An interesting facts thread.

[Quaxar]

The White Shark:

Is the only creature in the sea with no natural enemies; even killer whales normally avoid it.

Um, killer whales will often attack it just for fun and play with the corpse for a time. Orcas are assholes, they'll even try to fuck with a blue whale if they're in a big enough group.
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But a shark's skin is actually an evolutionary rest stemming from their descendants, the <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placodermi>Placodermi, which were bone-plate armored fish from around 380 million years ago. And due to its structure nothing will stick to this skin, not even bacteria; that's why we're starting to use a synthetic version to protect a ship's hull, reduce water drag and even keep medical surfaces clean without disinfectants.

All polarbears are left handed.

I do so hate that fact and it's painful to see it repeated over and over again on the internet. Please <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.393598-An-interesting-facts-thread#15915797>see this post I made on page 1 for a falsification and maybe edit it out of your post if you're willing.

Yeah I was just copy pasting that off some site, and thought it a bit weird. Mostly because it makes it sound like Killer Whales are like the ultimate badasses... But if Sharks are the only creature with no natural enemies, then what the fuck is attacking the Killer Whales!? ( Aside from the Japanese.)

They are <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apex_predator>apex predators so they're actually the very top. Probably why they're such assholes.

The sea sponge is the most terifying creature on earth. One can blend two seperate sponges together and they will separate back into the two individual sponges. No amount of cutting or smashing will kill them. They are all but immortal. This is exaberated in Dwarf Fortress by them being ACTUALLY immortal and capable of killing creatures much larger than themselves by shoving the skull into the brain.

Oh, but they're simple to kill by something we humans are immune to. Because even at the start of its development every cell already has a fixed function in the grown sponge so while you can take a developing human cell cluster, divide it and thus end up with absolutely normal twins if you separate a sponge's cell cluster it is pretty much screwed.
We even have maps with which you can predict what each developing sponge cell's function is going to be.

 

[AdamxD]

sir christopher lee is a badass.

He also reads LotR once every year...

also he was one of the main consultants for the Peter Jackson lord of the rings films. and He is the only one involved in the films to actually meet J.R.R. Tolkien in person.

I'm pretty sure he auditioned for the role of Gandalf first too, but wasn't properly considered due to age concerns.

 

[shootthebandit]

the only member of ZZtop not to have a beard is drummer frank beard

 

[Professor Idle]

I'm right behind you.

 

[Twilight_guy]

The movie that Bruce Wayne saw the night his parents died was "The Mark of Zorro". Zorro was an inspiration for Batman's character design.

In batman the animated series, Bruce Wayne's fictional hero is 'The Grey Ghost', a pulp style movie character whos actor helps Batman solve a crime and is voiced by Adam West.

There is a species of jellyfish that is efficiently immortal since at a certain point in its life it reverts to an early stage in its development. Jellyfish also lack most organs and are one of the few creatures with radial rather then bilateral symmetry that most people know about.

The earliest use of the word "assassination" is attributed to Shakespeare.

Humans share 50% of there DNA with bananas.

Cows see in two colors while humans see in three.

Insects can see ultraviolet light.

A spider's body has two segments.

Carrots were originally purple. There were bred to be orange because the ruling power at the time was the house of orange.

People spend way too much time looking over useless facts threads.

 

[Kapri]

Butterflies taste with their feet!

Bats are the only mammal that can fly.

Birds have tear ducts and can therefore cry.

Turtles do not have vocal chords.

My upstairs neighbors are assholes.

 

[Quaxar]

It's totally safe to eat a raw chicken egg, whereas it's not a good idea to do it with a lot of other avian eggs.
A chicken egg is practically sterile inside as long as the shell is intact because it contains an enzyme called lysozyme that directly attacks a bacteria's membrane, weakening it and thereby making it explode. Duck's eggs for example do not contain these enzymes and as such it isn't really wise to eat those uncooked.