Recent comments in /f/todayilearned

quokka70 t1_ja4p6oj wrote

Reply to comment by Blackbirds_Garden 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

Although the first edition started appearing in 1884, that was only the section A-Ant. The whole thing was done only in 1928.

Tolkien worked on parts of the first edition in 1919-1920.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary#History

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quokka70 t1_ja4oh7e wrote

Reply to comment by PianoCharged 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

"Work began on the dictionary in 1857..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary

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underthingy t1_ja4oayj wrote

Reply to comment by 2KoolAwYe 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

That it contributed in some way to the current situation they are in.

Not that it was the sole cause of the destruction of the entire Saudi history as you are claiming.

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NemosGhost t1_ja4nv2r wrote

Reply to comment by MattJFarrell 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

Because you get called out for your dishonesty.

So you resort to making more false claims as is your nature. I don't have a shred of racism.

I'm sure a liar like you probably has plenty though

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MattJFarrell t1_ja4n8ms wrote

Reply to comment by NemosGhost 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

This is why I shouldn't engage with people like you. Enjoy the cross burning with the boys tonight.

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blahblahrasputan t1_ja4mzn0 wrote

Reply to comment by ZylonBane in TIL: Because Nintendo could not get the rights to the Popeye cartoon character, they came up with Mario instead. by A_Bruised_Reed

Was it on arcade too? Nice. I was pretty young back then, and for context we had a Commodore 64 (floppy disk and cartridges) until Win95 released lol, we didn't have much money for that sort of thing. So many great memories though! I still spin up og Pirates! Every year or two.

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Marconidas t1_ja4msyr wrote

Reply to comment by ZootOfCastleAnthrax 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

Some Alzheimer drugs were firstly designed as a anti influenza medication.
Antimalaria drugs are used for autoimmune diseases.

It's not a long shot assuming that a anti-parasitic drug can be used to treat viral illness. Other research has shown Ivermectin to have in vitro efficacy vs some viruses.

Unfortunately, it didn't work so we're left with far more expensive medications or medications that have some sort of anti-HIV activity, with the potential to increase HIV resistance as HIV is a virus that mutates too rapidly.

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