Thought I'd start this thread since I am a huge fan of random, nerdy factoids. Feel free to add any as you wish.
Today's factoid: If you were to replace Sol (the sun, in case you're not familiar with the term 'Sol') with a black hole of equivalent mass; the Earth would remain in it's current orbit and would not be sucked in. A surprisingly large number of people people believe this would happen, even though black holes do not suck at all. In fact, it would take eight minutes for us to even notice, as this is how long light travels from Sol to Earth.
Of course, we'd die very shortly thereafter without any Solar energy entering Earth's "system," so it might be a good idea to start building your interstellar ship now!
Let me add one that always amazed me.
Spam is so resistant to spoilage that, if kept in the closed can, it may well outlast eternity and will certainly live longer than you.
I learned today that the Moon will eventually leave Earth's orbit and become an independent planet in the Solar System.
The only food that never spoils is Honey.
to get away from the food d-;
In Utah, birds have the right of way on all highways.
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
I can do it in 2!
You can only go back in time if you can somehow go faster than the speed of light. But even then you would need to bend space and time.
Also, time is only relevant to ourselves. If you asked someone to travel into space for 5 years then come back to earth, for them it would take 10 years. For us it would be considerably different. :)
Maine is the only state (in USA) whose name is just one syllable.
One of the only things powerful enough to actually bend space and time is a black hole. Although if you go near one it will disintegrate you into thousands of atoms.
Coca-Cola would be green if coloring weren’t added to it.
Quote from: Produno on November 15, 2013, 09:57:44 AM
One of the only things powerful enough to actually bend space and time is a black hole. Although if you go near one it will disintegrate you into thousands of atoms.
Every gravitational body bends space. It's called a curvature of space :)
For example, if you preform a slingshot manoeuvre, in euclidean space you fly in a curve. In curved space you fly in a straight line.
Light travels at 299,792,458 mtrs/s
Ethernet is a registered trademark of Xerox, Unix is a registered trademark of AT&T.
Similarly to what other people have said, if you went into space and orbited around for a long time, you would eventually come back and more time would have passed on Earth than you spent in space. It's still only a few seconds at most, but if you were to travel at sub-light-speed a huge distance and back you might find that, say, everyone you knew was dead.
Statistically speaking, blackjack (or 21 on two cards) is dealt once per every 21 hands.
Quote from: DeltaV on November 15, 2013, 09:25:20 PM
Similarly to what other people have said, if you went into space and orbited around for a long time, you would eventually come back and more time would have passed on Earth than you spent in space. It's still only a few seconds at most, but if you were to travel at sub-light-speed a huge distance and back you might find that, say, everyone you knew was dead.
Technically the astronauts on the ISS are aging "slower" but the time is so miniscule it's not significant. The same is true for airline pilots. But were talking about nano seconds. The only way this works enough for anyone to notice is if you're traveling at a significant percentage of c (speed of light).
did you know that the origin of saying "bless you" after a person sneezes is because your heart stops for a millisecond and they are blessing you that you survived...
the weight of all the ants on the earth is more than the weigh of all people on earth
when you wake up you are roughly 8mm taller than when you went to bed
In 2002, the most popular boat name in the U.S. was Liberty
One out of 20 people have an extra rib
44% of kids watch television before they go to sleep
In 1865, the U.S. Secret Service was first established for the specific purpose to combat the counterfeiting of money
Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two continents
In 1967, the IMAX film system was invented by Canadian Ivan Grame Ferguson to premier at Expo 67.
Approximately 40% of the U.S. paper currency in circulation was counterfeit by the end of the Civil War
Every three days a human stomach gets a new lining
In 1873, Colgate made a toothpaste that was available in a jar
The Kodiak, which is native to Alaska, is the largest bear and can measure up to eight feet and weigh as much as 1,700 pounds
The three best-known western names in China: Jesus Christ, Richard Nixon, and Elvis Presley
Mars is the home of Olympus Mons, the largest known volcano in our solar system
The Gastric Flu can cause projectile vomiting
The second best selling game of all time is Jenga. Jenga is a Swahili word, meaning "to build."
Cinderella is known as Rashin Coatie in Scotland, Zezolla in Italy, and Yeh-hsien in China
The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."
The fur of the binturong, also known as the "Asian Bear Cat," smells like popcorn. The scent is believed to come from a gland located near the tail
In 1894 the first big Coke sign was found on the side of a building located in Cartersville, Georgia, and still exists today
The longest distance a deepwater lobster has been recorded to travel is 225 miles
Orcas (killer whales), when traveling in groups, breathe in unison
The Great Pyramids used to be as white as snow because they were encased in a bright limestone that has worn off over the years
NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing
Percentage of American men who say they would marry the same woman if they had it to do all over again: 80%
Paul Hunn holds the record for the loudest burp, which was 118.1 decibels, which is as loud as a chainsaw
A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana
There are six million parts in the Boeing 747-400.
