# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/61 "2010-03-01T07:14:07Z")
The southernmost point of Canada is as far south as (the northernmost point of) California. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/62 "2010-03-01T08:41:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > 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. Does the 180th meridian really count as an absolute east/west point? I ask because even if you were at an appropriate place on the meridian, you could still continue going east or west while remaining in the United States, and so it seems strange to call it the easternmost or westernmost point. East doesn’t change into another direction at 180 in the same way that at the north pole, you can’t go north any more. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/63 "2010-03-01T09:11:25Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > Does the 180th meridian really count as an absolute east/west point? I ask because even if you were at an appropriate place on the meridian, you could still continue going east or west while remaining in the United States, and so it seems strange to call it the easternmost or westernmost point. East doesn’t change into another direction at 180 in the same way that at the north pole, you can’t go north any more. _Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet…_ just sayin’ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/64 "2010-03-01T10:56:59Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > 2^100 is a very large number. > **[Two to the 100th Power: The Astonishing Answer](https://freemars.org/jeff/2exp100/answer.htm)** > > How thick will a stack of paper > be after cutting it in half and stacking it 100 times? This page > answers the question with a quick trip through Space and time. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/65 "2010-03-01T11:50:30Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > Those who enjoy this type of thing will enjoy [Futility Closet](http://www.futilitycloset.com) Thanks for the link [Look at the post date on this one.](http://www.futilitycloset.com/2010/01/08/the-land-speaks/) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/66 "2010-03-01T11:51:14Z")
There are locations in Saskatchewan that are south of Manitoba. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/67 "2010-03-01T14:40:51Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Yesterday I learned that one way to stop a V-1 rocket is to sidle up to it in your plane, get your wing under its wing, and flip that sumbitch. People _did that._ Actually, they found that doing that damaged their own planes. It was more efficient to simply disrupt the airflow over the V-1’s control surfaces by getting their wing close to it; the airflow turbulence coming off their wing would send the V-1 out of control. > [@](#): > > Early attempts to intercept and destroy V-1s often failed, but improved techniques soon emerged. These included using the airflow over an interceptor’s wing to raise one wing of the V-1, by sliding the wingtip to within 6 in (15 cm) of the lower surface of the V-1’s wing. If properly executed, this manoeuvre would tip the V-1’s wing up, overriding the gyros and sending the V-1 into an out-of-control dive. At least three V-1s were destroyed this way. > **[V1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1)** > > V1 can refer to the first version of anything. > V1, V01 or V-1 may also refer to: Most of them were shot down. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/68 "2010-03-01T15:22:06Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Most of them were shot down. There’s a Bob Stevens cartoon depicting a pilot coming up on a V-1. He says to himself, ‘What an easy target! I’ll just get nice and close and then open up with the guns…’ ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/69 "2010-03-01T15:33:08Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > Those who enjoy this type of thing will enjoy [Futility Closet](http://www.futilitycloset.com), one of my favorite sites. Oh, man, did I just ever blow a fascinating hour. Thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/70 "2010-03-01T15:45:34Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > 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. This is how I originally parsed it too. I didn’t have one string “floating” above the Earth’s surface, I was picturing string wrapped in layers until a height of 1" was created. Kind of like having 1" worth of toilet paper wrapper around the cardboard tube. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/71 "2010-03-01T21:55:26Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > This is how I originally parsed it too. I didn’t have one string “floating” above the Earth’s surface, I was picturing string wrapped in layers until a height of 1" was created. Kind of like having 1" worth of toilet paper wrapper around the cardboard tube. Apologies for the poor phrasing; in retrospect I probably should have avoided the word “wrap” in the description of the lengthened string. “Floating above” was indeed the situation I was trying to describe. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/72 "2010-03-01T23:57:42Z")
> [@Deereman](#): > > This is pretty much how it worked, though I believe that the aircraft and V-1 didn’t actually touch. My paternal grandfather’s only aerial kill of the war was a V-1, and that’s how he meant to bring it down; by bringing the wing of his Tempest just under the V-1’s wing, causing it to spin away and into the Channel. Unfortunately, he actually hit it with his wing, but fortunately didn’t suffer any damage beyond some mocking. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/73 "2010-03-02T00:07:26Z")
As best as we can tell, monkees floated across the ocean from Africa to South America. Although at the time they were much closer together, they were still separated by (anyone know about how many) miles of open water. You’d think that being capable rafters that South American monkees would have gotten the winning ticket in the evolution lottery, but no. They were happy staying in the trees. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/74 "2010-03-02T00:59:20Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > As best as we can tell, monkees floated across the ocean from Africa to South America. Although at the time they were much closer together, they were still separated by (anyone know about how many) miles of open water. > > You’d think that being capable rafters that South American monkees would have gotten the winning ticket in the evolution lottery, but no. They were happy staying in the trees. You’re telling us that monkeys built rafts?!! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/75 "2010-03-02T01:30:58Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > You’re telling us that monkeys built rafts?!! Monkees. Like beatles, a cut above the standard variety, evolution-wise. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/76 "2010-03-02T01:31:01Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > You’re telling us that monkeys built rafts?!! No, that’s not what he said. He said [monkees](http://www.monkees.net/default.htm), not monkeys. I don’t believe it happened tho. I have it on good authority that Mickey is hydrophobic. Or Peter. Whatever. ETA: Damn you and your faster posting style, **Larry**! ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/77 "2010-03-02T01:32:17Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > You’re telling us that monkeys built rafts?!! Just a floating tree would probably work. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/78 "2010-03-02T01:44:19Z")
Well, millions and millions of years is, as Cracked might say, a real fucking long time. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/79 "2010-03-02T02:14:48Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > No, that’s not what he said. He said [monkees](http://www.monkees.net/default.htm), not monkeys. > > I don’t believe it happened tho. I have it on good authority that Mickey is hydrophobic. Or Peter. Whatever. > > ETA: Damn you and your faster posting style, **Larry**! He has _rabies?_ ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648/80 "2010-03-02T02:39:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > No, that’s not what he said. He said [monkees](http://www.monkees.net/default.htm), not monkeys. > > I don’t believe it happened tho. I have it on good authority that Mickey is hydrophobic. Or Peter. Whatever. > > ETA: Damn you and your faster posting style, **Larry**! He’d no doubt be torqued about that comment. But if monkees tried to cross the Atlantic on a log raft, they’d end up in Davy Jones’s locker! 😃 ====================== Not every European country lies totally in Europe; Russia and Turkey, for example, are European countries despite having large portions of their area in Asia. Given that information, can you name the European country whose western boundary is farthest east? The answer is surprising but true. A small portion of westernmost Kazakhstan lies in Europe according to the commonly accepted line dividing the two continents. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-facts-that-turn-out-to-be-true/530648.md?page=5)