teach me something useful in the space of a post

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I think that since leaving full-time education, my brane has gone all stupid. Suddenly me is wanting to learn new stuff and things. Please teach me something. Anything - it could be quantum physics; appreciation of Bach; a simple cooking tip; how to say "where is the bank, I want to exchange my travellers cheques for gold" in Basque; how the fahrenheit scale works in relation to centigrade - anything at all.

RULES:
- It has to be YOU that writes it, no copying and pasting from other sources.

- It can be a long or short lesson, but please make it accessible to the layman and explain all bits of jargon.

- Must be suitable for work. No pictures preferably.

GO!

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 08:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Frenzied sharks sometimes eat themselves.

― ___ (___), Thursday, 10 June 2004 08:13 (twenty-two years ago)

TEACHHHEEEEERRR!!! TEEEEAAACHHHEEEERRR!!! :-D

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 08:15 (twenty-two years ago)

contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a brontosaurus. the apatosaurus was discovered and named by american paleontologist othniel c. marsh in 1877; when he found another skeleton two years later, he didn't realize it was the same animal and gave it a different name. appropriately, apatosaurus means "deceptive lizard."

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 10 June 2004 08:27 (twenty-two years ago)

These are great! I may need to post one myself but I'll let my brain digest a few more nuggets first.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 08:36 (twenty-two years ago)

you can't learn something you already know! (can you?)

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 10 June 2004 08:42 (twenty-two years ago)

There is no actual moment that the universe began, because back when it was impossibly small, time and space were one and the same thing according to quantum theory.

― thing of thing, Thursday, 10 June 2004 08:51 (twenty-two years ago)

when fishing up in the water for carp, sometimes try a deeper rig as often you'll find that bigger fish lay near the boottom hoovering up the bait that has eluded the fish feeding in the top layer of the water.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 10 June 2004 09:00 (twenty-two years ago)

A duck's quack *does* echo.

― Mog, Thursday, 10 June 2004 09:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Narrowing your eyes at a cat is a gesture of appeasement and will therefore make them like and trust you more.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 10 June 2004 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Well since you ask... to get from celsius to fahrenheit, double the number, take off ten per cent and add thirty-two. E.g.
20 C x 2 = 40
-4 = 36
+32 = 68 F.

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 10 June 2004 09:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Garam masala is a great spice for everything. Chuck it in stews, soups, curries, whatever - it has no heat but it boosts the taste of the blandest meal every time.

― notMarthaStewart (trayce), Thursday, 10 June 2004 09:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Dogs can't look up

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 10 June 2004 09:59 (twenty-two years ago)

(Dog-latin can't look things up ;)

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 10 June 2004 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

A duck's quack *does* echo.

This was SO in a pub quiz the other day and they said that it can't even though we said it could. My friend looked it up on the interweb and it confirmed that it could too. So where did they get this stupid theory from?

Beanz - thanks. I was also wondering what the Fahrenheit scale is based upon (seeing as centigrade = cooling and boiling point of water)?

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Dogs can so look up. That's a nuts theory.

― New No New Age Advanced Ambient Motor Music Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 10 June 2004 10:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Almanac: Cf Shawn of the Dead.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 10:37 (twenty-two years ago)

A Daddy Long-Legs is the most poisonous spider in the UK. However, it's jaws are so lame it can't widen them enough to bite you.

― Huey_, Thursday, 10 June 2004 10:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Fahrenheit chose 0 to be the freezing point of saltwater and 96 to be body temperature. He was inaccurate though. And he chose 96 rather than 100 because he wanted 12 x 8 divisions of the scale.

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 10 June 2004 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

...in the same way as miles were supposed to be a fraction of a degree of the earth's peripheral.

Ooh I have one - nettles irritate because they actually secrete an irritant akin to a form of GLASS.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Once over the top, and then three times under, followed by a loop around the back. Now take the other end and twist it around twice and feed it through the loop. Done!

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:02 (twenty-two years ago)

You weigh approximately 10 pounds lighter directly over the equator.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:05 (twenty-two years ago)

When hunting for seals that are on the ice (as opposed to in the sea) polar bears cover their noses because even a seal can spot a black dot getting bigger as it comes towards it.

― Jonnie, Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

The word 'tory' actually comes from the old Irish word 'toraidhe', which was a type of fighter or warrior. Tories took to the hills and fought a not-very-successful guerilla campaign against the Cromwellian regime, and gradually the word was used to describe any political group that held out in the face of overwhelming change.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Accentmonkey, I have for many years believed that 'toraidhe' means 'robber' or 'thief', and that it was applied to the tories after one particular bout of taxation and stuck.

But I suppose you'd know better than I.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Jochen Rindt was formula 1's only posthumous world champion, in 1970.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

One scale for measurement of temperatures whose popularity has diminished steeply during the last decades is the Réaumur scale. The Réaumur scale shares its zero with the Celsius (centigrade) scale, but the boiling point of water is 80 degrees Réaumur. Although mostly forgotten today, it was given as one of "the three most frequently used scales for temperature" in a Norwegian quiz book from 1940. Today, the honour of appearing alongside the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales in the answer to such a question would undoubtedly go to the Kelvin scale, which is mainly used in the context of physical and chemical science.

― OleM (OleM), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Although interesting, I don't know if any of these posts are particularly "useful".

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Unless we are all professional pub-quizzers!

