# Ever been shocked at what some people don't know? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416 "2012-03-10T22:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 42
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/821 "2012-05-24T23:47:50Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > So what _does_ it mean? I only recognize the acronym as a form of BDSM, meaning “c\*\*k & ball torture”. > > 😛 Cognitive behavioral therapy ---
**Author:** ![kmshrader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@kmshrader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmshrader)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/822 "2012-05-25T00:20:31Z")
The ignorance happening over in the transgender thread absolutely astounds me. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/823 "2012-05-25T00:26:02Z")
> [@Foxy40](#): > > > [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > > > So what _does_ it mean? I only recognize the acronym as a form of BDSM, meaning “c\*\*k & ball torture”. > > > > 😛 > > Cognitive behavioral therapy Don’t listen to **Foxy40**. You were right the first time. ETA: 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/824 "2012-05-25T00:39:38Z")
> [@Foxy40](#): > > Cognitive behavioral therapy Thanks 🙂 > [@ZenBeam](#): > > Don’t listen to **Foxy40**. You were right the first time. > > ETA: 🙂 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/825 "2012-05-25T14:29:25Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I don’t get the Tok-yo one. > > In any language, place names of countries or important foreign cities often have a local pronunciation that is different to the native pronunciation (or they may even have a completely different name, but that’s a different point). > > To an English speaker, Tok-yo is not difficult to say, but it is unusual to have a k and a y adjacent but spanning two syllables like that, so in the past it has been anglicized somewhat to toe-key-oh. > > I wouldn’t consider it ignorance necessarily. I bet there are western cities that have a different Japanese pronunciation. This makes me think of a quiz I had in Japanese class in high school. We were meant to spell ‘Los Angeles’. Just about everyone in the class spelled it in katakana as “Rosu Anjorusu”, but the correct answer? “Rosanzarusu”. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/826 "2012-05-25T15:05:46Z")
> [@kmshrader](#): > > The ignorance happening over in the transgender thread absolutely astounds me. I can’t believe how tiring that thread is. It seems more like a contest to show who’s the most politically correct. It also seems like not ignorance, but a constant re-jiggering of the world’s social gender nomenclature so that people who aren’t ‘us’ can forever be judged. Back on topic: some people don’t know how many moons the earth has. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/827 "2012-05-25T15:16:34Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > So what _does_ it mean? I only recognize the acronym as a form of BDSM, meaning “c\*\*k & ball torture”. > > 😛 Or in the UK, Compulsory Basic Training- the minimum training before being allowed to ride a motorcycle on UK roads. I always like mixing up them two. Might start throwing in your definition as well… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/828 "2012-05-25T15:31:03Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > That babies, poop and pee all come out of different orifices in a woman’s nether regions. I could sort of, kind of understand the confusion on pee/babies. But poop? Seriously? What, did this person believe there was a cloaca? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/829 "2012-05-25T15:47:14Z")
A man stumbles across an old lamp while he was at his attorney’s office. Figuring his luck has to change, he rubs the lamp and nothing happens. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/830 "2012-05-25T15:51:10Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > A man stumbles across an old lamp while he was at his attorney’s office. Figuring his luck has to change, he rubs the lamp and nothing happens. I’m often shocked by people who don’t know what threads they’re posting in.😉 I assume you were looking for [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653010). ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/831 "2012-05-25T16:49:57Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > In my expert opinion, they just spelled STD wrong. … which, hilariously, when you’re planning a wedding is often an abbreviation for Save the Dates. It seems that representatives of the Wedding Industrial Complex have become desensitized to the hilarity and use that one unironically all the time. “Did you mail your STDs yet?” “Did you get an STD from us?” “Your STDs are so cute!” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/832 "2012-05-27T23:21:46Z")
