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Although it has nothing to do with the list, I consider this fact very interesting: Leonardo da Vinci invented the sniper firearm. It was not a rifle, as its barrel was smoothbore, but he greatly improved its accuracy by bolting one of his refracting telescopes onto it, aligning it precisely, and used it, in the company of his employer, the Duke of Milan, to shoot enemy soldiers off castle walls from 1,000 yards. He claims the equivalent of 1,000 yards in his notes, but I doubt the distance was this great. He provides no explanation as to why this weapon never became popular. So now, after that moment of randomness, here is the list:
President Washington never owned a set of wooden teeth. He did however own a set of hippopotamus ivory teeth, a set of horse teeth, donkey teeth, and human teeth (from various sources), a set of 18kt gold teeth (he tried 24kt but they were too malleable), and a set of lead teeth, which were not particularly good for him. These four sets of dentures (the human and animal teeth were mixed) are in the National Museum of Dentistry. No other dentures of Washington have been discovered.
Amazingly, many Christians believe that Satan is sitting on a throne in Hell, laughing at all the agony of the poor damned souls, while his imps and demons run around with pitchforks. None of this is Biblical. Satan is quite frequently described as living on Earth, and doing what he does best, corrupting mankind.
The tradition of a ruler in Hell comes from the Greek god Hades, at least, and perhaps even earlier with the Egyptians. Hades sits on the throne of the Underworld, just as Zeus, his brother, sits on the throne of Olympus.
The Biblical description of Hell is clearly anarchic. No one is in charge. Everyone is screaming and writhing, etc., in a lake of fire. Satan has never been there, and will not go until the end when he loses his fight against God.
The Christian tradition of Satan ruling Hell comes largely from John Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n,” Satan says, in Book I.
There is a very common myth about psychology in which people believe they will alleviate their anger by “letting it out”. This is such a popular concept that many therapies have grown up around it – things like punchbags, squeeze balls, etc. In fact, the opposite is found to be true. When a person expresses their anger regularly, it becomes habit forming. While there may appear to be a temporary relief from the anger when you smash a plate against the wall, ultimately your fits of anger will become an addiction and you will begin to seek out more reasons to become angry – in order to achieve that nice feeling. So ultimate, the best thing to do: bottle it up!
Don Knotts, who played the lovable Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith Show, is said to have been a Marine Corps drill instructor during WWI, on Parris Island, SC, of the savage caliber of R. Lee Ermey. Not true. Knotts enlisted in the Army, not the marines, and served as a traveling comedian, entertaining troops overseas, during WWII, but never trained anyone, and never fired a rifle at anyone.
Caffeine will do a lot of negative things to you, but it will not stunt your growth. It has nothing to do with growth. Experiments have shown that children who consume caffeine do not grow any slower or less than children who are not allowed caffeine, over a period of years.
The myth was probably dreamed up by some clever parent who didn’t want his or her child drinking so much Pepsi.
Absinthe was never any more poisonous than whiskey. The myth goes back at least to the 1800s, and claims that it causes hallucinations, as potently as LSD, and fries the brain. Not true. Absinthe is manufactured from Artemisia absinthium, a plant which has no poisons in it. It is very bitter, like the Greek Ouzo, and the distillation process routinely results in absinthe proofs of 100 to 180 (50% to 90% alcohol by volume). This is significantly stronger than the average whiskey, but will not affect the drinker in any way other than drunkenness.
The truth, though, is that during the Moulin Rouge days of Toulouse-Lautrec and van Gogh, starving artists liked getting drunk, and couldn’t afford the good stuff. So they bought absinthe from cheap street vendors, who did not care to sell uncontaminated products. Cyanide and strychnine were found in this absinthe, and caused hallucinations.
Today, it is legal in the U. S., and perfectly safe to drink if bought commercially.
Opening windows will not spare your house, or any other building, from a tornado’s destructive power. The strongest on record measured 318 mph, which is more than sufficient to blast any building into pieces, except steel-reinforced concrete, and even then, the building must be short, or the wind will blow it over.
Do not hide under overpasses. The confined eaves in these places only increase the force of the wind, which has been reported as strong enough to drag F-250 pickup trucks out from under overpasses and throw them through barns 1000 yards away.
Tornadoes can, in fact, form in winter, and cause just as severe damage as during any other season. They have been seen traveling over snowfield, almost utterly white, and slamming into residential areas.
They can storm through large cities without any problem, as opposed to the belief that they will never damage Oklahoma City. Fort Worth suffered one in 2000, which killed 2 people, and destroyed 8 skyscrapers. 17 others were severely damaged. 60+, in all, had their windows blown out.
The myth has gone on for years now that Shakespeare invented about 1,700 words still common in English. Not true. He Anglicized many Latin and Greek words, among other languages, thus coining new English words. But to be invented, a word must have no etymology before a single person imagines it.
He is said to have invented “assassination,” but what he did was derive it from the Medieval Latin “assassinare,” which means “to kill an important person.”
All of the words he is reputed to have invented can be explained this way. He did, however, devise first name uses for quite a few words, including Viola, Jessica, and Adrian. The first is Latin, the second Hebrew, the third Greek.
Sidenote: Sir Isaac Newton Anglicized “gravitas,” which is Latin for “weight,” into “gravity.” As he was the first to discover the mechanism and its properties, how they work, he had to come up with a word for it. No one else had ever called gravity anything.
Debaters on both sides are grossly misinformed. Darwin never states in his book On the Origin of Species that humans evolved from apes. He states, quite differently, that apes and humans both evolved from a common ancestor. This seems somewhat less offensive to fundamentalists, and if both sides were to consider it, it might smooth the relationship between fundamentalists and science.
This story of how the kangaroo got its name is unfortunately not true. It states that Captain James Cook first landed on Australia, near modern day Sydney, and met the Gweagal tribe of Aborigines on the beach. At this moment, a kangaroo hopped out of the forest with its joey in its pouch and the Europeans, having never seen such a strange animal, asked the Aborigines, “What in the world is that?!”
The Aborigines turned to each other, then shrugged, and one of them said, “Kangaroo!” which is Gweagal for, “I don’t understand what you’re saying!”
Well, the truth is much more banal. “Kangaroo” is derived from the Guugu Yimidhirr (another Aborigine tribe) word “gangurru,” which means…”kangaroo.”
November 7th, 2009 at 1:38 am
Flamehorse is proving to be a nightmare for list submitters
November 7th, 2009 at 1:41 am
I’d say the best way to deal with anger isn’t to vent it nor to bottle it up, but to deal with the problem that’s making you angry. Good list, lots of interesting facts. And I for one am now going to spend the rest of the night laughing at the mental image of Leonardo da Vinci in a sniper’s perch.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:43 am
Who cares whether you call a kangaroo kangaroo or jfrater or flamehorse Laughoutloud.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:46 am
Who cares whatever darwin says. Its just a theory,blah
November 7th, 2009 at 1:49 am
i love the tornado myths!
another myth: tornadoes only happen in tornado alley. actually they can and do happen in all fifty u.s. states (even alaska) and many countries all over the world!
November 7th, 2009 at 1:57 am
“This seems somewhat less offensive to fundamentalists, and if both sides were to consider it, it might smooth the relationship between fundamentalists and science.”
…wha? Scientists have been saying this for years! “Consider it”? That’s OUR line! Good grief.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:59 am
I rock
November 7th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Anyone with a decent scientific literacy will know about Myth 2.
It’s actually the theist side that believes (likely due to a lack of scientific literacy) that man evoleved from apes/monkeys, and thus use the argument “well if man evolved from apes/monkeys why are there still apes/monkeys?” to refute the theory of human evolution.
