Did you know? - Page 9

Maljonic · #81 (**permalink**) 06-25-2003, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamagoblin

heres a chirpy one for you.....did you know that during the battle for Stalingrad the dirty bolshevics.. i mean Russians executed around 13,500 of their own soldiers!
also the german 6tH army had 50,000 soviet citizens in the front line!

guess what book im reading?

not sure; sounds a bit Sven Hassel (sp?) though...

Maljonic · #82 (**permalink**) 06-25-2003, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D'baser

Did you know, that in 240 BC, Greek scientist Eratosthanes knew the earth was a sphere and attempted to measure it's circumference.

His final calculation was out by just 4.5% from todays measurement.

Quite an intelligent guy I reckon.

didn't know that, pretty amazing really; the Romans also knew the world was a sphere; probably because of guys like him.

Maljonic · #83 (**permalink**) 06-25-2003, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

In 1894, the president of the Royal Society, Lord Kelvin, predicted that radio had no future. The first radio factory was opened five years later. He also predicted that heavier-than-air flying machines were impossible. Today, there are more than one billion radio sets in the world, tuned to more than 33 000 radio stations around the world. The Wright Brother's first flight covered a distance equal to only half the length of the wingspan of a Boeing 747.

I heard the wingspan thing somewhere recently; maybe on Terry and Gaby, I know don't mock me

I always laugh when people try and make predictions about the future of science, especially when they try and sound like 'experts'....

D'baser · #84 (**permalink**) 06-26-2003, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maljonic

didn't know that, pretty amazing really; the Romans also knew the world was a sphere; probably because of guys like him.

Came across that little tidbit whilst readin' about ancient map makers.

The possible amount of information and knowledge which has been lost between civilizations is quite amazing imo.

Maljonic · #85 (**permalink**) 06-26-2003, 10:12 PM

I know lots of info was lost after the fall of the Roman empire; the dark ages.

Did you know, the average human eats 8 spiders in their lifetime at night?

Nicko · #86 (**permalink**) 06-26-2003, 10:45 PM

can we tell which night it will be! :sensee:

Pippa666 · #87 (**permalink**) 06-27-2003, 07:49 AM

I remember swallowing one whilst awake once

Many moons ago when I was at school a so called friend threw one at me and it went straight down my throat

I could feel it lodged there for a while, it was sooooooo yuck.
Worst of it is, I cant stand spiders, they frighten me big time (cant find a frightened icon)

Anonymous · #88 (**permalink**) 06-27-2003, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maljonic

did you try an egg yet?

Nope, just tried a smily though

Maljonic · #89 (**permalink**) 06-27-2003, 10:32 AM

nice one

Maljonic · #90 (**permalink**) 06-27-2003, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pippa666

...(cant find a frightened icon)

there is this one: :shudder:

Did you know, William Bourne, a British mathematician, drew plans for a submarine in 1578. But it was only in 1620 that Cornelius van Drebbel, a Dutch inventor, managed to build a submarine. He wrapped a wooden rowboat tightly in waterproofed leather and had air tubes with floats to the surface to provide oxygen. Of course, there were no engines yet, so the oars went through the hull at leather gaskets. He took the first trip with 12 oarsmen in the Thames River - staying submerged for 3 hours.