Showing posts with label facts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label facts. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

100 amazing & unknown facts!

Here is something for your light reading:


# Our eyes remain the same size from birth onward, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
# The Barbie doll’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
# The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.
# Ants never sleep!
# When the moon is directly overhead, you will weigh slightly less.
# Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, never called his wife or mother because they were both deaf.
# An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.
# “I Am” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
# Babies are born without knee caps – actually, they’re made of cartilage and the bone hardens between the ages of 2 and 6 years.
# Happy Birthday (the song) is copyrighted.
# Butterflies taste with their feet.
# A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
# It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
# Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
# Minus 40 degrees Celsius is exactly the same as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
# No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple.
# Shakespeare invented the words “assassination” and “bump.”
# Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
# Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump.
# The names of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
# The sentence, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter in the English language.
# The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
# The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
# The word “lethologica” describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
# Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from the blowing desert sand.
# TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters on only one row of the keyboard.
# You can’t kill yourself by holding your breath.
# Money isn’t made out of paper. It’s made out of cotton.
# Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.
# The dot over the letter “i” is called a tittle.
# A duck’s quack doesn’t echo. No one knows why!
# The “spot” on the 7-Up comes from its inventor who had red eyes – he was an albino. ’7′ was because the original containers were 7 ounces and ‘UP’ indicated the direction of the bubbles.
# Chocolate can kill dogs, as it contains theobromine, which affects their heart and nervous system.
# Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of plaster.
# There are only two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: “abstemious” and “facetious.”
# If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death.
# Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to slow film down so you could see his moves.
# The original name for butterfly was flutterby.
# By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.
# Dogs and cats, like humans, are either right or left handed.
# Charlie Chaplin once won the third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.
# Sherlock Holmes NEVER said “Elementary, my dear Watson”.
# The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.
# Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
# The shortest English word that contains the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F is “feedback.”
# All Polar bears are left-handed.
# In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.
# “Dreamt” is the only English word that ends in the letters “mt.”
# Almonds are a member of the peach family, and apples belong to the rose family.
# Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
# The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is “uncopyrightable”.
# In most advertisements, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10
# Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
# Alfred Nobel, in whose name the Nobel prizes are instituted, was the inventor of dynamite.
# The planet Venus does not tilt, so consequently, it has no seasons. It is the only planet that rotates clock-wise.
# Honey is the only food that doesn’t spoil.
# The word “set” has more definitions than any other word in the English language.
# Molecularly speaking, water is actually much drier than sand.
# Human tonsils can bounce higher than a rubber ball of similar weight and size, but only for the first 30 minutes after they’ve been removed.
# US President John F. Kennedy was an accomplished ventriloquist.
# Coca-Cola was originally green.
# Moths are unable to fly during an earthquake.
# Contrary to popular belief, the white is not the healthiest part of an egg. It’s actually the shell.
# Nearly three percent of the ice in Antarctic glaciers is penguin urine.
# Hot water will turn into ice faster then cold water.
# “Rhythm” is the longest English word without a vowel.
# Like fingerprints, every person’s tongue print is different.
# No piece of normal-size paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
# The tongue is the only muscle that is attached from one end only.
# Pumice is the only rock that floats in water.
# Camel’s milk does not curdle.
# Your foot is the same length as your forearm, and your thumb is the same length as your nose. Also, the length of your lips is the same as the index finger.
# Natural pearls melt in vinegar.
# Buttermilk does not contain any butter.
# The human brain is 80% water.
# Men’s shirts have the buttons on the right while women’s shirts have the buttons on the left.
# Human fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.
# The Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt holds a constant temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
# The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.
# Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age.
# It takes approximately 2 million flowers for a bee to make 1 pound of honey.
# Human saliva has a boiling point three times that of regular water.
# It is physically impossible to urinate and give blood at the same time.
# The letter J does not appear anywhere in the periodic table of the elements.
# The right lung of a human is larger than the left one. This is because of the space and placement of the heart.
# Watermelons, which are 92% water, originated from the Kalahari Desert in Africa.
# The hair of some cancer patients treated with chemotherapy can grow back in a different colour, and sometimes even be curly or straight.
# The markings that are found on dice are called “pips.”
# 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
# The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
# Leonardo Da Vinci never signed or dated his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa.
# The ampersand (&) was the last letter of the Latin alphabet.
# The palms of your hands and the soles of your feet cannot tan, or grow hair.
# Dolphins can swim and sleep at the same time, as they sleep with one eye open.
# Each nostril of a human being registers smell in a different way. Those by the right nostril are more pleasant than the left.
# The longest single-syllable word in the English language is “screeched.”
# The word “Checkmate” in chess comes from the Persian phrase “Shah-Mat,” which means “the king is dead”.
# Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades – King David, Clubs – Alexander the Great, Hearts – Charlemagne, and Diamonds – Julius Caesar.
# In Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift described the two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, giving their exact size and speeds of rotation. He did this more than 100 years before either moon was discovered!
# If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Sex

Sex is one of life’s pleasures and it is practiced by most people at least once in their lifetime. This list takes a look at some more unusual facts about sex and sex related topics. Feel free to add your own interesting facts to the comments.

