# Tell us an interesting random fact you stumbled across (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785 "2024-07-25T15:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 88
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2025, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1741 "2025-03-01T11:59:53Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans Does it allow for a detour to McBurney’s Point? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2025, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1742 "2025-03-01T14:05:10Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Does it allow for a detour to McBurney’s Point? It’s mentioned in an appendix to the story. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2025, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1743 "2025-03-01T20:51:19Z")
Ethyl acetate? Pear drops. > **[Pear drop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pear_drop)** > > A pear drop is a British boiled sweet made from sugar and flavourings. "Old-fashioned" pear drops are a combination of half pink and half yellow in a pear-shaped drop about the size of a thumbnail, although they are more commonly found in packets containing separate yellow drops and pink drops in roughly equal proportions ("original"). The artificial flavours isoamyl acetate and ethyl acetate are responsible for the characteristic flavour of pear drops: the former confers a banana flavour, the la... j ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2025, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1744 "2025-03-01T22:17:57Z")
No. I remember that esters are made by combining an alcohol and an organic acid. And that both the alcohol and the acid were based on methane, i.e. CH4. The alcohol is methanol, but I don’t remember how you construct the name for an acid made from methane. (It was over 55 years ago, after all) ---
**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:** [March 2, 2025, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1745 "2025-03-02T00:45:30Z")
That would be formic acid. Doesn’t sound right to me. Chemistry degree, 45 years ago. j ---
**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 2, 2025, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1746 "2025-03-02T00:52:09Z")
The systematic name of formic acid is “methaoic acid”, which shows its relationship to methane. The name “formic” is derived from _formica_, the Latin word for “ant”, because ants, and many other insects, secrete it for defense. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1747 "2025-03-02T00:55:46Z")
45 years ago it was formic acid. Just sayin. 😉 j ---
**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 2, 2025, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1748 "2025-03-02T01:40:06Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > The name “formic” is derived from _formica_, the Latin word for “ant”, because ants, and many other insects, secrete it for defense. Calling it “ant-acid” was just too confusing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2025, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1749 "2025-03-02T02:18:46Z")
Mystery author Agatha Christie was an avid surfer in the 1920’s. She is believed to be the first British woman to ride a surfboard standing up. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2025, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1750 "2025-03-02T04:12:52Z")
Still is! “Formic acid (systematically called methanoic acid) is **the simplest carboxylic acid** ” I suspect our teacher used “methanoic” because that was part of our lesson on organic chemistry ---
**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 2, 2025, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1751 "2025-03-02T12:00:31Z")
Nearby Yardley, Pennsylvania host America’s only museum dedicated to the Three Stooges. [-=Linky=-](https://stoogeum.com/) ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2025, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1752 "2025-03-02T12:34:35Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Why doesn’t artificial banana flavor taste like bananas I had an unfortunate experience getting arrested In a small provincial town in South Africa. As I was being charged (released next day) I noticed a free condom vending machine, so having no shame pulled a bunch out. All banana flavoured. Apparently this is the least popular flavour in the US and therefore the most likely to be donated to third world countries. I was brave enough to taste-test one (not recommended) but have not been brave enough to actually use one. I feel pulling one out may kill the mood, the relationship, and possibly my ability to ever date again. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1753 "2025-03-02T18:05:23Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > The name “formic” is derived from _formica_, the Latin word for “ant”, because ants, and many other insects, secrete it for defense. “There was enough formic acid in his body to kill a dozen men.” – _Them!_ ---
**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 2, 2025, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1754 "2025-03-02T18:40:57Z")
I first learned about the connection between formic acid and ants from Theodore Sturgeon’s novel _The Synthetic Man_, in which a character is compelled to eat ants because he has a formic acid deficiency. (Or something like that; it’s been quite a few decades since I read it.) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2025, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1755 "2025-03-02T19:02:05Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Calling it “ant-acid” was just too confusing. 😉 That’\*s exactly what it’s called in German, “Ameisensäure”. > **[Ameisensäure](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameisens%C3%A4ure)** > > farblose, stechend riechende Flüssigkeit > flüssig > 1,22 g·cm−3 (20 °C) > 8 °C ---
**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 2, 2025, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1756 "2025-03-02T19:06:20Z")
What is ‘antacid’ in German? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2025, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1757 "2025-03-02T19:43:30Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > antacid I had to look that up. It’s Antazidum. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1758 "2025-03-02T20:32:17Z")
I recall that if your dorm room’s previous occupant had been a chem major, there was a good chance they’d hidden a time-release stink bomb somewhere. ---
**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 2, 2025, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1759 "2025-03-02T20:55:23Z")
Today I learned a couple of interesting things about the **water speed record** : 1. Since 1930 there have been 13 attempts at breaking the record. Of those, 7 died while doing it. Hence _most_ people who have tried to break the record have died in the process. 2. It currently stands at 317.59 mph. It was set by Ken Warby in 1978. Using a wood boat he built in his backyard. I am guessing this is the most dangerous record attempt for any sport? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2025, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/1760 "2025-03-03T03:18:40Z")
Well, now I know that kitchen countertop material was not designed with ants in mind. It was originally designed to replace mica in electric insulation, and was therefore “for mica” or Formica. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785.md?page=87) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785.md?page=89)