Number 9 is very interesting though.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:09 am
I read in the dorling kindersly ency. that better be safe in your car rather than risking your head under a tree in a lightning storm. Dunno much about tornadoes though.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:20 am
Talk about anger, counting from one upto 10 which was taught to me never helped, until listverse came by! Now climbing down the list from 10 to one easily milks my anger
November 7th, 2009 at 2:22 am
The Absinthe entry is incorrect. While not a hallucinogen Absinthe, traditionally does contain thujone which is a substance that the body reacts to in a similar fashion that THC would cause. THIS IS ILLEGAL in the united states. You are becoming confused by variant products created without the substance but through similar means called “Absinthe” in an attempt to cash in on the current popularity of the drink, imaging cigarettes rolled up and being sold under the assumption is was pot, same concept. One should not be confused by the two products who are very separate and during the time of the artists listed may have had a much much higher Thujone amount than todays brands. Van Gogh hallucinated becuase he would put his paint brush in his mouth while he worked to hold it, and oil paints in this day had lead in them.
The whole myths debunked lists are pretty poorly set up, usually containing myths no one has ever heard of, are clearly false, or are only wrong on a technicality (like the Shakespeare entry, and the absinthe as stated above), I know thats harsh but I like this site and don’t want a slippery slope of poor lists.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:31 am
No wonder the father of the nation doesn’t smile in any of his portraits.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:40 am
I never knew George owned a hippopotamus, a horse and an ass as pets. lol. And they too needed a set of dentures like their owner. Double lol.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:50 am
“Do not hide under overpasses.”
Tell me that the people in the following video would have been better off standing out in the open during this tornado:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHBZylcxIvw
I don’t think so.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:56 am
@El the erf (4): who cares what you say. you obviously have not yet grasped the complexities of evolution, nor do you even have the slightest inkling to do so.
that’s okay. neither did i before i was in my mid-20’s.
it’s quite interesting and once fully understood. it’s complexities are visible in everything. metaphors aside, all things, concepts, ideas, and languages evolve.
’nuff said. go curl up with your Bible and read some half-assed accounts of ancient lineages written 200 years after the family clans had been assimilated by other groups.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:59 am
Pity,Cook had such a good chance naming an animal after him. But then,had that been the case…today we might have been calling the aussies cooks rather than kangaroos! I guess that would be sound weird.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:05 am
In a cricket match if the aussies beat NZ, the headlines would read : ‘ Cooks cook kiwi soup ‘.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:15 am
I do love when myths get debunked. Cool list, FlameHorse.
I knew about the tornado ones as I lived for a brief time in tornado alley. I had 2 very close encounters with some tornados…one at an overpass. It made us float a bit, but thankfully didn’t pick anyone up.
@El the erf (16): You do realize that you called Australians, kangaroos…right? That’s not nice.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:19 am
While the list is interesting, and quite benign for flamehorse, I have to ask… what’s up with the sniper bulls***t in the opening?
Sorry Flamehorse… you seem bright and all, but there’s something creepy going on with ya (and I also would comment that sniper-talk at this particular moment in time is in poor taste, considering the mass shootings that have been happening here in the US the last couple days…)
Can we revert to less controversy and more trivial matters please? Is it worth the time to submit a list of my own, or are there bushels of them?
November 7th, 2009 at 3:32 am
@DM (14):
uhm, the audio on that very clip agrees with the list. not to even mention all the debris whipping through that underpass like bullets. i believe you’re actually supposed to lie down flat with your arms protecting your head and neck in the ditch at the side of the road or other low point and wait if caught outside……
November 7th, 2009 at 3:33 am
I believe nearly everyone KNOWS that satan is not the ruler of hell..he is predestined to burn in hell and has an appointed time on earth till the end of days to mislead the human race and the disbelievers will follow him to eternal doom.
And whoever is a good christian,muslim or jew and believes in #2 is a blasphemer.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:41 am
What is the thumbnail photo on the first page and at the top of this page meant to represent?
November 7th, 2009 at 3:42 am
@oouchan (18): I believe you’ve not witnessed a cricket match yet,ain’t it? Australian players feel quite proud when referred to as kangaroos. Same with the New Zealanders( the kiwis). Its not offensive at all. It just goes with the game.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:49 am
They call the bangladeshi’s ‘tigers’ in the game of cricket. But that doesn’t make them tigers, does it?
Anyway, its the kangaroos who win always. Cheerio!
November 7th, 2009 at 3:49 am
Of course satan walks on Earth, we have drinks every so often; but he goes by “Kristen Bell” now…
November 7th, 2009 at 4:03 am
Read the name and instantly knew it was Flamehorse. Atleast its a good one. The Satan and Darwin entries will probably rack up a few hundred comments. I thought someone who bottles up their anger is just passive aggressive, isn’t that worst. Anyway, good list. Nice job Flamehorse.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:24 am
@lo (20)
You may have noticed that while the people in the video were shaken (who wouldn’t be), everyone was fine. Given the choice between laying exposed in a ditch and tucked up in an underpass, I’d take the underpass hands down like the survivors in the video did.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:29 am
@T.J. (11): commented before I read all the comments. this tj guy sounds like he knows his absinthe. and as far as I know its only legal in europe so far. also you make a good point at the end about list quality, which is quite evident in the last couple lists…sooo, when are we gonna see a T.J. list?
November 7th, 2009 at 4:47 am
number 9’s image is from Doctor Who, isn’t it?
anyway, very nice list, I love thses “myths debunked” lists
November 7th, 2009 at 4:50 am
#2 is just plain ridiculous. No credible scientist would ever believe that darwin stated this and to even suggest it makes a mockery of the entire list.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:55 am
#1 reminds me of a similar story regarding the name of the Indian city Calcutta now renamed ‘Kolkata’.It goes like this:
When the British landed up in India,some of the englishmen while exploring around came upon a city.To enquire about the name of that city,they asked a local grasscutter in English “What is the name of this place?”
The grasscutter thought they were asking “When did you cut the grass”? and therefore replied in Bengali(his mother tongue) “Kol kata” meaning “I cut it yesterday”…
And thus it came to be known as Calcutta-the anglicized version.
Sorry,badly written but that’s it.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:58 am
@El the erf (4):
You have misunderstood the scientific meaning of the word ‘theory’.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Caffein is banned by the IOC. Also by NCAA. Poor athletes, how do they survive without their morning cuppa of java.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:08 am
@archiealt (33): It would have helped if you would have atleast tried ‘xplainin’ things.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Two small contibutions to etymological matters:
1) “Assassin”, “assassination” and other words in this semantic field are believed to derive either from the arab hassassin or persian hashashin. Either way, it refers to a sect that existed during the Middle ages and resorted to political murdering to attain its goals. The word is commonly believed to refer to the followers of Hassan, the group leader Hassan-i-Sabbah. There other hypothesis, though, that even link the term with hashish consumption.
2)It’s interesting to note that the words gravitas, gravium and its other declinations were quite present in the work of Newton’s predecessors. In fact, it was one of the major problems that were worked on in the field of physics – the movement of heavy bodies, or the Moto Gravium, as in the title of one of Torricelli’s works. It does not rob Newton, though, of the glory of havig isolated and named something no one had never divised before.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:12 am
Ahem… “contributions”, not “contibutions”
November 7th, 2009 at 5:14 am
@The boy from troy (32): I have heard about it. Btw its name has reverted back to kolkata from calcutta, hasn’t it?
