# 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:** 491
**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:** [July 1, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9813 "2024-07-01T14:16:01Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Obviously nicotine is addictive, and using it is not considered particularly healthy. The point of the sublingual mist, like nicotine gum, is that it can deliver a precisely measured dose of nicotine, which smoking or vaping cannot. In principle allowing a person to taper off. I don’t disagree with you, but I wasn’t aware of scientific consensus on vaping, or a current concern that “something needs to be done”. Consider: this was published by the UK government _whilst the licence change was under review_. The authors aren’t keen on vaping, but it doesn’t read like “Urgent Action Required”. The position seems to be watchful waiting - the body of evidence is growing and we’re monitoring the situation. (Monitoring it pretty closely, as it’s the eighth in a series of reports). > **[Nicotine vaping in England: 2022 evidence update main findings](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update-main-findings#:~:text=The%20evidence%20reviewed%20suggests%20there,cancer%2C%20respiratory%20and%20cardiovascular%20conditions)** [The current NHS position](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/using-e-cigarettes-to-stop-smoking/) [A recent metastudy](https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj.o2361). From which: > Nicotine vaping is far less harmful than smoking cigarettes in the short and medium term but is “not risk free” and more long term studies of effects are needed, researchers have concluded. > > Scientists at King’s College, London, who analysed over 400 published studies for an evidence review, said the findings should reassure smokers who had switched to vaping that they had “made a good choice” in substantially reducing health risks. j (Aside: I had formed the impression that at least some e-cigarettes dose pretty precisely. One of the last projects I worked on before retiring used e-cigarette technology as a drug delivery system). ---
**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:** [July 1, 2024, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9814 "2024-07-01T18:56:47Z")
I did not realize that Dr. Brown [worked for](https://www.oreillyauto.com/flux-500.html?q=121g) a parts manufacturer at one time. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9815 "2024-07-01T19:10:26Z")
That link takes me to a 404 error. I guess that could be because I’m not located in the US. Interesting random fact: Striated Herons fish using bait. > **[Striated heron | Food and feeding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striated_heron#Food_and_feeding)** > > These birds stand still at the water's edge and wait to ambush prey, but are easier to see than many small heron species. They mainly eat small fish, frogs and aquatic insects. They sometimes use bait, dropping a feather or leaf carefully on the water surface and picking fish that come to investigate. j ETA: And Burrowing Owls use dung as bait: > **[Tool use by non-humans | Owls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_use_by_non-humans#Owls)** > > Burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) frequently collect mammalian dung, which they use as a bait to attract dung beetles, a major item of prey. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2024, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9816 "2024-07-01T20:33:33Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > (As a side note, it has always bugged me that, here in Ohio, you can be charged with a DUI while riding a bicycle.) And rightly so. I tried to ride home from a bar, and quickly realized I HAD to sober up first, before I weaved in front of a car. > [@DCnDC](#): > > You can still be charged with DUI while riding a horse in 27 states. In that case, it stands for “Dressage Under the Influence”… ---
**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:** [July 1, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9817 "2024-07-01T21:04:17Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > That makes the Mariners similar to most people in the world, since they have a greater chance of a testicular rupture than being in a playoff. Remember, the average person has approximately one testicle, approximately one ovary, and less than two legs. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9818 "2024-07-01T23:25:54Z")
I don’t typically follow celebrity news but once in a while I see something like a celeb offspring marriage or some such that reminds me that there is completely separate world that I am not remotely a part of. Bill Gates’ youngest daughter is dating Paul McCartney’s grandson. I’m sure they both met while shopping at Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9819 "2024-07-01T23:46:46Z")
Here’s one that I just confirmed using a spreadsheet: the difference between my parents’ ages, and the difference between my older sister’s age and my age, are exactly the same\* – 943 days. As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no significance to this fact. Likewise, as you might expect, the difference between my mother’s age and my age (the younger members of the two pairs) and the difference between my father’s age and my sister’s age (the older of the two pairs) is also exactly the same\*. \*To the day, not the hour or minute, since we don’t know the times in all cases. The time zones were all the same, so that wasn’t a factor. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2024, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9820 "2024-07-02T02:05:56Z")
