Recent comments in /f/todayilearned

MattJFarrell t1_ja07bzh wrote

Reply to comment by nalc 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

But, but, but the Federal government sent supplies to a Federal fort on Federal land! A clear act of aggression!

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Hattix t1_ja073yv wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in TIL that despite having brains the size of poppy seeds, bees are able to recognize and remember human faces. In a study, researchers paired images of human faces with sugar-laced water, and bees were able to recognize and remember the faces even when the reward was no longer present. by MaleficentTop6074

Bees use visual cues to recognise flowers. They can also see polarised light and use that to navigate.

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climberdc202 t1_ja06vb1 wrote

Reply to 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

I begged to see this movie in the theater when I was 11, one of my arguments was that it was only PG. I couldn't sleep alone in my room for 3 months or have any stuffed animal near me. 😂

Seems so tame now.

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eLonLonRanch t1_ja06qnn wrote

Reply to comment by jervoise 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

Oh it most definitely would. Chain shot was already a thing long before, you would just use smaller caliber balls or half balls for it.

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dark_LUEshi t1_ja05z2c wrote

Reply to TIL that despite having brains the size of poppy seeds, bees are able to recognize and remember human faces. In a study, researchers paired images of human faces with sugar-laced water, and bees were able to recognize and remember the faces even when the reward was no longer present. by MaleficentTop6074

or perhaps bees can recognize peoples smell since theyre insects and probably communicate not only by dancing but also by smells. I'm not sure why they didn't go for that hypothesis first.

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SeiCalros t1_ja05vqr wrote

Reply to comment by laughingmeeses in TIL: "Popcorn" is not simply a descriptive term, but also refers to a specific variety of corn which has the unique characteristic of being able to pop, while the other five varieties of corn do not have this capability. by greenappletree

'i thought popcorn was more about the harvest and processing method than the species' does not strike me as particularly a great deal to unpack

>Have you ever dried corn?

this question is more confusing to me than somebody not knowing popcorn varieties were somehow special

my insinctive response to seeing it is 'who the hell dries corn' to the point where somebody not having dried corn would be surprising

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TheCloudFestival t1_ja05l0p wrote

Reply to comment by LuangPrabangisinLaos in 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

Not glacial in the Arabian Peninsula. It's more likely wind blown sand erosion. The Arabian Desert is absolutely covered in bizarre looking sand weathered rock formations.

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SeiCalros t1_ja05kg0 wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in TIL: "Popcorn" is not simply a descriptive term, but also refers to a specific variety of corn which has the unique characteristic of being able to pop, while the other five varieties of corn do not have this capability. by greenappletree

you can take literally any grain and pop it

they usually call them puffed grains rather than popped grains - popcorn is special because it holds pressure pretty well so most of the kernels will pop even without the regular process you wold need for puffed wheat or puffed rice

although there are also varieties of rice that pop

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TheCloudFestival t1_ja054t6 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

What's not mentioned by the OP is that the split in the rock displays definite signs of being worked by hand as opposed to being a natural formation.

However, given that the rock is sandstone, such a feat would be fairly easy for even the most primitive civilisations. Take a chain or a stout rope, throw it over the top of the rock and then let it settle into a natural divot. Then simply work the chain or rope back and forth from either side like a crosscut saw, gradually working away at the rock. Pouring sand into the groove/notch as it's worked also vastly speeds up the process.

If the rock was discovered with the hollow underneath it between its two balancing points, as seems to be the case, then using a chain or rope to gradually work it in two could have even be done by a single person, throwing the chain/rope over the top, then pulling it back through the hollow, taking each end in each hand, and pulling the chain/rope back and forth.

It's a beautiful and intriguing monolith, but hardly mysterious.

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DoctorLickit t1_ja041wy wrote

Reply to comment by Ulgeguug 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

OK - both y’all clever bastards…enjoy my upvotes. Nothing better that a little antebellum humor to make my day. 😂

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