NationStates Jolt Archive

Does anyone really think you're hearing the sea when you put a shell to your ear?

Post any other silly things that people tend to believe are true (nothing political please, it'll only be a hijacking and I'll ask the mods to remove it)

GOOD
For example, "I've heard of people who believe that you can't get pregnant if you do it standing up"

BAD
For example, "I've heard of people who believe that the Iraq war was about WMDS"

Or you could have statistics:

VERY GOOD
Did you know that 42% of people believe that Robin Hood is a real historical character.

Your contribution should be more like the first one and less like the second one. Stats are optional. Now I know that someone will get this wrong, but please people, please please please try.

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~jeff/earthgifs/world.gif

Okay Spoff.
221b Baker Street still receives letters adressed to Sherlock Homes. He is a fictional character.

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~jeff/earthgifs/world.gif

Okay Spoff.
221b Baker Street still receives letters adressed to Sherlock Homes. He is a fictional character.Even if he wasn't he'd have been dead a hundred years. Come to think of it, he died in one of the books!!

tupac is alive and well

the lost continent of atlantis existed and was populated by superior beings

Elvis lives!!!!!

Even if he wasn't he'd have been dead a hundred years. Come to think of it, he died in one of the books!!

Ah yes, but he came back to life in one of the later stories...

10% of Canadians have trouble looking something up in the Yellow Pages because they can't read well.

Even if he wasn't he'd have been dead a hundred years. Come to think of it, he died in one of the books!!

Ah yes, but he came back to life in one of the later stories...That was impressive of him. But should be another fairly firm indicator that its a work of fiction.

Ah yes, but he came back to life in one of the later stories...That was impressive of him. But should be another fairly firm indicator that its a work of fiction.

Not at all, his biographer merely believed him to have perished, but reports of his death had been mistaken - the consulting detective had been hiding out from his enemies for a period of years before his biographer was informed of the error.

Only 5% of Americans know that the country has some 300 million people. The rest, when asked to guess, say anywhere from 20-300 billion. Very sad, but very true.

Only 5% of Americans know that the country has some 300 million people. The rest, when asked to guess, say anywhere from 20-300 billion. Very sad, but very true.

people write to romeo and juliet

people write to romeo and julietWho would also be dead. And even more ancient than Sherlock Holmes.

Only 5% of Americans know that the country has some 300 million people. The rest, when asked to guess, say anywhere from 20-300 billion. Very sad, but very true.

I see lots of surveys like that: "X number of people don't know basic fact Y." (I remember one about naming the President, and one about whether the sun revolved around the earth, but I don't remember the numbers.) I often doubt that they are true, because I don't know anyone who would be so ignorant.

1/4 American 8th graders have been drunk

Let's see....Out of 8 friends....only one smokes marijuana.

Not even close to being drunk.

Statistics show that 1 out of every 10 people are either bisexual or gay.

Only 5% of Americans know that the country has some 300 million people. The rest, when asked to guess, say anywhere from 20-300 billion. Very sad, but very true.

I see lots of surveys like that: "X number of people don't know basic fact Y." (I remember one about naming the President, and one about whether the sun revolved around the earth, but I don't remember the numbers.) I often doubt that they are true, because I don't know anyone who would be so ignorant.
It was in National Geographic, in an international survey on geographical literacy. When it was first taken in 1988, the US came in dead last. Today, we're second to last.
But there are some slightly better statistics in the study. For example, 89% of Americans can locate the US on a map, compared with 95% of Canadians.

who came in below the US? the poor things, how embarrassing for them

A teenager did a science fair project and got people to sign a petition to ban dihydrogen-monoxide (water).

who came in below the US? the poor things, how embarrassing for them
It was Mexico.

A teenager did a science fair project and got people to sign a petition to ban dihydrogen-monoxide (water).Yeah, I've heard about that one. Thats always good. I also like the sign this petition to protect a political organisation that is persecuted even in civilised countries in Europe. Group turns out to be the Nazi party.

A teenager did a science fair project and got people to sign a petition to ban dihydrogen-monoxide (water).Yeah, I've heard about that one. Thats always good. I also like the sign this petition to protect a political organisation that is persecuted even in civilised countries in Europe. Group turns out to be the Nazi party.
How were they persecuted? Do you remember?

25% of teens think you can't get STD's if you use a birth control pill

It was in National Geographic, in an international survey on geographical literacy. When it was first taken in 1988, the US came in dead last. Today, we're second to last.
But there are some slightly better statistics in the study. For example, 89% of Americans can locate the US on a map, compared with 95% of Canadians.

sea, eumacashun en amruhka is wurkin. take tha yu all.

Seriously many people in America belive Jesus saves. In Israel they know Moses invests.

SHL

A teenager did a science fair project and got people to sign a petition to ban dihydrogen-monoxide (water).Yeah, I've heard about that one. Thats always good. I also like the sign this petition to protect a political organisation that is persecuted even in civilised countries in Europe. Group turns out to be the Nazi party.
How were they persecuted? Do you remember?Oh, you say things like in at least one european country, even so much as displaying their national emblem can land you with a prision sentance.

Only 5% of Americans know that the country has some 300 million people. The rest, when asked to guess, say anywhere from 20-300 billion. Very sad, but very true.

