What are the wierdest things you've learned gaming?

[Crothian]

Gaming can cover lots of information and topics and I know people and also have personal done some wierd research to find things that went into my game. So, what is the wierdest thing you have researched or otherwise learned through gaming?

 

[KB9JMQ]

In 9th Grade I did a report on the Great Pyraminds for class.
But the real reason I wanted to read all that was for an dungeon crawl inside of one I was going to run soon.

 

[Truth Seeker]

Gaming can cover lots of information and topics and I know people and also have personal done some wierd research to find things that went into my game. So, what is the wierdest thing you have researched or otherwise learned through gaming?

Uhm...uhm...someone...uhm, wanted to play...uhm, err...a muppet?

 

[Galethorn]

How shotgun guages are derived (it's in Grim Tales). Basically, an X-Guage shotgun is a shotgun with a bore just the right size for a 1/X pound lead ball. Now, that's pretty much the definition of 'Arcane Knowledge,' at least in non-gaming terms.

 

[Tinner]

I have learned some strange things from gaming.
I learned all sorts of new vocabulary words that make the average person look puzzled when I use them. Words like Obfuscate, Defenestration and Scorched Earth Tactics.
I have learned that precisely one, and only one lambskin condom can be harvested from your average lamb. (Don't ask.)
Without gaming I would never have learned the little Hexidecimal or Base-8 that I know. And as I am not a mathematician or engineer, I have to say it's kind of odd that I know these things.
I know weird amounts of information about medieval weapons, Japanese culture, and world cuisine.
There's so much more ...

 

[IcyCool]

Heavily armored knights are nowhere near as effective as their mounts. (Warhammer Fantasy Battles)

 

[Jdvn1]

Bigger doesn't mean better.

 

[Eolin]

I too learned how the guage of a shotgun is derived. But not because of gaming. Just because I was thinking about guns one summer. And so, naturally, I wanted to know why a 12-guage is bigger than a 20-guage.

Its a reall archaic and pretty bad measurement system, imho.

White Wolf helped with the SAT. And that was nice.

However, when it got time to take the GRE, gaming coudn't help. I think the GRE board just makes up those words. Afterall, if White Wolf doesn't use a pretty obscure word, then its not really a word, is it?

 

[WayneLigon]

I've forgotten most of the little tidbits I originally learned when I researched castles and such. Nothing was very practical, since by the time I started playing D&D I was pretty much past the 'make a report on something' phase of school. Otherwise I would have rocked when we got to the middle ages.

One of the weirder things:

The Rock Hyrax can sound exactly like a screaming human baby. They are a mammal but cannot control their body termperature. They are so unlike any other animal that they have their own Order. Their congealed urine and poop is used to treat epilepsy and convulsions.

 

[VirgilCaine]

How shotgun guages are derived (it's in Grim Tales). Basically, an X-Guage shotgun is a shotgun with a bore just the right size for a 1/X pound lead ball. Now, that's pretty much the definition of 'Arcane Knowledge,' at least in non-gaming terms.

Considering that it's wrong, yes it is Arcane Knowledge. AFAIK, gauge refers to the number of identical balls that it would take to make one pound of lead shot--12 guage 12 balls, 20 gauge 20 balls, etc. I don't see how this is arcance, as its something millions of people (gun owners) could tell you.

I learned all sorts of new vocabulary words that make the average person look puzzled when I use them. Words like Obfuscate, Defenestration and Scorched Earth Tactics.

Scorched Earth Tactics isn't weird, squamous is weird. [Thank you, Mr. Lovecraft.]

But anyway, I haven't learned anything weird from gaming [yet], I learned nifty things from the 'Net and my own odd life.
Like Drano and Clorox being a binary explosive [my brothers friends friends misadventure]. Like blackpowder handgun cartridges [with original length barrels] are only a slight bit less powerful than their smokeless counterparts [some handgun magazine or other].

Or...hmmmmm....what else?