Interesting Facts

[nadia]

I thought that in this topic we could put in some facts that some people might not know....


*No piece of square, dry paper can be folded more than seven times in half.

*A lightening bolt generates temperatures five times hotter than those found at the sun's surface.

*Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

*It's against the law to burp of sneeze in a church in Omaha, Nebraska USA.

*Fingernails grow nearly four times faster than toenails

*A snail can sleep for 3 years.

*A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body.

*A jellyfish is 90% water.

*Australia is the only state in the world with 25 types of fleas.


*Polar bears are left handed.

*It has been claimed that when reading horizontally from shakespears original published copy of hamlet, the furthest left side reads "i am homosexual" in the last 14 lines of the book. (I think they mean vertically. But that is funny)

*More people a year are killed by coconuts than sharks.

*There is a tupperware party held somewhere in the world every 2 seconds.

*You can lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs

*When think you are having a tummy ache, your not, your intestins are what is hurting, not your tummy

[lionhead]

*Coca-Cola was originally meant to be a medicine against headache.

*In Canada its illegal fro a moose to have sexual intercourse with another moose on a public road

*A crocodile sleeps with his mouth open

*In the US there are more Arms dealers then there are MC donalds

*There is caffeine in Cacao

*The platypus is venomous.

* Dutch people are average the tallest people in the world

*Wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence the dark bottles.

*The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world

*Astronauts cannot burp in space

*Earth travels through space at 660,000 miles an hour

*The storage capacity of the human brain excedes 4 terrabytes

*President George W. Bush and Hugh Hefner are cousins......

[Seven of Nine]

The duck billed platypus isn't the only egg laying mammal. The spiny anteater does too.

[nadia]

*The longest place-name still in use is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwe-nuakit natahu, it's a New Zealand hill

*It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open(I have been trying this one, dosn't work)

*Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

*The longest word in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

*The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.

*Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.

*The average chocolate bar has 8 insect legs in it.

*The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

*Coca-Cola was originally green.

*The average American consumes 1.2 pounds of spider eggs a year and eat 2.5 pounds of insect parts a year

[Cathexis]

^^^ew on the chocolate bar fact......ew...

Okay....did you know.....


It's considered extremely impolite to cut cheese horizontally in France.

Never give the thumbs up sign in Nigeria...

Hugging a German is a VERY bad idea.

The first kind of PENCIL was a bunch of GRAPHITE sticks held together by string. Then someone decided it would be better to push the graphite into the inside of a hollow wooden stick.

^^^Did you know that the average lead pencil can draw a line that is almost 35 miles long or you can write almost 50,000 words in English with just one pencil? Amazing fact! Now imagine an eraser that could match it !!!

9pin bowling was made up in Germany during the Medieval ages

The first pick-up truck in the world was made by Gottlieb Daimler in 1886. Gottlieb produced the world's first motorcycle in 1885.

The first steam powered train was invented by Robert Stephenson. It was called the Rocket.

Clinophobia is the fear of beds.

One legend claims stealing someone's shadow (by measuring it against a wall and driving a nail through its head) can turn the victim into a vampire.

Most vampires are described in folklore as flushed and ruddy, with swollen bodies and bloated faces. Often, they can be identified because they're sitting up in the grave.

Trivia is the Roman goddess of sorcery, hounds and the crossroads.

In Dante's "Inferno" the Ninth Circle of Hell is reserved for those who betray family or country. The denizens of this deepest circle, who are frozen in ice, include Judas (betrayer of Christ) and Cassius and Brutus (betrayers of Julius Caesar).

An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees. A spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.

In the 1700's you could purchase insurance against going to hell, in London England.
^^Selling of Indulgences by Catholic priests to common men in order to increase Church revenues.

Black cats are considered lucky in England.

Long ago, the people of Nicaragua believed that if they threw beautiful young women into a volcano it would stop erupting.

In medieval times, thunderstorms were believed by some to be the work of demons. So when it stormed, bell ringers would go up into the bell towers to ring the consecrated bells in an effort to stop the storm. This practice didn't always work out well for the bell ringer.

January is named for the Roman god Janus.

Influenza got its name from that fact that people believed the disease was because of the evil "influence" of stars.

During the middle ages, it was widely believed that men had one less rib than woman. This is because of the story in the Bible that Eve had been created out of Adam's rib.