November 7th, 2009 at 5:40 am
@El the erf (35):
Speaking shortly, El, there are different epistemological concepts, or tools, that play different roles in the making of science.
What is commonly called theory is actually closer to a hypothesis – a general idea that may sustain a body of knowledge that shall be built upon it. One may say that the objects fall because the Earth attracts them, or that it so happens because their natural position is near the center of the Earth. These are both hypothesys.
A theory correlates the data acquired through observation oriented by the hypothesis, actually building the aformentioned body of knowledge. A theory tries to describe and explain the processes concerned in the field of observation. A scientific theory tries to answer the question, “how?”.
Laws constitute the generalizations that can be achieved through the observations and the theoretical descriptions. A law doesn’t describe, it simply states, in lack of better words now, a scientific truth. So, Newton’s Law of Gravitation states that any two objects exert a gravitational force of attraction on each other, and that the magnitude of the force is proportional to the product of the gravitational masses of the objects, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This allows us, for example, to make predictions, but provides no explanation to how this process actually happens.
I hope this helped.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Today’s not my day…. “aforementioned”, not “aformentioned”.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:46 am
Sorry, FlameHorse. I generally enjoy reading your lists but this one was pretty random and very oddly written.
I’d write a much better written comment but I sort of am kind of late-ish for work-ish (but only by an hour and 10 minutes. However, I still have to get ready for work). Among the things that really stood out for me:
Leonardo da Vinci’s “employer” should really be called “patron”. As far as his supposed rifle… LdV is a prolific thinker but not much of a prolific DOer. It’s far more accurate to consider him an excellent designer rather than inventor because he rarely fully transformed any of his drawings into functional pieces. Hell, he rarely even finished his artworks, commissioned or otherwise. THAT is why it is highly unlikely he would have constructed a rifle that accurate. But you are right. That opening paragraph is very random.
#8 & #2 stuck out the most. Neither are really backed up with a lot of insight so it makes it sound more subjective than anything. General consensus in #8 is that HOW you express your anger is the way to determine if it is a good way to vent or not. Even proponents of this anti-vent movement, such as Alex Spiegel, don’t believe in repressing it but rather to do anything but yell about it. The Evolution item makes it sound like Evolutionists also once thought that humans descended from apes, which they wouldn’t believe if they know the topic well. And knowing it doesn’t smooth any feathers. Quite a number of anti-Evolutionists will still be put off by the idea of being related to animals in any fashion. The way you wrote it makes it seem as if both parties were at fault for this myth. Just browsing through http://listverse.com/2008/09/14/your-view-should-creationism-be-taught-in-schools/ and you’ll be hard=pressed to find any evolutionist who claims that on that 3000+ thread. The very weird wording and lack of…lengthy paragraph(s)… makes me wonder if it was just thrown in the list purely for its controversial comment potential.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:46 am
@El the erf (38): Yeah,it’s now Kolkata only but earlier before Calcutta,was it named Kolkata..I dunno.Indians hate these anglicized names coz it reminds them of their enslavement to the british.And for that you’ll have to confirm from an Indian citizen.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Hemingway wrote of absinthe in his (I feel) oddest book “The Garden of Eden.” Its been many years since I read it but I never forgot it.
The satan in hell thing. There is another great book out there called “Good Omens” By Neil Gaiman (sp?) I highly recommend this book. It puts an interesting spin on things.
Lake Michigan protects the city proper from tornadoes. There are tornadoes in Illinois (I drove through one in Naperville in the late summer of 2007)but not in Chicago.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:49 am
Never heard the caffeine one before, I know for a fact it’s not true though. I’ve been a caffeine addict (mmm coffee) for most of my life and I’m 6′5 (about 195cm)
November 7th, 2009 at 5:55 am
@Kanza (39):
WoW,that was complex! but i got the idea.
While I was reading your post, I was getting an image of a Harvard professor talking to me
November 7th, 2009 at 6:02 am
Oh my I didn’t pay attention to the Shakespeare inventin’ assassinate or anythin like that in the list and of course Kanza is right in his statement.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:05 am
@El the erf (35):
Define: Theory (Princeton.edu) – a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena. “Theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses”; “true in fact and theory”.
By using this definition, we observe Disease, make measurements using tools and instruments, and theorize that disease is caused by germs (AKA Germ Theory of Disease).
You (and many others) seem to be confusing ‘theories’ with ‘hypotheses’. A hypothesis may, perhaps explain one or more observation in a meaningful manner, it must be testable, and it must make predictions about future tests. The hypothesis is promoted to a theory when it has withstood all legitimate attempts to falsify it. A ‘theory’ has never been shown to be false, despite thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands of attempts to debunk.
And while some of its mechanisms may be hypotheses, the fact remains, the Theory of Evolution has withstood all legitimate tests.
While we’re on the topic: also note that in science, a ‘law’ it not an elevated hypothesis or theory – quite the opposite. A scientific law (e.g. Law of Gravity or Kepler’s Three Laws of Planetary Motion) is a descriptive generalization of observed events – how something behaves, and not why it behaves in that manner.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:07 am
@El the Erf (45):
Maybe it was a little over the top, then!
November 7th, 2009 at 6:12 am
Fantastic list, as per usual, FlameHorse! Interesting facts and a great mix of topics. I would, however, suggest that instead of “bottling up” your anger, you find a healthier way to deal with it.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:23 am
@stevenh (47):
I think hypothesis and theories have distinct places and functions in the making of science. A theory, for instance, must have an explanatory power that is not required of a hypothesis. It tries to provide a model that exposes how such hypothesis is feasible. The theory is then tested, and if corroborated by experimental data, will attain a place in its field. And theories may be found false, there’s nothing that prevents it. Lots of theories have been found false throughout the centuries; they become obsolete, but remain theories just the same. It happens precisely because a theory is not a promoted hypothesis, but a methodical explanatory attempt.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:24 am
I thought George Washington had wooden teeth. LOL, guess not, thanks for enlightening me!
November 7th, 2009 at 6:25 am
@El the erf (35):
What ‘Kanza’ said was spot on. However I implore you not to believe him or I. Don’t use the internet as a place of learning. Never believe anything you read on the internet without second checking it for yourself first. Including this list, i’m not saying it’s wrong, but we just don’t know. We have absolutely no idea who ‘Flamehorse’ is or where he gets his information from. Every word of what is written could be a lie.
The internet is a playground. We should come here to waste time, to procrastinate and have a break from our boring lives. Not to gather information.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:26 am
@stevenh (47):
Kanza cleared up the clouds in my heads pretty well.
but that was awesome too! thanks!
November 7th, 2009 at 6:31 am
@rushfan (49):
I have already suggested that in comment 10! better to read items from 10 to 1 in listverse rather than counting from 1 to 10 in order to contain your anger!
@archiealt (52):
Thanks for that piece of advice, sir. I’ll keep it in mind.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:35 am
@El the erf (54):
Don’t listen to advices on internet:)
November 7th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Damn, El, half the comments on this list are yours.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:40 am
By the way, great list. You never disappoint, flamehorse.
November 7th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Cool list FH
November 7th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Yeah, I believe the only side that argues that Darwin claimed we came from apes is the Creationist side. This is a clear example of Balance as Bias.
November 7th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Humans didn’t just evolve from apes – we are apes.
Try explaining that to a fundamentalist.
If someone is claiming we’re not, that just means they do no know what “ape” means.
November 7th, 2009 at 7:37 am
nice list! cheers from the philippines!
November 7th, 2009 at 7:44 am
@Davy (56): Heh, I’ll keep you busy!
@L (55): Then I won’t listen to that either!