10
Weightloss

Fascinating Fact: Sexual acts lead to weight loss

The average human loses 26 calories when kissing for a minute. Furthermore, vigorous sex for half an hour burns 150 calories (you can lose three pounds in a year – if you have sex 7 to 8 times a month). Kissing is also very good for your teeth: the extra saliva released during the act helps to keep the mouth clean – reducing the risk of decay.

9
Pubic Wigs


Fascinating Fact: In Victorian times, whores wore pubic wigs

The pubic wig (merkin) has been around since the 1400s when it was originally worn by women who had shaved their pubic hair off to prevent lice. In the Victorian times it was frequently worn by prostitutes who wanted to conceal the fact that they had diseases like syphilis (Honest – we aren’t merkin’ this up). They are also used in the film industry to conceal actors genitals in nude scenes.

8
Condoms



Fascinating Fact: Condoms were originally made of animal intestines or linen

In Asia before the fifteenth century, some use of glans condoms (devices covering only the head of the penis) is recorded. In China, glans condoms may have been made of oiled silk paper, or of lamb intestines. In Japan, they were made of tortoise shell or animal horn (ouch). In the 16th century, condoms were often made with linen sheaths soaked in a chemical solution and allowed to dry before use. The cloths were sized to cover the glans of the penis, and were held on with a ribbon. Pictured above is an animal intestine condom from the early 1900s.

7
Not Tonight Josephine



Fascinating Fact: Sex cures headaches

Next time your significant other refuses your advances by claiming to have a headache, remember this fact: the sex act can help to cure a headache. Sex causes the body to release endorphins which naturally reduce the pain of a headache.

6
Skin Care



Fascinating Fact: Sperm is good for the skin

The proteins in sperm have a tightening effect on the skin. When sperm is left to dry, the evaporation of the water in it leaves behind protein which can help to reduce wrinkles. While this may be an excellent anti-aging treatment, the obvious downside is that you have to walk around with sperm on your face.






5
Pubic Hair



Fascinating Fact: Pubic hair is programmed to grow a certain amount

All hair on the body is controlled by a “growth program” which determines the growth duration (and consequently the length) of hair. Pubic hair has a shorter growth duration (on average just a few months) compared to hair on the head. This is what stops pubic hair growing to unmanageable lengths.

4
Blowsy Gal



Fascinating Fact: The term “blow job” comes from the Victorian times

In Victorian times, a slang term for a prostitute was “blowsy”. At the same time, “blow” was slang for ejaculation. Consequently, by the 1930s, the act of fellatio came to be known as a blow job. It was also used to describe jet planes in World War Two. In Ancient Greece, the common slang for a blow job was “playing the flute”.

3
Male Porn



Fascinating Fact: Men looking at male porn produce more sperm

Studies have shown that men who looked at porn of two men and one woman produced more sperm than those who looked at just women. Scientists speculate that seeing competition makes men step up their baby-making capacities.

2
Sex For Fun



Fascinating Fact: Humans aren’t the only creatures to have sex for fun.

Humans aren’t the only members of the animal kingdom that have sex just for fun. Dolphins and Bonobo chimps have also been observed engaging in sexual activity, when they are not in their natural reproductive cycles. With the exception of a pair of Cohan gorillas observed doing so, bonobos are the only non-human animal to have been observed engaging in all of the following sexual activities: face-to-face genital sex, tongue kissing, and oral sex. When Bonobos come upon a new food source or feeding ground, the increased excitement will usually lead to communal sexual activity, presumably decreasing tension and allowing for peaceful feeding. Interestingly, Bonobo chimps also play and experience joy like humans.

1
Animal Prostitution



Fascinating Fact: Some female penguins engage in prostitution

Believe it or not, in the wild, certain female penguins (even when in a committed relationship) will exchange sexual favors with strange males for the pebbles they need to build their nests. According to Dr Fiona Hunter (a zoologist): “It tends to be females targeting single males, otherwise the partner female would beat the intruder up.” On some occasions the prostitute penguins trick the males. They carry out the elaborate courtship ritual, which usually leads to mating. Having bagged their stone, they would then run off.

Random Facts About Marijuana

Marijuana is created from the dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa.

Marijuana is the most common illegal drug used in the United States. Approximately 100 million Americans have tried marijuana at least once, and more than 25 million have smoked it in the last year.

According to one national survey on drug use, each day approximately 6,000 Americans try marijuana for the first time.


Worldwide, it is estimated that about 162 million adults use marijuana at least once per year, and 22.5 million use the drug daily.
After alcohol, marijuana is the most popular drug worldwide



After alcohol, marijuana is the most popular recreational or mood-altering drug used worldwide.g
Just under 40% of high school students in the U.S. report using marijuana at least once in their life, and 20% report using it regularly.