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:37 (twenty-two years ago)

http://cache.eonline.com/News/Photos/c/cheers.claven.050599.jpg
Ehh, funny thing about the phrase "odds and ends" there, Doggy.. The phrase is actually "odd ends" and it uh, refers to the end of a bolt of fabric. The remnant table, if you will.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The knot tying thing is useful!

In Go, always extend first after a crosscut.

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:43 (twenty-two years ago)

grains of rice in your hook boxes will absorb moisture and prevent your hooks from getting rusty

― chris (chris), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

To make your toilet paper sheets line up at the perforation, turn the topmost sheet over once.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:46 (twenty-two years ago)

The greasers cannot afford rings, cars, or other physical trappings of power that the Socs enjoy. Consequently, they must resort to more affordable markers of identity. By wearing their hair in a specific style, greasers distinguish themselves from other social groups. Conservative cultural values of the 1960s called for men to keep their hair short, and the greaser style is a clear transgression of this social convention. It is not only distinctive, but, as a physical characteristic, this hair is truly an organic part of the greaser persona.

― Chris 'The Velvet Bingo' V (Chris V), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Water does not swirl down plugholes/toilets clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere.

The coriolis force is not strong enough to impart control on such a small mass of water

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:48 (twenty-two years ago)

ooooh G to thread

― chris (chris), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

**This was SO in a pub quiz the other day and they said that it can't even though we said it could. **

I had this in a pub quiz recently too! Which pub quiz was yours? Perhaps it's simply an urban myth put about by pub quizmasters to make sure nobody gets maximum points.

― Mog, Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

81% of websites do not meet the first level (A) of the Web Access Initiative's accessibility criteria.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

The knot tying thing is useful!
Actually, so was the thing about fishing for Carp. Most others are just wacky facts and figures, so I'll include my own:

The highest point in the province of Saskatchewan is the Cypress Hills, at an elevation of 1392 metres. Insane! In the membrane!

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I've argued this before. It seems those who haven't experienced it first hand believe it to be a myth. If you empty water a foot either side of the equator, it will disappear in opposite directions. Directly over the line, no swirling.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, the Archel post reminded me:

When you're about to sneeze, if you decide you'd prefer to feel kinda robbed and dirty inside, you can press your top lip with your finger and it goes away.

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The knot tying thing is useful!

I'm glad it was - however, I just made that knot up - so please don't use it in a life-critical situation. (That's an even more useful fact.)

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Oooh! Smiling also helps calm the gagging reflex. I learned that on CSI once... So if you're looking at a smelly, dead body.. SMILE!!

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Mickey G - they did this on Blue Peter once.

― ___ (___), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmm, useful, that's tricky. If you get bitten by a snake or spider, don't try to cut or suck out the venom.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Some characters used in the Nordic languages, often regarded by foreigners as accented or ligatured versions of other letters, are actually separate letters with their proper place in the alphabet:

Norwegian and Danish alphabet:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZÆØÅ

Swedish alphabet:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZÅÄÖ

Icelandic alphabet:
AÁBCDÐEÉFGHIÍJKLMNOÓPQRSTUÚVWXYÝZÞÆÖ

Sometimes, however, letters originally not used in words of the language are also not regarded as part of the alphabet -- for instance, W is apparently sometimes not counted in the Danish alphabet, while the same goes for C, Q and W in the Icelandic one. Z was an integral part of Icelandic orthography (e.g. íslenzk = Icelandic) until a few decades ago, when it was replaced by S.

― OleM (OleM), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

when walking across an icy pathway, always heel and toe, heel and toe

― chris (chris), Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

When lumberjacks are cutting trees down in Clerkenwell do not go outside for a fag because you'll get sawdust in your eyes.

― Jonnie, Thursday, 10 June 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Dave, do you you know any decent real ones? I'd like to know!

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't waste white wine on red wine spills - at best you'll just dilute and spread the stain, at worst you're losing nice booze.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Be sure to put on your clothes before you go to work.

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

The "Random page" link at Wikipedia will teach you very many things, some of them useful.

― OleM (OleM), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

a tucked half blood knot:

pass line through eye of hook (or other fastening) twist back on itself 6 times, pass end through gap next to eye, then pass back through loop created.

a hangman's noose is based on this knot iirc, as it'll slip and tighten around anything in it's path

― chris (chris), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Further to the red wine stain comment, do not put salt on a red wine either. Use bicarb of soda or flush it with soda water instead.

(OK I can't claim credit for this tip - but it's amazing what you learn watching 'How Clean Is Your House')

― Mog, Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

When you sneeze you have a minor orgasm.

Other way around for me.

And as for the equator, you can recreate the effects, but my point (which you ignored) is that over the equator, it holds true.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:04 (twenty-two years ago)

The Braille alphabet originally had no 'W', as obviously it was invented by a Frenchman. One was added later.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:04 (twenty-two years ago)

They don't have the traditional W in France?

Arsene Wenger must have had a nightmare when they called the register in school.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I know lots of good knots ... they all have their uses. The one I use the most, I'll try to explain:

hold the end of the rope in your right hand and with your left hand hold about two feet up the rope. Hold both hands in front of you.

Cross your right hand over the rope in your left hand and then bring it up toward yourself (like you're going to punch yourself in the gut.)

Put the right end around behind the rope in your left hand and then pull it through the loop that is around your wrist. (The loop got there when you crossed over and puched yourself inthe gut.)

Pull tight, bitch.

That is one strong knot. (knot enthusiasts, try to guess which one that is..)

xpost

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

A quick look at my French dictionary and the only Ws are foreign imports.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Pauvre Arsene, I wonder if his W was the source of teasing?

