Today I Learned

[Itoero]

Today I learned Water-bears (Tardigrada), microscopic multicellular organisms, can survive freezing by replacing most of their internal water with the sugar trehalose, preventing it from crystallization that otherwise damages cell membranes.

 

Water-bears can withstand temperature ranges from 1 K (−458 °F; −272 °C) (close to absolute zero) to about 420 K (300 °F; 150 °C) for several minutes, pressures about six times greater than those found in the deepest ocean trenches, ionizing radiation at doses hundreds of times higher than the lethal dose for a human, and the vacuum of outer space. They can go without food or water for more than 30 years, drying out to the point where they are 3% or less water, only to rehydrate, forage, and reproduce. Tardigrades living in harsh conditions undergo an annual process of cyclomorphosis.

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

 

Cyclomorphosis is the name given to the occurrence of cyclic or seasonal changes in the phenotype of an organism through successive generations.

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

[Itoero]

Today I learned Bacteria usually reproduce by simply dividing in two.

Each new bacterium is a clone of the original, they each contain a copy of the same DNA. This is called binary fission. If conditions are just right, one bacterium could become a BILLION (1,000,000,000) bacteria in just 10 hours through binary fission!

Sometimes bacteria do have a form of sex called conjugation. One bacterium reaches out to another using a thread-like structure called a pilus. The first bacterium transfers part of its DNA to the other bacterium through the pilus.

 

By this exchange, bacteria can quickly create or pass along new traits that help them adapt to different environments.

[Silvestru]

Today I learned that in 1386 a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child.

 

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/10/21/medieval-animal-trials-in-europe-a-pig-sentenced-to-death-by-hanging-for-murder/

[zapatos]

Today I learned that forensic investigations have been in use since the 13th Century.

 

In 13th-century China, a field worker was killed with a sickle and all villagers sickles were alike. So the investigator had every worker lay down his tool in a field, and observed that just one sickle attracted blowflies, which were known to seek out blood. Its owner, the culprit, immediately confessed. The Chinese sickle slaying is one of the first reported cases of forensic investigation.

http://discovermagazine.com/2017/jul-aug/catching-a-criminal

[imatfaal]

Today I learned that forensic investigations have been in use since the 13th Century.

 

http://discovermagazine.com/2017/jul-aug/catching-a-criminal

 

I have learnt that Forensic no longer means what it used to mean. Forensic means to me "pertaining to the courts of law" and "suitable to being part of the factual pleadings in court" - it seems that through the use of forensic as an adjective in front of words like science and medicine has morphed the meaning such that Forensic now means Forensic Science.*

 

So regarding the discovery magazine article - that may well be the first forensic science but definitely not the first forensic investigation; just off the top of my head Cicero details some forensic investigations (often forensic accountancy) and that would be 1400 years earlier

 

 

* I also blame CSI and its ilk

[DrKrettin]

 

I have learnt that Forensic no longer means what it used to mean. Forensic means to me "pertaining to the courts of law" and "suitable to being part of the factual pleadings in court" - it seems that through the use of forensic as an adjective in front of words like science and medicine has morphed the meaning such that Forensic now means Forensic Science.*

 

So regarding the discovery magazine article - that may well be the first forensic science but definitely not the first forensic investigation; just off the top of my head Cicero details some forensic investigations (often forensic accountancy) and that would be 1400 years earlier

 

 

Cicero's forensic speeches are indeed called thus with the meaning you state. The word was originally an adjective "pertaining to the forum" so its meaning had already moved on from that. Then it was purloined by modern science to take on the meaning which most people would recognise.

[DrmDoc]

Today I learned Bacteria usually reproduce by simply dividing in two.

Each new bacterium is a clone of the original, they each contain a copy of the same DNA. This is called binary fission. If conditions are just right, one bacterium could become a BILLION (1,000,000,000) bacteria in just 10 hours through binary fission!

Sometimes bacteria do have a form of sex called conjugation. One bacterium reaches out to another using a thread-like structure called a pilus. The first bacterium transfers part of its DNA to the other bacterium through the pilus.

 

By this exchange, bacteria can quickly create or pass along new traits that help them adapt to different environments.

 

Interesting. For those of us who might want to pursuit further insight on this subject, post a link to your source.

[NimrodTheGoat]

Today I learned that Baby oil does not come from babies. Instead it is a perfumed mineral oil.

[Itoero]

Interesting. For those of us who might want to pursuit further insight on this subject, post a link to your source.

This is my source: http://www.microbeworld.org/interesting-facts/microbial-reproduction

[DrKrettin]

Today I learned that male cockatoos try to impress females by using tools to make Phil Collins-style drum solos (link to Grauniad article)

 

Today I also learned that using a two-word name as an adjective leads to insoluble hyphen problems.

 

Today I also learned who Phil Collins is. He's a drummer who imitates cockatoos.

[Manticore]

Today I learned that Baby oil does not come from babies. Instead it is a perfumed mineral oil.

The one that always amuses me is Mouse Milk Oil.

[Silvestru]

Today I learned that the modern jet engine was invented by the Bucharest-born inventor Henri Coanda in 1910.

[NimrodTheGoat]

Today I learned that the Toyota symbol represents the end of a needle and a string passing through the opening.

 

And the Hyundai represents the seller and the buyer shaking hands.

