Interesting.... but useless facts... - Page 9

ArcticStones · 08-19-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aehurst


	How's this for useless information.

Well, that certainly gives "a blow job by Philip Morris" a whole new meaning, eh?

.

EatsWithFingers · 08-19-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NovaScotian


	In Slate today ...

Since the title of this thread is "Interesting.... but useless facts...", it is worth pointing out another paragraph from that article:

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianPalmer


	The amount of carbon that a human breathes out is exactly equal to the amount of carbon he takes in minus the amount of carbon that contributes to the person's body mass. This means that the human body—like all animals—is a very modest carbon sequestration device. How modest? We're each about 18 percent carbon by weight. If the average human weight is around 120 pounds—that's the Explainer's very rough estimate, encompassing both children and adults—there are about 21.6 pounds of carbon stored in the average person. So every time we add a billion people to the planet's population (which we're now doing every 12 years), we end up pulling 10.8 million tons of carbon out of the atmosphere—or enough to offset the annual output of almost 9 million cars. Even when a person dies, he takes a little carbon with him. Bones decompose very slowly, and some tiny amount of your carbon—how much depends on the conditions of your burial—will ultimately remain sequestered in the ground. Physiologically speaking, the existence of people and our livestock is removing carbon from the atmosphere, albeit at an incredibly slow rate.

Of course, this doesn't mean we should be adding more humans to the planet....

ArcticStones · 08-26-2009, 05:00 PM

.
This creature I did not know existed. Fascinating!
.

fazstp · 08-26-2009, 05:42 PM

We see salamanders quite commonly here in pet shops. Probably one reason why they are endangered in the wild. I believe they will lose the gills and move out of the larval phase if iodine is added to their diet (Edit: well according to Wikipedia the iodine is injected.).

There is also it's giant cousin: Giant salamander

Woodsman · 08-27-2009, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArcticStones


	. This creature I did not know existed. Fascinating! .

Remember it for your next Scrabble game

fazstp · 08-27-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodsman


	Remember it for your next Scrabble game

Seven letters with an x. Could come in handy.

fazstp · 09-01-2009, 10:18 PM

Apparently you can grind up a Salamander's brain and put it back in and they will be none the worse for it.
I don't know what sadistic bastard thought up that experiment though

?

Not sure if this is the experiment in question: Shuffle Brain
If it is the brain wasn't actually ground but cut into sections and rearranged.

fazstp · 09-01-2009, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aehurst


	How's this for useless information.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArcticStones


	Well, that certainly gives "a blow job by Philip Morris" a whole new meaning, eh?

I'd love to know how they came up with that one.

Oh my god, Fred has drowned, what should we do?
<doctor inserts cigarette>
Well that didn't work, he isn't inhaling...

fazstp · 09-02-2009, 08:46 PM

The starfish Luidia sarsi starts life as a small larva with a tiny starfish inside. As the larva grows, the starfish migrates to the outside and when the larva settles on the seabed, they separate. Instead of degenerating, the larva swims off and lives for several months as an independent animal.

fazstp · 09-03-2009, 07:15 PM

An octopus has nine brains. One in it's head and one in each of it's arms. All octopuses are venomous though only the Blue-ringed Octopus is deadly to humans.

fazstp · 09-03-2009, 10:12 PM

If you really want some interesting but useless facts I recommend the Planet Earth documentary series from the BBC. Fantastic stuff.

fazstp · 09-14-2009, 04:37 PM

The Australian Lyrebird has an impressive talent for mimicry and can reproduce not only other bird calls but unnatural sounds as well: Lyrebird sounds

J Christopher · 09-14-2009, 04:53 PM

Wow. The chainsaw impression was especially impressive.

Photek · 09-14-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J Christopher


	Wow. The chainsaw impression was especially impressive.

yeh... I remember seeing that... amazing.. but at the same time very sad..

J Christopher · 09-14-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photek


	yeh... I remember seeing that... amazing.. but at the same time very sad..

Agreed. I wasn't considering the broader implications with my comment.

ArcticStones · 09-16-2009, 03:04 AM

.
This winter more Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) will be swimming south to spawn in the waters off Vesterålen and Lofoten Islands to spawn than in half a century -- probably comparable to the boon year 1947, the best on record. Due to ocean temperature changes, however, more cod will be spawning further north.
.

Woodsman · 09-16-2009, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArcticStones


	. This winter more Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) will be swimming south to spawn in the waters off Vesterålen and Lofoten Islands to spawn than in half a century -- probably comparable to the boon year 1947, the best on record. Due to ocean temperature changes, however, more cod will be spawning further north. .