November 7th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Charles Darwin wrote “Origin of the Species” in 1754 while in Barbados and after having consumed large amounts of Dextromethorphan..Also he had just finished pondering the purpose of existence and watched Bill and Teds Bogus Journey on laserdisc.
November 7th, 2009 at 7:51 am
#11 T.J. is absolutly correct. Ive sought absinthe for about a year now…even ordered a bottle from Romania only to have our customs find it. But you can get something called Absent, not actually Absinth. Our Absinthe doesn’t have wormwood in it wich contains thujone…which does cause hallucinations or so ive heard.
@#19 Doog: I dont think he meant anything by is intrduction. He for sure wasnt being offensive. Our recent troubles are very sad but hell homie we live in a country where guns are easy to get. I jus traded a busted down Toyota Tercel for a .300 Savage and its just example A. Besides i found it interesting the intro that is.
November 7th, 2009 at 7:54 am
@El the erf (62): what is there to do in the phillipines besides beat your meat and going to listverse ???
November 7th, 2009 at 7:58 am
@El the erf (62): i wanna punch you in the face!!
November 7th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Oh my. Things got ugly fast. Is that necessary Miss_Info? And maybe you should take some time to, uh “relieve” yourself. There are all kinds of ways to allieve anger and aggression.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:11 am
@DM (27): keep in mind that these people were very lucky. a number of tornado related deaths have occurred in overpasses. take the oklahoma city of 1999 (which holds the 318 mph record btw) for instance, where people died at every single overpass that the tornado crossed.
this is because, as the list stated, winds speed up as they go through the overpass and stronger winds mean its going to be harder to hold on. is lying in a ditch the best place to be? no, but its still better than being in an overpass.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Intresting list, wierd list to be certain….the one about kangaroos was pretty good though cuz ive heard it so many times, actuall im pretty sure ive used it a lot of time. The one about anger, i read about that in some other website too, it was basically a longer version of whats on this list….hmmmm
November 7th, 2009 at 8:32 am
@ #65 spider g. Harsh homy!!! flamehorse consistently produces high quality lists. Should we dub him Lamehorse because of one single list thats not top notch? It wasnt mind blowing but decent enough to enjoy with your cheerios id say.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:33 am
@Miss_Info (67):
I’d gladly have a one on one with you, but for your nick that is not too intimidating! Anyway, you can always have a go at my gravatar.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:35 am
No one on the science side of the evolution debate would ever say Darwin thought men evolved from apes. That is strictly from the religious, uneducated debater’s side. “Both” sides don’t need to realize this fact, only one side does.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Cool… can I slap someone too? Weekend fun!
November 7th, 2009 at 8:43 am
@General-Jake (64):
I had absinthe 2 years ago. It was from E. Europe…. shipped to the US…. and it was a major disappointment.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:45 am
@T.J.
Thujone does not bind to the same brain receptors as THC does, nor does absinthe contain a great deal of the chemical. Analysis of absinthe made to authentic recipes showed levels of thujone at around 4.3mg/L. The lethal dose is around 30-45mg per kilo of body mass, therefore you would be dead of alcohol poisoning long before thujone could kill you.
Absinthe does not cause hallucinations: this misconception was based on French psychiatrist Valentin Magnan’s study of the effects. It does, however, cause tremors and convulsions in high doses.
Absinthe is perfectly legal to import into both the US and the EU, provided that the thujone content is 10mg/L or less. Sage oil, which can be up to 50% thujone, has no such restriction.
=:~)
November 7th, 2009 at 8:46 am
I wonder if the myth about the terrific comedic actor Don Knotts is due to a mix up with the equally funny actor Don Adams? Adams(04/13/1923-09/25/2005)was the star of the Get Smart TV series(1965-1970). He was 16-years old when he lied about his age in order to enlist in the USMC,he was wounded during the Battle of Guadalcanal Campaign & contracted blackwater fever from which there is a 90% fatality rate.He later served as a Marine D.I.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:10 am
If that was first or second list Flamehorse well done, lookin forward too ye next one.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Leonardo did not have a telescope, it didn’t come along for about a hundred years. He did do some work with optics, and even theorized about the telescope, bu never built one, let alone a sniper scope. Besides, it’s absurd to suggest that a 15th Century smoothbore long gun could reliably hit anything at even 100 yards, scope or not.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:12 am
this list is complete crap.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I can immediately see something that’s wrong – because we did evolve from apes. Yes we share a common ancestor with some MODERN apes, but the common ancestor was part of the ape family, so actually, we evolved from apes and we ARE STILL apes. Hows that for ‘offensive’..?
November 7th, 2009 at 9:19 am
@ #74 dmodlin: Are you serious? Dam. Well its been a white whale for me anyway this past year. Ive always pictured gettin a bottle and sending my crew on a trip they never tried. But i keep hearing dissapointing stuff like what your saying. I quit. No more dreams of exoctic inebrients from Europe. Guess its good ol jack daniels.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Pretty good list Flamehorse, although I have come to expect a little more depth from you. Nothing wrong with a little more meat eh?
@Vera Lynn (43): I would doubt very much that Lake Michigan prevents tornadoes from striking Chicago. I live at the top end of the Great Lakes and we get many tornadoes. Not quite as many as Tornado alley, but we still have a few every year. Ever hear of lake effect weather? It actually causes the turmoil that spawns thunderstorms and tornadoes. Large expanse of warm water combined with cold air or the reverse.
@El the erf (9): Once you reach top commenter spot will you please stop with the every other comment thing? It becomes much more of a chore looking for the insightful comments when we have to scan through 10,000 multiple el posts. And what????? You don’t believe in evolution? You don’t go to school? or do you bury your head in the sand during biology class? If you want to provide me with your address, I could send you one of our primary science text books. We start learning about evolution in Grade 1. Maybe even pre-school, what with little kids obvious affection for dinosaurs.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Enjoyed the read, I know it takes a lot of research and time putting a list together, I promised mom424 about 2 years ago I would submit a list about Africa and the different cultures.
I have started it so many times but something always comes up that is more importent, so ja to do a list you need a lot of free time for putting a list together.
Well done FH and thanks.
I have been with LS for a very long time and never complained, but to get a anckle biter that posts 17 comments out of 76 – come on – if they were constructive or some of them made sense I would say ja post and lets all learn something.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Yay FlameHorse! Thanks for making my day. I loved the random introduction, too.
#9 – Um, I’m going to be a good little atheist and just not go there. RIGHT, @GiantFlyingRobo?
#5 – FlameHorse, you mentioned Toulouse-Lautrec in one of your lists, one of my favorite artists of all time. Such an unfortunate story and such creative brilliance. You gave nice context to the whole absynthe bit, mentioning Lautrec, the Moulin Rouge period, etc. I must ask because I’ve been wondering for quite some time now – do you have any formal education or background in social history?
#2 – I won’t go near #9, but I will indulge in a little bit of Darwin love. Go Darwin!
@Sarah (80): Not offensive at all. Thanks for mentioning. Hey, did you read all the press about the Ardipythicus discovery a few weeks back? Whew. Getting progressively closer to that common ancestor. I love it.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:42 am
@mom424 (82):
Thank you Mom. I was beginning to wonder if one of my favorite websites was becoming a salt lick for the banal.
I’m not exactly on the evolutionary side of your argument, but I believe I could find an AD/HD chimp to bang on his keyboard and they’d come up with more interesting comments
November 7th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Just want to agree with all of those who are backing up us scientists here. I do not believe that we evolved from apes, and neither does anybody in the scientific community (or with half a brain).
