The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsI'm bored. Post here some random, obscure fact that I might find interesting
Thank you!
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)steve2470
(37,457 posts)applegrove
(118,807 posts)for a med school reunion. Lucky ducks. I wish I had gone to school with someone who ran a Caribbean island or two.
Quiet_Dem_Mom
(599 posts)Quiet_Dem_Mom
(599 posts)Once in 1792 and once in 1913.
This and the Booth/Lincoln story were a couple of my "whoa" moments from the Memory Palace podcast.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)Waiting for that Led Zeppelin tour
steve2470
(37,457 posts)OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)Usually it's the other way around.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)Ron Obvious
(6,261 posts)The country is an Islamic theocracy led by Sheik Djibouty.
Nah, I just made that up. Sorry. It would be cool if it were true, though.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)nolabear
(41,991 posts)It's an oldie but a goodie.
Ron Obvious
(6,261 posts)And here I thought I just made it up....
An another illusion shattered...
nolabear
(41,991 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,323 posts)yewberry
(6,530 posts)Females have the spur but do not produce venom. Also, this animal locates its prey using electroreception, by sensing electric fields generated by muscle movement.
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)LynneSin
(95,337 posts)Just saying
rug
(82,333 posts)Dogs have one too.
That's two random facts. You owe me!
TexasBushwhacker
(20,219 posts)sarge43
(28,945 posts)pressbox69
(2,252 posts)Has not won the White House since 1928, without the names Nixon or Bush on the ticket.
Upthevibe
(8,073 posts)Let's take a look at presidential and vice-presidential Republicans elected since 1928:
1928: Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis
1952: Dwight D Eisenhower and Richard Nixon
1956: Dwight D Eisenhower and Richard Nixon
1968: Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew
1972: Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew
1980: Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush
1984: Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush
1988: George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle
2000: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
2004: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
Spiro Agnew resigned as Vice-President in October 1973 as part of a plea bargain where he plead no-contest to a tax evasion charges. Nixon then appointed Gerald Ford as Vice-President, and Ford served the remainder of Nixon's term after Nixon resigned following the Watergate scandal.
Donkees
(31,465 posts)...which make more noise than a chainsaw on full-throttle, scientists have claimed.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2771091/Stop-toll-bells-Swiss-cattle-deaf-cow-bells-louder-chainsaw-say-scientists.html#ixzz4J8OHOYFg
hlthe2b
(102,379 posts)(I found this when I was searching for whatever happened to the Ponderosa replica park near Lake tahoe in NV--land sold)
Fire and death forced park to close ten years after it opened in 1970
Park based on popular Wizard of Oz theme attracted 400,000 visitors in its first summer
Tourists could explore Dorothy's farmhouse, meet the characters and depart in a special hot air balloon ride
Vandals and thieves damaged Oz, as it lay forgotten on top of a mountain resort
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2334437/Goodbye-Yellow-Brick-Road-eerie-abandoned-Land-Oz-theme-park-hidden-North-Carolina-mountain.html
--snip--
The park opened on June 15, 1970 by Debbie Reynolds, accompanied by her then little-known daughter, Carrie Fisher. In its first summer 400,000 visitors came to the Land of Oz, according to Watauga Lake Magazine.
Sadly, however, Robbins never lived to see his masterpiece, dying at the age of 50 of bone cancer only six months before the park opened in 1970.
More tragedy was to beset the park, when a fire destroyed Emerald City and part of the museum collection, including dresses worn by Judy Garland in the movie.
Visitor numbers started to dwindle and finally, ten years after its opening day brought in 20,000 visitors, the Land of Oz closed its gates.
ailsagirl
(22,899 posts)Last edited Fri Sep 2, 2016, 10:39 PM - Edit history (1)
Only 2% of Earth's population naturally has green eyes. (wow-- I'm in the 2%)
When a male penguin falls in love with female penguin, he searches the entire beach to find the perfect pebble to present to her.
Crying makes you feel better, reduce stress, and may help to keep the body healthy.
Mount Everest is pronounced as Eve-rest, not Ever-est , as it is named after George Everest.
All pandas in the world are on loan from China.
When howling together, no two wolves will howl on the same note, instead, they harmonize to create the illusion that there are more of them than there actually are.
Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents.
Indias Go Air airline only hires female flight attendants because they are lighter, so they save up to US $500,000 per year in fuel.
At room temperature, the average air molecule travels at the speed of a rifle bullet.
The most common color for highlighters is yellow because it doesnt leave a shadow on the page when photocopied.
The Bermuda Triangle has as many ship and plane disappearances as any other region of the ocean.
Dolphins recognize and admire themselves in mirrors.
After working out, it takes 5 hours for your body temperature to return to normal.
Children have more taste buds than adults.
The eye makes movements 50 times every second.
An ants sense of smell is stronger than a dogs.
A day on Venus lasts longer than a year, it is 243 Earth days.
A snail breathes through its foot.
Polar bear fur is transparent, not white.
Cat kidneys are so efficient they can rehydrate by drinking seawater.
