Tell Me Something I Don't Know

[EricKei]

The standard QWERTY keyboard was designed back in the days of typewriters; its purpose was to slow down typing so that the typewriter would not be jammed by hitting the keys too quickly.

I've also heard that they were specifically designed to favor left-handed typists -- having AS and ER close together on the left side (all of which are exceedingly common in English) seems to support this. Note that the layout also facilitated speed demonstrations -- you can type out the word "typewriter" without ever leaving the top row of keys.

[KhirasHY]

Just a joke one: "If you need to survive, you can drink your own wee for up to three weeks before they ask you to leave the library."

[Jay 2K Winger]

Scottish surgeon Robert Liston was famed for his speed with his surgeries, since this was in a time before anesthetics, when speed made a difference in terms of pain and survival.

In 1847, Liston performed an amputation in 25 seconds, but worked so quickly he accidentally amputated his assistant's fingers as well. Both later died of sepsis. In addition, a spectator died of shock. This marks the only known operation in human history with a 300% mortality rate.

[AnaKhouri]

The only cast member of The Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies to have met JRR Tolkien was Christopher Lee, currently 92years old. At their meeting, Tolkien told Lee that if his novels were ever adapted into movies, he thought Lee would be a good Gandalf.

[firecat88]

More Newsies trivia:

- In researching the character of Racetrack, Max Casella found that the young newsie had been quite the gambler in real life. He took his research and his getting-into-character a bit too far, though, resulting in phone calls from angry moms when their sons would lose their allowance and lunch money to him playing craps and such.

- Spot's slingshot and cane were added to the character at the request of Gabriel Damon, the actor who played him, upon his discovery that the real Spot Conlon was known for having them. Reportedly, he became quite good with the slingshot.

- Several of the cast and crew were involved in the making of a horror movie spoof called 'Blood Drips Heavily on Newsies Square'. In this short film, Don Knotts (played by Mark David) goes on a murderous rampage on the Newsies movie set after having been denied a role in the movie. It was directed by Michael Goorijan (Skittery), filmed by Ivan Dudynsky (Dutchy), and produced by Max Casella (Racetrack). It can be found in multiple parts on Youtube. It's...really freakin' weird. O.o

[fireheart]

A random one (the verifiability of this is a bit questionable):

In the first 25 years of Australia being settled as a nation (not sure if this is pre or post-Federation), rum was legal tender.

[Kittish]

Far as I can find, it was in 1793, several years after the founding of the settlement, that rum became considered legal tender in New South Wales, and remained so for 17 years.

[fireheart]

Far as I can find, it was in 1793, several years after the founding of the settlement, that rum became considered legal tender in New South Wales, and remained so for 17 years.

Sounds like the 25-year figure I was quoted may have referred to other colonies forming and keeping the rule there for some time.

(Quick Aus history sum-up: when Australia was first founded, it was known as "New South Wales. Then new colonies started forming separately. I believe the order was something like Victoria, SA, Qld, WA. Tasmania was originally known as Van Diemen's Land up until around the 1800's, then became named Tasmania after Abel Tasman. In 1901, they opted to unite the above named colonies into one nation, which was our Australian federation and with it came the choosing of both a prime minister and our countries capital. Originally Melbourne was slated as the capital, but they eventually decided to make a new city-state for the capital, and the Australian Capital Territory was born. NT was the last of the territories to form and did so much later.)

Also a fun fact: Melbourne was originally known as Batmania. Why? Because the guy who designed the city had the last name Batman. They eventually settled on Melbourne for some reason that escapes me.

(BTW, I apologise if there's a lot missing there, I'm heavily paraphrasing off of what I can remember.)

[wolfie]

Does this mean that moonshiners were also counterfeiters?

[dawnfire]

Melbourne was named after the British Prime minister William Lamb, 2nd viscount Melbourne. I think Batmania is a cooler name.

[fireheart]

Melbourne was named after the British Prime minister William Lamb, 2nd viscount Melbourne. I think Batmania is a cooler name.

Thank you! , Adelaide was named after Queen Adelaide (William IVs royal consort), Perth was named after A town in scotland, Darwin was named after Charles Darwin (I am not making this up...he was on the boat that surveyed the Northern Territory and one of the crew on the boat opted to name the area port Darwin after him), Brisbane was named after the governor of New South Wales in 1825 (although the town itself was not chosen until Queensland was established as a separate colony in 1859) and that's all I can find.

Another fun fact: South Australia was one of the few states NOT founded by ex-convicts.

[Kit-Ginevra]

...but it makes up for that now with its present inhabitants

[Bardmaiden]

The words to the Londonderry Air aka Danny Boy were written by an English Lawyer Frederic Weatherly who had never been to Ireland.

[dawnfire]

here's some odd facts about Australia http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/spe...-1227191582756

[fireheart]

So in Austin Powers Goldmember, there's a scene involving a fake Godzilla and a person in a Charmander costume running around.

Apparently the copyright for Charmander was easier to obtain than the copyright for Godzilla.