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The Useless Fact Thread! |
gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
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there are a bunch of facts (of varying accuracy) which i posted a few months ago in this thread:
Interesting history you all should know
_________________
Whomsoever you see in distress, recognize in him a fellow man
Gelfen's special place where people talk to him
[ This Message was edited by: gelfen on 2004-06-09 06:53 ] | |
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kristaga
Joined: Mar 12, 2002
Posts: 141
From: Norig/Norway
PM, WWW
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Quote:
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On 2004-05-19 09:20:31, gelfen wrote:
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or
purple.
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are
read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
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I belive that if you sneeze with your eyes open they will fall out.
I have always imagined the word "Timbuktu" as hard to find a rhyming word to in English.
In Norwegian it is considered impossible to find a rhyming word to "pølse" (sausage).
In Norwegian the sentence "Agnes i senga" (Agnes in the bed) is palindromatic.
In Norwegian we write compound words as one, which makes interesting things happen:
"Angstskrik" (distress howl/fear shout), six consonants in a row. The word is a compund of "angst" and "skrik".
"Saueøyeeier" (sheep eye owner), nine vowels in a row, a compound of "sau", "e" (to bind the words) "øye" (ø is a vowel) and "eier".
Norwegian, Danish and Swedish have 29 letters in the alphabeth. The 26 latin and in addition 'æ', 'ø' and 'å' (Swedish use 'ä' and 'ö' for 'æ' and 'ø', but with same background) in the end of the alphabeth.
Icelandic have 36 letters, in this row:
a á b c d ð e é f g h i í j k l m n o ó p q r s t u ú v w x y ý z þ æ ö
The first artificial object to be sent into Earth orbit was as everybody know Sputnik 1. But for some reason I know that it weighed 83.6 kg.
Kristian André
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Aikonoklast
Joined: Feb 02, 2002
Posts: 363
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The speed of light is 186,282 miles per second.
It's \\ NOT /// !!! Look at it sideways ! |
masseur
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Sydney, London
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or...
The speed of light in vacuum is exactly 299,792,458 m/s (metres per second)
also interesting is
In 1983 the SI (Systeme International) defined a metre as:
The metre is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second.
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Krubach
Joined: Dec 05, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Sunny Portugal! :)
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I have to take a leak...
[addsig] |
kristaga
Joined: Mar 12, 2002
Posts: 141
From: Norig/Norway
PM, WWW
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Quote:
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On 2004-06-04 14:48:29, masseur wrote:
The metre is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second.
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That's because the metre stick in France was discovered to be influenced by temperature and was unreliable.
The metre was originally defined to be 1/10,000,000 of the distance from equator to the north pole.
Later defined as the lenght of the metre stick at 20(?) degees C. Now as you say.
The foot was originally defined to be the lenght of the upper (or lower?) arm of some king. Wonder why they call it foot then. It is longer than most people's feet. But:
My feet are exactly one foot. Or 30.48 cm. Or size EUR47.
Kristian André
[addsig] |
jontyf
Joined: Apr 29, 2004
Posts: 468
From: Hertfordshire, England
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Youll have a happy life if you do the things you like
No matter how hard you try you CANNOT poop from your nose
Now I need a leak sausage
Elle - "...Which in the very near future, will be my sword"
Bea - "Bitch, you dont have a future..."
Bea - "... What did you say to Pai Mey to make him snatch out your eye?" |
Aikonoklast
Joined: Feb 02, 2002
Posts: 363
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i joined esato on the 2nd day of the 2nd month of the 2nd year of the 2k |
Lynx69
Joined: Feb 22, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: [ENGLAND]
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I cant sniff coke because the ice cubes block the straw 
 >>*Wow 2100+ posts*<< |
n.evil
Joined: Oct 07, 2003
Posts: 156
From: Cymru am Byth
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Quote:
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The foot was originally defined to be the lenght of the upper (or lower?) arm of some king. Wonder why they call it foot then. It is longer than most people's feet. But:
My feet are exactly one foot. Or 30.48 cm. Or size EUR47.
Kristian André
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That would be because if you put your heel in the crease of your elbow, your foot will reach exactly to your wrist! So by conclusion it must have been the measurement of the lower arm of some king!
