Useless Pieces of Info

[Raphael Misson]

Sergeant Schultz was in charge of a toy company before WWII. The Germans were noted wooden toymakers from beginning in the late 18th century.

[Red Cat Jenny]

The Philadelphia mint produces 26 million pennies per day

grrrr..I HATE pennies - These peope must be stopped...

[Morgan Dreadlocke]

A perfectly level surface is not flat. A perfectly flat surface is only level at one point.

[Dutchman]

the only part of the human body that does not grow from birth is the eye. the eyes will move as your body grows, but the eyes balls do not change.

the breast bone is actually two bones fused together which is located between ribs 2-3. this fused joint is called the angle of louis. if you feel down your chest you can feel a slight ridge and angle.

[Duchess]

A perfectly level surface is not flat. A perfectly flat surface is only level at one point.

And then it is no longer a surface.

[Morgan Dreadlocke]

And then it is no longer a surface.

Ahh, not lookin' to redefine "surface", but to expose the difference between flat and level. The meanings be blurred 'cause the laypersons practical applications do not require that degree of precision. (Thank goodness )

[Raphael Misson]

Let's talk about he inexactness of real math (not that theoretical stuff we all learn in grade school.) Further proof that the most of what we call fact in the human sphere is really just what we agree upon.

There is enough water in American swimming pools to cover the city of San Francisco seven feet deep. Sort of gives a whole new cast to that pro-GW billboard they have there of a boy standing up to his waist in water, doesn't it?

[Raphael Misson]

I was watching the Nova DVD on caves last night and I learned about Snotites.

Snotites!

http://www.caveslime.org/Photos/Snottites/

"Colonies of bacteria metabolize in sulfur-containing minerals in warm water. They create thick mats of living ooze in the complete darkness of the cave. Long gobs of this bacteria slowly drip from the ceiling." (Stephen Marshak, Essentials Of Geology, p. 456).

According to Nova, they drip sulfuric acid which eats away the rock helping to create caves. It was funny listening to the researchers discussing "snotites"with such gravity. They certainly look like their namesake... (I always thought caves were interesting, but I had no idea that there was so much unknown about their formation - apparently mineral-eating bacteria has a great deal to do with some cave formations - resulting in those large rooms.)

[Iron Bess]

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was actually written in French

The Squid however, I am told... spoke no French.

[Graydog]

HG Well’s “War of the Worlds” ends when earth viruses destroy the Martians. (Gosh should I have put up a spoiler notice?)

When asked about this scenario scientists have responded that if there were life on Mars and it invaded earth that the odds are their viruses would eliminate us instead.