# 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:** 41
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/801 "2020-09-28T11:23:02Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > Also, the Jewish Motorcycle Alliance is a thing. They have a website and seem to have distinctive club colors. If you think that’s an esoteric club, try this one: **[Jewish Lesbian Daughters of Holocaust Survivors](https://www.jewishmadison.org/community-directory/jewish-lesbian-daughters-of-holocaust-survivors)** Unrelated interesting random fact I stumbled across: The Japanese words for breakfast, lunch, and dinner literally translate as “morning rice,” “daytime rice,” and “evening rice.” This says something about the importance of rice in Japanese culture. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2020, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/802 "2020-09-28T11:39:40Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > If you think that’s an esoteric club, try this one: > > **[Jewish Lesbian Daughters of Holocaust Survivors](https://www.jewishmadison.org/community-directory/jewish-lesbian-daughters-of-holocaust-survivors)** It’s not as esoteric as that, but [Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership](http://www.jpfo.org) is a very active gun-rights group. I have followed [their FB page](https://www.facebook.com/groups/JewsForThePreservationOfFirearmsOwnership) for many years. They’re hardcore. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/803 "2020-10-01T23:21:57Z")
A young Jay Leno opened for Rahsaan Roland Kirk. > **[Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977) •](https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/kirk-rahsaan-roland-1935-1977/)** > > Rahsaan Roland Kirk was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute, and many other instruments. Kirk was born Ronald Theodore Kirk in Columbus, Ohio, on August 7, 1935. He grew up in a neighborhood in Columbus called... ---
**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:** [October 1, 2020, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/804 "2020-10-01T23:33:17Z")
Understanding tides is extremely complicated. But empirically modeling them, especially in any single location, is very easy. Record them for a month, take a Fourier expansion, and you’ve got a pretty good model. Extend the data collection for a few years, and you’ve got a great model. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/805 "2020-10-01T23:44:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Understanding tides is extremely complicated. But empirically modeling them, especially in any single location, is very easy That makes sense. I’d love to understand tides. I can let other people predict them. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/806 "2020-10-02T01:31:39Z")
Charlie Sheen pitched for his high school baseball team, a skill that was useful when he was cast as Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn in the 1989 film _Major League_; he did not need to be taught to throw like a major league pitcher. The film’s baseball advisor put a radar gun on him during his pitching scenes, and found that his fastball was consistently in the high 80s - not good enough for a professional career, but impressive for an amateur. Although he did admit to taking steroids in preparation for the role. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/807 "2020-10-02T14:36:39Z")
Today I learned about the _[Erfurter Latrinensturz](https://allthatsinteresting.com/erfurt-latrine-disaster)_ or, in English, the Erfurt Latrine Disaster, where 60 German nobles died after the floor gave way and dumped them into a cesspool. I’m especially amused at the German word “latrinensturz.” I plan to use it more in my life. “2020 is a real latrinensturtz.” ---
**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:** [October 2, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/808 "2020-10-02T19:00:46Z")
More on tides. The coast is typically pretty windy and so, you would think, a good place (centuries ago) to build a windmill. But you also see a few examples of [tide mills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide_mill). As the name suggests: water mills powered by the tide. You have to think there’s a balance to be considered here: tides are reliable, but not always usable; wind not always reliable. We’ve booked a couple of days away (summer holiday part 2), by chance not far away from Eling tide mill, which in turn is not _that_ far from Weymouth - which is where the whole discussion of tides originated. I checked and, yes, [Eling also has four tides a day](https://tides.willyweather.co.uk/se/hampshire/eling.html).So I wonder - same amount of downtime, but more manageable because tide intervals are shorter? Enough to tip the balance in favor of a tide mill over a windmill? j ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/809 "2020-10-03T09:12:30Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > The gömböc is a real object that has just one stable and one unstable point of equilibrium: > > [Gömböc - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6mb%C3%B6c) > > Video: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvVF5QWSYF4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvVF5QWSYF4) The most fascinating thing about the gomboc video, is that some turtles have evolved the gomboc shape. BTW I have been in Kabare, DRC. I don’t recall any lightning, but thr nearby Bukavu is one of the world’s most beautiful citirs. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/810 "2020-10-03T11:52:02Z")
At the Paris air show in 1973, the era of supersonic air travel began with demonstrations of both the British/French Concorde, and the Soviet Tu-144. During one of the demonstration flights, the Tu-144 broke apart and crashed a few miles away from the airport. 27 years later, in July of 2000, the commercial supersonic era ended with the crash of the Concorde. The sites of the two crashes are only 9 miles apart. Video about it [here.](https://youtu.be/v_-bW8F7E6M) ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/811 "2020-10-03T16:36:35Z")
The digit sum for the first three integer cubes is: 1. 8. 9. This sequence then repeats for all sequential integer cubes. At least for all I have encountered. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/812 "2020-10-03T20:25:41Z")
Could you explain this a little further… ---
**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:** [October 3, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/813 "2020-10-03T20:47:34Z")
I took this to mean: 1x1x1=1 2x2x2=8 3x3x3=27, 2+7=9 … 4x4x4=64, 6+4=10 1+0=1 5x5x5=125, 1+2+5=8 6x6x6=216, 2+1+6=9 Does it indeed hold true? ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/814 "2020-10-03T21:03:02Z")
Yes. The digit sum is the same as the remainder on division by 9, which is the same as looking at arithmetic modulo 9. Which is to say, it suffices to check for 0 through 8, where the results are 0, 1, 8, 0, 1, 8, 0, 1, 8. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/815 "2020-10-04T02:37:09Z")
One quintillion is 1 followed by 18 zeroes (1,000,000,000,000,000,000). One quintillionth is 1 preceded by 18 zeroes (.0000000000000000001). ---
**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:** [October 4, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/816 "2020-10-04T15:14:48Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > One quintillionth is 1 preceded by 18 zeroes (.0000000000000000001). Nope, only 17 zeros. Think of it this way: how many zeros are in ten (10)? How many zeros are in one-tenth (.1)? ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/817 "2020-10-04T15:33:10Z")
Seems to: 57^3 = 185193 Digit sum = 9 58^3 = 195112 Digit sum = 1 59^3 = 205379 Digit sum = 8 60^3 = 216000 Digit sum = 9 Arbitrary selection of 4 sequential integers ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2020, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/818 "2020-10-04T16:01:14Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > The digit sum for the first three integer cubes is: 1. 8. 9. This sequence then repeats for all sequential integer cubes. At least for all I have encountered. > [@Topologist](#): > > **The digit sum is the same as the remainder on division by 9** , which is the same as looking at arithmetic modulo 9. Which is to say, it suffices to check for 0 through 8, where the results are 0, 1, 8, 0, 1, 8, 0, 1, 8. Can anyone explain why the digit sum would be the same as the remainder on division by 9, slowly, for the dim-witted among us? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/819 "2020-10-04T16:10:34Z")
Yeah, I don’t know why, but I remember it is some Mathemagical thing. I’d like to hear a good explanation. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/820 "2020-10-04T16:28:37Z")
Bat poop sparkles because of the insect exoskeletons, made of chitin, that pass through the digestive tract. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=40) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=42)