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:14 (twenty-two years ago)

applying firm pressure to your top lip will usually eradicate the immediate threat of a sneeze

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The Swahili word Mazungu (referring to the white man) means, literally, man without smell.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Life is like a box of chocolates - bloody fantastic.

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

(Wenger sounds German innit)

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i was expecting this thread to have more educational type information.

(that sneeze preventing technique is only temporary though)

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Its possessive has no apostrophe.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:49 (twenty-two years ago)

If you spear several pieces of asparagus with a shishkabob skewer, so that when they are all skewered together they vaguely resemble a picket fence, they are made very easy to cook on a grill. Add a little olive oil. Delicious.

― rasheed wallace (rasheed wallace), Thursday, 10 June 2004 12:55 (twenty-two years ago)

The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology:

DNA is transcribed to RNA, which is translated into protein. DNA can also be replicated to make more copies of the DNA. Only viruses make RNA from RNA or DNA from RNA.

There, now you know the basics of molecular biology.

― quincie, Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

The weaving industry helped to create the first "computers" because it desired a more automated method of manufacturing that would replace small children sitting on the tops of the looms pulling the threads into different patterns. In the early nineteenth century, Jacquard invented sets of punchcards that controlled the threads, and these punchcards could be distributed to factories all over the world.

― Jocelyn (Jocelyn), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I had this in a pub quiz recently too! Which pub quiz was yours? Perhaps it's simply an urban myth put about by pub quizmasters to make sure nobody gets maximum points.

Mog, if you're reading, it was the pub quiz at Molly Malones in Hitchin.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:15 (twenty-two years ago)

i was expecting this thread to have more educational type information.

Yes, these are all very good hints and tips so far, but let's try and keep it more educative and less day-to-day practical. I wanna be able to look smart and show off at parties! (I am a linguistics graduate - it is my nature).

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

the last two or three have been more in the style. Tell me a bit about something you studied or something you know from where you work.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Evolution is not random; neutral theory proves that natural selection holds back genetic changes in chunks of DNA that fulfil a useful function, while redundant DNA and pseudogenes mutate much more quickly.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Designing your webpages around a central style sheet css file will assist you greatly when it comes to both formatting text and changing graphics and colours either entirely or on a page by page basis

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Dark text on light background looks best for close up screen reading, but for long distance I have noticed the reverse to be true

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:42 (twenty-two years ago)

it is crucial to get at least an hour of cardiovascular activity at least 4 times a week, if not every day.

― cutty (mcutt), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

By cardiovascular, do you mean anything that involves getting the heart rate going?

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Diaphragm singing

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, i read the diaphragm thing earlier Dan and was practicing in my lunch break - thanks for that :-)

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Excuse me, I just have to go and bury myself alive having realised that despite being in education for 20 years off and on and now being at masters level, I can think of NOTHING useful I have learned in that time to contribute to this thread.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

There's been only one Republican presdential ticket since 1952 that didn't have a Bush, Dole or Nixon on it.

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Emile Heskey's middle name is Ivanhoe.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

To play a simple E minor chord on the guitar, place your middle finger on the second bass string at the second fret. Place your ring finger on the third string directly underneath.

So it looks like this

(treble strings)
E---0---
A---0---
D---0---
G---2---
B---2---
E---0---
(bass strings)

Where 0=open strings and 2=the fret you should hold down (the second fret).

Try and keep your fingers firmly pressed on the strings between the two raised sections that form the fret. Now strum using your wrist, not your elbow. You should here a resonant, slightly sad-sounding chord.

Now try adding a finger to the 1st fret of the second string:

(treble strings)
E---0---
A---0---
D---1---
G---2---
B---2---
E---0---
(bass strings)

You have just played E Major - a happier sounding chord!

(apologies if I got the names of the strings the wrong way around. I think they're correct but can never remember).

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

You've got the strings mixed up in both diagrams, it should be:
E
B
G
D
A
E

Other than that, you've got the finger placements themselves right.

― NA (Nick A.), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

(With bass strings on bottom and treble on top)

― NA (Nick A.), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Archel, don't worry, it's taken me this long to come up with anything and I've just posted something I bet everyone knows anyway.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Kinch keeps a transmitter in the coffee pot.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

D'oh! NA, thanks - I knew that would happen. See, I'm no good at anything!

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Gan from Blakes 7 couldn't kill anyone because of the limiter in his brain.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Tell me a bit about something you studied or something you know from where you work.

Slash fan-fiction (that in which characters get it awn) is so called because of the slash that divides the names when you're categorising it. It started gay - the first slashfic was Kirk/Spock. If you wanna be pretentious, you could say that this draws attention to latent figures of language (ie the textual slash) in the way it draws attention to latent erotic possibilities...

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

(I will totally be practicing knots and diaphragm singing when I get home!)

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

you may want to have 9-1 dialed in, with one finger poised ...

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Accentmonkey, I have for many years believed that 'toraidhe' means 'robber' or 'thief', and that it was applied to the tories after one particular bout of taxation and stuck.
But I suppose you'd know better than I.

Not necessarily, Tim. I read it in a book. But it was a book by someone very clever, so I believed it.

I like Jocelyn's one best, because I never knew that, and I also never knew that Jacquard was a person.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

the reason food and drinks are so expensive at museums and galleries is because they are nonpreferred private goods. this means the goods are not part of the core organisational values (nonpreferred) and are chargeable on a discrete level for services not necessarily available to everyone (private).

this is compared to the pricing structure (often discounted or even free-- not based on the 'worth' of the visit) of museums to allow people into their spaces (preferred public good, generally), and so on.

