Recent comments in /f/todayilearned
KayWDubs t1_j6fj9r0 wrote
Reply to comment by kgunnar in TIL the term “cloud cuckoo land” goes back to the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who used it for a utopian city of birds in his farce, the Birds by Mr_Westerfield
So that's why it sounded so familiar!
MpVpRb t1_j6fj5ni wrote
Reply to TIL that modern store mannequins can now record video, sound and automatically analyze demographic data and customers reactions to products from facial expressions analysis by human8264829264
>facial expressions analysis
Bullshit, useless nonsense sold to clueless managers by sharp con artists
kgunnar t1_j6fj54d wrote
Reply to comment by Lyran99 in TIL the term “cloud cuckoo land” goes back to the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who used it for a utopian city of birds in his farce, the Birds by Mr_Westerfield
It is, though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_cuckoo_land
In recent popular culture it was used as the name of a place in The Lego Movie and there was a best selling book with that name a couple years back.
Mr_Westerfield OP t1_j6fis5r wrote
Reply to comment by Lyran99 in TIL the term “cloud cuckoo land” goes back to the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who used it for a utopian city of birds in his farce, the Birds by Mr_Westerfield
It is. There’s an article about it and everything
Visionbuilder t1_j6fim5d wrote
Reply to TIL the term “cloud cuckoo land” goes back to the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who used it for a utopian city of birds in his farce, the Birds by Mr_Westerfield
62 years, never once heard those words in that order…
W_O_M_B_A_T t1_j6fiids wrote
Reply to comment by jamescookenotthatone in TIL the first traffic signal, erected in London in 1868, was powered by gas. A gas leak caused it to explode a month later. by itsjonzo
I believe it means "Damnitall, every man for himself!"
dressageishard t1_j6figav wrote
Reply to comment by ngwoo in TIL the first traffic signal, erected in London in 1868, was powered by gas. A gas leak caused it to explode a month later. by itsjonzo
Um, yeh. It's quite confusing when crossing the street.
DefiantStomp t1_j6fi3vl wrote
Reply to TIL that sperm whales are the loudest animal on Earth, and their clicks can literally kill you with sound by g1ucose
Wish I was a whale. I would learn the Brown Note and all you puny humans (within distance) would be screwed.
toefurkyfuckmittens t1_j6fhzce wrote
Reply to comment by pirateclem in TIL that modern store mannequins can now record video, sound and automatically analyze demographic data and customers reactions to products from facial expressions analysis by human8264829264
If you choose to do so in the women's department, please pick something with useful pockets to jerk it in front of
verylittleinsight t1_j6fhvr1 wrote
Reply to TIL Some sharks will eat their siblings while in the mother's womb. When reproduction is ovoviviparous, that is, fertilized eggs are retained within the body and develop there. Prior to birth, the young in the womb may feed on undeveloped eggs and unborn siblings. by testhec10ck
It's no coincidence that baby shark has no brothers or sisters.
infodawg t1_j6fhuk2 wrote
Reply to TIL that St. John's University's sports teams formerly being called the Redmen actually referred to the team wearing red uniforms and not Native Americans as often interpreted. Regardless, the mascot name was changed to the Red Storm in the 90s. by J_S_M_K
Cool team way too just go with the flow and not cause a needless stink.
Lyran99 t1_j6fhmcg wrote
Reply to TIL the term “cloud cuckoo land” goes back to the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who used it for a utopian city of birds in his farce, the Birds by Mr_Westerfield
“Cloud cuckoo land” is not a phrase
DefiantStomp t1_j6fhbox wrote
Reply to TIL the term “cloud cuckoo land” goes back to the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who used it for a utopian city of birds in his farce, the Birds by Mr_Westerfield
Never once heard this phrase. 35/m/US
Greigers t1_j6fgx2a wrote
Reply to TIL that St. John's University's sports teams formerly being called the Redmen actually referred to the team wearing red uniforms and not Native Americans as often interpreted. Regardless, the mascot name was changed to the Red Storm in the 90s. by J_S_M_K
From the freaking source:
"The name was interpreted as a Native American reference in the 1960s, and the university did have a mascot (adorned in Native American dress), which eventually led to the team's name change to the Red Storm."
