# Unbelievable facts that turn out to be true. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 27, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648 "2010-02-27T14:47:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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 28, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/41 "2010-02-28T17:01:38Z")
> [@](#): > > For every person living in the Netherlands, each year, over thirty pigs, chickens and cows are factory farmed and slaughtered. > Over thirty animals die every year so I can eat meat. That seems unlikely (assuming you’re talking a per capita figure). The average American eats less than a 100 pounds of beef and less than 300 pounds of meat in total each year. I’m assuming the average Netherlander doesn’t eat substantially more meat than the average American. There’s an average of over 500 pounds of beef in a single cow and over 250 pounds of meat in a single pig. So the average person doesn’t consume the equivalent of a single cow or pig in a year. Now thirty animals may be slaughtered to provide the meat one person eats in a year but I’m speculating the meat from those animals is divided up and consumed by several people. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/42 "2010-02-28T17:07:00Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > I think we also try to compare temperatures and seasons and put them at similar latitudes. Europe is warmed by winds off the Atlantic ocean from lower latitudes, which makes a difference. Yes, I was going to mention the climate and the Gulf Stream; but I flaked. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/43 "2010-02-28T17:07:47Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > Are you explaining this one wrong? That makes no sense. A string wrapped around the Earth and then given 6.28 inches extra length will only wrap 6.28 inches of the Earth’s surface to a height of one string width, which is clearly not 1 in. above the surface and is nowhere near around the planet. What he means is this: If you h ave a sphere with a diameter equal to the average diameter of Earth at the equator, then a piece of string required to wrap around that sphere at the equator is Pi\*d long. If you then make the sphere one inch larger in both directions (or, as he said, merely make the string “float” an inch above the surface) and once again wrap it around the sphere, it will only be 6.28 inches longer, same as if you wrapped it one inch above the surface of something as small as a basketball, because the circumference is now just Pi\*(d+2). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/44 "2010-02-28T17:17:39Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > Are you explaining this one wrong? That makes no sense. A string wrapped around the Earth and then given 6.28 inches extra length will only wrap 6.28 inches of the Earth’s surface to a height of one string width, which is clearly not 1 in. above the surface and is nowhere near around the planet. 25,000 miles = 1,584,000,000 inches C = πD 1,584,000,000 = πD 1,584,000,000 / π = 504,203,286 inches Add two inches. C = π x 504,203, 288 inches C = 1,584,000,008 inches 1,584,000,008 – 1,584,000,000 = 8 inches ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/45 "2010-02-28T17:22:00Z")
Two in one, that make a good ‘trivia quiz’ for idle moments. 1. Here are the eight largest countries in the world in terms of area, according to Wikipedia: China, India, Russia, Australia, USA, Brazil, Canada, Argentina Try to rank them in order, and very few people will get the list anywhere near right. Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil, Australia, India, Argentina [(it says here)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_countries_of_the_World) 2. Try to name the ninth. Just about nobody will get this right, and this is the part that fits the OP. Kazakhstan ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/46 "2010-02-28T17:26:56Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > (or, as he said, merely make the string “float” an inch above the surface) He didn’t say that part. He never mentioned any floating, just an additional wrapping, which is a completely different scenario. It’s a lot less remarkable to say adding an additional 1 inch to a radius means an additional 6.28 inches to the circumference than to try to claim that you could wrap the Earth in string to a height of an inch. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/47 "2010-02-28T17:35:08Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > He didn’t say that part. He never mentioned any floating, just an additional wrapping, which is a completely different scenario. > [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > Increase the length of the string enough to wrap around the basketball at a height of 1 in. above its surface… > > Increase the length of the string enough to wrap around the planet at a height of 1 in. above its surface. He mentioned 1 inch above the surface twice. Re: my last. I was ballparking it and using the calculator on the computer. Reducing the size of the Earth to 24,000 miles and using a more accurate (hand-held) calculator, the string is 6.283 inches longer. ---
