With the coming of the age of electronic communication, there has been a giant leap towards instant access to information. But how much of it is relevant and useful?
Anyone with access to the internet, and the ability to read, can Google any subject he or she wants to know more about. As long as you stick to reliable sources, you should find answers to most questions. But the rubbish! And the filth. Floods of it.
Often there are articles with information that only an extremely weird person (such as myself) can appreciate. Here’s an example of medical “facts,” from a recent article in News24, with my comments in brackets:
Humans have 46 chromosomes, peas have 14, and crayfish have 200. (So, we are more closely related to peas than to crayfish?)
At just 12 weeks the human foetus can scowl and squint. (If it is female, it will start bitching and moaning shortly after that.)
Each person sheds 22 kilograms of skin in his or her lifetime. (That’s no skin off my back.)
More germs are transferred when shaking hands than kissing. (Please, never, ever, introduce me to our illustrious leader, the showerman!)
If you soak a human bone overnight in a six percent solution of hydrochloric acid, it will become so soft; you could tie it in a knot. (Remember never to go to sleep in a bath filled with acid.)
When you were born, you had 300 bones. Now, if you are an adult, you only have 206 bones. (OK, this being South Africa, the missing 94 bones were probably stolen.)
Like fingerprints, every person has a unique tongue print. (Next time you get arrested and refuse to pay the bribe; just lick the fingerprint form at the cop shop.)
The human body contains 30 000 billion red blood cells and 25 200 000 000 white blood cells. (What! No black blood cells? Racist colonial blood?)
The female egg cell is 175 000 times heavier than the male sperm cell. (And our Constitution is supposed to guarantee gender equality!)
And then there are millions of other mind-boggling pieces of dud information; from today’s News24:
SABC, Idols judge slammed for swearing.
Charlize Theron shaves off her hair.
Man dies in freak dog leash accident.
Graeme Smith has huge penis – wife.
Madonna flashes her breast.
Dear Abby,
Why can’t I stop laughing? Am I going sane?
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
