# I Bet You Didn't Know. (Or: Useless Trivia) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 14, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853 "2004-12-14T21:00:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/21 "2004-12-15T03:32:38Z")
40% of all sick days are taken on Mondays and Fridays. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/22 "2004-12-15T03:42:24Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I bet you didn’t know that > > - The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 claimed 21 lives. Man, [what an obscure thread that I just happened to kill.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=259205&highlight=molasses) ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/23 "2004-12-15T04:23:52Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > And other fishes do what? I don’t get it. A blink with one eye is a wink. See above (#13). ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/24 "2004-12-15T04:26:01Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > 40% of all sick days are taken on Mondays and Fridays. That’s [sup]2[/sup]/[sub]5[/sub] of a workweek. That is, 60% are taken on the other three days, or [sup]3[/sup]/[sub]5[/sub] of the week. I’m not seeing the significance here. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/25 "2004-12-15T04:29:47Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > 40% of all sick days are taken on Mondays and Fridays. > [@Aesiron](#): > > That’s [sup]2[/sup]/[sub]5[/sub] of a workweek. That is, 60% are taken on the other three days, or [sup]3[/sup]/[sub]5[/sub] of the week. I’m not seeing the significance here. **Aesiron,** here’s the part where you slap your forehead and say “D’oh!” ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/26 "2004-12-15T04:58:10Z")
I blame the vicodin. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/27 "2004-12-15T05:00:19Z")
Actually, it isn’t “duh” math at all. It isn’t like saying 75% of people do something and the other 25% do ~that thing. It’s possible (although I wouldn’t lay a bet down on it) for 99% of all vacation days to be taken on any given weekday - or, for those who work 7 days a week, any day at all. Thus, saying 40% of all vacation days are taken on a Monday or Friday, unless we assume linear distribution (which I wouldn’t do), isn’t one of those haha funny stats. [/killjoy] ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/28 "2004-12-15T05:03:18Z")
> [@iampunha](#): > > Actually, it isn’t “duh” math at all. It isn’t like saying 75% of people do something and the other 25% do ~that thing. It’s possible (although I wouldn’t lay a bet down on it) for 99% of all vacation days to be taken on any given weekday - or, for those who work 7 days a week, any day at all. Thus, saying 40% of all vacation days are taken on a Monday or Friday, unless we assume linear distribution (which I wouldn’t do), isn’t one of those haha funny stats. > > [/killjoy] I am with you there. I would be a small amount of money that more sick days are taken on Monday and Friday than the other days of the week. People want to extend there weekend sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/29 "2004-12-15T05:27:42Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > See above (#13). I saw that, but even if sharks did blink, the trivium didn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/30 "2004-12-15T06:15:32Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > I saw that, but even if sharks did blink, the trivium didn’t make sense. Which is why I looked it up. I had the same reaction you did, “What, fish wink? Only one eye ever blinks at all, ever, and the other eye stays forever open? This makes no sense!” Googling, I discover that some sharks have nictating membranes, but when you get right down to it, there’s no such thing as a fish with eyelids. No winkin’, no blinkin’, and no noddin’, neither. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/31 "2004-12-15T07:19:01Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > That’s 1/1000th > > It just seems like any specific time associated with “jiffy” is retroengineered and :dubious:. The commodore 64 computer had a jiffy clock. It ran at 1/60th of a second. The computer kept a “jiffy clock” counter that you could read, which would tell you the number of jiffies that had elapsed since the computer had been turned on. The smallest unit of movement for a computer mouse is called a mickey, named Mickey Mouse, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/32 "2004-12-15T08:30:38Z")
There is a patchwork quilt of enclaves of Belgium inside The Netherlands called Baarle-Hertog. There are enclaves of The Netherlands inside of the enclaves of Belgium. Some of these enclaves are just a fraction of an acre. In some cases the border runs through buildings. [Cite.](http://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith/baarle.htm) > [@](#): > > From cite. > > As each house is deemed to pay taxes in the country where its front door is located, it is an old tradition in Baarle to move the front door some meters if that is profitable for the taxes, especially for shops. This is part of making the best out of a strange situation. In 1995 a remeasurement of all the borders of enclaves according to modern exact standards was completed. This gave rise to some problems of this kind. In at least one case a house would have had to move from Belgium to the Netherlands. The inhabitants did not want that to happen, but the solution was simple: they moved the front door of their house. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/33 "2004-12-15T17:54:41Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > The majority of people in Scotland have more than the average number of legs. > Whilst the majority of people in Wales have more than the average number of arms. > But the majority of people in England have more than the average number of penises. Darn-it I made a mistake and no-one noticed. But the majority of people in England have **less** than the average number of penises. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/34 "2004-12-15T18:03:02Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I blame the vicodin. I blame **Aesiron** ’s Vicodin, too! Specifically, I blame **Aesiron** ’s Vicodin for the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 that claimed 21 lives. COME ON! Let’s all blame **Aesiron** ’s Vicodin! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/35 "2004-12-15T18:11:11Z")
- The Norweigan language doesn’t have a word for “snow”. - A platypus is the only mammal that eats the eggs of another species. - A duck’s farts don’t stink. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/36 "2004-12-15T18:25:32Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > - A platypus is the only mammal that eats the eggs of another species. Have an omelet recently? ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/37 "2004-12-15T18:37:40Z")
The largest fire in Pennsylvania history consisted of 1.8 million tires burning in Washington, PA. An anthracite coal mine has been continuously burning since 1961, and Route 61 had to be rerouted around the former town of Centralia, PA due to the fire. Today the town of Ashland, PA is threatened by the spreading fire, as it follows seams of coal underground. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/38 "2004-12-15T19:13:12Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > The commodore 64 computer had a jiffy clock. It ran at 1/60th of a second. The computer kept a “jiffy clock” counter that you could read, which would tell you the number of jiffies that had elapsed since the computer had been turned on. This just further supports my statement that any specific amount of time applied to the word Jiffy is made up and meaningless. The original claim was 1/100th, then Reeder found 1/1000th, and now you’re saying 1/60th. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/39 "2004-12-15T19:32:11Z")
**danceswithcats** wrote > [@](#): > > Not true (that you can count to 1023 on your fingers). 255 is the maximum with fingers. Thumbs must be used to reach 1023. There’s a false assumption from the beginning that only two positions are allowed per finger. It’s trivial to count to 59,048 on your fingers and thumbs, if three positions are used (fully open, half open, touching palm, for example.) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853/40 "2004-12-15T19:34:34Z")
> [@Bill H.](#): > > **danceswithcats** wrote > > There’s a false assumption from the beginning that only two positions are allowed per finger. It’s trivial to count to 59,048 on your fingers and thumbs, if three positions are used (fully open, half open, touching palm, for example.) Then it’s not **bi** nary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bet-you-didnt-know-or-useless-trivia/279853.md?page=3)