Weird true facts that sound false

boing
21

Did I not warn you about clicking on the link?

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22

Americans re-elected George Bush.

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23

Worst. Synechode. Ever.

24

Are you kidding? I’d pack a tranquilizer gun and a big saddle. Now that would be an outing to remember.

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25

Indeed, my long dead grandfather was only a few years older than I am now when I knew him best. On the upside, I don’t smoke 30 cigs a day, so with luck I will last a touch longer.

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26

So, ancient Egyptians drank Colt .45?

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27

Well no. Ancient Egyptian beer was probably pretty low in terms of percentage alcohol – the main point was to kill germs in water, with only a minor purpose in getting a buzz. Although I learned just now that Colt .45 only has 6% (or 8% in Canada) alcohol – so while more than mass market beers like Bud and Miller, less than many craft IPAs I favor.

28

I’m a bit of a cheap beer enthusiast, and it’s always struck me as odd that most malt liquors are either between 6-8% ABV or exactly 12%. I think I heard or read somewhere that if the manufacturers added neutral grain spirit to get a higher ABV they’d be taxed the same as distilled liquor, so the 8% ABV range is the highest they can economically brew it and still be drinkable, while the 12% figure is right at the edge where the methanol level is just low enough to not make you blind.

It’s probably apocryphal though, and there’s probably a straightforward regulation where any brewed beverage is taxed as hard liquor in a bunch of states when it goes above 12% ABV.

29

So when you find a mammoth…will you milk it?

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30

Agreed: What kind of atom? And how do you define ‘the solar system’?

31

Worst day at the zoo ever.

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32

No matter which you choose, you’re somewhere between the neutrino being a pea and a pomelo. So I guess they didn’t worry about it too much

33

Easy. If I have a time machine, I’m going to the future. Not too far, a few hundred years at most so the world has at least a good chance at still being comprehensible to me. There they’ll have better time machines, holographic simulations of other peoples’ time machine experiences of the past, and useful science and technology for me to steal and bring back home.

34

Just keep going back to when your 12 hours starts, and have another go.

You’re welcome!

35

Only if you’re using the mean value as the average.

36

I know that some people abuse the word average, but when I look in the dictionary I read a description of the arithmetic mean. Not the mode, the median, the geometric mean, the harmonic mean, or some Holder mean. Even if we take those as “averages”, all are less than 2 except the mode.

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37

Of course, that way when you get back you can make elemoths…

38

I love that play.

39

The kidney one reminds me of a fact I was sure was false until I experienced it: when you have a c-section, they actually pull your uterus out the incision after delivering the baby, and rest it on your abdomen to inspect it.

Or maybe mine was just really interesting.

40

Fastest man-made object: a manhole cover.

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