# 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:** 455
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9091 "2024-02-28T16:24:04Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > In that case - you should pay the ferryman in advance - not when he gets you to the other side. may i suggest - in a high inflation scenario - to NOT pay the ferryman in advance, but DO fix the price ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9092 "2024-02-28T16:30:56Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > to NOT pay the ferryman in advance There just has to be a story where the ferry crosses the river and then the passenger challenges Charon to a game of poker in an attempt to get out of paying. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9093 "2024-02-28T17:12:32Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Drones (the male bee, not the plane), btw, are called _zánganos_ in [Spanish](https://dle.rae.es/z%C3%A1ngano) and this word denotes a useless, lazy person. Because he does not gather nectar or pollen and cannot feed without assistance from worker bees. His only role is to mate with a maiden queen in nuptial flight. Does not sound so bad from my POV, rather like one of the best jobs in the hive. [Cite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_(bee)). Explains Bertie Wooster’s membership in the [Drones Club](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drones_Club). Although Bertie usually avoids nuptial flight like the plague. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9094 "2024-02-28T17:26:41Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > The ties aren’t bolted to anything; they are kept in place by the weight of the rails and the layer of jagged ballast rock on which they rest. Admittedly, those rails are **heavy**. About 1,500 pounds each. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9095 "2024-02-28T17:45:03Z")
Even heavier if, as is common, they leave the factory as ¼-mile lengths. You can find videos online of the special trains carrying these going around curves and the long rail sections carried over multiple cars bending to follow the curve - like this one [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4kC262exiw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4kC262exiw). ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9096 "2024-02-28T17:50:13Z")
The ghoti = fish is bogus “Gh” is never pronounced “f” when it’s at the beginning of a word. “O” is only pronounced “I” in one word. “Ti” is only pronounced “sh” if it’s followed by “-on.” ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9097 "2024-02-28T18:12:13Z")
Just the fact that those are valid pronunciations ever is the point. I’ve got a first grader learning to read and write. I find a new example of how stupid the English language is every day. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9098 "2024-02-28T18:17:49Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Still, train tracks seem so permanent, don’t they? You’d think the ties (sleepers) were solidly bolted to the earth, and that the rails were solidly affixed to the ties. > > Neither is strictly true. The ties aren’t bolted to anything; they are kept in place by the weight of the rails and the layer of jagged ballast rock on which they rest. > > The rails are attached to the ties, but not directly; instead they’re held by clamps that allow some lengthwise motion as the metal expands and contracts. This may have been applicable for old-school jointed track, but most railroads these days use continuously welded rail: > **[Railway track | Continuous welded rail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_track#Continuous_welded_rail)** > > Most modern railways use continuous welded rail (CWR), sometimes referred to as ribbon rails or seamless rails. In this form of track, the rails are welded together by utilising flash butt welding to form one continuous rail that may be several kilometres long. Because there are few joints, this form of track is very strong, gives a smooth ride, and needs less maintenance; trains can travel on it at higher speeds and with less friction. Welded rails are more expensive to lay than jointed tracks, ... > If not restrained, rails would lengthen in hot weather and shrink in cold weather. To provide this restraint, the rail is prevented from moving in relation to the sleeper by use of clips or anchors. Attention needs to be paid to compacting the ballast effectively, including under, between, and at the ends of the sleepers, to prevent the sleepers from moving. Anchors are more common for wooden sleepers, whereas most concrete or steel sleepers are fastened to the rail by special clips that resist longitudinal movement of the rail. There is no theoretical limit to how long a welded rail can be. However, if longitudinal and lateral restraint are insufficient, the track could become distorted in hot weather and cause a derailment. > . > . > . > After new segments of rail are laid, or defective rails replaced (welded-in), the rails can be artificially stressed if the temperature of the rail during laying is cooler than what is desired. The [stressing process](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_stressing) involves either heating the rails, causing them to expand,[[35]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_track#cite_note-35) or stretching the rails with [hydraulic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulics) equipment. They are then fastened (clipped) to the sleepers in their expanded form. This process ensures that the rail will not expand much further in subsequent hot weather. In cold weather the rails try to contract, but because they are firmly fastened, cannot do so. In effect, stressed rails are a bit like a piece of stretched [elastic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastomer) firmly fastened down. In extremely cold weather, rails are heated to prevent “pull aparts”. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9099 "2024-02-28T18:28:50Z")
