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Topic: Useless Fact's
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 03-31-2003 10:33 AM
Rated G ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Useless fact - Can you name the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
The list dates to the fifth century B.C. when Greek historian
Herodotus marvelled about some of the "Wonders".
Inspired by mythology, religion and art, ancient civilizations
undertook these seven imposing projects from about 2700 B.C. to
about 270 B.C. Only one, the Egyptian Pyramids at Giza, has
survived. Fires, earthquakes, conquests and the ravages of time
have led to the others' demise.
The ancient Greeks and Romans are said to have initiated the
original "Seven Wonders" list, perhaps as an early travel guide
of sorts.
Over time, the inventory was added to and culled, then
finally "completed" during the Middle Ages. Classical writers
later disagreed on the final list, but the following seven works
of art and architecture were among those most commonly included.
Unfortunately, relatively few drawings or sketches exist of the
wonders that vanished, so archaeologists have relied on ancient
tales and literary works to get an idea of their appearance and
history.
Although it has been argued that other ancient 'Wonders' such
as the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu in Peru and the Aztec
Temple in Tenochititlan should have been included in this list,
these may not have been know about by the Greeks when
the "Wonders" for the list were first proposed.
Below are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World:
1. Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)
2. Lighthouse of Alexandria
3. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
4. The Temple of Artemis
5. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
6. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
7. The Colossus of Rhodes
~this article was contributed by Lorraine~
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-01-2003 09:52 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - April Fool's Day:
In sixteenth-century France, the start of the new year was
observed on April first.It was celebrated in much the same way
as it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of
the night.Then in 1562,Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar
for the Christian world,and the new year fell on January first.
There were some people however,who hadn't heard or didn't
believe the change in the date,so they continued to celebrate
New Year's Day on April first.Others played tricks on them and
called them "April fools." They sent them on a "fool's errand" or tried to make them believe that something false was true.In
France today,April first is called "Poisson d'Avril." French
children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their
friends' backs.When the "young fool" discovers this trick,the
prankster yells "Poisson d’Avril!" (April Fish!)
Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike
on the first of April.One common trick on April Fool's Day,or
All Fool's Day, is pointing down to a friend's shoe and
saying,"Your shoelace is untied." Teachers in the nineteenth
century used to say to pupils, "Look! A flock of geese!" and
point up.School children might tell a classmate that school has
been canceled.Whatever the trick,if the innocent victim falls
for the joke the prankster yells,"April Fool! "
The "fools' errands" we play on people are practical jokes.
Putting salt in the sugar bowl for the next person is not a nice
trick to play on a stranger..College students set their clocks
an hour behind, so their roommates show up to the wrong class -
or not at all. Some practical jokes are kept up the whole day
before the victim realizes what day it is. Most April Fool jokes
are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone.The most clever
April Fool joke is the one where everyone laughs,especially the
person upon whom the joke is played.
~This article was contributed by Lorraine~
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-02-2003 07:13 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - What makes the world turn—is it the gravitational tug of the moon?
Our planet doesn't rotate because of something that's happening
now.Something set it going aeons ago, and though it's gradually
slowing down,it's got many more aeons to go before it stops.
What kind of something?
Here's the leading theory: The solar system formed out of dust
and gas left over from the making of the sun. Little chunks of
matter gradually gathered into bigger chunks, as gravity worked
its magic.Eventually, about 4.5 billion years ago, a very large
chunk—the size of Mars—is thought to have collided with Earth.
"It was really a titanic collision," says Luke Dones of NASA's Ames Research Center. "It hit off-center, so it set Earth
spinning."
(Some of the debris from this collision, incidentally, is
believed to have been thrown into orbit, forming our moon.)
Earth really got to twirling after that collision; a day might
have been as short as four hours. Since then the pace has slowed
considerably because of a process known as "tidal friction". The
tides, of course, occur when the Moon's gravity raises a bulge in the ocean. To oversimplify a bit, the Moon tries to hold on to the bulge while Earth's rotation tries to move it away, with the net effect that Earth turns a little slower (and the Moon
revolves around it a little faster) with each rotation. The
slowdown isn't what you'd call drastic—only a few thousandths of
a second per century—but forewarned is forearmed: Eventually
there's going to be a day that lasts forever. What do you want to bet it's a Monday?
~source used: "Why Moths Hate Thomas Edison?" by Hampton Sides
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-03-2003 06:07 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Is it true that we use only 10 percentof our brain at any given time?
(Some people use a lot less than that.)
Almost everyone has heard the statement "We only use 10 percent of our brain." Yet virtually no scientist in the world would agree with the statement, because it's an outright myth. We use all of our brain.
Why do so many people believe this myth? Probably because of the fascinating potential it offers. If we are only using 10 percent of our brain, then if we could learn to use the other 90 percent we might possibly perform super feats of memory, have superior intellect, control our bodily functions, and even move objects by just thinking about them. It's an appealing myth. No one has been able to track down the origin of this myth.