**Author:** ![DoperChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@DoperChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoperChic)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/48 "2010-02-28T18:18:35Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > Are you explaining this one wrong? That makes no sense. A string wrapped around the Earth and then given 6.28 inches extra length will only wrap 6.28 inches of the Earth’s surface to a height of one string width, which is clearly not 1 in. above the surface and is nowhere near around the planet. Amazing but true. The circumference of any circular object can be found by using the formula 2_pi_r (pi roughly equals 3.14, and r is the radius of said object). Let b = radius of a basketball Let e = radius of the earth 2pi(b+1) = 2pib + 2pi (used distribution) 2pi(e+1) = 2pie + 2pi In both cases, the extra length is the same - 2pi, or approximately 6.28 in. This is independent of the original radii (note I even used variables rather than actual measurements). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/49 "2010-02-28T18:24:33Z")
What State is Furthest North, furthest South, East, West? In a way, Hawaii & Alaska get all Furthest North, South, East, & West. Parts of AK go across the 180th parallel. Thus it gets West & East- and North, of course. HA is furthest South. 48 contiguous states: WA- N and West, Fla=S, Maine= E. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/50 "2010-02-28T20:18:38Z")
Errata: 1. I know there’s no difference if I use a 25,000 mile Earth circumference vs. a 24,000 mile one. It’s just that when I switched calculators, I used a different number. 2. The first time I posted the calculations, I made a typo in the calculator and carried it through; hence, the 8 inches. I was already running out of time, and when I noticed it I assumed people would just get the gist. But now I’ve decided to explain it, since I know someone will come along to point it out. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/51 "2010-02-28T21:35:29Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > 48 contiguous states: WA- N and West, Fla=S, Maine= E. [Minnesota is the furthest north of the lower 48.](http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqznewsstates.htm) ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/52 "2010-02-28T22:05:45Z")
I’ve posted this one before, but it’s still pretty cool: If you could fold a piece of paper in half 100 times, it would be over 10 billion light years thick. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/53 "2010-02-28T22:15:47Z")
Ib4t"mhbttlpotfotetmtooinftm". ---
**Author:** ![Hairy\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@Hairy\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hairy_Bob)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/54 "2010-02-28T22:37:49Z")
> [@DoperChic](#): > > Amazing but true. The circumference of any circular object can be found by using the formula 2_pi_r (pi roughly equals 3.14, and r is the radius of said object). > > Let b = radius of a basketball > Let e = radius of the earth > > 2pi(b+1) = 2pib + 2pi (used distribution) > 2pi(e+1) = 2pie + 2pi > > In both cases, the extra length is the same - 2pi, or approximately 6.28 in. This is independent of the original radii (note I even used variables rather than actual measurements). I’ve heard this before, but never explained as well as that. I never even noticed the correlation between 6.28 being roughly 2pi before! I tried to tell this to a friend with a much higher intellect than I when I first came across the fact, he was confident it was bollocks and I didn’t understand it well enough to attempt disagreeing with him, but it all seems so simple now! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/55 "2010-02-28T23:25:14Z")
> [@St.Urho](#): > > [Minnesota is the furthest north of the lower 48.](http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqznewsstates.htm) Yes, true: [List of extreme points of U.S. states and territories - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_points_of_U.S._states) “Angle Inlet, Lake of the Woods County (also the northernmost point in the contiguous 48 states)” But yes, WA just has the northernmost CITY in the contiguous 48 states. ---
**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 1, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/56 "2010-03-01T00:44:25Z")
Michigan’s “Lost Peninsula” is rather interesting. According to [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_County,_Michigan), > [@](#): > > The few Michigan residents that live on the small peninsula must travel south into Ohio on a 10 minute drive before going north to get back to the rest of Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/57 "2010-03-01T04:27:21Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > John Tyler, born in 1790, has two living grandsons. > > He was the twelfth President of the United States. That is unbelievable. (He was the _tenth_ president.) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/58 "2010-03-01T04:42:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > 48 contiguous states: WA- N and West, Fla=S, Maine= E. I think that the Northwest Angle part of Minnesota is farther north than any part of Washington. And anyway, Idaho, Montana & North Dakota all go just as far north as Washington – they all share the same border with Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/59 "2010-03-01T05:37:54Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > I’ve posted this one before, but it’s still pretty cool: > > If you could fold a piece of paper in half 100 times, it would be over 10 billion light years thick. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/60 "2010-03-01T06:23:03Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > 😕 2^100 is a very large number. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648.md?page=4)