― colette (a2lette), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

The random factor that seperates human speech from synthesised speech meaning we cannot say the same word in exactly the same way more than once is called "jitter".

Try saying the word "cat" to yourself - no matter how hard you try, it will always come out sounding slightly different.

Type the word "cat" into a simple speech emulation program on your PC and you'll find it says it in exactly the same way every time.

Jitter is one of the main reasons boffins are tearing their hair out when trying to emulate human-like speech synthesis. Programming a computer to use a small amount of random jitter does not produce satisfactory results - the voice still sounds different to that of a real human being. Therefore, jitter, though it is so tiny and seemingly random, actually has its own rules and plays a big part in recognising human speech. It also accounts for why we can understand people shouting from far away, or via a crackly phoneline - even if we cannot catch every consonant or syllable, our brains can account for this by analysing the intonation and wavering of the voice.

Incidentally, the vocoder was originally invented to limit the amount of information being passed through telephone lines by eliminating jitter and intonation through convolution, hence making for speedier and more efficient transferal of information over the phone.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Toothpaste works really well for getting label residue off CD cases.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

In Norway it is illegal for the barman to serve you another drink until you finish the one you have.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

"Allspice" is actually not a blend of many spices, as i had originally thought. It is simply pimento.

I was disappointed when i found this out.

― chrisco (chrisco), Thursday, 10 June 2004 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

The scabies mite can infest every part of the body from the neck down.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 10 June 2004 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

In Irish, the vowels are divided into 2 groups,
caol (slender): i and e
leathan (broad): a, o, u

A rule in Irish spelling is that the vowel following a consonant or group of consonants must belong to the same group as the vowel that preceded the consonants.

so if you saw the word for 'window' spelt as 'fuinnog', you would know this was a mis-spelling, because the vowel before the two n's is caol, and the vowel following them is leathan. The correct spelling is 'fuinneog'.

In the possessive case you add an 'e' to the word. So 'bottom of the window' would be 'cul na fuinneoge'. But this is wrong, because now a leathan vowel precedes the 'g' and a caol vowel follows it. So the correct spelling is 'cul na fuinneoige'.

Another example: 'California' cannot be written like this in Irish, because it breaks the rule (3 times!), so you write it as 'Caileafoirnia'.

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 10 June 2004 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

the phrase "mind your p's and q's" comes from metal typesetting, wherein p's look exactly like q's, since they're backwords. d's mess you up as well.

Also the phrase "Uppercase" and "Lowercase" letters refers specifically to where the letters are kept. The capitals were kept in the upper case, and the rest of the letters in the lower case.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 10 June 2004 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

mind your p's and q's
I always wondered. That is my favorite factoid of the day.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"Möchten Sie meine Schlange saugen?"

"Would you like to suck my dick?"

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

What does "oh wie schon ich hab deinen busen bemerkt" mean?

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"Oh, I have noticed how lovely your breasts are!"

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

hmmm. dirty little kid..

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

When P.B. Shelley drowned, they burned his body on the beach. Lord Byron reached into his chest and retrieved his heart, which Mary Shelley kept for the rest of her life.

― Jocelyn (Jocelyn), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Rats cannot vomit.

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

There are exactly ten parts of the human body that are 3 letters long (no slang, rudery)
Homework: Name them

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:43 (twenty-two years ago)

arm
leg
eye
ear
toe
lip
hip
jaw
rib
gum

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:45 (twenty-two years ago)

That was quick.

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I know stuff.

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't it "gums"?

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

sac

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

No.

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

MORE MORE! This thread is just getting good!

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 June 2004 19:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Famous last words:
Captain Oates-"I am going outside and may be some time."
Emperor Claudius "O Gods, I think I have shat myself!"
H.G. Wells-"Go away. I'm all right."

― Jocelyn (Jocelyn), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

most cats like most to be pet under their chin, at the base of their ears, and on and around the glands that are on either side of their mouth. some cats like a gentle belly rubbing or a good butt rub, but many will react violently to such advances, so it is best to not attempt until you know the cat well.
nobody knows exactly what occurs, physiologically speaking, when a cat purrs.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:33 (twenty-two years ago)

tabby cats are virtually identical to the wild african cats from which housecats are descended from. that is why they can be straight up bitches sometimes.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Einstein didn't win his Nobel Prize for his most famous work, the Theory of Relativity.
He won for his work on the Photoelectric Effect.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

horseshoe crabs lay their eggs in the sand just above high tide mark on the same beach they were spawned - they usually do it in early June, on the full moon or a bright night.

― Maria D., Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

WD40 is an excellent chain degreaser for your bicycle.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

you can eat young dandelion greens

― Maria D., Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

When shooting a basketball, keep your shooting elbow in line with your body, ie it shouldn't bend outward. Keep your shoulder squared towards the hoop. This is very important, for even if your lower body is aimed askew, having your shoulders/chest aimed towards the rim will help your aim. Let the ball lie in your palm, rather than on top of your fingers. Spread your fingers as wide as comfortably possible. Place your non-shooting hand gently on the side of the ball; its only involvement in the shot is to steady the ball in your grip. Snap your wrist directly down. The ball should roll off your finger tips smoothly. You should fling it towards the hoop with your fingers. There is no pushing involved. This creates a high arcing shot with a bit of backwards spin. The high arc minimizes the chances that it will be blocked, while the back spin deadens the ball once it hits the rim or the backboard thereby maximizing the chance of the ball falling into the hoop. Follow through with your arm after the ball is released, but then immediately run towards the basket and anticipate the rebound.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

correction: you should NOT fling it towards the hoop with your fingers. It should float gracefully.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Someone tell me what trigonometry is about aside from identities and radians. I took it 6-7 years ago and have no clue what it is anymore.

