Recent comments in /f/todayilearned

res30stupid t1_j9zwj5x wrote

Reply to comment by Landlubber77 in TIL Poltergeist, which came out in 1982, was rated PG. This is despite not just the movie fitting perfectly into the horror genre, but also many adult themes including the smoking of marijuana and a deep dive into the occult. by duganaok

Funny little detail, but the lead actress in Final Destination 2 was completely fine with being in such a violent, fucked-up horror film because as a Mormon, she was only upset if they were to ask her to swear.

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w0mpum OP t1_j9zwdlr wrote

Reply to comment by CelloVerp in TIL about Janet Parker, the last person to die of smallpox in 1978. She worked above one of the last labs in its last months of permission to study the virus. The day Janet's viral strain was confirmed, Henry Bedson, the doctor in charge of the lab, took his own life. by w0mpum

the prevailing theory was originally airborne infection but they proved unequivocably she could not have gotten infected upstairs from it.

It was either by contact with a surface or person to person... rumors flew but most likely would be someone irresponsibly handled something in his lab, which couldve been Bedson himself. Either way it is his responsibility ultimately.

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res30stupid t1_j9zw4aj wrote

Reply to comment by Various_Succotash_79 in TIL Poltergeist, which came out in 1982, was rated PG. This is despite not just the movie fitting perfectly into the horror genre, but also many adult themes including the smoking of marijuana and a deep dive into the occult. by duganaok

Related to this, the original Ratchet & Clank was released as T for Teen because while the game was aimed closer to younger fans, the dirty jokes meant that the game was just unsuitable for younger players in the regular E for Everyone (5 and up) category. As a result, the ESRB invented the E-10 age rating which was used for the sequels.

Also, the PEGI release of Kingdom Hearts was rated for 7+, with one of the content warnings on the back of the case being a massive spider denoting the game had intense horror elements.

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Sometimes_Stutters t1_j9zvl20 wrote

Reply to TIL about the only double barrel cannon in the world. When it was its first tested during the American Civil War, the chain snapped immediately and one ball tore into a nearby cabin, knocking down its chimney; the other spun off erratically and struck a nearby cow, killing it instantly. by ExpertPreference8481

I’d be much more concerned if a cannonball killed a cow very slowly and deliberately. So this test seemed like a success.

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exhausted_chemist t1_j9zu4nu wrote

Reply to comment by SpiritOne in TIL about the only double barrel cannon in the world. When it was its first tested during the American Civil War, the chain snapped immediately and one ball tore into a nearby cabin, knocking down its chimney; the other spun off erratically and struck a nearby cow, killing it instantly. by ExpertPreference8481

The original tree was hundreds of years old so you probably knew its seedling. It is an interesting landmark though

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getbeaverootnabooteh t1_j9zty9o wrote

Reply to comment by Happypappy007 in TIL of the less well known and earlier War in Vietnam (1945-1946), which was a military success. by VengefulMight

It wasn't for no good reason. Right after WW2 the US government cared a lot about Europe, but didn't care much about the East/SE parts of Asia.

The Americans wanted French support in stopping the advance of Soviet Communist power in Europe. The French wanted to reestablish their empire.

So the Americans supported the French desire to reestablish their empire in Southeast Asia because that helped them to secure French support for stopping the Commies in Europe.

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exhausted_chemist t1_j9zszlw wrote

Reply to comment by SpiritOne in TIL about the only double barrel cannon in the world. When it was its first tested during the American Civil War, the chain snapped immediately and one ball tore into a nearby cabin, knocking down its chimney; the other spun off erratically and struck a nearby cow, killing it instantly. by ExpertPreference8481

Sadly, that tree is now the second generation of tree that owns itself

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CloakWheelIsHim t1_j9zsa6s wrote

Reply to comment by Threash78 in TIL That Toronto, the largest city in Canada, is not only south of London, Paris, and Berlin, but also south of Milan, Italy. by scorr204

you're thinking of east or west, we have the axis of longitude latitude aligned with the spin. I guess we are lucky we didnt decide to conceptualize our location as an abstract dynamic position relative to the sun and moon.

edit because i always mix up lat/long

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sometimesifeellikemu t1_j9zrtpe wrote

Reply to TIL there's a rock formation in Saudi Arabia about 6 meters high and 9 meters wide, split curiously in half and balanced on two small, natural pedestals. The origin of the Al Naslaa rock formation is unknown. by OccludedFug

There were some amazing prehistoric goings on in the Arabian peninsula way back when. It's so e of the most ripe archeological territory left on Earth and we are still learning. Pretty cool.

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greengo07 t1_j9zrqsp wrote

Reply to comment by j_claus12 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

source for what? the factors for global unification are common language, currency, socio-political goals, education and technology. technology has enhanced education and socio-political unity a great deal, but what we need is a concerted effort by every government to work towards a common socio-political commonality. When our laws and socio-economics are universal, we can be free to go anywhere and know we are under the same legal and moral constraints and freedoms. When we are a unified peoples, THEN we can attack any problem or challenge and overcome it, from space colonization to eradicating disease, poverty, etc..

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