The Austin Chronicle

https://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2005-08-19/285390/

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

By Mr. Smarty Pants, August 19, 2005, Columns

Champion Scrabble players say one secret of winning is learning all the obscure two letter words you can, like "aa" (a kind of lava) and "xu" (a monetary unit in Vietnam).

The late Linda McCartney (née Linda Eastman) was not related to the Eastmans of Eastman-Kodak fame. Her family name was originally Epstein (no relation to Brian), and they changed it to Eastman when they immigrated to America. She confirmed this fact in a 1992 interview with Katie Couric on the Today Show.

Looking for an example of chaos theory in mathematics and physics? Here's one: The flapping of a single butterfly's wing can produce a tiny change in the state of the atmosphere that will some day lead to a tornado.

Madonna may be a giant of pop, but in real life she's a relatively small 5 feet 3 inches.

Richard Hoagland, chief promoter of the "Face on Mars" theory, says Saturn's moon Titan has square craters that appear to be lined up along north-south, east-west lines.

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