― vleeetrmx21 (Leee), Thursday, 10 June 2004 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

SOMETHING I LEARNED TODAY: If you need to do a mathematical comparison within an SQL DECODE statement (seeing whether A is less than or greater than B), you can use the SIGN statement and some rudimentary math. The SIGN statement returns a 1 if the value of the calculation is positive, and 0 if negative. So, for instance, if you need to figure out whether A is less than B, you do this:

DECODE(SIGN(B - A, 0, 'A is greater than B', 'A is less than or equal to B')) as TheTruth;

Translation - if the difference between B and A is negative, store the first quoted statement in TheTruth; otherwise, store the 2nd quoted statement in TheTruth. Peasy! (It only took me a few hours to find this out!)

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 10 June 2004 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Trig = "I will show you fear in a pageful of vertices."

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 10 June 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

The foundation of single variable calculus is using theorized approximations to calculate an exact value.

― vleeetrmx21 (Leee), Thursday, 10 June 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Feel free to trounce my understanding of calculus.

One of Freud's earlier papers was on the aenesthetic benefits of cocaine.

― vleeetrmx21 (Leee), Thursday, 10 June 2004 21:45 (twenty-two years ago)

If you're changing your letters in Scrabble to go for a bingo, keep (unless you have duplicates): A's, Es, Is, S's, T's, R's and N's. Everything else will only get in the way. (Unless you already have 'ing', in which case keep the 'g' too, obviously).

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops is amazing on this thread.

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 10 June 2004 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

why thank you, gregory

another great spot to pet a cat is right where their shoulderblades meet. you can get a little rough, but not as rough as with a dog. dig your fingers in a little. you can stroke underneath their chin and then move down to this area.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 10 June 2004 23:53 (twenty-two years ago)

to quickly convert kilometers per hour to miles per hour, halve the number and then add the first digit (or first two, if it is over 100) of the original number. so, if it is 100kph, you cut it in half and get 50, then add 10, giving you 60mph. it's not exact, but it's close enough.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 10 June 2004 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The first American law concerning marijuana, passed by the Virginia assembly in 1619, required every household to grow it.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think I meant shoulderblades. it suppose it would be where their collarbones meet, but do cats have collarbones?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)

nobody knows exactly what occurs, physiologically speaking, when a cat purrs.

I read somewhere it is thought they do this to massage their internal organs or somesuch.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:09 (twenty-two years ago)

there are certain points along the RPM range at which you can shift gears in a car without using the clutch. it is easiest to do in the highest gear, and gets more difficult with each lower gear.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Re the Irish lesson above:

similar restrictions occur in Finnish. The Finnish language has two groups of vowels that cannot mix in the same word:

1) A, O, U
2) Ä, Ö, Y.

The vowels E and I, however, can occur with vowels of either group.

For this reason, many word endings occur in two forms. The ending -sta, for instance, means "from ...": Espoosta = from (the Finnish town of) Espoo. "From Jyväskylä", on the other hand, cannot be "Jyväskylästa", since this mixes A and Y/Ä in the same word -- it is "Jyväskylästä". (If the only vowels a word contains are I and/or E, this ending also becomes "stä": Helsingissä "from Helsinki".)

Many apparent exceptions occur, sticking to place names we have e.g. Hämeenlinna and Ylivieska, but these are compounds.

― OleM (OleM), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

when trying to tackle someone in (american) football, focus in on their waist, as that is where one's center of gravity is located. It is next to impossible to make fakes with one's waist (no matter what crazy things they are doing with the rest of their body in an attempt to fool you, their waist will tip you off to where they are truly headed) and it is harder to break a tackle that is made around the waist.

When trying to avoid being tackled, unless the whole defense is behind you it is wise to not run at top-speed initially. This will allow you to give a burst of speed at the right moment and also switch directions, or cut, more easily and effectively. For fakes, make simple yet drastic ones. Don't over do it, as you run a good chance of either faking yourself out or having the defender bite on the first fake yet still tackle your fancy ass cause your second fake puts you right back in his path. Keep the ball close to your body, with one end nudged into your elbow and your fingers wrapped around the other. When a tackle is imminent, wrap your other arm and hand around the ball TIGHTLY. Try to hit them, imparting as much of your momentum as possible onto them. Bear your head down. Get your knees up high and try to drive through the defender.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh and re the spinning water anti-clockwise thing: I can assure everyone the water does NOT swirl anti-clockwise down australian toilets, because it doesnt "swirl" at all, we dont have weird loos 3/4 full of water. It just, like, flushes.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

You do not need to use deed poll to change your name in Scotland. if you have actively been using a name for two years, all you need is confirmation signed by your lawyer.

― ___ (___), Friday, 11 June 2004 11:03 (twenty-two years ago)

If you have savings sitting in a deposit account, and haven't yet applied for a cash mini ISA, do so straight away. It's tax free, the interest rates are higher, and it's just as easy to withdraw the cash (though once withdrawn you can't re-deposit it) as from any other bank account. Internet banks like IF and Cahoot tend to have the best rates. You can save up to £3,000 per financial year in your ISA.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 11 June 2004 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Ladybirds have poisonous knees.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Friday, 11 June 2004 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Along with rats (as Luna mentioned above), horses can't vomit. Given the chance, they will eat themselves sick with colic on something they love (e.g. if they're let loose in an apple orchard).

