Random Facts 14

Reindeer Eat Moss to Keep Warm
It contains a special chemical that keeps their body fluids warm.
Fact or Crap Calendar, 12.25.06.

The Most Expensive Bottle of Wine
A bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafitte claret, engraved with the initials of Thomas Jefferson, was bought at Christie's London auction in 1985 for a sum worth over $300,000 in 2004 US Dollars. Regrettably, 11 months later, the cork dried out, slipped into the bottle, and the wine turned to vinegar.
Fact or Crap Calendar, 10.18.06.

French Oak Barrels
Harvested for wine, the average age of the French Oak trees harvest is 170 years. This is because the oak tends to be denser. Dense oak is very good at mellowing and adding flavor to wine, as well as imparting color to white wine. There are nearly 400 species of oak tree, but only 20 are used for making wine barrels. What makes a particular oak desirable is the taste of the wood imparts to the wine. A connoisseur can taste the difference between wine aged in American versus French oak. French barrels also breathe better than American barrels. Only 5% of all oak trees used to make barrels are suitable for aging high-grade wine.
Fact or Crap Calendar, 8.6.06.

The Most Nutrient-Dense Fruit
Ounce for ounce...the kiwi fruit was found to be the most nutritious fruit by a 1997 Rutgers University study, followed by the papaya, the mango, and then the orange. A kiwi fruit has twice the vitamin C of an orange, is lower in sodium, and higher in potassium and vitamin E.
Fact or Crap Calendar, 10.23.06.

14 Billion Pencils
are made every year, enough to circle the world 62 times. Given that a good-sized tree produces 300,000 penciles, more than 46,000 trees are needed annually.
Fact or Crap Calendar, 10.26.06.

US Personal Computers in 2000
The United States had 161 million PCs in 2000. Japan, Germany, China, the United Kingdom, South Korea, France & Canada (the next seven countries in ranking) had a combined total of just under 158 million.
Fact or Crap Calendar, 8.20.06.

Record Underground Living
The record goes to a species of chemolithotrophic bacteria, found in basalt deposits 4,700 feet underground in solid volcanic rock. Scientists in search of oil discovered it while analyzing drill core samples.
Fact or Crap Calendar, 11.27.06.

Deepest Subterranean Vertical Drop
A cave in Croatia's Rozanski Hip National Park Reserve, situated in the mountainous Velebit region, steadily decends in a weaving pattern for 203 feet before suddenly dropping straight down 1,693 feet. The drop, at its widest point, is only 100 feet across. At the bottom are small ponds and streams, and one of the largest known colonies of subterranean leeches.
Fact or Crap Calendar, 12.17.06.

Bees - from Honeymoon, WWI, & Dance
The term "honeymoon" is derived from an old northern European custom in which newlyweds would consume a daily cup of mead, made with fermented honey, for a month. During World War I , honey was used to treat the wounds of soldiers because it attracts and absorbs moisture, making it a valuable healing agent. Bees fly an average 15 miles per hour. A round dance indicates that a food source is nearby; a waggle dance means it is distant.
Discover Magazine, 2007, Vol. 28, No. 3, Pg. 80..