Today I Learned

[Area54]

23 hours ago, Tub said:

Shouldn't you have said " on railway-line " pun?

No. I credited everyone with the smarts to see that on line could refer to computers, forums and railway lines, or even on topic, leaving them the freedom to go in their preferred direction. Had we been talking about sheep rather than cattle, there would have been the option of discussing rams.

[Tub]

30 minutes ago, Area54 said:

No. I credited everyone with the smarts to see that on line could refer to computers, forums and railway lines, or even on topic, leaving them the freedom to go in their preferred direction. Had we been talking about sheep rather than cattle, there would have been the option of discussing rams.

Sorry, A. I think there has been a bit of miscommunication here - two countries separated by the same language. When i wrote " on railway-line " that was my pun. Here in little England,  we don't say " railroad tracks " but we do say " railway lines ". If you were English you would probably have thought that my pun was the greatest, funniest pun ever invented! Can i give you another great pun: ....... it seems we had a crossed-line. Do i get the prize now, or will i be  "punished " for not being funny? 

[DrKrettin]

3 hours ago, Area54 said:

 Had we been talking about sheep rather than cattle, there would have been the option of discussing rams.

Not too long ago (but before railways) the word "cattle" could mean both sheep and cows. I'm reading a Greek novel at the moment, written about 200 AD which uses the word "probata" literally "that which is driven forwards" referring to a flock of sheep or a herd of cattle. In both cases, the English translation of around 1650 uses the term "cattle".  The device to stop livestock from walking through gate is still called a cattle grid in the UK. There are people who go round building little ladders inside them to help hedgehogs escape when they fall in. I'll stop now.

[Area54]

12 minutes ago, DrKrettin said:

Not too long ago (but before railways) the word "cattle" could mean both sheep and cows. I'm reading a Greek novel at the moment, written about 200 AD which uses the word "probata" literally "that which is driven forwards" referring to a flock of sheep or a herd of cattle. In both cases, the English translation of around 1650 uses the term "cattle".  The device to stop livestock from walking through gate is still called a cattle grid in the UK. There are people who go round building little ladders inside them to help hedgehogs escape when they fall in. I'll stop now.

No. Before steam railways, but after railways, which have been around since at least 600 BC, as per the wikipedia article.  I knew that railways in mines and quarries long pre-dated the introduction of steam, and were therefore in use when cattle had a wider meaning, but I only learned of the Greek example today.

I have a cattle grid, but sadly neither cattle, nor hedgehogs.

Edit: I know you were meaning mechanically powered railways, but I just wanted to be pedantic.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Area54

[Silvestru]

Today I learned that it is possible for water to boil and freeze at the same time.

 

[Area54]

1 hour ago, Silvestru said:

Today I learned that it is possible for water to boil and freeze at the same time.

 

And this new knowledge didn't phase you?

[Silvestru]

47 minutes ago, Area54 said:

And this new knowledge didn't phase you?

As a matter of fact it did. It made a solid impression to my adulterated state of mind.

Spoiler

I suck at wordplay

 

[DrKrettin]

2 hours ago, Area54 said:

And this new knowledge didn't phase you?

*groan* I'm rather fazed by your spelling.

[Itoero]

Today I learned how Noise-cancelling headphones work. Noise-cancelling headphones use active noise control. They incorporate a microphone that measures ambient sound, generate a waveform that is the exact negative of the ambient sound, and mix it with any audio signal the listener desires.

[Tub]

1 hour ago, DrKrettin said:

*groan* I'm rather fazed by your spelling.

Hello, Drk. I stumbled across two new words recently: one was " catachresis ", which is relevant to " phase " and " faze "; the other is  "ultracrepidarianism "  which could apply to a few  people in these forums ( not including you, of  course..ha,ha.. but definitely including me ). You may already be familiar with these words but, if you aren't, and knowing your interest in Greek and Latin, i think you might be interested in their etymology.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ultracrepidarianism

[DrKrettin]

10 minutes ago, Tub said:

Hello, Drk. I stumbled across two new words recently: one was " catachresis ", which is relevant to " phase " and " faze "; the other is  "ultracrepidarianism "  which could apply to a few  people in these forums ( not including you, of  course..ha,ha.. but definitely including me ). You may already be familiar with these words but, if you aren't, and knowing your interest in Greek and Latin, i think you might be interested in their etymology.