Also, all racehorses technically share the same birthday: January 1st.

― sgs (sgs), Friday, 11 June 2004 11:52 (twenty-two years ago)

A cow has 13¾ stomachs, but would gladly trade in 12¾ of them if only she could eat something tastier than grass.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 11 June 2004 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

if you take a prime number p, and any other number a, and work out a^p - a (that's a times a times... times a (with p copies of a) minus a), the result is divisible by p; for example, 2^5 - 2 = 2*2*2*2*2 - 2 = 32-2=30 is a multiple of 5.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 11 June 2004 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

oh dear.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 11 June 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

If you have a problem with mice...

a) they can get through any hole that you can fit the end of a biro through

b) block it with wire-wool. They always nibble through the old gap if you use filler, but the texture of wire-wool puts them off. Which is understandable

c) they really like nutella on bread rather than cheese on a mousetrap

― ___ (___), Friday, 11 June 2004 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

nobody knows exactly what occurs, physiologically speaking, when a cat purrs.

This is true to a point, but science has narrowed it down to a couple different options:

Cats have a second set of membranes above their vocal chords which, when vibrating, may be how they purr. (From what I understand, in large cats these membranes are involved in roaring as well.)

It is also possible that purring is a function of some small bones near the throat which connect the cat's skull and larynx.

Apparently the problem with finding a definite answer is the fact that it's hard to get a cat to purr while you are scoping out those small bones.

― martin m. (mushrush), Friday, 11 June 2004 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

When trying to avoid being tickled, unless the whole defense is behind you it is wise to not run at top-speed initially

― Maria D., Friday, 11 June 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I purr when I'm happy, and it's a pharynx/palate thing, as far as I can tell.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 11 June 2004 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Can you talk and purr at the same time? Because cats can. (Well, they can meow while purring I mean.)

― martin m. (mushrush), Friday, 11 June 2004 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

a^p - a

1^2 - 1 = 0
0 / 2 = ?

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 11 June 2004 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

The average human being swallows over 400 gallons of other people’s saliva during a lifetime, most of it as a result of face-to-face conversations.

The cowboy actor John Wayne (real name Mavis Micklewhite) invented the sewing machine.

― C J (C J), Friday, 11 June 2004 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

0 / 2 = 0

ergo everything is a multiple of 0.

― vleeetrmx21 (Leee), Friday, 11 June 2004 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Everything is a factor of zero. Nothing is a multiple of zero.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 11 June 2004 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks Curt1sss, I can never get the vocabulary straight.

― vleeetrmx21 (Leee), Friday, 11 June 2004 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The cowboy actor John Wayne (real name Mavis Micklewhite) invented the sewing machine.

no, the first working sewing machine was invented by barthelemy thimonnier in 1830. he was almost killed by a group of enraged taylors who burnt down his factory because they thought his new invention would put them out of business.

and john wayne's real name was marion morrison.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

dog latin, you can say that you post on the same message board as a cousin of Matt Groening's!

― vleeetrmx21 (Leee), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

The dog on the cracker jack box is named Bingo.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"Bingo"

― martin m. (mushrush), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

that is the most useless thing ever, luna

― oops (Oops), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

It's not actually - I know way more useless stuff.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

that was a bit harsh. perhaps I will encounter some demented supervillian who will spare my life if I tell him the name of the cracker jack dog. thanks in advance for saving my life.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

You're welcome.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Asshat.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Bite me, snotrocket.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

In the phrase "once in a blue moon", a blue moon actually refers to a second full moon that appears in a given month. This only occurs every 2-3 years.

― kickitcricket (kickitcricket), Friday, 11 June 2004 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Thelonious Monk's middle name was "Sphere"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 12 June 2004 00:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Justyn - I was being silly

― C J (C J), Saturday, 12 June 2004 06:16 (twenty-two years ago)

damn, i was afraid of that. king pedant strikes again.

so was that bit about swallowing 400 gallons of saliva a gag too? cos otherwise i'm standing a good 4 feet away from everyone i talk to for the rest of my life.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Saturday, 12 June 2004 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm afraid I made that up too, Justyn. One of the perils of posting here after having drunk an entire jug of Pimms:)

But I was pleased to learn the real story about the invention of the sewing machine - I didn't know that before!

― C J (C J), Saturday, 12 June 2004 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Peppermint used to be illegal in part of Europe. They said it made the troops lazy.

― Maria D., Saturday, 12 June 2004 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Dandelion leaves make an excellent, nutritious ingredient in any salad. Just make you sure wash the dog piss off first.

― Charles Dexter (Holey), Saturday, 12 June 2004 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Licorice raises your blood pressure.

Oops, I thought the center of gravity in men was in the shoulders, and the in the hips for women. Still makes sense to tackle at the waist regardless, anyway.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Saturday, 12 June 2004 15:36 (twenty-two years ago)

When growing a basil plant, snipping leaves keeps it from growing tall and flowering (and thus tasting more woody or something). With pruning, it continues to grow and becomes bushier.

So make lots of pesto. Pour pesto into an ice cube tray, freeze, and put cubes into zip lock bags, and then you'll have little servings of pesto to mix into dishes all winter.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Saturday, 12 June 2004 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

a number is divisible by 11 if and only if the alternating sum of its digits is; a number is divisible by 9 if (and only if) the sum of its digits is.

