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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 03-04-2007 07:35 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - How can you tell the difference between a poisonous and nonpoisonous snake? Though only a small percentage of snakes are venomous, there is no visual litmus test to determine whether a snake is dangerous or not. Your best bet is to research the venomous snakes in your area, in order to easily identify them from a distance. In the United States, venomous snakes bite around 8,000 people a year, and 12 to 15 of these bites are fatal. Most venomous bites occur in the South and Midwest during the summer months. There are approximately 20 species of venomous snakes in the U.S. -- mostly rattlesnakes, cottonmouths (water moccasins), and copperheads. These snakes are referred to as pit vipers because of the heat-sensitive grooves between their eyes and nostrils. About 99 percent of the venomous bites in this country are from pit vipers. Every state but Maine, Alaska, and Hawaii is home to at least one species of venomous snake. But any snakebite should be considered a medical emergency. So study your snakes, campers!  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-05-2007 07:54 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What was the name of the first roller coaster and who built it? Today's roller coaster has its roots in the Russian Ice Slides of the mid-1600s. Popular mostly around St. Petersburg, these wooden constructions resembled giant skateboard half-pipe ramps coated in ice. Happy-go-lucky Russians would shoot down the ramp on a sled, zip up the other side, and then gradually slide down to the middle. Catherine the Great was apparently a huge fan. Enough said. When did wheels enter the picture? Roller-coaster historian Robert Cartmell cites a ride in the Gardens of Orienbaum in St. Petersburg (1784) that featured "carriages which undulated over hills within grooved tracks." Unfortunately, no engineer is credited with the project, and there is some dispute with the French on this matter. The first roller coaster built in the U.S.A. was called the Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway. Built by LaMarcus Thompson in 1884, it opened in Coney Island, Brooklyn,  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-06-2007 10:36 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Why doesn't leg hair grow forever? No hair grows forever. All the hair on your body, including the hair on your head, grows at a set rate for a specific period of time. After it reaches its pre-determined length, it falls out, and the hair-building process begins again. According to the links we visited, the hair on the head of an adult male usually grows one half inch a month for about two to eight years. This growth period is called the anagen phase. The hair then stops growing for two to four months before falling out -- this dormant period is called the telogen phase. Non-scalp hair has a vastly different anogen/telogen cycle. It grows at a much slower rate for two to three months, before having a much longer telogen phase. So the hair remains on your body, but isn't actively growing. So why does your leg hair have a shorter growth cycle? Because of varying degrees of hormones called cytokines that are regulated by your endocrine system. Most of the new hair growth/inhibitor drugs on the market alter the amounts of these cytokines, which are released naturally by your body.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-07-2007 01:42 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - How does dry cleaning work? Despite its name, dry cleaning is not completely dry. As a matter of fact, according to several links we visited, dry cleaning uses liquid chemicals to remove stains and clean clothes. In the early days of dry cleaning, the solvent used was often kerosene or gasoline. That has changed, and the industry now uses perchloroethylene (also known as "perc") almost universally. Clothes are washed in this solvent, and then the solvent is recaptured so it can be reused. Some facts on the dry-cleaning process and how it typically works: * Spots are usually treated by hand and then clothes are placed in large machines. * Liquid solvents, detergents, and sometimes a small amount of water are added to the machines, which agitate the clothes in a manner similar to regular washing machines. * Once clean, the clothes are dried, pressed, and shaped. * The solvent is separated from waste residues, such as detergents, dye, dirt, and oil, and cleaned so it can be reused.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-07-2007 09:42 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What are the names of Saturn's rings in order? Disappointingly, the rings of Saturn don't bear exotic, romantic, or even difficult-to-pronounce scientific names. According to the links in our Saturn Category, the rings are simply referred to by letters of the alphabet. Saturn's rings were first noted in 1610 by Galileo. They were named in the order of their discovery and hence do not appear in alphabetical order. Working outward from the planet, the rings are: D, C, B, A, F, G, E. The large division between rings B and A is called the Cassini Division after the astronomer who discovered both the gap and four of Saturn's moons. D, C, B, and A are the major ring groups; F, G, and E are fainter, narrower rings. The rings are composed primarily of particles of water ice, ranging in size from a fraction of a millimeter in diameter to several meters. Voyagers 1 and 2 explored the rings, taking numerous photos. Saturn was the first planet observed to have rings. It wasn't until 1977 that it was discovered that Uranus also had rings. Later the rings of Jupiter and Neptune were also observed. And if the names of Saturn's rings are rather bland, at least they're easy to spell.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-09-2007 08:33 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Why are pretzels shaped so weird? Sources differ as to the time and place of the pretzel's origin. Some sources say it originated in southern Germany (where it remains very popular and is known as Brezel); others say it comes from the French region of Alsace on the border between France and Germany. Some say it originated in Medieval times, others that it dates back to Ancient Rome or even Celtic times. There are also several stories about the origin of the pretzel shape. One legend holds that a baker accused of larceny was offered the opportunity to cancel his sentence if he could make a bread through which the sun could be seen thrice; the ingenious baker twisted his dough into a pretzel before baking. Another common story says that the shape represents the position of arms of a monk in prayer. Another story says that the three holes represent the Christian Holy Trinity. A sign with three rings was an old symbol to mark a bakery in Germany, but sources differ as to if the signs were made to imitate the pretzel or the pretzel was made to imitate the signs. Most scientists and reputable sources support some version of the folded-arms story and propose that the pretzel originated in a monastery in France or Italy around 610 A.D., later spreading to Austria and Germany, where we got the word "bretzel" and eventually "pretzel." So there you have it, a twisted reply to a knotty question.