Recent comments in /f/todayilearned
Pokey_Seagulls t1_j9s8lz2 wrote
Reply to comment by NewCanadianMTurker in TIL cats are attracted to the smell of bleach because it's odour is similar to animal pee by jacko_light
Better keep it away from Naruto too, just in case.
Ralfarius t1_j9s8gwz wrote
Reply to comment by Antiquemooses in TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
That's... That's not what they're correcting you about...
WolframLeon t1_j9s7vrd wrote
Reply to comment by The_Ry_Ry in TIL that in 1554 Elizabeth Crofts hid in a wall on Aldersgate Street, where she pretended to be a heavenly voice. Reputedly 17,000 people came to listen to her give out anti-Catholic propaganda. by Kurma-the-Turtle
That’s interesting! Learning new stuff everyday now to go down the rabbit hole.
shorethings t1_j9s7rvt wrote
Reply to TIL that scientists created contact lenses that zoom when you blink twice through the use of electric impulses by jamjam1090
I would be blinking all day. blink blink. That’s me. Blink. Blink blink. Blinking and thinking about blinking.
[deleted] t1_j9s7ri3 wrote
ALR3000 t1_j9s7jo9 wrote
Reply to comment by samuelgato in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
Thanks for this. Development of a different language requires relatively prolonged linguistic isolation. With billions of people, broadcast media spreading everywhere, and economic integration around the globe, how is a population going to be relatively isolated? And when firefly isolated populations come in contact.... Well, you get the point
havohej_ t1_j9s6ukg wrote
Reply to TIL that in 1554 Elizabeth Crofts hid in a wall on Aldersgate Street, where she pretended to be a heavenly voice. Reputedly 17,000 people came to listen to her give out anti-Catholic propaganda. by Kurma-the-Turtle
Insane how gullibility in humans has not waned. People were listening to a wall talk then, and today, they receive inspired information from some fucking loser on 4chan.
Dubanx t1_j9s6s7w wrote
Reply to comment by momolamomo in TIL that scientists created contact lenses that zoom when you blink twice through the use of electric impulses by jamjam1090
Even if it works as intended, you're probably going to blink twice on occasion. Imagine driving and accidently blinking twice.
beyelzu t1_j9s6j56 wrote
Reply to comment by minnesotaris in TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
I just read this great article on it
leakasauras t1_j9s6fs6 wrote
Antiquemooses t1_j9s6372 wrote
Reply to comment by hyperproliferative in TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
the whole yankee doodle song is an insult
Heres_your_sign t1_j9s5z8m wrote
Reply to TIL cats are attracted to the smell of bleach because it's odour is similar to animal pee by jacko_light
Any idiot can blog whatever they want. Doesn't make it true...
Mehitabel9 t1_j9s5tgo wrote
Reply to TIL cats are attracted to the smell of bleach because it's odour is similar to animal pee by jacko_light
I have been around cats my whole life and I have never known one to be attracted to the smell of bleach.
arsenix t1_j9s5alq wrote
Reply to comment by Cohibaluxe in TIL NYC Photographer Jamie Livingston shot a Polaroid photo everyday for 6,000 days between March 1979 and October 1997. The first shot was of his girlfriend at the time and his last photo was on his deathbed, dying of cancer by Ok_Copy5217
A pack of cigarettes in the 80's was only $1!
Now I know why my parents would never buy me any film for my polarioid camera!
Hambredd t1_j9s4z3l wrote
Reply to comment by emcee_pern in TIL about the 1938 Gettysburg Reunion, where veterans of The American Civil War met, they were on average 94 years old. by VengefulMight
Trenches have been in sieges seen ancient times. The Battle of Alesia, of the siege of Vienna both had stagnant trenches.
Artillery was used like it had been for hundreds of years. Sit a battery on a hill and fire at the enemy you can see. A far cry from the millions of high explosive rounds constantly fired from 20 miles away.
This is just the old american exceptionalism myth , the same is the idea american revolution invented light infantry.
samuelgato t1_j9s4ehf wrote
Reply to comment by The_Linguist_LL in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney
Not to be a contrarian but what exactly is horrifying? Languages are like species they naturally evolve, grow, decline and become extinct.
I understand that language can be unifying within a culture, but the disappearance of a language seems to be a symptom of cultural homogenization not a cause.
BazilBroketail t1_j9s46dh wrote
Reply to TIL certain moths have developed sound absorbing wings that make it harder for bats to hunt and eat them with their echolocation. The structure of the moth wings might someday help people soundproof places by RainManToothpicks
And they weak! If you have to identify an insect trap for anything other than moths, you fucking hate them. Moth gnats are the worst, but common moths are the debil!1!!
sabersquirl t1_j9s3ypy wrote
Reply to comment by minnesotaris in TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
Did you read the page that this post is about? Did you even look?
EntropyFighter t1_j9s3sws wrote
Reply to TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
Robert Wuhl in his history show "Assume the Position" on HBO like 20 years ago said it was because at the time there was a place called the Macaroni Club that was a gay club. It was a way of calling them gay.
minnesotaris t1_j9s3p4w wrote
Reply to comment by theAusterityClinic in TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
But why was the word macaroni used like this, especially in the context of calling pasta macaroni both at-large and sometimes a specific type of pasta?
emcee_pern t1_j9s3mp7 wrote
Reply to comment by Hambredd in TIL about the 1938 Gettysburg Reunion, where veterans of The American Civil War met, they were on average 94 years old. by VengefulMight
The Siege of Petersburg towards the end of the war was nine months of trench warfare that very much looked like an early version of the front lines of WW1.
Also artillery was extremely important during the Civil War. It wasn't as advanced of course but there was still plenty of it having a large impact on battles.
series_hybrid t1_j9s3gzv wrote
Judge_Rhinohold t1_j9s3dyk wrote
Reply to TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
So today Yankee Doodle would stick a feather in his cap and call it sick?
Antiquemooses t1_j9s8q1u wrote
Reply to comment by Ralfarius in TIL that the reason Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it 'macaroni' was because at one time macaroni was slang for something very fashionable or trendy by elephantsgraveyard
but thats how it happened?
https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/music/story-behind-the-song/the-story-behind-the-song/yankee-doodle/