# 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:** 247
**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:** [August 1, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4929 "2022-08-01T18:05:09Z")
From the opposite end of the spectrum, vehicles taking an exit too fast in Seattle: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DeFY9u69tkE/maxresdefault.jpg "Cars taking the (I-5 South) Union street exit too fast") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeFY9u69tkE) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Va2EczxuFIU/maxresdefault.jpg "cars taking i5 union street fast.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va2EczxuFIU) ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4930 "2022-08-01T18:09:41Z")
The Independence Avenue bridge in Kansas City, MO is undefeated. It even has its own [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bridge_avenue?lang=en) and Facebook pages (can’t do Facebook link, I’m supposedly working). Well marked and well known, trucks still run into it. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4931 "2022-08-01T18:28:36Z")
Long tail backs on freeways/motorways often occur simply because one driver is tailgating and as they brake their red light encourages a wave of braking behind them which can build up like a wave. This article has some good examples: > **[Why do traffic jams sometimes form for no reason?](https://www.vox.com/2014/11/24/7276027/traffic-jam)** > > Scientists have solved the infuriating mystery. [![](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BnpIBxvh1KveedDp8kOT5ONPmeA=/1600x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2487836/2014-11-24_10_34_20.0.gif) ](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BnpIBxvh1KveedDp8kOT5ONPmeA=/1600x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2487836/2014-11-24_10_34_20.0.gif) ---
**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:** [August 1, 2022, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4932 "2022-08-01T19:04:09Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Long tail backs on freeways/motorways often occur simply because one driver is tailgating and as they brake their red light encourages a wave of braking behind them which can build up like a wave. I drive a manual shift, so to minimize gear changes I drive like a “shock absorber”: I maintain ample room and try to anticipate slowdowns so I can just back off the accelerator instead of breking. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4933 "2022-08-01T19:19:34Z")
Maybe Annie Ross was right: > Oh, they used to laugh at me when I refused to ride > On all those double-decker buses > All because there was no driver on the top ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4934 "2022-08-01T21:28:25Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > People, stop it, you gave me this earworm: 😆 > > _And if a double-decker bus_ > _Crashes into us_ > _To die by your side_ > _Is such a heavenly way to die_ Me too! The Smiths version _and_ the Neil Finn/Johnny Marr one as well… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kNYL1gitgm8/hqdefault.jpg "Neil Finn and Johnny Marr -- There is a light that never goes out (The Smiths)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNYL1gitgm8) ---
**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:** [August 1, 2022, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4935 "2022-08-01T21:36:02Z")
Oh, many thanks @digs for the song. I enjoyed it very much, I had no idea Neil Finn did it with Johnny Marr. Pop masters. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4936 "2022-08-01T21:59:51Z")
The Melbourne version - the Montague St Bridge (a regular feature on morning traffic reports) is listed on Google Maps as a ‘Tourist Attraction’. [https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Montague+Street+Bridge+3.0m+height/@-37.8298216,144.9470697,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x6ad667f7693afbc1:0xce37901c43dc9910!8m2!3d-37.8298216!4d144.9492584](https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Montague+Street+Bridge+3.0m+height/@-37.8298216,144.9470697,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x6ad667f7693afbc1:0xce37901c43dc9910!8m2!3d-37.8298216!4d144.9492584) ---
**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:** [August 1, 2022, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4937 "2022-08-01T23:00:38Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > From the opposite end of the spectrum, vehicles taking an exit too fast in Seattle: Good heavens. They need a big ol’ baby bumper on that wall. (Are those idiots _still traveling_ at highway speeds?) > [@Folacin](#): > > The Independence Avenue bridge in Kansas City, MO is undefeated. 12-foot clearance. It’s still got more room than the Can-opener bridge, even after it was raised. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4938 "2022-08-01T23:24:55Z")
Six common vegetables were selectively bred from a single common ancestral plant. Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi all originated from wild mustard. > **[Kale, cauliflower, and cabbage are all varieties of a single magical plant...](https://www.vox.com/xpress/2014/8/6/5974989/kale-cauliflower-cabbage-broccoli-same-plant)** > > How one plant can be so many foods. [![](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6GZn5E869stpc86hA-qVDbvcwXc=/0x0:640x399/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:640x399):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3395076/brassica-oleracea.0.jpg) ](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6GZn5E869stpc86hA-qVDbvcwXc=/0x0:640x399/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:640x399):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3395076/brassica-oleracea.0.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4939 "2022-08-02T01:16:58Z")
