this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2026

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What's a scientific fact that sounds made up but is 100% real? (lemdro.id)

submitted 6 months ago by claim_arguably@lemdro.id to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/38963642

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[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 76 points 6 months ago (10 children)

Some fun geography one's.
Maine is the closest US state to Africa.
Alaska is the northern most, Western most, and Eastern most state in the US.

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[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 27 points 6 months ago (3 children)

My favorite geography fact is that, if you're on the northern edge of Brazil, you're actually closer to Canada than you are to the southern border of Brazil.

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[–] UnimportantHuman@lemmy.ml 10 points 6 months ago

Makes me think of Texas. Only 1/3 of my trip is getting to Texas. 2/3 is trying to get to where my family is at lol

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[–] djdarren@piefed.social 4 points 6 months ago (1 child)

My favourite geography fact is that when traveling along the Panama canal from the Caribbean sea to the Pacific, you're further east when you exit than when you entered.

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[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

That's a great one.

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[–] toddestan@lemmy.world 50 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 child)

My favorite geography one: You get on a plane at Tampa Bay, Florida and fly due south. Which South American countries do you fly over?

Answer is none of them. You miss the entire continent because you are too far west.

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[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago

It's close, though. IIRC, you can't say the same thing about Miami.

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[–] QuantumEyetanglement@feddit.online 7 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Explain plz 😧

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[–] iamthetot@piefed.ca 25 points 6 months ago

For the Alaska one, the Aleutian Islands extend beyond the 180° line of longitude, placing the tip of them within the eastern hemisphere.

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[–] feannag@sh.itjust.works 18 points 6 months ago

It basically just boils down to the earth isn't flat. So something like this picture if the great circle between Maine and Casablanca, depicting Maine as the closest state to Africa.

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[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 8 points 6 months ago

The Alaska one North and West are obvious, but there are some islands that cross the date line, making them technically east.

Someone else posted a graphic, but basically Maine is significantly farther east which cancels out the North/South difference of other states.

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