During a car crash, 40% of drivers never even hit the brakes.
When the moon is directly overhead, you weigh slightly less.
Honeybees navigate by using the sun as a compass.
Strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges.
Banana milkshake is the perfect cure for hangover.
90% of U.S. media (TV, news, radio) is owned by 6 companies.
Goldfish dont have stomachs.
Some tumors can grow hair, bones and teeth.
Taking a quick nap after learning can help strengthen your memory.
Having friends from other cultures makes you more creative, study found.
Cherries can cause cancer cells to kill themselves.
Cracking knuckles does not hurt your bones or cause arthritis, the sound you hear is gas bubbles bursting.
Shark pregnancies last up to 4 years.
A full moon is nine times brighter than a half moon.
Smiling actually boosts your immune system.
Dogs and elephants are the only animals that understand pointing.
The main exporter of Brazil nuts is not Brazil. Its Bolivia.
At rest, your brain burns one fifth of a calorie per minute.
A single tree can absorb more than 10 pounds of CO2 each year.
Amazon River once flowed in the opposite direction, from east to west.
3catwoman3
(24,053 posts)...with hair and teeth are called teratomas.
ailsagirl
(22,899 posts)3catwoman3
(24,053 posts)...green eye thing. Cool!
I hope you recovered well.
ailsagirl
(22,899 posts)We have another thing in common: we love ze kitties!!
malthaussen
(17,217 posts)ailsagirl
(22,899 posts)Response to LynneSin (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
Kaleva
(36,354 posts)He may be under a parking lot but nobody knows for sure.
http://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-articles-of-confederation/john-hanson-story/
WillyBrandt
(3,892 posts)denbot
(9,901 posts)When they change jobs, they change their brain chemistry.
Bees are hardwired to do certain jobs. Scout bees, which search for new sources of food, are wired for adventure. Soldier bees, discovered in 2012, work as security guards their whole life. One percent of all middle-aged bees become undertakersa genetic brain pattern compels them to remove dead bees from the hive. But most amazingly, regular honeybeeswhich perform multiple jobs in their lifetimewill change their brain chemistry before taking up a new gig.
Sourced: http://mentalfloss.com/article/53691/13-fascinating-facts-about-bees
47of74
(18,470 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)That's because it's copper-based, instead of iron-based like most animals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_crab
TexasBushwhacker
(20,219 posts)The blood of the Atlantic horseshoe crab can be used to detect bacteria in medical applications like the sterility of instruments and vaccines. They only take about 30% of their blood at a time. They realize them back to the ocean and 70 to 90% survive.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)is so they can more easily determine the direction of an air current (wind on wet skin feels colder), and thus where an odor is coming from. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinarium
denbot
(9,901 posts)Seems obvious, but I never realized why they lick their noses.
rurallib
(62,451 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)discntnt_irny_srcsm
(18,482 posts)Is not what it sounds like if you say the word.
Definition of horologist
2: a maker of clocks or watches
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
Auggie
(31,194 posts)or any other varietal wine for that matter.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)is a person who studies flags. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillology
TexasBushwhacker
(20,219 posts)JonLP24
(29,322 posts)denbot
(9,901 posts)And lots of it..
First Speaker
(4,858 posts)...Al Jolson wanted to play Porgy...
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,621 posts)was running in reverse as it crossed the Continental Divide.
Bannock Pass, on the Idaho-Montana border and the Continental Divide, was by far the most substantial obstacle encountered by the G&P. The pass itself is at an elevation of 7,681 feet (2,341 m), some 1,800 feet (550 m) higher than the center of Horse Prairie. Temporary trackage was built over the top of the pass during the G&P's construction, but a tunnel beneath the pass was clearly needed for the railway's permanent use. Since a tunnel to completely bypass the heavy grades of the pass was prohibitively expensive, the railroad compromised by boring a shorter, 600-foot (180 m) tunnel at the 7,575-foot (2,309 m) elevation. To bring the tracks to the elevation of the tunnel, the railroad line included a switchback on each side of the summit; trains ascending the pass would pull into the first switchback, run backwards through the summit tunnel, and then reverse direction again at the switchback on the opposite side.
lastlib
(23,303 posts)A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)If you dug straight down from any point in the lower 48, you'll come out at the bottom of the Indian Ocean
Stuart G
(38,448 posts)Monday night...October 15, 1951..there were 180 episodes in all..
The last of the episodes was shown on May 6, 1957. All were on Monday nights on CBS Network..
3catwoman3
(24,053 posts)...that colleges/universities have equal numbers of sports and scholarships for men and women, and because there is no women's football, there are many more D1 soccer scholarships for women than there are for men.
Aristus
(66,467 posts)Swedish or Russian. In fact, it's so different from either language, it's a bit of a linguistic mystery. No one knows where it originated. And the only language that is even remotely similar to Finnish is Hungarian. And Hungary is a fair distance away from Finland.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)Very curious. It's is believed to predate the Indo-European languages.
Wolf Frankula
(3,602 posts)Okzitanien (Occitanian spoken in France) and Sikanua (formerly spoken in Sicily).
