Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Random Facts 2

Seamen Death Nose Check
At one time, when a seaman died, the sailmaker would sew him up in a canvas and put the last stitch through his nose to be sure he was really dead.
Ripley’s Believe it or Not, November 29, 2004.

Ocean Gold
There’s enough gold in the ocean to give every human 9 pounds.
Uncle John’s 13th Edition All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, pp. 326

Potato
Pilgrims did not eat potatoes during thanksgiving. The potato was widely believed to be poisonous by most Europeans.
Ripley’s Believe it or Not, December 18, 2004.

Short Ton
In the US a “short ton” is 2,000 lbs. An English ton is 2,240 lbs.
Uncle John’s 13th Edition All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, pp. 335

Bad Breath
Bad breath caused by onions and garlic originates in the lungs, not the mouth.
Uncle John’s 13th Edition All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, pp. 369

Gecko Ear
If you look into a gecko’s ear, you can see through to the other side.
Uncle John’s 13th Edition All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, pp. 370

McDonald’s
McDonald’s originally served hotdogs, not hamburgers.
Uncle John’s 13th Edition All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, pp. 383

Humans
Of all the humans who have ever lived, only 5 to 10 percent are alive today.
Uncle John’s 13th Edition All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, pp. 431

Tornadoes
90% of all the tornadoes on Earth occur in the United States.
Uncle John’s 13th Edition All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader, pp. 440

Ed Head Factoids
1. A bee can see the colors green, blue and ultra-violet - but red appears to be black.
2. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
3. The only letter not appearing on the Periodic Table is the letter “J”.
4. A hippo can run faster than a human.
5. It takes 70% less energy to produce a ton of paper from recycled paper than from trees.
6. Due to gravitational effects, you weigh slightly less when the moon is directly overhead.
7. If an Atomic clock was set 100 million years ago, today it would be less than 100 seconds off the actual time.
8. Every second around 100 lightning bolts strike the Earth.
9. Cockroaches have teeth in their stomachs. Cockroaches can live nine days without their heads before they starve to death.
10. Every year over one million earthquakes shake the Earth.
11. Crocodiles swallow stones to help them dive deeper.
12. One person in every 2 billion lives to be 116 or older.
13. For every human there are roughly 200 million insects on Earth.
14. The fastest speed a falling raindrop can hit you is 18mph.