The first TONKA truck was made in 1947
In the U.S., over one million gallons of cosmetics, drinks, and lotions are sold that contain aloe in them per year
Sugar Bear (the mascot for Golden Crisps cereal) was born in 1963
The Tonle Sap River in Cambodia flows north for almost half the year and then south for the rest of the year
Japanese research has concluded that moderate drinking can boost IQ levels
For more than 3,000 years, Carpenter ants have been used to close wounds in India, Asia and South America
Baskin Robbins plain vanilla ice cream is the number one selling flavour and accounts for a quarter of their sales
Elizabeth Taylor has appeared on the cover of Life magazine more than anyone else
The typical lead pencil can draw a line that is thirty five miles long
The word "toy" comes from an old English word that means "tool."
Smokers are twice as likely to develop lower back pain than non-smokers
Humans are born with 300 bones in their body, however when a person reaches adulthood they only have 206 bones. This occurs because many of them join together to make a single bone
The reason why hair turns gray as we age is because the pigment cells in the hair follicle start to die, which is responsible for producing "melanin" which gives the hair colour
In 1960 there were 16,067 gambling slots in Nevada. By 1999, this number rose to 205,726 slots which would be one slot for every 10 people residing there
It takes the Hubble telescope about 97 minutes to complete an orbit of the Earth. On average, the Hubble uses the equivilent amount of energy as 30 household light bulbs to complete an orbit.
The two factories of the Jelly Belly Candy Company produces approximately 100,000 pounds of jelly beans a day. this amounts to about 1,250,000 jelly beans an hour
Pucks hit by hockey sticks have reached speeds of up to 150 miles per hour
The "naked recreation and travel" industry has grown by 233% in the past decade
The Planters Peanut Company mascot, Mr. Peanut, was created during a contest for schoolchildren in 1916
Most lipstick contains fish scales
The sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the english language
The expression cooked "al dente" means "to the tooth." What this means is that the pasta should be somewhat firm, and offer some resistance to the tooth, but should also be tender
Of married couples, 70% of men and 60% of women have cheated on their spouse
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times
More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes
The first couple to be shown on a sitcom sleeping in the same bed was "Mary Kay and Johnny."
Asthma affects one in fifteen children under the age of eighteen
A one ounce milk chocolate bar has 6 mg of caffeine
Throughout the South, peanuts were known as "Monkey Nuts," and "Goober peas," before the civil war
Scallops have approximately 100 eyes around the edge of its shell
In 1810, Peter Durand invented the tin can for preserving food
The fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth is called Arachibutyrophobia
Men in their early twenties shave an average of four times a week
Colour is not an indicator for the taste or ripeness in cranberries
Each year there are approximately 20 billion coconuts produced worldwide
A chicken with red earlobes will produce brown eggs, and a chicken with white earlobes will produce white eggs
Not all polar bears hibernate; only pregnant females polar bears do
There is a restaurant in Stockholm that only offers all-garlic products. They even have a garlic cheesecake
Serving ice cream on cherry pie was once illegal in Kansas
Superman The Escape rollercoaster, located in California at Six Flags Magic Mountain, goes from 0 to 100 miles per hour in only 7 seconds
Five thousandths of a millimeter is the tolerance of accuracy at the LEGO mould factories
2.5 cans of Spam are consumed every second in the United States
In 1836, Mexican General Santa Anna held an elaborate state funeral for his amputated leg. updated
A meteor has only destroyed one satellite, which was the European Space Agency's Olympus in 1993.
The Koala bear is not really a bear, but is really related to the kangaroo and the wombat.
One gallon of pure maple syrup weighs 11 pounds
Instead of a Birthday Cake, many Russian children are given a Birthday Pie
The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system in India, employing over 1.6 million people
The word "comet" comes from the Greek word "kometes" meaning long hair and referring to the tail
The average price for a major league baseball game in 2004 is $19.82
The hydra, which is related to the jellyfish, can grow its body back in a couple of days if it is cut in half
The deepest mine in the world is the East Rand mine, which goes to a depth of about 3,585 metres
Native Indians have been known to paint their doors blue, which they believe keeps the bad spirits out
Before air conditioning was invented, white cotton slipcovers were put on furniture to keep the air cool.
