Comments on: An Amazing Announcement

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:02:36 +0000

Ok, you definitely need to make this a gadget for the iGoogle homepage… I want it up first thing automatically!

By: HunBun

HunBun — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:30:25 +0000

Guess I’m the only one that misses Vocab Rehab…sigh.

By: snappy karma

snappy karma — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:57:48 +0000

Is there a way to receive these facts as an RSS feed or something? If not now, are you planning to release that in the short future?

By: bibli0phile

bibli0phile — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:36:09 +0000

I hate the Random Fact Generator. Hate it. I just spent over an hour reading it and had to force myself to close the window in order to stop.

I’m never going to get any work done. I’m going to get fired, lose my home and end up living on a bench outside the library (so I can go inside when they’re open to get on the internet to read it some more.) And it will be the fault of that darn Random Fact Generator.

You have invented a new form of crack for nerds. I hope you’re proud of yourself, mental_floss! ;)

By: Jason!

Jason! — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:24:36 +0000

The @ used to be accounting shorthand for “at a rate of”. Not sure how old it is…

By: Liza Jane

Liza Jane — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:13:41 +0000

Interesting, but a little frustrating — it states some things as facts (e.g. plague of Justinian = bubonic plague) that are really just speculation.

By: P.Bear

P.Bear — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:00:18 +0000

I nominate this as a facebook application [you guys were looking for a truly grand one a few months back, were you not?]. This generator allows me to falsely believe my procrastination is somewhat productive.

By: Erik

Erik — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:46:50 +0000

“The highest and lowest points in the “Lower 48″ states aren’t just in the same state, they’re in the same county. The two spots, located in Inyo County, California, are about 100 miles apart.”
I had to look that one up!

By: Kelly J

Kelly J — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:31:27 +0000

The @ sign was very close to being eliminated from the standard keyboard until 1971, when Ray Tomlinson wrote it into the code used to send the first email.

VERY interesting… and now I’m dying to know, what was the @ used for before email?

By: cubicle-dweller

cubicle-dweller — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:06:15 +0000

Yes! I love it! I love it!