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Why Sailors Starved Rather Than Eat Fish? Why don't you see more planes near this famous monument? You will find answers to these and other questions in this video!
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00:00Yo ho ho, a pirate's life for me!
00:03Let me stop you right there.
00:05If you think being a pirate or a sailor back in the old days was so cool,
00:09here's the harsh truth.
00:10It was not all about singing sea shanties
00:14and embarking on epic voyages across the seven seas
00:17to find the fountain of youth, or caves, filled with gold.
00:21It wasn't actually that cool being at sea all the time,
00:24and I have five compelling reasons to prove you some.
00:27Let's dive in, pun intended.
00:30Now imagine this.
00:32You're so excited.
00:34You've been waiting for this day to come,
00:35and finally, it's official.
00:37You're going to become a real sailor.
00:40The captain tells you to get ready,
00:41because the next day, you're going to set sail on a journey
00:45that is expected to take somewhere around six months,
00:48if you're lucky, that is.
00:50Because storms and singing mermaids could complicate things.
00:54You pack a few things.
00:56Now, let's pause this daydream for a quick second,
00:59because here comes problem number one.
01:01What I mean by packing a few things is just the clothes on your back.
01:06Sailors would only have one set of clothes
01:09that they almost never washed during the entire voyage.
01:12That's because they believed that dirt and grease
01:14would protect them from winds and rains.
01:17Okay, back to the thought experiment.
01:19You kiss your family goodbye and head to the port where your new home is waiting.
01:24One of your crew members not so warmly welcomes you on the deck
01:28and shows you where you'll be sleeping.
01:30This makes you start doubting your choice of becoming a sailor in the first place.
01:34Because after seeing it,
01:36you're certain that this is not going to be a five-star hotel comfort level kind of experience.
01:43So, here's problem number two.
01:46The ships were absolutely crammed.
01:49Back in the day, sailors would have to accept living in such conditions,
01:52whether they were working for a big name like Christopher Columbus or not.
01:56The Niña and the Pinta were two of Columbus' ships
02:00and the best sailing vessels of their time.
02:03Yet again, this didn't change the fact that they were so small
02:07that men had no place to sleep.
02:09Which gives us problem number three.
02:12Having to sleep next to one another on a crowded deck
02:15where they could barely move was not so great for sailors' health conditions.
02:19And going below deck to escape the snoring of their fellow shipmates
02:22was not an option because there was no fresh air there.
02:26In addition, you could always come across a rat there.
02:30So, kiss personal hygiene goodbye.
02:32And in case you're wondering how rats got there,
02:35those little rascals are actually good swimmers.
02:38Also, sailors were at sea no matter the season or the weather.
02:42So, they were often cold and wet.
02:44Which also made it hard for them to stay healthy and strong.
02:48Speaking of health conditions brings us to problem number four.
02:52And it's food and hunger.
02:55Sailors didn't have their own mini-fridges
02:57with different kinds of condiments back then,
02:59like the compartments luxury cruises have these days.
03:02So, they had to come up with ways to store enough food
03:05that would last for months or even years.
03:08Due to that, their food options were limited.
03:12It definitely wasn't like the food prepared by Michelin star chefs.
03:16One of the most common food options on ships was salted meat,
03:20which wasn't as chewy as you might imagine.
03:22Or a biscuit called hardtack, also called sheep iron or worm castles.
03:28And there's a reason for all these creative nicknames.
03:32Hardtack was essentially a mix of water and flour baked into a cardboard-flavored cracker.
03:38They were brick-like and the only way they could be eaten was if they were softened with water.
03:44If only sailors could dip them in their afternoon tea, right?
03:48Sometimes, these biscuits would still be extremely dense.
03:51Then sailors would have to slam their fists down on them
03:54to break them into smaller pieces to be able to eat the stuff.
03:58As long as hardtack was kept dry, it rarely got spoiled.
04:02The sailors would be able to eat them after a year if they had any left.
04:06But most of the time, it would be extremely hard to keep them dry inside wooden casks.
04:11And then, they would get infested with bugs that would leave small holes behind.
04:16However, sailors would still eat them anyway.
04:19Have to take protein from somewhere.
04:22By now, you might have figured out that there were no fruits or vegetables in a sailor's diet.
04:27This caused vitamin deficiency in many sailors.
04:30So, those toothless pirates and sailors in the movies you see?
04:34Yep, it's all because of poor nutrition.
04:36And the iron-hard crackers probably didn't help either.
04:41But, when sailors ran out of food,
04:43not having a balanced diet was probably the least of their concerns.