According to one report, it would take 800 joints to kill a person—but the cause of death would be carbon monoxide poisoning.


There are over 200 slang terms for marijuana in the popular vernacular. Some of the more common nicknames include pot, grass, weed, hash, and ganja.b

The international and scientific name for marijuana is cannabis. However, the substance is most commonly called marijuana within the United States.b

The name marijuana comes from a Mexican slang term for cannabis and is believed to have derived from the Spanish pronunciation of the names Mary and Jane. (The two names were also common Mexican military slang for a prostitute or brothel.) Marijuana came into popularity as a name for cannabis in the U.S. during the late 1800s.b

The cannabis plant can grow in nearly any environment and averages one to two inches of growth per day and up to 18 feet total in ideal conditions.a

The primary active ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta 9 tetrhydrocannabinol). It is this chemical that produces marijuana’s mind-altering effects.a

The psychoactive side effects of THC in small doses include loss of inhibition, elation, and a
distorted sense of time. The drug can also cause increased visual sensitivity and heightened imagination.

Depending upon the weather conditions, soil type, and time of harvest for a cannabis plant, as well as the specific mixture of dried leaves and flowers in the marijuana product, a sample of marijuana can contain anywhere from 3% to 20% THC.b
Cannabis seeds were used as a food source in China as early as 6000 B.C.a

Marijuana was first used as a medicinal drug in 2737 B.C. by Chinese emperor Shen Nung



The first recorded use of marijuana as a medicinal drug occurred in 2737 B.C. by Chinese emperor Shen Nung. The emperor documented the drug’s effectiveness in treating the pains of rheumatism and gout.

The first law in the American colonies regarding marijuana was a 1619 law that actually required farmers to grow the hemp plant. Once harvested, hemp was useful for clothing, sails, and rope.b
During the temperance movement of the 1890s, marijuana was commonly recommended as a substitute for alcohol. The reason for this was that use of marijuana did not lead to domestic violence while alcohol abuse did.

Marijuana was first severely restricted as a recreational and medicinal drug in the U.S. by the

Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. The law did not prohibit marijuana use but imposed such a heavy tax that legal sale and use became nearly impossible.b

In October of 1937, Samuel Caldwell was the first U.S. citizen arrested under the Marihuana Tax Act for selling marijuana without paying the newly mandated tax. He was fined $1,000 and sentenced to four years of hard labor in Leavenworth.

Prior to its ban, hemp was a staple cash crop of the family farm in early America. The first two drafts of the United States Declaration of Independence were written on paper made from hemp.e

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 made it illegal to possess, use, buy, sell, or cultivate marijuana in the United States. The law classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no acceptable medical use.

Marijuana production and trafficking make up the world’s largest drug market and the substance can be grown in almost every country. The United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) has data on 172 countries and territories known to grow marijuana.

Paraguay is believed to be the world’s largest producer of marijuana.According to the UNODC, there are several countries worldwide where greater than 8% of the population are said to use marijuana. Among those countries are the United States, Canada, England, Spain, France, South Africa, and New Zealand.

In 2007, nearly 900,000 arrests for marijuana violations were made in the United States. Approximately 90% of offenders charged with marijuana-related crimes were arrested for possession only.

Marijuana was easily obtained at the local grocery store or pharmacy until the early 1940s



From 1850 to 1942, marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia as a useful medicine for nausea, rheumatism, and labor pains and was easily obtained at the local general store or pharmacy.

Current supporters of medical marijuana believe the drug has significant medical value for patients who suffer from AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Several studies have been published to support and document this belief.

In 2003, Canada became the first country in the world to offer medical marijuana to pain-suffering patients.

In 1996, California became the first U.S. state to legally allow medical marijuana for patients with a valid doctor’s recommendation.

While marijuana is still a controlled substance under federal law, 13 U.S. states currently have compassionate use laws in place, which allow for regulated medical marijuana use: AK, CA, CO, HI, ME, MI, MT, NV, NM, OR, RI, VT, and WA. An additional 17 states and the District of Columbia have legislated to recognize the value of medical marijuana but do not protect users from federal prosecution.c

-- Posted February 27, 2009. Updated March 2, 2010.

Interesting Unknown Facts

Coca-Cola was originally green.

The most common name in the world is Mohammed.

The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.

The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.

TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the
keyboard.


Women blink nearly twice as much as men!

You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a
millisecond.

It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky

The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.

If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents great king from history.
Spades - King David
Clubs - Alexander the Great,
Hearts - Charlemagne
Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.

If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle.

If the horse has a all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common?
Ans. - All invented by women.

Question - This is the only food that doesn't spoil. What is this?
Ans. - Honey

A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

A snail can sleep for three years.

All polar bears are left handed.

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.

Butterflies taste with their feet.

Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.

Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.

Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.

The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.

The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.

Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over million descendants.

Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times

The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

Most lipstick contains fish scales.

Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different

And finally 99% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow..........