Quite Interesting Thread

[The_root_of_all_evil]

To Brits, welcome to the QI thread. To Americans/Aussies/Canadians, welcome to a very British passtime.

All you need to do is post a rather interesting factoid that you know and give us a choice between answers that you think we might think it would be.

For instance:

Kung Fu Capers by the Goodies is the only British TV Comedy Show to ever kill someone in real life (They laughed themselves to death).

Is that

Spoiler: True

Indeed it is.

While watching this episode during its original airing, a 50 year old man named Alex Mitchell could not stop laughing for 25 minutes and then died from the strain it put on his heart. This is probably the most well-known incident of someone actually dying from laughing.

The only other show to kill someone from laughing at it was A Fish Called Wanda, and that's a film.

or

Spoiler: False

Oh dear, lose 20 points. Perfectly true I'm afraid.

?

 

[Hazy]

George Washington grew hemp at his Mt. Vernon residence in Virginia.

Is that

Spoiler: True?

Yes, he did. Although it has never been noted that the First American President actually became intoxicated from the products he grew, he still grew it nonetheless.
GW was once quoted saying: "Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, sow it everywhere."

Or

Spoiler: False?

Wrong answer. He did, infact, grow hemp.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

The male seahorse is the one who gives birth

<spoiler=true>yes it is,most unusual
<spoiler=false>no it is true,oddly enough

a survey proved that a large margin american highschoolers can't point out the U.S.A. on a globe<spoiler=true>yes,yes it is.
<spoiler=false>no it's quite true98.5 is the amount of people who will at one time in their life be diagnosed with cancer,whether it be a false one or not<spoiler=true>nope,it's actually the station for delilah in defuniak springs
<spoiler=false>correct,it is in fact the station for delilah in defuniak springsnot that grand,are they?

 

[KittywifaMohawk]

This is very interesting.
I lost 20 points though >_<

Did Brandon Lee die in the making of the movie The Crow?

Spoiler: True

Very true. He died in the scene where his character was being shot by a gang. An old bullet(which was lodged in the barrel of a gun) was accidentally shot. The bullet ended up killing him.

or

Spoiler: False

Those 20 points you just won answering The_root's question right. Lose them.

 

[walls of cetepedes]

Dammit, I can't find my QI question book!

 

[A Weary Exile]

To Brits, welcome to the QI thread. To Americans/Aussies/Canadians, welcome to a very British passtime.

All you need to do is post a rather interesting factoid that you know and give us a choice between answers that you think we might think it would be.

For instance:

Kung Fu Capers by the Goodies is the only British TV Comedy Show to ever kill someone in real life (They laughed themselves to death).

Is that

Spoiler: True

Indeed it is.

While watching this episode during its original airing, a 50 year old man named Alex Mitchell could not stop laughing for 25 minutes and then died from the strain it put on his heart. This is probably the most well-known incident of someone actually dying from laughing.

The only other show to kill someone from laughing at it was A Fish Called Wanda, and that's a film.

or

Spoiler: False

Oh dear, lose 20 points. Perfectly true I'm afraid.

?

Leave it to John Cleese to murder someone with laughter.

 

[Hazy]

-snip-

Doh! That's 20 points lost for me.
I had no idea it was actually true though, I thought it was merely an old rumor.
That was still interesting to learn though.

 

[Connosaurus Rex]

American dollar bills contain amounts of Cocaine and E coli bacteria on them

Is that

Spoiler: TRUE

TRUE, yes we are that drug adicted and filthy

Spoiler: FALSE?

NO YOU KNOW NOTHING!!

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Which came first?

Spoiler: Atheism

circa 1587, but it was second Lose 20 points

Spoiler: Atheist

Indeed. 1571. From the French athée "one who denies or disbelieves the existence of God"

or

Spoiler: Theist

Not around until 1662. Before that everyone just believed anyway, so only lose 10 points if you picked this one.

 

[G1eet]

American dollar bills contain amounts of Cocaine and E coli bacteria on them

Is that

Spoiler: TRUE

TRUE, yes we are that drug adicted and filthy

Spoiler: FALSE?

NO YOU KNOW NOTHING!!

<spoiler=Funnily enough, I just read an article on it> I think it said 70% of bills (10s, 20s, 50s, 100s. no lower) had traces of coke on them. Good call.

