Useless Information

Longest Road

The Pan-American Highway at about 30,000 kilometers / 19,000 miles is the worlds longest road. Except for a rain forest break of approximately 100 kilometers / 60 miles it connects almost all of the mainland countries of the Americas.

Garlic As An Antibiotic

Garlic contains alliin and allinase. When crushed or sliced, the compounds mix and form a third compound called allicin. Allicin only survives for a few hours. It is a powerful natural antibiotic, about one-fiftieth as powerful as penicillin. Allicin exists only in raw garlic. Cooking causes it to decay into other compounds which are less effective.

Spitting Cobras

There are multiple species of the spitting cobras. When cornered, some species spit their venom as far as 2 meters / 6.6 feet. The venom is harmless on skin, but can cause permanent blindness in eyes.

Lowest Elevation

The lowest exposed land on earth is at the Dead Sea Depression in Israel, Jordan and, Syria. The elevation is 423 meters / 1,388 feet below sea level.

First Bicycle

The first verifiable bicycle was created by the German Baron Karl von Drais. He named it a Laufmaschine (German for running machine, it had no peddles).

Tempest In A Teapot

Tempest in a teapot means over-reacting to an unimportant event. The phrase originated from the writing of Marcus Tullius Cicero in "De Legibus", 52 BC. The translation of his "Excitabat fluctus in simpulo" is "He was stirring up billows in a ladle".