Author Topic: Somewhat Useful Facts Thread (Read 204787 times)

Senator · « **Reply #1260 on:** July 17, 2009, 09:22:58 PM »

In 1873 Jules Verne wrote the novel "Around the World in Eighty Days". Is actually the least imaginery of Verne's books and was completely doable with the means of the era.

Nowdays, assuming that someone wouldn't use airplanes which are a bit unfair (there are direct flights Paris to Tokyo, Tokyo New York and New York to Paris. I mean. Come on) and would only stick to surface transportation and ships like Verne's character, someone could do it today in about 42 days and it would look something like this:

Apparently the longest piece of the journey is the ship from Japan to Canada (13 days, ouch).

Phaser · « **Reply #1261 on:** July 17, 2009, 11:10:13 PM »

Quote from: Senator on July 17, 2009, 09:22:58 PM

In 1873 Jules Verne wrote the novel "Around the World in Eighty Days". Is actually the least imaginery of Verne's books and was completely doable with the means of the era.

Nowdays, assuming that someone wouldn't use airplanes which are a bit unfair (there are direct flights Paris to Tokyo, Tokyo New York and New York to Paris. I mean. Come on) and would only stick to surface transportation and ships like Verne's character, someone could do it today in about 42 days and it would look something like this:

Apparently the longest piece of the journey is the ship from Japan to Canada (13 days, ouch).

I'm amazed it would take that little an amount of time.

Nebula · « **Reply #1262 on:** July 18, 2009, 12:03:40 AM »

All but one of the Lunar landing sites imaged by LRO:

LRO Sees Apollo Landing Sites

Senator · « **Reply #1263 on:** July 18, 2009, 01:57:16 PM »

Today the oldest (verifiable as such) man in the world, and WWI Veteran died in the UK. (At 113)

I mean. Forget about before Google, after Google comparisons. That guy saw the entire WWII and thought "not again".
That guy wasn't just before the internet and the computer. He was before the jet engine.

He saw bi-planes being converted to 747s. He saw the V2s as something "very advanced", AND the entire space program all the way to moon landing AND the space shuttle.

JimmyB76 · « **Reply #1264 on:** July 18, 2009, 03:08:36 PM »

Virginia extends farther west than West Virginia...

Aeries · « **Reply #1265 on:** July 21, 2009, 06:59:13 AM »

Aeries, has been awake for 52.5 hours and counting...

Nebula · « **Reply #1266 on:** July 21, 2009, 10:31:56 AM »

Object hitting Jupiter yesterday.

15 years after "Shoemaker-Levy 9"
40 years after "Apollo 11 Moon Landing"

captain_obvious · « **Reply #1267 on:** July 21, 2009, 04:29:32 PM »

Oldest working televison in the UK
a 1936 marconiphone. And this guy has gotten it to display modern digital tv pictures!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8159774.stm

King Class Scout · « **Reply #1268 on:** July 22, 2009, 12:23:05 PM »

only in the UK can you still purchase Vacumn tubes! (that's what a buddy told me back in 01)

Rome and Moscow are villages in Pennsylvania.

Nebula · « **Reply #1269 on:** July 22, 2009, 12:29:20 PM »

Quote from: King Class Scout on July 22, 2009, 12:23:05 PM

only in the UK can you still purchase Vacumn tubes! (that's what a buddy told me back in 01)

Rome and Moscow are villages in Pennsylvania.

Just did a little search about that Vacuum Tube thing... It's completely false.

captain_obvious · « **Reply #1270 on:** July 22, 2009, 06:48:35 PM »

Quote from: King Class Scout on July 22, 2009, 12:23:05 PM

only in the UK can you still purchase Vacumn tubes! (that's what a buddy told me back in 01)

cookied just for mentioning that myth!!

Bethlehem is a village in west Wales. A surprising amount of tourists go there and post their cards just so it's post office will process them thereby having to stamp all of these cards etc "Bethlehem".

cool eh?

Trim · « **Reply #1271 on:** July 23, 2009, 04:50:32 PM »

Chocolate chip cookies were invented by mistake. They were put into a cookie with the hope of melting and making a chocolate cookie but they never melted that way, thus, the chocolate chip cookie.

JimmyB76 · « **Reply #1272 on:** July 23, 2009, 06:13:42 PM »

what, no "Today In History" fact?

Q-Tip Cotton Swabs were originally called Baby Gays...

heh lol

Nebula · « **Reply #1273 on:** July 23, 2009, 06:20:21 PM »

this day in history :

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do

oooh Detroit was founded on the 24th of this month.

MLeo · « **Reply #1274 on:** July 23, 2009, 06:31:54 PM »

http://wolframalpha.com/input/?i=today

JimmyB76 · « **Reply #1275 on:** July 24, 2009, 03:04:00 PM »

given the opportunity, deer will chew gum and marijuana...

lol silly deer...

CyAn1d3 · « **Reply #1276 on:** July 24, 2009, 04:09:38 PM »

Quote from: JimmyB76 on July 24, 2009, 03:04:00 PM

given the opportunity, deer will chew gum and marijuana...
lol silly deer...

and that is why i dont take weed on hunting trips

.... i get stoned THEN go hunting..... with a bottle..

JimmyB76 · « **Reply #1277 on:** July 25, 2009, 01:51:37 PM »

before 1941, fingerprints were not accepted as evidence in court...

CyAn1d3 · « **Reply #1278 on:** July 25, 2009, 01:56:14 PM »

Every human spent about half an hour as a single cell...

Phaser · « **Reply #1279 on:** July 25, 2009, 03:30:39 PM »

Quote from: Nebula on July 18, 2009, 12:03:40 AM

All but one of the Lunar landing sites imaged by LRO:

LRO Sees Apollo Landing Sites

Now THAT is cool.

News:

Author Topic: Somewhat Useful Facts Thread (Read 204787 times)