# useless fact-athon!! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 5, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358 "2003-07-05T06:51:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/61 "2003-07-06T18:42:46Z")
graves in Maryland are dug 12 inches narrower than in Indiana. (my grandfather’s casket from the ceremony in his home in Indiana didnt fit into the family’s gravesite in Maryland.) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/62 "2003-07-06T19:00:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hebesphenomegacorona \* > \*\*The Straight dope kicks ass. \*\* _this_ is NOT a useless fact… Hong Kong means fragrant harbor. The tongue is the only human muscle not connected at both ends. The Papa John’s store with the highest sales volume ($2 million + per annum) in the United States is at the intersection of Alafaya Trail and East Colonial Drive in Orlando, which has been in Florida’s top twenty most dangerous intersections every year for the last seven years (according to State Farm). I know because I used to work there, and have the signed Papa John (Schnatter) cap to prove it. Hats signed by Papa John are WORTHLESS. (highest bid on Ebay- 12 dollars, less than they took out of my first pay check to buy the original unsigned hat) The average human gains an inch in height after eight hours of sleep (or any other horizontal activity presumably) because gravity compresses a vertical spine during the day. 84% of all female models represented by US national agencies are shorter than 5’8". James Dean died in a Porsche 550 Spyder. When Brigham Young founded Salt Lake City one of the first things he did was order that all streets be 100 feet wide. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/63 "2003-07-06T19:02:25Z")
If you add together the two digits of any two-digit number and then subtract the total from the original number, you will ALWAYS get a multiple of 9. In case anyone was wondering, that’s how the [mysticalball.com](http://mysticalball.com) thing works. ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/64 "2003-07-06T19:23:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tony Montana \* > \*\*If all the mined (jewelry, bars,coins,etc) gold in the world was purified and melted into one single block, the block would measure only 60’x60’x60’ (cube) > > No cite. \*\* there’s got to be more gold then that. i’ve seen the movies. i KNOW there are stacks and stacks of gold in some bank in NY, NY that you can get to if you drill a hole from a subway tunnal. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daniel \* > \*\*There are 2,500,000 rivets in the Eiffel Tower \*\* WOW! how’d they get it to be such a round number like that. i would think it would be something like 2,597,671. you think they made it 2,500,000 even just to be used as a usless fact? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/65 "2003-07-06T19:34:05Z")
If you start a useless fact thread, there will be 63 replies before someone mentions how many replies it will have before someone mentions how many replies it will have before… ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/66 "2003-07-06T19:49:32Z")
There are three letters in “two” and “one” and five in “three.” You have to go all the way to “four” before things make sense, and then it quits. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/67 "2003-07-06T19:59:47Z")
[quote] \*originally posted by \ ***green\_bladder** Coconuts kill more people each year than sharks do. [/quote Coconuts don’t kill people, gravity kills people. > [@](#): > > \*originally posted by \ ***baldwin** > > ## quote: > > ## It is impossible to keep your eyes open when you sneeze. > > Not true. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/68 "2003-07-06T20:47:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by x-ray vision \* > \*\*Cite? \*\* Try it. Falling has never killed anyone. (it’s the sudden stop) ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/69 "2003-07-06T21:29:11Z")
but what if you fell from space (not space… just really high up? and you got burned upon re-entry? Isn’t that how the shuttle crew that died recently died? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/70 "2003-07-06T21:46:27Z")
I’ve tried it **dutchboy**. I don’t believe there’s a documented case of anyone ever doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/71 "2003-07-06T22:08:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Evidence exists that your eyes can remain open while sneezing. It’s just reflex that causes us to batten down the hatches when a big one is going to blow. From [here](http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/022501/opi_0225010003.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/72 "2003-07-06T22:28:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dutchboy208 \* > **The tongue is the only human muscle not connected at both ends.** Which brings me to: The hyoid bone is the only bone in the human body that does not articulate with another bone in the human body. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/73 "2003-07-06T22:40:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chaoticdonkey \* > \*\*but what if you fell from space (not space… just really high up? and you got burned upon re-entry? Isn’t that how the shuttle crew that died recently died? \*\* Well… not space but really high up would still be in-atmosphere, I believe, and so you wouldn’t be re-entering anything; I haven’t gotten around to reading the shuttle report but I was under the impression they would be long dead from the blast before re-entry became an issue… anyway, you’re completely missing the spirit of my post 😉 X-ray: I can do it quite easily; I’ll try to borrow a video camera and document if you like. Hyoid bone = the one that bangs on the eardrum? ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/74 "2003-07-07T00:20:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dutchboy208 \* > \*\*Hyoid bone = the one that bangs on the eardrum? \*\* [Hyoid](http://www.csuchico.edu/anth/Module/hyoid.html) bone = the one that keeps your tongue in place. Located at the front of the throat ---
**Author:** ![kuraijo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kuraijo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kuraijo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/75 "2003-07-07T00:23:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jesleigh \* > **Dolphins are the only other animals that have sex for pleasure** Which reminds me…pigs have the longest orgasm among the mammals - 30 minutes if my memory hasn’t failed me. but unfortunately being reincarnated as a pig aint gonna help you, coz they don’t fall in the “animals that screw for pleasure” category. ---
**Author:** ![kuraijo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kuraijo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kuraijo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/76 "2003-07-07T00:27:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Davebear \* > \*\*Or a gecko. (Some, not all, species.) > Sorry. I’m impressed you know about the Jacobsen’s Organs, but that’s incorrect. It’s the [glottis](http://www.szgdocent.org/cc/c-eat2.htm) (trachea) that they can protrude, and breathe through, while swallowing. The Jacobsen’s Organ is an organ of [scent](http://www.cobras.org/cob_5.htm), but unrelated to breathing. \*\* Can’t find the original post, so i’m sorry if you’re offended - justreply through you. jacobson’s organ is the organ that cats use to smell scents. you’ll know they’re using it if you see their upper lips curled back in a sort of grin. ---
**Author:** ![kuraijo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kuraijo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kuraijo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/77 "2003-07-07T00:29:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SnoopyFan \* > \*\*The most common day to be born is October 5th. > The least common is May 22nd. \*\* really? i thought the least common day would be Feb 29th… ---
**Author:** ![mishaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@mishaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mishaa)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/78 "2003-07-07T01:27:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wolfian \* > \*\* > The Cairn terrier comes in every color except for white. A white Cairn is a West Highland Terrier. \*\* Umm, no. The West Highland White Terrier is a different breed, recognized by the AKC on May 31, 1909. The Cairn standard does state that it may be any color but white. A white Cairn is not a Westie, merely an example of poor breeding stock, and very rare - thank goodness! A Westie may have a brownish/redish streak on their back. Admittedly, Cairns, Westies, Scotties and Dandie Dinmonts can trace their roots to the same breedstock and regions, but all are different breeds with different standards. ---
**Author:** ![SnugTheJoiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@SnugTheJoiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnugTheJoiner)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/79 "2003-07-07T01:28:30Z")
Buzz Aldrin was the first man to wet his pants on the Moon. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-fact-athon/186358/80 "2003-07-07T01:58:54Z")
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