Groucho's Fact Hunt

[wbn61]

Wahl is Saxon for slave. When they invaded the British isles it is what they called the native population. It's believed to be the origin of Wales, and any place name beginning with wal, i.e Walton

does that mean we are not wools?. can't be arsed looking for wool map

 

[Ashtonian]

After waiting 5 years in prison for the electric chair, Michael Goodwin had his sentence reduced to simply life imprisonment. He then sat naked on the toilet and whilst trying to fix his telly he electrocuted himself.

 

[Ashtonian]

If you pour a small amount of liqour onto a scorpion, it will go crazy and start to sting itself.

In Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift described the two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, giving their exact size and speeds of rotation. He did this more than 100 years before either moon was discovered.

India Developed the number system and the number 0.

 

[The Cowboy]

If you pour a small amount of liqour onto a scorpion, it will go crazy and start to sting itself.

In Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift described the two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, giving their exact size and speeds of rotation. He did this more than 100 years before either moon was discovered.

India Developed the number system and the number 0.

Don't remember that in the book, nor why it would even be in the book. Where did you get that factoid from?

 

[Ashtonian]

Don't remember that in the book, nor why it would even be in the book. Where did you get that factoid from?

Its in part 3 chapter 3 mate.

Its even on thw wiki of mar's moons.

 

[The Cowboy]

Its in part 3 chapter 3 mate.

Its even on thw wiki of mar's moons.

Perhaps inspired by Johannes Kepler (and quoting Kepler's third law of planetary motion), Jonathan Swift's satire Gulliver's Travels (1726) refers to two moons in Part 3, Chapter 3 (the "Voyage to Laputa"), in which Laputa's astronomers are described as having discovered two satellites of Mars orbiting at distances of 3 and 5 Martian diameters with periods of 10 and 21.5 hours. The actual orbital distances of Phobos and Deimos are 1.4 and 3.5 Martian diameters, and their respective orbital periods are 7.6 and 30.3 hours.

Interesting definition of 'exact' you have there!

 

[Ashtonian]

Interesting definition of 'exact' you have there!

Considering the moons hadn't been discovered and the fella was a writer not a astronomer, he came pretty close to the description!

and i didn't read the wiki

 

[The Cowboy]

Considering the moons hadn't been discovered and the fella was a writer not a astronomer, he came pretty close to the description!

and i didn't read the wiki

If you read the wiki, you'll see that the common understanding is that Swift guessed at two moons, and used Keppler's theory and a maths mate to come up with some educated guesses.

 

[Ashtonian]

If you read the wiki, you'll see that the common understanding is that Swift guessed at two moons, and used Keppler's theory and a maths mate to come up with some educated guesses.

Aye, Either way quite impressive for a bloke only known for writing a book.

 

[The Cowboy]

Aye, Either way quite impressive for a bloke only known for writing a book.

Damning praise for one the finest satirical novels ever published.

 

[kev]

There are well over 600 different varieties of eucalyptus
Different species of eucalypts grow in different parts of Australia, therefore a Koala in Victoria would have a very different diet to one in Queensland.

 

[silent bob]

There is a museum at GCHQ but only people who work there can get in to it.

 

[jaycee]

Reading and Preston are the only two teams that don't have to change shirts when playing away games

 

[kev]

Of all the people ever to have reached 65 years of age since records began, over half of them are alive now.

 

[The Cowboy]

Reading and Preston are the only two teams that don't have to change shirts when playing away games

Now, I've heard this one before. Something to do with Reading being from Royal Berkshire and Preston being the first winners of the league, or something like that? I might be way off here.

I remember hearing something about FA Cup winners being able to have triangular corner flags, again, probably a load of rubbish.