Welcome Vernal Equinox, whatever that means. The E2MQ

We've always called it, "The First Day of Spring," but did you know that's not a universal concept?  According to Wikipedia some places refer to the vernal equinox as, "Mid Spring."

Some East Asian cultures claim that spring begins on February 4th and ends on May 5th. Similarly, according to certain Celtic traditions, based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February (Ground Hog Day?) and continues until early May.

What a marvelous segue into this week's E2MQ, which is all about commonly-held misconceptions.

But before going to our quiz, we'd like to mention Snopes.com, an urban legends reference website launched in 1995.   These folks have collected a large store of rumors, popular myths, and stories of questionable integrity and investigate the validity of each.  For those unfamiliar with this treasure trove of debunking and authenticating, we heartily recommend it.  Obviously, a very healthy group of skeptics regularly use this resource because Snopes.com gets some 300,000 visitors every day!

Here are 5 of the more-intriguing items found on Snopes.com that have circulated in recent years:

• President Obama canceled May's National Day of Prayer in order to not offend anyone.
• Bacteria found in cut onions and potatoes are responsible for more food poisoning than from spoiled mayonnaise.
• There is to be a Congressional vote to grant Social Security benefits to illegal aliens, and a petition is being circulated to thwart this action.
• Asparagus has miraculous cancer-fighting properties.
• There is a risk that failing to press the "clear" button on self-service pumps can lead to additional charges on customers' credit or debit cards.

Four of these five are absolutely false.  One is somewhat true with reservations.  

You can guess or simply go to Snopes.com to discover which is which.

Over the years every one of us gathers a host of common knowledge "facts" supposedly supported by academic studies, scientific experiments, or sophisticated observation.  As we age, some of these become indelibly fused in our minds.  Do you harbor some totally fallacious knowledge?

Here's this week's E2MQ, a collection of 10 pieces of UFI* to amuse and annoy you on Monday morning:

1. What shape did medieval scholars believe the Earth to be?
2. In what year did World War II officially end?
3. Why are flamingos pink?
4. What is the world's strongest wood?
5. What is the normal state of glass?
6. What metal is the best conductor?
7. The air we breathe is mostly nitrogen (78%).  Can you explain why?
8. What African animal kills the most number of people each year?
9. What was Napoleon's most humiliating defeat?
10. What was King Tut's curse?

First person with 10 correct answers automatically wins.
If there is no clear winner by week's end, the individual offering the most correct answers is the winner.

As always you can respond in the blog's comment block below or send an email to E2MQ@edisonet.org.

Good luck!



* Useless Frigging Information