A list of intriguing things 

One: Everyone’s heard about the big conspiracy theory about the moon landing—that it never happened. But it’s pretty lame compared to the Great Moon Hoax of 1835—which had everyone fooled. The New York Sun published a six-part series that revealed the moon was populated by a race of bat-people, unicorns, and walking beavers. Here’s one description of the bat people:

They averaged four feet in height, were covered, except on the face, with short and glossy copper-colored hair, and had wings composed of a thin membrane, without hair, lying snugly upon their backs, from the top of the shoulders to the calves of the legs.

They were accompanied by pretty illustrations (see lead image)—and attributed these discoveries to the astronomer Sir John Herschel. Mainly because he was too far away in his South African observatory to ever find out. The hoax went viral—republished in newspapers in the US and Europe—and finally exposed as a fake after The New York Sun’s editor Richard Adams Locke left the newspaper in 1836, and started using “author of the moon hoax” as part of his byline. The New Yorker has more on the racial subtext of the hoax. We recommend this vid by BBC Reel. And you can find lots of images over at the Library of Congress. You can see an illustration of a bat person below:

Two: We have a new contender for our obsession with ugly, overpriced fashion things: The $1,100 Domenica Boot from Bottega Veneta. To be fair, they look more like ugly socks than ugly shoes—maybe because they are made of knitted cotton. And they need an astonishing amount of care: 

The brand recommends keeping the shoes away from direct light, and filling them with tissue paper to maintain the shape. Also, if the boots get wet, you’ll need to dry them immediately. You can clean them with a soft, dry cloth or brush.

Yes, they are sold out—all thanks to RiRi who wore them out in New York. As you can see, there are varieties of ugly—the Uggs version is on the right. (Independent UK)

Three: Here’s a cool hack for people who have to cut back on salt—an Electric Salt Spoon from Kirin—better known for Japanese beer. It doesn’t add salt to your food—but “electrifies” your tongue: 

The idea… is that it passes a small electric current to “concentrate sodium ion molecules on the tongue,” enhancing salty flavour. It’s like techno-umami. The company says the goal is to get people to eat healthier by letting them eat low-sodium food without being sad about how unsalty it is.

Apparently, the electric current increases the salty taste by as much as 50%. Happier news: They’re cheaper than the Bottega boots: a mere $127. FYI: This tech won the 2023 Ig Nobel prize. You can see the spoon below. (The Verge)