A popular bit of “too crazy to be a coincidence” trivia suggests that the location of the Great Pyramid of Giza is in some way cosmically aligned with the universe – or, the Egyptians themselves aligned their pyramids with the universe because its latitude in decimal degrees is 29.9792458 N and the speed of light in a vacuum as expressed in the contemporary metric system is 299,792,458 meters per second:

It is true that the latitude 29.9792458 N intersects the Great Pyramid of Giza (at the selected longitude of around   31. 134667 E ) .

According to a reliable source, however:

Firstly, if a point of latitude’s merely crossing a structure at any point is the bar to meet for revealing a hidden meaning to its location, then the latitudes between 29.980150 and 29.978150 (all of which intersect the same pyramid) also fit the bill, leaving a coincidence-monger roughly 2,000 numerical latitude formulations to choose from with respect to the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Second, if the apex of the pyramid were meant to represent an homage to the fundamental laws of the universe, the correct latitude would actually be closer to 29.9791750 N, which would bear less resemblance to the speed of light in a vacuum expressed in meters per second.

Third, although the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed around 2550 BC, the notion that light “travelled” at all (though discussed theoretically in ancient Greek times and by early Arab scholars) was not firmly established until the first estimate of the speed of light was made in 1676.

Fourth, the unit of measurement on which the speed of light is based in this meme — meters — was not defined until 1771, making it a highly anachronistic one for the ancient Egyptians to have been referencing.

Fifth, Egyptians of that time would have been more likely to express such a theoretical concept as the speed of light in “cubits” per second. Using 0.525 m as the estimated length of one ancient Egyptian cubit puts the speed of light at 571,033,253 cubits per second. Converting this number into latitude expressed in decimal degrees via the same approach would require the pyramid to be somewhere in western Russia in order for its location to correspond to the speed of light.

Sixth, our system of referencing locations on the globe via latitude did not come into being until long after the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. And decimal degree mapping at the level of precision implied by the meme relies upon exacting measurements of our globe that were not possible until the late 1900s.

The latitude of the pyramid in decimal degrees can match a sequence of numbers expressing the speed of light if you look hard enough for it, but that phenomenon is nothing more than coincidence. All in all, this “coincidence” depends upon people who lived thousands of years ago having knowledge of concepts that were not discovered or created until much, much later in human history, and referencing systems of measurement that did not exist in their time and place.

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Images and videos of the shoebill stork, a large African bird, which went viral are often met with skepticism.

In short, the video shows a real animal called the Shoebill Stork. The shoebill stork is also known as the whalehead stork.

Many people claimed with varying degrees of disbelief. Viewers who think this bird has a distinctly prehistoric appearance will probably prefer its scientific title: Balaeniceps rex. How on earth is it called the Shoebill? “Monsterface” would be better. Or “Death Pelican.” Or “Literally the Most Frightening Bird On Earth.”

The fact is Shoebills are large birds that can grow to nearly 1.52 meters tall. They primarily live in tropical locations in central Africa, such as Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia. The bird, which is listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, subsists on a diet of eel, lizards, snakes, baby crocodiles and lungfish.

Besides, being gigantic, looks like footwear, and can decapitate crocodiles. It can makes awesome machine-gun noises. Shoebills are silent most of the time but engage in “bill-clattering” around the nest or when greeting another bird. It is loud and scary and the last sound that lots of poor monitor lizards ever hear.

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The phrase “took an arrow in the knee” is old Norse slang for getting married?

The origins of many marriage-related rituals are known by very few. One searches in vain to find any references in Norse languages or mythology that links the phrase ‘took an arrow in the knee’ to the concept of marriage, so we can safely rule out this explanation.

The phrase “took an arrow in the knee” is actually of fairly recent vintage, a line popularized by the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Then, where did the tradition of getting down upon ones knee to propose marriage come from? No definitive historical explanation exists, but as many sources have posited, the practice is likely related to customs involving kneeling as a demonstrative act of both supplication and respect; During the Middle Ages, chivalry was not yet dead and formal courtship was the medieval version of modern-day dating. Kneeling was also the protocol for many ceremonial rituals and rites of passage, including those of the romantic kind. Medieval artwork and literature shows knights genuflecting before their feudal lord as a sign of honor and respect, or kneeling in front of a noblewoman to express their eternal servitude and admiration in a show of “courtly love.” Nevertheless, religion play a role as well. Many faiths, like Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, have their worshippers kneel in prayer to express their devoted service and everlasting respect for their God.

In today’s world, kneeling has connotations of complete submission, giving yourself to the mercy of the other person who has the power to do whatever they desire. So when we propose in this way, we are showing that we truly trust our partner, and that we are completely committed to intertwining our life with theirs. It is also a respectful thing, which is nice, and shows that we are willing to break down our walls and be truly intimate;-As kneeling is placing yourself in a vulnerable position with all power to the person standing.

In short, offering a ring upon bended knee to propose marriage is a symbolic manner of expressing a fervent desire for a positive response, and of demonstrating that your beloved is deserving of your honor, respect, and love — not due to an old arrow injury.

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A joke by comedian Tim Vine about a vacuum cleaner has been voted the winner of the Funniest Joke of the Edinburgh Fringe Award 2014.  See the full top 10 list above.

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The Eyes – Your Eyes may be giving away more than you know!!

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