Also, I don’t see why one can’t believe in creation and evolution, especially when there’s so much evidence for the latter. Things are evolving everyday. Example: Antibiotic resistant bacteria. Small mutations cause them to develop antibiotic resistance, and since they are more likely to survive, the gene frequency increases in the population- more bacteria because antibiotic resistant. That’s evolution, people. So why couldn’t your God create the building blocks, and let things take their course?
Why can’t we just all get along
November 7th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Just to clarify, I mean to say we didn’t evolve from apes in the sense that people think that suddenly a gorilla started walking on two legs. It’s much more complicated than that.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:06 am
As others here have pointed out, this comment from #8 is pretty bad: “So ultimate(sic), the best thing to do: bottle it up!”
Not to come across as though I’m lecturing on the way people choose to behave, but…in past comments I’ve mentioned that I work for an agency that provide care for people with developmental disabilities, like Autism and Down’s Syndrome. The staff spend countless hours helping those folks express their frustration and anger in a more healthy and productive way. Just a few observations of what they work on from a non expert:
They suggest talking – as in tell people directly what’s bothering you in a non confrontational manor. For example, “I’d rather try to do this my own way, thanks.” “Please stop doing/saying that as it offends/hurts/annoys me.” “Would you help me with this, I can’t do it alone?” “No, I don’t want to/can’t/won’t do that.”
They try to teach them to avoid being overly tired, hungry, bored, lonely, etc.
Not insisting on getting things their way. Even if they’re “right” they suggest that it wouldn’t kill them to let things happen in a less than “perfect” way.
They also teach healthy arguing, such as no name calling (what’s the point – after all if your argument is valid, you actually loose credibility by swearing/name calling.); no bringing up past conflicts; not raising voices (where does yelling get anyone except to louder yelling and more rage?).
I’m sure there are many other suggestions for dealing with anger. Behavior therapists could and certainly have written loads of books on the subject. I don’t expect to advise anyone here, I just don’t accept the “bottle it up” premise.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:10 am
@mom424 (82):
I agree about the topcommenters, wouldn’t it be a good idea to remove the ‘top commenters’ listing altogether? I hate it to have to wade through tons of remarks that are just there to up the postcount. And I’m sure nobody else really cares who is topdog in the posting department…
November 7th, 2009 at 10:25 am
To no. 8, i study psychology and for anger the best remedy is sublimination. Instead of expressing a death instict (such as anger) the best way is use that energy in something useful and not-harmful, example: sports(specially), writing (works for some people) or exercising.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Don’t listen to ‘em Flamehorse! They’re just jealous that you have a list published every other day and they’ve got jack all! Great list! Way to mix it up and throw in an occasional light-hearted fun one. Apparently many of the commenters don’t get fun? Obviously the random intro was meant to be exactly that, a random intro. And I heartily approved. I found “Doog’s” comments on your sniper fact being controversial due to recent shootings hilarious! Relax fella, if that offends you then you need to read #8. Bottle it up buddy. Bottle it up.
Also, news flash. Creationism and Evolutionism are not exclusive of one another. Creationism suggest that an intelligent higher being created all things. It doesn’t get into the fine details of the methods used to do so. There’s no reason that God couldn’t (or wouldn’t) have orchestrated a glorious symphony of millions of years of evolution. I don’t personally claim to have a complete grasp on the last few billion years and anyone is a fool if they claim to. But I’m content in believing that God created all things, including Science. God and Science are not enemies. Science is God’s art medium.
Great list Flamehorse.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I honestly liked the list, at least I feel like I always learn something new or a new point of view…
You know what? Somebody should debunk or support the DaVinci code in list format because that would be interesting…
November 7th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Darwin was actually a deeply pious man, but when the evidence for evolution became compelling, he felt very conflicted. He once said that he felt like it was akin to “confessing to a murder.” I don’t believe that he ever completely abandoned his faith in God. Accepting evolution doesn’t mean that one must through God out the window. It simply means that the Genesis story must be seen metaphorically, not literally. If one believes that God is an omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal being, then He has all the time in the world to create the universe. A few billion years is just a tick of the clock to Him.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Chas #74 is correct about Absinthe.
Here’s more:
November 7th, 2009 at 11:15 am
I have ordered absinthe online and had it shipped to the US. There is a limit on how much you can get into the us, its under a 2 liters i believe.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:15 am
@mom424 (81):
Hi mom. First that evolution theory. Do you REALLY think each and every line printed in the primary school text book HAS to be true??
Isn’t it like telling teenagers that santa exists??
Second thing. Don’t think me so naive. I am not here trying and dying to grab that top commenters spot as you think.After all what would it yield?? It won’t even make me a somebody in this world of nobodies.
Half the fault here lies with this website called Listverse.
It gives me something much better, much interesting
to do on my iphone , rather than the stuff other boys usually do (you know what!)
That said, If you want me to leave, I shall not comment any further. Thenk you.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:48 am
@Spliff17 #90: That was… beautifully said man i always try to think how religion and science can comingle and you said it well.
Can i steal that for the next theology argument i get in with my mom?
@El the erf. No dont leave dog your cool. Some of your shits funny. But whats a erf anyway?
November 7th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Liked the list, haven’t actually liked a list in quite a few days though…not sure, nothing seemed appealing. Yeah, and the whole evolution thing, no one seems to know exactly what it means…I think its because we all have a different interpertation of the word itself…which often leads us to think differently on the concept of evolution. ANd yeah, even the 1st grade text books definitions are bogus, they seem to focus too much on the concept of the word and not the concept of the process.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:55 am
El the erf: You’re in for a world of hurt after that comment. Comparing the theory of evolution to the story of Santa Claus? Hahahaha, amazing. I suppose there are certain similarities, such as all the fossil evidence indicating that Santa is alive and delivers presents to the children of the world in one night. Not intelligent in the slightest but amazing. And you’re gonna hear it for that. Not from me. I’m not gonna bother. I don’t like to get into evolution debates. Too much ignorance on both sides. I’m just gonna stick with believing the Theory of Santa.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:56 am
General-Jake: Steal away my friend!
ps I always wonder what an erf is too?
November 7th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I decided to go through with this list because of how much fun #1 is. So, yeah it’s somewhat padded. You know what I’d like to see? One of you haters posting a list.
The da Vinci sniper thing I found so interesting that I just had to include it.
But note well that I did not include the “bottling up your anger” entry. I think Jafe must have. I don’t personally agree with its line of logic, since I like to smash junk with a sledgehammer to relieve stress. Yet I have no desire to harm others. Never have.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
@Spiff17 (90): Thanks.
I figured after that “Bystander effect” one, I should offer some fun.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
@winchestre (83): I’m an English major, but I took a few classes in history in college (I had to). I’m a big fan of WWII (morbid, ain’t I?). Working on a WWII battle list. Should be an ass-kicker.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Thanks everyone who liked it.
@Chelsea (78): You know what’s complete crap? “Frampton Comes Alive,” 1976. Is there anyone you know didn’t own that album? I didn’t think so. BAM! All right, pay it forward.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Oh me my!I jumped back when I saw the pic for #9,well..good list flamehorse..not as good as some of your previous ones.
(This didn’t require much effort,did it?)
OK,totally off the context,but since I’m preparin’ for my MBA entrance exams,I’d like some of the intellectuals out here to provide me with links to good mathematical websites..which consists of shortcut tricks,methods and other resources for faster calculation purposes.If anyone has FREE time,then please consider m’request.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
im surprised there is no UFO myth on this list lol
November 7th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Very Nice List Flamehorse.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
geronimo — i can tell that you have zero math talent so give it up — real men do physics by the way – you lack the IQ which is ok i dont blame you.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
According to the Bible, there is no hell. The world “Hell” is from “Gehenna” which was the Lake of Fire that they burned “No good people” in after they died.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Flamehorse, I like this phrase from your list: “ultimately your fits of anger will become an addiction and you will begin to seek out more reasons to become angry – in order to achieve that nice feeling.”
