The 1970 “Exploding Whale” incident

In Florence, Oregon, a 45-foot, 8-ton sperm whale washed up dead on the beach. The authorities decided the best way to dispose of it was to blow it up with half a ton of dynamite, assuming it would disintegrate into tiny pieces that seagulls would eat.

The Outcome: The explosion didn’t disintegrate the whale; it turned it into “meat hailstones.” Huge chunks of blubber rained down on onlookers and crushed a parked car over a quarter-mile away. The seagulls, terrified by the blast, didn’t eat a single bite.