[DrmDoc]

Today I learned that the modern jet engine was invented by the Bucharest-born inventor Henri Coanda in 1910.

 

 

Today I learned that the Toyota symbol represents the end of a needle and a string passing through the opening.

 

And the Hyundai represents the seller and the buyer shaking hands.

 

Please, post links to your sources for those of us who have further interest. Thanks.

[Manticore]

Today I learned that the modern jet engine was invented by the Bucharest-born inventor Henri Coanda in 1910.

Jet engine yes. Modern no. Coanda used a piston engine as the compressor.

[imatfaal]

Today I learned that the Toyota symbol represents the end of a needle and a string passing through the opening.

 

And the Hyundai represents the seller and the buyer shaking hands.

 

 

Please, post links to your sources for those of us who have further interest. Thanks.

At least for Toyota that might be difficult

 

http://www.toyota-global.com/showroom/emblem/passion/

 

The old one was really impressive (flying kanji for toyoda)

 

 

[NimrodTheGoat]

https://logoblink.com/hidden-meaning-logos-hyundai-toyota-bmw/

[EdEarl]

I learned that Scholz’s Star passed through the Solar system (about 50,000 AU) about 70,000 years ago, and it is now about 20 ly distant. Other stars will pass nearby in the future.

[StringJunky]

I learned that Scholz’s Star passed through the Solar system (about 50,000 AU) about 70,000 years ago, and it is now about 20 ly distant. Other stars will pass nearby in the future.

1.35m years until the next one.

[EdEarl]

I learned that practicing mindfulness meditation can be done for only one breath; simply focus on taking a deep breath of air and exhaling. Repeat throughout the day, every day. Ref: GoogleTechTalk on youtube, Cognitive Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation. The speaker, Philippe Goldin PhD, is an associate professor at UC Davis School of Nursing. His postdoc work studied attention, mindfulness and brain systems, including the effects of mindfulness meditation on brain activity and plasticity.

[koti]

I learned that small animals perceive time at a greater resolution than humans. A fly can perceive up to 7 times more audio and visual information per second than a human. It would seem that small animals live shorter but faster lives, a dogs life of 15 years while experiencing time at a higher resolution might be just as "long" as a larger animals life living longer but at a lower time resolution. Fascinating...I wonder if Einstein had these kinds of thoughts while coming up with relativity.

 

https://curiosity.com/topics/small-animals-perceive-the-world-in-slow-motion-curiosity/

Edited July 2, 2017 by koti

[DrKrettin]

I learned that small animals perceive time at a greater resolution than humans. A fly can perceive up to 7 times more audio and visual information per second than a human. It would seem that small animals live shorter but faster lives, a dogs life of 15 years while experiencing time at a higher resolution might be just as "long" as a larger animals life living longer but at a lower time resolution. Fascinating.

 

https://curiosity.com/topics/small-animals-perceive-the-world-in-slow-motion-curiosity/

 

Interesting - that explains why they don't appreciate our music - it must all sound like a terrible dirge.

[koti]

 

Interesting - that explains why they don't appreciate our music - it must all sound like a terrible dirge.

Makes sense right? I was always fascinated how a fly seems to have ages of time while escaping my hand movement trying to catch it. Same with cats...their paw movements and reflexes in general are beyond a human.

 

 

I also learned today that NASA denied a conspiracy theory about kidnapped children working as slaves on Mars.

There is a conspiracy theory about Mars in which there is a colony there where kidnapped children work as slaves. The claims were made by a former CIA case officer on the radio talk show Infowars hosted by Alex Jones.

 

http://www.techtimes.com/amp/articles/210884/20170630/nasa-denies-conspiracy-theory-about-kidnapped-children-working-as-mars-colony-slaves.htm

 

The stamemet by NASA seems legit, this is what their spokesman seemed to have said:

There are no humans on Mars. There are active rovers on Mars. There was a rumor going around last week that there werent. There are, Guy Webster, a spokesperson for Mars exploration at NASA, told The Daily Beast. But there are no humans.

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/nasa-denies-that-its-running-a-child-slave-colony-on-mars?via=twitter_page&utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

Edited July 2, 2017 by koti

[DrKrettin]

Makes sense right? I was always fascinated how a fly seems to have ages of time while escaping my hand movement trying to catch it. Same with cats...their paw movements and reflexes in general are beyond a human.

 

I read recently that a fly's reaction to being swotted is not actually a brain reaction in the first instance, but hard-wired somewhere else. Equally, a cockroaches reaction to when you switch a light on is hard-wired, not a brain decision. I suppose with a cat it is not the case, but with a smaller brain you might expect the reactions to be faster.

[koti]

 

I read recently that a fly's reaction to being swotted is not actually a brain reaction in the first instance, but hard-wired somewhere else. Equally, a cockroaches reaction to when you switch a light on is hard-wired, not a brain decision. I suppose with a cat it is not the case, but with a smaller brain you might expect the reactions to be faster.

 

I think flies, cockroaches and other insects do not have a brain - just a simple nervous system. So their perception of everything has to be hardwired in to the nervous system by default.

Cats are a different ball game I'm sure as they do posses a brain. What fascinated me about this is the relativistic aspect of time (phylosophical not mathematical)...makes me think about maximizing my own time here on earth.

Edited July 2, 2017 by koti