Today I Learned

[symbolipoint]

T.I.L., "Long in the Tooth", upon reading the posting https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/basic-skills-that-kids-are-lacking.1085619/post-7314998 .

https://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/long-in-the-tooth-meaning-origin-usage

So the member used a comparison between self and an aged equine animal. Which also may suggest the member should check with his dentist or dental hygienist to prevent further gum, dental, or bone problems.

 

[DaveC426913]

T.I.L., "Long in the Tooth", upon reading the posting https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/basic-skills-that-kids-are-lacking.1085619/post-7314998 .

Neither that post nor that thread seems to exist in any form I can find.

 

[symbolipoint]

Neither that post nor that thread seems to exist in any form I can find.

They did when I quoted from them. Admin actions? I will try to look according to my level.

...
ok, #63 by Bandersnatch, in the topic Basic Skills that kids are lacking. He mentioned "long in the tooth".

 

[DaveC426913]

They did when I quoted from them. Admin actions? I will try to look according to my level.

...
ok, #63 by Bandersnatch, in the topic Basic Skills that kids are lacking. He mentioned "long in the tooth".

Again: I don't find any such thread, nevermind post. Nor does a search return any results.

Did my forum membership expire??

TIL: there are sections of the forum I have no access to and are apparently invisible to me. Like "dark PF"?

 

[symbolipoint]

Again: I don't find any such thread, nevermind post. Nor does a search return any results.

Did my forum membership expire??

TIL: there are sections of the forum I have no access to and are apparently invisible to me. Like "dark PF"?

Let me try to post just 1 link.

Post in thread 'Basic skills that kids are lacking'

Jul 4, 2026

I am myself getting somewhat longer in the tooth, yet I've never written a cheque in my life, nor know anyone who has. I barely even used cash in the past decade or so.
I grew up with analogue clocks everywhere, but would not be affected in any way if they all suddenly disappeared of the walls and clock towers.
Also, while automatic transmission has been making some headway in the past few years, it remains in a significant minority of cars around where I live.

Which is to say, y'all kinda sorta judging what kids should or shouldn't know by the standards of your time and place, which are...

• Bandersnatch

• 
• 
• 

There, the member mentioning being 'long in the tooth'.

 

[DaveC426913]

Let me try to post just 1 link.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/basic-skills-that-kids-are-lacking.1085619/post-7314990

I'm tellin' ya...

 

[symbolipoint]

I can't think of anything else. I went to the actual posting, used the link tool to copy and paste. The only other thing I can imagine is to go to that post again myself and use snipping tool to take an image and then put this image into a post here.

Main point was someone in another topic made a comment using "long in the tooth" and I learned what that expression meant, and then I made a literal interpretation to give dental care advice.

 

[symbolipoint]

DaveC426913
Now I believe I know what's going on. If I had thought about permissions and who has which category on the forum I might have said things differently. Are you permitted to view the subforum, Advisors' Lounge?

 

[Borg]

Are you permitted to view the subforum, Advisors' Lounge?

That is the issue. It's limited to Advisors, Homework Helpers and Mentors.

 

[symbolipoint]

That is the issue. It's limited to Advisors, Homework Helpers and Mentors.

My fault for not thinking thoroughly enough and taking as granted my ability to read and post there.

 

[Ibix]

Not today I learned, but today I was reminded of something. If you knock out the upper right segment of a seven-segment digit display then 5 and 9 are indistinguishable, as are 6 and 8. The reason I noticed this is that our microwave timer has a slightly italicised seven segment counter slightly recessed into the front panel, and from some angles that one segment is hidden for the last digit. The upshot of this is that as it counts down 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, it's indistinguishable from counting up 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. So every so often I look at the timer at just the wrong moment and panic that it's counting up before I remember I know the illusion.

 

[symbolipoint]

Not today I learned, but today I was reminded of something. If you knock out the upper right segment of a seven-segment digit display then 5 and 9 are indistinguishable, as are 6 and 8. The reason I noticed this is that our microwave timer has a slightly italicised seven segment counter slightly recessed into the front panel, and from some angles that one segment is hidden for the last digit. The upshot of this is that as it counts down 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, it's indistinguishable from counting up 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. So every so often I look at the timer at just the wrong moment and panic that it's counting up before I remember I know the illusion.

Yes those damned digital displays are trouble. We need analog displays with "hands" or pointers that turn.

 

[gmax137]

Yes those damned digital displays are trouble. We need analog displays with "hands" or pointers that turn.

Well, only us old-timers (get it?) can read those confounded analog clocks anyway...

 

[DaveE]

Yes those damned digital displays are trouble. We need analog displays with "hands" or pointers that turn.