― dave k, Saturday, 12 June 2004 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

When painting a room, it's always a good idea to make at least one wall a darker color than, but in the same color family as, the rest of the walls in the room. This makes the wall seem recessed and thus makes the whole room look bigger.

(Oh the things one learns when one watches "Queer Eye"....)

― Those Beautiful Lines (Dee the Lurker), Monday, 14 June 2004 03:48 (twenty-two years ago)

This is my favorite of all the lessons posted thus far:

I'll end up spending an hour sometime soon trying this out, you realize. :)

― Those Beautiful Lines (Dee the Lurker), Monday, 14 June 2004 03:55 (twenty-two years ago)

abraham lincoln = jack the ripper.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 14 June 2004 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The world's highest sustained wind speed was recorded on Mt. Washington (elev.6288) in New Hampshire, US in 1934 at 231 MPH.

Practical Application: Don't go there when it's breezy.

― jim wentworth (wench), Monday, 14 June 2004 04:14 (twenty-two years ago)

center of gravity in the shoulders? seems a bit high, though yeah, I bet you are right about it being higher in men than women. mmmmm lower center of gravity

― oops (Oops), Monday, 14 June 2004 04:39 (twenty-two years ago)

there really aren't alligators in the NYC sewer system.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 14 June 2004 04:41 (twenty-two years ago)

saying "kurwa mac!" to a pole WILL result in you getting yer ass kicked.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 14 June 2004 04:44 (twenty-two years ago)

With apologies to Barry, please do not ude wd-40 on your bike. Yes, the degreasing effect is good but when it dries it leaves a sticky, dirt attracting residue.
Adding oil to pasta water does not keep your pasta from being sticky. If you have a problem with sticky pasta, use wd-40.

― Speedy (Speedy Gonzalas), Monday, 14 June 2004 07:24 (twenty-two years ago)

No, don't. Use more water, instead.

― Speedy (Speedy Gonzalas), Monday, 14 June 2004 07:24 (twenty-two years ago)

a number is divisible by 9 if (and only if) the sum of its digits is.

^also true for 3

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 14 June 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

REVIVE!

Okay, to reiterate - rather than turn this into a "Top Household Tips" thread, let's keep this fairly academic. Teach everyone something that'll make them sound smart at parties.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)


  H H
  | |
H-C-C-H
  | |
  H H

= methane

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 08:45 (twenty-one years ago)

fuck i mean ethane.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 08:45 (twenty-one years ago)

it took two posts, i've failed.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 08:45 (twenty-one years ago)

More famous last words:
Walt Whitman (ill in bed) - "Hold me up, I need to shit"

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

A cat can survive a fall from any height, since its terminal velocity is half that of humans. Exceptions occur around the seven-storey mark, because up to this point the cat tenses up while falling, making it less likely that it will survive. Above seven storeys, the cat relaxes.

― Sam (chirombo), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 09:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Another easy way is to just mulitply the speed limit by .6. If it's 50 km, it's 30 mph. If it's 40 km., it's 24 mph.

A cat can survive a fall from any height, since its terminal velocity is half that of humans.

There's got to be a point where the cat just splatters, despite what it's feet are doing.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 12:02 (twenty-one years ago)

depends on what that terminal velocity actually is.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

If its terminal velocity is low enough, there's no reason why it should.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm off to try it out now.

― Sam (chirombo), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, so this is really basic and obvious and yet really wanky at the same time, but I only learnt it last month and still think it's kinda cool so... : A question with n possible answers can't be formulated to realiably distinguish between more than n information states.

So, take yes-no type questions, which have 2 answers: there can exist no yes-no question that you can ask to find out if someone's daughter is 1,2 or 3 years old.

This has semicool applications like: if you've got three dudes called Abe, Bill and Colin, and you wanna know which is which, there are six possible states: ABC, ACB, BAC, BCA, CAB and CBA. Since 2^2 = 4, there's no way you can work it out even with two yes-no questions. Etc!

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Sounds a bit like the pigeonhole principle - if you have more pigeons than holes, at least one hole must have more than one pigeon in.

Also basic and obvious, but has fun applications - at least one person (probably hundreds or thousands) in your city has the same number of hairs on their head as you do!

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:11 (twenty-one years ago)

For a group of 20 people, it's statistically more likely that two of them share a birthday than not.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:16 (twenty-one years ago)

how on earth does that work out?

10% of human beings who have ever existed are still alive today.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a Straight Dope column about this if anyone cares to search for it, but as I remember, the likelihood of a cat's survival decrease exponentially for each floor higher you drop them from, UNTIL you hit a certain height (might be 7th floor, don't remember), and then the chances of survival start to increase. They're not sure exactly why this is, but the theories include the above-mentioned relaxation of the body before impact, and the more interesting idea that with enough time, a cat can spread itself out and build up some small amount of wind resistance (like a flying (gliding) squirrel) which slows down its rate of descent. I'm assuming that this only holds true up to a certain height, and that if you dropped a cat from the 30th floor or whatever, it wouldn't comically come to a halt in midair just before hitting the ground.

― St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

10% of human beings who have ever existed are still alive today.

??!?!?

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

the daddy long legs spiders in your place are females, the males die after sex. heh

― donna (donna), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Do not feed Mogwais after midnight.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

The word 'sequoia' contains all the vowels.

― mcd (mcd), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:34 (twenty-one years ago)

The way it works is 20 people can form 190 potential different pairs - since you're not specifying any individual date, all you need is for one of those to be a match. The probability of a match by date, therefore, is 365/190=1.921. The probability of there not being a match is 365/(365-190)=2.086. So more likely than not.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Um... how exactly did they gather all this cat-falling data? Can I be part of the scientific team working on this important theory?