Some think it's a misquote of Albert Einstein. Others think it might have started because of a statement William James made in 1908: "We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources." Still others think it might have been misconstrued from the valid statement "We only understand how 10 percent of our brain functions."Let's examine the consequences of using only 10 percent of our brain at any time. First, why should such a large brain have evolved at all?
Nature is efficient. If we are only using 10 percent of it, why make it so large?
Scientists believe that all healthy brain cells participate in the brain's function.
Second, maladies such as Parkinson's disease and strokes have a devastating effect even though they damage only a tiny part of the brain.
If we are using only a portion of our brain, then this small amount of brain damage should not cause a major problem.
The brain has roughly 100 billion brain cells.
There is no scientific evidence that older people can't learn new things. It may sometimes takes them a little longer, but they retain the new information as well as younger people.
Your brain has enough storage capacity to record 10 million books.
Growing old does not mean you will lose your memory. Current brain research indicates that if you keep your brain active, you will remain mentally sharp regardless of aging.
A signal from one brain neuron to another travels at about 200 mph.Many scientists believe that the brain is the most complex structure in the known universe.
~source used: "What Makes Flamingos Pink?" by Bill McLain
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-03-2003 11:44 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Who invented the 'Slinky' toy?
Like so many other great inventions, the Slinky, a favorite of both kids and physics teachers, was just a grand accident. Richard James, a naval engineer, "discovered" this enduring toy in 1943.
Working to help the war effort, James was developing an anti-vibration device for ship instruments when he knocked over some springs and was fascinated by the way the springs appeared to "walk" down the shelves. James showed his invention to his wife, Betty, who provided the name.
The Jameses took their first batch of 400 Slinkys to Gimbel's department store in Philadelphia during the winter of 1945, right in time for Christmas shopping. They were so desperate to sell the toy, they paid a friend $1 to buy one and start the feeding frenzy. Ninety minutes later, not one Slinky remained. And the
rest is Slinky history.
Some other little known facts: Slinkys were among the first toys to to travel into space; a stamp commemorating the 1940s features the beloved toy; during the Vietnam War, U.S. soldiers would toss a Slinky into a tree for use as a makeshift radio antenna; and, if stretched end-to-end, the Slinky toys sold since 1945 (about 250 million) would wrap around the world 126 times.
Source--Yahoo, submitted by Lorraine
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-04-2003 11:39 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - How many pages were in the longest book ever written?
The "Yongle dadian",an encyclopedia of the Chinese Ming dynasty,
had 22,937 chapters in 10,000 volumes.Over 2,000 Chinese
scholars worked on the book for 5 years before it was finished.
In modern times,the Spanish encyclopedia "La Enciclopedia"
"Univeral Ilustada Europeo-Americana" has 105,000 pages.
The longest modern work of fiction is the 40-volume novel
"To-kugawa leyasu" by Sohachi Yamaoka.
Although he did not write lengthy books,Isaac Asimov was one of
the most prolific writers of our time,having written over 400
books.His works cover a wide range of both fiction and nonfiction subjects.In fact,he is the only author in this country to have a book listed in every Dewey decimal category.
When speaking of long books,we typically refer to printed works
or works created on paper.
There are many other types of ancient books such as the 15,000 clay tablets left by the ancient Hittites.Early writing and reading was handled in many different ways.
Some writing was written and read left to right, some right to
left, some top to bottom, and some back and forth, alternating
from line to line.
In the sixth century B.C. most Mediterranean cultures agreed to use left-to-right reading and writing.
However,the Hebrews kept their right-to-left writing.
The oldest known book to have been printed mechanically is the
Gutenberg Bible.
The library of Alexandria was designed to hold all the books that existed in the world at the time (295 B.C.) and contained 700,000 volumes. It was damaged by fire during a siege by Julius Caesar in A.D. 47. Civil wars later inflicted more damage and by A.D. 400 nothing remained of the once great library.
Although libraries in the United States are supported with less
than one percent of our tax dollars, they are used by over two
thirds of the population.
Some experts believe that the first books were created by the
Sumerians over 5,000 years ago. The Sumerians had a cuneiform
alphabet with letters made up from a triangular symbol. The
symbol could be made with the point facing up, down, left, or
right. Combinationsof the various symbol positions formed specific letters. A wedge-shaped tool was pressed into clay tablets to form the letters. The tablets were then dried or fired so they would last. Some of these "books" even had clay envelopes.
Before the introduction of the printing press, books were made of vellum (calf or lambskin) because it was extremely durable.
In William Randolph Hearst's castle at San Simeon, California, there are lampshades made from fifteenth-century vellum prayer books.Even today the vellum is in excellent condition.
~source used: "Do Fish Drink Water?" by Bill McLain~
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-07-2003 08:17 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why is rice thrown at weddings?
