper as it orbits Saturn.

  But the real mystery? Iapetus has a giant equatorial ridge—a 12-mile-high mountain range that wraps around its middle like a space walnut. No other moon in the solar system has anything like it. Some theories suggest the ridge formed when Iapetus had its own ring system that collapsed onto the surface. Others think it's a remnant from when the moon was still molten and spinning rapidly.

  🔹 Takeaway: Saturn’s moon has a built-in seatbelt. The universe is full of surprises.

🎭 The Most Cursed Word in Hollywood

• If you’re an actor, there’s one word you never say before a show: Macbeth.

  Shakespeare’s famous play is so plagued with bad luck that theaters won’t even say its name, calling it “The Scottish Play” instead. According to legend, uttering Macbeth inside a theater leads to disaster—actors have been injured, productions have shut down, and fires have mysteriously erupted.

  Where did this superstition come from? Some say Shakespeare used real witchcraft spells in the script, and actual witches cursed the play in revenge. Others think it’s just a coincidence fueled by centuries of stage accidents. Either way, actors take it seriously—if you do say Macbeth, you must leave the theater, spin three times, spit, swear, and then knock to be let back in.

  🔹 Takeaway: If someone casually drops the M-word before a play, just know you're in for an interesting night.

From a working baboon to a moon with a cosmic belt and a Shakespearean curse, today’s newsletter proves that history, space, and theater are all full of surprises.

Stay curious—and if you ever find yourself on stage, maybe just call it The Scottish Play.

Yours in delightful discovery,

— Max Whitt🎩🐒🌑🎭

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