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-12-2007 09:50 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What is Zen? We're pretty sure that if we knew the real answer to your question, it would spring from some higher plane of consciousness right now. But here goes -- Zen Buddhism is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes meditation, self-contemplation, and intuition over traditional forms of worship. It's practiced primarily in China, Japan, and Vietnam. A form of Buddhism that focused on both unity and self-denial, Zen Buddhism spread from China to Japan in 1200 AD. Enlightenment was defined as a "gateless gate." Rather than subscribing to the Western notion of achieving a reward at the end of a long struggle, an enlightened Zen practitioner simply sees everything as it is, as it's always been. Zen Buddhism delights in koans -- puzzling or paradoxical statements or stories that are meant to aid meditation and spiritual self- discovery. Zen accents the idea of intuitive knowledge, questioning perceived assumptions of logic in words, sentences, and ideas. We'll leave you with a classic Zen koan: Two monks were arguing about a flag. One said: "The flag is moving." The other said: "The wind is moving." The Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng happened to be passing by. He told them: "Not the wind, not the flag; mind is moving."  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-12-2007 09:52 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Has any proof of the existence of Atlantis been found? First, here's some background on Atlantis: Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias are sources of Atlantis lore. Plato describes the island as "situated in front of the straits which are by you called the Pillars of Hercules" (also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, the western boundary of the Mediterranean Sea). He goes on to say that Atlantis is larger than "Libya and Asia put together." As legend has it, the god Poseidon fell in love with a mortal woman, and their offspring became the rulers of Atlantis. Over time, the island's advanced culture turned from peaceful to warlike, and the island sunk into the sea, possibly as a punishment. According to Plato, all of this happened around 9,000 BC. Several theories place Atlantis inside the Mediterranean Sea, contradicting Plato's placement beyond the Straits of Gibraltar. But theorists suggest that Plato's story predated Greek exploration of the whole of the Mediterranean. Plus, the archeological remains of lost civilizations seem to support a site in the Mediterranean. According to this evidence, possible sites include: * The islands of Crete and/or Santorini (also called Thera) in the Aegean Sea. A volcanic explosion caused more than half of Santorini to sink into the sea around 1,500 BC. The Minoan civilization on Crete and Santorini was advanced for its time, much like that of Atlantis. * The island of Sardinia in the western Mediterranean Sea. Archeological remains indicate an advanced culture on Sardinia around 1,500 BC. One popular theory places Atlantis in the middle of an inland sea in Bolivia. The geography of this area seems to match up with Plato's description of Atlantis. But, it's more difficult to find evidence that Atlantean people traveled from South America to Egypt, where ancient Greeks like Plato could learn of them. Another theory, based on the topography of the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and information about climate changes, advances the notion that Atlantis was part of the ocean's Celtic Shelf, south of the British Isles. Due to much lower sea levels, this may have been a coastal area of Europe in the late Pleistocene Era. We're not suggesting that any of this constitutes proof of the existence of Atlantis, only that these theories seem more plausible than an extraterrestrial explanation for the mysterious civilization.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-12-2007 09:54 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Is it possible to drink too much water? There's a condition known as "water intoxication," or hyponatremia, which isn't uncommon among marathoners and triathletes. As these athletes consume large amounts of water over the course of a race, blood plasma increases and dilutes the salt content of the blood. While this is happening, the athlete is also losing salt by sweating. Consequently, the amount of salt available to the body tissues decreases, and, over time, the loss interferes with brain, heart, and muscle function. According to the experts at iVillage, consumption of large amounts of water is often associated with obsessive-compulsive behaviors. When a person consumes too much of this good thing, essential electrolytes in the blood stream become diluted and affect the control of the heart beat. Healthy adults require approximately three quarts of fluid each day, half of which comes from food and half from beverages. Drinking 8 to 12 glasses a day should have your body working on all cylinders.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-12-2007 12:27 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What's the story behind Stonehenge? Stonehenge is a megalithic monument on the Salisbury Plain in England, about 85 miles southwest of London. It consists of a ditch and bank surrounding huge stones -- many weighing between one and 45 tons -- arranged in circle and horseshoe patterns, along with a lane connecting it to the nearby River Avon. Construction began around 3,000 B.C. and continued until about 1,100 B.C. Unfortunately, the people who built Stonehenge didn't leave much evidence of why they built this massive structure. So writers and researchers through the ages have pondered the stones and come up with their own stories about this prehistoric creation. The most common theories suggest Stonehenge is an astronomical calendar, a religious site, or a combination of the two. From John Aubrey in the 17th century to William Stukeley in the 18th century to Sir J. Norman Lockyer and Gerald Hawkins in the 20th century, scholars have found that the position of Stonehenge's earthworks and stones coincides with solstices and cycles of the moon. But these scholars have interpreted this information differently. Early theorists believed the Celtic priesthood called the Druids built Stonehenge as a temple, but there are no records of Druids existing in the same time period that Stonehenge was created. However, other ancient peoples could have built Stonehenge as a temple that marked the solstices as holy days. But the great attraction of Stonehenge is the mystery. We may never know why 25 generations of people labored to create this massive and awe-inspiring structure.