 

[Berethond]

Hahahaha.
I haven't missed any yet.

 

[KittywifaMohawk]

-snip-

Doh! That's 20 points lost for me.
I had no idea it was actually true though, I thought it was merely an old rumor.
That was still interesting to learn though.

Yea, when I first heard it I didn't think it was either. Then Google helped me with my answer.
I don't know where it hit him though, I heard it got lodged in his spine and he died in the ER.

 

[Stoic raptor]

Does sugar make kids hyperactive?

Spoiler: True

WRONG

Spoiler: False

Right. Its seems like it, but kids are more likly to eat suger when there excited

 

[Internet Kraken]

Scientists have studied colossal squids of both genders.

Spoiler: True

Nope

Spoiler: False, only males

Wrong

Spoiler: False, only females

Correct. So far only the larger female specimens have been studied by scientists.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

The 4 guardian animals in Chinese mythology that guard the four corners of the world are:

The Black Tortoise in the North,
The Blue Dragon in the East,
The Red Phoenix in the South,
The White Tiger in the West.

(I'll be using the japanese names because I can't remember the chinese ones and the japanese also have this legend)

It's said that their order represents the seasons, Genbu (Black Tortoise) is said to represent Spring as it has a forest growing on it's back. Azulong the (Blue Dragon) represents the shining blue sky of Summer. Suzaku (Red Phoenix) represents the changing leaves of Autumn, and finally Byakko (White Tiger) represents the harsh snow of Winter.

Is this:

Spoiler: True?

Nope, I'll be taking those 20 points away from you, they have sweet f-all to do with the seasons.

or:

Spoiler: False?

Congrats, they have nothing at all to do with the seasons, they are guardians, nothing more.

 

[Florion]

To Brits, welcome to the QI thread. To Americans/Aussies/Canadians-

root_of_all_evil, you remembered the Canadians! I'm so happy! <3

The F-bomb is more common in the public sphere of Quebec than it is in the public sphere of Ontario.

Spoiler: Unfalse

Well, what isn't true in this thread?

Spoiler: Untrue

True. It's not so offensive to them because it's in another language; people say it on the radio, people write it on the bus shelter, children as young as five have shouting competitions with the word sort of the way we used to have those "PENIS!" shouting competitions in the lunchrooms when we were in middle school.

 

[Gondito]

Most extendable Cellphone antennae arent attached to any wiring, and dont improve your call reception

Spoiler: True

Correct, Some cellphones, especially older cells, had an antennae just to make you think you would get better reception.

Spoiler: False

Incorrect. You lose a bazillion points.

 

[Ace of Spades]

The eyeball is the only part of the body that remains the same size throughout the development of a human.

Spoiler: True

Incorrect, go directly to jail. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. (And lose 20 points)

Spoiler: False

Correct. The eyeball actually starts out at about 80% of it's normal size.

 

[Cargando]

The Zebra shark has spots.

Spoiler: True

Bally good show! It is true as a matter of fact, Zebra sharks have spots. The unfotunate bloke who discovered them, first saw some of the youngsters who have stripes, their stripes fade as they get older until they get replaced by spots.

Spoiler: False

Oh dear. Wrong I'm afraid.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

@Cargando: I like that one

Sir John Major (Ex-Prime-minister of England (90-97)) actually ran away from the circus to join politics.

Spoiler: True

True, at least partially. Tom Major-Ball and Kitty Grant, his Mother and Father, were both circus artistes. David Bowie's Space Oddity was allegedly inspired by the name Tom Major.

or

Spoiler: False

Oh, bad luck, lose 20 points.

?

Swine Flu(H1N1) became a pandemic during the Chinese year of the Pig, while Bird Flu(H5N1) became a pandemic during the Chinese year of the Rooster.

Spoiler: True

Oh, you've fallen for the text joke that was going around. H1N1 has been around since 1916 (Dragon), jumped the species gap in 1918(Horse) and 76(Dragon)

or

Spoiler: False

Well done, you didn't fall into the trap. Bird and Swine Flu have been around a lot longer than this, and although Bird Flu has been named a global killer (5-15 million), it has so far only killed 262 people. Bird Flu is a Monkey, Swine Flu is an Ox

?