It would take about fourteen and half million notes of currency to build a mile high stack
Chinese Crested dogs can get acne
It costs about 3 cents to make a $1 bill in the United States
Colgate faced a big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speaking countries. Colgate translates into the command "go hang yourself."
The cross bow was invented by the Chinese and records of its usage goes back to as far as the Three Kingdom Period (220 a.d.-280 a.d.).
It is estimated that by the end of 2000, there has been 142,600 tonnes of gold mined in the world
One-third pound stalk of broccoli contains more vitamin C than 204 apples
The Flintstones cartoon was the first thirty-minute cartoon to be aired during prime time
The abbreviation Xmas for the word Christmas is of Greek origin. Since the word for Christ in the Greek language is Xristos, which starts with the letter "X," they started putting the X in place of Christ and came up with the short form for the word Christmas
Dipsomania refers to an insatiable craving for alcoholic beverages
China has more English speakers than the United States
Pitcher Darold Knowles once pitched all seven games of one World Series
In a day, kids in the U.S. that are between the ages of 2 - 8 spend 28 minutes of their time coloring
The Ancient Greek women made a type of cheek blush by painting their cheeks with herbal pastes which was made out of crushed berries and seeds
Herbert Hoover, who was the 31st president of the United Stated, turned over all the Federal salary checks he received to charity during the 47 years he was in government
Macadamia nuts are not sold in their shells because it takes 300 pounds per square inch of pressure to break the shell
Japan has approximately 200 volcanoes and is home to 10% of the active volcanoes in the world
Before 1928, yo-yos used to be called bandalores in the United States
The only South East Asian country that has never been colonized by a Western Power is Thailand
In 1631, two London bible printers accidentally left the word "not" out of the seventh commandment, which then read, "Thou shalt commit adultery." This legendary book is now known as the "Wicked Bible."
The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar an England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes
Irish Wolfhound dogs have a short lifespan and live about 7-8 years
When Queen Elizabeth I of England died she owned over 3,000 gowns
Female alligators lay about 40 eggs that hatch in 60 - 70 days
The nickname for a Japanese businessmen is "Salarymen."
Emus cannot walk backwards
The external tank on space shuttles is not painted. It is the only part of the shuttle that is lost after launch, so it is not necessary to worry about metal corrosion.
The most popular Twizzler candy flavour is strawberry
Thirty percent of all bingo players are under the age of 35
Infants spend more time dreaming than adults do
The famous Casanova (Giacomo Casanova) was a librarian for many years before he died
The only species of turtle that lives in the open ocean is the sea turtle
Toronto was the first city in the world with a computerized traffic signal system
Seniors who drink a cup of coffee before a memory test score higher than those who drink a cup of decaffeinated coffee
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise
Some octopuses have been known to eat their arms off when they are exposed to stressful situations
On average, 749 pounds of paper products is used by an American individual annually
The skeleton of a spider is located on the outside of the body. The name for this is exoskelton
Incas used to create pots in the shape of peanuts that were highly prized
The letter J does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements
Over 200 varieties of watermelons are grown in the U.S
The most dangerous job in the United States is that of a fisherman, followed by logging and then an airline pilot
The words "abstemioius," and "facetious" both have all the five vowels in them in order
French soldiers during World War I had the nickname "poilu" which translates to "hairy one."
Former U.S. President William Taft converted the White House stable into a four car garage in 1909
People living on the east coast prefer creamy peanut butter, while people living on the west coast prefer chunky peanut butter
Some snails live on branches in trees
Tomato ketchup is a good conditioner for the hair. It also helps get the greenish tinge that some blonde haired people get after swimming in water with chlorine in it
The youngest pope was 11 years old
Did you know you share your birthday with at least 9 other million people in the world
Soldiers disease is a term for morphine addiction. The Civil War produced over 400,000 morphine addicts
The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, which is 176 verses
During the First World War, cigarettes were handed out to soldiers along with their rations
The longest freshwater shoreline in the world is located in the state of Michigan
There are bananas called "Red banana" that are maroon to dark purple when ripe
Franklin Pierce was the first U.S. President to have a Christmas tree in the White House
The USA bought Alaska from Russia for 2 cents an acre
Walt Disney had originally suggested using the name Mortimer Mouse instead of Mickey Mouse
The length of brink of the Canadian "Horseshoe" Falls located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada is 2600 feet
The smile is the most frequently used facial expression. A smile can use anywhere from a pair of 5 to 53 facial muscles