When christening a ship, instead of using champagne, the Vikings would sacrifice a human being.
^^^The Vikings also thought the spirits of the murdered person would guide and guard the craft.

Theaters in Glendale, California can show horror films only on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

You can't plow a cotton field with an elephant in North Carolina.

In Lehigh, Nebraska it's against the law to sell donut holes.

Under the law of Mississippi, there�s no such thing as a female Peeping Tom.

Anti-modem laws restrict Internet access in the country of Burma. Illegal possession of a modem can lead to a prison term.

Lawn darts are illegal in Canada.

In Idaho a citizen is forbidden by law to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds.

Every citizen of Kentucky is required by law to take a bath at least once a year.

It is against the law to whale hunt in Oklahoma. (Think about it...)

A Venetian law decrees that all gondolas must be painted black. The only exceptions are gondolas belonging to high public officials.

In the state of Queensland, Australia, it is still constitutional law that all pubs (hotel/bar) must have a railing outside for patrons to tie up their horse.

According to law, no store is allowed to sell a toothbrush on the Sabbath in Providence, Rhode Island. Yet these same stores are allowed to sell toothpaste and mouthwash on Sundays.

Before the enactment of the 1978 law that made it mandatory for dog owners in New York City to clean up after their pets, approximately 40 million pounds of dog excrement were deposited on the streets every year.

Chewing gum is outlawed in Singapore because it is a means of "tainting an environment free of dirt."

The handkerchief had been used by the Romans, who ordinarily wore two handkerchiefs: one on the left wrist and one tucked in at the waist or around the neck. In the fifteenth century, the handkerchief was for a time allowed only to the nobility; special laws were made to enforce this. The classical heritage was rediscovered during the Renaissance.

For hundreds of years, the Chinese zealously guarded the secret of sericulture; imperial law decreed death by torture to those who disclosed how to make silk.

An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman to take more than 3 steps backwards while dancing.

By law, information collected in a U.S. census must remain confidential for 72 years.

Candy made from pieces of barrel cactus was outlawed in the U.S. in 1952 to protect the species.

In Breton, Alabama, there is a law on the town's books against riding down the street in a motorboat.

Connecticut and Rhode Island never ratified the 18th Amendment: Prohibition.

In most American states, a wedding ring is exempt by law from inclusion among the assets in a bankruptcy estate. This means that a wedding ring cannot be seized by creditors, no matter how much the bankrupt person owes.

In New York State, it is still illegal to shoot a rabbit from a moving trolley car.

Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine are the four states in the U.S. that do not allow billboards.

Wetaskiwin, Alberta from 1917: "It's against the law to tie a male horse next to a female horse on Main Street."

Women were banned by royal decree from using hotel swimming pools in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, in 1979.

In Riverside, California (where I live now), there is an old law on the city's books which makes it illegal to kiss unless both people wipe their lips with rose water.

In Saudi Arabia, a woman reportedly may divorce her husband if he does not keep her supplied with coffee.

Found on the instruction sheet of a Conair Pro Style 1600 hair dryer: "WARNING: Do not use in shower. Never use while sleeping."

Found on Bat Man The Animated Series Armor Set Halloween costume box: "PARENT: Please exercise caution, mask and chest plate are not protective; cape does not enable wearer to fly."

Found in a television set's owner's manual: "Do not pour liquids into your television set."

Found on the handle of a hammer: "Caution: Do not use this hammer to strike any solid object."

Found on a butane lighter: "Warning: Flame may cause fire."

In most places, when a drawbridge is open, the only land vehicle that can claim priority over boats is a truck hauling the US mail. This option is seldom if ever exercised, of course.

In 1388, English Parliament banned waste disposal in public waterways and ditches.

In 1996, Christmas caroling was banned at two major malls in Pensacola, Florida. Apparently, shoppers and merchants complained the carolers were too loud and took up too much space.

In Atlanta, Georgia, it is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.

The ship, the Queen Elizabeth 2, should always be written as QE2. QEII is the actual queen.

Quebec and Newfoundland are the only two provinces which do not allow personalized license plates.

Fourteen years before the Titanic sank, novelist Morgan Robertson published a novel called "Futility". The story was about an ocean liner that struck an iceberg on an April night. The name of the ship in his novel - The Titan.

