Today I Learned

[LCSphysicist]

I have been learning a third language!
TIL 1 that, when i forget how to say something in the language number 3, instead to immediately think how to say it on my mother language, first i pass to english, and then i pass to my first language XD.
TIL 2 Not satisfied with the fact that sometimes i joint two languages when i need to talk in another languague, now i combine three haha

 

[sbrothy]

A skill essential for success in the social sciences.

The wiki link I posted with info on hyperparasites may also be usual in that field. :)

 

[sbrothy]

The wiki link I posted with info on hyperparasites may also be usual in that field. :)

Useful of course. Useful.

 

[Oldman too]

TIL, The Voyager Spacecrafts operate with only 69 kilobytes of onboard memory and store data for transmission on what has got to be one of the oldest functioning 8-track systems in the universe.
from: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/record-breaking-voyager- spacecraft -begin-to-power-down/

"To handle all these challenges, the Voyagers, each about the size of an old Volkswagen Beetle, needed some onboard intelligence. So NASA's engineers equipped the vehicles' computers with 69 kilobytes of memory, less than a hundred thousandth the capacity of a typical smartphone. In fact, the smartphone comparison is not quite right. “The Voyager computers have less memory than the key fob that opens your car door,” Spilker says. All the data collected by the spacecraft instruments would be stored on eight-track tape recorders and then sent back to Earth by a 23-watt transmitter—about the power level of a refrigerator light bulb. To compensate for the weak transmitter, both Voyagers carry 12-foot-wide dish antennas to send and receive signals."

 

[fresh_42]

TIL that Geordi, sorry, LeVar Burton was born in Germany. I only knew it from Seven of Nine, sorry, Jeri Ryan, Martin Lawrence, and Bruce Willis. Seems to be a good place to become an actor.

 

[jack action]

TIL that Geordi, sorry, LeVar Burton was born in Germany. I only knew it from Seven of Nine, sorry, Jeri Ryan, Martin Lawrence, and Bruce Willis. Seems to be a good place to become an actor.

32 218 actors were born in Germany according to IMDb.
16 174 actors were born in Canada according to IMDb.

A ratio of 1.992 for Germany.

BUT, according to worldometers.info, there are 84 310 168 Germans and 38 400 444 Canadians, a ratio of 2.1956 For Germany.

Seems to me that Canada is a better place to become an actor.

 

[fresh_42]

Seems to me that Canada is a better place to become an actor.

Maybe, although I obviously referred to US-American actors who were born in Germany. A comparison with Canada wouldn't make much sense in this respect as the industries (US and CA) are very intertwined.

 

[jack action]

Maybe, although I obviously referred to US-American actors who were born in Germany. A comparison with Canada wouldn't make much sense in this respect as the industries (US and CA) are very intertwined.

And since all your examples are children of US Army personnel stationed in Germany, a comparison with Canada wouldn't make much sense in this respect as there are no US Army bases in Canada.

 

[berkeman]

as there are no US Army bases in Canada

...that you know of. Just sayin'

 

[fresh_42]

And since all your examples are children of US Army personnel stationed in Germany, a comparison with Canada wouldn't make much sense in this respect as there are no US Army bases in Canada.

These three countries are hard to compare anyway. I think Canada and Germany have comparable societies and laws, whereas Canada and the US merely share the same continent, or as my American friend puts it: Canada is the better America.

 

[berkeman]

Canada is the better America

But a lot colder. That counts for something...

 

[fresh_42]

But a lot colder. That counts for something...

Now that you mention it. While I really like a cold continental climate, i.e. cold and low humidity, she grew up in NM and even finds her German home too cold for large parts of the year. However, she still says it. But she is a lady, which in return means that she is no big fan of the second.

 

[fresh_42]

I wonder whether e.g. Bruce Willis could become president. He isn't born on American soil, but could he have disadvantages only because his father served his country?

 

[BWV]

A useful mnemonic to remember the names of the Great Lakes

 

[symbolipoint]

BWV,
I do not understand your mnemonic. Five lakes and five L's. How does your mnemonic work?

 

[BWV]

BWV,
I do not understand your mnemonic. Five lakes and five L's. How does your mnemonic work?

There is a word for each lake in the mnemonic, as each lake starts with ‘L’, the mnemonic gives you five L words to help you remember that.

 

[Hornbein]

I wonder whether e.g. Bruce Willis could become president. He isn't born on American soil, but could he have disadvantages only because his father served his country?