Humphrey Bogart liked dry martinis.
Wolf
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)derived from Latin and related to both French and Spanish, but older. It's similar to Catalan, spoken in Spain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occitan_language It really isn't related to Basque - nothing is.
Wolf Frankula
(3,602 posts)Which on examination is not a separate language, just another Euskera dialect, like Zuberoanu.
Wolf
You are right about Occitan, which IIRC is related to Gascon and Provencale.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)I think these old languages are fascinating.
NNadir
(33,561 posts)...spends 11 months of the year debating grammar and for one month of the year, everyone agrees to speak Swedish and get all their work done.
This is probably why Finland is such a nice and peaceful country except when the Russians are invading it, which happens at least once a century.
trackfan
(3,650 posts)If that's what you want to do.
malthaussen
(17,217 posts)Kali
(55,025 posts)when horses get up they rise from the front
duncang
(1,907 posts)They didn't want their faces on any currency because of the association with monarchies having their face on currency. The first president who had his face on a was President Lincoln in 1909 followed by George Washington in 1932. Both would probably speak against it being done now.
No living person can have their image on a coin meant for circulation.
It is allowed on Commemorative coins though. The first living person to have their likeness put on a commemorative coin was Alabama Gov. T.E. Kilby in 1921. The first President which had a commemorative coin made with his likeness while alive was President Calvin Coolidge in 1926.
The new Presidential coins are minted for circulation so they cannot be made unless the President has been dead at least 2 years.
applegrove
(118,807 posts)escape.
duncang
(1,907 posts)Was a afghan hound in 2006. "Snuppy" was cloned by disgraced Korean scientist scientist Hwang Woo-Suk.
DFW
(54,445 posts)At least, among the ones that I have tasted.
DFW
(54,445 posts)Basque is the oldest, followed by the Galician Celtic language, and Catalan--which the whole east of Spain would have ended up speaking if the Arabs hadn't invaded the south and center, and stayed for 700 years--has written texts that pre-date texts in "Spanish (correct: Castilian)" by at least a century. The vulgar Latin spoken in the Iberian peninsula was evolving when the Arabs invaded, and in areas where they established themselves, the emerging language of the locals got heavily influenced by their Arab occupiers. In the part of Spain where I used to live, no one ever asks if you understand or speak "Spanish/español," but rather if you speak or understand "castellano (Castilian)." The local language in the part of Spain where I used to live is not that. Where I used to live, the local language was (and still is) Catalan (català), which is similar to medieval southern French (Langue d'Oc). So, whenever anyone asks me if I speak "Spanish," I usually ask which one (neuk piskat Euskera aitxutendot).
Is THAT obscure and useless enough for you?
ChickenGuru
(53 posts)Upper, lower and nictating.
Phentex
(16,334 posts)ChickenGuru
(53 posts)Brahma's are the worst. Not at all like the sweet Wyandottes.
NNadir
(33,561 posts)...quite volatile and can be distilled.
The rhenium heptafluoride in a molten cesium fluoride mixture will form a octacoordinate octafluororhenate.
I never realized this myself, and I've been muttering to myself for about a year about whether or not an irradiated tungsten alloy with technetium (to improve machinability) placed in a neutron flux could be usefully recycled to collect the rare and very expensive element rhenium, which the world is about to run out of.
I don't think you might find this interesting, but it is rather random and obscure.
Stuart G
(38,448 posts)according to some...once measured at 156 degrees..
according to others...Death Valley California...136 degrees...
The way the temperatures are measured is the argument..not the degrees..still anything over 95..too hot for me.....I once was in Yuma Az..temp measured at 111...oh my!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)After finding out Jackie Wilson was broke, Dick Clark continued to pay for all of Jackie Wison's medical expenses until his eventual death 8 years later.
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,621 posts)are found interesting.
Stuart G
(38,448 posts)some say that number is 151, some say that number is 164..I honestly don't know the truth about breeds of dogs...but..many dogs are nicer than many people.......!!!!!!!!
Throd
(7,208 posts)nadine_mn
(3,702 posts)of beautiful Two Harbors Minnesota
the 3 "M"s are Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing
The little house where it was founded is now a museum.
Now I'm homesick
Mendocino
(7,511 posts)considered leaving acting to become a lawyer.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)But there is no evidence of a person by that name ever having written a play.
eppur_se_muova
(36,299 posts)Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest formerly used red woodpecker scalps for money.
both stolen from the late Mr. Mike
the one about polar bears only killing with their left paws turns out to be untrue.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,219 posts)Several animals have forked penises (hemipenis) including snakes.
Cats have barbed penises (peni?) The pain of intercourse stimulates ovulation in the female, so when you hear all that caterwauling when they mate it's because it hurts!
Little Star
(17,055 posts)Tikki
(14,559 posts)Tikki
cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)There's a whole repertoire of tunes from that era that have been all but abandoned.
Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)Response to LynneSin (Original post)
JamieJohnson This message was self-deleted by its author.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Their right hand on a canopy handhold, not the flight stick! True fact!