I see lots of surveys like that: "X number of people don't know basic fact Y." (I remember one about naming the President, and one about whether the sun revolved around the earth, but I don't remember the numbers.) I often doubt that they are true, because I don't know anyone who would be so ignorant.
It was in National Geographic, in an international survey on geographical literacy. When it was first taken in 1988, the US came in dead last. Today, we're second to last.
But there are some slightly better statistics in the study. For example, 89% of Americans can locate the US on a map, compared with 95% of Canadians.

Well remember, alot of countries only use their best of the best or those of the wealthy classes for education. We use the whole damn barrel load including the idiots. Hence why we're near Canada actually, there's only 30 million Canadians and they are fairly homogenious. We've 300 million and a large immigrant population, so it drags us down abit since some are not well educated. I've seen better actual studies, alot of the "The nation at risk" is mostly alarmism. Our kids hold up very well in the 4th and 8th grade comparisons. 12th graders well, europeans tend to figure out who goes to university by 8th grade, so we've still got our idiots in the pool hehe, and we finish pretty average...


Anyway, to the topic-

- There is an African wives-tale belief, usually in the sub-saharan regions, that having sex with a virgin will cure you of AIDS --eek

- 21% of US college males believe life is a "meaningless existenial hell"

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~jeff/earthgifs/world.gif

For nearly 100 years some people believed that two English girls had taken photographs of real fairies (the little people, not the pink ones).
Strangely, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes gave the pictures their original credence by stating they were genuine.
It was not until the death of one of those girls (by now very elderly ladies) that the other admitted they were faked with simple cardboard cut-outs.

when you look at the photos they took, they look remarkably like cardboard cut out fairy pictures stuck into the garden. its funny to look back now and realize that a smart man like doyle fell for it

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~jeff/earthgifs/world.gif

For nearly 100 years some people believed that two English girls had taken photographs of real fairies (the little people, not the pink ones).
Strangely, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes gave the pictures their original credence by stating they were genuine.
It was not until the death of one of those girls (by now very elderly ladies) that the other admitted they were faked with simple cardboard cut-outs.
didn't a movie come out about that a few years ago?

yup
i scanned a picture from the popcorn box, animated it, and used it as an avatar in my chat program

The earth is flat. :?

people still call "Jenny's" number 867-5309, from the 1982 song by Tommy Tutone.

people still call "Jenny's" number 867-5309, from the 1982 song by Tommy Tutone.

They tried to sell that number on Ebay, didn't they?

Heres one that was in sundays paper:

In a 1998 survey Americans were asked to identify the US on an unmarked world map. Astonishingly, 14 per cent couldn't find it.

Heres one that was in sundays paper:

In a 1998 survey Americans were asked to identify the US on an unmarked world map. Astonishingly, 14 per cent couldn't find it.

I wonder how random those surveys were... :roll:

64.37% of all quoted statistics are made up by the person quoting them.

Did you know that Sherlock Homes never said "Elemetary my dear Watson"? He only comes close to saying it in two books.

I still haven't killed myself, although not a second goes by that I don't debate it.

I hear the ocean when I put my ear to a seashell, but come to think of it, I've only been at the ocean when I've heard it...

---Post deleted by NationStates Moderators---

[quote="Unholy Cyril"][

Sorry if someone else has already pointed this out, but I'm pretty sure there is not even such an address as 221b Baker Street. Not that I've ever actually been there to check, mind.

quote]
http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~jeff/earthgifs/world.gif

It's there.......quote (via Google):


"221b Baker Street. Mr. Sherlock ... immaterial. I therefore spent the day
at my club and did not return to Baker Street until evening. It" ...

And we all know Bogie never said 'Play it again Sam'

Also, Clark Gables words at the end of Gone With The Wind were 'Frankly my dear I don't give a damn'. The unusual thing is he emphasised the word 'give' when he said it. The reason was that the censors wouldn't have allowed the usual pronounciation 'Frankly my dear I don't give a damn.
And.........those weren't the last words of the film as many believe, they were '.................tomorrow is another day'

They tried to sell that number on Ebay, didn't they?

Yeah they did, and I believe they still do. The funny part is that after that song came out, a magazine posted the bands phone numbers.

80% of motorists consider themselves to be above-average drivers

I only know a lame one:

Bogey never said "Play it again, Sam."

He in fact said, "You played it for her you can play it for me."

damn that's lame. a Rueben, if you will...

(A Rueben is a piece of trivia or fact of some kind that is more or less common knowledge that is treated like privilaged information, such as Pee Wee Herman's real name, where the term is derived.)

80% of motorists consider themselves to be above-average drivers
When it's really only me and Steve McQueen that are the above average drivers.....

---Post deleted by NationStates Moderators---

82% of statistics are made up on the spot!

80% of motorists consider themselves to be above-average drivers
When it's really only me and Steve McQueen that are the above average drivers.....

*gets mental image of Cannot Think of a Name soaring over the barbed wire fence of a German POW camp on a motor-cycle

A teenager did a science fair project and got people to sign a petition to ban dihydrogen-monoxide (water).

[BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE!!! ("http://www.dhmo.org/)