Today I Learned

[Jonathan Scott]

I think I'd have to be 75 to get a free TV license (which pays for the BBC). I think that's likely to be going away soon anyway.

The only concession on transport here at age 60 is that if I lived in London I would be eligible for free public transport within the London area. Elsewhere, free public transport mostly starts at state pension age for women, which is currently 63 and rising, and by the time I catch up with it in 2022 the state pension age will be 66 for both men and women.

I've now discovered one other thing that starts at age 60 here - free eye tests. What would be a lot better would be free spectacles, or at least lenses! I currently need four pairs (reading, office, music, distance) which after a lot of careful adjustment of my prescription are now fairly well optimised. (My eyes have rather limited accommodation because I went somewhat cross-eyed at age 3 through reading too much and it was fashionable at the time to "fix" that by a "squint operation" which deliberately weakened some of the eye muscles. The operation is now considered unnecessary or even harmful in most such mild cases as the child's eyes recover naturally).

 

[Sophia]

I think I'd have to be 75 to get a free TV license (which pays for the BBC). I think that's likely to be going away soon anyway.

The only concession on transport here at age 60 is that if I lived in London I would be eligible for free public transport within the London area. Elsewhere, free public transport mostly starts at state pension age for women, which is currently 63 and rising, and by the time I catch up with it in 2022 the state pension age will be 66 for both men and women.

I've now discovered one other thing that starts at age 60 here - free eye tests. What would be a lot better would be free spectacles, or at least lenses! I currently need four pairs (reading, office, music, distance) which after a lot of careful adjustment of my prescription are now fairly well optimised. (My eyes have rather limited accommodation because I went somewhat cross-eyed at age 3 through reading too much and it was fashionable at the time to "fix" that by a "squint operation" which deliberately weakened some of the eye muscles. The operation is now considered unnecessary or even harmful in most such mild cases as the child's eyes recover naturally).

Here pension is 62 for men and less for women, depending on how many children they had. But it's going to be equal soon. I laughed so much when I read that I'll go to pension when I'm 69! Hahaha!

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Here pension is 62 for men and less for women, depending on how many children they had. But it's going to be equal soon. I laughed so much when I read that I'll go to pension when I'm 69! Hahaha!

I've been nominally allowed to retire and take my company pension since age 55 (with state pension supplement from age 66), but I can't really afford it yet and I'm very annoyed about that, as the "very generous early retirement scheme" was one of the factors originally used to lure me into joining the company in the first place about 28 years ago.

A few years ago they closed the company "defined benefit" pension scheme and replaced it with a "defined contribution" scheme (which actually lost money initially, being less use than just leaving it in the bank) which reduced my pension quite a bit as I had only built up 2/3 of the years needed to get the full amount and the new scheme, even paying extra contributions from my income, didn't build up very much at all. We originally had a small early retirement penalty which that meant our annual pension would be 3% less for each year we retired before age 60 (so at age 55 we would lose 15% and get only 85% of the original pension). Then, just as I reached 55 the company unilaterally changed the rules so that we would have to forfeit 7% of our annual pension rate for each year we retire before age 63 (so at age 55 we would lose 56%, and get only 44% of the original pension - just over over half of what it would have been!). Many employees took the brief chance to retire in the last month of the old scheme before the new one came into effect, which suddenly meant that there were far fewer experienced people left. Some employees took the company to court, and essentially won the case that the company shouldn't have made those changes, but the only correction that has been made so far is that they have canceled the early retirement penalty for age 60 or above, so at least now I could get all of my reduced pension, but it's still only 3/4 of what was originally predicted.

And I've got a daughter who is studying Physics at Imperial College London, which is a brilliant achievement getting there from a local state school, but it costs me about 9,000 UK pounds per year for her to live in London. (If I retired and got a smaller income as a result, the state would increase her student loan to cover more of that, but that would just be more for her to pay back later). And my son is still at school and won't be going to Uni for another four years.

