50 Useless Yet Interesting Facts

If you earn twenty thousand dollars a year, one minute of your time is worth a little more than seventeen cents.

It is against the law to whale hunt in Oklahoma. (Think about it...)

Lawn darts are illegal in Canada.

On average, half of all false teeth have some form of radioactivity.

A ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball of rubber. A ball of solid steel will bounce higher than one made entirely of glass.

If you went out into space, you would explode before you suffocated because there's no air pressure.

An ear of corn averages 800 kernels in 16 rows. A pound of corn consists of approximately 1,300 kernels. 100 bushels of corn produces approximately 7,280,000 kernels. Corn is produced on every continent of the world with the exception of Antarctica.

There are an estimated 285,000 species of flowering plants on Earth compared to 148,000 for all other plants. Flowering plants are very important because they provide food for herbivores - plant-eating animals - and for humans.

Bamboo can grow up to three feet in a 24 hour period.

The reason one wears a wedding ring on the third finger is that (tradition says) there is supposed to be a vein which goes directly from that finger to the heart—i.e., the seat of love. Also, not everyone wears that wedding ring on the third finger of the LEFT hand. In some traditions, such as the Jewish one, it is worn on the right hand. Also, I'm given to understand that nuns ("brides of Christ") wear a wedding ring, again on the right hand.

An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees. A spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.

No one knows where Mozart is buried.

"Mr. Mojo Risin" is an anagram for Jim Morrison.

According to Beatles producer George Martin, Neal Hefti's catchy composition of the 1960's "Batman" Emmy-winning theme song inspired George Harrison to write the hit song "Taxman."

The substance that human blood resembles most closely in terms of chemical composition is sea water.

People who have a tough time handling the stress of money woes are twice as likely to develop severe gum disease, a new study finds.

Of the 206 bones in the average human adult's body, 106 are in the hands and feet. (54 in the hands and 52 in the feet)

The corkscrew was invented by M.L. Bryn, also of New York, in 1860.

A device invented as a primitive steam engine by the Greek engineer Hero, about the time of the birth of Christ, is used today as a rotating lawn sprinkler.

Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time.

Incan soldiers invented the process of freeze-drying food. The process was primitive but effective — potatoes would be left outside to freeze overnight, then thawed and stomped on to remove excess water.

The ancient Egyptians recommended mixing half an onion with beer foam as a way of warding off death.

Forty six percent of the world's water is in the Pacific Ocean. The Atlantic has 23.9 percent; the Indian, 20.3; the Arctic, 3.7 percent.

At 840,000 square miles, Greenland is the largest island in the world. It is 3 times the size of Texas. By comparison Iceland is only 39,800 square miles.

Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

Only food that does not spoil: honey.

A man named Ed Peterson is the inventor of the Egg McMuffin.

The fortune cookie was invented in 1916 by George Jung, a Los Angeles noodlemaker.

In South Africa, termites are often roasted and eaten by the handful, like pretzels or popcorn.

Carbonated water, with nothing else in it, can dissolve limestone, talc, and many other low-Moh's hardness minerals. Coincidentally, carbonated water is the main ingredient in soda.

Spam stands for Shoulder Pork and hAM.

In Bavaria, beer isn't considered an alcoholic drink but rather a staple food.

Table salt is the only commodity that hasn’t risen dramatically in price in the last 150 years.

Americans eat an average of 18 pounds of fresh apples each year. The most popular variety in the United States is the Red Delicious.

A lawyer defending a man accused of burglary tried this creative defense: "My client merely inserted his arm into the window and removed a few trifling articles. His arm is not himself, and I fail to see how you can punish the whole individual for an offense committed by his limb." "Well put," the judge replied. "Using your logic, I sentence the defendant's arm to one year's imprisonment. He can accompany it or not, as he chooses." The defendant smiled. With his lawyer's assistance he detached his artificial limb, laid it on the bench, and walked out.

The record for the world’s worst drivers is a toss-up between two candidates: First, a 75-year-old man who received 10 traffic tickets, drove on the wrong side of the road four times, committed four hit-and-run offenses, an caused six accidents, all within 20 minutes on October 15, 1966. Second, a 62-year-old woman who failed her driving test 40 times before passing it in August, 1970 (by that time, she had spent over $700 in lessons, and could no longer afford to buy a car).

Artist Andy Warhol became famous for his painting of Campbell's Soup cans. Before that - he made his living painting shoes for advertisements.

Roosevelt was the most superstitious president—he traveled continually but never left on a Friday. He also would not sit at the same table that held thirteen other people.

A group of twelve or more cows is called a flink.

You can tell the sex of a horse by its teeth. Most males have 40, females have 36.

The duckbill platypus can store as many as six hundred worms in the pouches of its cheeks.

North American oysters do not make pearls of any value.

Deer can't eat hay.

Guinea pigs and rabbits can't sweat.

Ostriches are often not taken seriously. They can run faster than horses, and the males can roar like lions.

Small cockroaches are more likely to die on their backs than large cockroaches.

The only insect that can turn its head 360 degrees is the praying mantis.

Honeybees have hair on their eyes .

The natural diet of Lady Beetles consists of soft bodied insects such as aphids, spider mites, and young caterpillars. Adults can consume up to 100 aphids a day.

Two out of three people sleep on their sides, and they're about equally divided as to WHICH side. Of the remainder, slightly more sleep on their stomachs than sleep on their backs.

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50 Useless Yet Interesting Facts

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