Today I Learned

[DaveC426913]

and Bangkok is really Krung Thep.

Is it still an oriental city?
Does the city still not know where the city is kept?

 

[fresh_42]

TIL that the real name of the country of Georgia is Sakartvelo.

I already knew that Bhutan is Druk Yul, Hungary is Magyarstan, and Bangkok is really Krung Thep. Maybe the most amazing is that Thailand is the real name, taking after then-idolized Deutchland.

Hungary is Magyarország not -stan. The suffix -stan occurs in countries in central Asia, not in Europe.

 

[Hornbein]

Is it still an oriental city?
Does the city still not know where the city is kept?

Bangkok exists but it is across the river from Krung Thep.

 

[Klystron]

Bangkok exists but it is across the river from Krung Thep.

Correction: Thon Buri lies across the Chao Phrya River from Khung Thep Maha Nakhon AKA Bangkok.

Khung Thep and Thon Buri were historically sister cities separated by a wide navigable river somewhat like the Hungarian cities of Pest and Buda, now known as Budapest, on the Danube River. One major difference is that Khung Thep, Bangkok municipal district, one of the largest cities in Asia, dwarves Thon Buri in size, population and economics.

Currently Thonburi district is administered as an amphur or district of Khung Thep Maha Nakhon. I lived in Khung Thep from 1972-1974/5. We visited Thon Buri on weekends to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Thonburi remained an independent town and province, until it was merged with Bangkok in 1971. Thonburi stayed less developed than the other side of the river. Many of the traditional small waterways, khlongs, still exist there...

 

[DaveC426913]

Correction: Thon Buri lies across the Chao Phrya River from Khung Thep Maha Nakhon AKA Bangkok.

OK, but the real burning question remains: is it still
the creme de la creme of the chess world in a
show with everything but Yul Brynner?

 

[mayflowers]

Today I learned that the "super new moon" happening tonight has apparently lots of spiritual meaning.

However I notice nothing different. And I won't be convinced until I do.

 

[Klystron]

Today I learned that the "super new moon" happening tonight has apparently lots of spiritual meaning.

However I notice nothing different. And I won't be convinced until I do.

Spiritual meaning comes from knowledge and the effort to understand our world. Knowing Luna's orbit and eccentricities, how Sol's light reflects off the lunar surface, refracts through Terra's atmosphere to impinge on your brain's visual center allows you to see and understand your own neighborhood.

Spiritual awakening occurs when one can meaningfully relate hard learned knowledge to others so they understand our world.

 

[mayflowers]

Spiritual awakening occurs when one can meaningfully relate hard learned knowledge to others so they understand our world.

How many things in the world are "one size fits all"? Beyond consciousness, what else do we literally all share or know?

 

[mayflowers]

I ask because I'd love to be spiritually "awake" and able to convey abstract concepts, but don't we all experience them slightly differently?

 

[Klystron]

How many things in the world are "one size fits all"? Beyond consciousness, what else do we literally all share or know?

Excellent questions, I admire your skepticism.

 

[Tom.G]

How many things in the world are "one size fits all"?

Anatomical parts used for ...uhmm... creating the next generation?

 

[Klystron]

How many things in the world are "one size fits all"? Beyond consciousness, what else do we literally all share or know?

Anatomical parts used for ...uhmm... creating the next generation?

Possibly. I took the questions as rhetorical rather than literal.

 

[Hornbein]

TIL that the Gaia space telescope was launched with a cartoon character painted on the booster.

How long before sponsor logos?

 

[Jonathan Scott]

TIL that the 15 or so little "volcanos" (two or three inches across with pencil-sized holes in them) that have recently appeared in a dry patch at the edge of my front lawn are the homes of "tawny mining bees" - I spotted one and took some photos, and checked it against a list of UK bees on a wildlife site.

I also found that I could add Chrome to the "Edit with external editor" list in the FastStone image browser (which I've been using for many years) on Windows using a parameter string file:///(filename). That means I can easily open any of my photos in Chrome and then use Google Lens to help identify the subject. In this case Google Lens also says my photos appear to be tawny mining bees, and it showed some very closely matching images.

 

[Orodruin]

TIL that the 15 or so little "volcanos" (two or three inches across with pencil-sized holes in them) that have recently appeared in a dry patch at the edge of my front lawn are the homes of "tawny mining bees" - I spotted one and took some photos, and checked it against a list of UK bees on a wildlife site.

I also found that I could add Chrome to the "Edit with external editor" list in the FastStone image browser (which I've been using for many years) on Windows using a parameter string file:///(filename). That means I can easily open any of my photos in Chrome and then use Google Lens to help identify the subject. In this case Google Lens also says my photos appear to be tawny mining bees, and it showed some very closely matching images.

View attachment 359423

TIL that there are also bee variants that have the same tactics as the cuckoo bird. Wiki surfing from the Swedish page for the tawny mining bee, I arrived at a page describing the behaviour of the broad banded nomad bee (the Swedish name literally translates to "banded cuckoo bee") that apparently parasites the tawny mining bee home. It will invade the home and lay its eggs in one of the cells where the tawny mining bee female has put its own egg. The larva kills the original egg or larva and then lives of the supply of nectar and pollen intended for the tawny mining bee offspring.