Since early Roman times some grain—usually wheat— has been
associated with the wedding ceremony.Wheat,a symbol of fertility,was carried in the bride's hand or worn by her in the
form of a garland.As the bride left the church,grains of wheat
were tossed at her, and young girls rushed to pick up the grains
that had actually touched the bride.These were assumed to have
the power to ensure the young girl a wedding of her own in the
near future.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I,wheat was no longer tossed
at brides but was instead baked into small cakes that were then
crumbled and tossed over the bride's head. Later the small cakes
were replaced by one large one, which was cooked and eaten.
This change in ceremony left the wedding guests feeling deprived,
since they had nothing to toss at the bride.Since at that time rice was cheap, clean, and white,it seemed a good substitute for
the more expensive wheat cakes.
~source used: "Ever Wonder Why?" by Douglas B. Smith~
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-08-2003 12:51 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Is it really illegal to kill a praying mantis?
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
In most states you may kill a praying mantis as freely as you
would any other insect,if you feel so inclined.The myth of the
praying mantis being protected by law is a common one.Many ofus were taught this at a very early age by well-intentioned people.
Squash one mantis and the bug police would come knocking at your
door with a fine ranging from fifty to five hundred dollars.
The early Greeks believed the praying mantis had supernatural
powers and ancient seers "consulted" them.In fact,the word
"mantis" comes from the Greek word for "prophet."
Our modern praying mantis myth probably came about because the
mantis is such a beneficial insect to mankind. Mantises eat many
harmful insects. If you are a gardener or a farmer you may want
to go out of your way to protect this fiendish-looking bug. If
not, a few less mantises in the world won't throw the ecosystem
out of balance (anyway, the "destructive" insects have to make a
living too!). Mantises, after all, are not the kindest of
insects, eating almost anything that moves. Some of the larger
tropical species will eat small birds, lizards, and frogs. They
are voracious eaters who are never satisfied. The female mantis
will even eat the male during mating! If you were only a half-
inch tall, the mantis would not hesitate to devour you also!
~source used: "The Thoughts for the Throne" by Don Voorhees
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-09-2003 09:47 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Where did the Jolly Roger flag come from?
The skull and crossbones image was used to represent death long before the era of pirates. It was seen a lot during plagues to warn that someone inside a house, ship, or room was afflicted. Because the skull-and-crossbones had come to mean "danger, stay away," it seemed like a fitting accessory to be hoisted on a pirate ship. Why was it called the "Jolly Roger" when its meaning was anything but jolly, you might well ask? (Go ahead and ask. We'll wait for you.)
There are several theories that we've collected from some otherwise reliable factmongers. Here they are arranged in order of what we consider least likely to most likely:
1) The name came from the French "joli rouge", meaning "pretty red." Supposedly, pirates were in the practice of dipping their flags in red paint or even blood. However, since the name refers to a black-and-white flag with no trace of red, this sounds like after-the-fact linguistic gymnastics. Admittedly, some pirate
ships began displaying a "red" Jolly Roger to indicate that they were even more dangerous than ordinary pirates. However, the term "Jolly Roger" predates this practice.
2) Asian pirates called themselves "Ali Rajas" or "Kings of the Sea," and subsequent British pirates butchered it to Jolly Roger. (Cute, but it also leaves us unconvinced.)
3) Here's what we consider most likely: The term "Roger" had been in use in the English language since the middle ages, meaning "devil" or "rogue." Although today we define the word "jolly" as "happy" or "jovial," the term once meant "brave." (Thus, the song "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" was meant to pay
tribute to someone's bravery, not his cheerfulness.) We think "Jolly Roger" makes perfect sense as a name for a skeleton flying above a throng of brave rogues. That's our preferred story, and we're sticking to it.
~source used: "Just Curious About History, Jeeves"by Erin Barrett & Jack Mingo~
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 04-09-2003 10:04 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why did pirates make prisoners walk the plank when they could've just tossed them overboard?
You've got the instincts of a pirate all right.It turns out that they did toss them overboard, and they *didn't* really make them
walk the plank. The walking-the-plank myth was first introduced
in Robert Louis Stevenson's classic "Treasure Island" and has
since been reinforced by pirate literature from "Peter Pan to
Captain Blood." (Stevenson was also the source for the most
famous,yet completely fictitious,pirate song that goes "Sixteen
men on a dead man's chest / Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum ...")
Besides tossing victims overboard,typical punishments by real
pirates included:
* "Flogging". This treatment was universally popular at the time, on and off the high seas.
* "Man Overboard". While this could be as simple as merely tossing the captive or prisoner overboard, it was sometimes varied to relieve the boredom of a long trip. Sometimes a manwould be tied to one end of a rope and dragged until he died from drowning or exhaustion. Perhaps this was how waterskiing was invented.
* "Dunking". This was less popular, as it required dunking the prisoner then hoisting him back up again, suspending him for hours above the water. It was too time-consuming,and aside from the initial spluttering and choking, not that entertaining.
* "Marooning". This was the most common form of punishment for serious offenses like desertion. A sailor was either placed on a raft or left on a deserted island to die. If left in the water,he was often mercifully given a pistol to kill himself before the sharks got him.
~source used: "Just Curious About History, Jeeves" by Erin Barrett & Jack Mingo~
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