Culinary Catastrophes
In the 1960s, Frito-Lay actually released a snack called "Cheetos [*]," which was quickly discontinued because it was terrifying.
Cookies, Muffins, Lip Balm, or Eyeliner
Lip Balm
Before it became a massive social media platform, [*] was originally designed as a mobile check-in app called "Burbn."
Fire, Smoke, Instagram, or Burner
In the 16th century, wealthy European men wore "Bombasting," which involved stuffing their sleeves and legs with [*] to look more muscular.
Vegetables, Pillows, Horsehair, or Grass
Horsehair
While filming The Wizard of Oz, the "snow" in the famous poppy field scene wasn't actually snow; it was 100% [*].
Cheese, Asbestos, Glitter, or Soap Flakes
Asbestos
The Guinness World Record for the longest time spent [*] is held by a man who stayed in that position for over 9 hours.
Squatting, Planking, Cross-legged sitting, or Pull-Up position
Planking
In 2018, a restaurant in Japan made headlines for serving a "Clear" version of [*], which looked like water but tasted like the real thing.
Green tea, Pork Ramen, Soy Sauce, or Fried Rice
Pork Ramen
In the 1990s, Apple released the "QuickTake," which was one of the first digital cameras. It failed because it could only hold [*] photos at a time.
2, 6, 8, or 20
8
In 2017, a luxury brand sold "Mud Jeans" for $425. The jeans weren't just brown; they were intentionally coated in [*].
Cheese, Fake dried mud, paint, or glitter
Fake dried mud
Space is getting crowded. Scientists estimate that because of all the old satellites and rocket parts orbiting Earth, about once every day, [*] falls through the atmosphere and hits the Earth’s surface.
A frozen ball of astronaut coffee, A tiny diamond formed from space dust, A piece of space debris, or A piece of a 1960s solar panel.
A piece of space debris
A man in India once set a record by growing his [*] to a length of over 30 feet, though he eventually had to cut for health reasons.
Beard, Fingernails, Toenails, or Hair
Fingernails
In the early 2000s, Heinz attempted to make condiments "fun" for kids by releasing a line of EZ Squirt ketchups in various colors. While Purple and Green were hits, they eventually cancelled the line after the release of [*] proved to be a step too far for consumers.
Neon clear, Mystery Color, Metallic Silver, or Chocolate Brown
Mystery Color (It came in a black bottle, so you didn't know the color until it hit the food).
When Apple first launched its own Maps app in 2012, it was full of hilarious and dangerous glitches. One of the most famous errors involved the entire city of Stratford-upon-Avon, which the app completely replaced with [*]
A giant "loading" icon, an ocean, a hospital, or a picture of Steve Jobs' house
A hospital (the town appeared as a single medical building)
In the early 1910s, the "Hobble Skirt" became a massive fashion trend. The hem was so narrow around the ankles that women could only take tiny, three-inch steps. It became a "Don't" very quickly because it frequently caused women to [*]
Accidentally kick their own shoes off, Get their feet stuck in subway grates, Fall into canals and rivers, or Develop permanent "pigeon-toe" walking habits.
Fall into canals and rivers (they couldn't step over gaps or save themselves)
The Northern Flying Squirrel doesn't actually fly; it glides. However, scientists recently discovered something "sci-fi" about them: when you shine a UV light on their bellies in the dark, the squirrels [*].
Glow bubblegum pink, Become completely invisible, Project a holographic image of a hawk, or Change their fur color to bright blue.
Glow bubblegum pink (biofluorescence)
Andre Ortolf of Germany is a serial record-breaker known for his stomach of steel. He holds the world record for the most mustard consumed from a tube in 30 seconds. To win the title, he had to swallow [*] of mustard in half a minute.
14.7 ounces, 5 full jars, Enough to fill a swimming pool, or 30 packets
14.7 ounces (almost a pound)
Long before tomato sauce was common in Europe, a 12th-century version of "pizza" found in some historical texts wasn't savory at all. Instead, it was often topped with a bizarre combination of [*]
Crushed Walnuts and Eel, Pickled Goat Tongue, Sugar and Rosewater, or Boiled Cabbage and Honey
Sugar and Rosewater
In 1995, Nintendo released the "Virtual Boy," their first attempt at a VR headset. It was a legendary failure, not just because the graphics were only red and black, but because the instruction manual explicitly warned that playing it could cause [*]
Nightmares about Mario, Temporary hearing loss, Permanent eye damage, or Static electricity shocks to the ears
Permanent eye damage (and nausea/headaches).
In 16th-century Venice, noblewomen wore "Chopines," which were platform shoes that could be up to 20 inches high. They weren't just a fashion statement; they were so tall and unstable that women literally could not walk unless they [*]
Tied their ankles together with silk ribbons,Used two servants to balance them, Crawled on their hands and knees indoors or Wore specialized "toe-gloves" for grip.
Used two servants to balance them (one on each arm)
While it sounds like a fantasy movie, astronomers believe that the extreme pressure on planets like Neptune and Uranus is so intense that it actually causes it to [*] deep inside their atmospheres.
Snow liquid gold, Rain Solid diamonds, Hail chunks of solid oxygen, or Tornadoes made of glass.
Rain solid diamonds
Records aren't just for humans. A pig named Norbert holds a world record for his impressive athletic ability. Norbert officially holds the record for the fastest 10 meters [*] by a pig.
Running in high heels, Pushing a Skateboard, Navigating a corn maze, or Rolling a bowling ball.
Pushing a Skateboard
In 1989, Pepsi launched "Pepsi A.M." to compete with coffee. It had 25% more caffeine, but it failed miserably because people found the idea of drinking soda with their eggs unappealing—and because it allegedly tasted exactly like [*].
Burnt toast, Flat Pepsi mixed with coffee, Orange Juice and Cola, or Hot Maple Syrup
Flat Pepsi mixed with coffee
In 2014, Apple spent $100 million to give every single iTunes user a free copy of U2’s new album. However, instead of a gift, users saw it as a "glitch" or a "virus" because the album [*].
Deleted all their other music to make room, Automatically downloaded itself onto their phones without permission, Set itself as their morning alarm clock or Played at max volume every time they plugged in headphones
Automatically downloaded itself onto their phones without permission
In the mid-1800s, women wore "Crinolines"—giant hoop skirts made of steel or whalebone. While they looked fancy, they were a major disaster because they were so wide that women often didn't realize their skirts had [*]
Swiped expensive vases off tables as they walked by, Acted like a sail and blew them away in high winds, Caught on Fire, or Trapped small pets underneath the fabric.
Caught on fire (usually from knocking over candles or heaters)
The human body is constantly processing energy. In fact, the average resting adult human produces enough heat energy in just one hour to [*].
Bring a half-gallon of water to a boil, Power a smartphone for a week, Light up a Christmas tree for 10 minutes, or Melt a 5-pound block of lead.
Bring a half-gallon of water to a boil
A rabbit named Bini holds a very specific Guinness World Record for "Most [*] by a rabbit in one minute."
Pages typed on a computer, Holes-in-one in mini golf, Slam dunks, or High-fives given to strangers
Slam dunks (he successfully made 7 baskets in 60 seconds) Bini was trained by his owner using a miniature court and a small ball.