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion enwogion o fri,
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mâd,
Dros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed. |
gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
PM |
According to the SI system of units:
The second is the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom.
This definition refers to a caesium atom at rest at a temperature of zero K.
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davetheplumber
Joined: Jun 01, 2004
Posts: 11
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Sadly, however hard u try, u will never be able to see ur forehead |
soichiro
Joined: Jan 12, 2004
Posts: 258
From: Cucumberland
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yes u can!! use a mirror!!
go on try it and knock urself out!! 
___________________________________________________________
Effects of Elements on Steel
Steels are among the most commonly used alloys. The complexity of steel alloys is fairly significant. Not all effects of the varying elements are included. The following text gives an overview of some of the effects of various alloying elements. Additional research should be performed prior to making any design or engineering conclusions.
Carbon has a major effect on steel properties. Carbon is the primary hardening element in steel. Hardness and tensile strength increases as carbon content increases up to about 0.85% C as shown in the figure above. Ductility and weldability decrease with increasing carbon.
Manganese is generally beneficial to surface quality especially in resulfurized steels. Manganese contributes to strength and hardness, but less than carbon. The increase in strength is dependent upon the carbon content. Increasing the manganese content decreases ductility and weldability, but less than carbon. Manganese has a significant effect on the hardenability of steel.
Phosphorus increases strength and hardness and decreases ductility and notch impact toughness of steel. The adverse effects on ductility and toughness are greater in quenched and tempered higher-carbon steels. Phosphorous levels are normally controlled to low levels. Higher phosphorus is specified in low-carbon free-machining steels to improve machinability.
Sulfur decreases ductility and notch impact toughness especially in the transverse direction. Weldability decreases with increasing sulfur content. Sulfur is found primarily in the form of sulfide inclusions. Sulfur levels are normally controlled to low levels. The only exception is free-machining steels, where sulfur is added to improve machinability.
Silicon is one of the principal deoxidizers used in steelmaking. Silicon is less effective than manganese in increasing as-rolled strength and hardness. In low-carbon steels, silicon is generally detrimental to surface quality.
Copper in significant amounts is detrimental to hot-working steels. Copper negatively affects forge welding, but does not seriously affect arc or oxyacetylene welding. Copper can be detrimental to surface quality. Copper is beneficial to atmospheric corrosion resistance when present in amounts exceeding 0.20%. Weathering steels are sold having greater than 0.20% Copper.
Lead is virtually insoluble in liquid or solid steel. However, lead is sometimes added to carbon and alloy steels by means of mechanical dispersion during pouring to improve the machinability.
Boron is added to fully killed steel to improve hardenability. Boron-treated steels are produced to a range of 0.0005 to 0.003%. Whenever boron is substituted in part for other alloys, it should be done only with hardenability in mind because the lowered alloy content may be harmful for some applications. Boron is a potent alloying element in steel. A very small amount of boron (about 0.001%) has a strong effect on hardenability. Boron steels are generally produced within a range of 0.0005 to 0.003%. Boron is most effective in lower carbon steels.
Chromium is commonly added to steel to increase corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance, to increase hardenability, or to improve high-temperature strength. As a hardening element, Chromium is frequently used with a toughening element such as nickel to produce superior mechanical properties. At higher temperatures, chromium contributes increased strength. Chromium is a strong carbide former. Complex chromium-iron carbides go into solution in austenite slowly; therefore, sufficient heating time must be allowed for prior to quenching.
Nickel is a ferrite strengthener. Nickel does not form carbides in steel. It remains in solution in ferrite, strengthening and toughening the ferrite phase. Nickel increases the hardenability and impact strength of steels.
Molybdenum increases the hardenability of steel. Molybdenum may produce secondary hardening during the tempering of quenched steels. It enhances the creep strength of low-alloy steels at elevated temperatures.
Aluminum is widely used as a deoxidizer. Aluminum can control austenite grain growth in reheated steels and is therefore added to control grain size. Aluminum is the most effective alloy in controlling grain growth prior to quenching. Titanium, zirconium, and vanadium are also valuable grain growth inhibitors, but there carbides are difficult to dissolve into solution in austenite.
