# 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:** 36
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/701 "2020-09-06T18:46:48Z")
The live rattlesnake in the gift shop of the Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo, Texas is named Brenda. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/702 "2020-09-06T19:29:10Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > > [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > > > Given a scale of “one atom” to “planet Earth”, a grain of sand is in the middle. (Someone will undoubtedly correct me on this- feel free, I can handle it.) > > Seems pretty accurate by my reckoning. An atom is about 10^-10m, the earth is about 10^7m. So the midpoint is 10^-2 to 10^-1m, a little larger than a grain of sand - more like a large pebble. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/703 "2020-09-07T00:20:12Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > US Navy basic training site for enlisted is on Lake Michigan, not the ocean Great Lakes station. They had sites in San Diego and Florida but they were closed down. mrAru did basic at RTC Great Lakes, then followed up with a short stint at RTC Orlando because he was waiting to get into nuke school and they had to put him somewhere. [he ended up doing Master at Arms in the chow hall, where he ran into one of his cousins doing her boot at RTC Orlando, of all things.] ---
**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:** [September 7, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/704 "2020-09-07T20:36:51Z")
> **[Do you know that Pepsi was the 6th largest naval power in the world? - Naval...](https://navalpost.com/do-you-know-that-pepsi-was-the-6th-largest-naval-power-in-the-world/)** > > The title of the article may seem strange to readers. Even some of them may rightly think there is a typo here. Because it is really hard to use the words ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/705 "2020-09-09T03:15:19Z")
On an Android phone, when you turn on airplane mode it automatically turns off Bluetooth. But after having used Android devices for eight years, it was only today that I learned you can turn Bluetooth right back on again. At least, it works that way in Android 9, but I assume it’s valid for all versions. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/706 "2020-09-10T02:20:35Z")
Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech after being shot with the bullet still in his chest ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/707 "2020-09-10T09:41:35Z")
tldr: A spacefaring race cannot exist on a planet beyond a certain size. I’ve been reading a book on special relativity and gravity (for non-scientists). I’ve returned the book, so I’m not certain about the details but here goes. During the gravity chapters, the author mentioned that if earth’s mass were about 50% higher, we could never reach orbit. He explained the problem of X pounds of spacecraft need Y pounds of fuel, but that fuel needs even more fuel to lift it, which requires more fuel (you get the picture). According to him, at 1.5\* times our gravity, there is no known chemical reaction that can overcome this math. And that inhabitants of any planet who’s mass creates that much gravitational force could not leave the planet – ever. \*The detail I’m unclear on is the 50%. I’m pretty sure that’s the value, but my memory could be wrong. It might have been 30%. Hopefully experts will weigh in on this and correct me. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/708 "2020-09-10T09:59:29Z")
According to Trivial Pursuit cards at the time, Coca Cola owned the largest fleet of trucks in the US ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/709 "2020-09-10T11:58:48Z")
I think most people already know the mask worn by _Michael Myers_ in the slasher film **Halloween** was a **William Shatner** mask painted white. New to me is something I read on the AICN website today. The actor who portrayed _Michael Myers_, **Tony Moran** , was an older brother to actress, **Erin Moran** , who portrayed _Joanie_ in **Happy Days**. It was interesting to me. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/710 "2020-09-10T12:05:44Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > According to Trivial Pursuit cards at the time, Coca Cola owned the largest fleet of trucks in the US. And for a while [Pepsi had the 6th largest navy in the world.](https://www.businessinsider.com/how-pepsi-briefly-became-the-6th-largest-military-in-the-world-2018-7) ---
**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:** [September 10, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/711 "2020-09-10T20:06:35Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > According to Trivial Pursuit cards at the time, Coca Cola owned the largest fleet of trucks in the US The things you read on old Trivial Pursuit cards are not _necessarily_ true > [@](#): > > In October 1984, Fred L. Worth, author of _[The Trivia Encyclopedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trivia_Encyclopedia)_ , _Super Trivia_ , and _Super Trivia II_ , filed a $300 million lawsuit against the distributors of _Trivial Pursuit_ . He claimed that more than a quarter of the questions in the game’s Genus Edition had been taken from his books, even to the point of reproducing typographical errors and **deliberately placed misinformation** … My bolding. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trivial_Pursuit#Legal_action) j ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/712 "2020-09-10T20:13:29Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > The things you read on old Trivial Pursuit cards are not _necessarily_ true > > > [@](#): > > > > In October 1984, Fred L. Worth, author of _[The Trivia Encyclopedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trivia_Encyclopedia)_ , _Super Trivia_ , and _Super Trivia II_ , filed a $300 million lawsuit against the distributors of _Trivial Pursuit_ . He claimed that more than a quarter of the questions in the game’s Genus Edition had been taken from his books, even to the point of reproducing typographical errors and **deliberately placed misinformation** … He lost that lawsuit. Facts aren’t copyrightable and Trivial Pursuit stole from a whole bunch of sources. If you do hear that Lt. Columbo’s first name was Philip then it did come from Worth’s book originally, he made up the name and planted it. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/713 "2020-09-10T20:25:23Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > According to Trivial Pursuit cards at the time, Coca Cola owned the largest fleet of trucks in the US Seems unlikely. Coca Cola has a network of independent bottlers, who would own the trucks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/714 "2020-09-10T20:57:54Z")
Perhaps more relevantly, it also helps prevent cicadas’ cycles from coinciding with those of other cicada species. Multiple species emerging at once would mean way more competition than either one would want. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/715 "2020-09-10T22:06:30Z")
In the 1970s, Boeing studied the idea of turning the 747 into a flying aircraft carrier. > **[Remember That Time Boeing Wanted to Turn the 747 Jumbo Jet Into an Aircraft...](https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a33957030/boeing-747-airborne-aircraft-carrier-proposal/)** > > It would've been so damn cool. Why didn't it work? ---
**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:** [September 10, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/716 "2020-09-10T22:22:57Z")
The music group “Men at Work” gave us “Down Under” and are thought of as Australian. Colin Hay was the lead singer and wrote or co-wrote their major hits, however, is originally from Scotland. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kCZKAxDoUwE/maxresdefault.jpg "Choir! Choir! Choir! / Colin Hay - Men At Work "Overkill"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCZKAxDoUwE) ---
**Author:** ![merrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@merrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrick)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/717 "2020-09-10T22:27:06Z")
Sadly, the Pepsi Fleet [appears to be a myth](https://www.navalgazing.net/The-Pepsi-Fleet). However the US Navy’s flying [aircraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Macon_(ZRS-5)) [carriers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Akron) were in fact real - though, sadly, not for very long. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/718 "2020-09-10T23:13:19Z")
> [@merrick](#): > > Sadly, the Pepsi Fleet [appears to be a myth](https://www.navalgazing.net/The-Pepsi-Fleet). Not surprising, but a fictional navy is way better than a fictional fleet of trucks. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/719 "2020-09-11T02:57:04Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > He lost that lawsuit. Facts aren’t copyrightable But since they were not true “facts” then shouldn’t they have been copyrightable? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/720 "2020-09-11T03:39:27Z")
Good point. Don’t know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=37)