Random facts - Because they are awesome

[Eve]

People that use mobile phones are 2.5 time more likely to develop cancer in areas of the brain that are adjacent to the ear they use to talk on the mobile phone.

Over 90% of diseases are caused or complicated by stress.

Over 436,000 U.S. Troops were exposed to depleted uranium during the first Gulf war.

On average, 90% of the people that have the disease Lupus are female.

Many cancer patients that are treated with chemotherapy lose their hair. For some when the hair grows back, it can grow back a different colour, or be curly or straight.

Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for about 180,000 deaths per year.

Chances of a women getting breast cancer are increased by excessive use of alcohol.

A popular superstition is that if you put a piece of bread in a baby's crib, it will keep away diseases.

A person that is struck by lightning has a greater chance of developing motor neurons disease.

Every year in the U.S., there are 178,000 new cases of lung cancer.

Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Asthma affects one in fifteen children under the age of eighteen.

Every eleven minutes in the U.S., a woman dies of breast cancer.

Due to eating habits in the USA, one in three children born in the year 2000 have a chance of getting type II diabetes.

The oldest known disease in the world is leprosy.

[mangaluva]

English is the only language to use a word meaning sexual intercourse as a curse or swear. (You know the one...)

Sir Nils Olaf is the only penguin to have received a knighthood. He currently heads the Penguin Parades at Edinburgh Zoo.

[Grawwbear]

20 minutes of sex only burns 31 calories... but it depends on the position you're in.

[Eve]

Persians first began using colored eggs to celebrate spring in 3,000 B.C. 13th century Macedonians were the first Christians on record to use colored eggs in Easter celebrations. Crusaders returning from the Middle East spread the custom of coloring eggs, and Europeans began to use them to celebrate Easter and other warm weather holidays.

An American cow called Fawn was not afraid of flying. In May 1963, she was swept up by a tornado and carried half a mile, only to land safely in another farmer's field. Five years later, another tornado carried her over a bus. She survived this too, and lived to the ripe old age of 25.

[Callid]

Polio was on the verge of extinction in 2001, before a Muslim group spread the rumour that the vaccine that Unicef was delivering was a Western plot to poison Muslim babies, driving many parents to prevent Unicef from entering their towns or villages. Since then, Polio has flared up again, killing or mutilating thousands of children.

Clearly a case of Too Dumb To Live. Duh.

[Grawwbear]

In York, excluding Sundays, it is legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow.

[nomemory]

In York, excluding Sundays, it is legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow.

Eh?

[mangaluva]

Polio was on the verge of extinction in 2001, before a Muslim group spread the rumour that the vaccine that Unicef was delivering was a Western plot to poison Muslim babies, driving many parents to prevent Unicef from entering their towns or villages. Since then, Polio has flared up again, killing or mutilating thousands of children.

Clearly a case of Too Dumb To Live. Duh.

Christopher Hitchens termed it "Religion Poisons Everything", literally in this case.

In York, excluding Sundays, it is legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow.

Yes it is, and it's very annoying. It's a hangover from the days where an Englishman entering Scotland was just asking to be torn apart by claymores, and unlike the claymores has never been taken off of the law books.

Despite the fact that there is no difference in value between Bank of England and Bank of Scotland notes, many English shopkeepers will not accept BoS notes, the snobby bastards.

[Dus]

English is the only language to use a word meaning sexual intercourse as a curse or swear. (You know the one...)

No, it most certainly isn't.
Spanish joder comes to mind with precisely the same meaning.

Fun fact: They most common topics for swearing are:
Sex (English, Russian)
Blasphemy(Bavarian, Swabian)
The posterior and the things it emits (German)
Diseases (Dutch)
Insulting someone's family (Balkan, Arabic countries)

Sir Nils Olaf is the only penguin to have received a knighthood. He currently heads the Penguin Parades at Edinburgh Zoo.

However, it wasn't the Queen who bestowed this honour upon him, but the king of Norway. He is colonel in chief of the king's guard.

Why can't you shoot Scotsmen on Sundays? That's quite unfair!

While we're on the topic: Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you with the sixth stanza of the anthem of the UK:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.

Scotland isn't the only British nation apart from the English to issue her own bank notes. Northern Ireland, The Isle of Man, Guerney, and Jersey do as well (Wales doesn't). They are probably even harder to get accepted as legal tender.

[Grawwbear]

The first product that Sony came out with was the rice cooker.

[Callid]

Why can't you shoot Scotsmen on Sundays? That's quite unfair!

And only in York! Really, we all need to move to York.

[mangaluva]

Why can't you shoot Scotsmen on Sundays? That's quite unfair!

And only in York! Really, we all need to move to York.

The former is a hangover from the days when religion actually mattered, and the latter because York was the only place that couldn't be arsed to update their lawbooks XD

[Grawwbear]

Singapore has only one train station.

[Callid]

Singapore has only one train station.

Including public transport (like subways) or excluding?

[Eve]

Smallest countries

Vatican City - 0.2 square miles: The world's smallest state, the Vatican has a population of 770. The country which surrounds St. Peter's Basilica is the spiritual center for the world's Roman Catholics (over 1 billion strong). Also known as the Holy See, it is surrounded by Rome, Italy.

Monaco - 0.7 square miles: The tiny state of Monaco lies along the French Riviera on the French Mediterranean coast near Nice. An impressive 30,000 people live in this state known for its Monte Carlo casinos and Princess Grace. It has been independent off-and-on since the 13th century.

Nauru - 8.5 square miles: The 10,000 residents of the Pacific island Nauru rely on diminishing phosphate deposits (which should run out around the year 2000). The state became independent in 1968 and was formerly known as Pleasant Island.

Tuvalu - 9 square miles: Tuvalu is composed of 9 coral atolls along a 360 mile chain in Polynesia. They gained independence in 1978. The former Ellice Islands are home to 9,700.

San Marino - 24 square miles: Located on Mt. Titano in north central Italy, San Marino has 25,000 residents. are proud to be the oldest state in Europe. The country claims to be the oldest state in Europe, having been founded in the fourth century. (With two nations located within its borders, Italy is the perfect example of a perforated state)

Liechtenstein - 62 square miles: This microstate of 29,000 is located on the Rhine River between Switzerland and Austria in the Alps.

Marshall Islands - 70 square miles: The atolls (including the world's largest, Kwajalein), reefs, and 34 islands (population 52,000) gained independence in 1986; they were formerly part of the Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (and administered by the United States).