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-13-2007 11:30 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Does "shark repellant" actually work? Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a fool-proof shark repellant. A curious product from England promises to "form a dense black cloud" when mixed with water, while a slightly more high-tech device emits a tiny electrical charge that sharks find discomfiting. Yet no product can guarantee protection from sharks. Every year, around 75-100 unprovoked shark attacks are reported at swimmers and divers, resulting in 10-15 fatalities. However, to put things in perspective, you are 30 times more likely to be hit by lightning than to be killed by a shark. You're far more likely to be injured driving to and from the beach. In fact, more people die from dog attacks in a year than have ever died from shark attacks. So while you can't rely on any shark repellant to avoid attack, there are a few simple rules you can follow while swimming or diving. Always swim in groups. Don't wander too far from shore. No shiny jewelry, and obviously no open wounds. And don't be assuaged by the sight of porpoises -- they share the same natural prey as sharks.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-15-2007 08:53 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What is Hatha yoga? The most popular form of yoga, Hatha emphasizes health and well-being through breathing exercises, special postures (called asanas), and concentration. Gorakhnath, a Hindu master yogi who lived about 1000 AD, created many of its primary breathing exercises and postures, including the famous lotus position. What most people simply refer to as "yoga" is, in fact, Hatha yoga. Yoga has proven a very effective way to blend exercise with relaxation techniques. Its popularity in the West exploded during the late Sixties. Exercises and class techniques vary widely -- for some it's just a workout, and for others, well: "Normally the Hatha yogi with the calm mind focuses awareness at the ajna center half an inch above where the eyebrows join and directs awareness to move through that center into a super- conscious state. The individual life, the finite life, meets and fuses temporarily, at first, with the infinite life." So whether you're in the market for a healthy new exercise regimen or a temporarily fused infinite consciousness, Hatha yoga may be worth investigating.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-15-2007 05:37 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - How many bones does the human body contain? The skeleton of an adult human is comprised of 206 bones and two systems, the axial skeleton (the trunk of our body) and the appendicular skeleton (our limbs). The bones themselves are divided up into four classes: long bones (which make up the limbs), short bones (which are grouped together to strengthen our skeleton), flat bones (which protect our body and provide a place for muscles to attach), and, our personal favorite, irregular bones (those oddly shaped bones that don't fit into any of the other three categories). While the adult skeleton contains 206 bones, the skeleton of an infant contains 350 (the bones fuse together as you grow). And more than half of your 206 bones are found in your hands and feet.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-16-2007 12:09 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What do the electrolytes in sports drinks do for your body? An electrolyte is basically a salt that can carry an electrical charge. The cells of your body rely on electrolytes to carry the electrical impulses responsible for muscle contractions and nerve impulses to other cells. Without electrolytes, your body cells couldn't communicate efficiently. Sports drinks like Gatorade are mostly composed of carbohydrates, minerals, and water. The plain water will not replace the electrolytes (sodium and potassium) that the body loses through sweat, and supposedly sports drinks replace both. In addition, sodium allows the body to retain fluid better after it has been consumed. We wanted to find an objective opinion on whether sports drinks are, in fact, better than water when exercising. One link suggested that for exercise lasting longer than 60 to 90 minutes, athletes should drink a carbohydrate and salt replacement fluid like Gatorade. However, another link we came acsoss, states that for most people, water is the best beverage to drink. It adds, "Replenishing the body's electrolytes, which is a major selling point of sports drinks, is less important than the ads would have you believe." Sodium and potassium are important, but both are plentiful in the American diet. The conclusion? Sports drinks are only beneficial for those hard- core athletes who participate in long endurance events.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 03-17-2007 09:34 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What do you call the carved woman on the bow of a ship? What are its origins? A figurehead is any carved figure on the bow of a ship -- they're not strictly limited to women. Figureheads through the ages have included snakes, horses, eagles, unicorns, elephants, bulls, lions, and prominent politicians. Why put a figurehead on your boat? For good luck, of course. Sailors are a superstitious breed. The ancient Chinese and Egyptian sailors anointed their ships with occuli (eyes), to help them find their way across rough seas. The Phoenicians later added wooden carvings of animist deities including serpents and birds. The figureheads protected the ship, and inspired fear in the hearts of enemies. It wasn't until the late 1770s that human figures began appearing on the bow of ships. Exotic foreigners, fierce soldiers, and proud statesmen were quite popular, along with figures modeled after ship owners' wives. This probably tied into sailors' view of ships as female entities. Figurehead carving is artisan's work today -- commissioned and incredibly labor intensive. There are still active maritime woodcarvers out there, just like in good old time.  |  IP: Logged

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