Recent comments in /f/todayilearned
Dominarion t1_ja1fez2 wrote
Reply to comment by AnthillOmbudsman 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
We found a way to mow the cornfield very quick, mom!
Dominarion t1_ja1f76n wrote
Reply to comment by AmericanoWsugar 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
A quarterpounder?
HobgoblinKhanate1 t1_ja1f4uq wrote
Reply to comment by TheCloudFestival 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
I totally expected you to throw mankind at the end
tattooed_dinosaur t1_ja1evma wrote
Reply to comment by todd10k in TIL that from 1991 to 2007, tobacco conglomerate Philip Morris Cos. successfully marketed Capri Sun to children, based on their executives' experience selling tobacco to young people. by 99-bottlesofbeer
Never get high on your own supply Hi-C.
Dominarion t1_ja1ern0 wrote
Reply to comment by PlasticMix8573 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
Good news Mum, we'll have a BBQ tonight!
Dominarion t1_ja1eh49 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
"As an observer of the lone test of Gilleland’s cannon recounted, ”[The chain shot] had a kind of circular motion, plowed up an acre of ground, tore up a cornfield, and mowed down saplings. The chain broke, the two balls going in opposite directions; one of the balls killed a cow in a distant field, while the other knocked down the chimney from a log cabin.”
The chain didn't break immediately. Reading the trail of destruction, I call that a resounding success. I can't help but wonder and clench my neither sphincter at the idea of what it would have done to an Union battalion.
the-zoidberg t1_ja1e8py wrote
Reply to comment by tewnewt in TIL that from 1991 to 2007, tobacco conglomerate Philip Morris Cos. successfully marketed Capri Sun to children, based on their executives' experience selling tobacco to young people. by 99-bottlesofbeer
After you figure out how to open the damned thing.
BrokenEye3 t1_ja1e8c5 wrote
Reply to comment by tewnewt in TIL that from 1991 to 2007, tobacco conglomerate Philip Morris Cos. successfully marketed Capri Sun to children, based on their executives' experience selling tobacco to young people. by 99-bottlesofbeer
♪♫ He gives the kids free samples / Because he knows full well / That today's young innocent faces / Are tomorrow's clientele ♫♪
TurkeySandwich007 t1_ja1ds8x wrote
Reply to comment by EddieRando21 in TIL that from 1991 to 2007, tobacco conglomerate Philip Morris Cos. successfully marketed Capri Sun to children, based on their executives' experience selling tobacco to young people. by 99-bottlesofbeer
Well I’m almost 24 and I drink like 2 capri suns a day so I’d say the quote is valid
Sabatier_Pentagram t1_ja1dbxk wrote
Reply to comment by GreedoWasShot 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
Diablo would like a word with you.
teflong t1_ja1d94u wrote
[deleted] t1_ja1cry1 wrote
OwenLoveJoy t1_ja1clay wrote
Reply to comment by InTheHeatOfTheNoche in TIL of the less well known and earlier War in Vietnam (1945-1946), which was a military success. by VengefulMight
That part was good. It was what came after that ruined it.
rayu_manawari t1_ja1ceap wrote
Reply to comment by TheCloudFestival 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
If it is “fairly easy” for “even the most primitive civilizations” to make it, then for sure YOU can make one right now, right?
InTheHeatOfTheNoche t1_ja1cd9k wrote
Reply to comment by OwenLoveJoy in TIL of the less well known and earlier War in Vietnam (1945-1946), which was a military success. by VengefulMight
vs French colonial control?
GoblinCorp t1_ja1c9gu wrote
Reply to comment by glisteningdinkus in TIL about Demodex, or eyelash mites. They are too small to see with the naked eye, and feed off of the dead skin cells of humans. Almost every adult human alive has an eyelash mite population living on their face. by lonewolf9378
Think of them as cleaners. Without those mites your eyelashes would be covered in dead eyelid/brow skin.
darrellbear t1_ja1c41k wrote
Reply to Today I Learned that the moon distances itself from the Earth by about 3,78 cm(1.49 inches) every year. by LucasOIntoxicado
Conservation of angular momentum--the moon's tidal effects on Earth are transferring the Earth's angular momentum to the moon. The moon speeds up as a result, which causes its orbital distance from Earth to increase over time. The Earth's loss of angular momentum causes it to spin on its axis more slowly, increasing the length of day over time. Total energy of the system is conserved.
glisteningdinkus t1_ja1bke5 wrote
Reply to TIL about Demodex, or eyelash mites. They are too small to see with the naked eye, and feed off of the dead skin cells of humans. Almost every adult human alive has an eyelash mite population living on their face. by lonewolf9378
Falling asleep tonight should be fun. Thanks.
BrokenEye3 t1_ja1bhkz wrote
Barachan_Isles t1_ja1b28s 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
This cannon actually belonged to my family.
I'm a descendant of John Gilleland who built it and I even grew up on Gilleland drive in Athens, GA until I was 10 years old.
The "house" was a run down shack built in the 1920's that was adjacent to the family graveyard which has since been bulldozed... The house, not the graveyard. If you go the graveyard today (difficult to find because the new houses block the view), the large family headstone actually says "Sims" on it, because the family patriarch was a privateer for the English crown who settled in GA.
When I attended UGA and was out bar hopping with buddies I would sometimes walk up to the cannon and tell them it was mine.
InTheHeatOfTheNoche t1_ja1b1eb wrote
Reply to comment by wwarnout in Today I Learned that the moon distances itself from the Earth by about 3,78 cm(1.49 inches) every year. by LucasOIntoxicado
Wonder what the tides were like. Or did we even have liquid water at that point?
bigfatfurrytexan t1_ja1awmr wrote
Reply to TIL the largest beaver dam in the world is over a half mile long and was discovered via satellite images by Miamime
I'd bet that is miniscule compared to Paleo times.
LuangPrabangisinLaos t1_ja1fmgt wrote
Reply to comment by TheCloudFestival 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
There were Arabian glaciers.