Factoids
As far as I know they
are all true
They come from the collegestuedents.com
newsletter
* The world's oldest written language is Sumerian. Inscriptions have been
found that date back to 4000 B.C., when the writers lived in the lower
valley of the Euphrates River.
* There are over 8,000 varieties of apples in the world.
* There are estimated to be over 6 million skeletons in the Paris Catacombs.
<> A snail mates once in its entire life, and it can take up to 12
hours.
<> In the Chinese written language the ideograph that stands for
trouble represents two women under one
roof.
<> The bones of a pigeon weigh less than its feathers.
<> The right lung takes in more air than the left.
<>If we could shrink the Earth's population to a village of
precisely 100 people...with all existing human ratios remaining the
same, it would look like this:
There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western
Hemisphere (North and South) and 8 Africans.
51 would be female; 49 male
70 would be nonwhite; 30 white.
70 would be non-Christian; 30 Christian.
50% of the entire world's wealth would be in the hands of only 6
people, and all 6 would be citizens of the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing.
70 would be unable to read.
50 would suffer from malnutrition.
1 would be near death, 1 would be near birth
Only 1 would have a college education.
No one would own a computer!!
<>Most wines do not improve with age.
<>John Savland caught the largest halibut ever caught in Alaska in
1978. It was 440lbs.
<>The spiny anteater is the only mammal that does not have dreams.
<>If all of the world's population put their human waste together, it
would become the size of the Great Wall of China in a week.
<>The average bra lasts for 180 days worth of wear.
<>Regardless of whether you hate them or love them, the Spice Girls
have out sold the Beatles.
<>There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet
<>The word "Checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah
Mat," which means, "the King is
dead."
<> Susan Sarandon's last name is from her first husband, Chris
Sarandon, also known as Prince Humperdinck from The
Princess Bride.
<> The roaring lion in the MGM logo was named Volney and lived at the
Memphis Zoo.
<> The only Major League Baseball team to have both its city's name
and its team name in a foreign language is the San
Diego Padres.
<> Only six times in history have Time, Newsweek, and Sports
illustrated had the same entity on one cover in the same
week. They are Joe Namath, Reggie Jackson, Secretariat, the 1980 U.S. Ice Hockey team, Mary Lou Retton and O.J.
Simpson.
<> According to "Sports Illustrated For Kids," bendy basketball was
popular for only one year -- 1952. The game was created in Yakima,
Washington, after a high school basketball team was forced to use the
tiny curved stage in the school's auditorium.
<> Another bizarre sports innovation that didn't quite make it was a
1905 invention called the "Double Glove." It was actually two baseball
gloves stitched together, but it failed because most fielders found
they couldn't run with their hands connected.
<> And then there's the inventor who attached a long rubber band to a
football and then clipped it to a headband. The idea was to let
players practice passing the ball to themselves --
unfortunately, the ball often slammed players in the face.
<>The term "scapegoat" dates back to the time when animals were used
for disease transference. A particular animal
would be chosen to bear the sickness of the entire community,
and would then be ritually killed, burned, or buried to
"cure" the people.
<>Walking under a ladder is considered bad luck because a ladder
leaning on a wall forms a triangle. There was a time
when any triangle
represented the Christian trio father, son, and holy spirit, and
therefore to walk under a ladder is to insult the church.
<>There's one less reason to visit remote areas of Africa, where
there are insects that cause all kinds of malaise. There's
my personal favorite, Dracunculiasis, or "Guinea worm disease"
that's caused when a worm egg is ingested. (Don't drink
the water while the worm grows, and then the adult worm picks a
place to emerge and voila! a blister and an ulcer
develops. The really sick part is that it can take an average of
three months to get the critter out, because they grow to 3
feet long and can only be pulled out at a rate of 3cm per day. Plus,
there is no medication to kill it (then you'll never get it
out), and surgery removal can be difficult when it emerges from some
parts of the body. Residents usually just wrap it
around a stick and go about their business. Yuk, Yuk, Yuk. If it
makes you feel any better, former President Carter has
been to the most afflicted countries, and has raised thousands of
dollars trying to eradicate the disease.
<>A lethal dose of caffeine is around 10 grams, although people have
survived ingesting up to 24g. To put this in perspective, a shot of
espresso has 100mg-it would take 100 shots to do you in. The soft
drink with the most caffeine is obviously Jolt,
(100mg) with the following soft drinks in the 40-50mg range:
Mountain Dew, Mellow Yellow, Coke, Diet Coke,
Mr.Pibb, Dr. Pepper, and Pepsi. Coffee in a restaurant will have
anywhere from 80-135 mg of caffeine, with instant
bringing you from 65-100. Typical iced tea has 40mg -- about the
same as a soft drink.