gnochii_ t1_j6fge5b wrote
Reply to TIL that modern store mannequins can now record video, sound and automatically analyze demographic data and customers reactions to products from facial expressions analysis by human8264829264
Nice. More manmade horrors beyond my comprehension.
rokman t1_j6fg6ag wrote
Reply to TIL that St. John's University's sports teams formerly being called the Redmen actually referred to the team wearing red uniforms and not Native Americans as often interpreted. Regardless, the mascot name was changed to the Red Storm in the 90s. by J_S_M_K
Why didn’t they needlessly hold on to their problematic title for extra decades?
humanBeing10101 t1_j6ffxeo wrote
lemmepickanameffs t1_j6ffo53 wrote
Reply to comment by SamtheCossack in TIL that sperm whales are the loudest animal on Earth, and their clicks can literally kill you with sound by g1ucose
😂 I suppose if it did happen, there'd be no one alive to relay the account of it 🤔
SamtheCossack t1_j6ffewk wrote
Reply to comment by lemmepickanameffs in TIL that sperm whales are the loudest animal on Earth, and their clicks can literally kill you with sound by g1ucose
Pretty much, yeah. Very unlikely to happen, and not a real risk. I mean until you meet that one whale that thinks it is funny.
samsg1 OP t1_j6ffa9c wrote
Reply to comment by Gunner1Cav in TIL Slow Loris’ have a venomous bite that causes necrosis (flesh rotting) by samsg1
Better weaken it before it can use Bite.
Blackadder_ t1_j6ff8zc wrote
Reply to comment by Argh_1961 in TIL that sperm whales are the loudest animal on Earth, and their clicks can literally kill you with sound by g1ucose
Don’t double click on it
W_O_M_B_A_T t1_j6ff7py wrote
Reply to comment by The_Pip in TIL the first traffic signal, erected in London in 1868, was powered by gas. A gas leak caused it to explode a month later. by itsjonzo
Coal synthesis gas /town gas contains significant amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, water vapor along with minor amounts of a slew of other compounds. Methane content is typically only a few percent while the hydrogen content could be up you 55%.
The carbon monoxide made it highly poisonous. Looking back in hindsight, you'd be pretty foolish to cook with hydrogen cyanide gas which is also flammable, but has a similar toxicity level as carbon monoxide. There were many documented murders. All you needed to do was just turn the gas on in the victim's room while they were asleep, then go over to the pub and wait.
CO along with cyanide, ammonia, and certain nerve agents, is among the handful of toxic substances with the potential to kill in minutes, before rescuers are likely to arrive.
The hydrogen makes it uniquely explosive if it leaks into a confined, poorly ventilated space. Hydrogen has a much higher coefficient of thermal expansion than air, and has a wide range of mixture ratios with air in which it can burn. It can burn in as much as 90 H2 /10 air where most other fuel gases won't. Gas lamps were know to explode.
Hydrogen also has a unique tendency slowly to leak past o-rings, threaded pipe joints, gaskets, and packings that would contain other gases. It will also cause embrittlement of many materials like steels, cast iron, and many plastics. Stress induced cracks in threaded pipe fittings can be an issue, for example.
iGaveYouOneJob t1_j6ff69y wrote
Reply to comment by ngwoo in TIL the first traffic signal, erected in London in 1868, was powered by gas. A gas leak caused it to explode a month later. by itsjonzo
Not going anywhere on red is usually the case
tazzymun t1_j6fjafo wrote
Reply to comment by DefiantStomp in TIL the term “cloud cuckoo land” goes back to the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who used it for a utopian city of birds in his farce, the Birds by Mr_Westerfield
Me either 52/m