So that's why they call them the boondocks.......

Jay Carr · 09-16-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photek


	if there are any F1 fans out there at the mo.... I understand that the rumors about Max Mosley was leaked by Ron Dennis to get back at him for the points deduction last year...

I understood that it was all a set-up in reality. But yeah, I wouldn't put it past Dennis. Especially now that the Renault scandal and the McLaren scandal this year have taught us so much about the true nature of the people who run F1... It's starting to make me sick, to be honest.

fazstp · 09-16-2009, 04:57 PM

Indricotherium was an early relative of the Rhinoceros that had a shoulder height of over 5m (16').

fazstp · 11-11-2009, 10:30 PM

Some whales have vestigial hind legs.

08-26-2009, 05:00 PM	#163
ArcticStones Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Norway Posts: 3,152	. This creature I did not know existed. Fascinating! . __________________ . "You say this gadget of yours is for ordinary people. What on earth would ordinary people want with computers?" HP executive to Steve Wozniak

08-26-2009, 05:42 PM	#164
fazstp MVP Join Date: May 2004 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,576	We see salamanders quite commonly here in pet shops. Probably one reason why they are endangered in the wild. I believe they will lose the gills and move out of the larval phase if iodine is added to their diet (Edit: well according to Wikipedia the iodine is injected.). There is also it's giant cousin: Giant salamander __________________ Inspire you of think the elephant dint Inspire you of think the elephant dint Last edited by fazstp; 08-26-2009 at 05:47 PM.

09-01-2009, 10:18 PM	#167
fazstp MVP Join Date: May 2004 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,576	Apparently you can grind up a Salamander's brain and put it back in and they will be none the worse for it. I don't know what sadistic bastard thought up that experiment though ? Not sure if this is the experiment in question: Shuffle Brain If it is the brain wasn't actually ground but cut into sections and rearranged. __________________ Inspire you of think the elephant dint Inspire you of think the elephant dint Last edited by fazstp; 09-01-2009 at 10:36 PM.

09-02-2009, 08:46 PM	#169
fazstp MVP Join Date: May 2004 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,576	The starfish Luidia sarsi starts life as a small larva with a tiny starfish inside. As the larva grows, the starfish migrates to the outside and when the larva settles on the seabed, they separate. Instead of degenerating, the larva swims off and lives for several months as an independent animal. __________________ Inspire you of think the elephant dint Inspire you of think the elephant dint

09-03-2009, 07:15 PM	#170
fazstp MVP Join Date: May 2004 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,576	An octopus has nine brains. One in it's head and one in each of it's arms. All octopuses are venomous though only the Blue-ringed Octopus is deadly to humans. __________________ Inspire you of think the elephant dint Inspire you of think the elephant dint

09-03-2009, 10:12 PM	#171
fazstp MVP Join Date: May 2004 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,576	If you really want some interesting but useless facts I recommend the Planet Earth documentary series from the BBC. Fantastic stuff. __________________ Inspire you of think the elephant dint Inspire you of think the elephant dint

09-14-2009, 04:37 PM	#172
fazstp MVP Join Date: May 2004 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,576	The Australian Lyrebird has an impressive talent for mimicry and can reproduce not only other bird calls but unnatural sounds as well: Lyrebird sounds __________________ Inspire you of think the elephant dint Inspire you of think the elephant dint

09-14-2009, 04:53 PM	#173
J Christopher MVP Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,040	Wow. The chainsaw impression was especially impressive.

09-16-2009, 03:04 AM	#176
ArcticStones Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Norway Posts: 3,152	. This winter more Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) will be swimming south to spawn in the waters off Vesterålen and Lofoten Islands to spawn than in half a century -- probably comparable to the boon year 1947, the best on record. Due to ocean temperature changes, however, more cod will be spawning further north. . __________________ . "You say this gadget of yours is for ordinary people. What on earth would ordinary people want with computers?" HP executive to Steve Wozniak

09-16-2009, 04:57 PM	#179
fazstp MVP Join Date: May 2004 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,576	Indricotherium was an early relative of the Rhinoceros that had a shoulder height of over 5m (16'). __________________ Inspire you of think the elephant dint Inspire you of think the elephant dint

11-11-2009, 10:30 PM	#180
fazstp MVP Join Date: May 2004 Location: Melbourne, AUS Posts: 1,576	Some whales have vestigial hind legs. __________________ Inspire you of think the elephant dint Inspire you of think the elephant dint