> [@eldowan](#): > > Sorry to thread jack, but though I am sure I cannot attend this expo, is there any information on what’s to be discussed, and the possibility of reading/listening to the talks / seminars? > > Of course, I bet I’m nit the only person who would enjoy reading a thread about the expo, tea is quite interesting IMHO. > If you do make a thread, or wish to publicly (orr privately) share your talk, please ping me for an interested listener. > > Best wishes at the expo, hopefully it’ll be great. > If its the one in Japan in June, I think there is a guy on another forum attending and speaking there as well. I’m just going to this one as an attendee, not a presenter. They specifically forbid cameras and recording devices so I can’t record anything. Often, when conferences don’t allow recording it means that they are doing their own recording. Perhaps they’ll sell copies. I don’t know. Here’s the [conference at a glance](http://www.worldteaexpo.com/index.php/conference-at-a-glance). I’m really looking forward to some of these sessions. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/833 "2012-05-28T00:20:00Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Back on topic: some people don’t know how many moons the earth has. Actually, it’s debatable. What do you think the correct answer is? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/834 "2012-05-28T00:44:53Z")
If there’s another moon than Luna, somebody better notify the astronomers’ society… ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/835 "2012-05-28T01:50:27Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Actually, it’s debatable. What do you think the correct answer is? One. 3753 Cruithne is not a moon. 2010 TK[sub]7[/sub] and other Trojans? Not moons. What else you got? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/836 "2012-05-28T03:29:19Z")
Here are some fun ones from high school students (bless their souls): -A cherry pit is a hole in the ground where cherry trees are planted. -Cherries don’t have seeds inside them! -Water catches on fire/bursts into flames when it reaches 100 degrees Celsius -North is literally up above you (when asked to point toward north with their eyes closed, a handful of students or more will point up at the ceiling) -Light comes out of your eyes and illuminates things, that’s how you see them. Some others I’ve encountered from various friends. -Benjamin Franklin was the greatest president we ever had. -Helium doesn’t have any protons (to be honest, this was a ‘misspeak’ and not a sincere belief, but it was from a loathsome chemistry professor so I’m including it to embarrass him) My friend once argued insistently that the word “locked” and the word “shut” meant exactly the same thing. He clarified by saying “The door is locked. The door is shut. It’s the same thing.” My friend also argued that the sun was the largest star in the universe because it was the biggest in the sky (to be fair we were in 4th grade at the time, but come on). Or maybe it was me who believed that. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/837 "2012-05-28T04:19:54Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > -North is literally up above you (when asked to point toward north with their eyes closed, a handful of students or more will point up at the ceiling) And West is always to your left, no matter which way you are facing. :smack: I teach the right-hand-rules for magnetic fields and forces to high school students, and it’s usually the first time they’ve ever had to really _think_ about things in 3-dimensional space and be able to visualize it themselves. Most of them really struggle with it, even with the RHR visual aid. A lot of them think that the Earth’s gravity is a result of its rotation, and that if it weren’t spinning we’d all float away. I’ve even had students who thought that if you sucked all the air out of a room, there would be no gravity in the room and everything would float around. I wish I were kidding. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/838 "2012-05-28T04:45:44Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > -Light comes out of your eyes and illuminates things, that’s how you see them. That was a popular theory at one time. > **[Emission theory (vision)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emission_theory_(vision))** > > Emission theory or extramission theory (variants: extromission) or extromissionism is the proposal that visual perception is accomplished by eye beams emitted by the eyes. This theory has been replaced by intromission theory (or intromissionism), which is that visual perception comes from something representative of the object (later established to be rays of light reflected from it) entering the eyes. Modern physics has confirmed that light is physically transmitted by photons from a light sourc... ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/839 "2012-05-28T04:50:55Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > A lot of them think that the Earth’s gravity is a result of its rotation, and that if it weren’t spinning we’d all float away. I blame [David Gates](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a_4fBH_7dk). If the world should stop revolving, spinning slowly down to die I’d spend the end with you, and when the world was through Then one by one the stars would all go out Then you and I would simply fly away ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416/840 "2012-05-28T05:18:09Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > That was a popular theory at one time. > > [Emission theory (vision) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emission_theory_(vision)) According to that article, up to 50% of college students still believe in that theory. Honestly, that is shocking. How they eye works is covered several times throughout school, from grade school on up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416.md?page=41) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-shocked-at-what-some-people-dont-know/615416.md?page=43)