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Author Topic: Useless Fact's Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-10-2003 02:11 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What makes us yawn? Some people think that yawning is caused by boredom,while others theorize that we yawn because we need to stretch our neck muscles. However,most authorities agree that yawning is simply a way for the body to compensate for less oxygen in the bloodstream. Every cell in our body needs a continual supply of oxygen.When we breathe normally,we take air into our lungs,which pass the oxygen to the blood so that oxygen can be carried throughout our body.When we exhale,we get rid of the waste product,carbon dioxide. However,if we're tired, bored,or sitting in a stuffy room,we tend to breathe more slowly than normal and our body doesn't get all the oxygen it needs.Because we also are not getting rid of the carbon dioxide,it builds up in the blood.Our brain senses this and quickly sends a signal to the lungs to take an extra deep breath.This extra deep breath is called a yawn. When we yawn,we always open our mouths.That's because you can breathe in much more air through your mouth than through your nose.The air isn't as clean because it's not filtered through your nose,but a yawn is designed to take in a lot of air quickly,clean or not. Although we usually yawn because we are bored or tired,people may also yawn when they're very excited because they need more oxygen to remain attentive. We aren't the only creatures who yawn. Animals also yawn, for the same reason we do.Watch how a dog or cat takes a big yawn before taking a nap. If you want to avoid yawning,you should take deep breaths whenever you feel a yawn starting.Sitting comfortably so that oxygen can easily flow through your body or chewing gum to stimulate your mouth muscles can also prevent yawning. Although we know what causes yawning and how to prevent it,there is one question that no one has yet satisfactorily answered:Why is yawning contagious? ~source: "Do Fish Drink Water?" by Bill McLain~  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-11-2003 07:47 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - The History of Mother's Day: Historians claim that the holiday of Mother's Day emerged from the ancient festivals dedicated to mother goddess. In the ancient Greek empire,Rhea,the wife of Cronus,and mother of Gods and Goddesses,was worshipped. In Rome too,Cybele,a mother Goddesses,was worshipped, as early as 250 BC.It was known as Hilaria,and it lasted for three days, called the Ides of March,that is from March 15 to March 18. However,neither of them meant for the honoring of our immediate mothers,as is done in our Mother's Day. Rather more closely aligned to our Mother's Day,is the "Mothering Sunday".England observed "Mothering Sunday", or the "Mid-Lent-Sunday,on the fourth Sunday in Lent. In the United States,Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) is credited with bringing in the celebration of Mother's day. The first observance of the Mother's Day was a church service held at Anna Jarvis' request in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908.It was in Grafton where Mrs. Reese Jarvis,mother of Anna,spent 20 years taking Sunday school classes in Andrews Methodist Church.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-12-2003 01:26 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What is Fata Morgana? "Fata Morgana",is an optical illusion that has been known to propagate whole cities,armadas,and mountain ranges where none exist.The phenomenon generally occurs over vast expanses of ice or water where distances are difficult to judge, and for rea sons that aren't entirely clear,it seems to be especially common in the Arctic and in the Straits of Messina separating Italy from Sicily. The precise optics are not entirely understood,but,simply put, Fata Morganas are created when the light bouncing off faraway objects is refracted through the atmospheric "lens" created by different thermal layers,a process that,when conditions are just right,the same image can be repeated and, in effect, piled upon itself several times, so that an iceberg looks like a skyscraper or a hill assumes Himalayan proportions."Fata Morgana" is Italian for "the fairy Morgan," the sorceress of Arthurian legend who was said to have a talent for bending shapes and lofting castles in the sky.Atmospheric scientists believe Fata Morganas might explain such phantasms as the legend of the Flying Dutchman. But perhaps the most infamous example of a Fata Morgana was "Crockerland," the nonexistent Arctic country that Robert Peary, a man with an Active imagination to start with, reported seeing on a 1906 expedition to the far reaches of North America. "It was with a thrill that my glasses revealed the white summits of a distant land," he wrote at the time.Seven years later,the Museum of Natural History