Today I Learned

[tfr000]

Today I learned about Civil Forfeiture Laws in the US: Seriously, who invents something as ridiculous as that?

Wow, people still don't know about that?

 

[mfb]

Wow, people still don't know about that?

How much do you know about German laws?

 

[tfr000]

How much do you know about German laws?

Ah.

 

[Czcibor]

Readers of The Guardian:
hate big oil:
http://www.theguardian.com/business...drilling-exploratory-well-oil-gas-disappoints

love big steel plants:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/28/redcar-steel-plant-to-close-with-1700-job-losses

(Yes, reading in a row comments under both articles was highly educational for me from sociological perspective. No one dared to use the same arguments concerning global warming under article concerning steel mills)

 

[jim hardy]

Watched an interesting documentary called "Cowspiracy" (on Netflix)
he contends UN's climate report finds biggest GHG and warming contributor is agriculture to feed us, outweighs transport and electric sectors combined.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Today I learned about the sound post, an extremely simple, but critical part of violins and other stringed instruments.

The position of the sound post inside a violin is critical, and moving it by very small amounts (as little as 0.5mm or 0.25mm, or less) can make a big difference in the sound quality and loudness of an instrument.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_post

It is a simple dowel, but properly positioning it requires special tools and mastery.

 

[Astronuc]

A study by National Institutes of Health researchers was published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. The study indicated that too many young adults are not receiving any advice or counseling on alcohol consumption.
https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/the-advice-college-kids-arent-getting-about-142355111.html

"According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol is linked with nearly 2,000 deaths each year among college students, and many more assaults and date rapes." That's 2000 too many.

 

[OmCheeto]

A study by National Institutes of Health researchers was published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. The study indicated that too many young adults are not receiving any advice or counseling on alcohol consumption.
https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/the-advice-college-kids-arent-getting-about-142355111.html

"According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol is linked with nearly 2,000 deaths each year among college students, and many more assaults and date rapes." That's 2000 too many.

This reminds me of an article I read yesterday:

How Your Brain Is Wired Reveals the Real You [Scientific American, Sept 28, 2015]
...
Van Wedeen, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, says that the findings could help to prioritize future research. For instance, one of the negative traits that pulled a brain farthest down the negative axis was marijuana use in recent weeks.
...

Now they tell us. (Recreational marijuana use was legalized where I live, 3 months ago.)

But as lisab is always pointing out; "correlation does not imply causation", and this is implied in the article:

But Raichle says that it is impossible to determine from this study how different traits relate to one another and whether the weakened brain connections are the cause or effect of negative traits.

Interesting pair of studies, IMHO.

 

[tfr000]

This reminds me of an article I read yesterday:

Now they tell us. (Recreational marijuana use was legalized where I live, 3 months ago.)

But as lisab is always pointing out; "correlation does not imply causation", and this is implied in the article:
Interesting pair of studies, IMHO.

Pfft. Remember back in the 70's, when all of the studies said we should eat chemically hydrogenated oils instead of animal fats, because they were better for us?

 

[Hornbein]

In 1990 the ten biggest US banks held 10% of US banking assets. Now they hold 45%. -- Robert Reich

 

[Hornbein]

Writer HP Lovecraft wanted to become an astrophysicist, but he wasn't good enough at math.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that Helen Keller was a communist activist. Who would have thought?

"In Our Own Words" by Senator Robert Torricelli includes a Keller speech exhorting the audience to "march towards the red dawn!"

 

[OmCheeto]

Knocking someone out with a handkerchief soaked in chloroform, is mostly Hollywood:

...
Use of chloroform as an incapacitating agent has become widely recognized, bordering on clichéd, due to the popularity of crime fiction authors having criminals use chloroform-soaked rags to render victims unconscious. However, it is nearly impossible to incapacitate someone using chloroform. It takes at least five minutes of inhaling an item soaked in chloroform to render a person unconscious.
...

Background:
I keep a gallon of dilute solution of water and bleach(sodium hypochlorite) in the bathroom to clean things up.
I also recently mixed myself a batch of homemade Febrezey type solution, (water, isopropyl alcohol, & cologne) for quick spritzing. (I saw the price on a 27 oz bottle was over $5, and said to hell with that.)