04:48Back in the old times, a voyage could take way longer than expected due to weather conditions.
04:53There could be no winds to push the ship further.
04:56Or, a powerful storm could shake the ship and the waves and water could destroy the food storage.
05:03So, when such a situation happened, sailors could easily run out of food.
05:08Well, they could throw the net into the ocean and catch some fish, right?
05:12But sailors didn't eat fish even in the face of starvation.
05:16Many captains mentioned this in their logbooks, which were basically captains' diaries.
05:20The problem was not that sailors couldn't get fish.
05:24In fact, many different kinds of fish were caught in their nets,
05:27but they had to throw them all back into the sea.
05:30During the exploration era, Antonio Pigafetta mentioned in his logbook
05:35that the ship's crew caught an unbelievable amount of fish,
05:38but they didn't eat any of them.
05:40Also, in the same journal, he mentioned that 40 of the sailors lost their lives.
05:46Naturally, sailors thought that only poisonous fish were dangerous.
05:50And because of that, they were inclined to eat only the fish they knew.
05:54But even a well-cooked tuna could be poisonous, and they had to learn it the hard way.
06:00But it's not like they didn't have any methods to check fish.
06:04Spanish sailors, for example, put silver coins on them.
06:07If the silver changed color, they considered those fish to be poisonous,
06:11therefore, inedible.
06:13So, they would toss them overboard.
06:16Other sailors would place the fish they caught on the deck
06:19and observe if flies or other insects came to feast on it.
06:22If they didn't land on the fish, this meant that it was poisonous.
06:26But if insects did come, they considered it safe to eat.
06:30The problem of eating fish caught in the open sea
06:33dates back to as early as the 7th century BCE.
06:37Imperial healers in ancient China knew that eating fish
06:40was the reason why some sailors lost their lives.
06:43But they couldn't prove that the fish were poisonous,
06:46and the mystery remained unsolved up until the 19th century.
06:51In 1886, a Cuban doctor finally figured out
06:55that some fish contained poison in their tissues and muscles,
06:58even though they were considered a safe-to-eat breed.
07:02That kind of poison is actually something that is found in plankton.
07:06Some fish can eat this plankton without being affected.
07:09They store it in their bodies.
07:11And as they grow, the rate of the poison increases within them.
07:15And this is something that doesn't go away
07:17no matter how long one cooks the fish.
07:20If you still think that life at sea back in the old days sounds exciting,
07:25this fifth problem will convince you otherwise.
07:29Let's say you've managed to get along with your roommates,
07:32stay clean and healthy, and eat regularly.
07:35But there's always a risk of getting caught by pirates.
07:39And they didn't ask for things kindly.
07:41So, if you didn't want to end up as food for sharks,
07:44you would have to raise the white flag and simply join them.
07:48Not the career you were planning, right?
07:55Good luck scrubbing the deck for the rest of your life.
08:00The Statue of Liberty tops out at 305 feet on Liberty Island in New York.
08:06It's one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world.
08:09With this in mind, all you drone users out there
08:12better keep your flying device away from the prize monument.
08:16The term drone usually refers to any unpiloted aircraft.
08:20It also goes by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs for short.
08:25You can use those crafts for a whole bunch of things,
08:28from package delivery to just having some fun.
08:32Drones can be as large as an aircraft or as small as the palm of your hand.
08:36So, why can't drone users get an up-close look at the Statue of Liberty?
08:40Well, because the Federal Aviation Administration says so.
08:44Drone flights are prohibited within 400 feet of the iconic sculpture.
08:50Without the FAA's drone band,
08:52you might have been able to fly your device close to the statue's head.
08:56Here, you would have seen that the monument's crown has 25 windows.
09:00The windows are thought to represent the natural minerals of the Earth.
09:04New York City does its best to keep control of all aircraft roaming above the metropolis.
09:09In the late 1970s, New York City banned helicopters from landing on rooftop helipads
09:15because of the dangers it presented.
09:17This rule is no longer in place.
09:20There are still certain restrictions that do exist.
09:23However, helicopters are still allowed to take off and land
09:26using one of the three helipads in the city.
09:29They must fly within a certain speed range,
09:32turn on anti-collision and position lights,
09:35announce their location on the appropriate frequency,
09:38and be familiar with the relevant flight charts and maps of New York City.
09:42The Statue of Liberty is not the only monument that doesn't welcome drones.
09:47The Hoover Dam, the highest concrete arch dam in the U.S.,
09:51is also a no-fly zone for drones,
09:54just like all other dams in the country.
