Joey Shabadoo
My pronouns are "He", "Him" and "buggerlugs"
Sharks are older than the North Star (Polaris)
Really TRUE odd factoids
- Thread starter Blue Hills
- Start date
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Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
This is supposed to be for TRUE factoids. Sorry, but that one isn't really.
Sharks are believed to have existed for around 450 million years.
Polaris is actually a triple star system, with the oldest of the three(Polaris B) estimated to be about 1.5 gigayears old (i.e more than three times as old as sharks, and the middle one (Polaris Ab) just given as > 500 million years. The third star (Polaris Aa is indeed thought to be younger than sharks, at 45-67 million years, but is the smallest part of the system, and possibly formed by the merger of two other stars.
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2003.02326
Chris S
Legendary Member
- Location
- Birmingham
Bacon was traditionally made from pork. A halal beef version is now available.
classic33
Leg End Member
It was an Irishman who "invented" the duty free.
Brendan O’Regan from Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, opened the world’s very first duty-free shop at Shannon Airport, in 1950.
What started as a bold idea in a small Irish airport went on to become a global tradition, one every traveller knows today.
Brendan O’Regan from Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, opened the world’s very first duty-free shop at Shannon Airport, in 1950.
What started as a bold idea in a small Irish airport went on to become a global tradition, one every traveller knows today.
Chris S
Legendary Member
- Location
- Birmingham
In 1990 McDonald's sued two Greenpeace activists for defamation. A young barrister, outraged by what he saw as an attack on freedom of speech, provided the defendants with free legal assistance. It was Keir Starmer.
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FishFright
More wheels than sense
He did many good things like that before he decided to be a (swear word) with a lust for power.
classic33
Leg End Member
When a rooster opens its beak to crow, soft tissue closes around half the eardrum and seals the ear canal.
This natural defense reduces the sound by up to 40 decibels, protecting the bird from its own piercing call.
The result is nature’s built-in volume control, keeping the rooster safe while the rest of us get the full blast.
This natural defense reduces the sound by up to 40 decibels, protecting the bird from its own piercing call.
The result is nature’s built-in volume control, keeping the rooster safe while the rest of us get the full blast.
classic33
Leg End Member
Scientists in Switzerland have developed a type of wood that glows in the dark using luminescent fungi, potentially revolutionizing sustainable lighting for streets, parks, and indoor spaces without the need for electricity.
This breakthrough relies on incorporating the Armillaria tabescens fungus, known for its ability to emit natural light through the production of luciferin.
When this compound interacts with the enzyme luciferase, it generates a green glow similar to that of fireflies
This breakthrough relies on incorporating the Armillaria tabescens fungus, known for its ability to emit natural light through the production of luciferin.
When this compound interacts with the enzyme luciferase, it generates a green glow similar to that of fireflies
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
So basically they've made Discworld Vyrms.
classic33
Leg End Member
Wood Vyrms.
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
Vyrmwood.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
I read that the first networked camera was for the coke machine at one of the main computery universities
The had it positioned so they could see if the machine was working OK
because it was several floors below them and they were fed up with walking down all the steps and finding it empty or broken
sometime you just need proper motivation
classic33
Leg End Member
I've seen it elsewhere that it was trained on a vending machine, to allow those upstairs to see what was in the vending machine, before they ventured down to it.
However it seems to be true about the coffee pot.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/technology-20439301.amp
Punkawallah
Veteran
I suspect a sizeable number of inventions sprung from the basic idleness of man. It probably started with Ug the Caveman thinking ‘I really want to hit Og over there, but I can’t be arsed to walk that far’. The next thing you know we have nuclear proliferation.
