Recent comments in /f/todayilearned
Scottland83 t1_ja2prc4 wrote
Reply to comment by Theyos 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
Transporter malfunction. And not the fun kind, the death kind.
E_Snap t1_ja2pmqh wrote
Reply to 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 bet you could get the other varieties of corn to pop if you used a Popcorn Cannon
Admetus t1_ja2p9oa wrote
Reply to TIL of the 1955 Le Mans disaster. French driver Pierre Levegh crashed into a crowd of spectators. The crash, explosion and subsequent fire killed 84 and injured more than 120. It is still the deadliest car race crash ever. by triviafrenzy
It always takes an accident to lead to higher safety standards.
MainSteamStopValve t1_ja2p8nh wrote
Reply to comment by Due_Platypus_3913 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 only 5 canons end up getting delivered at 10 times the price before the program is canceled. Total cost plus R&D, a gazillion dollars.
E_Snap t1_ja2p3t2 wrote
Reply to comment by frostanon in TIL Tolkien assisted on the Oxford Dictionary's first edition, focused on 'W' words waggle to warlock. He "learned more in those two years than in any other"; and certain etymologies continued to puzzle him for years, with many pages of notes written later on 'walrus' for a lecture at Leeds by PianoCharged
That dingus went about it all backwards, what was he thinking?
formerlyanonymous_ t1_ja2p1n0 wrote
Reply to TIL of the Battle of San Jacinto. Just six weeks after the Texans terrible loss at The Alamo in 1836. The Texans regrouped under Sam Houston, and surprised the Mexican forces and overwhelming defeated the Mexicans. The Texans had 11 soldiers killed and the Mexicans lost 650. by triviafrenzy
You see, Bobby, your daddy's gene'ation's givin' away everything we fought for! Pannyma Canal. Mexican legs.
tom_the_red t1_ja2orde wrote
Reply to TIL Tolkien assisted on the Oxford Dictionary's first edition, focused on 'W' words waggle to warlock. He "learned more in those two years than in any other"; and certain etymologies continued to puzzle him for years, with many pages of notes written later on 'walrus' for a lecture at Leeds by PianoCharged
Having Wargs in the Hobbit suddenly makes more sense - the word is an old one, but he revived it in this particular spelling. I wonder if he felt a secret smugness in knowing he was putting something into his slice of the dictionary.
Habaneroe12 t1_ja2odu6 wrote
Reply to comment by OorPancake in TIL of the 1955 Le Mans disaster. French driver Pierre Levegh crashed into a crowd of spectators. The crash, explosion and subsequent fire killed 84 and injured more than 120. It is still the deadliest car race crash ever. by triviafrenzy
And some of those were kids.
Blackbirds_Garden t1_ja2obpc wrote
Reply to TIL Tolkien assisted on the Oxford Dictionary's first edition, focused on 'W' words waggle to warlock. He "learned more in those two years than in any other"; and certain etymologies continued to puzzle him for years, with many pages of notes written later on 'walrus' for a lecture at Leeds by PianoCharged
I'm not out-and-out saying "you're wrong" (because I know it's ... correct) but it highlights the problem I have with books and "edition number" type publications. First edition OED existed nearly a decade before Tolkien was born and lasted until 15 years after his death. Second edition is to be superseded in ~2037.
MixedPhaseFlow t1_ja2o9vq wrote
Reply to TIL of the Battle of San Jacinto. Just six weeks after the Texans terrible loss at The Alamo in 1836. The Texans regrouped under Sam Houston, and surprised the Mexican forces and overwhelming defeated the Mexicans. The Texans had 11 soldiers killed and the Mexicans lost 650. by triviafrenzy
The huge memorial they built in commemoration outside Houston ist quite impressive. Although the mirror pond is being reclaimed by nature
Lecoruje t1_ja2o4qd 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
Wait, so the days are lasting longer? No shit the clock won't move during work..
[deleted] t1_ja2nzkp wrote
Reply to comment by LuangPrabangisinLaos in TIL that Ben S. Cauley, Jr. was the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed singer Otis Redding & 6 other people in 1967. Cauley took off his seat belt shortly before the crash. He managed to cling to a seat cushion for 20 minutes, until a rescue boat pulled him from the freezing lake waters. by Paiger__
[removed]
Admetus t1_ja2nrz9 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
The don't recognise faces, they recognise the patterns that make up those faces.
Admetus t1_ja2nnkv 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 think on the last part there was a sharp intake of breath as to whether the left rock was balanced.
AwesomeInPerson t1_ja2ncwq wrote
Reply to comment by blakerabbit in TIL Tolkien assisted on the Oxford Dictionary's first edition, focused on 'W' words waggle to warlock. He "learned more in those two years than in any other"; and certain etymologies continued to puzzle him for years, with many pages of notes written later on 'walrus' for a lecture at Leeds by PianoCharged
Yep, in German it's Walross which literally means whale horse.
(Wal is whale and Ross is horse, even though the more common word for it is "Pferd")
Yhaqtera t1_ja2msyp wrote
jervoise t1_ja2mrmo wrote
Reply to comment by Djidji5739291 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
They rank so highly, because they are legal as well. How much something kills is massively warped by how many people take it.
redditpappy t1_ja2mocw wrote
Reply to TIL of the less well known and earlier War in Vietnam (1945-1946), which was a military success. by VengefulMight
The better known Vietnam War was a military success. The invaders were successfully repelled.
CPEBachIsDead t1_ja2mmuz wrote
Land_Strider t1_ja2mlsz wrote
Reply to comment by OccludedFug 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
wakes up, checks PDA:
Kill Stereolith
Chants: "Praise be upon you, o' Monolith!"
(S.T.A.L.K.E.R. reference)
Admetus t1_ja2m1id wrote
Reply to comment by chemamatic 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
And meanwhile there's such a powerful moment/torque that the trajectories are completely unpredictable as stated in the title.
[deleted] t1_ja2lpzm wrote
Theyos t1_ja2lni6 wrote
neo101b t1_ja2lk30 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
The moon will one day leave the earth, though I think before that happens the sun will get us first.
VanAgain t1_ja2ptuu wrote
Reply to TIL in 1975 King Charles III (then a Prince) was the British monarchy's first qualified scuba Diver and first to dive under the Arctic ice. by mitchanium
The royal family engage in all sorts of risky behaviors in order to seek the approval of the masses.