Anyways, I was worried about mixing the two active chemicals, and this is where I discovered that it creates chloroform, amongst other nasty sounding things: hydrochloric acid, ... chloroacetone or dichloroacetone [ref]

 

[Astronuc]

I've been reading Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts, and I'm reading about Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams. JQ Adams was an accomplished diplomat (and 6th president of the US), so I was curious about his accomplishments and his political philosophy, which led me to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Party_System
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Party_System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_System_(economic_plan)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_improvements

Abraham Lincoln thought Internal Improvements was a function of government.

Summaries of their biographies at the White House.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/first-ladies/louisaadams
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/johnquincyadams

 

[OmCheeto]

TIL, the shattering truth, as to why you put champagne glassware on the top shelf of the dishwasher.
I always knew it was the rule, but never bothered to think about, why.

 

[DiracPool]

"Happiness is found along the way, not at the end of the road"

 

[Lisa!]

TIRT I'm addicted to watching a television drama that's about an addict!

 

[skad]

That Genghis Khan's real name was Timuchin.

 

[jackwhirl]

That the at symbol (@) let's you name drop peoples in the forums.
@jackwhirl was here.

 

[zoobyshoe]

That Genghis Khan's real name was Timuchin.

Yes, in Mongolia he's fondly remembered as Timmy Kahn.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned rhubarb originally came from China. The "barb" is related to "barbarian."

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned why the Mercator projection is popular. It told a sailor what compass bearing to use. Sailing with a constant compass bearing is not the shortest route, but is generally close enough.

 

[Hatesmondays]

I learned that playing a soccer game without your glasses on is a bad idea.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that bees like caffeine. About half of the varieties of nectar contain it.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that in the 1930's physicist Ettore Majorana withdrew all his money from the bank, took a short trip on a ship, and disappeared. His fate was learned in 2008 after a TV show about him. A viewer had a photo of Majorana taken circa 1959 in Venezuela.

 

[Borg]

I have been teaching myself the D3 javascript language. TIL about Voronoi diagrams.

 

[TheDemx27]

I have been teaching myself the D3 javascript language. TIL about Voronoi diagrams.

Pic reminds me of this cool page I found on voting system simulations: http://zesty.ca/voting/

 

[zoobyshoe]

Today I learned (by direct measurement) that a new U.S. penny is just about .750 inches in diameter. Like .7495 close. That is potentially handy information that somehow hitherto escaped me.

However, none of the other U.S. coins has a diameter that is of any obvious use.

 

[lisab]

Today I learned (by direct measurement) that a new U.S. penny is just about .750 inches in diameter. Like .7495 close. That is potentially handy information that somehow hitherto escaped me.

However, none of the other U.S. coins has a diameter that is of any obvious use.

Heat it up a bit, you might get to 0.750.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Heat it up a bit, you might get to 0.750.

Good idea. If I need to use them to measure something I'll put them in my armpits for a while first.

 

[Dewgale]

Today I learned that driving Minneapolis freeways in twilight is a terrible experience when you're a wayward Winnipeger.

 

[OmCheeto]

Good idea. If I need to use them to measure something I'll put them in my armpits for a while first.

The US Mint says they are supposed to be 0.75" in diameter. [ref]
Though, they do not give a reference temperature.
So I can't say whether or not that your micrometer is off.

According to the Engineering Toolbox, the coefficient of expansion of pennies should be around 19 microinch/(in °F) [ref]
Being 97.5% zinc, I'm assuming the copper cladding adds little to the equation

According to my calculations, and assuming you are not SATAN, the US Mint's unspecified temperature is 134°F.

In any event, TIL that eating modern zinc based pennies is toxic to both dogs and children.

 

[Astronuc]

Does the SEC inflate its numbers?
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/does-the-sec-inflate-its-numbers-165803420.html

Hmmmm - juggling the numbers?

 

[zoobyshoe]

The US Mint says they are supposed to be 0.75" in diameter. [ref]

I am sure that's what the print calls for, .750, but I'm sure there's a tolerance on that print, as well. They could stamp them out at .7495 for years and they'd all pass inspection. That's actually remarkably good for a part that isn't required to perform in any precision machine. The tolerance on, say, 3/4 washers is probably plus or minus .005.

 

[mfb]

I am sure that's what the print calls for, .750, but I'm sure there's a tolerance on that print, as well. They could stamp them out at .7495 for years and they'd all pass inspection. That's actually remarkably good for a part that isn't required to perform in any precision machine. The tolerance on, say, 3/4 washers is probably plus or minus .005.

Well, they should not be too different, otherwise vending machines won"t accept them (or need a larger tolerance, which makes them more vulnerable to foreign coins).