Fact of the day

Fact of the day

Information is the most powerful weapon.

Fact N° 1443
The Geneva Convention strictly prohibits using "truth serums" on prisoners of war.
The loophole has been in the designation -- if you don't call them POWs, your treatment options become much more broad. In the U.S., using truth serums isn't illegal, but their results are often not admissible in court thanks to Constitutional protection against self-incrimination. Whatever the case, truth serums aren't as a rule effective. A variety of different drugs have been used, from pure ethanol (alcohol) to barbiturates to opioids, but in general they don't force "the truth" from suspects; at most, they encourage a lot of talking, the idea being that a suspect who talks too much is likely to slip up. Sponsored by: 24 Season 7, premiering January 11 & 12.
Fact N° 1453
The Buick Y-Car was the first concept car in history.
A concept car is generally for show only, and displays new technology or body styling. They almost never go into production, and when they do, they tend to feature differences from the original concept. The 1938 Buick Y-Car was designed by GM but unlike other concept cars, the Y-Car actually has a lot of miles on it for such a car: around 25,000 or so, because its creator drove it himself for years -- something that, considering the money that goes into these cars, would never happen today.
Fact N° 1454
The "Jesus myth hypothesis" asserts that the figure of Jesus is a mythological construct.
First proposed in the 19th century by a historian and theologian, the hypothesis purports that Jesus was not a real person, and that the narrative of the gospels suggests he's actually constructed from aspects of Jewish and Gnostic mysticism, shamanism, and mystery religions like Mithraism, to name a few. Although the hypothesis has a number of advocates, few if any of them are considered highly respected biblical or historical scholars.
Fact N° 1455
An estimated 500,000 people died in spectacles put on at the Roman Colosseum.
Built on the grounds of one of the dead Emperor Nero's villas, the Colosseum opened in AD 80 under Emperor Titus. It was used for a variety of events featuring animals and gladiators on and off for the next 350 years. By the Middle Ages, it became a pilgrimage site for Christian pilgrims, emphasizing its use for executions of condemned criminals like those Christians considered martyrs.
Fact N° 1456
The recent writers' strike cost the Los Angeles economy an estimated $2.1 billion.
The strike lasted from November 5, 2007, to February 13, 2008, and was a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents almost 400 producers. The figure of $2.1 billion came from Jack Kyser, chief economist for the private firm Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., and included the impact felt by restaurants and other businesses indirectly related to film and television. The UCLA Anderson School of Management arrived at the much lower figure of $380 million.
Fact N° 1457
Vince Offer of Shamwow! infomercial fame has a litigious past.
Long before he gained a name as a pitchman for Shamwow absorbent towels, Vince Offer made a movie called Underground Comedy Movie. The 1999 film, which some critics consider one of the worst movies ever made, was supposed to star Anna Nicole Smith, according to Offer, but he claimed she backed out. So he sued her for $4 million. He also sued the Farrelly brothers, claiming they stole scenes from his movie for There's Something About Mary. Finally, he sued the Church of Scientology for trying to tank his film.
Fact N° 1458
Nearly one of every five radio stations in the U.S. plays country music.
According to the M Street Radio Directory and quoted in the 2008 Almanac, of the 10,755 operating radio stations in the U.S., the format for 2,034 of them is country music, accounting for 19 % of all radio stations. This is nothing new -- country music has ruled the airwaves by this margin for at least the last 10 years. News/Talk radio places a distant second with 1,370 stations.

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