WTFblog

Ten Odd Science Facts

2010-04-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

FACT NUMBER ONE:

The average person consumes about 430 insects per year. (This may sound like a lot, but still be aware that processed foods are NOT bug-free)

FACT NUMBER TWO:

There is enough salt in the world's oceans to literally cover every area of land five hundred feet deep.

FACT NUMBER THREE:

Americanium - 241, a radioactive substance, is found in many smoke detectors. More concerning is that radioactive elements are often found in false teeth... More incentive to keep those teeth pearly white n' clean.

FACT NUMBER FOUR:

There are four dimensions... But scientists calculate that there is an absolute total of ten, leaving six missing.

FACT NUMBER FIVE:

Do you know the name of our planet, sun, and moon? Probably not. Although our planet is called Earth in a list of planets, its real name is Terra. Our planet is usually called Earth in the name of familiarity (the "earth" we walk upon"). Ever wonder why aliens are called extraterrestrials? There you go! The moon's name is Luna, and our sun is called Sol. No, our solar system is not given special preference like we all thought. Even cosmic nouns deserve some respect.

FACT NUMBER SIX:

Caves breathe. They inhale or exhale depending on barometric changes on the surface. Air then rushes in or out in order to seek equilibrium.

FACT NUMBER SEVEN:

Levitation exists. Using the opposite principle of objects sticking together, scientists at the University of St. Andrews have successfully levitated small objects. By causing an object to be repelled from its surroundings, controlled levitation may occur.

FACT NUMBER EIGHT:

In Honduras, la Lluvia de Peces (Rain of the Fish) occurs yearly. Although Hondurians (is this a word?) attribute this phenomenon to religion, there is no scientific explanation. Other such events have occurred in other locations, such as England with frogs and other small animals. Many times, the animals are unharmed (just stunned), while other times the animal is frozen, encased inside of a small block of ice.

FACT NUMBER NINE:

Ever hear of the color "Cosmic Beige?" If you have, it's because it was picked out of a number of suggestions sent in to the Washington Post to describe the true color of the universe. When all light spectrums were put together, scientists determined that the color of the universe is a greenish white... And after further analysis determined that it is a beige-white color.

FACT NUMBER TEN:

Men, if you can remember or control this, I suggest you do not die laying face downwards. An occurrence called "angel lust" may occur, causing a death erection as blood attempting to pool in the waist cannot find more space and will rush down the legs, filling every available space.

Hobbits exist! Cover ups, and alien fishies.

2009-11-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

It's official: Hobbits are now a legitimate species, separate from humans. .. Well, were. Although scientists don't yet know where hobbits came from, it's still interesting. It brings about the question, what else did our ancestors live with that we don't know about? The hobbits, though they had small brains, were actually highly evolved. Instead of evolving to have a bigger brain, they simply rewired it. This goes along with the study being conducted and PROVING that some insects are smarter than grown creatures.

But obviously not smart enough, hobbits. Homo sapien all the way.

A study described by Popular Science tells of one (nonsensical) finding:

If you care about your health, or about the environment, you're probably a lying, cheating scumbag.

Those aren't the exact words the site used, but you get the drift. People who tend to buy healthy or more "green" products tend to lie, cheat, and steal more, the study says. I was attracted to this because of the fact that I'm a relatively green person. I'm a freak about recycling, and try to eat as healthy as I have the patience to (which on some days is not at all) since my body is way oversensitive. According to the site, we "green" folk are motivated to buy the way we do because we're making up for other faults. A cover-up. .. Okay, then. I thought I was just guilty of polishing off that pint of Ben & Jerry's..

The moon Europa was once suspected of harboring microscopic alien life. Now it is suspected of being able to support fish-sized creatures in its immense ocean, as the moon does have oxygen.

It's a crazy world we live in, people. Just give it another ten or fifteen years.

School buses

2009-11-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

Being a "new" driver, I'm not too similar or too different from anyone else. I have a stable car. I take corners fast, don't care about the route I take, and drive right between the lines (while most people are curb-hugging it). All in all, I'd say I'm a pretty good driver.

But school buses seriously just piss me off.

Today on the way to my friend's house, I encountered.. Of course, a short bus. It had stopped traffic and had its right hand signal on, no flashing lights. "Oh," I thought happily, "it's just taking a right. I can breeze right by and--"

BAM! 5 feet away from it while it's still crawling to the right, and STOP SIGN! A car in the three-mile line behind it honked viciously, and my friend next to me says "you know you were supposed to stop for that, right? What if they got your registration number?"

1.) Why put a signal on? You weren't taking a right.
2.) Why not put your stop sign out BEFORE you stop the bus? Rather than the very second the bus is stopped, so that, you know, people actually have time to OBEY the sign without whiplashing everyone in the vehicle.

This is no different than the old biddies who put their signals on as they're taking a turn. You know what I'm talking about, people. It's fucking annoying.

If I do get a fine for it (which unless they have speed-reading skillz, I probably won't), there's no way it will be contested. It will be my word against my elder's. The town will get some money, and that awful bus driver will strike again. It works out for everyone! .. but me, the good driver in this situation.

WTF.

Fluffy people, anxiety, and annoying text messages

2009-11-17T19:19:00.001-08:00

According to ScienceDaily.com, 8% of obese people believe that they look good or could even stand to GAIN some weight.

All I have to say is, America, WTF are you thinking?

Welcome to WTFblog, a blog meant to entertain and level out my own personal need to have an outlet for nerdiness.

Back to the topic, 1 in 10 of these "fluffy" people actually do not think they need to lose weight and are healthy. Suprisingly, 54% of the people who participated in the study were we typically body-obsessed, narcissistic women. Ladies, shame on you.

In other news, depression has been found to be as deadly as smoking. To some, this may seem like a "no shit, Sherlock" kind of finding, but it turns out that while being anxious puts you at risk of cardiovascular disease, NOT being anxious also puts you in the category of "negligent." The more likely you are to brush something off, the more likely you are to kick the bucket. Sound like anyone you know? Probably. Emo kids, take caution.

A study in Sacramento, California has proven that people who are reminded once a day to wear sunscreen are more likely to lather on some SPF than those who do not receive reminders. Obvious, right? Well, I don't know about you guys, but I get enough text message spam. Usually I get it, unsuspecting, when I start remembering again that I actually have a cell phone, that people expect to reach me at. Many of the participants agreed to continue receiving these reminders even after the study's conclusion. So what does this mean for the future of our clogged inboxes? Personally, I think we're okay for a while. Where there's disease, there's money. Think anyone has come up with a medicine for my one in a million cold allergy? Not a chance. It's a sad fact, but that's just how it is.