I used to have a boss who was absolutely addicted to anger. Your description fits him to a T. I’ll call him “Dick” (although his real name is “Dick”). The first time he went into a rage directed at me, I ended up sobbing in the empty bedroom of a group home resident. The assistant manager calmed me and suggested that I try to ignore Dick’s rants because they were so commonplace and so random. There were seven of us in the department and we each would have periods of time where Dick wouldn’t even speak to us. We’d say, “tag you’re it!” and “not it!” to whoever happened to be that week’s whipping boy.
Just like an alcoholic will retell stories of drunkenness like, “I remember one time I was so wasted that I blah, blah, blah…” Dick would tell stories such as, “so I told HER, I went up one side and down the other…I put that lowlife in HIS PLACE…” as though he was relishing the memory.
You never knew when he’d explode or what would set him off. It could be anything from an innocent accidental bump, or a question where he could have simply answered with “sorry, not now,” all the way up to a legitimate confrontation.
It got to the point that no one took his rages seriously. We’d pretty much thought, “same old, same old.” To the contrary I had a different boss who so rarely got upset that when he did, everyone took it to heart and tried harder not to fail him.
Dick finally told off the CEO and got fired. Apparently it was OK to talk to your employees any way you liked, just not the CEO. Months later, Dick ran into one of my coworkers and he told him that he couldn’t understand why none of us ever called to see how he was doing.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
i dont know where you guys get the essay energy from — i guess im not the only one who has no life LOL
November 7th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Your info. on absinthe is slightly skewed. Absinthe is legal in it’s pure alcohol form. However true Absinthe has one extra step, the alcohol is filtered through wormwood. Which does carry psychoactive chemicals. The experience is described as somewhere between being drunk and a secondary feeling that is somewhere between lsd-like and marijuana effects. In fact many artists became addicted to the drink for inspiration. Absinthe filtered through wormwood is only legal in one country to date, unfortuneately I forgot which one. It’s a European country if that helps anyone interested.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Flamehorse is really five people.
Nice list guys.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
@mom424 (81): Thankyou for your creative authority….PLEASE…let the bandysnicker take the hint.
@bucslim (84):”I’m not exactly on the evolutionary side of your argument, but I believe I could find an AD/HD chimp to bang on his keyboard and they’d come up with more interesting comments.”
Booyah to you Sir….poor chimp to have to be compared with such a key-banging trog.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
maybe im really stupid BUT ….. i would have expected UFO stuff in this list. I personally am anti-ufo culture by the way.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
@El the erf (95): Yes I do generally believe the information in text books. They are vetted at the national level, the provincial level, and finally at each individual board of education. Not that the odd bit of misinformation doesn’t leak through – typos and errors occur everywhere. But generally if it has made it through the raft of scientists, educators, publishers and editors, you can rest assured that the information is as factually correct as possible. Not even close to Santa. The difference between FACT and Fantasy eh? Darwin’s theory is a fact, it’s just the niggling little details that are missing. And they’re being filled in every day. Do a quick google search on the missing link that they just found in Northern Canada. Baffin Island me thinks.
As far as the commenting goes – you know very well that I don’t want you to return to the other main (fap,fap,fap) internet use for teenage boys…. but temper your comments; save them up until a little later in the day and you can reply to a bunch of folks at once. The odd quick zing-back is acceptable but try and take into consideration others that wish to partake of the comment section. Make it a little easier on us.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
The fact that the bible does not mention something does not mean that it does not exist. The bible doesn’t mention planets, Australia or quarks, but it is perfectly open to accept that those things exist.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
“Just a theory.”
So far from the truth.
The funny thing is evolution is so simple to understand. Organisms that have advantageous adaptations pass their genes on and survive, while all those who do not die off. I mean if you can believe that genes change from one generation to the next, you are essentially accepting evolution. It’s just that over millions of years, these changes are physically more drastic.
I still find it amazing that there are people who think we evolved from apes.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
The picture for number 9 – isn’t that from some kids show in Britain?
November 7th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
@Davy (118): Dr Who, I believe it’s called.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
So you’ve beat me on the top comments list, El. I hope you’re proud.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
@Harry (119): Thanks
November 7th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
@chemcon (121): Damn chemcon, why the change? If that’s all you have to say to listverse, then I suggest you get off the computer, before your mommy tells you to. If anyone is ‘retarded’ or ‘homo’ on this site, then it’s you. And finally, the ‘ranters’ on listverse definitly have more intelligence than a 14 year old like you.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I’m in no way against the theory of evolution. You can’t argue with the evidence. Things changed over time one way or another. Whether you’re religious or not you cannot argue the presence of scientific process in our world. BUT I would like to see a little more open mindedness in people when it comes to thinking they’ve got all the facts. As mom424 stated in her polite and concise reply to an ignorant comment undeserving of her patience, the blanks are being filled in every day. However, just as often as new things are being discovered, things that we previously regarded as fact are also being disproved. Its a fact that a number of what were previously regarded as steps in the evolutionary ladder of modern man have since been proven to be either separate evolutionary branches or mistakes/hoaxes and didn’t even exist at all. And yet some of these are published in various textbooks even to this day. I don’t have the specifics off the top of my head but I can look them up. This is just one example of many things that are commonly incorrectly regarded as scientific fact. And we as the general populous just swallow it because scientists must know everything, right? But they don’t. And any good scientist would in fact tell you that one of the most important traits of a good scientist is to continually question everything! We are not at the peak of human achievement and knowledge by a loooong shot. Remember when we thought the world was flat? That wasn’t that long ago and we should not be so naive as to think we are incapable of such errors in our current day and age. Thats why I think its foolish to argue about evolution. The topic is not something to be argued as though each of us knows without a shadow of a doubt exactly how things occurred. You only think you know because you read about it from someone who thinks they know because they read about it from someone who found out from someone who received some test results from someone who received a rock from someone who… etc.! The chain of human error potential goes on and on. So rather the topic of evolution is something to gather evidence on and discuss the various possibilities. Life is so much more exciting and so much less aggravating that way! The sooner you admit that you actually know very little the sooner you can being to do some truly intelligent thinking and save yourself from pointless arguing.
My two cents, thanks if you actually read it!
November 7th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
chemcon: I enjoyed that a 14 year old just informed us that “real men do physics” not math. We’ll see how far that gets you in your academic career.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
chemcon: Not without math! Can you write a complete sentence using proper grammar and spelling? Not so far. You’re 14. Quit trying to act cool.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
@chemcon (126): I’d rather not. I think I already know what you are going to write about me, chemcon. It will likely include the words ignorant, retarded, unintelligent, and asshole.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I grow weary of this pointless conversation. You obviously are too stupid to understand what I’m trying to tell you, so I will be as straight-forward as I can be. You are a brainless 14 year old who doesn’t know squat about the real world and whose comments are not appreciated on this site. I hope you finally understand.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
@davy (118):
@harry (119):
The picture in #9 is from the Doctor who episode “the Satin pit”
BTW whats happened to Randall I miss his words of wisdom.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
We didn’t evolve from apes… we’re still apes. Chimpanzees are closer to us than they are to gorillas, which firmly classifies us among the apes.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
@wincestre
No, I didn’t but thanks for mentioning it! It’s fascinating that our common ancestor would have looked more like a human than a chimp!