 

Thank you - they are both interesting, but the ultracrepidarianism  (which I had come across but forgotten) has a particularly interesting etymology. I find etymology fascinating, which puts me in a very small minority methinks.

[Itoero]

Today I learned how hot temperatures can ground airplanes. The problem with flying in hot temperatures is similar to the problem faced in high altitudes: thin air. Hotter air is less dense, which means there is less air beneath the wings for lifting the aircraft and less air to flow through the jet engines.

[DrmDoc]

Today I learn about "the way to spiritual power through discipline" as practiced by Shugendō monks beginning in the 7^th century until outlawed by the Japanese government.  Essentially, the practice involved a method of extremely slow suicide called self-mummification, which lasted about 9 years if successful.  Ritualized suicide, ultimately religious escapism. 

[TerrificOak]

What I learned today is that Dog can only see us in Black and White color. How sad to live in the world like that.

[iNow]

Yes, but their sense of smell is so highly tuned that many can even smell cancer in their owners. Vision is not the only way we “see” the world. 

[CharonY]

IIRC dogs have dichromatic perception, which allows them to see more than black and white (but fewer colours than we do).

[koti]

Today I learned that a comparatively weak quantum computer with just a few thousand Q-bits as compared to a smart phone using billions of classical bits, could perform more computations simultaneously than could be performed by the entire visible universe if it was made into computers. It's mind boggling how these quantum computing techniques can exponentially be faster than classical computers. I find the below 8 minute video very interesting and the whole channel contains some real gems:
 

 

[John Cuthber]

8 hours ago, koti said:

Today I learned that a comparatively weak quantum computer with just a few thousand Q-bits 

Today I learned that Intel will sell you a chip with 17 qbits

https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-delivers-17-qubit-superconducting-chip-advanced-packaging-qutech/

And it needs rather specialist cooling ( 0.02K).

Classical computing isn't dead yet, though it may not be long.

Edited October 29, 2017 by John Cuthber

[koti]

2 hours ago, John Cuthber said:

Today I learned that Intel will sell you a chip with 17 qbits

https://newsroom.intel.com/news/intel-delivers-17-qubit-superconducting-chip-advanced-packaging-qutech/

And it needs rather specialist cooling ( 0.02K).

Classical computing isn't dead yet, though it may not be long.

That 20 millikelvin operating temperature doesn’t look too promising. I’m no expert but it’s probably not any time soon we could get a home environment PC to near absolute zero temperature. 

[Itoero]

Today I learned That female spotted hyena's have a pseudo-penis.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena#Female_genitalia

[Itoero]

Today I learned the Argentine lake duck is notable for possessing, in relation to body length, the longest (this is link to Largest body part....many interesting trivia) penis of all vertebrates; the penis, which is typically coiled up in flaccid state, can reach about the same length as the animal itself when fully erect, but more commonly is about half the bird's length.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_duck

Edited November 5, 2017 by Itoero

[DrmDoc]

Today I learned about supernumerary nipples and why some people have them.  According to the Wiki and Seeker references, these are the extra breast nipples that form along our embryotic milk lines but regress before birth; however, some do not and can become fully formed nipples and breasts.

[EdEarl]

I've learned that wolf-PAC.com has a petition to get big money out of politics,
and forapeoplesparty.org is trying to start a third political party. Both are trying to give back power to "We the People."

[DrmDoc]

Today I learned that those white spots that sometimes appear under our fingernails are call Leukonychia and that certain types may confer serious health conditions from malaria and leprosy to Darier's disease, liver failure, and kidney failure.  There are four primary types:  Punctata, stratia, longitudanal and totalis.

[dimreepr]

Today I learned knowledge doesn't equal understanding.