Recent comments in /f/todayilearned
Arson_ist t1_j9fhmgj wrote
Reply to comment by confusingbrownstate in TIL of Macadam roads. These roads were convex, raised a few inches, and made of layered crushed rock; they were state-of-the-art for the 19th century. The rise of automobiles led to the dust issues that were solved by binding the roads with tar, leading to the invention of tarmac. by jamescookenotthatone
Same experience in East PA
JohnDunstable t1_j9fhimd wrote
Reply to TIL the tradition of naming American tanks after generals was actually started by the British during WW2. by edwardrha
Confederate Generals. Brits know a sly dig.
Edit. Learn your history The Lee and Stuart tanks were named by the British prior to the deployment of the Grant and Sherman.
der_innkeeper t1_j9fhbud wrote
Reply to comment by i_want_my_corncob_tv in TIL of Macadam roads. These roads were convex, raised a few inches, and made of layered crushed rock; they were state-of-the-art for the 19th century. The rise of automobiles led to the dust issues that were solved by binding the roads with tar, leading to the invention of tarmac. by jamescookenotthatone
mack-uh-dam
OllieFromCairo t1_j9fgq0o wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
Not true. Sometimes the hybrids do just fine, like in the case of tilapia, or apple trees.
It can also be highly sex-dependent. For example, you can cross a domestic cattle bull with a bison cow, and the female offspring will generally be fertile, and the male offspring generally will not be.
However, those hybrid cows can reproduce with male bison, and now almost every bison herd in North America has some fraction of domestic cattle genes in it.
Yak bulls can produce fully fertile offspring of both sexes with Bison cows, but not the other way around.
EndoExo t1_j9fgc2g wrote
Reply to TIL the tradition of naming American tanks after generals was actually started by the British during WW2. by edwardrha
It didn't help that the US named everything "M-Number" and gave multiple pieces of equipment the same numbers. Oh, you want an M1? Did you mean the M1 Garand rifle, the completely unrelated M1 carbine rifle, an M1 Thompson gun, an M1 flamethrower, an M1 helmet, or an M1 light tank? Oh, you want an M1 tractor? Cool, which kind?
freddy_guy t1_j9ffw1q wrote
Reply to comment by HealthyMaintenance49 in TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
But they're smaller than ligers.
OllieFromCairo t1_j9ffdip wrote
Reply to TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
That headline is a little vague.
Cats inherit a size-limiting gene from each parent, but the one from the father is ALWAYS shut down. Cats' size is limited by the gene they inherit from their mother. Female tigers have this growth-limiting gene. The issue is that the tiger growth-limiting gene does not send signals that get received in Ligers, so the gene doesn't work.
EmbarrassedHelp t1_j9ff8qc wrote
Reply to comment by MuForceShoelace in TIL that artificial banana flavoring isn't based on a species of banana that got wiped out, but instead uses Isoamyl acetate to replicate the flavor, which is only part of what gives bananas their distinctive taste. by NoLackofEnthusiasm
> Ethyl acetate Ethyl acetate2.svg nail polish remover, model paint, model airplane glue
lol
ItsNotBer t1_j9ff6n2 wrote
Reply to comment by Sharchir in TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
This post was just a comment on that video earlier.
expos1225 t1_j9feqza wrote
Reply to TIL of Macadam roads. These roads were convex, raised a few inches, and made of layered crushed rock; they were state-of-the-art for the 19th century. The rise of automobiles led to the dust issues that were solved by binding the roads with tar, leading to the invention of tarmac. by jamescookenotthatone
Macadamized roads, especially in Maryland and Pennsylvania, really helped to facilitate fast troop/supply movement during the Civil War. Although I’ve read the road surface wasn’t comfortable on soldiers feet on long marches
Sharchir t1_j9feaal wrote
Reply to TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
That explains the size of the liger in the video from earlier - what a unit!
secret369 t1_j9fe05e wrote
Reply to comment by dasbootdasfoot in TIL the tradition of naming American tanks after generals was actually started by the British during WW2. by edwardrha
You forgot all the His Majesty's Ships
Invincible Illustrious Formidable Etc.