 

[Sophia]

I've been nominally allowed to retire and take my company pension since age 55 (with state pension supplement from age 66), but I can't really afford it yet and I'm very annoyed about that, as the "very generous early retirement scheme" was one of the factors originally used to lure me into joining the company in the first place about 28 years ago.

It must be very disappointing to work hard all your life and than discover that the pension is lower than you expected.
Your children must be glad that have you to help them so they won't have large debt to pay. It's very nice of you that you are so responsible.

I know a doctor who had worked for 30 years as a GP and you know how much she gets? Originally, they were giving her 330€/month and now because we have soooo very social and people-oriented government, it was raised to slightly over 400€/month. No, it's not a typo. No zeroes are missing. For a doctor! It's such a shame. She is one of that unfortunate generation who worked most of her life during socialism (she's about 75 years old). They are people who worked hard and built the country but now they are almost at the bottom of society.

 

[mfb]

Today I learned: For some reason, the night is a popular time to get babies - or at least it has been so 1950.

 

[dlgoff]

Today I learned: For some reason, the night is a popular time to get babies - or at least it has been so 1950.

From your reference; "The 12-hour period with the most deliveries is between 9 p.m. and 9 a. m., ..."
Trying to remember the time when my 3 daughters were born, I checked their Certificates of Live Birth.

Jennifer @ 4:57 p.m.; not even close to the range
Sarah @ 4:10 p.m.; not even close to the range.
Misty @ 9:29 a.m.; close but still not in the range.

Today I learned: So much for statistics.

 

[Astronuc]

TIL that Eli Whitney, who is famous for inventing the cotton gin, manufactured guns for the US government.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/st...overnment-launched-the-us-gun-industry-213892

 

[Pepper Mint]

I learned about myself today that I am a person who cherishes once-in-a-lifetime moments! I would want to make friends and be in touch with people of the same hobby, likes or better, manners and behaviors.

 

[Astronuc]

TIL - Booker T. Washington dinner at the White House caused a ruckus in 1901
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington_dinner_at_the_White_House

On 16 October 1901, shortly after moving into the White House, Theodore Roosevelt invited his advisor, the African American spokesman Booker T. Washington, to dine with him and his family, and provoked an outpouring of condemnation from southern politicians and press. This reaction affected subsequent White House practice, and no other African American was invited to dinner for almost thirty years.

 

[Hornbein]

TIL - Booker T. Washington dinner at the White House caused a ruckus in 1901
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington_dinner_at_the_White_House

It wasn't publicized in any way. Booker entered and left by a side door. A reporter found out about it. Senator Benjamin Tillman of South Carolina said "we shall have to kill a thousand niggers to get them back in their places."

It was one of the few times Roosevelt backed down from a fight. The dragon was too big.

 

[abwagen]

Today I learned that be calm down when someone upsets you and don't be rude.

 

[fresh_42]

Today I learned that be calm down when someone upsets you and don't be rude.

Yes, calm down, count to ten and punch on eight. Nobody is expecting this!

 

[OCR]

... count to ten and punch on eight.

Lol...

 

[Pepper Mint]

PM: You know it is hard to believe that people can create a table with used ground coffee.
Jim: Really ? Is that what you just learned today Pepper Mint ?
PM: Yes, It can also be used as compost for green plants. My mom often does this.
Jim: That's wonderful! I am going to reuse it from now.

 

[mfb]

$$\begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
a & b & c & d \\
x & y & z & w
\end{bmatrix}$$
Took me a second until I understood which kind of table is meant.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

TIL that Sigmund Freud was a cocaine addict

 

[fresh_42]

TIL that Sigmund Freud was a cocaine addict

Have you ever regarded a Miro or a Picasso, seen Spongebob or a Tarantino movie, listened to Schönberg, ...

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Have you ever regarded a Miro or a Picasso, seen Spongebob or a Tarantino movie, listened to Schönberg, ...

Um, yes. Not sure what that has to do with Freud and cocaine, though ...

 

[fresh_42]

Um, yes. Not sure what that has to do with Freud and cocaine, though ...