<>According to a poll by the National Constitution Center, 90
percent of teens know Leonardo DiCaprio starred in
"Titanic," but only 74 percent know Al Gore is vice president.
<>The stripes on a tiger aren't just hair---they have striped
skin!
<>An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
<>An oyster can alternate its sex several times a season.
<>Hulk Hogan's real name is Terry Bollea.
<>Oak trees do not have acorns until they are fifty years old or
older.
<>Cats have over 100 vocal sounds, while dogs only have about
ten.
<>The pupil of an octopus' eye is rectangular.
<>A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
<>There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.
<>There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
<>The average life span of a dolphin in the wild is 45 years;
yet half of all captured dolphins die within their first two
years of captivity.
<>The Ragdoll is the largest breed of domesticated cat in the world,
with adult males averaging 22-25
pounds.
<>Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
<>Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
<>On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the
Parliament Building is an American flag.
<>Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
<>The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its
head.
<>Giraffes have 20 inch tongues that they use to clean their face
and inside their ears.
<>One quarter of the bones in the human body are in the feet
<>During the Vietnam War, soldiers actually used Slinkies as radio
antennas by stretching the coiled-up toys between two trees.
<>Play-Doh was invented to be used as wallpaper cleaner.
<>The Sausage and Egg Biscuit at McDonalds has 35 grams of fat,
while a Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 30.
<>The fastest wing-beat during normal flight belongs to the Sun Gem,
a Hummingbird found in South America. This tiny
bird can flap them 90 beats PER SECOND.
<>The largest pig on record was a Poland-China hog named "Big Bill."
He weighed a hefty 2,552 lbs and had a shoulder
height of 5 feet and a length of 9 feet.
<>At 39 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of almost all of the deep
ocean is only a few degrees above freezing.
<>SPAM is made in only two US locations: Austin, Minnesota and
Fremont, Nebraska. It is also made in seven other
countries: England, Australia, Denmark, Philippines, Japan, Taiwan,
and South Korea.
<>25% of Americans prefer to use the handicapped stall because it's
roomier. 55% avoid it because the toilet is too
high.
<>Around 70% of Americans can drive stick.
<>Ivory soap floats because air has been beaten into the soap mixture
until the soap is lighter than water. (Of course, this
also means that you get less soap for the dollar.)
<>A Lever Bros. Study determined that people typically shower for 4
minutes, with an average temperature of 101
degrees Fahrenheit.
<>Sixty percent of men and fifty-four percent of women admit to have
had at least one one-night stand in their lifetime.
<>Eighty-one percent of women say that buying something new makes
them happy, however only one in 5 women
heads to the mall pecifically to cheer up.
<> Catgut, which is used in some tennis rackets, many stringed instruments, and for surgical suturing, does not come
from the intestinesof cats, but the intestines of sheep. The process includes scraping the muscle tissue from the intestines,
stretching the intestines, cutting them
into fine ribbons, and then smoothing and polishing the strings.
<> According to the "Playboy" On-Campus Mood survey, 24 percent of college guys admit they only play sports just to
impress chicks.
<> Snake charmers do not charm snakes with music, because snakes are deaf. Instead, the blowing of the air from the
instrument and gestures made by the charmer keep the snake interested enough to look around without striking.
<> 82% of women first learn that they are pregnant from a home pregnancy test.
<> According to a new survey conducted by Healey and Baker, only 26 percent of European men admit they shop for
groceries. The laziest men are in Spain where only 5 percent admit to spending time in a grocery store.
<> The Women's Christian Temperance Union ( for the prohibition of alcohol, if you forgot your U.S. History) is far
from dead or inactive; it currently boasts a membership of 25,000 and is very active politically.
<> According to a new survey by Keepsake Diamond Jewelry, 69 percent of single women claim they wouldn't hesitate
to tell off their husband-to-be if he bought them a cheap engagement ring.
<> Elephants are the only Mammals that can't jump.
<> The human body actually needs about nine-tenths of a milligram of Arsenic each day, which is found naturally in
foods like apples and seaweed, and unnaturally in smog.
<> There are more plastic flamingos in the U.S than real ones.
<> According to "Are You Normal," by Bernice Kanner, only 5% of Americans own a gun.
<> Humpback whales weigh around 44 tons, the equivalent of 600 people.
<> In the weddings of ancient England, a special "bride's ale" beer would be brewed for the bride by her family. The
term "bride ale" became the present "bridal."
<> 20% of U.S. suicides are done with poison.