09:56National and state parks, sports arenas, and airports
09:59are some other places where you shouldn't take your drone for a spin.
10:03Across the ocean, in France, the entire city of Paris is a drone-free zone.
10:09So, no cool aerial footage of the Eiffel Tower for you.
10:13Sorry.
10:14If you want to get a closer look at Dubai's Burj Khalifa,
10:17currently the tallest building in the world,
10:19be prepared to file some extensive paperwork.
10:22For those who want to get some fun footage of the Sydney Opera House in Australia,
10:27flying drones over Sydney and its harbor bay isn't allowed for recreational use at all.
10:33Professional photographers and filmmakers can apply for a special permit.
10:37You know where there's no ban on flying a drone?
10:42Now, this makes sense as I don't think any normal plane would fancy the expedition.
10:48But a man from Oklahoma was willing to sacrifice what I'm hoping wasn't a prized possession.
10:54On March 19, 2021, one of the many volcanoes in Iceland,
10:59with a name that's too challenging for most mere mortals to pronounce,
11:03the Fagra das Vilt volcano began to erupt.
11:06It was going on for six months.
11:09Magmajets produced lava fountains that you could see even from Reykjavik.
11:13A first-time drone pilot visiting from the U.S.
11:16had managed to get some beautiful footage of that before his drone gadget met its demise.
11:22There are lots of interesting things that people are now using drones to do.
11:26One of the more practical uses is to clean windows.
11:29One German company hopes to automate the washing of glass facades and roofs using drones,
11:35even at high altitudes.
11:37Now, there's a chance that some of you watching this video right now may be using a drone to do
11:42it.
11:43How so?
11:44Well, some major tech companies are now investing in drone technologies
11:48to spread internet access to pretty much the entire world.
11:52These devices are solar-powered and meant to fly more than 10 miles above the ground
11:57to provide internet access to areas below it.
12:00Real estate moguls also utilize drone devices within their industry for aerial photography of properties.
12:07Some of your favorite theme parks are now starting to use drones in their magnificent light shows.
12:13In 2016, to improve these shows even more,
12:16one of the biggest theme parks in the world filed a patent for drone-powered projection technology.
12:22In short, the drones would beam down imagery onto a projection assembly.
12:27Imagine some larger-than-life versions of your favorite characters from literature and television
12:32being projected in front of you from a drone.
12:35Pretty awesome, right?
12:37Indeed, drones are now rocking the world of entertainment.
12:41With such creative advances in drone technology,
12:44including planes that can fly by themselves, that's no surprise.
12:48With improvements in drones and video capture quality,
12:51drones may totally transform the world of film and video.
12:54A drone could shoot a scene without any cameraman.
12:58All the right pans and tilts will be pre-programmed in advance.
13:02One of the most vital and important uses of drones is assistance in emergencies.
13:07The ambulance drone, designed at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands,
13:12comes with an advanced first-aid kit
13:14and instructs the people nearby on how to use this equipment to save a life.
13:19People also use drones in search and rescue operations.
13:22They've managed to rescue at least 750 people around the world so far using drone technology.
13:28Drones quickly cover large areas and can reach the hardest-to-access spots.
13:33These drones use thermal and zoom cameras for searching.
13:37Ever been waiting for the delivery driver to arrive with your pizza
13:40or a new pair of shoes that you just bought online?
13:43Some of your favorite delivery companies are also using drones.
13:48Those come with sensors that allow them to avoid obstacles along the way.
13:52They land the package safely next to a customer's home or other location and return back to base.
13:58They're perfect for non-urban areas.
14:01You can use several different types of drones for this purpose,
14:04depending on delivery conditions and how big the pizza is.
14:07This all sounds very modern and high-tech,
14:10but drones have actually been around for a long time.
14:14Drones have been helping the Japanese agriculture industry for about 30 years already.
14:19It takes the farmer two days to do the work that would otherwise take 10 days, thanks to drones.
14:25They've helped produce about one-third of all rice consumed in the country today.
14:30Robots, in general, have been helping us humans for a while now.
14:34In 2014, Royal Caribbean, a famous cruise line brand, debuted its supposedly bionic bar.
14:41The robotic bartenders made two drinks each minute for the guests
14:45and a total of 1,000 drinks per day using 21 mixers.
14:49Marco Pelle from New York Theatre Ballet became the inspiration for the robotic bartenders' arm movements.
14:56We now also see robots while watching some of our favorite sports.
15:00During most competitions, human officials have often been responsible for retrieving the ball
15:06when it goes out of play and other game-day equipment like water bottles.