dispatched a costly expedition to explore Crockerland,and found nothing but the same tantalizing mirage. ~source used "Why Moths Hate Thomas Edison" by Hampton Sides  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-13-2003 01:23 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - Some royal nicknames were kind of insulting. Were the kings really called these things to their faces? We suspect that some nicknames could've been used without offense for example: Richard the Lion-Hearted, Vladimir the Saint, Charles the Wise, or Henry the Lion). However, we suspect that the really insulting nicknames could've gotten you killed—do you think Ivan would've liked being called"the Terrible"? People used them behind the king's back or, more often, when he was safely dead. Here are some of our favorite nicknames that have been permanently affixed in the history books: Louis the Fat (Louis VT, France, 1108-1137), Louis the Quarrelsome (Louis X, France, 1314-1316), Pippin the Short (Pepin, England, 741-768), Charles the Bald (Charles II, France, 840-877), Charles the Fat (Charles II, France, 884-887), Charles the Simple (Charles III, France, 898-922), Henry the Fowler (Henry I, France, 919-936), Louis the Indolent (Louis V, France, 986-987), Philip the Amorous (Philip I,France, 1060-1108), and a schizophrenic pairing: Charles the Mad and Charles the Well-Beloved, both referring to Charles VI (France, 1380-1422). Finally, here's a mysterious one: John the Posthumous (John I, France, 1316). He was named that because he was born after the death of his father (Louis the Quarrelsome) and was proclaimed king as soon as he emerged from the womb. The infant king ruled for five days before he himself died-murdered,some say, by his crown-seeking uncle, Phillip the Tall (Phillip V, France, 1316-1322). ~source used: "Just Curious About History, Jeeves" by Erin Barrett & Jack Mingo  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-14-2003 07:20 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What should you do if a bat gets in the house? Relax and enjoy it might be the best advice.A one-ounce brown bat,the kind most likely to show up in a North American house, Is capable of eating five hundred mosquito-sized Insects an hour all night,but is virtually incapable of doing any harm to a human being.Its only defenses are tiny teeth and a fierce appearance.A frightened bat makes a chirping sound and tries to look ferocious. If you feel that you must try to get rid of it,turn on the lights; bats have very good vision,and the extra light will help it find the way out.Close off the room from the rest of the house and open windows or doors to the outside,then stand against the wall,out of the bat's flight path.Chances are the bat will leave if it is there by mistake. On the other hand, bats may choose your house because it is a likely hunting ground,In which case it would be wise to let them stay.They are only there because there is enough food to feed them.Besides mosquitoes,bats like Japanese beetles,gypsy moths and other night-flying Insects,especially the ones that vex gardeners. Bats are also site-faithful,which Is why artificial bat roosts may or may not attract them.They prefer places with vertical temperature gradients,like chimneys, attics and shutters. ~source used:"The Book Of Science Questions and Answers" by C. Claiborne Ray  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 05-14-2003 11:28 PM                        quote: However, we suspect that the really insulting nicknames could've gotten you killed—do you think Ivan would've liked being called"the Terrible"? Probably yes. Ivan used terror and violence deliberately to unite the Moscovite state, fight off the Tatars (Mongols) and "clean" his household of potential traitors. BTW, he was actually called "Ivan Groznyi" which means "Ivan the Thunderbolt".  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-16-2003 05:54 AM                        Rated G Useless fact — In the animal kingdom,Why is the male often prettier than the female? Since,in the animal kingdom,it is often the female of the species that selects the mate,the male is the one that has to be attractive.Females tend to prefer males with the most striking coloration and features,so the males tend to be prettier— especially during the breeding season. While it is necessary for the male to be striking for the above reason it is also very dangerous,since predators are more likely to spot a brightly colored animal than a dull one.Thus the female's duller color provides her with some protection. ~source used: "Ever Wonder Why?" by Douglas B. Smith~  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-17-2003 02:07 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - Why Do Rabbits Wiggle Their Noses All the Time? Rabbits don't wiggle their noses "all" the time,but enough to make one wonder if they have a cocaine habit or a bad allergy. Little did we suspect that this charming idiosyncrasy is a key to the workings of the rabbit's respiratory system.There are at least four reasons why rabbits' noses twitch away. 1. The movement activates the sebaceous gland (located on the mucus membranes) and creates moisture to keep the membranes dampened and strong. Furthermore, like other animals (including, ahem, dogs with wet noses), rabbits can smell better off of a wet surface. 