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)

OK, here is the Straight Dope column on falling cats. The data was collected from New York vets.

― St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

(The word 'sequoia' contains all the vowels. - don't think so! :-)

'nother language lesson:
in the 'stonian tongue, words are pronounced like they're written

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Tiit, you've missed some letters there.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

WHA?
'postrophe rules, dude!

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Kurt Cobain strung his guitars with piano wire, hence the distinct thick tone.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Uh, no.

― St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

NUH HUH JURK

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, Kurt Cobain claimed to string his guitars with piano wire.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Standard mandolin tuning = G D A E.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 16:02 (twenty-one years ago)

If you're switching to mandolin from guitar and having trouble getting chord fingering correct, sometimes it helps to think of it as the lowest four strings on the guitar, reversed.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

who dropped all those cats? the vets? or did they just question the droppers after the event?
who drops cats from 7 stories up anyway?

― donna (donna), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

If you ever get an ice cream headache, put your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. Your headache will disappear quickly.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

One of George III's nicknames (apart from Krazy Kraut and Your Insanity) was 'Farmer George', due to his interest in agricultural improvements. Curiously George is derived from the Greek name Georgios which was derived from the Greek word georgos meaning "farmer, earthworker", so they could have just stuttered 'Farmer Farmer' or 'George George'.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

The fax machine was invented in 1842. The telephone wasn't invented until 1876.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Europe didn't have horses until Columbus brought them from America.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Were there no horses in Asia anywhere? That seems odd.

Wasn't it the same for tomatoes, too? Weren't they brought over to Europe from the Americas?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Potatos, too, I think. And vice versa for cows?

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh dear, I was only responding to Aldo Cowpat's obvious joke with another joke, I didn't think anyone would take it seriously.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:24 (twenty-one years ago)

what joke?

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, unless he's talking about the telegraph, I don't think he's telling the truth.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I think he's right about the fax thing. I believe there was a way to use the telegraph to transmit docs.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, a little googleresearching yields a few confirmed produce items that weren't available in Europe pre-popular-discovery of Americas - tomatoes, potatoes, corn.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Facsimile transmission over wires or faxing was invented by Alexander Bain, a Scottish mechanic who in 1843 received a British patent for “improvements in producing and regulating electric currents and improvements in timepieces and in electric printing and signal telegraphs.” Seven years earlier, Samuel Morse invented the telegraph and the fax machine evolved from the telegraph technology.

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blfax.htm

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

a common ukelele tuning is GCEA. So if you put a capo on the 5th fret of your guitar and ignore the low E and A string you can practice uke chords on guitar and double uke parts with guitar on recordings. Sounds good.

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

My uke is tuned like a mandolin (G D A E)! I hope that's not bad for the strings.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Last Words:

Oscar Wilde

"Either that wallpaper goes, or I go."

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

They don't have the traditional W in France?

It is considered an exotic consonant though obviously the Walloons use it. Wenger might be an Alsatian or immigrant name. Many germanic and norse words or names that begin with W in English begin with GU in French, i.e. William/Guillaume, War/Guerre, or Wicket/Guichet.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

xª + yª = zª has no non-zero integer solutions for x, y and z when a > 2

I have discovered a truly remarkable proof which this dialogue box is too small to contain...

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The Last Words of Dutch Schultz

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 18:59 (twenty-one years ago)

OH I LOVE THE LAST WORDS OF DUTCH SCHULTZ! William Burroughs did too, apparently.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah Burroughs is the reason I thought of that.

More last words:
"I have just had 18 whiskeys in a row. I do believe that is a record" - Dylan Thomas

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

From that Straight Dope link: "I got another note telling about some moron who dropped (a) a cat and (b) a chicken out of a Cessna at 800 feet to see what would happen. The cat survived. The chicken didn't."

― The Dreaded Rear Admiral (Leee), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I read that and secretly hoped they went down together and the reason the cat lived is cause he spent the entire descent riding the chicken's ass.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 21:57 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

More of this kind of thing plz!

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 24 December 2004 10:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Horses can die of indigestion (thanks to CSI for this snippet).

The thought of a cat chasing a chicken manically for the few seconds-worth of drop tickles my fanny.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 24 December 2004 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)

You should never eat a polar bear's liver due to possible vitamin A overdose.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 24 December 2004 11:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Male mosquitoes do not bite.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 24 December 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Ooh, I can follow Onimo's penultimate one. The discovery of a new species of human, homo floriensis, which lived up to (and possibly beyond) 13,000 years ago, was made when the skeleton of a woman was discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores. The woman's bones showed growths and deformities caused by eating the livers of carnivores and thereby causing hypervitaminosis A.

However, the length of time the woman lived with the condition proved that her society cared for its frail and sick, which (I think) is tyhe first evidence of such social behaviour.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 24 December 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

"Stewardesses" is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand on a qwerty keyboard.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 24 December 2004 11:42 (twenty-one years ago)

"Hypervitaminosis" sounds much better than "Vitamin A overdose"

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 24 December 2004 11:44 (twenty-one years ago)

but less specific

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 24 December 2004 11:47 (twenty-one years ago)

unless you put the A in the end

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 24 December 2004 11:48 (twenty-one years ago)

You can't push a rope.

― aimurchie, Friday, 24 December 2004 12:06 (twenty-one years ago)

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