I DID NOT KNOW

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- MAY 30, 2026

I am often asked where I find the items for this column. The simple answer is that I am in a constant search mode. I only use about five percent of what I find. My favorite things, however, are tidbits I did not know beforehand. 

For example, I did not know that the first computer bug was an actual bug. To be specific, it was a moth. “In 1947, a computer programmer working on the Mark II at Harvard recorded in a logbook that the team had discovered the first actual case of a bug being found. But the programmer wasn’t referring to some poorly written lines of code — this was an actual bug which had flown into a room where the Mark II was housed. The team removed the moth with tweezers.” This was the first “debugging” of a computer. (https://interestingfacts.com/fact/one-of-the-first-computer-bugs-was-an-actual-bug/)

Summer drinks are popular this time of year, but I did not know that in Germany it's not a good idea to drive a diesel after consuming too many diesels. “There are many different ways to consume beer in Germany. And, one very popular and refreshing combination starts with a can of Coca-Cola.” The “Diesel” is a German favorite. It's usually a mix of two-thirds lager with one-third cola. (https://www.allrecipes.com/german-diesel-beer-cola-11767852)

Popcorn goes with libations, but I did not know popcorn can shoot up to three feet into the air. “Popcorn can pop as high as three feet while it transforms from kernel to puff. High-speed recordings of popcorn as it cooks show that the kernels actually flip like a high-flying gymnast. When the process is finished, the resulting popcorn has puffed up to forty times its original size.” By the way, Americans consume fourteen billion quarts of popcorn each year. (https://interestingfacts.com/fact/popcorn-can-pop-up-to-3-feet-into-the-air/)

Some of that corn is popped in a microwave. About ninety percent of American households have a microwave. What I did not know is that these appliances have settings about which many of us are unaware. These include mute, melt, turntable on/off, keep warm, and (sometimes) even a child lock. “If you’ve ever stared at those mysterious extra buttons on your machine and wondered what they do, understanding eight underrated functions will help you master the microwave game.” (https://interestingfacts.com/hidden-microwave-features/)

Speaking of snacks, I did not know that this week marked the trademarking of Jell-O.  “The Jell-O name was trademarked in 1897. Jell-O products were at the height of their popularity in the late 1960s, when they were frequently used as the foundation for a wide variety of desserts and salads, particularly in the Midwest.” 

Another Jell-O fact I did not know is that there is  one U.S. state where they eat more Jell-O than anywhere else in the country. That state is Utah, where Jell-O is so popular that the local legislature named it the state's official snack in 2001. Utah is known as the Jell-O Belt. (https://www.tastingtable.com/1900646/which-us-state-eats-the-most-jello/)

Jell-O jiggles, so it may not be the ideal pre-race snack for runners. When it comes to running, I did not know that a Guinness World Record was set at the London Marathon last month. “An athlete accomplished the longest scarf knitted whilst running a marathon, after fabricating an eighteen foot and three inch long multicoloured scarf during the race. That’s an accessory roughly the size of an adult male giraffe!” 

It was all for a good cause. “He was inspired to take on the record as a way to publicly promote men knitting. He encourages men from all backgrounds to pick up the hobby for their mental wellbeing. As a former Royal Marine, he is passionate about supporting veterans as they rebuild themselves.”  (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2026/5/a-stitch-in-record-time-marathon-runner-knits-scarf-as-long-as-a-giraffe-during-race) 

Records are set every year at another fun contest – the National Spelling Bee. The 2026 edition happened last week, but I did not know that this event has a one-hundred year history. “The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been testing young minds since 1925. The first winner was 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser of Louisville, Kentucky, who correctly spelled 'gladiolus' (a genus of perennial plant) to claim a prize of $500 and the chance to meet President Calvin Coolidge.” (https://wordsmarts.com/scripps-spelling-bee-winning-words/)

Last year the winner was eclaircissement. “This was one of the most challenging in the history of the competition. A loanword from French, eclaircissement refers to a the clearing up of a misunderstanding or the revelation of something that was unknown. ”For more about the Bee and this year's results, go to: https://spellingbee.com/bee-week.

Another activity is a bit more common. I did not know that constructing and flying a paper airplane could result in world record. “In 2022, Kim Kyu Tae nabbed the Guinness World Record for the Longest Paper Airplane Throw Ever with a flight of 252.6 feet. According to Guinness World Records, the longest time flying a paper aircraft is 31.2 seconds and was achieved by Rao Chongyi and a team in China last February.” 

If you want to beat those records, NASA has you covered. “Their step-by-step NASA Space Crafts tutorial (and video) is at: https://www.popsci.com/technology/how-to-make-paper-airplane/. Oh, and do you know what to call a paper airplane that can't fly? Stationary. 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.