2. Frequent wiggling expands the nasal orifices,or nares,so that the rabbit can inhale more air. Like dogs with wet noses, domestic rabbits can't perspire.According to Dr. T. E. Reed,of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, nose wiggling actually helps rabbits cool themselves off on hot days: The only method of cooling themselves is by expiring the super heated air from the respiratory tract to the environment and through the convection of heat from the ears. . . .The inhalation ... of a voluminous amount of air is extremely important. The normal respiratory rate in the domestic rabbit is approximately 120 breaths per minute. However,during extremely hot weather,it is not uncommon for the respiratory rate to approach 300 to 350 breaths per minute.The nares [control] the amount of air rabbits can inhale.In order to increase the volume of air that is inhaled,the rabbit will twitch its nose by activating the various types of muscles surrounding each of the nostrils to increase the orifice size. 3. When a rabbit's whiskers are touched,the muscles surrounding the nostrils expand and contract in order to sharpen the animal's olfactory abilities. 4. If a rabbit continuously wiggling its nose appears to be nervous, T. E. Reed reminds us that it might be: When a rabbit is calm and unattended,each of the nostrils usually will remain in a stationary position.However,if the rabbit gets excited,the rabbit's pulse rate and respiratory rate increase and there is a nervous intervention to the nose that causes a constriction and relaxation of the paranasal muscle— the "wiggle" that most lay individuals observe. Although some readers have speculated that the "wiggle" is caused by the continual growth of the incisor teeth, each of the rabbit experts we spoke to disputed the claim. ~source used: "Do Penguins Have Knees?" By David Feldman  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-18-2003 05:18 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - Which queen's head got dropped and bounced across the floor after she was beheaded? You're thinking of Mary,Queen of Scots.But it wasn't like anybody did it on "purpose". The executioner was a little nervous that day.He wasn't used to executing women,and now here were all these important people watching him do his job.And frankly,he screwed up.The first blow missed Mary's neck completely,cutting into the back of her skull.The second and third tries hit the neck but didn't sever it.Finally,the executioner took his ax and made a sort of grinding motion on the remaining sinew of her neck to finish the job. You can imagine the sweat dripping down his brow.Luckily, though,there was still a chance to wow the onlookers with his crowd-pleasing showstopper of holding the severed head up triumphantly for all to see.He reached down and grabbed the queen's head firmly by her hair.... As we said,he was more used to executing men.It hadn't occurred to him that Mary might be wearing a wig.As he stood up,the queen's head— her real hair gray and cut short-slipped out of the wig and fell to the floor.Imagine the poor guy's embarrassment. ~source used: "Just Curious About History, Jeeves" by Erin Barret & Jack Mingo  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 05-18-2003 05:36 PM                        I think I vaguely remember reading somewhere that in many cases during the middle ages an executioner who failed to execute his victim with the first blow could be executed himself as punishment.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-19-2003 12:50 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What is that smell when it rains? It's not rain you're smelling;it's dirt.The piquant,musky odor that hangs in the air emanates from an odorous chemical buried in the soil called "geosmin"(literally, "earth smell").One way to detect that "rain" scent is to unearth the geosmin yourself by rooting around in your garden.But a good rain shower will do the trick as well.As a storm moves in,the atmospheric pressure drops and equalizes with the pressure in the ground causing the earth to "outgas" geosmin."When the barometric pressure drops, the soil exhales," explains Mary Firestone, a soil microbiologist at the University of California, Berkeley. Because odors transmit more efficiently in wet air,a mere hint of geosmin is enough to get our olfactories primed for a shower. ~source used: "Why Moths Hate Thomas Edison" by Hampton Sides  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-20-2003 06:53 AM                        Rated G Useless fact: Do microwaves really cook food from the inside out? Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation that have shorter wavelengths than television signals but longer wavelengths than visible light.One curious property of microwaves is their ability to excite or agitate water molecules but not other molecules. The reason for this is that water molecules have a positive end (hydrogen) and a negative end (oxygen). Most other types of molecules are neutral. Microwaves act like little magnets, attracting and repelling the positive and negative ends alternately, thus causing water molecules to spin. Microwave radiation alternates its field 2,400,000,000 times per second, spinning the water molecules incredibly fast. All this spinning of molecules creates a great deal of friction, and friction causes heat. The ability of microwaves to cook food was accidentally discovered by Percy LeBaron Spencer of the Raytheon Company in the 1940s when he found that they melted a candy bar he had in his pocket. Most foods are made up of molecules of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Interspersed among the food molecules are water molecules. The spinning water molecules heat up the surrounding molecules and cook the food. Conventional ovens heat up the air that surrounds the outer layers of food.The heated outer layers gradually transfer the heat to the inner layers of food, cooking it fromthe outside in.In microwave cooking all the food molecules are heated approximately at the same time. However, since the air inside the microwave oven remains cool, the outer layers of food during cooking may be cooler than the inner layers, due to heat loss to the air. This gives the impression that the inside has cooked first. One common complaint about microwave cooking is that bread products come out soggy, not crisp.This is because in microwaves, the heated water molecules rise quickly to the surface of the food, condensing into water droplets on the surface. This results in soggy bread. In conventional ovens, the heated water vapor rises more slowly and then evaporates rather than condensing when it hits the hot, dry oven air. As a result, bread will be crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, where some water remains, unless the bread is overcooked. ~source used: "The Thoughts for the Throne" by Don Voorhees  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-20-2003 09:34 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Why do zebras have stripes? The stripes camouflage the zebra and help it hide from its enemies. They do this by breaking up the outline of the zebra when it moves through tall grass.Instead of getting a clear view of the zebra,all a predator sees is a bunch of vertical lines. This is particularly true on a hot day when hazy heat waves are rising from the earth. ~source used: "Ever Wonder Why?"by Douglas B. Smith~  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-21-2003 10:31 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What is Jell-O made of? If you must know,the parts of the pig that are left over after producing the traditional cuts of meat,then Spam,and finally scrapple.Hides,bones,and sinew from pigs and cattle are boiled down to make gelatin.Added to the colorless and tasteless result are coloring, flavoring, and sugar. ~source used: "Just Curious, Jeeves" by Erin Barrett & Jack Mingo  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-21-2003 10:37 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Perspiration: Although we use antiperspirants to get rid of body odor, perspiration by itself doesn't have a bad smell. The foul odor is caused by bacteria eating the debris on our skin. Some people claim they never perspire. That's because their bodily thermostat is functioning efficiently and the perspiration evaporates the moment their body creates it. If perspiration is running off you, then your thermostat isn't working very well. Because we have no control over our sympathetic nervous system, which controls perspiration, perspiration can be a factor in polygraph, or lie detector, tests. Along with heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, perspiration gives a good clue as to whether the person is nervous or anxious and thus possibly lying. Perspiration, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration are not the only bodily functions we cannot control. When we communicate with other people, especially in emotional situations,we may have conscious control over our words but not our body movements. These movements,referred to as "body language," are often more honest than what we say.Some authorities claim that body language accounts for 93 percent of our communication with others. ~source used: "What Makes Flamingos Pink?" by Bill McLain~ [ 05-22-2003, 09:22 PM: Message edited by: Bob Maar ]  |  IP: Logged

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