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 |  One hundred facts that are interesting but ultimately useless. |
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presenting: A Catalogue of Useless Facts - introduction - Whether I'm at work or out with friends, I have a reputation as the person who knows things. Not useful things, mind you; not once has it been profitable to know the reason why dogs have wet noses, or the meaning of the linguistic term "glottal stop", or the difference between a bug and an insect. If anything, all the aimless wandering on Wikipedia keeps me from finishing my other writing projects. But there is a purpose to this eclectic mishmash of trivia, and it ties into my own major philosophy: stuff is interesting. The world is often rough and depressing, but if I can find one neat little factoid, everything seems a little less meaningless. And this brings us to the point of this blog. Lately, it feels like my various newsfeeds are full to bursting with anger and bickering. As a generally positive person, I wanted to counteract this in some way -- only I'm not so adept with inspirational quotes or pithy wisdom. What I can offer, though, are useless facts. Over the past few months, instead of filing these accidental info-bits in some dusty corner of my brain, I've been taking notes. Before long, I had enough for a solid month of trivia. I collected a few more and thought instead I'd do a "Factoid Friday" every week for a year. But I'm a curious person by nature, and can't help but stumble on new things. Maybe I'm eating lunch one day, I suddenly wonder where ketchup comes from, and bam! I learn something new! So here come the facts. They may be short, or they may be long. They may cover language, biology, history, mythology, or any number of other subjects. Many of you may know some of these, and some of you may know many of these. But hopefully, at least once between now and the time my collection runs dry, you'll be inspired to say, "Huh! That's actually kind of interesting!" -BD Mitchell Blog is currently on hiatus. Blog Info ▼ Categories ▼
Comments, corrections, and suggestions are welcome at all times! |
"Reindeer" - etymology - The word "deer" (from Old English "deor") originally referred not specifically to the antlered cervid, but instead to any wild animal. Foxes, mice, fish, and even ants would fall under the umbrella of a "deor". "Reindeer" derives from "deor" and "hreinn" (from Proto-Germanic, meaning "horned animal"), making a reindeer a "horned animal animal." #050 |
Turkey Comas - cuisine / physiology - It is often said that consumption of turkey causes drowsiness due to high levels of the amino acid tryptophan. In reality, tryptophan levels in turkey meat are similar to those of other popular meats like beef or chicken. The increased feeling of drowsiness is likely due to the massive amounts of carbohydrates often consumed during a full turkey dinner. #049 |
The Golden Milestone - history / landmarks - The "Milliarium Aureum" (Latin for "Golden Milestone") was a marble and bronze column located in the center of the ancient City of Rome. It was point zero of the Roman road network, and milestones throughout the empire were measured specifically from the Milliarium Aureum. This monument was said to be the inspiration of for the saying, "All roads lead to Rome"; however, the 12th century phrase may have been intended instead as a generic aphorism. #048 |
| "Violin", "Viola" & "Cello" - etymology / music - Multiple stringed instruments in the violin family derive their name from the Latin word "vitula" ("stringed instrument"): "Viola" is a corruption of "vitula". "Violin" is a "little viola". "Violone" (similar to a "double bass") is a "big viola". "Violoncello" (often shortened to "cello") is a "little violone", or a "little big viola". #047 |
| Reeded Coins - currency - The parallel grooves etched on the outer circumference of many styles of coin are known as "reeding". When coinage was made of actual gold or silver, a common tactic by less-than-honest citizens was to shave or clip tiny amounts from the edges; each coin could still be redeemed for its minted value, and the excess metal would be sold for profit. Reeding was introduced to curb this practice -- or at least to make it more conspicuous. #046 |
| The Giantest Flowers - biology - Rafflesia arnoldii (also known as the "corpse flower" due to its scent) produces the largest single flower on the planet, with each mature bloom measuring around a meter (3 ft.) in diameter. The titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) is another massive species that measures up to three meters tall (~10 ft.). Coincidentally also nicknamed "corpse flower", it is actually considered an "inflorescence" (a cluster of smaller flowers), and so is not technically a contender for R. arnoldii's title. #045 |
| "Piano" - etymology / music - The word "piano" (referring to the musical instrument) is an abbreviation of "pianoforte", which is in turn an abbreviation of the instrument's original Italian name, "gravicembalo col piano e forte" ("keyboard with soft and loud"). The name referred to the device's capacity to variably play at loud volumes as well as softer, more expressive levels. This was an advantage over its two contemporary competitors, the harpsichord (which didn't allow for much expressive control) and the clavichord (which was simply too quiet in concert settings). #044 |
The Oldest Tree - biology - The oldest living tree is a specimen of Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) living in the White Mountains near the California-Nevada border. This single tree is estimated to be more than five-thousand years old (5,067 as of 2017), making it five-hundred years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza. The precise identity and location of the tree is kept secret to prevent vandalism. #043 |
| The Mines of Paris - history / landmarks - The Mines of Paris are a large network of abandoned mining tunnels under the modern city of Paris. Believed to date back to the 1200s, many of the tunnels were not formally mapped, allowing much of the network to be lost or forgotten as the city expanded. After a cave-in destroyed a large section of street in the 1770s, the French government created a department to identify, access, and repair failing sections of the mines. In the 1780s, a mile-long segment (1.7 km) of the tunnels was converted for use as an ossuary (a site for storing skeletal remains) as a solution to massive cemetery overcrowding within the city walls. These would become the famous Catacombs of Paris. #042 |
| "Umbrella" - etymology - The term "umbrella" can be traced back to Ancient Rome, though the device itself appears much earlier in history. In Rome, an "umbella" (diminutive of "umbra", or "shadow") was essentially a parasol, and was intended to block sunlight rather than rain. #041 |
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Initial posting ran from January 1 to April 10, 2017.
And as the sunsets, we bid adieu to Mitch the Elder 
Thank you for such a fun read.
Cool! I saw one once and wondered what on earth is was!!