The original is literally my favorite song ever. But that is one damn good cover, and Finn almost sounds like Morrissey. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4940 "2022-08-02T02:59:57Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Finn almost sounds like Morrissey. But more emotionally mature. :~} The backstory: Neil Finn booked a theater on a small Caribbean island, then invited his brother Tim, his son Liam, Eddie Vedder, Lisa Germano (that was her on violin) and Johnny Marr. For a week of playing on the beach and rehearsing… then a performance. The album’s titled Seven Worlds Collide [(full LP streaming on YouTube),](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIkpZh_qPm8) and they’ve reunited for other gigs as well. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4941 "2022-08-02T03:02:17Z")
There are variations of this all over the place. For the most part, they are novelties. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4942 "2022-08-02T03:07:45Z")
On a related note, I learned quite a while back that Benjamin Franklin liked, of all things, tofu. I had no idea they had that in colonial America, but they did; it was called soybean cheese, made in a manner not unlike current Japanese tofu production, and Benny liked it breaded and deep fried. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4943 "2022-08-02T03:11:47Z")
Davenport, IA also has its own Infamous Truck-Eating Bridge. At least one charity even sells calendars each year. [https://localwiki.org/qc/Truck\_Eating\_Bridge](https://localwiki.org/qc/Truck_Eating_Bridge) There’s also one in Kirkland, WA that has its own entry in Atlas Obscura. > **[Truck-Eating Bridge](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/truck-eating-bridge)** > > A normal, unassuming pedestrian overpass has been the demise of many, many trucks. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2022, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4944 "2022-08-02T09:55:10Z")
Another interesting tidbit on Benjamin Franklin: A long time ago I happened upon his autobiography, and recall that he became a vegetarian in his teens due to his ethical concerns of eating animals. I found this fascinating, as I had no idea vegetarianism was a thing back then. But it didn’t last long for Ben: one day, while walking along a dock at the harbor, he caught a whiff of some fish being fried. He ate a few, it tasted good, and that was the end of his vegetarianism. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2022, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4945 "2022-08-02T12:03:25Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Six common vegetables were selectively bred from a single common ancestral plant. > > Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi all originated from wild mustard. Seven. Don’t forget **Collard** , the source od Colard Greens. “Collard” is a worn-down form of “Colewort”. Actually, according to the Wikipedia article on Brassica oleracea there are others – Savoy Cabbage and Gai Lan. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were others still. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4946 "2022-08-02T16:53:18Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > On a related note, I learned quite a while back that Benjamin Franklin liked, of all things, tofu. This thread has gotten way too long. Post 3890. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Ben Franklin liked tofu. According to the Ken Burns documentary, he learned about it in England and brought it back with him. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4947 "2022-08-02T22:49:48Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Actually, according to the Wikipedia article on Brassica oleracea there are others – Savoy Cabbage and Gai Lan. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were others still. Are we including hybrids, like broccolini (broccoli crossed with Gai Lan)? ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/4948 "2022-08-03T02:37:03Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Davenport, IA also has its own Infamous Truck-Eating Bridge. At least one charity even sells calendars each year. Not to mention [Wolf Creek Pass](https://youtu.be/X6LzWZYWpOU) > _Right in the middle of the whole damn show was a real nice tunnel, now wouldn’t you know?_ > > _Sign says clearance to the twelve-foot line, but the chickens was stacked to thirteen-nine_ > > _Well we shot that tunnel at a hundred-and-ten, like gas through a funnel and eggs through a hen_ > > _And we took that top row of chickens off slicker than scum off a Louisiana swamp_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=246) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=248)