15:10These human officials can now take some time to get some rest.
15:14For the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,
15:16Toyota developed a series of field support robots to carry out the same tasks I've just described.
15:22The idea was to make it easier for the human officials.
15:26The robots don't always want to stay on the sidelines either.
15:30In 2019, Toyota also produced an AI-powered humanoid basketball player.
15:35The same player made history when they awarded it the Guinness World Record
15:39for most consecutive basketball free throws by a humanoid robot.
15:44At the 2020 Olympics,
15:46the robot impressed the public at the free throw line shooting buckets.
15:50And, admit it, you wouldn't mind a robot helping you out with some boring chores.
15:54Renowned technology company Samsung has produced a robotic assistant known as Bot Handy.
16:00The robotic assistant can help the owner with a bunch of things around the house,
16:05from pouring drinks at the dinner table to putting away dirty dishes and tidying up after its human roommates.
16:11What was that?
16:13Yep, robotic dogs may soon replace our fluffy pets.
16:17Semi-autonomous patrol dogs that can successfully carry out patrol operations already exist.
16:23This means you can go see your neighbors or friends knowing that a robo-doggie is going to keep your
16:29home secure.
16:30Or, in case you don't need a guard but a loyal buddy,
16:34an AI pet robot will be perfect for you.
16:36Those guys can even show emotions.
16:39They learn and grow based on interaction with the owner and the evaluation of the surroundings.
16:45Hmm, kind of scary actually.
16:47Nah, I'll keep my dog.
16:49She doesn't need batteries.
16:51You may procrastinate cleaning your attic,
16:53but what if I tell you that you can find valuable stuff?
16:56I mean, your childhood blanket surely has a memory,
16:59but I'm talking about items that can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
17:05Let's wipe the dust on the boxes and see what we can dig out.
17:09The first one is comic books.
17:12If you're a fan of comic books, you don't forget them in the attic.
17:15But if not, you probably didn't know you had them before,
17:18especially if they belong to your parents.
17:21In 2014, an auction of the first comic in which Superman appeared got $3,207,852.
17:29I'm guessing that after the auction,
17:31the seller's all-time favorite superhero becomes Superman.
17:35Oh, and to figure out how to identify which comic is valuable,
17:40take a quick surf on the web.
17:44Technological items are probably one of the most forgotten things in attics and basements.
17:48Anything from an old radio to electronic music equipment.
17:52For instance, old-school typewriters from brands like Remington or Hermes can fetch you hundreds of dollars.
17:59The number varies depending on the version, whether it's working or not, and the color.
18:04Colors like turquoise or pink are rare, so they're likely to be worth more.
18:09An orange 1969 Hermes sold for $750 on eBay.
18:16Let's say you found an old pair of sneakers or an amp and think no one would want them.
18:22Well, think twice.
18:23There are people willing to pay hundreds of dollars for that stuff if they're vintage.
18:27A vintage Sennheiser mic sold for almost $160, and it wasn't even working.
18:35Old film cameras are also friends of your wallet.
18:38If you have the lenses, tripod bag, or other accessories, your chances of having a small fortune are high.
18:45An M6 Leica with its box sold for around $5,000.
18:503, 2, 1, say cheese!
18:55Video game consoles and games from the 80s can help you big time, especially if they're unused or rare editions.
19:02For instance, an unopened copy of Super Mario Bros. from 1985 sold for $114,000 at auction.
19:12Who would have thought?
19:14Number 6 is vinyl records.
19:17Vinyl collectors are known for their passion for collecting rare records.
19:21Most vinyl lovers prefer to have a listening experience on good-conditioned copies of their favorite songs.
19:27So your chances are high if your parents' vinyl records from the 60s are in good shape.
19:34Not just technological stuff pays off.
19:37Though there are many things you wouldn't expect to be worth money.
19:41They actually are.
19:42The first example is dolls.
19:45These playthings of sweet past years may be forgotten in your grown-up world.
19:49But let's get back to the past.
19:51Doll collectors are willing to hand over major money for the right doll.
19:56I mean, a 1959 original Barbie sold for $27,450 at the auction.
20:03But, of course, that's an exception.
20:05You can earn around $400 for American Girl dolls or its sorts.
20:12If you don't have any of the items on my list, just don't give up yet.
20:17Collectible cards in general are very popular.
20:20Let's start with Pokemon.
20:22The first edition Han Solo Thick-Stamped Shadowless Charizard sold for around $350,000.
20:29The lucky owner doesn't have to catch them all.
