# Simple factual errors that drive you nuts
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 19, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504 "2009-02-19T03:19:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/1 "2009-02-19T03:19:24Z")
I’ll share some so you can get the point and join in:
**TERMS FOR ‘other than full’ SIBLINGS**
If one of your parents, either one, has a child with a person who isn’t your parent, that child (if a boy) is your **half** brother. If either of your parents marries another person after you are born and that other person has children by a previous partner, those children are your **step** siblings. This is not hard, but you would be amazed how interchangeably and inaccurately the terms are used. _(Examples: I was reading an article today about Mary Todd Lincoln’s stepsiblings who were killed in the Civil War- they were in fact her half-siblings. A magazine article recently referred to Barack Obama’s stepsister in Hawaii- again, that’s a half sister. The Brady boys and the Brady girls were **step** siblings.
I read an interview with Gore Vidal in which the interviewer referred to Vidal as Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s stepbrother, which in fact he was not (though his half-brother was; Jackie’s mother married Gore’s former stepfather after Gore was no longer related to him.)_
* * *
A historical error I’ve read many times: “Until Columbus, people thought the earth was flat.” It’s said many times as if it’s a well known fact, which perhaps it is, but at least on the Dope I don’t have to belabor the fact that it’s a completely false fact.
* * *
Barack Obama’s father was **not** an African-American. He was an **African**. The terms **African-American** and **black** are not interchangeable, and yet you’d be surprised how often this pops up.
What are some that always make you want to say “W-R-O-N-G!!!”?
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### Author:  [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/2 "2009-02-19T03:32:23Z")
Humans only use 10% of their brain power. (Well, maybe the people who believe that crap do…)
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/3 "2009-02-19T03:34:05Z")
Seeing [Lewis Hamilton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Hamilton) referred to as an “African American” by American journalist always makes me cringe.
My fiancee used to use the word _touche_ to mean something like “look who’s talking!” I’ve heard lots of other people use it in the wrong context too- or misspell it, which is worse.
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### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/4 "2009-02-19T15:24:37Z")
> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> …Barack Obama’s father was **not** an African-American. He was an **African**. The terms **African-American** and **black** are not interchangeable, and yet you’d be surprised how often this pops up…
When **Star Trek: Voyager** premiered alot of articles mentioned the fact that Tuvok was the first _African-American Vulcan_. He’s not even human. That’s worse than hearing people refer to Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s first African-American president.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/5 "2009-02-19T15:48:28Z")
I remember years ago someone insisting that a certain friend of mine was Chinese-American. No, actually, she’s Vietnamese-Australian, but thanks for playing.
And speaking of being strapped for cash – can you borrow me some money? I’d really love to loan a ten from you.
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### Author:  [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/6 "2009-02-19T15:49:56Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> My fiancee used to use the word _touche_ to mean something like “look who’s talking!” I’ve heard lots of other people use it in the wrong context too- _or misspell it, which is worse_.
It’s spelled “Touché”
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/7 "2009-02-19T15:59:57Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#):
>
> It’s spelled “Touché”
I _knew_ somebody would say that :smack:. I don’t know what the “Alt +” thing for an e with an acute accent is.
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### Author:  [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/8 "2009-02-19T16:17:14Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> I _knew_ somebody would say that :smack:. I don’t know what the “Alt +” thing for an e with an acute accent is.
[Alt 0201](http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/00c9/index.htm). [And if you already know the unicode number, see this](http://www.fileformat.info/tip/microsoft/enter_unicode.htm)
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/9 "2009-02-19T16:20:22Z")
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/10 "2009-02-19T16:22:56Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> I _knew_ somebody would say that :smack:. I don’t know what the “Alt +” thing for an e with an acute accent is.
alt+0233
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### Author:  [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/11 "2009-02-19T16:25:38Z")
In references to celestial objects, I frequently hear a figure that’s impossibly close or impossibly far away. Examples:
1. Several _Twilight Zone_ episodes featured an Earthlike planet (or “asteroid”) that was supposedly something like “ten million miles from Earth”.
2. I’ve got the National Geographic Channel on. Interesting docudrama about the Space Race. There’s a promo for another show, with the narrator saying: “When you wish upon a star, **even at the speed of light,** it would take your wish **five million years** to get there!” WTF? Where the Hell did they get that figure?
