Today I Learned

[Hornbein]

Yes, Lavoisier, sadly.
La République n'a pas besoin de savants ni de chimistes.

Lavoisier in my opinion did the most of any man to provoke the French revolution. He was the head tax collector for Paris. He had a wall built that encircled Paris, essentially transforming it into a prison. Those entering had to submit to inspection for the purpose of tax collection.

As if that weren't bad enough such systems inevitably become corrupt. Criminals bribe their way through and ordinary people pick up the tab.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that this past year half a million people went missing in the United States. Twenty years ago it was a million.
In Japan there are companies that help people to do this.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm not superstitious, but every shuttle begins with C, Challenger and Columbia, experienced catasthrope.

33% of them had a name beginning with C. ;)

 

[PeterDonis]

33% of them had a name beginning with C. ;)

Or 40% of the ones that got launched using rockets and flew orbital missions.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Or 40% of the ones that got launched using rockets and flew orbital missions.

Ah yes! Enterprise was only used for testing. It never launched.

 

[BillTre]

Great Salt Lake still on a slow motion path to disaster:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/us/utah-great-salt-lake-dust-pollution-weir-wxc/index.html

 

[Hornbein]

TIL about the toroidal propeller.

 

[KingGambit]

Today (yesterday, actually) I learned that YouTube (or Google?) is more scarier than it looks.

Just when I'm searching on Google to see what is Appendix F in Challenger disaster report. Then later when I opened my phone, not the computer, Youtube suggested this:


Just how the h*ll that they (Youtube/Google) know that I would like that video.

And yesterday I also learned in that video that in Challenger disaster commission, there was a lengthy and heated argument (or controversy if you will) concerning Appendix F, and Feynman threatened to back off.
Sadly, he died two years later. Well, I like that SOB. He was a bad boy scientist with girls and everything.
And yeah, Challenger disaster report was much better than Warren commision.

 

[Hornbein]

Just how the h*ll that they (Youtube/Google) know that I would like that video.

Everything goes into a central data base. I would mention unusual things on very obscure web sites that would subsequently show up in Youtube recommendations. I get the impression that these little web sites make their money by selling the data to the Central Scrutinizer.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

TIL about the toroidal propeller.

WOW!!!

 

[Ibix]

TIL that Gibbs is married to Mindy (well, their actors are married, anyway), which is one of the stranger crossovers I could have imagined.

 

[KingGambit]

Today I learned, that Picasso, after watched the cave paintings said "In 15 thousands years, we have invented nothing"

Can't help but remember Aristotle claim.
Aristotle: Earth is the center of the universe
Early Astronomy: Milky way center is the center of the universe.
Hubble (law): Earth (or even you) is the center of the universe.

So what is this. In 2000 years, we learned nothing?

 

[pinball1970]

TIL Footage from the 1960s of the Belgian physicist George Lemaitre has been found. Anton has made a video on this but he uses some terminology that is off so I won't post the link. He also gets a quote from Einstein a wrong too. He posts some great stuff but will leave that one.
Last week Sabine posted another inflammatory video on particle physics. She is a bit of a marmite character so I will leave that one for members to seek out if they want to!

 

[Swamp Thing]

TIL Footage from the 1960s of the Belgian physicist George Lemaitre has been found. Anton has made a video on this but he uses some terminology that is off so I won't post the link. He also gets a quote from Einstein a wrong too. He posts some great stuff but will leave that one.
Last week Sabine posted another inflammatory video on particle physics. She is a bit of a marmite character so I will leave that one for members to seek out if they want to!

An English language translation of the Lemaitre interview is here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2301.07198.pdf

 

[gmax137]

TIL what a "marmite character " is. Thx, @pinball1970

I don't think we have marmite in the US.

 

[Ibix]

I don't think we have marmite in the US.

You don't know what you're missing.

 

[gmax137]

You don't know what you're missing.

I found a place nearby that claims to have it. How is it normally used? On toast? Any advice appreciated!

 

[mfb]

I'm not superstitious, but every shuttle begins with C, Challenger and Columbia, experienced catasthrope.

Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery, Endeavour flew.

Here are some alternatives:
"Every orbiter ending with r ended in a disaster (Challenger, Endeavour)"
"Every orbiter with 9 letters was destroyed (Discovery, Endeavour)"
"Every orbiter with 8 letters ended in a disaster (Atlantis, Columbia)"
"Every orbiter beginning with a vowel was destroyed (Atlantis, Endeavour)" (any word starting with a vowel? annihilated sounds awkward)
"Every orbiter with an even number got destroyed (Atlantis, Columbia)"
"Every orbiter introduced in an even year got destroyed (Discovery, Endeavour)"
"Every orbiter with a square number as first mission number got destroyed (Columbia, Endeavour)"
"Every orbiter with a multiple of 3 as first mission number got destroyed (Atlantis, Challenger)"

I'm sure with a bit more searching we find a pattern for all 10 combinations.

 

[Ibix]

I found a place nearby that claims to have it. How is it normally used? On toast? Any advice appreciated!

Yes, it's a spread. Butter is optional. You can also dissolve it in hot water and drink it, but I don't particularly like that.

Do note that there is a very good reason why the stuff is a byword for "highly divisive". It's a unique flavour, kind of sharp (somehow) and very salty, and people really do either love it or insist that it's inedible.

 

[DaveC426913]

I found a place nearby that claims to have it. How is it normally used? On toast? Any advice appreciated!

On toast... As an exfoliant... As axle grease...

 

[Ibix]

As an exfoliant

Don't let it get in your eyes if you try this, though.

 

[gmax137]

I found a place nearby that claims to have it. How is it normally used? On toast? Any advice appreciated!

Yes, it's a spread. Butter is optional. You can also dissolve it in hot water and drink it, but I don't particularly like that.

Do note that there is a very good reason why the stuff is a byword for "highly divisive". It's a unique flavour, kind of sharp (somehow) and very salty, and people really do either love it or insist that it's inedible.

On toast... As an exfoliant... As axle grease...

Don't let it get in your eyes if you try this, though.

Well, TIL I am in the "like it" Marmite camp. It is, as mentioned, very salty. And "sharp." It reminds me of a bullion paste, with maybe swiss cheese mixed in. I wouldn't spread it on too thick, but I like it. And @DaveC426913 is right, it looks like axle grease (and sticks to my fingers like grease, too).

Is this truly popular in the UK?

 

[strangerep]

I don't think we have marmite in the US.

Vegemite is better.

 

[Hornbein]

Vegemite is better.

"I said, do you speak my language?
He just smiled, and gave me a Vegemite sandwich."

 

[Ibix]

Is this truly popular in the UK?

Any supermarket will have it, so I suppose so.

Vegemite is better.

I don't think I've even seen that here. I've certainly never tried it. Maybe one day...

 

[pinball1970]

I found a place nearby that claims to have it. How is it normally used? On toast? Any advice appreciated!

I love it on toast. Trying for the first time spread very thin and put butter on first. The butter counters the bitter flavour of the marmite. It's a balance!
Aussies have Vegemite which from memory is similar.
Marmite also goes with peanut butter, in my opinion
If you hate it, then it will not sit with anything.

 

[pinball1970]

Any supermarket will have it, so I suppose so.

I don't think I've even seen that here. I've certainly never tried it. Maybe one day...

It has a lot of B vitamins too.

 

[strangerep]

Aussies have Vegemite which from memory is similar.

Yeah, we're all happy little vegemites...

 

[jack action]

I know a lot about American cars of the sixties but this was news to me:

Chevrolet 1969, option V75: Liquid Tire Chain Traction Dispenser

 

[berkeman]

I know a lot about American cars of the sixties but this was news to me:

Chevrolet 1969, option V75: Liquid Tire Chain Traction Dispenser

The driver could activate a control on the instrument panel, which would turn on two aerosol canisters, each mounted over the rear tires.

So you could accelerate, and maybe decelerate, but you couldn't turn. Hmm.

(Actually I guess you could use the common dirtbike trick of steering with the back end and throttle in deep mud and sand... I never tried it on ice)