20:32Don't have Charizards in your collection?
20:34Well, other cards of popular favorites like Pikachu are worth money too.
20:39Not all first editions, however, have that much value.
20:43Horsea or similar ones will get you around $300.
20:45There's also sports trading cards like baseball cards and Magic the Gathering cards.
20:51They also vary by condition and rarity.
20:56What about shoes?
20:58If you're lucky, certain sneakers in the back of your closet may put more cash in your bank account.
21:03An example would be Air Jordans.
21:06The first sneaker designed for Michael Jordan was produced in the mid-80s.
21:11If you found one of those sneakers, they could be worth hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars, depending on the
21:17model and condition.
21:19Similarly, a pair of 1972 Nike running shoes, known as the Moon Shoe, sold for a record $437,500.
21:31Now, there are some pieces that you'll likely find at your grandparents' house, such as Murano glass objects.
21:37The colorful glass objects are valuable because they're handmade and they're from Italy.
21:43These were common tourist souvenirs.
21:45The everyday-use objects like ashtrays and candy dishes can sell for a couple hundred dollars, while sculptures will sell
21:52for a few hundred to a few thousand.
21:56Number 11 is postage stamps.
21:59At the time they were bought, they cost less than a dollar.
22:02But now, you can earn a huge amount for the right one.
22:05One stamp from 1849 was sold for $99,100.
22:13You could be walking on a goldmine if you have some antique rugs like a family relic.
22:18If your grandparents have old Turkish or Persian rugs with high quality and craftsmanship, it can earn you hundreds of
22:25dollars.
22:26A carpet was sold for $33.7 million.
22:33Furniture from the mid-century design period is lit.
22:36The furniture from the decades between 1933 to 1965 can be worth a lot of money.
22:42You may not make much use of an old couch, but someone else sure can.
22:47Mid-century modern furniture is in high demand today.
22:51Furniture, decor, and art are all valuable.
22:54It looks like it'll be trendy soon.
22:58How about action figures?
23:0080s action figures are also a hit.
23:03Action figures and play sets of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe are among the most valuable.
23:08If you don't want to keep them to yourself and earn extra bucks,
23:12you would probably be happy to hear that the Eterna play set circa 1986 went for more than $7,000
23:19on eBay.
23:23First edition books are pretty valuable too, as you can guess.
23:26Some first edition books sell for $1,000,000.
23:30Of course, not all books cost this much, but keep an eye on them before you donate the books you
23:35couldn't keep.
23:36Speaking of donations, in 2015, a person in the U.S. donated an old computer.
23:42There was one minor thing there.
23:44The model was a super-rare first-generation Apple computer.
23:48Plus, it was worth $200,000.
23:51Yeah, too valuable to be recycled.
23:54It was one of the original 200 Apple I computers built by Steve Wozniak in 1976.
24:01The person found the computer, along with a bunch of other old technology,
24:06while cleaning out the garage and donated them all together.
24:09The waste management company then sold the computer to a museum.
24:13Interestingly, the company looked for the person who donated the computer
24:17because they didn't leave any details or ask for a receipt.
24:21This mysterious person has a check worth $100,000 waiting for them.
24:28One Reddit user says they found just over 200 grams of gold powder
24:33while cleaning out their grandfather's attic.
24:35Sometimes, the valuable things come untouched.
24:40Do you think posters are valuable?
24:42Yes, the value of a poster depends on how famous the poster is and, of course,
24:48how much it means to people.
24:50An original Wizard of Oz movie poster in good condition sold for $108,000 in 2019.
24:59Colorful Pyrex dishes from the mid-20th century are favorites of vintage lovers.
25:04If you have one of those opaque soda-lime glasses in pastel shades with interesting patterns,
25:09it's your lucky day, especially if the design hasn't been scratched.
25:14The holy grail of the Pyrex world are pieces featuring the Lucky in Love pattern.
25:19They were produced only in 1959, so they can cost thousands of dollars.
25:25Another interesting item is lunchboxes and thermoses that schoolgoers used in the 1950s and 1960s.
25:33They generally have colorful cartoon characters, TV show heroes, or big-name bands.
25:38For example, the Jetsons-themed lunchbox and its matching thermos sold for $1,650 on eBay.
25:48We get used to checking the time on our phones or smartwatches, but it wasn't always the case.
25:54If you have a small wall or desk clock from the 1930s or 1940s, you could trade it for a
26:00four-figure bill.
26:03Does this list convince you to spend a weekend in your garage or attic?
26:06Would you sell those or keep them as family memoirs?