None of this looks, or sounds like it could be done sober or clean. And LSD was first used in psychiatry.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

None of this looks, or sounds like it could be done sober or clean.

oooh ... that explains why Doyle portrays Sherlock with an opium habit.

 

[WWGD]

It seems in some cultures it is considered rude for a person to do a favor to another, when this favor cannot be reciprocated immediately, or at least reciprocated over the short run. The reason behind this, it seems, is that the recipient of the favor feels indebted , which makes them feel uncomfortable. Of course, this applies to " non-trivial" favors, not just any favor like giving someone an address.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that the WWII Japanese had kamikaze rockets. They could hit 600 mph in a dive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka_MXY7_Ohka

 

[KaleLetendre]

Today I learned that in order to make an electromagnet i must insulate my wire [emoji23]

 

[zoobyshoe]

Today I learned that in order to make an electromagnet i must insulate my wire [emoji23]

They manufacture dedicated wire for this. Google: magnet wire. The insulation is very good and very thin so you can achieve maximum number of turns in the space you have. It's true you can use any insulated wire, but magnet wire is the best, due to its very thin insulation layer.

 

[Borg]

TIL that Dr. Henry Heimlich recently used the Heimlich maneuver for first time.

 

[dlgoff]

TIL that Sigmund Freud was a cocaine addict

I was taught in H.S. that Kekule was using cocaine when he came up with the structure of benzene. But it seems history has been changed since then, as I can't find any references on the internet about his cocaine use; which I was also taught was common place back then.

http://humantouchofchemistry.com/biting-ones-own-tail-the-history-of-benzene.htm]Friedrich[/PLAIN] August Kekule's structure
For Kekule, benzene was a great challenge. He spent many years trying to work out the structure. Once, while thinking about the problem, he nodded off and had a day-dream. In it he saw a snake coil up, and suddenly grab its own tail. It then struck him that benzene might be a 'ring'.

 

[Buzz Bloom]

TIL that it is impossible for me to have any intuitive understanding of physics.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that George McGovern was a combat bomber pilot who had several narrow escapes.

 

[fresh_42]

... that Woodstock actually took place in Bethel.

 

[OCR]

TIL that it is impossible for me to have any intuitive understanding of physics.

Lol ... I also learned that you might only think (?) you can't. [COLOR=#black]..[/COLOR]

... I do not believe I have the time to struggle with the math sufficiently to ever achieve the necessary comfort for intuition to follow.

I also learned that you are a person who is from 80 to 89 years old...[COLOR=#black]..[/COLOR]

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

I was taught in H.S. that Kekule was using cocaine when he came up with the structure of benzene. But it seems history has been changed since then, as I can't find any references on the internet about his cocaine use; which I was also taught was common place back then.

Quite interesting, I daresay. There are more recognized people who play (or at the very least, played) with drugs than I thought...
http://www.famousscientists.org/14-famous-scientists-inventors-who-experimented-with-drugs/

 

[jim hardy]

depleted uranium might make good transistors

http://web.ead.anl.gov/uranium/pdf/WM01Semicond.pdf
ABSTRACT
Semiconductors that are based on uranium dioxide (or other actinide compounds) appear possible and
could offer significant improvements in performance as compared to conventional Si, Ge, and GaAs
materials. The energy band gap (forbidden band gap) for uranium dioxide (UO2) lies between Si and
GaAs at the optimum of the band gap vs efficiency curve (1), indicating that one should be able to use
uranium oxides to make very efficient solar cells, semiconductors, or other electronic device.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that in January an Iranian mob burned down the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

 

[fresh_42]

depleted uranium might make good transistors

In addition it should be significantly cheaper than pure Si or Ge is.

 

[mfb]

In addition it should be significantly cheaper than pure Si or Ge is.

I guess the UO₂ has to be very pure as well.

In addition, oxides are much more resistive to radiation damage

Uh... SiO₂ layers are the typical failure mode in conventional silicon semiconductors. On the other hand, if UO₂ is the semiconductor instead of the insulating material, things can be different.