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TIL that the 'drop of a hat' line in the theme tune to Fingermouse is a pun.
What have you learned or discovered today?
The modern version of PMQs - with the Prime Minister answering questions on everything, rather than immediately referring qs to relevant secretaries of state - originated with Thatcher, who started doing it to exert her primacy over the whole cabinet.
TIL that Fingermouse had a best forgotten solo career post Fingerbobs.
I had no idea either. It might have been good though! I don't remember ever seeing it.
All Canadian airport codes begin with the character Y. This is because their radio stations call signs all began with Y so when airports were invented they chose to continue the convention.
You'd think they would all end in "ey" instead
All Canadian airport codes begin with the character Y
Or a C... because today's the day you learn that most airports have two codes, one 4 character that's used for air traffic control (the ICAO code eg EGLL is Heathrow) and a 3 character code that's used for baggage and ticketing (the IATA code eg LHR for Heathrow). Some countries, including Canada, just append a country code to the front of the IATA code to give the ICAO code so the codes for Vancouver are YVR or CYVR.
All Canadian airport codes begin with the character Y. This is because their radio stations call signs all began with Y so when airports were invented they chose to continue the convention.
Not quite true! 25 regional Canadian airport codes start with 'Z' - I've flown into one of them!
Listening to history podcast I learned that the "Puritans" didn't called themselves that, they referred to each other as the "Godly", other's called them (at the time) Separatists, and they left the UK to go to Holland first, which they left because Holland had too much religious freedom for them to tolerate, and they didn't like their children learning Dutch.
On scouting about, when they landed at Plymouth Rock, they came across some native graves, which they uncovered, and robbed for the corn that was buried alongside the dead, and the first actual live native that they met; Squanto, could speak passable English, he went to England, and when he came back, he found that most of his tribe had been killed by plague.
Blue lotus flowers are psychoactive and the Egyptians used to add it to their wine for funsies.
I’ve spent half the day at a lunch and talk by Joann Fletcher learning about all sorts of similar useful things.
We could post anything at all by Tom Scott here. Every day is a schoolday.
The oldest human remains in Britain were found in Boxgrove West Sussex. They date from around 480,000 years ago.
Bubbles in pee is a thing that could be of concern.
A normal airfield traffic circuit is flown to the left by default and isn't signed
If it changes to a right-hand pattern then a sign is laid out
I learnt about the Blue Lotus Flowers as well, but it was on What We Do In The Shadows and I didn't realise it was true.
That 'learned' is more North American and 'learnt' is more British.
That a homophone is always a homonym but a homonym is not always a homophone. Because it could be a homograph.
My nine year old rolled her eyes at my stupidity.
The Japanese language has no word for "paper cut".
My nine year old rolled her eyes at my stupidity.
It’s scary how they know all of the names for all the languagey things nowadays isn’t it?
thols2
Free Member
The Japanese language has no word for “paper cut”.
Pēpākatto (ペーパーカット)
Pēpākatto (ペーパーカット)
Does not mean the same as the English expression "paper cut". This is a Japanese ペーパーカット. It's for cutting paper, it's not a cut inflicted by paper.
Damn, now I'm plagued with endless ads for Japanese office equipment.
The Japanese language has no word for “paper cut”.
And neither does Englih.😉
"Shut yer gob" originates from mining. It refers to filling a mined area back up with deads in order to control air flow
Even a corporate edict can be transcended when the Directors wife wants to steal your glory.
Reading, and enjoying 'Revolution: How the Bicycle Reinvented Modern Britain' by William Manners, I've discovered why Jasper is called a 'Pathracer' bicycle. Path was the old Victorian / Edwardian name for velodrome track, but a Pathracer was a track bike that was modified for the road with freehub and coaster brake. I did not know that.
Jasper, earlier in the year...
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Speaking of airports, I learned recently that the runway numbers aren't random, they're approximate headings: e.g. runway 22 is at roughly 220deg. They're referenced to magnetic north, so occasionally they need to be changed.