November 7th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Taxonomy is not physics…how the system is organized is, to a degree, a matter of opinion and interpretation…so the idea that we ARE apes is a bit misleading…better to say we are CLASSIFIED as apes…
November 7th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
@flamehorse (102): I can’t f*ing wait.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
@Sarah (134): Check out this link. http://www.archaeologyinfo.com/ardipithecusramidus.htm
November 7th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
if apes evolve to humans…why monkeys (the animal…not us) still exist? they all should’ve evolved into humans..ahahaha!! or maybe hundred years from now, we will evolve into flying humans, then we’ll gonna have superpowers or god-like strength…ahahaha!! I WILL NEVER EVER EVER AGREE WITH DARWIN’s THEORY OF EVOLUTION….NEVER!!! AHAHAHAHAAHAH!!!
November 7th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Not much debunking here. More your own opinion and you are wrong about absinthe
November 7th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
In regards to Tornado Myths and not hiding in an overpass, one of the more famous ‘tornado vids’ shows some people trying to frantically speed away from a tornado on the highway. Seeing that they are unable to ‘outrun’ it, they come to an overpass, abandon their vehicle, and brace themselves under it. They survived.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Wow what do you call this list? ITS GREAT!!!!! Thanks for the list.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
What do you mean “both sides are misinformed?” YOU’RE misinformed. No one that knows anything about evolution thinks that humans evolved from apes.
Both evolved from a common ancestor. Our closest genetic relatives appear to be chimpanzees.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Hmm good list. I wanna submit my list now.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
for #9 the pic is from ‘doctor who’, love that show (the new version)
November 7th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Hey Chemcon,because you are just 14 I assume you are not yet mature enough to start posting meaningful comments…anyways don’t start making assumptions unless you know who or what a person is.
I am an engineering graduate in electronics & communication and therefore know a lot of maths and physics and other stuff also.
AND if you can’t help me with what I’v requested,then kindly mind your own business.Aimless criticism ain’t going to get you anywhere kid.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Geronimo1618:
What specific kind of Math are you looking for? If you were talking about arithmetic calculation, try “Speed Mathematics” by Bill Handley. It’s the best I’ve encountered so far.
btw what kind engineering school is that: are calculators not allowed during engineering exams? you people should be really smart
oh, and LOL @ chemcon
November 8th, 2009 at 12:36 am
it seems that people who didn’t grow up in an area with several real tornados passing thru each year (if not always touching down, thank goodness) don’t get it.
yes, it seems like hiding under the solid structure of an underpass would help. in a more minor storm (wind gusts under 100 miles/hour) or in a situation where the tornado comes close to you but misses your direct location -remember tornados come in different sizes and speeds- it may help, or at least feel like it does mentally.
but in a real, large, fast tornado passing directly over you the wind will whip thru the narrow “funnel” of the underpass at higher and more dangerous speeds than anywhere else. and the “funnel” will aim the bullet-like shrapnel in that wind stream right at your fleshy, vulnerable body.
the best thing is to be in a basement or storm/root cellar away from any window-wells/glass and against an exterior wall. the next best thing is to be in an interior ground floor room, away from glass and windows, and possibly doing something like lying in a solid bathtub with a mattress pulled over you, again to protect from flying debris. and if you are caught outside it is safest to be flat in a ditch or depression in the earth (again, that whole “airborne debris = nature’s homemade bullets” thing….).
BEING TUCKED UP IN AN UNDERPASS COULD GET YOU KILLED. sorry for the caps, but that was a public service announcement.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:23 am
vera lynn, naperville is my home town. but i think i was in peru (S.A., not IL) during the tornado you referred to. tornadoes and tornado warnings and sirens are just a part of life in this part of the country, much like earthquakes or wildfires or flash-floods, etc. are elsewhere.
but every once in a while there will be a tornado warning in chicago proper (there was one earlier this year, i think about 2 months ago) and there are sometimes waterspouts (also tornadoes) over the lake itself. thankfully none in recent memory have touched down/caused damage of note in chicago proper (it’s usually the suburbs and other parts of IL), but it is possible.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=SigChiTorn
November 8th, 2009 at 1:48 am
I sell spirits and wine for a living, and am the spirits buyer for the company that employs me. #11 (T.J.) is misinformed. As for #63 (General-Jake), I can assure you that I sell real absinthe (NOT Absente) every day here in San Francisco. It has been legal to import for the last two years, and I import several brands. There are also U.S. companies producing it now. These are all made using the strain of wormwood containing thujone. #74 (Chas) does a good job of explaining how thujone affects the body, and he is correct in stating that a person would be dead of alcohol poisoning long before feeling any of its effects. When customers find out we sell absinthe, they invariably ask the same two questions: “It’s not the same as in Europe, though, right?”, and then, when I tell them that it is (besides having to read the tech sheets for every product I sell, I’ve gotten staggeringly drunk on the stuff in at least three European countries), the follow-up is: “But it’s not as strong as it was in the old days, right?” In fact, there were recent tests done on three different hundred-year old batches of absinthe, and the thujone levels in these spirits was not appreciably higher than what is being produced today. I actually try to discourage people from buying it if they’re expecting a psychedelic trip from drinking it. If you like the flavor of anise, and enjoy drinking things like Pernod, absinthe may be for you. If you want a Moulin Rouge experience, save your money and just buy some acid. I enjoyed the list and look forward to more of these!
November 8th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Regarding anger, I would add that not only does expressing it become habit forming, but anger can feed on itself – before you get that moment of relief, you just get angrier and angrier.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:49 am
OOh coool!
November 8th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Hehe, loved the list.
Good job FH-sshi~
November 8th, 2009 at 8:40 am
El the Elf;
Yes, Evolution is just a theory.
Kinda like gravity.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Humans and apes both evolved from satan……
Thank god for satan – lulz
Just can’t help it aye? As soon as someone mentions evolution the comment list is fucked *yawn*
I had some absinthe given to me by a friend who grabbed some from overseas. It was different to the commercial stuff that they sell over here alright. And it does have a mild psychadellic effect – not trippin balls – but a noticable effect. Just make sure you do the sugar thing because at 90% alcohol content, you’ll most definately be shitting out your stomach lining the next morning!!!
:p
November 8th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Ha! I already knew the thing about satan. Satan doesn’t live in hell, and neither do any demons, they all live on earth to try to tempt people away from doing good things.
And he’s just doing his job…
November 8th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I disgree with number 7. It is actually rather better to express you anger. It does make sense, thanks to Skinner, that repeatedly expressing anger by throwing dishes, hitting pillows, and the like will become a habit. But whether the habit is good or not depends on the form of expression. Bottling it up does you no good depsite what Flamehorse claims. It can be internalize and morph into a depression. It will eat you up inside. Grudes can form and take over. You will basically label yourself and follow through with that label. I believe it is better to punch a pillow than let the anger just bottle up inside. Now you may counter by saying: You then support expressing anger physically. Yes and no. Yes in that I support punching a pillow or screaming in it or listening to music (take your pick) or hitting the gym; no, in that I do not excuse anger being displaced upon a child, pet, parent, etc.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Lol @ Chemcon and I second everything Mom said.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:32 am
If anyone wants some absinthe I got two bottles ofit in my freezer
November 9th, 2009 at 5:32 am
sorry *of it*
November 9th, 2009 at 5:39 am
I have to take issue with the advice at the end of item #8. It is not good to bottle it up either. One should deal with it or release it in a constructive manner; as opposed to smashing things and people.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:54 am
I disagree with Number 9 (Satan). True Christians don’t believe Satan is in hell because it states in the Bible:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
November 9th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I agree with No. 6, caffeine does not stunt growth. I am from Colombia and as a child I drank coffee regularly. I was always the tallest kid in my class and grew over 6′1.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:13 am
NR 2
“Debaters on both sides are grossly misinformed”
wrong, atheists, as a group, dont believe darwin said we evolved from apes. maybe a few individuals, but those are the exceptions, not the rule.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Jfrater: Can we please do something about this chemcon character? Maybe put comments in moderation until (s)he stops being an ass? Just saying….