The right lung of a human is larger than the left one. This is because of the space and placement of the heart
Native Americans used to use pumpkin seeds for medicine
The pound key (#) on the keyboard is called an octothorpe
The chemical name for caffeine is 1,3,7-trimethylzantihine
Corals take a long time to grow. Some corals only grow one centimeter in one year
Walmart-mart sells more apparel a year than all the other competing department stores combined
Canada has more inland waters and lakes than any other country in the world
Ramses II, a pharaoh of Egypt died in 1225 B.C. At the time of his death, he had fathered 96 sons and 60 daughters
The word "lethologica" describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want
Since its introduction in February 1935, more than two hundred million Monopoly board games have been sold worldwide
Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression than men in the United States
The smallest man ever was Gul Mohammed (1957-1997) of India, who measured 1 feet, 10? inches
500,000 tons of dog excrement are dumped annually on the streets of Paris
Hydrogen gas is the least dense substance in the world, at 0.08988g/cc
In Belgium, there is a museum just for strawberries
The Simpsons is the longest running prime-time animated series on television history
The more a person struggles to get out of quicksand the faster they will sink. Staying still, and being calm will actually make the body float in the quicksand because the body is less dense than the quicksand is
On average, a Canadian girl owns seven Barbie dolls, whereas an American girl owns eight
A piece of French toast that was partially eaten by Justin Timberlake sold on eBay
The Olympic was the sister ship of the Titanic, and she provided twenty-five years of service
Atari had to bury millions of unsold "E.T." game cartridges in a New Mexico desert landfill in 1982
The biggest disco ball in the world has a diameter of 2.41 meters and 137.89 kilograms. It also has 6,900 mirror squares on it
The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses
An average city dog lives approximately three years longer than an average country dog
On average, falling asleep while driving results in 550 accidents per day in the United States
Scatologists are experts who study feces. (aka. crap, dung, dookie, dumps, feces, excrement, etc.)
Pumpkins contain potassium and vitamin A
The greatest mountain range is the Mid-Ocean Ridge, extending 64,374 km from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean
Pepsi got its name from the ingredient pepsin, which is said to aid in digestion, however, it is not known
The spray WD-40 got its name because there were forty attempts needed before the creation of the "water displacing" substance
Contrary to popular beliefs, chocolate does not cause acne
Detroit, Michigan has more registered bowlers than any other city in the USA
The fastest moving land snake is the Black Mamba, which can move up to 7 miles per hour
Annually Americans eat 45 million turkeys at Thanksgiving
Rabbits can live up to ten years
The average life span of a single red blood cell is 120 days
Over 250 million Slinky toys have been sold since its debut in 1946
In 1961, Italian artist Piero Manzoni packed his feces in cans, signed and mounted them, and then sold them as art
The last thing Elvis Presley ate before he died was four scoops of ice cream and 6 chocolate chip cookies
Some Chinese chopsticks contain gold as on of their materials
The chances of making two holes-in-one in a round of golf are one in 67 million
The watch was invented by Peter Henlein of Nuremberg in 1510.
In North America there are approximately 618 roller coasters
The concept of Boxing Day, which is on December 26th, was to give boxes of food and clothing to the poor. It is now viewed in some countries as a time to get merchandise from stores at reduced prices
Crayola is a French word that means "Oily chalk."
Every year, Burger King restaurants prepare over 950,000 pounds of bacon for their breakfast customers
(i love random facts lol)
I think you broke the thread :o
Quote from: Hypolite on November 18, 2013, 12:40:48 AM
I think you broke the thread :o
i think i blew everyone's brains up lol
I read through a third of your post before I had to see how much longer it goes...
I have to say: wow... *Brainfreeze*
Actually, the first fact in that huge list is wrong IIRC.. Some religions way back yonder (I forgot which, but I'm thinking something in India) thought that when you sneezed, the devil would try to get into your body through your open mouth. Thus, you tell someone 'Bless you' after they sneeze, and the devil wouldn't be able to get in.
Quote from: Hypolite on November 18, 2013, 12:40:48 AM
I think you broke the thread :o
he broke the thread in 1 post.
Where is the room and space for others to post something. Be a good chap post 1 fact like all others....
/me grmbls showoff.
>:( :'( ;)
Quote from: Semmy on November 19, 2013, 08:17:25 AM
Quote from: Hypolite on November 18, 2013, 12:40:48 AM
I think you broke the thread :o
he broke the thread in 1 post.
Where is the room and space for others to post something. Be a good chap post 1 fact like all others....
/me grmbls showoff.
>:( :'( ;)
We have the technology to fix this.
thiers nothing like over doing it ... ::)
President Ulysses Grant once said "I know only two tunes.... one is Yankee Doodle, the other one, isnt!"
i know the thread is broken but but but.
For a fact the gates of hell are real
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_to_Hell