Reading, and enjoying ‘Revolution: How the Bicycle Reinvented Modern Britain’ by William Manners
Sounds fascinating, will be ordering a copy of that. Fine bicycle BTW.
Airports charge landing fees, but all the take-offs are free.
It’s scary how they know all of the names for all the languagey things nowadays isn’t it?
As someone with an A grade O level in English language, why have they taught my kids all this shit I never learnt or needed?
Airports charge landing fees, but all the take-offs are free.
I learnt that many years ago when someone leant me a cassette tape of a very funny after dinner speech by an air traffic controller. I need to trawl the Internet and see if it exists anywhere
I learnt that many years ago when someone leant me a cassette tape of a very funny after dinner speech by an air traffic controller. I need to trawl the Internet and see if it exists anywhere
That's where I got it from too!
.
Speaking of airports, I learned recently that the runway numbers aren’t random, they’re approximate headings
Which then means that (most) airports technically have twice as many 'runways' as you think because for instance a pilot at Heathrow could be told to use 27L, 09R, 27R or 09L depending on whether the airport is operating to the East or West. So those two strips of concrete/tarmac/whatever actually count as four 'runways' in air traffic terms.
“Shut yer gob” originates from mining. It refers to filling a mined area back up with deads in order to control air flow
That sounds like an urban myth to me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_coal_mining_terminology#G
The goaf, gove, gob, shut or waste is the void from which all the coal in a seam has been extracted and where the roof is allowed to collapse in a controlled manner.[1][20]The term possibly comes from Welsh language ogof, gof, "cave".
But
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gob
From Middle English gobben, gabben (“to drink greedily”), of uncertain origin.
The original Chromecast model number was H2G2-42 - a likely reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
HtS - excellent, thank you
The tubes and pipes on the Starship Enterprise are labelled with a GNDN number.
GNDN meaning Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing.
I Did Not Know That.
The crawl spaces are called Jeffries Tubes. Named after set designer Matt Jeffries.
Today I discovered this is a thing... what a great but simple Idea!
https://odditymall.com/crapstrap-hands-free-tree-pooping-strap
It's basically just a strap/ratchet... but It's a QOL boost for sure hahah!
I learned where the secret door in the library is after working here for the last week.
At the height of his popularity, Twitter had a dedicated server just for tweets related to Justin Bieber.
Today I learned that my daughter has spent £50+ on biscuits at school in the last 3 weeks.
I learned where the secret door in the library
Some mistake surely - only the study, kitchen, lounge and conservatory have secret passages.
Today i learned not to use gorilla tape in place of rim tape.
Turns out the glue gets pushed out of the side onto the hook of the rim and essentially sticks the tyre to the rim.
It was challenging to get the tyre off
TIL that Fingermouse had a best forgotten solo career post Fingerbobs.
Yep, just when you think the original b@w high production values couldn’t be beaten they do something even more odd.
Today i learned not to use gorilla tape in place of rim tape.
Yep I’ve been down that mess,very sticky.
I learned where the secret door in the library
Some mistake surely – only the study, kitchen, lounge and conservatory have secret passages.
I also searched for the pipe and rope, but my colleague Prof. Plum seemed to always distract me. 🤔
At least the hallway had multiple [s]guns[/s] muskets on display.
Albert Hoffman lived to 102. Ergot drugs aren't bad after all 😉 Apologies for the corny joke.
@bunnyhop
If you have scaffolding erected you'll get a handover certificate which covers you for the first 7 days - after that the scaffolding is your responsibility unless you have it inspected every 7 days (or after an 'event').
So if something/one falls off on day 8 then you're liable!!
TIL that "tempus fugit," usually translated as "time flies," actually means "time flees" rather than time passes quickly. "Fly" here meaning "flee," as in "Fly, you fools!"
Cf. "Fugitive," someone who runs away.
That air traffic controller was David Gunson I think,got a recording of it somewhere.