John McCain was born in Panama. He was a natural US citizen.

 

[symbolipoint]

There is a word for each lake in the mnemonic, as each lake starts with ‘L’, the mnemonic gives you five L words to help you remember that.

BWV,
I do not understand your mnemonic. Five lakes and five L's. How does your mnemonic work?

There is a word for each lake in the mnemonic, as each lake starts with ‘L’, the mnemonic gives you five L words to help you remember that.

The words are: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Eeri, Ontario

None of the L's help me. The words do not show me their relative geographic positions. I miss seeing how the "Lisa likes licking lettice lightly" shows me what you want someone to see or use. What am I missing?

 

[hmmm27]

Well, it's actually spelt "lettuce".

 

[Ibix]

What am I missing?

That 80% of the reactions are laughs, I think...

 

[pinball1970]

The words are: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Eeri, Ontario

None of the L's help me. The words do not show me their relative geographic positions. I miss seeing how the "Lisa likes licking lettice lightly" shows me what you want someone to see or use. What am I missing?

Cmon!

It's a joke. The whole point is that is it's completely useless for the exact reasons you pointed out!

 

[pinball1970]

TIL That NASA is conducting a new study on UFOs. To be honest I don't think they are treating that seriously as the study will last 9 months and cost 100k, probably what they spent on coffee and alcohol when they launched Webb.
I posted on @fresh_42 post about Chinese UFOs about the same thing but I did learn it today so...

 

[fresh_42]

TIL
$$
\int_1^{\infty}\frac{{dy}\,/\,{y^2}}{1+(y-1)^{\alpha}}=\frac12 \quad \forall\,\alpha
$$

 

[OmCheeto]

TIL who @marcus was.
[Personal information redacted by the Mentors]

As to how he became so smart, is still a mystery to me.

 

[epenguin]

TIL who @marcus was.
[Personal information redacted by the Mentors]

As to how he became so smart, is still a mystery to me.

Might I, dare I, say I have missed PF's Fundamental Physics fashion correspondent?

(No doubt he was much more).

 

[pinball1970]

Might I, dare I, say I have missed PF's Fundamental Physics fashion correspondent?

(No doubt he was much more).

I think he was a gravity guy. I read one of his links when I first joined and thought WT*!

@PeterDonis would know more.

 

[pinball1970]

TIL
$$
\int_1^{\infty}\frac{{dy}\,/\,{y^2}}{1+(y-1)^{\alpha}}=\frac12 \quad \forall\,\alpha
$$

What does the upside down 'A' mean? (It does not make sense to me otherwise...)
EDIT: Universal quantifier, got it.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

TIL
$$
\int_1^{\infty}\frac{{dy}\,/\,{y^2}}{1+(y-1)^{\alpha}}=\frac12 \quad \forall\,\alpha
$$

Please can you explain or provide a reference?

 

[fresh_42]

Please can you explain or provide a reference?

It is funny and not very complicated: substitute the obvious $1/y$, and make use of the symmetry $u <> 1-u$ to get an integral $\int_0^1 du$.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

It is funny and not very complicated: substitute the obvious $1/y$, and make use of the symmetry $u <> 1-u$ to get an integral $\int_0^1 du$.

Thanks, I see - I only asked because at first glance I mistakenly thought the $y^2$ was on top, which obviously made it untrue!

 

[OmCheeto]

Might I, dare I, say I have missed PF's Fundamental Physics fashion correspondent?

(No doubt he was much more).

Indeed.
He was a god to me.

ps. I have no idea how marcus could have been considered a 'fashion correspondent'.
I only knew him as a "Loop Quantum Gravity" type of person.

ref: https://www.physicsforums.com/members/marcus.66/#recent-content

 

[strangerep]

I have no idea how marcus could have been considered a 'fashion correspondent'.

I tended to regard many of his posts in the BTSM forum as following/reporting the latest fads. Most of the BTSM topics over the past few decades seem to have gone nowhere.

 

[Hornbein]

French Guiana is part of France.

 

[epenguin]

And Curaçao (but not Surinam) is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands - I didn't learn but did check that today.

 

[jack action]

French Guiana is part of France.

Well, you will love to hear about St-Pierre et Miquelon. The closest France territory to North America: 90 minutes by Ferry.

​

About halfway In the video above, they talk about how this tiny territory - with only 6000 people living there - came close to becoming an entry point for the Nazis in North America when they took over France during WWII. Very interesting.