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Did you know?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
April 21, 2019
33 replies
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Not sure where this fits so I'm starting a new topic! So let's see if it takes off!

Do you have any fun facts to add to this?

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DaveMcKAuthor

Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐

Did you know the 1939 novel Gadsby is the longest book ever published that doesn’t contain the letter ‘e’?

This is the front cover art for the book Gadsby: A Story of Over 50,000 Words Without Using the Letter "E" written by Ernest Vincent Wright.

Wikimedia Commons/Wetzel Publishing

Back in 1939, American author Ernest Vincent Wright published Gadsby, a 50,000-word novel that doesn’t use the letter ‘e’ once. What’s more, it’s not the only novel that ditched the letter. Author Georges Perec also wrote the French-language book La Disparition without the letter ‘e’ in 1969. That’s even more astounding when you consider that the letter ‘e’ is the most commonly used letter in the English (and French!) language.

Posted by Dave the Lighthouse Keeper

gm5271

Community Champion ⭐

@DaveMcK @LydiaN586309

Thanks for sharing.....very interesting

Really wild about dandelions if ever lost in woods hopefully could find some to eat Like Lydia I just thought were weeds

Ginger : )

LydiaN586309

Community Champion ⭐

Did you know the life span of a house fly is generally less than 30 days?

10 interesting facts about flies you never knew

Flies can be a big nuisance to anyone and their constant buzzing around can really get on your nerves. However, flies can be quite fascinating creatures. Their breeding, feeding, and even moving habits are quite different from ours and can actually be quite interesting.

Facts About Flies:

Below is a list of facts about flies you need to know.

1. House flies live on a liquid diet

Yes, that’s correct. Flies tend to live off a diet based on liquids. Why? Well, that’s just how they are built. See, they lack the mouthparts needed to chew food, so instead, they have to drink it.

How do house flies eat?

A house fly will regurgitate digestive juices onto solid foods and these juices break down the food into small pieces, allowing them to use their mouthparts, called proboscis, to drink the meal.

2. They can taste with their feet

Like butterflies, flies can taste food using their feet!

This is all down to taste receptors (chemonsensilla) being located on their lower legs and feet. When a fly lands on a tasty meal, which can be anything from animal feces to your lunch, they will often wander around to give their next meal a good taste before consuming it.

3. House flies defecate… a lot

And they aren’t too worried about where they do it either!

As you know, house flies like to live off a liquid diet. Because of this, their digestive system can move quite quickly, which means they defecate often. It is speculated that house flies defecate every time they land, even if it’s on their next meal!

4. They can spread a range of diseases

Due to their feeding and breeding habits (more on that later) house flies come into contact with a range of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E.coli. Because of this, house flies will often aid the spread of these bacteria passing them onto us by contaminating things, such as food and cooking utensils.

5. House flies can walk upside down

Let’s face it, you probably already knew this one.

The anatomy of a house fly enables it to walk and climb on most surfaces no matter if it’s horizontal, vertical, or even upside down.

This is due to each foot containing two fat foot pads (called pulvilli) which contain tiny hairs that produce a glue-like substance made of sugars and oils which provides them with excellent grip, perfect for scaling any surface.

6. Flies are able to see behind them

That’s right, house flies can see behind them and it’s all to do with their amazing eyes.

Unlike human beings, house flies have compound eyes. These intricate eyes provided them with nearly a 360-degree field of view, which allows them to see behind themselves. Unlike ours, the eyes of a house fly don’t move. Being able to see in all directions allows them to navigate while also being on the lookout for danger.

Fly eyes

7. The lifespan of a house fly isn’t that long

On average, the life cycle of a house fly only lasts for around 30 days, which means they don’t live for long at all.

However, in their short lifetime, they manage to accomplish quite a lot. House flies can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime which are usually in batches of around 75 to 150. So, although they don’t live long, an infestation can quickly arise through new generations.

8. House flies have amazing reaction times

Ever wondered why it’s so difficult to swat a fly? Well, it’s pretty much down to their quick reaction times and their agility.

House flies are able to process what they see and react accordingly at amazing speeds. To put things into perspective, our brains process around 60 images a second, whereas a fly can process around 250 in a single second.

9. They have unhygienic breeding habits

House flies aren’t really fans of rushing to the hospital to give birth. Their chosen method is rather disgusting as well.

House flies will lay their eggs on items such as feces, rotting carcasses, and decaying fruit. Why is this? Well, it’s mainly to provide the larvae (maggots) with something to eat when they hatch.

10. Male house flies are constantly looking for a date

Remember, in Fact 6, when we discussed the compound eyes of a fly? Well, they also play a role in how houseflies find a partner.

Studies show that there’s a specific region within the eyes of a male fly called the "love spot." It is pretty much used for detecting and chasing female flies. This "spot" is located within the dorsofrontal region of their eyes. This is typically used to detect small target motion, however, males also use it to stay “locked onto potential mates during aerial pursuit.”

