Trick Question ( Special Fun Facts Edition )

Upminster

So. Here is the question. What happened in England between September 3rd through September 13th, 1752 ?

At least two answers. Both correct.

Nothing happened.
Everyone slept through the entire period.

How is that possible? Because the English calendar had been 11 days behind the rest of Europe and they needed to catch up. So they just skipped 11 days and went straight from September 2nd to September 14th.

I like fun facts. Anyone else care to share some ?

Pathduck

Fun fact:

"With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not
necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are going to land,
and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead."
- RFC 1925 'The Twelve Networking Truths'

DoctorG

Your Server can cook cofee, really !1!11!!!
With the „Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol“
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7168
HTCP Teapot
CC BY-SA 3.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Htcpcp_teapot.jpg

DoctorG

Crazy Nerds!1!!11!!!
1991 First Webcam watching a coffee machine in Cambridge University (UK)
alt text
https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/coffee/qsf/coffee.html

crossandroads

''Laughing came before language. How do we know? Some researchers tickled baby apes, which, beyond being adorable, showed that they share the same structure as ours and likely arose in our common ancestors millions of years ago. Language came about much later''

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/whats-the-point-of-laughter

Catweazle

@DoctorG said in Trick Question ( Special Fun Facts Edition ):

Your Server can cook cofee, really !1!11!!!
With the „Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol“
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7168

CC BY-SA 3.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Htcpcp_teapot.jpg

There are also simple hacks for snacks in between, best in Chrome with 10 open tabs

alt text

Catweazle

@Pathduck, also flying cows are risky

On April 18, 2023, Shivdayal Sharma, an 82-year-old retired railway electrician, was killed in Alwar, Rajasthan when he was struck by a cow that had been launched 30 meters through the air after being hit by a Vande Bharat Express train[^1][^2].

The incident occurred around 8 PM when Sharma was relieving himself near the railway tracks at Kalimori gate. Another man standing nearby narrowly escaped being hit by the flying animal[^3].

The tragic accident highlighted ongoing safety concerns with cattle on Indian railways:

Government data showed trains ran over more than 13,000 cattle in 2022, a 24% increase from 2019[^1]

Multiple incidents involved the Vande Bharat Express trains, particularly on the Mumbai-Gujarat route[^4]

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced preventive measures including:

Construction of metal fencing along tracks in high-risk areas

Removal of garbage and vegetation that attracts cattle

Increased warning whistles in areas prone to animal crossings[^5]

The Western Railways began installing metal fencing along the 620km Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, with completion expected within 4-5 months of the incident[^5].

[^1]: The Straits Times - Indian man urinating on train track dies after being hit by 'flying cow'

[^2]: Agenzia Nova - The strange death of an 82-year-old Indian: hit by a flying cow while urinating on the tracks

[^3]: The New Indian Express - Rajasthan: Cow, hit by passing Vande Bharat train, falls on elderly man, kills him

[^4]: India Times - Rajasthan: Cow Hit By Vande Bharat Train Lands On Man Peeing On Track, Kills Him

[^5]: LBC - Pensioner urinating on train tracks killed by flying cow launched 100ft into the air by carriage