# 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:** 403
**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:** [November 9, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8051 "2023-11-09T15:34:29Z")
At the opposite end of the scale the driving distance from Attleboro Massachusetts to Thompson Connecticut, traversing the entire width of Rhode Island, is just 26 miles, and it’s not a straight line. It’s only 18 miles as the crow flies. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8052 "2023-11-09T15:40:49Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > > [@Railer13](#): > > > > According to Google Maps, driving distance from El Paso, Texas to San Diego, California is 726 miles. Driving distance from El Paso to Houston, also in Texas, is 746 miles. > > Also according to Google Maps, the driving distance from Brownsville, Texas to [Buffalo Springs in the Texas panhandle](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo+Springs,+TX+79022/@36.350903,-103.0852881,10z/data=!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x86fe6a753dded2e9:0x45a7d4f5bcee15a!2sBuffalo+Springs,+TX!3b1!8m2!3d33.5320312!4d-101.708218!16zL20vMDEwNXhk!3m5!1s0x870583ab57bafd9d:0xfbad6acea86527d!8m2!3d36.4866699!4d-102.7588899!16s%2Fm%2F04by633?entry=ttu) is 100 miles less than the driving distance from Buffalo Springs to Portal, North Dakota. “The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we is in Texas yet” ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8053 "2023-11-09T16:13:22Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > At the opposite end of the scale **the driving distance from Attleboro Massachusetts to Thompson Connecticut, traversing the entire width of Rhode Island, is just 26 miles** , and it’s not a straight line. It’s only 18 miles as the crow flies . By what route? **[Different from this one](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Attleboro,+MA/Thompson,+CT/@41.9725286,-71.9122458,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e45df97249b007:0xc9801dee522f4720!2m2!1d-71.2856082!2d41.9445441!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e426b550b8d5e3:0xa1b70ad73562a582!2m2!1d-71.8792264!2d41.9840732?entry=ttu)**? ---
**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:** [November 9, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8054 "2023-11-09T16:47:19Z")
The US announced in 2016 that it was moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Since then, the only other countries that have made the move are Honduras, Guatemala, Kosovo, and Papua New Guinea. The other 100 or so embassies have remained in Tel Aviv. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8055 "2023-11-09T17:21:13Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Worcester is pronounced wooster. Better late than never - the West Sussex Coastal Towns edition: Felpham is pronounced… Felfam Bosham is pronounced… Bozam I know, it’s just not fair. Still, life isn’t fair, is it? j ---
**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:** [November 9, 2023, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8056 "2023-11-09T17:34:53Z")
The bit about the pronunciation of Felpham and Bosham I confirmed today, in Felpham, talking to a resident. But here’s a much more interesting fact we also discovered when we were in Felpham. The life of Felpham resident Barbara Harmer (who, I’m ashamed to say, I had never heard of) is celebrated by a [Blue Plaque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_plaque) on her former home. She was a truly remarkable woman for a number of reasons, the most remarkable of which is this: born in 1953, she started her career as a hairdresser, having left school at the age of 15. Twenty five tears later she became the first qualified female [Concorde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concorde) pilot. She has a wiki, with more of her story: [Barbara Harmer - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Harmer) j ---
**Author:** ![motu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/motu/32/259_2.png) [@motu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/motu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8057 "2023-11-09T17:52:07Z")
Australia has built a Dingo Fence that is almost 3500 miles long. That is longer than driving by car from Miami, FL to Vancouver BC. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8058 "2023-11-09T17:54:55Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > According to Google Maps, driving distance from El Paso, Texas to San Diego, California is 726 miles. Driving distance from El Paso to Houston, also in Texas, is 746 miles. And the distance from San Diego, California to Yreka, California is 760 (driving highways - not straight). ---
**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:** [November 9, 2023, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8059 "2023-11-09T18:04:09Z")
Yes. Except border to border instead of between the centers of towns. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8060 "2023-11-09T18:30:46Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > According to researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology, all mammals spend 21 seconds urinating. Size doesn’t matter. Elephants and rats spend the same time emptying their bladders. I thought this was an amazing fact until I read the bit that said: > plus or minus 13 seconds And now it’s not quite so amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8061 "2023-11-09T18:43:54Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > plus or minus 13 seconds So it could be anywhere from 8 to 34 seconds? BFD. 21 seconds is probably the average, or perhaps the mean. I probably will not be timing myself anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8062 "2023-11-09T19:00:24Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > So it could be anywhere from 8 to 34 seconds? That’s probably the range of my pees, maybe a bit lower on the high end. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8063 "2023-11-09T19:02:16Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > My high school chemistry teacher turned us on to the beauty of multiplying by 1. Like if you have 2 lbs of hamburger… > > 2 lb x 16 oz/lb, the unit lb falls out (one’s in the numberator, another’s in the denominator) and you have 32 oz. 16 oz and a lb ar the same amount, so it’s like multiplying by one. To expand on this a bit, the reason this works is because 16 oz = 1 lb. This is an equality and is also an algebraic equation. Also note that “16 oz” is the same thing as “16” multiplied by the unit “ounces”. So anyway, if you take the equation “16 oz = 1 lb” and divide both sides of the equation by “lb”, you get “16 oz/lb = 1”. And of course we know that you can multiply anything by one and it doesn’t change the result, which is why you can multiply 2 lb by 16 oz/lb to get 32 oz. Or in equation form: 2.0 lb x 16 oz/lb = 32 oz\* So the bottom line is that dimensional analysis is the same thing as multiplying by one, like @lobotomyboy63 said above. (Yes, I used to teach chemistry too, and I heavily emphasized this in my class. It made unit conversions a breeze, and also made it much simpler to later make conversions between grams and moles, etc.) \*I threw significant figures into this conversion too, but that’s a lesson for another day. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8064 "2023-11-09T19:16:33Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I don’t understand the point you’re trying to make. You’re multiplying 16 oz by 2. There’s no one in there. Yes there is. As I showed in my previous post: “16 oz/lb = 1” So when we multiply “2 lb” by “16 oz/lb”, that is the exact same thing as multiplying by one, because 16 oz/lb = 1. Incidentally, note that in your post you wrote 2 without any units. It’s actually 2 lb. Also you wrote 16 oz. It’s actually 16 oz/lb. Yes, this a pedantic point to make, but it’s important to always include proper units when doing dimensional analysis. Leaving off units entirely or partially inevitably leads to mistakes or confusion, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8065 "2023-11-09T19:41:42Z")
I’m guessing that study was made at the keggers they frequent. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8066 "2023-11-09T23:22:00Z")
And heavily weighted towards young people. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2023, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8067 "2023-11-10T01:08:52Z")
Strongman and wrestler “The Great Antonio” (1925-2003) was well known in Montreal for attaching a chain to a fully-loaded city bus and pulling it a couple of blocks. One day, he approached the Montreal Expos (baseball team) management - offering to wrestle a bear between games of a double-header. He was asked: “What if the bear wins?” Antonio replied: “The bear never wins”. (no mention was made as to who would supply the bear). [Great Antonio - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Antonio) ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8068 "2023-11-10T17:02:06Z")
There is such a word, reify, which I had never heard of before, 3 times in a book I’m reading and heard on NPR recently. It means: make (something abstract) more concrete or real: ---
**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:** [November 10, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8069 "2023-11-10T18:15:12Z")
Companion of ‘edify’. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8070 "2023-11-10T18:55:35Z")
“Hi! We’re Ed and Re, the Ify brothers!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=402) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=404)