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It certainly does beat the odds. It’s estimated that only one out of 10,000 people will be struck by lightning in their lifetime—although this is still more likely than winning millions in the lottery, which has odds in the neighborhood of 1 in 259 million. But one man named Roy Sullivan laid claim to the unluckiest luck in the world by being struck by lightning seven times. This was partly due to the fact that he worked a ranger in Shenandoah National Park and was exposed to a lot more storms than average. But it got to the point where Sullivan began to claim that clouds were actually following him. He started carrying a bucket of water with him whenever there was a storm, which came in handy several times because the lightning had a tendency to set his hair on fire. The chances of an ordinary person being struck by lightning seven times are somewhere around 1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Lucky guy! (And he almost got even luckier: once he was helping his wife hang laundry out to dry, and she was struck by lightning instead of him!)

Sky Umbrella, $48

That oh-so-stylish, late-Sunday-morning institution is not some natural expression of human need that evolved over the centuries like, say, dinner. It was the brainchild of an Englishman named Guy Beringer. As described in his 1895 treatise “Brunch: A Plea,” Beringer felt that brunch would help resolve the conflict between two age-old enemies: hangovers and the English breakfast. In England at the time, a typical breakfast menu included fried bacon, fried mushrooms, fried sausages, fried potatoes, fried oatcakes, along with the occasional meat pie or black pudding, just to round things out. All of this could land pretty hard on a stomach soured by last night’s revels. The solution Beringer proposed was a hybrid meal, where you could start with lighter, lunch-time fare before gradually working your way to heartier food as your body returns to normal. And of course, some hair-of-the-dog-that-bit-you would have some medicinal value, as well. In spite of the fact that Beringer’s article may have been intended as a joke, seeing as how it was published in the satirical magazine Punch and was addressed to the needs of “Saturday-night carousers”, it didn’t take long for people to see the genius in his idea, making brunch the best thing to happen in the morning since sleeping in late.

Pancake Plates–Set of 2, $45

We sincerely hope that it’s not you, because the bridge is not actually for sale, and anyone telling you otherwise is trying to part you from your money. This is a pretty well-known swindle, but the reason for its notoriety is that, back in the day, a lot of aspiring bridge-buyers had to face some serious disappointment. The Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883, at a time when a massive influx of immigrants was moving through Ellis Island and into New York City. Not all of these were the poor, huddled refugees we often picture. Plenty of them came with cash in hand, ready to buy property, invest in business, and take their own shot at the American dream. Sadly, they were the perfect mark for any conman with a convincing pitch and a “For Sale” sign. The bridge’s immense size made it easy for swindlers to set up shop out of view of the police, and its proximity to Ellis Island offered an endless stream of potential “buyers.” As time passed, however, immigrants began coming with an increased awareness of America’s customs and practices, making them immune to this particular crime. By the 1920s, “buying the Brooklyn Bridge” had already slipped into popular vernacular as a classic, old-time hoax.

Brooklyn Bridge by Renee Leone, $145-325

In spite of what you learned watching super hero movies, even with super strength you could never transform a chunk of coal into a diamond. For one thing, coal is called a “fossil fuel” because it’s formed from the remains of plant and animal life from 300 million years ago. Geologists indicate that diamonds, on the other hand, were formed billions of years ago, long before dinosaurs ever ruled the earth. Secondly, diamonds are made from a single, pure element—carbon. Coal, again because of its fossil fuel background, is full of elemental impurities. Coal also forms at a depth rarely more than two miles beneath the surface of the earth, and pressure at that depth is not sufficient to crystalize the carbon. Diamonds form at least 87 miles beneath the earth’s crust and are carried toward the surface by rare, deep-sourced volcanic eruptions. It is true, however, that charcoal is full of carbon, but without all of the extreme conditions that form similar matter into the hardest substance on earth, purified coal turns into an entirely different form of carbon—soft, crumbly graphite.

Diamond Arrow Necklace, $175

Forget water in your ears, too much swimming and you’ll emerge from the water sporting the fingertips of a wrinkled prune. Is that an unattractive side effect of showing off your cannonball or an awesome comic book-worthy evolutionary advantage? Answer: you’re a futuristic marvel! Studies have shown that the distinctive wrinkling improves your grip in water. Since the pruning also happens on our toes, evolutionary biologists suggest that it could have helped our ancestors get better footing in the rain or wet conditions. Feeling a little skeptical? Try picking up a wet marble with dry fingers and then again with wrinkled ones. Science!

Glass Water Faucet, $45

Does your cat exhibit symptoms such as wheezing, coughing or difficulty breathing? If so, it may have feline asthma, a condition found in an estimated one out of every 200 cats. An inflammation of the lungs, it can be brought on by household dust, cigarette smoke, some types of kitty litter, and—irony of ironies—human dander. Feline asthma rates have increased as more and more cats are kept solely indoors, preventing them from finding fresh air and relief from their man-made allergies. As with people, there are inhalers available to treat aggravated cases, or sometimes even hospitalization can be called for, although its primary benefit may simply be removing the cat from the home environment. Or perhaps the best solution would be for cats to consider switching to hypoallergenic breeds of owner.

Mr Chubbles The Fat Cat Bank, $45

If you’re the Russian emperor, then you certainly might think so. In 1698, Peter the Great returned to Russia after a tour of Europe, ready to bring his own country into the “modern” world. In addition to governmental reforms, economic reforms and military advancement, he wanted to update the nation’s fashion sense—and clean-shaven faces were all the rage on the Continent. Peter started his campaign right away, at the formal reception welcoming him back from his European tour. After greeting his guests, he brought out a straight razor and began shaving off the men’s beards! The guests were horrified, but were in no position to deny their ruler. He made beardlessness the law, and his police were even known to shave offenders in the street. There was, not surprisingly, much resistance to such a decree, and eventually Peter compromised. Instead of repealing the law, he instituted a beard tax. Those who wished to grow their facial hair could receive permission to do so for a yearly sum, which added to Peter’s coffers while allowing his subjects to save face.

Wooden Whiskers Combs, $12