Recent comments in /f/todayilearned
Cwallace98 t1_j6gronp wrote
Reply to comment by JawnGottii in TIL In 1991 Mazda made a suitcase car by sintaur
So it is a car? Just a dumb, douche, racist, car that belongs in prison?
[deleted] t1_j6grfch wrote
Icyrow t1_j6grdfe wrote
Reply to TIL In 1991 Mazda made a suitcase car by sintaur
there are also something similar back in ww2, basically foldable motorbikes.
Ok-disaster2022 t1_j6gr8yy wrote
Reply to TIL there are three species of elephants, not two. African elephants are broken up into 2 species, Forest and Bush. by lightsdevil
Are we sure they're not subspecies? To me, so long as members of each subspecies can produce genetically viable offspring, they're still subspecies. I don't think it should matter if there's distinguishing features or geographic reasons why the two groups don't mate, the defining characteristic has got to be genetic. So wolves and dogs are subspecies that haven't fully diverged yet, but lions and tigers or horses and donkeys are clearly different species.
Biologists like to name species or whatever, and biology is rife with bad toxonomy and organisation because it doesn't want to rely on objective measurement that can undermine the accomplishments of leaders in the field. And that's bad science. If science achievements can only progress one funeral at a time, then the scientific achievement is broken.
shmatelyn t1_j6gr8i6 wrote
Reply to comment by toefurkyfuckmittens 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
It’s cute that you think women’s clothing has pockets.
ackermann t1_j6gr08s wrote
Reply to comment by wild___sun___mama 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
All the Light won a Pulitzer, I believe?
funkmachine7 t1_j6gqmva wrote
Reply to comment by Gathorall in TIL coins in the UK almost always switch the way the monarch is facing with each monarch with King Charles III facing left. by AudibleNod
The old Carolingian monetary system of 1:20:240 and 1 being a pound mass of silver was the base for most of europes coinage.
The conversions where based on getting back to that pound of silver an so effected by purity an weight of the two coins.
Ok-disaster2022 t1_j6gqm0k wrote
Reply to comment by dishonourableaccount in TIL redwood trees -- growing to heights of 350 feet or more (over 100 meters) -- have roots that go only about ten feet into the ground. by OccludedFug
It may also depend on soil and ground conditions. If there's only a few meters of penetrable soil above a grant outcropping, it's going to have a hard time getting deep enough.
GetsGold t1_j6gpyqr wrote
Reply to comment by sineroth745756 in TIL China is bigger than the U.S. in terms of land area. The U.S. is also bigger than Canada in terms of land area. by Mewhenthe4
You're comparing with the same size string, but the size you use is arbitrary and you will get different comparisons depending on the choice. With one choice, one country might have a larger border, with another, another might. And look how many complaints there are in this thread just because China has a bigger land area. Now imagine if there is one string that would give China a bigger border and one which gives the US a bigger one. Then China would just choose the measurement which makes them bigger and US the other.
GetsGold t1_j6gpqde wrote
Reply to comment by releasethedogs in TIL China is bigger than the U.S. in terms of land area. The U.S. is also bigger than Canada in terms of land area. by Mewhenthe4
Whether you use kilometers or miles doesn't change the end result. It's still the same length regardless of units. But choosing how accurately you measure the border does change the result, and the accuracy you choose is arbitrary.
BlueBomber2049 t1_j6gpozc wrote
HeffalumpGlory t1_j6gp9du wrote
Reply to comment by _SinMan_ in TIL that sperm whales are the loudest animal on Earth, and their clicks can literally kill you with sound by g1ucose
Fish… Mammal… Whatever.
wakelessparabol t1_j6gp08c wrote
Reply to TIL that Tony Danza and Tupac Shakur were friends and that they wrote letters back and forth while Tupac was in prison. by Knoblord_McCheese
That's some Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart shit right there.
Scrotchety t1_j6goyz4 wrote
Reply to TIL redwood trees -- growing to heights of 350 feet or more (over 100 meters) -- have roots that go only about ten feet into the ground. by OccludedFug
Even when they fall or are chopped down new sprouts (suckers) will rise out of them. They're a hardy bunch.
sineroth745756 t1_j6godom wrote
Reply to comment by GetsGold in TIL China is bigger than the U.S. in terms of land area. The U.S. is also bigger than Canada in terms of land area. by Mewhenthe4
because u are comparing so u use the same size string lol yer just being difficult 8)
jimmyn0thumbs t1_j6godbm wrote
fatDaddy21 t1_j6gocf6 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
So for all of these people who've heard this phrase before... what does it mean?
blinkblunk t1_j6go5l1 wrote
Reply to TIL that Tony Danza and Tupac Shakur were friends and that they wrote letters back and forth while Tupac was in prison. by Knoblord_McCheese
I wish my letters could have saved 2 the number 2 pac
releasethedogs t1_j6gnznp wrote
Reply to comment by GetsGold in TIL China is bigger than the U.S. in terms of land area. The U.S. is also bigger than Canada in terms of land area. by Mewhenthe4
So what. The kilometer is arbitrary. Many measurements are arbitrary. The point is it’s standardized.
chipkoandolan t1_j6gnv4g wrote
Reply to comment by scotty-doesnt_know in TIL that sperm whales are the loudest animal on Earth, and their clicks can literally kill you with sound by g1ucose
This is true. Fin whales, humpbacks, sperm whales and orcas have all been found to have spindle neurons, the cells in human brains that are responsible for empathy, social interaction and organisation and speech.
There are plenty of uncomfortable conversations that humans need to have with themselves, but this particular one ranks highly imo.
Snarkblatt t1_j6gnu1r wrote
Reply to comment by feetandballs in TIL there are three species of elephants, not two. African elephants are broken up into 2 species, Forest and Bush. by lightsdevil
Although they do look similar, scientifically OPs mom is more closely related to the hippopotamus!
GarysCrispLettuce t1_j6gn9g8 wrote
Reply to TIL that Tony Danza and Tupac Shakur were friends and that they wrote letters back and forth while Tupac was in prison. by Knoblord_McCheese
The Arrchive of American Television interview with Tony Danza is worth a watch, he's an interesting guy to listen to and seems thoroughly decent.
Lyran99 t1_j6gmzif wrote
Reply to comment by Mr_Westerfield 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
I stand corrected
Algernone25 t1_j6grosg wrote
Reply to comment by Mk1Racer25 in 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
That's different, as the Seminole Tribe of Florida has given FSU explicit permission to use the name, imagery, and mascot in the likeness of their members. Source