# 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:** 73
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1443 "2021-02-20T06:09:55Z")
At their lowest point, there were 27 California condors in the world. Now there are 330. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1444 "2021-02-20T13:20:51Z")
> **[Third World](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World)** > > The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War and it was used to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada and their allies represented the "First World", while the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and their allies represented the "Second World". This terminology provided a way of broadly categorizing the nations of the Earth into three groups based on political divisions. Due to the complex history of evolving mean... > Historically, some European countries were [non-aligned](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movement) and a few of these were and are very prosperous, including [Austria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria), [Ireland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland), [Sweden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden), [Finland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland) and [Switzerland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland). So they were considered “third world countries.” ---
**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:** [February 20, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1445 "2021-02-20T14:06:27Z")
In fact, Dahl’s nonfiction account of that crash was his first major writing success. And he manages to make nearly dying in a fire absolutely hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1446 "2021-02-20T20:44:35Z")
Don’t know if this was mentioned already in the thread, but every single odd number has at least one letter “E” in it. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2021, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1447 "2021-02-21T17:27:26Z")
Just read in a Youtube comment: 10! seconds is exactly six weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2021, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1448 "2021-02-21T17:43:35Z")
I love this one! ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1449 "2021-02-21T19:09:48Z")
In a neat bit of symmetry, the novel that the kids’ movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” was based on was written by Bond author Ian Fleming. And the movie was co-written by… Roald Dahl. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2021, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1450 "2021-02-21T20:03:05Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > In a neat bit of symmetry, the novel that the kids’ movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” was based on was written by Bond author Ian Fleming. An Englishman gets a car from Desmond Llewelyn and tricks it out with lots of gadgets, then uses it to pursue Gert Fröbe to Europe and foil his evil plans, with the help of a woman named Truly Scrumptious; how could it be anyone but Ian Fleming? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1451 "2021-02-22T01:23:46Z")
Well I never - despite having seen it many times, man and boy, I never noticed Coggins was played by Llewellyn - thanks! Also, awesome post. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1452 "2021-02-22T01:28:00Z")
😆 And with funding from [James Justice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Robertson_Justice)\* (Jensen, of British intelligence, in _The Guns of Navarone_). \*Not to be mistaken for [Jim Justice, the current governor of West Virginia.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Justice) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1453 "2021-02-22T01:47:57Z")
Wow, good to know. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1454 "2021-02-22T02:14:15Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Don’t know if this was mentioned already in the thread, but every single odd number has at least one letter “E” in it. It wasn’t, and I spent an embarrassing amount of time staring off into space, counting up by 2s… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1455 "2021-02-22T15:29:59Z")
At least in English … XXX-one, XXX-three, XXX-five, XXX-seven, and XXX-nine work for every XXX from none = 1-9 and from “twenty” on up to “ninety gazillion” and beyond to infinity. The only oddballs in the whole number line are 11-19. 11 is eleven and all the rest are xxx-teen. What’s odd to me is how many languages count consistently from 20 on up to near infinity, but have a unique way of counting from 11 to 19 that is different from 1-9 and different from the pattern used for 20+. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1456 "2021-02-22T15:36:57Z")
**LSLGuy** , that is difficult to parse. I’m not seeing what the “e” letters have to do with anything. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1457 "2021-02-22T15:47:50Z")
See the post immediately above mine for the necessary context. The contention (originally from @Velocity) is that every odd number includes an “e”. @purplehorseshoe was saying they had counted them out individually way up into the big numbers before they tumbled to the fact that the contention was true. I was providing the simple quick rule that proves the result. And yeah, I did not fully set out the problem and my notation. Sorry for the too-big first ~~step~~ leap. ---
**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 22, 2021, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1458 "2021-02-22T15:53:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > At least in English … > > XXX-one, XXX-three, XXX-five, XXX-seven, and XXX-nine work for every XXX from none = 1-9 and from “twenty” on up to “ninety gazillion” and beyond to infinity. > > The only oddballs in the whole number line are 11-19. 11 is eleven and all the rest are xxx-teen. > > What’s odd to me is how many languages count consistently from 20 on up to near infinity, but have a unique way of counting from 11 to 19 that is different from 1-9 and different from the pattern used for 20+. Holy shit! [Number form synesthesia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_form)! One common form is to see a change in the number line from 11 to 19. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1459 "2021-02-22T15:54:20Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > **LSLGuy** , that is difficult to parse. I’m not seeing what the “e” letters have to do with anything. I believe his point was that all the words for odd numbers above twenty are generated from the repeated use of a handful of words; one, three, five, seven, nine, eleven, and -teen. The fact that these seven words contain an e means every odd number above twenty will also. So while it may initially sound amazing that an infinite string of number names all contain an e, the actual coincidence is that seven words contain an e. ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1460 "2021-02-22T15:55:15Z")
I was wondering how eleven and twelve got their names, since they didn’t fit the other numbering patterns. From [mental floss](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/76007/why-it-eleven-twelve-instead-oneteen-twoteen#:~:text=Eleven%20and%20twelve%20come%20from,%2Blif%20and%20twa%2Blif.&text=So%20the%20basic%20number%20words,bit%20with%20the%20%E2%80%93lif%20ending.): > Eleven and twelve come from the Old English words endleofan and twelf, which can be traced back further to a time when they were ain+lif and twa+lif. So what did this –lif mean? The best guess etymologists have is that it is from a root for “to leave.” Ainlif is “one left (after ten)” and twalif is “two left (after ten).” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1461 "2021-02-22T16:02:15Z")
And now I see I left “twelve” out of my explanation. It isn’t in “X-teen” format and it isn’t “eleven” either. Conveniently it too has "e"s. Wheew! Math is hard! And congrats to @Little_Nemo for really hitting the punchline short & sweet. it’s one of those “amazing facts” of huge size that’s really just an inevitable result of a small simple pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1462 "2021-02-22T16:31:38Z")
Yep. I had some old gray market VHS tapes of some of the eps, but you can see them on youtube now (if you haven’t already checked them out). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=72) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=74)