# 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:** 85
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1683 "2021-03-22T23:14:47Z")
Apparently our freezer managed to freeze the bottle so we looked it up. 80 proof Russki Standard should go at - 25. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1684 "2021-03-22T23:22:07Z")
Back in the 80s, the local junior high school had penny voting jars located in businesses around town for the purpose of selecting its girl of the year. Since the name of the school’s yearbook was “The Stallion”, the girl of the year’s title was “Miss Stallion.” Yes, this was in south Georgia. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1685 "2021-03-22T23:41:42Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Back in the 80s, the local junior high school had penny voting jars located in businesses around town for the purpose of selecting its girl of the year. That’s kind of interesting all by itself. How did that work? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1686 "2021-03-23T00:16:19Z")
My son once told me that vodka doesn’t freeze. To “prove” it to me, he put a bottle of vodka in the freezer overnight. In the morning, he was unhappy because (1) he was wrong, and (2) he wasted a bottle of vodka. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1687 "2021-03-23T00:23:33Z")
That reminds me of the county fair I attended in my old town where they displayed some science projects done by the 4-H kids. One of them included a sentence that started “Mares may produce semen…” Maybe if they’re intersex. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1688 "2021-03-23T00:41:04Z")
Jars were placed around town, usually at checkouts (the one I remember was next to the cash register at the local video rental store) with the girl’s pictures and explanations on them of what the award was. The girl whose jars collected the most change won the award. I think the money collected was donated to some cause. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1689 "2021-03-23T01:26:20Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > My son once told me that vodka doesn’t freeze. To “prove” it to me, he put a bottle of vodka in the freezer overnight. In the morning, he was unhappy because (1) he was wrong, and (2) he wasted a bottle of vodka. You must have a hell of a freezer. Or maybe very watery vodka. When I store a bottle of vodka or white rum in my freezer for a couple _weeks_, it gets a bit viscous, but definitely not slushy, much less frozen. OTOH, trying to quick-chill a glass bottle of tonic water or club soda in the freezer then forgetting about it overnight results in lots of broken glass in your freezer. Can not recommend. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1690 "2021-03-23T01:38:11Z")
We use 100% ethanol as a calibration medium at work, for calibrating thermometers. It’s been a while since I’ve used it, but I believe we could use it down to -70 °C. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1691 "2021-03-23T02:03:52Z")
Actually now that I think about it, it may have been sake rather than vodka. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1692 "2021-03-23T02:25:13Z")
Yes, 40% vodka won’t freeze in any freezer I’ve owned. Sake (20%) certainly would. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1693 "2021-03-23T07:17:07Z")
My husband forgot to turn off the SuperFrost function it apparently has. We were surprised too. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1694 "2021-03-23T10:39:09Z")
Why wasted? If it was frozen solid, could it not be thawed out in a larger container, rebottled, and then consumed later? If not frozen solid, then it wouldn’t have broken the bottle, in which case no problem. What am I missing? My understanding was most domestic freezers are rated to go to -18°C, but maybe that’s a ‘maximum’, so I can see one getting down to the -25°C necessary to freeze a 40% ethanol solution such as vodka. As long as the bottle isn’t full, there should be enough room for expansion not to break the bottle. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1695 "2021-03-23T15:02:56Z")
Norway is going to build the world’s first tunnel under a mountain. For ships. [-=Link=-](https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/norway-moves-ahead-with-world-s-first-ship-tunnel) ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1696 "2021-03-23T15:09:32Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > Norway is going to build the world’s first tunnel under a mountain. For ships.   Interesting. I wonder how they’re going to handle tides. Or engine exhaust. What happens when a ship grounds and catches fire in the middle? Will there be a road tunnel in parallel? ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1697 "2021-03-23T15:29:15Z")
Who will design it? Build it? Nobody in the world has ever done this. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1698 "2021-03-23T19:52:17Z")
