There are things we all want to know, but, unfortunately, they remain unrevealed. Just imagine that there are some strongly guarded secrets just a couple of people in the world know about.
10. KFC’s 11 herbs and spices
In July 1940, Sanders created his “Original Recipe” of 11 herbs and spices, and it is still used on KFC chicken today. Only 2 executives know the full recipe. When it is made, half of the ingredients are mixed at one location, half at another, and they are combined at a third. The actual physical copy of the recipe is stored at KFC’s headquarters.
9. The subject of the song “You’re So Vain”
Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” is a revenge song with an unidentified subject. There is a list of people that the song is rumored to be about, including some celebrities, but Simon has never revealed the subject. In 2003, Dick Ebersol, president of NBC, won the chance to know this secret at an auction and became the second person who knows it. He signed an agreement promising that he would never share it.
8. The formula for Coca-Cola
The secret formula for Coca-Cola is what brings the company billions of dollars each year. They say that only 2 executives know the formula, and the original document with the formula written on it is kept in a purpose-built vault in a permanent interactive exhibit at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta.
7. The meaning of the Led Zeppelin symbols
One of the best-selling albums of all time, the fourth album from the legendary Led Zeppelin, had a few unusual signs instead of the name. Each of the 4 symbols represented each band member in some way. However, they have all refused to comment on what the meaning of the symbols is.
6. The Hapsburg napkin fold
In Austria, the imperial napkin fold is the country’s secret. This fold design was used at the tables of Austro-Hungarian royalty. There are no written guidelines on how to do it, and only a few anonymous government employees know how to fold a napkin into this shape. When the employees retire, they pass on the information to the new employees who will then fold the napkins for state dinners.
5. The Farmer’s Almanac weather formula
The special Almanac’s formula for predicting the weather was designed by the magazine’s founder, Robert B. Thomas. The Almanac’s popularity depends on the precise weather forecasts for farmers, so it’s no surprise that the formula is kept secret. Only the Almanac’s editor and an anonymous meteorologist know it.
4. The location of Lena Blackburne’s Baseball Rubbing Mud
It’s hard to believe, but the entire Major League Baseball depends on only one supplier of special rubbing mud. Before the 1930s, teams tried various substances for rubbing onto the balls, until one day Lena Blackburne rubbed a ball in the mud. Soon enough, the entire league was using this mud, and its origin has been kept secret ever since. Only the business owners know where this mud comes from.
3. The Berglas Effect
The magicians who know this trick can produce any card requested by the audience from anywhere inside a deck without even touching it. This card trick is known by only 2 people: David Berglas, who invented it, and his apprentice, Marc Paul. Many magicians have tried to crack this trick, but no one has been able to do it yet.
2. The results of the Academy Awards
Since the Academy Awards started, there has been no leak of information about the winners. The results of the ballot voting are calculated by hand at PricewaterhouseCoopers. They take half the results in 2 separate suitcases and are escorted to the venue by LAPD officers.
1. Plasma display
Few people know this, but the plasma screen television tech was researched and developed exclusively by Samsung. They would have had the monopoly in the television business, but one of their employees stole all the secret files on his last day there and walked away with them. He gave the stolen secrets to a Chinese company and every manufacturer can build a plasma TV today.
Bonus: Silk production
Silk production has a long and colorful history. For centuries, the West knew very little about silk and the people who made it. For more than 2,000 years, the Chinese kept the secret of silk to themselves. It was the most jealously guarded secret in history. It’s not surprising, as silk is really precious. It’s the strongest natural fiber known to man, and a silk rope is stronger than an equally thick metal wire.
Source: BrightSide