November 9th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Satan doesn’t sound like such a “bad guy” to me. I think he gets a bad rap. I mean, with the fiery lake and all, it sounds like he puts on one hell of a party (pardon the pun).
November 9th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
@chemcon (167): bullshit. you’re 14
November 9th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
@chemcon (167): Technically it is still your boyfriend’s, but I understand that you mean it is yours exclusively to use, so don’t worry!
November 9th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
#9 – Biblically, Hell is described as a place of fiery torment, but more so as a place of darkness and seperation from God. Hell is a place ultimately made for the devil and his fallen angels, but man who follow the rebellious ways of the devil and reject God are counted among them as well. Check out for descriptions. Matthew 25:21, Numbers 16:30, Psalm 55:15
November 9th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I’d rather go to Hell because all of my friends will be there! This god bloke sounds like a real asshole. Here have a penis and a sex drive that makes you want to use all the time – But DON’T use it because if you do you will suffer in agony for ever! Satan was originally an angel (despite him actually being a demonised version of the god pan but that’s another story lol) He relised that god was a total mega douchebag so he waged a war, lost and was cast into the lake of fire. So curiously enough satan was an awesome dude muwahahahahahahahah.
PS ,ninjas will pwn pirates any day
NinjARRRRR!!!!
November 9th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
@VI6SIX (172): You have the maturity of a 8 year old. I reckon its past your bedtime, so why are on the computer after mommy told you to get off?
November 9th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Darwins theory was foiled by one thing and one thing only; THE HUMAN BEING!!
November 9th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
@Davy (173): Is that the best you can do? I’ll much prefer the maturity of an 8 year old as opposed to the intellect of one. You should get back to folding your underpants and stitching you name into your pink elmo socks!
November 9th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
@VI6SIX (175): You just proved you have the intellect of an 8 year old with your last comment. What a weak retort.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
@VI6SIX (175): Come back to Listverse when you are off the tit. It is more fun for all that way.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
*yawn* Why so seriousss?? Get a sense of humor nana. ianz09 wait your turn else get your own girlfriend!!
November 9th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
@Davy (176): What a weak retort Lulwut?! speak for yourself!
November 9th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
@VI6SIX (179): ***sigh*** Whatever VI6SIX. I’ve got better things than argue with an 8 year old.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
@VI6SIX (178): Baby tired? Need nap?
Anyway, I implied that you were still being fed breast milk, from your mother. You implied that what I implied had to do with your girlfriend. Which means that if both of our implications apply, you just admitted to dating your own mother. +1 zing for the unintentional self burn.
PS- Stick THAT in your mouth and blow it.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
The statement in no. 2 about the truth to the myth helping to smooth relations between fundamentalists and scientists is irrelevant. There is no need to smooth this relationship as fundamentalists are just a bunch of crazy, scared, half-wits who shut their eyes and ears to overwhelming scientific evidence. Science may not have all the answers to the questions of the universe but at least they are looking and don’t try to answer them with a 4000 year old fairytale.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
@tasmanian boy (182): Irony.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
@ianz09 (181): You missed the punchline LOL you FAIL!!!
November 9th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
I was going to say wait your turn I’ll be off your mother in a few minutes – but I was actually trying to go easy on you!
November 9th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
@VI6SIX (185): Too late. No take-backsies. Accept your screw-up
November 9th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
@GiantFlyingRobo (186): LOL I didn’t think it would be apropriate – ironically I was trying to be at least a bit mature!! See where that got me! Oh well, I’ll remember for next time!! My ego still remains intact
November 9th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
@VI6SIX (187): Ego still intact? Aww, the mentally ill. How awesome a breed they are.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:51 am
The funny thing about Listverse is that some of their lists contradict other lists they have already made. For example, I’m not sure what list it was but the George Washington false teeth myth was said to be true on another list but then they have said it isn’t in this one.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:12 am
There was a really cool show in the History channel a few weeks ago about Washington and his teeth – mostly what he would have looked like without them in. They also verified a Shakespeare death mask.
A nice list, some of these I knew from experience (caffeine) and some from TV (Washington and the tornado), and some I didn’t know at all.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:57 am
“Absinthe is perfectly legal to import into both the US and the EU, provided that the thujone content is 10mg/L or less. Sage oil, which can be up to 50% thujone, has no such restriction.”
I wouldn’t consider that real Absinthe at all, sorry. Regardless of the toxicity or psychotropic effects or lack thereof, the liquor you can import legally is not real Absinthe.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:07 am
@chemcon (193): are you gay?
November 10th, 2009 at 10:16 am
@chemcon (193): Go away, you gay-ass skank.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Jaime: I really think we need some moderator to clean up this thread… It´s gotten completely absurd.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:32 am
@chemcon (198): If you think you’re funny, you’re not. Your comments are stupid and have absolutely nothing to do with the list. What is the purpose of your comments?
November 10th, 2009 at 10:33 am
@GTT (196): indeed
November 10th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Do not feed the troll.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
@El the erf (4):
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you’re being sarcastic/sardonic.
For those who don’t know better, for something to be considered a ‘theory’ pretty much means that it’s an accepted fact, subject to revision should further evidence, contradictory or not, come to surface.
Great list, btw.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
For #9: Didn’t Satan create Hell when he removed himself from God’s love after he and others were jealous of Man? Some people I’ve talked to with a less literal view of what the bible says seem to think that Hell is a condition of refusing or excluding yourself from love (since “God is Love”)rather than a place to which you or your soul goes. I’m no biblical scholar, I’m just suggesting…
For #3: Newton didn’t discover how gravity worked or a mechanism for gravity. He conceded that perhaps unseen particles caused gravity. Einstein first proved a mechanism for gravity.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Sorry if this has already been pointed out, but there are a pair of Washington’s dentures at Mount Vernon. I’ve seen them.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:16 am
but isn’t it that after bottling up a lot of anger for some time, the ‘chemicals’ of this anger ‘react’ with each other and then blow up? It happens to me a lot of times.(if you get what I mean)
November 14th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Pope John Paul 3 declared that hell is not a physical place but a state of being without God (or away from God). So the devil is, in fact, according to catholics, in hell.
November 14th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Missed a key: John Paul 2
November 15th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
@TJ & friends: actually, real modern absinthe (and traditional absinthe) had very low levels of thujone (lower than those contained in a bottle of light beer). The thujone was removed from the spirit by the distillation process—it’s only artificial crap (“Absente” and its ilk), which are generally produced in Eastern-bloc countries, which have high levels of thujone (since these products are basically “bath-tub gin” with a wormwood extract added, and thus do not undergo the second distillation of true absinthe).
Furthermore, as of the time of this writing, the ban on (real) absinthe in the United States has been lifted.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
As I heard it, that ‘kangaroo’ etymology was actually the story behind the word ‘boomerang.’
November 17th, 2009 at 12:34 am
number 1 is depressing…i’m gunna keep on believing the myth!!
November 17th, 2009 at 11:40 am
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