<> The wingspan of a Boeing 747 jet is actually a longer distance than the Wright Brothers' first flight.
<> There were around 33,000 'shopping cart' accidents in the U.S. in 1990.
<> Jack and Jill were a real-life unwed couple who lived in Kilmersdon, England in the 15th century. And, yes, Jack
actually fell down a hill trying to fetch a pail of water.
<> Chef Boyardee, was really Italian chef Hector Boiardi, who perfected a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs back in
1929.
<> 19th century French gambler Johnny Crapaud is the inspiration for the dice game "craps."
<> And, finally, Moby Dick was inspired by a real whale named "Mocha Dick" who actually sank seven ships before it
was killed in 1819.
<> 75% of Americans consider Vanity to be the least offensive of the Seven Deadly Sins.
<> Ice Cube's real name is O'Shea Jackson.
<> That big, metal, foot measuring thingy at the shoe store is called a Brannock Device, named after the Syracuse
University student named Charles F. Brannock who invented it for his father to determine the shoe sizes of his
customers.
<> Leonardo da Vinci invented the scissors.
<> One in three restaurants in the U.S. are owned by women.
<> The technical term for the inability to concentrate is aprosexia.
<> Crossing the fingers for good luck came from the early days of Christianity. Christians used the sign to secretly show
their faith to others and avoid persecution by others.
<> Tennis balls are fuzzy because the fuzz slows down the ball in flight, keeps it from bouncing too high, and helps the
racket grip the ball better.
<> Keys on the traditional keyboard were arranged for ease of use by inventor Christopher Sholes. The first typewriters
had the alphabet in order, but since many of the most frequently used letters were close together, a fast typist would get
the typing spokes bunched up and caught on each other.
<> The famous writing sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of
Wildfell Hall) all died of tuberculosis within several years of each other.
<> When a opossum 'plays possum,' he's not just pretending to be dead, he's actually passed out.
<> Anne Bolyn, the famous second wife of Henry VIII not only had an extra finger on one hand, but she had an extra
nipple, too.
<> It is hypothesized that our palms sweat when we're nervous because our ancestors used to climb trees to get away
from danger. The extra moisture helped them get a better grip.
<> The highest amount ever paid for a painting was $82.5 million. The painting was Van Gogh's Portrait of Dr.
Gachet.
<> The Ramses condom is named after the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II. He fathered over 100 kids.
<> The word "Comet" comes from Latin for 'hairy star.'
<> The black mamba is one of the most poisonous snakes in the world, and can move in spurts up to 15 miles an hour
when on the hunt.
<> The idea of the 'beauty mark' came from the smallpox epidemic in the 1600's. To divert attention away from scars on
their faces, women glued tiny pieces of black silk to near their eyes or lips.
<> Harvard University student Lothrop Withington Jr. was the man who started the fad of swallowing goldfish, when a
pic was taken of him in 1939 swallowing a 4-incher to win a bet.
<> Charles Darwin did not come up with the phrase 'survival of the fittest.' It was actually coined by a British
philosopher and scientist Herbert Spencer to describe Darwin's idea of natural selection.
<> Contrary to popular belief, Henry Ford did not invent the assembly line. It was invented by Ransom E. Olds, of
Oldsmobile. Ford invented the conveyor belt system, and other modifications to the assembly line.
<> "Courting sticks" were used for communication between lovers in the colonies. In public, they could talk to each
other through the long, hollowed out object.
<> Salmonella is a mild form of Typhoid fever.
<> Some species of insects can fly at altitudes of 4,000 feet.
<> In World War II, American women pilots were primarily used to fly planes from base to base. However, some had
more exciting jobs, like flying planes with 20 feet of muslin attached to the wings, for trainees on the ground to shoot at
for practice.
<> The origin of the "private eye" logo comes from the Pinkerton Detective Agency of the 1800's. The symbol showed
their motto: we never sleep.
<> The first product to have a UPC bar code on its packaging was Wrigley's gum.
<> In every deck of cards the King of Hearts is sticking his sword through his head. Thus, the name "Suicide
King."
<> The hyoid bone, in your throat, is the only bone in the body not attached to another bone.
<> The correct response to the Irish greeting, "Top of the morning to you," is "and the rest of the day to
yourself."
<> The only person ever to decline a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was Sinclair Lewis for his book Arrowsmith.
<> Dracula is the most popular character ever done in movies. He's been done in one form or another over 130
times.
<> Fireflies and other luminescent animals glow because of an oxidizing enzyme called Luciferin.
<> Trick candles work because the inside of the wick is coated in magnesium. When you blow the surface flame out, the
magnesium inside the wick continues to burn, and then eventually re-lights the outside.