I left a bottle of amaretto and a bottle of Canadian whiskey in the trunk of my car overnight in Edmonton once. The amaretto was frozen solid and the whiskey had a tiny amount of liquid that remained unfrozen. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1699 "2021-03-23T21:23:33Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Interesting. I wonder how they’re going to handle tides. Or engine exhaust. What happens when a ship grounds and catches fire in the middle? Will there be a road tunnel in parallel? Tides: If it needs to accommodate, say, 100 foot tall ships, build it 100 feet plus however big the local tidal range is. Done. A larger concern would be if the height and timing of tides on the two sides of that peninsula are significantly different. That would produce a persistent but reversing current running through the tunnel. That _might_ be a show-stopper. Or it might be a non-issue. Or they build a basin and lock at one end to equalize the differing heights when needed. Exhaust: How do you suppose car / truck tunnels handle this? Appropriate exhaust fans are part of the system. A little time with Google Maps says the tunnel will be about 1 mile long. The ships in the illustration appear to be 500 to 900 feet long. So the tunnel is about 6-10 ship-lengths. At that scale it’s more like an overgrown culvert than a tunnel. Fire: What happens when a major accident occurs in a car/truck tunnel? It’s a friggin’ mess and eventually the fire is put out or burns out. Then the authorities slowly scrape the wreckage back out, repair the tunnel and go back into business. Yes, it’ll take a couple or a few months. But nothing more exciting than that. As long as you don’t let LNG tankers and explosives-laden ships use it. Just like we don’t let such trucks use land tunnels. ETA: See here for more: > **[Stad Ship Tunnel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stad_Ship_Tunnel)** > > The Stad Ship Tunnel (Norwegian: Stad skipstunnel) is a planned canal and tunnel to bypass the Stad peninsula in Stad Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The peninsula is one of the most exposed areas on the coast, without any outlying islands to protect it from the weather. The section has traditionally been one of the most dangerous along the coast of Norway. If built it will be the first full-size ship tunnel in the world. > The surrounding waters, known as the Stadhavet Sea, is the most w... They’ve been talking about this for 150 years now. The wiki above says they’re talking about accommodating 16,000 DWT ships, which aren’t all that big. Much smaller than I mentioned above ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1700 "2021-03-23T21:28:29Z")
Many of us have heard of the semi-comic incident at Louisiana’s Lake Peigneur, where back in the '80s a drill rig drilled through the bottom of a lake into a salt mine below and the lake, boats, barges, trees, etc., etc., promptly disappeared down the drain into the mine. Oops. > **[Lake Peigneur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Peigneur)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Lake Peigneur (locally pronounced \[pæ̃j̃æ̹ɾ\])\[citation needed\] is a brackish lake in the U.S. state of Louisiana, 1.2 miles (1.9 kilometers) north of Delcambre and 9.1 mi (14.6 km) west of New Iberia, near the northernmost tip of Vermilion Bay. With a maximum depth of 200 feet (60 meters), it is the deepest lake in Louisiana. Its name comes from the French word "peigneur", meaning "one who combs." > It was a 10-foot-deep (3 m) freshwater body, popu... Today I learned it has a younger cousin that’s going on right now: > **[Bayou Corne sinkhole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayou_Corne_sinkhole)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > The Bayou Corne sinkhole (French: Doline de Bayou Corne) was created from a collapsed underground salt dome cavern operated by Texas Brine Company and owned by Occidental Petroleum. The sinkhole, located near the community of Bayou Corne in northern Assumption Parish, Louisiana, was discovered on August 3, 2012, and 350 nearby residents were advised to evacuate. Scientists have stated that the evacuation order could last for years. > Bayous such as... ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1701 "2021-03-23T23:35:57Z")
I would imagine that there will be a barrier at each end to ensure that there is always sufficient depth and to control any tidal differences. Like Suez, traffic will be one way on a schedule. Volatile cargoes may be allowed with strict controls. A pre-transit inspection and only one ship at a time would be the minimum. Gas tankers do use some tunnels in Europe but only under supervision and separated from normal traffic. > [@](#): > > "A serious incident involving dangerous goods in a tunnel can be very costly in terms of human lives, the environment, tunnel damage and transport disruption. On the other hand, needlessly banning dangerous goods from tunnels may create unjustified economic costs. Moreover, it may force operators to use more dangerous routes – such as through densely populated areas – and thus increase the overall risk. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1702 "2021-03-23T23:45:44Z")
[Rove Tunnel - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rove_Tunnel) [Standedge Tunnels - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standedge_Tunnels) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=84) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=86)