 

[fresh_42]

We only have the name cuckoo bee as a general name for two parasites:

The nests are infested by the cuckoo bees Nomada signata and Nomada panzeri.

 

[Orodruin]

We only have the name cuckoo bee as a general name for two parasites:

This one would be Nomada signata. The Swedish name for Nomada panzeri translates to "forest cuckoo bee".

 

[mayflowers]

TIL, nuclear power has been around for 75 years, and only makes up 10% of our energy sector, despite knowing all mass holds an enormous amount of energy.

 

[Hornbein]

Ever since reading George Gamow's popular science book as a teenager, I have thought his diagram of a hypercube/tesseract was an artist's impression.

Today I learned that this image is the result of calculating a perspective projection of a transparent unit hypercube from a distance of 2.5. You are looking from quite near the hypercube so perspective is exaggerated.

As the distance of the viewer from the hypercube increases the inner and outer cube would appear to converge. By measuring the relative sizes of the inner and outer cube one may calculate how far one is from the cube.

If the hypercube were opaque how many of the faces could one see? It depends on whether or not one has rotated in the fourth dimension. If yes, then four. If no, then three.

 

[DaveC426913]

Ever since reading George Gamow's popular science book as a teenager, I have thought his diagram of a hypercube/tesseract was an artist's impression.

Today I learned that this image is the result of calculating a perspective projection of a transparent unit hypercube from a distance of 2.5. You are looking from quite near the hypercube so perspective is exaggerated.

View attachment 359508

As the distance of the viewer from the hypercube increases the inner and outer cube would appear to converge. By measuring the relative sizes of the inner and outer cube one may calculate how far one is from the cube.

If the hypercube were opaque how many of the faces could one see? It depends on whether or not one has rotated in the fourth dimension. If yes, then four. If no, then three.

Citation? I would like to read more about this.

 

[Hornbein]

Citation? I would like to read more about this.

I programmed a perspective projection of a transparent unit hypercube and noticed that the image was the same as that Gamow one. The inner cube appears smaller because it is further away.

I didn't think this would attract this kind of attention so I didn't do the math. You can tell where the viewpoint is via this calculation.

Measure the height of the outer cube, divide by the height of the inner cube. You get 2.4. That's the magnification you get from being so close to the cube. This is the same as ratio of the distance to the far face divided by the distance to the near face. Let d be the distance to the near face. The distance between the near face and far face is one so 2.4 = (d+1)/d. We get d = 1/1.4 = 0.7. The distance to the near face is that, to the far face it is 1.7.

It so happens that I have a plastic food container that is a transparent rectangloid so I performed an experiment. With one eye at a distance of 5cm from the 12x12cm container the near wall appears to be 2.4 times the height of the far wall. It looks as much like that diagram as a 3D cube possibly could.

Kids! Explore the fourth dimension with common household items!

 

[pinball1970]

T.I.L. There is World Quantum day.

 

[BillTre]

T.I.L. There is World Quantum day.

Is that Antman's birthday?

 

[pinball1970]

Is that Antman's birthday?

I checked out the google "doodle"

"This Doodle celebrates World Quantum Day, an annual celebration that improves understanding of quantum physics and technology. The date, April 14th, represents the first three digits of Planck’s constant, which describes the relationship between the energy and frequency of a quantum of energy (such as a photon): 4.14×10−15 eV·s"

 

[DaveC426913]

The date, April 14th, represents the first three digits of Planck’s constant ... 4.14×10−15 eV·s

4.13.56 but you're only allowed to celebrate it once per century.

And only Americans (mmddyy).

 

[gmax137]

4.14×10−15 eV·s

where are the SI purists?

 

[DrGreg]

And only Americans (mmddyy).

So really it ought to be called "American Quantum Day".

 

[Jonathan Scott]

I checked out the google "doodle"

"This Doodle celebrates World Quantum Day, an annual celebration that improves understanding of quantum physics and technology. The date, April 14th, represents the first three digits of Planck’s constant, which describes the relationship between the energy and frequency of a quantum of energy (such as a photon): 4.14×10−15 eV·s"

Surely h/2pi=hbar (1.05457182 × 10^-34 m² kg s^-1) is more fundamental than h, as it is the natural quantum of spin. The USA could celebrate it on 5th January and the UK on 1st May!

 

[jack action]

TIL about catering trucks for airplanes:

But even better, a local company decided to use one as a moving truck!

 

[pinball1970]

T.I.L. A little bit more about a significant recording studio.

I have been walking past Strawberry Studios for about two years without realizing it. I knew it was in Stockport near where I rehearse but did not pinpoint the actual building till now.

I do not think it has the logo on anymore (see below) which is why I probably did not notice it.

Very important place regarding some key Manchester bands for me, namely 10CC and Sad Café. Paul McCartney was around the place too recording with his brother in the 1970s.

A library image here but I will get an image as it is today next time I am there.

10CC Eric Stewart left, Godley and Crème in the middle and Graham Gouldman right. Gouldman wrote, “For your love”, “Heart full of soul” for the Yard Birds, “No milk today” for Hermen’s Hermits and “Bus stop” for the Hollies among others.

I’m not in Love was recorded in Strawberry Studios.

Sad Café