Trivia and Amazing Facts **: December 2007

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The most popular euphemism for vomiting in Denmark is "talking into the big phone."

In the U.S., they're called orchestra seats; in England, they're referred to as "stalls."

Rhubarb is named after the Volga River. In Greek, the name of the Volga is Rha, and barb means "uncultivated." Rhubarb is thus a wild plant that grows along the Volga.

Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down so you could see his moves. Tat's the opposite of the norm.

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American naval hero John Paul Jones ended his naval career as an admiral with the Russian navy.

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Fight fire without water! Worried those wings will repeat on you tonight? "Sleep on your left side," says Anthony A. Star-poli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you're on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity's in your favor.

The number two is the only number greater than zero that, when added to or multiplied by itself, gives the same result: 4.

The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

HOW DOES A TELEVISION WORK? If you've ever looked at the back of a TV on the inside, you know that there is a metal coil which is very hot. An electric current runs through the coil, and the high temperature forces the electrons to jump off (this is known as thermionic emission). Magnets are positioned along the sides of the electrons' direction of motion, which alter their trajectory by applying varying voltages in order to hit specific parts of the TV screen. The inside of the screen is covered with phosphorus compounds, and when the electrons strike it, the phosphor glows, producing red, green, or blue light. The hundreds or even thousands of bits of phosphor are called pixels, and together they form the images you see.

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Tuna fish swim at an average speed of 9 miles per hour. They also never stop moving.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST INDIANAPOLIS 500? The 500-mile race was first held on May 30, 1911, when Ray Harroun won in 6 hours, 42 minutes, 8 seconds. His average speed was 74.59 miles per hour.

While Spanish is the official language in Ecuador, there are numerous indigenous tongues. Quichua, the language of the Incas, is the most widely spoken indigenous language. English is widely spoken among professionals, the elite, and tourism providers in Ecuador.