Zirconium can be added to killed high-strength low-alloy steels to achieve improvements in inclusion characteristics. Zirconium causes sulfide inclusions to be globular rather than elongated thus improving toughness and ductility in transverse bending.
Niobium (Columbium) increases the yield strength and, to a lesser degree, the tensile strength of carbon steel. The addition of small amounts of Niobium can significantly increase the yield strength of steels. Niobium can also have a moderate precipitation strengthening effect. Its main contributions are to form precipitates above the transformation temperature, and to retard the recrystallization of austenite, thus promoting a fine-grain microstructure having improved strength and toughness.
Titanium is used to retard grain growth and thus improve toughness. Titanium is also used to achieve improvements in inclusion characteristics. Titanium causes sulfide inclusions to be globular rather than elongated thus improving toughness and ductility in transverse bending.
Vanadium increases the yield strength and the tensile strength of carbon steel. The addition of small amounts of Niobium can significantly increase the strength of steels. Vanadium is one of the primary contributors to precipitation strengthening in microalloyed steels. When thermomechanical processing is properly controlled the ferrite grain size is refined and there is a corresponding increase in toughness. The impact transition temperature also increases when vanadium is added.
All microalloy steels contain small concentrations of one or more strong carbide and nitride forming elements. Vanadium, niobium, and titanium combine preferentially with carbon and/or nitrogen to form a fine dispersion of precipitated particles in the steel matrix.
getting metallurgical here are we?
Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night. |
gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
PM |
just to break the monotony of the lessons in elementary physics and chemistry.....
PROOF THAT THE WORLD IS NUTS !
In Lebanon, men are legally allowed to have sex with
animals, but the animals must be female. Having sexual
relations with a male animal is punishable by death.
(Like THAT makes sense.)
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In Bahrain, a male doctor may legally examine a
woman's genitals, but is prohibited from looking
directly at them during the examination. He may only
see their reflection in a mirror. (Do they look
different reversed?)
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Muslims are banned from looking at the genitals of a
corpse. This also applies to undertakers; the sex
organs of the deceased must be covered with a brick or
piece of wood at all times. (A brick??)
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The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is
decapitation. (Much worse than "going blind!")
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There are men in Guam whose full-time job is to travel
the countryside and deflower young virgins, who pay
them for the privilege of having sex for the first
time...Reason: under Guam law, it is expressly
forbidden for virgins to marry.
(Let's just think for a minute; is there any job anywhere else in the world, that even comes close to this?)
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In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to
kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with
her bare hands. The husband's lover, on the other
hand, may be killed in any manner desired. (Ah!
Justice!)
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Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England -
but only in tropical fish stores. (But of course!)
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In Cali, Colombia, a woman may only have sex with her
husband, and the first time this happens, her mother
must be in the room to witness the act. (Makes one
shudder at the thought.)
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In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, it is illegal for a man to
have sex with a woman and her daughter at the same
time. (I presume this was a big enough problem that
they had to pass this law?)
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In Maryland, it is illegal to sell condoms from
vending machines with one exception: prophylactics may
be dispensed from a vending machine only "in places
where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on
the premises."
(Is this a great country or what? Not as great as Guam!)
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Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an
hour. (Who volunteers for this stuff?)
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Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex
for pleasure.
(Is that why Flipper was always smiling?)
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The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue...
(Hummm....I won't touch THAT one!)
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The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30
times its own weight and always falls over on its
right side when intoxicated. (From drinking little
bottles of...? -- did the govt. pay for this
research??)
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Butterflies taste with their feet. (Ah, geez)
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An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain. (I know
some people like that.)
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Starfish don't have brains. (I know some people like
that too)
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And, the best for last.....
Turtles can breathe through their butts. (Do you think
they have bad breath?)
Where are the applications for Guam?
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ilia
Joined: Sep 15, 2003
Posts: 312
From: Russia
PM |
i learned at university how to prove that 0=/=1. and 0 truly is not equal to 1! that stupid science which proves such useless stuff is called mathemetical analysis =)
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Access the forum with a mobile phone via esato.mobi
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Posted: 2004-05-28 07:37
>>*Wow 2100+ posts*<< 
