More things we learnt in 2005
From the BBC.
81. George Bernard Shaw named his shed after the UK capital so that
when visitors called they could be told he was away in London.
82. Former Labour MP Oona King's aunt is agony aunt Miriam Stoppard.
83. Britain produces 700 regional cheeses, more even than France.
84. The actor who plays Mike Tucker in BBC Radio 4's The Archers is
the father of the actor who plays Will Grundy.
85. Japanese knotweed can grow from a piece of root the size of pea.
And it can flourish anew if disturbed after lying dormant for more
than 20 years.
86. Hecklers are so-called because of militant textile workers in
Dundee.
87. Pulling your foot out of quicksand takes a force equivalent to
that needed to lift a medium-sized car.
88. A single "mother" spud from southern Peru gave rise to all the
varieties of potato eaten today, scientists have learned.
89. Spanish Flu, the epidemic that killed 50 million people in
1918/9, was known as French Flu in Spain.
90. Ordinary - not avian - flu kills about 12,000 people in the UK
every winter.
About Me
- CyberKitten
- I have a burning need to know stuff and I love asking awkward questions.
5 comments:
I like 89 - I think we should all call it French Flu from now on, th Spanish have had bad press for long enough:-)
Avian Flu hasn't killed anybody in the UK. Ever.
Or in the USA
Or Canada
Or Australia, France, India, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Italy or any of the 100's of other countries across the world other than China, Cambodia, VietNam, Thailand & Indonesia.
In those 5 countries some 74 people have died of avian flu over the past 100 years or so.
Compare that with say:
Malaria: 3.1 million deaths worlwide in 2002
AIDS: at least 2.7 million deaths each year
TB: 1.6 million deaths each year
Lets worry about the real problems out there, without ridiculous scare stories about things that might, possibly, one day, be a problem.
OK rant over.
Mrs A said: Lets worry about the real problems out there, without ridiculous scare stories about things that might, possibly, one day, be a problem.
The Media (bless 'em) have indeed been playing the risk of an Avian Flu pandemic up... But if (and I know it's quite an 'if') things get as bad as they could get... it's nice to have at least a 'heads-up' on the situation so we don't get caught completely off guard.. I guess it can be a fine line between warning and scare mongering...
VERY INTERESTING!!!
I love things like this....and a very interesting way to see the old year out and usher in 2006!!
I hope that this coming year will bring you everything your heart desires, and more!!!
Thanks. Some of the facts may even be true... (grin)
Well, I certainly want a new job this year... Or a win on the Lottery..... (crosses fingers)
I agree that we should be funding some scientific research into Avian flu. There is the possibility it could become easily transmittable from bird to human (it takes quite a lot of effort at the moment), or worse, from human to human. However, that hardly warrents a one-liner in the national press, nevermind regular front page stories & editorials! That is blatent scare-mongering.
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