Did you know? (trivia thread)

Ok an attemtp at a lighter subject for me [img]smile.gif[/img] Im a trivia nut and enjoy sharing tidbits with those who also enjoy little known and/or unimportant factoids [img]smile.gif[/img]

So I will start this off with this little known fact.

Birds and Mamals experience sleep quite differently. It is known that many Bird species can and do sleep with only half their brain.
This is to say that only one side of their brain shuts down durning sleep.

Ok people, I hope you all can or will join me in sharing our collective knowledge of the useless here

[khazadman]

did you know that the warner brothers animators often put charicatures of each other in their animated shorts.

Did you know that 98% of statistics are made up!

[Dundee Slaytern]

I recall an article which said that Humans are capable of half-sleep as well, similiar to fishes and birds. This means that although the human is sleeping, he/she is still aware of his/her surroundings.

This was pretty common and wide-spread during WW2, where many a man had to spend time in the trenches.

[Charean]

When giraffes are born, they have a 6' drop to the ground. Ouch! [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img]

Hares are born with fur and eyes open, Rabbits are hairless and eyes closed.

A conifer is a type of fir... an evergreen.

Cottage cheese may contain plaster of paris to get that smooth texture - thank you American Dairy Association.

Secondary sex characteristics are:
Women have much sharper elbows than men.
Women's eyebrows are above the browbone, men's are on it.
If you wonder if it is a female or shemale... check the adam's apple.

[LennonCook]

ax+by+c=0

[Krishach]

Did you know:

Mario's colors used to be reversed? Where there's red was blue and vice versa. Also, he was first known as Jumpman. The name Mario came from the guy who sold them their warehouse back in the day or something like that.

[caleb]

I thought he was named after their landlord?

[Epona]

Wow, this is great! Trivia, mmmmmmm....

Magik, that is quite right about birds sleeping. Studies have shown that ducks generally choose to sleep in a row, side by side. The highest ranking ducks sleep in the middle, and both sides of their brain sleep. The lower ranking ducks take the outside, and sleep with only one half of their brain, the other half keeps an eye open for predators. My parrot will sleep with one eye open if I leave the curtains open, because he is nervous about pigeons flying past.

Dundee Slaytern - there is still a big difference. What you are referring to in humans, is sleeping lightly, which people often do if in situations of danger. Unlike birds, which are physiologically very different to humans, there is no physical way that a human can sleep with the right or left side of the brain and not the other.

Charean - according to my eyebrows, I am a man. And women have sharper elbows so they can wake a guy up when he rolls over and goes to sleep

Some trivia of my own:

The collective noun for a group of Parrots is Pandemonium.

Feral rats potentially carry 2 diseases transmissable to humans, pigeons carry more than 10.

Birds can see ultraviolet light, and so they see other birds as fluorescent. A budgie's cheek patches are particularly reflective, and another budgie would see this as a flash of light. Similarly with Sulphur Crested Cockatoos - they are ground feeders, and when the 'guards' spot a predator they raise their yellow crest - the resulting flash of light is seen by the rest of the flock and looks like the light from a flare.

[ 05-27-2002, 05:23 AM: Message edited by: Epona ]

[Staralfur]

Originally posted by Aviendha: Did you know that 98% of statistics are made up!

I thought it was 96% [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Here are some (see if you can guess which subject I studying )

72 people are killed a year from coconuts falling on their heads (1995ish statistic).

Tadpoles will not transform into forgs, unless there is a source of iodine present in the water.

1% of the UKs gross domestic product relies on the production of acetic acid (vinegar) at a chemical plant in Hull.

1% of the worlds electrical power output is used in the production of ammonia.

Super glue will bond things together better if you slightly dampen each surface first. (A small amount of water helps it set, which is why is sticks your fingers together so well).

Relatively, vitamin A is more toxic than cyanide.

Polar bear meat contains a lot of vitamin A.

The total population of the world can fit on the Isle of White (or is it Wight?) if they are all standing.