This was (is?) a significant human factors design issue with aircraft cockpit displays. In older or cheaper aircraft the gauges were (are) designed so that if the needle was in the middle (usually up) everything was sort of, mostly, OK. But if you saw a needle off to the left or right, it attracted more focused attention. This enabled a quick scan of many gauges without much detailed thought. It doesn't work so well for a display of digits.

If you have the money, you can design Airbus style systems that will tell you the answer with text. Like "Master Caution! ITT temperature high in engine #2", or such. Gauge scan isn't required, at least at first. But nobody just gives you a list of numbers like a spreadsheet, that's to hard to understand.

Anyway, you shouldn't design this stuff piecemeal. The human brain is an important part of the process. Many engineers don't understand that.

 

[BillTre]

 

[BillTre]

 

[OmCheeto]

TIL that Flotsam and Jetsam were not only not what I thought they were, but there are two other types:



I think I'll have to hang up my sailor badge for being so daft.

 

[Swamp Thing]

TIL about an analog technique to create amazing fractal-like images. A camera looking at a monitor that is driven from the camera, while you tweak the hue, saturation, brightness, contrast etc.

 

[Hornbein]

Amazing. Who would imagine that such a thing could exist.

 

[jtbell]

Today I learned about worm grunting:

How worm grunting in Sopchoppy became a way of life and a tradition (WUSF / NPR)

 

[Borg]

TIL a new phrase - meat proxy.

A meat proxy is a person who copies and pastes AI-generated text, code, or answers and forwards them to others without reading, checking, or understanding them.

 

[Hornbein]

TIL a new phrase - meat proxy.

A meat proxy is a person who copies and pastes AI-generated text, code, or answers and forwards them to others without reading, checking, or understanding them.

I had someone do that on a tiny subject in which I'm an expert. It gave me a poor impression of AI.

 

[symbolipoint]

Often, spelling is important,
but specifically, T.I.L.
Canon versus Cannon; and that their languages of origin affected spelling

Set or arrangement of rules, guidelines, or regulations : canon
A big gun : cannon

 

[A.T.]

A meat proxy is a person who copies and pastes AI-generated text, code, or answers and forwards them to others without reading, checking, or understanding them.

Well, as long you are transparant about it and include all the AI-propmts in your speech...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/bill-oliver-ai-legislature-reaction-9.7296118

 

[DaveC426913]

TIL that (some?) button batteries now have a child safety feature.

Pulled this battery out of a Tamagotchi (electronic pet for children). Those little dots are solid blue ink that smudges when wet. You can see the ink where I moistened my finger and touched the battery. (In reality it gets quite messy quite fast.)

This is to make it easier to spot if a child has stuck the battery in their mouth.

(Note: it is an otherwise standard CR2032 battery, not proprietary.)

 

[collinsmark]

TIL that (some?) button batteries now have a child safety feature.

Yep, me too. I think this is something pretty new. Yesterday I saw a commercial (on YouTube) touting the feature on certain Energizer brand batteries. Apparently they'll prevent chemical burns in the digestive tract if swallowed.

 

[sbrothy]

This was (is?) a significant human factors design issue with aircraft cockpit displays. In older or cheaper aircraft the gauges were (are) designed so that if the needle was in the middle (usually up) everything was sort of, mostly, OK. But if you saw a needle off to the left or right, it attracted more focused attention. This enabled a quick scan of many gauges without much detailed thought. It doesn't work so well for a display of digits.

If you have the money, you can design Airbus style systems that will tell you the answer with text. Like "Master Caution! ITT temperature high in engine #2", or such. Gauge scan isn't required, at least at first. But nobody just gives you a list of numbers like a spreadsheet, that's to hard to understand.

Anyway, you shouldn't design this stuff piecemeal. The human brain is an important part of the process. Many engineers don't understand that.

View attachment 372924

Now for that simple contraption I’m sure it’s safe to skip RTFM.

 

[DaveC426913]

Yes those damned digital displays are trouble. We need analog displays with "hands" or pointers that turn.

Loosely related: From a certain distance, crosswalk countdowns are very diffcult to read.
A 12 looks very much like a 2 if you don't have excellent vision.

As a driver, I can't tell if the light is just about to turn yellow or if I've got plenty of time.

 

[sbrothy]

[…]
As a driver, I can't tell if the light is just about to turn yellow or if I've got plenty of time.[…]

I’m sure you’re right. It just sounds like famous last words.

 

[sbrothy]

A person told me today that a friend of his died because he didn’t fasten his seatbelt and was thus thrown through the windshield. When I then pointed out the importance of doing that he told me that he also never uses the seatbelt! One wonders.