My mother was 27 when I was born. When I turned 3, she was 30; when I turned 14, she was 41; when I turned 25, she was 52; etc, every 11 years, our ages were the reverse of each other. It had to do with 27 being a multiple of 9. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9821 "2024-07-02T10:55:42Z")
TIL Iearned about the time that the Capitol Building of Pennsylvania burned down and they almost moved to Philly. Allegedly there’s also a time capsule buried near the Capitol but no one knows where. [http://cpc.state.pa.us/history/the-history-of-pennsylvanias-early-capitols.cfm](http://cpc.state.pa.us/history/the-history-of-pennsylvanias-early-capitols.cfm) ---
**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:** [July 2, 2024, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9822 "2024-07-02T20:18:41Z")
“Wimbledon” is officially titled “The All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club”. Let’s see how some tennis players do at croquet. [Wimbledon 2018 | Croquet with the players (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9R9NR-8KNw) ---
**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:** [July 3, 2024, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9823 "2024-07-03T19:08:07Z")
…Which is croquet courts and tennis courts are designed to be compatible. A tennis court is precisely half the size of a croquet court. [Cite](https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/41663/croquet-1901) j ---
**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:** [July 3, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9824 "2024-07-03T21:28:15Z")
Any sports that follow the A2 standard and have a court exactly √2 of a tennis court? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9825 "2024-07-03T23:24:19Z")
I wonder how well golf players would do at croquet? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2024, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9826 "2024-07-03T23:36:12Z")
In the CS thread about proteges/wards I looked up the show _Bachelor Father_ from the 50s. It turns out it was on for 5 seasons: 2 seasons on CBS. 2 seasons on NBC 1 seasons on ABC. All back to back. The only show that was on all 3 (then) networks in a row. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2024, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9827 "2024-07-03T23:39:48Z")
TIL about [Francis Yockney](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Parker_Yockey), a Nazi supporter and sympathizer who somehow got a job on the War Crimes Tribunal in Nuremberg after the war. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2024, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9828 "2024-07-03T23:45:30Z")
So I just read on Twitter that the Rodney King riots were caused by Terminator 2. Terminator 2 was filming in LA at the time, and the guy who ended up filming Rodney King being beaten by the LAPD was out with his camcorder that night trying to film Arnie. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2024, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9829 "2024-07-04T00:27:36Z")
The two career home run leaders in Major League Baseball are Barry Bonds (762) and Henry Aaron (755). TIL that there are two pitchers that gave up home runs to each of these hitters: Frank Tanana and Rick Reuschel. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9830 "2024-07-04T01:26:18Z")
TIL that [Squirrels may have given medieval Britons leprosy (bbc.com)](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj7mry8yvrmo) [In medieval England, leprosy spread between red squirrels and people, genome evidence shows | ScienceDaily](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240503111918.htm) ---
**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:** [July 4, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9831 "2024-07-04T01:40:58Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > So I just read on Twitter that the Rodney King riots were caused by Terminator 2. > > Terminator 2 was filming in LA at the time, and the guy who ended up filming Rodney King being beaten by the LAPD was out with his camcorder that night trying to film Arnie. According to the wiki thingy, that is very much not the case. The first part of the encounter was not captured because the guy had to go to the other room to fetch his camcorder. It was shot from the guy’s apartment. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2024, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/9832 "2024-07-04T02:48:04Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > According to the wiki thingy, that is very much not the case. What someone is incorrect online!? Call the president of the internet immediately! Though I think it is at least half true: > Commenting to the Hollywood Reporter in 2021, Holliday said: > Before the beating, right across the street from where we lived was a biker bar, and they were filming _Terminator 2: Judgment Day_ there. **I actually have footage on the original tape of Schwarzenegger getting on the bike and riding off.** [The Weird, Tragic Link Between ‘Terminator 2’ and Rodney King](https://wour.com/terminator-2-rodney-king-los-angeles/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral) | [The Weird, Tragic Link Between 'Terminator 2' and Rodney King](https://wour.com/terminator-2-rodney-king-los-angeles/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=490) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=492)