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### Author:  [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/12 "2009-02-19T16:27:05Z")
> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> Barack Obama’s father was **not** an African-American. He was an **African**. The terms **African-American** and **black** are not interchangeable, and yet you’d be surprised how often this pops up.
Sorry not to offer one of my own, but another example of this one that I still get a kick out of…
I once saw a man being interviewed on local news who was furious – _furious_ – that African-Americans are never given proper credit for building the great pyramids at Giza.
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/13 "2009-02-19T16:32:29Z")
That a captain’s wheel cannot, in fact, move one’s testicles.
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### Author:  [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/14 "2009-02-19T16:40:27Z")
> [@Baldwin](#):
>
> In references to celestial objects, I frequently hear a figure that’s impossibly close or impossibly far away. Examples:
>
> 1. Several _Twilight Zone_ episodes featured an Earthlike planet (or “asteroid”) that was supposedly something like “ten million miles from Earth”.
>
> 2. I’ve got the National Geographic Channel on. Interesting docudrama about the Space Race. There’s a promo for another show, with the narrator saying: “When you wish upon a star, **even at the speed of light,** it would take your wish **five million years** to get there!” WTF? Where the Hell did they get that figure?
That second one would be entirely accurate if you wished on a star 5 million LY away. What’s wrong with that? There’s certainly plenty of choice.
If you want a faster turnaround time, you just need to aim your wishes in the direction of Proxima Centauri and you should have a reply in 8 years, give or take a bit. It’s all about correct star selection.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/15 "2009-02-19T16:45:11Z")
> [@Dervorin](#):
>
> That second one would be entirely accurate if you wished on a star 5 million LY away. What’s wrong with that? There’s certainly plenty of choice.
The farthest stars visible to the naked eye are about 4,000 light years away. You can see the galaxy Andromeda with the naked eye, and it’s 2.5 million light years away, but it’s a) not a star, and b) not 5 million light years away.
I suppose you could theoretically wish upon a star while looking through a telescope, but I imagine it kinda ruins the moment.
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/16 "2009-02-19T16:46:29Z")
Not out and out a factual error, but an implication of a factual error:
“William Henry Harrison contracted a cold after giving a two-hour (or whatever) inaugural address on a cold, rainy day with no hat or coat. . .”
While that all of that is factually correct, it implies that the cold conditions _caused_ his cold (or whatever it was that later turned into pneumonia).
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/17 "2009-02-19T17:00:47Z")
> [@Baldwin](#):
>
> 2)“When you wish upon a star, **even at the speed of light,** it would take your wish **five million years** to get there!” WTF? Where the Hell did they get that figure?
While your point is factually correct, it’s possible that either the script writer or narrator goofed, or possibly you misheard it. I haven’t seen that doc, and I meant to record it but my DVR was full.
Reason I say this is: If you substitute “speed of sound” for “speed of light,” you do get a reasonably close 5M years to get to Alpha Centauri at 4.3LY away.
Another TZ factual error from “From Agnes With Love:”
Wally Cox asks this question to the computer (whose name is Agnes):
“What is the first prime number larger than the 17th root of 12 trillion, (some number) million, (some other number) thousand, and (the rest)?”
(I apologize for the gaps, but I don’t remember the exact number.)
The computer responds “5.”
Not true.
If the number was supposed to be 12 BILLION, etc., then 5 is correct. As stated by Cox, the correct number would be 7. (17th root of 12 B is @3.9; 17th root of 12T is @5.9)
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/18 "2009-02-19T17:12:20Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#):
>
> The computer responds “5.”
>
> Not true.
If we’re going to nitpick, then let’s go the Wizard of Oz. “The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an iscoceles triangle, is equal to the square root of the remaining side.”
Straw-for-brains moron.
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### Author:  [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/19 "2009-02-19T17:13:58Z")
That the Chinese word for crisis is made up of danger and opportunity.
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### Author:  [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-factual-errors-that-drive-you-nuts/486504/20 "2009-02-19T17:18:17Z")
That the US Public Health Service actually _gave_ black men in Tuskegee, AL syphilis, when the actual crime was that they withheld treatment and allowed folks to needlessly suffer all in the interest of data collection.
That said, it can be reasonably argued that by withholding treatment, the govt allowed people to get infected that would not have been otherwise. So I’m fine with saying that they indirectly gave syphillis to people.
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