How did rubber get its name? In the 18th century, a French expedition sent to South America sent rubber samples back to Europe. The samples were described as "caoutchouc" which translates to mean 'weeping wood" in French. Caoutchouc was mostly a scientific curiosity, not given serious examination until years later. When British scientist (and clergyman and political theorist) Joseph Priestley found that the material was useful for rubbing pencil marks off of paper, the modern term was born. What else is Priestley known for? Discovering oxygen.
Palm oil comes from the fruit grown on the African oil palm tree. It produces an edible vegetable oil used in ice creams (to make it smooth and creamy), breads (because it's easy to bake with) and pizza dough (to enhance texture). It's also used non-edible products like lipstick, detergent and shampoo. However, because palm oil is the most consumed vegetable oil on the planet, many environmental organizations have voiced concern over the deforestation of rainforests for palm oil plantations.
The production arranged beforehand for Kal to announce the Monster Jam event to the entire audience. However, the start of the event had to be delayed for a couple of minutes, waiting for Kal to arrive. He was held up in traffic caused by another sporting event in the area.
Monster Jam trucks have to withstand a lot of pressure and so there is a lot of care put into building them. It takes approximately 9 months to build a new truck. And those monstrous tires? They can weigh 645 pounds each. The driver's seat is custom made for each individual driver. It's located in the center of the truck and because many of the Monster Trucks do not have doors, the drivers must enter from underneath the truck.
Monster Jam goes to great lengths to make sure its athletes are ready to compete. Athletes must complete 100+ hours of training at Monster Jam University before they're allowed to compete in an event. Additionally, the athletes are not separated by gender while competing. Men and women compete together, vying for the same title.