The Strange Facts You Know thread....

[OceanAnnie]

Penguins mate once a year.

 

[Va-bear]

Did you know, rubber bands last longer when they are refrigerated?

And batteries.... and film!

 

[AshleyW]

North Dakota is the only state in the US that has never had an earthquake.

 

[nmmom95]

One third of the potatoes grown in the US are grown in Idaho.

 

[queenlizzie]

the longest word you can type with only your left hand is 'stewardesses'

 

[imabrat]

The foot you use to take the first step up a flight of stairs displays the dominant side of your brain. If you use your right foot you are most likely left hemisphere dominant.

That is true! For me, at least.

- Women blink twice as much as men.
- The longest word you can type using only the first row of letters on your keyboard is "typewriter".

 

[Sparx]

the longest word you can type with only your left hand is 'stewardesses'

lollipop is the longest for the right.

 

[DaParkers]

This is interesting, because you know how people raise one eyebrow... well, I can ONLY raise my left!

Me too!
Most people can't eat 6 saltine crackers in 1 minute without water. And I have an IQ higher than 95% of the population, yet my bank account doesn't reflect that.

 

[ElizK]

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words.



Most people's arm width is the same number of feet/inches as their height.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

A dust buster left in the hands of a child can and will suck up the tail of a very scared cat.

 

[love2disney]

The word "EDUCATION" contains all five vowels.

 

[locolala]

Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump

 

[cjb71870]

The sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”, uses every letter in the alphabet.

 

[Uuaww]

Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump

also the only mammal with 4 identical legs.

 

[agnes!]

North Dakota is the only state in the US that has never had an earthquake.

Sort of true and sort of not...(I used to live in Fargo and just had to look it up )...
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/north_dakota/history.php

No earthquakes of intensity V or above (Modified Mercalli Scale) have occurred within North Dakota during historical times. Earthquakes centered in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, and Nebraska, and a few Canadian shocks have been felt in the State. The first instrumentally located earthquake in the history of North Dakota occurred on July 8, 1968. Its intensity did not exceed IV, however.

It's true, though, that North Dakota can be a very placid state.
agnes!

 

[Katieinwonderland]

Oh, I am an absolute fountain of crap...I seem to store away uselss facts like a camel, and it takes up space where I should be remembering important things like when my car payment is due...

- The lifespan of a squirrel is nine years

- There are more than 200 kinds of chilli pepper, none of which are related to the pepper family

- During their lifetime, the average human will grow nearly 600 miles of hair

- The agave plant from which tequila is derived looks like a pineapple, but it actually a member of the lily family.

- And something a little Disney...the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland was a symbol for hatmakers in the 1800's. The felt hats of the day contained lead, which caused a type of psycosis that made hatmakers all a little crazy.

 

[golfgal]

The lines on roads were originally put there (the white one on the right side) to guide snowplows during storms--my Great Uncle was the one that came up with this while working for the DOT in northern MN many, many years ago.

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

.

- And something a little Disney...the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland was a symbol for hatmakers in the 1800's. The felt hats of the day contained lead, which caused a type of psycosis that made hatmakers all a little crazy.

I think it was mercury, not lead.


Rhode Island has the longest state name; it is officially:

"The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations"

 

[SC Minnie]

The distance between our wrist and elbow on the inside of our arm is the same size as our feet.

Please tell me I am not the only one that had to pull out a ruler and check this one out?

 

[jlmarr]

Yreka Bakery is a palindrome.

(There is town in northern California named Yreka, but last I heard they don't actually have a bakery.)