DaveMcKAuthor

Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐

12 Weird and Fun Facts About Sports

In 1963, major league baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry remarked, "They'll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run." On July 20, 1969, an hour after Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface of the moon, Perry hit is first, and only, home run while playing for the San Francisco Giants.
Retired basketball sensation Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike each year than all the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
The Olympic flag's colors are always red, black, blue, green, and yellow rings on a field of white. This is because at least one of those colors appears on the flag of every nation on the planet.
The average lifespan of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
Dueling is legal is Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
All major league baseball umpires must wear black underwear while on the job in case their pants split.
In 1920, Babe Ruth out-homered very American League team.
Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep his head cool. He changed it every two innings.
Every year 56,000,000 people attend major league baseball games.
In 18th century England, gambling dens employed someone whose job was to swallow the dice if there was a police raid.
A Costa Rican worker who makes baseballs earns about $2,750 annually. The average American pro baseball player earns $2,377,000 per year.
There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.

Posted by Dave the Lighthouse Keeper

LydiaN586309

Community Champion ⭐

Very interesting list of "weird" facts indeed, Dave. But two facts in particular have me respectively scratching my head and thinking "icky poo" all at the same time. First, #18: How is it that 100 people end up choking to death on ballpoint pens EVERY YEAR? Is this a "thing?" And then second, #6: If all of that yukky stuff is embedded in my mattress (it's well over ten years old right now), then I think I might hafta sleep on the couch tonight!

DaveMcKAuthor

Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐

Did you know lobsters have clear blood?

lobster on table, did you know facts

Most of us are well aware that lobster shells change color when exposed to heat (like in a pot of boiling water, for example). But the sea creatures’ blood is also intriguing. Lobster blood is initially clear and turns blue when it hits oxygen.

Posted by Dave the Lighthouse Keeper

LydiaN586309

Community Champion ⭐

Did you know that........?

Most lipstick contains fish scales.

That "jiffy" is an actual unit of time: 1/100th of a second.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors.

Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to operate a television for three hours.

The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

There is enough fuel in full jumbo jet tank to drive an average car four times around the world.

DaveMcKAuthor

Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐

12 Weird and Fun Facts About Sports

In 1963, major league baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry remarked, "They'll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run." On July 20, 1969, an hour after Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface of the moon, Perry hit is first, and only, home run while playing for the San Francisco Giants.
Retired basketball sensation Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike each year than all the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
The Olympic flag's colors are always red, black, blue, green, and yellow rings on a field of white. This is because at least one of those colors appears on the flag of every nation on the planet.
The average lifespan of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
Dueling is legal is Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
All major league baseball umpires must wear black underwear while on the job in case their pants split.
In 1920, Babe Ruth out-homered very American League team.
Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep his head cool. He changed it every two innings.
Every year 56,000,000 people attend major league baseball games.
In 18th century England, gambling dens employed someone whose job was to swallow the dice if there was a police raid.
A Costa Rican worker who makes baseballs earns about $2,750 annually. The average American pro baseball player earns $2,377,000 per year.
There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.

Posted by Dave the Lighthouse Keeper

LydiaN586309

Community Champion ⭐

Did you know grapes light on fire in the microwave?

healthy eating scenes, did you know facts

Back in 2011, a physicist at the University of Sydney went viral after he placed a grape in the microwave and filmed the fiery aftermath. And oddly enough, scientists couldn’t explain the phenomenon until quite recently. A March 2019 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported that the fruity fireball occurs as a result of the loose electrons and ions that cluster to form plasma when grapes get hot.

Did you know spaghetto, confetto, and graffito are the singular forms of spaghetti, confetti, and graffiti?

plate of spaghetti on table, did you know facts

Although it might sound a little strange, the word for an individual piece of spaghetti is spaghetto. The same goes for a single piece of confetti, which is confetto, as well as a single piece of graffiti, which is graffito, according to Merriam-Webster.

Did you know McDonald’s once created bubblegum-flavored broccoli?

Best Foods for Maximizing Your Energy Levels

McDonald’s is always introducing new items for their loyal customers. And obviously, some are more successful than others. But their bubblegum-flavored broccoli, which the fast-food chain developed in 2014 as a tastier version of the leafy green for children, was a complete failure. McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson admitted that kids were confused by the taste.

Did you know the longest place name in the world is 85 letters long?

longest place name sign Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

Wikimedia Commons/Eyreland

Unfortunately, this is one of the did you know facts you probably can’t repeat to your friends—and that’s because it’s nearly impossible to pronounce. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is in New Zealand and is 85 letters long. And when it comes to other super long place names, it’s followed by Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in Wales, Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in the U.S., Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein in South Africa, and Azpilicuetagaraycosaroyarenberecolarre in Spain.

DaveMcKAuthor

Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐

21 Odd Facts About Your Body

It is physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.
Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day.
It takes approximately 12 hours for food to entirely digest.
A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.
Women blink nearly twice as often as men.
Most of the dust particles in your house are dead skin.
There is a company that will (for $14,000) take your ashes and compress them into a synthetic diamond to be set in jewelry for a loved one.
There are more living organisms on the skin of a single human being than there are human beings on the surface of the earth.
The longest bout of hiccups lasted nearly 69 years.
Babies is born without kneecaps. They appear between the ages of 2 and 6.
Men can read smaller print than women. Women can hear better.
Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
If you sneeze too hard you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die. If you keep your eyes open by force they can pop out.
A kiss stimulates 29 muscles and chemicals that cause relaxation. Women seem to like light and frequent kisses while men like them more strenuous.
Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
Almost everyone who reads this will try to lick their elbow.
According to Chinese acupuncture, there is a point on the head that you can press to control your appetite. It is located in the hollow just in front of the flap of the ear.
In a recent survey, Americans revealed that banana was their favorite smell.

Posted by Dave the Lighthouse Keeper

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