Really TRUE odd factoids

[classic33]

For the first time in over a decade, scientists have recorded a major gain in Antarctic ice! The frozen continent – often in the headlines for rapid melting – has surprised researchers by adding more than 100 billion tons of ice in a single year.

 

[classic33]

The quietest place on Earth is the anechoic chamber at Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where sound levels reach an incredible -24.9 dB. Inside, the silence is so deep that visitors can hear their own heartbeat, lungs, and even blood flowing.
This chamber, tested on November 19, 2021, holds the world record for silence, making it both fascinating and unsettling for those who step inside.

 

[classic33]

In one of the wildest bank heists ever, a rat broke into an ATM and chewed through nearly $19,000 in cash.
Technicians called to fix a glitch opened the machine to find the culprit—a rat surrounded by mangled banknotes, which it had turned into a paper nest.
Stunned workers reported most of the cash was destroyed, though bank officials confirmed the loss, noting the rodent wasn’t after wealth, just a snug hideout.
Sadly, the rat didn’t survive, but it left a quirky legacy in banking lore.

 

[classic33]

 

[Drago]

I have risen!

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I have risen!

It's your bladder

 

[T4tomo]

The longest railway bench in the world is in Scarborough!
It was built in 1883 and is now Grade II listed.
It is 456 foot long and can seat 230 regular people or 87 Americans.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwydxjw1z25o

it was filled the other day to celebrate 200 years of railways...

 

[classic33]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwydxjw1z25o

it was filled the other day to celebrate 200 years of railways...

Saw that bit.

 

[DaveReading]

Once you go back 33 generations, there will be a lot of duplication in those billion ancestors.
The world did not reach a 1 billion population (of people) until 1802 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population_milestones

The expression genealogists use for this phenomenon is "Pedigree Collapse".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedigree_collapse

 

[DaveReading]

...except:
1. you can't see Big Ben.
2. some basic trigonometry would tell you that the angle of the shot means it was taken from a much closer position.
3. the "hardware" was the camera, not the plane, and we're not told what is was.

Not to mention that the photo is taken from the south, looking north.

The Isle of Wight isn't south of London.

 

[Beebo]

Not to mention that the photo is taken from the south, looking north.

The Isle of Wight isn't south of London.

So apart from the fact that all the angles are wrong, it’s a good factoid.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Ever wonder why it's called the Iliad? Ilium was another name for Troy and the -ad suffix was used to mean "the story of". So if you translate the title, "The Iliad" comes out as "Troy Story"

 

[Chris S]

The Irish word 'bliúcán' can mean both penis an wild carrot.

 

[Dave7]

The Irish word 'bliúcán' can mean both penis an wild carrot.

Crazy.......what's to prevent a chef getting them mixed up while cooking a meal ??

 

[Beebo]

Crazy.......what's to prevent a chef getting them mixed up while cooking a meal ??

Ever had spotted dick?