# Tell us an interesting random fact you stumbled across (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674 "2020-04-13T03:19:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 235
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4689 "2022-06-17T20:33:47Z")
Cool - I’ll see if I can find that. j ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2022, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4690 "2022-06-18T12:36:03Z")
I do have several albums with the comments in the groove. Joe Walsh had them on his solo albums. One was “Y? Because we like you.” ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4691 "2022-06-18T21:04:45Z")
TIL about the… > **[Cox–Zucker machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox%E2%80%93Zucker_machine)** > > The Cox–Zucker machine is an algorithm created by David A. Cox and Steven Zucker. This algorithm determines whether a given set of sections provides a basis (up to torsion) for the Mordell–Weil group of an elliptic surface E → S, where S is isomorphic to the projective line. > The algorithm was first published in the 1979 article "Intersection numbers of sections of elliptic surfaces" by Cox and Zucker and was later named the "Cox–Zucker machine" by Charles Schwartz in 1984. > The name sounds simil... ---
**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:** [June 18, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4692 "2022-06-18T22:00:41Z")
Does David A. have a brother named Sakkhar? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2022, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4693 "2022-06-19T03:05:10Z")
Interesting theory of the French mild oath _Sacre bleu_: _Dendarii\_Dame Member Dec '12 True or not, I heard that originally King Louis IX (later Saint Louis) disapproved of people being profane, and so courtiers started saying Sacre Bleu, Bleu being the king’s dog’s name._ From [these](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacre-bleu/643092/8) boards. It’s just one theory 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2022, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4694 "2022-06-19T09:38:22Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **How to Piss Off People After You’re Dead** > > [Headstone With Hidden Profanity Annoys The F Out Of Cemetery | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/headstone-profanity-upsets-community-polk-county-iowa_n_62ab7038e4b04a617359daa2) Another one that’s been there for years… [Hidden Message on Montreal Headstone | Snopes.com](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/letter-rip/) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4695 "2022-06-19T14:31:40Z")
They could have made the puzzle more difficult. > **[Bean Puzzle Tombstone](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bean-puzzle-tombstone)** > > It took over 100 years to decode this enigmatic epitaph for two buried brides. Additional tidbit for today: this Paris cemetery covers 110 acres. That’s approximately the area of 83 American football fields. It includes the grave of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and many more. > **[An unusual stroll through the Père-Lachaise cemetery - Paris tourist office](https://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/walks-in-paris/unusual-stroll-cemetery-pere-lachaise)** > > No visit to the Père-Lachaise cemetery in the eastern part of the city is quite the same. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4696 "2022-06-19T20:19:37Z")
[In France there are giant catfish that hunt pigeons.](https://youtu.be/on7cixfDl8I) The pigeons gather on the bank of the river to splash around, and the catfish pick them off, looking orcas hunting penguins. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2022, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4697 "2022-06-19T23:57:56Z")
Reminds me of the pigeon-eating gulls in Hyde Park. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xRPTBhmcyXY/hqdefault.jpg "The gull who eats pigeons") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRPTBhmcyXY) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4698 "2022-06-20T00:44:24Z")
How does citing a theory make it a fact? > an English notion of a stereotypical French oath, 1869, from French sacré bleu, literally “holy blue,” a euphemism for sacré Dieu (1768), “holy God.” From Old French sacrer, from Latin sacrare “to make or declare sacred” (see [sacred](https://www.etymonline.com/word/sacred?ref=etymonline_crossreference)). Louis IX lived from 1214-1270, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4699 "2022-06-20T14:41:15Z")
Moderating: > [@Jim\_B](#): > > Interesting theory of the French mild oath _Sacre bleu_: > > _Dendarii\_Dame > Member > Dec '12 > True or not, I heard that originally King Louis IX (later Saint Louis) disapproved of people being profane, and so courtiers started saying Sacre Bleu, Bleu being the king’s dog’s name._ > > From [these](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacre-bleu/643092/8) boards. > > It’s just one theory 🙂 . > [@puzzlegal](#): > > This is a thread for interesting random facts. Not for interesting random nonsense you’ve made up. You are on notice that if you add another fake fact you will be told to permanently leave this thread. Bolding added. @Jim_B , you don’t seem to “get” this thread. Don’t post in it again. This is an official moderator instruction. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4700 "2022-06-20T23:39:33Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Louis IX lived from 1214-1270, BTW. According to [this](https://www-cnrtl-fr.translate.goog/definition/sacrebleu?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc) – in French – the term replaced _sacredieu_ either during the reign of Louis XIV or XV. Why the replacement doesn’t seem to be addressed. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2022, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4701 "2022-06-21T16:06:01Z")
I love all of the zoo shows on Animal Planet and was watching the San Diego Zoo one this weekend. A baby pygmy hippo was born and it showed it nursing from its mother underwater! Apparently, they can close their nose and ears to block out the water. And BTW - a baby pygmy hippo is adorable! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4702 "2022-06-21T16:39:03Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > And BTW - a baby pygmy hippo is adorable! The had one at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston a few years ago. It is. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4703 "2022-06-21T23:15:08Z")
TIL that Cloudflare has a wall of lava lamps that it uses to generate random cryptographic keys. > **[How a Bunch of Lava Lamps Protect Us From Hackers](https://www.wired.com/story/cloudflare-lava-lamps-protect-from-hackers/)** > > Inside Cloudflare's San Francisco office, 100 units of Edward Craven Walker’s groovy hardware help guard the internet. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4704 "2022-06-22T00:37:24Z")
The world record sniper kill is from a distance of… A) 2430m B) 2475m C) 2815m D) 3540m I listed them from #4 to #1. 3540m, or nearly 2.2 miles, is the record, followed by the others. [Wikipedia source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_recorded_sniper_kills) ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4705 "2022-06-22T15:05:47Z")
At last it’s settled! > **[The Mites That Live and Breed on Your Face Have Anuses, Genome Study Finds](https://gizmodo.com/demodex-face-mites-genome-1849090328)** > > We suddenly know a whole lot more about Demodex skin mites, thanks to a newly sequenced genome. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4706 "2022-06-22T15:07:19Z")
What is this, the thread for facts that nobody wants to know about? 😱 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4707 "2022-06-22T16:04:00Z")
Was just reading that the number of blades on a fan is usually a prime number (e.g. 3, 5). Has something to do with reducing vibration. Same goes for the number of spokes on a car wheel. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2022, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4708 "2022-06-23T13:55:01Z")
Mattel’s television division is trying to create a game show based on the carnival game “Whac-a-Mole”. > **[Whac-A-Mole Game Show in the Works at Mattel Television and Fremantle](https://www.thewrap.com/whac-a-mole-game-show-in-the-works-at-mattel-television-and-fremantle/)** > > It's the second classic game the toymaker is looking to turn into a show [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=234) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=236)