Fact or Foolery
Elusive Tree-Dwelling Octopus on Endangered Species List
Its scientific name is Octopus paxarbolis, and the species’ habitat is located in the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula. Unlike most species of octopus, the Pacific Northwest tree octopus is amphibious, spending only its early life and mating season in the water before making its way to the moisture-rich trees of the west coast of North America. If you’d like to help save the Pacific Northwest tree octopus, go to this website. The site provides helpful information about this cephalopod, including reasons its numbers are dwindling, photos taken by researchers, and several ways you can perpetuate its survival. You can even download free blueprints for making a tree octopus house for those living near its natural habitat.
April Fools!
Lyle Zapato is the author of the elaborate website, which goes to show that hoaxes can be very detailed and very deceiving—so be cautious about everything you read and verify news with multiple reliable sources!
What is the term for a place where trees are grown and displayed for educational purposes?
An arboretum.
It is a botanical garden focusing on trees and woody plants.
What year did it start on TV
1971
Richie Cunningham wasn't as cool as Fonzie, but his classic diss was which word?
Loser
Bucko
Lunkhead
What is Bucko?
What is the center of the Earth called?
Hint: begins with the letter c
core
Automaton Chess Player
Hungarian inventor and writer Wolfgang von Kempelen unveiled to the Empress of Austria in 1770 his Automaton Chess Player. His invention was also known as “The Turk” due to its life-sized upper torso, black beard, turban, and Ottoman-style robes. Von Kempelen boasted his creation could play a human opponent in a strong game of chess as well as perform the Knight’s Tour—a puzzle in which the knight chess piece, using its official move in the game, traverses each square of the gameboard exactly once. The Turk amused and amazed onlookers for several decades, beating its opponents the majority of the time.
April Fools!
Despite its appearance, the Turk was an elaborate illusion that was manipulated by a person hiding in the machine. Of course, the manipulator also had to be a master chess player to make it seem credible.
What type of tree is most common in Canada?
Despite the sugar maple leaf on the national flag, the most common tree in Canada is the spruce tree. Five species are native to Canada: black, white, red, Sitka, and Engelmann.
What was columbo known for wearing
a raincoat
Who expressed happiness or approval by saying, "Dy-no-mite!"
Detective Colombo on "Columbo"
Willis on "Different Strokes"
JJ on "Good Times"
What is JJ on "Good Times"
What was the name of a long-ago super continent?
Hint: It begins with the letter P
Pangaea
Shark-Breeding Experiment
In 1981, the National Biological Foundation released 2,000 radio-tagged sharks (including blue sharks, hammerheads, and a few great whites) into selected Michigan lakes to study the cold-water breeding habits of the sharks. In the press release announcing the experiment, the foundation suggested that local fishermen and swimmers should exercise caution around the sharks.
April Fools!
This story was reported by the Herald-News in Roscommon, Michigan, in 1981.
Why is the ginkgo biloba considered a living fossil?
The species has changed very little for more than 270 million years.
Who starred as Columbo
Peter Falk
"De plane! De plane!" couldn't have been said by anyone else but Tattoo of ______."
"The Love Boat?"
"Fantasy Island"
"Welcome Back, Kotter"
What is "Fantasy Island?"
What is the outer layer of the Earth called?
Hint: Begins with the letter c
crust
Flying Penguins
The BBC announced a new nature documentary series called Miracles of Evolution by showing amazing footage of penguins flying. The specific species was found in 2008 in Antarctica.
April Fools!
The BBC did it again. Watch this if you’d like to see how the folks at BBC were able to make penguins fly.
What unit of measure is typically used to determine a forest’s size?
Hectare.
One hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters (2.471 acres).
What type of detective was Columbo
Homicide
On which show would you hear the phrase, "Nanu nanu"?
"Fantasy Island"
"Mork and Mindy"
"Star Trek: The Next Generation"
What is "Mork and Mindy"
The layer of Earth that sustains life.
Hint: Begins with the letter B
What is the Biosphere?
A Man and His “Dogs”
A gentleman from China’s Yunnan Province bought two puppies from a Vietnamese man who claimed they were good watchdogs. He lovingly bathed and groomed them daily but noticed their appetites grew quickly, and they were eventually killing and eating live chickens. Upon seeing a wildlife exhibition two years later, the man discovered that his dogs were really endangered black bears.
Fact.
The bears were taken to live safely in a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center after the man contacted the authorities.
True or false?
Thirty-eight percent of our planet’s habitable land is covered by forests.
True.
Approximately 38 percent is forest-covered, just over four billion hectares. Ten thousand years ago, forests covered six billion hectares of land
What was the catchphrase Columbo always said .
Just one more thing
The eternally famous phrase "Heeeeere's Johnny!" preceded which talk show?"
"Late Night"
"The Tonight Show"
"The Today Show"
What is "The Tonight Show"
The layer of Earth that is made up of land.
Hinte: begins with the letter L or G
What is the lithosphere/geosphere?