That anaesthetic gases account for 2% of the NHSs carbon footprint
As someone with an A grade O level in English language, why have they taught my kids all this shit I never learnt or needed?
Why not? Language changes, learning something new is always interesting, even if it’s not always useful.
That anaesthetic gases account for 2% of the NHSs carbon footprint
7% of Australia's carbon footprint is apparently from healthcare.
And what's interesting, as i've discovered, is that anaesthetists can actually choose much better alternatives in some cases.
1 hour of desflurane is the equivalent of driving 2-400km, whereas 1 hour of sevoflurane just 5-10km (although most of the anaesthetists i know drive Teslas). And it costs about 25% as much.
Where i work we halved usage and are trying to get rid of it altogether.
The meaning of 'Fetch' - in regard to waves.
The definition of the word ‘fetch’ is simple:
The distance that wind travels over open water.
But why do we need to know that?
Spend enough time on or near the sea and the reason becomes apparent.
Wave size is determined by three main factors:
The strength of the wind.
The length of time it has been blowing.
The distance of open water it has been blowing over: the fetch.
If any of these three variables increases then the size of waves will also increase. The reason that understanding fetch is so valuable is that the first two are intuitive and feel logical, if not obvious. Fifty foot waves after a Force 11 violent storm would not surprise anyone. Equally, a gusty force 6 breeze that has not relented for days on end would lead to expectations of choppy seas for most.
But a change in something less obvious and often invisible – the fetch – can have as big an impact as either of these factors. You cannot get big waves in a small pond, however hard or long the wind blows. But you can get very big waves if a modest wind blows over water uninterrupted for hundreds of miles.
Mars is the only planet inhabited exclusively by robots.
Mars is the only planet inhabited exclusively by robots.
That we know of.... 😉
Mars is the only planet inhabited exclusively by robots.
...that we know of.
EDIT: curses too slow.
1 hour of desflurane is the equivalent of driving 2-400km, whereas 1 hour of sevoflurane just 5-10km (although most of the anaesthetists i know drive Teslas). And it costs about 25% as much.
Where i work we halved usage and are trying to get rid of it altogether.
We use Des so sparingy it's usually a case of hunting for a vapouriser - @reeksy have you been looking at the new scavange systems?
But a change in something less obvious and often invisible – the fetch – can have as big an impact as either of these factors. You cannot get big waves in a small pond, however hard or long the wind blows. But you can get very big waves if a modest wind blows over water uninterrupted for hundreds of miles.
from memory.. fetch more impacts the period of the waves, rather than the size of the swell (it has a impact on both, but its more on the side of period). Large period waves (period is the time between each wave) are more powerful than low-period waves (the relationship ramps up - ie double the period and you quadruple the power).
If you're interested in this stuff, this book is excellent. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surf-Science-Introduction-Waves-Surfing/dp/0906720362
Mars is the only planet inhabited exclusively by robots.
But not the only celestial body inhabited exclusively by robots.
Today I Learned that the backwards-P "paragraph" symbol ¶ (sometimes seen in MS Word when you display markup) is called a pilcrow.
That Stevie wonder's real name is Stevland Hadaway Morris.
Today I learned that a typical dimmer light switch isn't properly compatible with led light bulbs. This is after fitting a £40 triple dimmer in the kitchen in July, and now another single upstairs just last week.
Depends on the bulbs.
You mean the globes i think 😉
I've lived in a house with Velux windows for more than 20 years and today youtube told me why there's a hole in the frame.
The other day I learnt there is a locomotive with a funny name, something like buttmunch*, but while googling for more info and something other than an instagram post to post to this thread about it, I learnt that a very popular train spotter went viral with this very same information a couple of years ago, and I recollected seeing his name mentioned on here, although I've now forgotten what his name actually is.
* I know it's not that specifically but it's something close I'm sure.
Francis Bourgeois?
Yes that's it and the train was Dickmabutt 🤣