The "Did you know" thread..... - Page 323

**richardoe** · January 18th, 2014, 06:43 PM

Alaska is the most western , northern and eastern state in the USA. It also has a longer coastline than all the other states combined.

**9876543210** · January 18th, 2014, 06:48 PM

richardoe,

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardoe

Alaska is the most western , northern and eastern state in the USA. It also has a longer coastline than all the other states combined.

I'm sure I'm going to regret this but could you please explain this? As far as I know everyone has always considered Alaska to be a western state and west of the Mississippi river. No argument on the length of the coastline though.

**scoundrel** · January 18th, 2014, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9876543210

richardoe,

I'm sure I'm going to regret this but could you please explain this? As far as I know everyone has always considered Alaska to be a western state and west of the Mississippi river. No argument on the length of the coastline though.

As far as I know, the border between Alaska and Russian Siberia is the International Date Line. In order to be the easternmost point, Alaskan territory would need to cross the line, wouldn't it?

**9876543210** · January 18th, 2014, 08:10 PM

scoundrel,

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoundrel

As far as I know, the border between Alaska and Russian Siberia is the International Date Line. In order to be the easternmost point, Alaskan territory would need to cross the line, wouldn't it?

Well, this article on the International Dateline seems to be accurate:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Date_Line

And you can see from their map that the people who put this together back in the 1880's kept Alaska separate from Siberia. Maybe there is some small Alaskan island out in the middle of the straight that was forgotten about by the people that drew the line.

**MrInBetween** · January 18th, 2014, 08:15 PM

The Aleutian Islands lie in the Eastern Hemisphere, beyond 180 degrees. In the sense that they are nearer to Greenwich travelling west than east, they are the easternmost point of the United States, but this is surely some different meaning of the word 'eastern' than we're used to. It seems to me nonsense on every count - they're not actually closer to Greenwich than Maine is, as if that mattered, and because of the kink in the International Date Line, they get the sunrise latest of all.

**gordian_knot** · January 19th, 2014, 10:39 PM

...a human baby born by C-section is often less healthy than one born the normal way?

That's because while in the uterus a baby is free of all bacteria but when it passes through the birth canal it starts to acquire some of the bacteria that's essential to human health, especially bacteria for the gut. Babies born by ceasarean either don't get all this bacteria or at least don't get it at the optimum time.

(Source: a book on squid

).

In a link to the above topic, it's called a ceasarean because Julius Caesar was supposed to have had an ancester born this way.

**Greenman** · January 20th, 2014, 04:04 PM

More gems from the QI book mentioned(see other posts) as source.
Regular use of sunblock has increased the incidents of rickets among British children.

The remote control was developed during World War I by the German Army.

Gambrinous means 'being full of beer' (something to bandy about darn the pawb!)

A garden snail would take three years and two months to make it's way from John O'Groats to Land's End ( how the hell do they know that?

More gems to come.

**henryf** · January 20th, 2014, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenman

A garden snail would take three years and two months to make it's way from John O'Groats to Land's End

If badgers, foxes and hedgehogs can't get out of the way of cars, I don't hold out much hope for the snail!

Apparently the average speed of a snail is 1mm/sec or 3.6 metres/hour. It is 1,545,000 metres from Lands End to John o Groats. I make that 48.99 years, travelling non-stop! (I have not allowed for leap years). To do it in just over 3 years, it must have hitched a lift.

**NIN** · January 20th, 2014, 04:33 PM

don't forget, some of that journey would be downhill

and it is Britain,

so most of the time the snail may be rain assisted

**richardoe** · January 20th, 2014, 05:34 PM

I was born by C-section, as were my 3 sisters. In fact until fairly recently my mum held the record in having 4 kids by C-section. As for health, well Ive not had a day off sick for over 10 years and apart from being born Ive never been an in patient.

January 18th, 2014, 06:43 PM	#3221
richardoe Vintage Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 2,812 Thanks: 1,424 Thanked 24,130 Times in 2,726 Posts	Alaska is the most western , northern and eastern state in the USA. It also has a longer coastline than all the other states combined. __________________ Richardoe To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

January 18th, 2014, 08:15 PM	#3225
MrInBetween R.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Gone But Not Forgotten Posts: 3,934 Thanks: 51,364 Thanked 48,453 Times in 3,898 Posts	The Aleutian Islands lie in the Eastern Hemisphere, beyond 180 degrees. In the sense that they are nearer to Greenwich travelling west than east, they are the easternmost point of the United States, but this is surely some different meaning of the word 'eastern' than we're used to. It seems to me nonsense on every count - they're not actually closer to Greenwich than Maine is, as if that mattered, and because of the kink in the International Date Line, they get the sunrise latest of all. __________________ I'm sorry Gentlemen, that's all the lipstick around the nipple we have time for To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

January 20th, 2014, 04:04 PM	#3227
Greenman Live Legend of VEF Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Underground lair somewhere in the world Posts: 20,353 Thanks: 30,936 Thanked 383,516 Times in 19,356 Posts	More gems from the QI book mentioned(see other posts) as source. Regular use of sunblock has increased the incidents of rickets among British children. The remote control was developed during World War I by the German Army. Gambrinous means 'being full of beer' (something to bandy about darn the pawb!) A garden snail would take three years and two months to make it's way from John O'Groats to Land's End ( how the hell do they know that? More gems to come. __________________ There was only ONE Greenman, and you accepted no substitutes! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Rest in peace MaxJoker-you will be sorely missed. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. 20,000: Milestone reached!

January 20th, 2014, 04:33 PM	#3229
NIN Banned Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 8,823 Thanks: 200,569 Thanked 131,967 Times in 9,045 Posts	don't forget, some of that journey would be downhill and it is Britain, so most of the time the snail may be rain assisted

January 20th, 2014, 05:34 PM	#3230
richardoe Vintage Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 2,812 Thanks: 1,424 Thanked 24,130 Times in 2,726 Posts	I was born by C-section, as were my 3 sisters. In fact until fairly recently my mum held the record in having 4 kids by C-section. As for health, well Ive not had a day off sick for over 10 years and apart from being born Ive never been an in patient. __________________ Richardoe To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

January 19th, 2014, 10:39 PM	#3226
gordian_knot Vintage Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Gordium Posts: 1,225 Thanks: 6,524 Thanked 13,823 Times in 1,209 Posts	...a human baby born by C-section is often less healthy than one born the normal way? That's because while in the uterus a baby is free of all bacteria but when it passes through the birth canal it starts to acquire some of the bacteria that's essential to human health, especially bacteria for the gut. Babies born by ceasarean either don't get all this bacteria or at least don't get it at the optimum time. (Source: a book on squid ). In a link to the above topic, it's called a ceasarean because Julius Caesar was supposed to have had an ancester born this way.

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