> [@Silly Songs In The MMP](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-songs-in-the-mmp/998088/86): > > Did you folks know that Saguaro Cactus have to be replanted facing the same direction it originally was? something i learned yesterday ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9100 "2024-02-28T19:04:04Z")
😊 Thank you. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9101 "2024-02-28T19:21:38Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Just the fact that those are valid pronunciations ever is the point. I’ve got a first grader learning to read and write. I find a new example of how stupid the English language is every day. Yes, but if you want to prove that, you need to some up with actual examples, not cherry pick things. It’s like saying all Americans are mass murderers and pointing to Jeffrey Dahmer as an example. English can be difficult mostly because the spellings were developed by people who spoke French and before the sounds changed. The classic is the -ough. It was pronounced the way it is spelled (the “gh” represents the – a guttural lick the German “ach”) _when it entered the language._ English lost the and the words with “-ough,” which pretty much rhymed at first, started changing. I’m sure your kids don’t pronounce “ghost” as “fist.” The “ghoti” example would indicate they do. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9102 "2024-02-28T19:29:55Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > they leave the factory as ¼-mile lengths. I did not know this fact. Ignorance fought, once again. And that is a very cool video! Thanks for sharing. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9103 "2024-02-28T19:40:43Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > Even heavier if, as is common, they leave the factory as ¼-mile lengths Still, it’s presumably about the same amount of weight per tie. When they’re laying new track, how do they shape the rails for curves? I get that there must be a special machine for that, but it still seems like it must be a very awkward process at times, for example when traversing hills. In the past decade or two they’ve done a lot of track work between L.A. and San Diego, and I can tell the ride is much smoother now with the longer rails than ir used to be. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9104 "2024-02-28T20:00:42Z")
Watching QI the other night (don’t know how the US schedules for the show work, you may have seen the episode in question already) - the subject of snowboarding crows came up. Yeah, it was mentioned, briefly discussed, but there was no actual evidence provided - so do crows snowboard? Well, I’m here to provide you with the evidence: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hn0OjCneVUg/hqdefault.jpg "Crow Uses Plastic Lid to Sled Down Roof Over and Over Again") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn0OjCneVUg) j ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9105 "2024-02-28T20:10:34Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > don’t know how the US schedules for the show work, you may have seen the episode in question already Does anyone show **QI** in the US? I’ve been curious about it, but thought it was strictly a UK show. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9106 "2024-02-28T20:12:07Z")
Posters who I have assumed (maybe known) to be US based have discussed it, so I assumed that it was shown over there. j ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9107 "2024-02-28T20:12:23Z")
I just looked it up. Not only is it on Roku, but apparently it’s on Brit Box, which my wife watches. I’ll have to check it out. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2024, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9108 "2024-02-28T22:05:51Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Does anyone show **QI** in the US? I’ve been curious about it, but thought it was strictly a UK show. In addition to the listings you found, they have a QI channel on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9109 "2024-02-29T04:31:43Z")
Hubs and I always enjoy that video, thanks for the reminder to watch it again 🙂 ---
**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:** [February 29, 2024, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9110 "2024-02-29T09:26:25Z")
This probably won’t surprise any of the parents here, and even I as a nonparent am aware of how observant babies can be. But I was amazed to learn just now that, in a home where someone uses a sign language, a baby will babble with its hands. Both deaf and hearing infants do this. > **[Manual babbling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_babbling?wprov=sfla10)** > > Manual babbling is a linguistic phenomenon that has been observed in deaf children and hearing children born to deaf parents who have been exposed to sign language. Manual babbles are characterized by repetitive movements that are confined to a limited area in front of the body similar to the sign-phonetic space used in sign languages. In their 1991 paper, Pettito and Marentette concluded that between 40% and 70% of deaf children's manual activity can be classified as manual babbling, whereas man... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=454) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=456)