[deleted] t1_j9fdr4z wrote
PoliticalMilkman t1_j9fd8gs wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
No. Though that is an easy rule that works a lot of the time, it’s not a hard rule. Canids, for example, are very good at interspecies breeding and produce viable, non-sterile offspring.
Elmodipus t1_j9fd81b wrote
Reply to comment by BiggsBounds in TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
Besides being a direct quote from the movie?
devtimi t1_j9fd5xz wrote
Reply to comment by GaiaAnon in TIL In 1897, the US Government created "The Board of Tea Experts" to taste test every lot of imported tea, to ensure that the tea tasted good. The Board was abolished in 1996. by Ihatethemuffinman
It was the budget for their hundred-year celebration that got them caught.
i_want_my_corncob_tv t1_j9fczop wrote
Reply to comment by mrsc1880 in TIL of Macadam roads. These roads were convex, raised a few inches, and made of layered crushed rock; they were state-of-the-art for the 19th century. The rise of automobiles led to the dust issues that were solved by binding the roads with tar, leading to the invention of tarmac. by jamescookenotthatone
do you pronounce it mack-uh-dam or m'caddum?
Soyoulikedonutseh t1_j9fch8n wrote
Reply to TIL Terry Bradshaw, former NFL quarterback, suffered from post-game anxiety attacks and “frequent crying” by Mysterious_Diver_606
Numerous micro concussions per game wouldn't help either
TeamWonderful7670 t1_j9fbwcq wrote
Reply to comment by DRScottt in TIL that Milton Bradley originally had been in the business of selling pictures of celebrities. After his biggest seller Abraham Lincoln grew his iconic beard and rendered his entire stock of lithographs worthless and had customers demanding their money back, MB switched to selling board games by Loki-L
Sic Semper Barbatum!
TeamWonderful7670 t1_j9fbppm wrote
Reply to comment by ClownfishSoup in TIL that Milton Bradley originally had been in the business of selling pictures of celebrities. After his biggest seller Abraham Lincoln grew his iconic beard and rendered his entire stock of lithographs worthless and had customers demanding their money back, MB switched to selling board games by Loki-L
He could just find a new one on Google Lithograph
ds_afk t1_j9fbj96 wrote
Reply to comment by indyaround in TIL that artificial banana flavoring isn't based on a species of banana that got wiped out, but instead uses Isoamyl acetate to replicate the flavor, which is only part of what gives bananas their distinctive taste. by NoLackofEnthusiasm
The scientist cited in the article just says it is very unlikely. Not the slam dunk I was hoping for.
>However, if you dig in to this tale a little it soon becomes clear that there is little or no verifiable source that artificial banana is based on Gros Michel. “It sounds very, very unlikely to me,” says synthetic organic chemist Derek Lowe.
InfiniteMothman t1_j9fbi54 wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
Not always. Though near enough to 100% that it counts as such I suppose.
confusingbrownstate t1_j9fanjj wrote
Reply to comment by mrsc1880 in TIL of Macadam roads. These roads were convex, raised a few inches, and made of layered crushed rock; they were state-of-the-art for the 19th century. The rise of automobiles led to the dust issues that were solved by binding the roads with tar, leading to the invention of tarmac. by jamescookenotthatone
From central Pennsylvania. I remember my elementary school always calling the paved section of the playground macadam. But I've never heard anyone use the word macadam since then.
scotty-doesnt_know t1_j9fhp5h wrote
Reply to TIL that ligers (the offspring of a male lion and female tiger) are the largest big cat because, unlike lionesses, female tigers do not possess growth-limiting genes to counter the growth-maximising genes of male lions. by argh-ok
if im not mistaken most are developmentally disabled. basically mentally handicapped.