[lionhead]

[Seven of Nine]

In Chester-
You can only shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow inside the city walls and after midnight.

In Hereford-
You may not shoot a Welsh person on Sunday with a longbow in the Cathedral Close. (So I guess it's ok Monday-Saturday... )

Thomas... you better watch out! No hanging around in Chester after midnight

-It is illegal to stand within one hundred yards of the reigning monarch when not wearing socks (enacted by Edward VI)
- it's a good job I was sitting

[Joey]

in charleston SC, USA
its illgal for horses to be in public without diapers
and its within law to bring your gun to church


this gives me an idea, church anyone?

[nadia]

*Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury

*Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better

*A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why. (I think that one is wrong because they did this one as an experiment on Braniac the other night, and the ducks duack DID echo)

*An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

*It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year's supply of footballs.

*101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan (Wendy) are the only two Disney cartoon features with both parents that are present and don't die throughout the movie.

*A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.

*A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove

*If you toss a penny 10,000 times, it will not be heads 5,000 times, but more like 4,950. The heads picture weighs more, so it ends up on the bottom.

*You'll eat about 35,000 cookies in a lifetime.

*Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks otherwise it will digest itself.

[webtaz99]

[lionhead]

a golfball has 336 dimples. i know that from head.


Don't know if people that like star trek DON't know this but here goes:

Even if you are going as fast as the speed of light it will take 8 minutes to get to the sun and 4 years to the nearest star.

The milkyway is about 3000 lightyears thick.

The andromeda galaxy is around 220 thousand lightyears in diameter (the milky way around 200 thousand)

Andromeda is 2.5 million lightyears away from us. Even with warp 9,9999 it will take 12 years to reach it.

[Theresa]

[robbiewebster]

10% of Americans prefer to talk on their cell phones while crashing their cars!

[WeAz]

%45 of Americans believe in ESP

[nadia]

*The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick" has been rated the toughest tongue twister in the English language

*Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

*The only 2 animals that can see behind themselves without turning their heads are the rabbit and the parrot.

*An area of a rainforest the size of a football field is being destroyed each second

*All of David Letterman's suits are custom made; there are no creases in his suit trousers.

*Cranberry Jell-O is the only flavor that contains real fruit flavoring

*McDonald's restaurants will buy 54,000,000 pounds of fresh apples this year. Two years ago, McDonald's purchased 0 pounds of apples. This is attributed to the shift to more healthy menu options (the Apple Pie, which has been at McDonald's for years uses processed Apple Pie Filling).

*Richard Hatch, winner of the first "Survivor" reality series, has been charged with tax evasion for failing to report his $1,000,000 prize

*Mel Gibson has personally earned almost $400,000,000 from his movie "The Passion of the Christ".

*Oprah Winfrey and Elvis Presley are distant cousins.

*Al Gore's roommate in college (Harvard, class of 1969) was Tommy Lee Jones

*A Brussels Airlines flight to Vienna was aborted because the pilot was attacked in the cockpit. The attacker was a passenger's cat, who got out of its travel bag

*On EBay, there are an average of $680 worth of transactions each second.

*A snail can have about 25,000 teeth.

*Brushing your teeth regularly has been shown to prevent heart disease.

*The average American will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year.

*Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.

[madlilnerd]

[IntrepidIsMe]

*Elephants are excellent swimmers
*An elephant's ears are large to help them stay cool


Anyway, I got those from my kiddie soy milk box,

[nadia]

*Tropical cockroaches are often brightly colored green, yellow, red.

*If you were to collect one of every species of cockroach found in the world, you'd need a lot of jars to put them in. There are some 5,000 species of cockroaches worldwide.

*Pregnant for life? It doesn't sound like much fun, but some female cockroaches mate once and are pregnant for the rest of their lives.

*Roaches can go without eating for a month but will only live a week without water.

*If you see a white cockroach, it has just shed its skin.

*If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

*Americans on the average eat 18 acres of pizza every day

*Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

*A cat's urine glows under a black light.

[Lord Borg]

[Blancie]

[nadia]

*President Bush use to be a cheer leader

[lionhead]

-Chimpanzees and Humans are the only mammals that can't swim from birth.

-Cochroaches are immune to radioactivity.

[Cathexis]

[borgslayer]

* Most grocery stores make only 10cents for each item sold. *
* Alice Coopers real name is Vincent Damon Furnier *