Monday, April 17, 2006

Interesting, but not necessarily useful tidbits

100 things we didn't know this time last year

The title link is an article from 12/30/05 on BBC's website, but thought it was interesting. It is slightly UK-specific, but many of the items are universal. Namely the following items were my favorite (if you would like a summary) in order of my preference:

My favorite...
11. One in 10 Europeans is allegedly conceived in an Ikea bed.

8. Devout Orthodox Jews are three times as likely to jaywalk as other people, according to an Israeli survey reported in the New Scientist. The researchers say it's possibly because religious people have less fear of death.

My mum will certainly appreciate this one...
72. A towel doesn't legally reserve a sun lounger - and there is nothing in German or Spanish law to stop other holidaymakers removing those left on vacant seats.

19. The = sign was invented by 16th Century Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde, who was fed up with writing "is equal to" in his equations. He chose the two lines because "noe 2 thynges can be moare equalle".

1 comment:

S. Potter said...

And a few more good ones...

Here is one to stick it to the French:
83. Britain produces 700 regional cheeses, more even than France.

23. In America it's possible to subpoena a dog.

29. When faced with danger, the octopus can wrap six of its legs around its head to disguise itself as a fallen coconut shell and escape by walking backwards on the other two legs, scientists discovered.

Whoops...
36. The average employee spends 14 working days a year on personal e-mails, phone calls and web browsing, outside official breaks, according to employment analysts Captor.

For those British loyalists that don't think the monarchy is obsolete:
20. The Queen has never been on a computer, she told Bill Gates as she awarded him an honorary knighthood.

For those wishing to visit London or UK soon, please note:
16. The London borough of Westminster has an average of 20 pieces of chewing gum for every square metre of pavement.
... and ...
31. Train passengers in the UK waited a total of 11.5 million minutes in 2004 for delayed services.

Those that wondered why Brits are so bad at Tennis even though they invented the sport:
49. Tim Henman has a tennis court at his new home in Oxfordshire, which he has never used.

69. First-born children are less creative but more stable, while last-born are more promiscuous, says US research.

Just gotta love the Japanese...
99. The Japanese word "chokuegambo" describes the wish that there were more designer-brand shops on a given street.

And finally...
94. Bill Gates does not have an iPod.