# Post facts that opened your eye. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262 "2008-11-11T23:20:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/161 "2008-11-13T13:15:34Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > 80% of the money you spend on health care is spent in the last 2 years of your life. I know. It would solve the health care crisis if everyone would die before that. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/162 "2008-11-13T13:23:50Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I know. It would solve the health care crisis if everyone would die before that. Are you volunteering? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/163 "2008-11-13T13:30:41Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > No. His post was a demonstration, not an assertion. His demonstration was in \*support \*of his _assertion_. And so did not demonstrate enough. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/164 "2008-11-13T13:34:46Z")
> [@Sofis](#): > > As for a revelation… a somewhat related one: words don’t have meaning. Not in and of themselves. The same word can mean subtly or unsubtly different things depending on context or who is using the word, and sometimes they don’t mean anything at all (this is what I suspect is the case with the above issue, though I’m willing to be corrected on that). > Moreover, people don’t always know what they think the words they use mean. It’s perfectly possible for someone to claim that they mean one thing with a word, and then go ahead and use the very same word in a manner that contradicts their claim. And they’re not necessarily lying. Gavagai! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/165 "2008-11-13T14:22:01Z")
I have read that the number of intestinal fauna that you’ll have in your guts over the course of your life is greater than the number of human beings who have ever lived. Most of you, of course, is not actually you. You don’t even fart your own farts; you outsource that. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/166 "2008-11-13T14:47:38Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > His demonstration was in \*support \*of his _assertion_. And so did not demonstrate enough. It demonstrated the minimum necessary to support the claim. That is sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/167 "2008-11-13T14:50:36Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Most of you, of course, is not actually you. This is only true on terms of cell count. In terms of biomass, it’s not even close. Unless, by “you” you mean the mind, in which case all of your mass isn’t you. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/168 "2008-11-13T15:13:25Z")
Well, I think the cite I read was including, say, mitochondria. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/169 "2008-11-13T15:28:12Z")
When I was 8 or 9, our family was at my favorite swimming pool. I was tooling around with my face half in the water - my eyes were just above water level. Everything looked so neat from that perspective, that I wished my parents could see it. And then it hit me - they don’t have my eyes in my head, so they’ll never see anything exactly the same way as I do. Whoa. As I grew older, that realization expanded to my thoughts and feelings as well. _Not one other person will ever see things exactly the way I do._ Mind-blowing to a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/170 "2008-11-13T15:35:05Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > When I was 8 or 9, our family was at my favorite swimming pool. I was tooling around with my face half in the water - my eyes were just above water level. Everything looked so neat from that perspective, that I wished my parents could see it. And then it hit me - they don’t have my eyes in my head, so they’ll never see anything exactly the same way as I do. Whoa. As I grew older, that realization expanded to my thoughts and feelings as well. _Not one other person will ever see things exactly the way I do._ Mind-blowing to a kid. I see your point. Oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/171 "2008-11-13T15:50:46Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > I had a moment of epiphanic clarity once where I saw a connection between all living things, and how that connection was what we called god… but it was almost completely visual/emotional and I have never really been able to successfully put into words exactly what that epiphany was. Don’t fret, a lot of really deep things like that are right-brained spacial rather than left-brain verbal (God the father vs. Logos the Son??). The best art is for example. ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/172 "2008-11-13T16:08:01Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > I assure you, in that case, half of you will indeed be below the median income. (Among those ten individuals.) I don’t understand your point of saying this. My post was meant to demonstrate that average \<\> median but it looks like you are trying to tell me the same thing. [QUOTE=Khadaji] You seem to have forgotten to take into account people without any… [/QUOTE] I was demonstrating how the average could be less than 2. Had I included people without legs that would only drop the average even further. If you really wanted to correct me, you would need to point out that I hadn’t included people with 4 or more legs as they would raise the average. In short, no I didn’t include every count of legs and then do a weighted average. But pointing out that I didn’t include a group that would only strengthen the original claim seems strange to me. [QUOTE=Khadaji] His demonstration was in support of his assertion. And so did not demonstrate enough. [/QUOTE] Two things. First, it wasn’t my assertion. Once again, I was merely demonstrating how it is possible. Second, see above. If I didn’t demonstrate enough because I didn’t include all counts of legs, why in the world would you point out the group that would only strengthen the original assertion? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/173 "2008-11-13T16:10:07Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > Are you volunteering? To die before my last two years of life? Sure, once I get the paradox worked out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/174 "2008-11-13T16:11:01Z")
Yeah I’m not getting how an example given to explain a point is suddenly required to include every possible scenario of the real situation the example is being used to explain. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/175 "2008-11-13T16:14:36Z")
How many people are needed so you can live an average day. Everyone that has anything to do with getting your food, furniture, houses, roads, cars, computers, clothes, etc. etc. etc. Must be over 10 million when you think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/176 "2008-11-13T16:40:20Z")
My eye-opening realization: that both of my daughters, now ages 1 and 3, are not as far removed from their freshman years of college as I am. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/177 "2008-11-13T16:45:15Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > How many people are needed so you can live an average day. Everyone that has anything to do with getting your food, furniture, houses, roads, cars, computers, clothes, etc. etc. etc. Must be over 10 million when you think about it. This and the realization of just how far most of us are from being able to forage for ourselves should something devastating happen to interrupt the food supply. ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/178 "2008-11-13T18:01:03Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > How many people are needed so you can live an average day. Everyone that has anything to do with getting your food, furniture, houses, roads, cars, computers, clothes, etc. etc. etc. Must be over 10 million when you think about it. Along similar lines: Practically everything man-made you see was the result of someone somewhere sometime sitting down and designing it. Or at least specced it out (like the dimensions of an asphalt parking lot). And then someone had to put it together. Everything from buildings to cars to paper clips to q-tips to thumbtacks to bicycles to airplanes to shoelaces to belts to… Or maybe it was put together by an automated system. In which case, someone had to sit down and design a thing to automatically build some other thing. And someone had to build **that**. As a consequence of the above, if I’m every flipping around channels and come across “How it’s made” on the Discovery channel, I’m usually glued to it. Watching raw materials go in one end of a machine and have finished {whatever}s come out the other end without ever being touched by human hands…it’s fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/179 "2008-11-13T18:17:56Z")
> [@sciguy](#): > > Practically everything man-made you see was the result of someone somewhere sometime sitting down and designing it. Or at least specced it out (like the dimensions of an asphalt parking lot). And then someone had to put it together. Everything from buildings to cars to paper clips to q-tips to thumbtacks to bicycles to airplanes to shoelaces to belts to… Just to take it a small step further… Every man-made object was the product of someone’s imagination. This keyboard that I’m typing at right now started as a thought in someone’s head. In fact, every person started out as simply a thought in someone’s head (something along the lines of “wow, I’m horny.”) So we’re all just the product of imagination. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262/180 "2008-11-13T18:54:19Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > This and the realization of just how far most of us are from being able to forage for ourselves should something devastating happen to interrupt the food supply. Definitely. On the other hand, this is not due to any loss of our foraging capabilities under civilization, but rather there being _so many_ people. I’d guess that if there were only as many people around as there were during much of prehistory, and the former game species were not mostly depopulated, the average person wouldn’t starve if they were in a non-desert temperate environment. Succumb to plant poisoning is another story… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-facts-that-opened-your-eye/472262.md?page=10)