Today I Learned

[fresh_42]

I thought the literacy rate in Germany is virtually 100%. Are there really more than 7 million illiterates out of 80 million? Does this include people who were not educated in Germany?

What I've found on official websites (age between 18 and 64):
7.5 M - cannot read or write longer texts
2 M out of them with difficulties to read or write single words
13.3 M - deficits to read and write frequently used words
I haven't found figures about the structure of these numbers.
In total it is
82.2 M - total population
9.1 M - foreigners
17.1 M - immigrants

 

[fresh_42]

Platt in Canada: (esp. at 6:10, for missing subtitles write the Canadians)

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

Platt in Canada: (esp. at 6:10, for missing subtitles write the Canadians)

Their map left out Pennsylvania. Some Amish and Mennonites in Pennsylvania speak Plaut. Of course it's not nearly as widely spoken as Pennsylvania Dutch.

 

[fresh_42]

Their map left out Pennsylvania. Some Amish and Mennonites in Pennsylvania speak Platt. Of course it's not nearly as widely spoken as Pennsylvania Dutch.

The entire situation is funny:
An Ethiopian born black man speaks to Canadian villagers in a rare coastal German language hardly understood in the rest of Germany.

(It's more than just a dialect and has once been spoken all around these coastal areas. Some words have a greater similarity with their English counterparts than with German words.)

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

The entire situation is funny:
An Ethiopian born black man speaks to Canadian villagers in a rare coastal German language hardly understood in the rest of Germany.

(It's more than just a dialect and has once been spoken all around these coastal areas. Some words have a greater similarity with their English counterparts than with German words.)

Their dialect is rather pleasant. It reminds me of Afrikaans.

Pennsylvania Dutch has lots of words borrowed from English. But still in traditional communities the kids grow up speaking their dialect. Obviously they learn English in school. If I ever meet some of my distant Amish or Mennonite cousins in person, it will be interesting to see if we can communicate at all in German, or if we must use English. I think partial communication in German should be possible.

Oh well, now it's back to work. Thanks for posting.

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

Today I learned just how seriously scientists are taking the threat of LED screens to our eyesight.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...indness-screen-time-blinding-kids-adults.html

I saw "computer glasses" in Fry's the other day but did not have time to look them over. I don't know if they are supposed to provide protection from the problem mentioned in this article, and if so how effective they are.

This seems quite serious for people who stare at LED screens all day. For now I will keep on using my old CRT monitor.

 

[jim hardy]

Today I learned just how seriously scientists are taking the threat of LED screens to our eyesight.

Interesting that it's short wavelength white light. I find LED flashlights uncomfortable, so am not surprised about the damage.

and driving at night into oncoming HID Xenon and LED headlights is sheer torture. I've written my congressman and senator asking for a ban on them.
And i sent the attached letter to NHTSA in response to a recent call for comments on some silly rule.

Do they bother anybody else, or am i just a grumpy old man with failing eyesight ?

 

[jedishrfu]

Interesting that it's short wavelength white light. I find LED flashlights uncomfortable, so am not surprised about the damage.

and driving at night into oncoming HID Xenon and LED headlights is sheer torture. I've written my congressman and senator asking for a ban on them.
And i sent the attached letter to NHTSA in response to a recent call for comments on some silly rule.

Do they bother anybody else, or am i just a grumpy old man with failing eyesight ?

Yeah, they bother me too. I'm old but not so grumpy yet.

 

[jim hardy]

hmmm two days left for public comment on that rule in my letter to NHTSA

https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...6-28125/vehicle-defect-reporting-requirements

 

[mfb]

If it is UV-based, then glasses help.

For now I will keep on using my old CRT monitor.

Avoid something with a potential risk, replace it by something with certain risks?

 

[gleem]

Today I learned that George Orwell's "1984" is Amazon top selling book whose rising sales is presumably due to the "alternative facts" controversy. I'm trying to wrap my mind around "double think".

 

[fresh_42]

Today I learned that George Orwell's "1984" is Amazon top selling book whose rising sales is presumably due to the "alternative facts" controversy. I'm trying to wrap my mind around "double think".

Doubleplusgood!

 

[StevieTNZ]

I haven't learned anything new today. But I am wanting to learn something today so my question is, what is today's alternative fact?

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

If it is UV-based, then glasses help.Avoid something with a potential risk, replace it by something with certain risks?

I need to learn more about this. Thanks for the replies.

 

[fresh_42]

I haven't learned anything new today. But I am wanting to learn something today so my question is, what is today's alternative fact?

$2+2=1$

 

[mfb]

$2+2=5$

 

[phinds]

$2+2=5$

Actually, I think Trump's version is 2 + 2 = about 300

 

[mfb]

Make 2+2 great again!

 

[Ibix]

Post-truth maths.

Whoa.

 

[dkotschessaa]

$2+2=1$

$2+2=5$

Now to figure out which alternative fact most appeals to my most dearly held notions and biases!

 

[fresh_42]

Now to figure out which alternative fact most appeals to my most dearly held notions and biases!

Well, mine doesn't need a redefinition of facts, umm symbols.
In case anyone wants to learn more about alternatives, mathematicians have already a solution even for this:
We gathered them in $\{A_n\,\vert \,n \in \mathbb{N}_{\geq 2}\}$

 

[Borg]

TIL, that U.S. government scientists will not be easily muzzled.
U.S. government scientists go 'rogue' in defiance of Trump.

Employees from more than a dozen U.S. government agencies have established a network of unofficial "rogue" Twitter feeds in defiance of what they see as attempts by President Donald Trump to muzzle federal climate change research and other science.

 

[Borg]

$2+2=1$

Today I learned that sales of 1984 are up 10,000%.

 

[Bystander]

Today I learned that sales of 1984 are up 10,000%.

Hundredfold? On what size of inventory? " Earlier this week Signet Classics ordered a 75,000-copy reprint of the book and the company spokesman says there could be more printings in the near future.

CorrectionJan. 25, 2017
A previous version of this story said Kellyanne Conway was interviewed on Face the Nation by Chuck Todd. The show was actually Meet the Press." 75k? It's no longer required reading?

 

[jedishrfu]

Today I learned that George Orwell died in creating his 1984 classic:

In 1946 Observer editor David Astor lent George Orwell a remote Scottish farmhouse in which to write his new book, Nineteen Eighty-Four. It became one of the most significant novels of the 20th century. Here, Robert McCrum tells the compelling story of Orwell's torturous stay on the island where the author, close to death and beset by creative demons, was engaged in a feverish race to finish the book

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/10/1984-george-orwell

 

[Borg]

Death is life?

 

[fresh_42]

Death is life?

Doubleplusungood!

 

[Borg]

Doubleplusungood!

It's going to be a crazy four years.

 

[fresh_42]

We have a saying here: What others built up with their hands in months, he tears down with his butt in minutes.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Well, mine doesn't need a redefinition of facts, umm symbols.
In case anyone wants to learn more about alternatives, mathematicians have already a solution even for this:
We gathered them in $\{A_n\,\vert \,n \in \mathbb{N}_{\geq 2}\}$

You're trying to brainwash me! ::puts on alternative math news site::

 

[OmCheeto]

It's going to be a crazy four years.

This kind of crazy?



Today, I learned to stay off the north jetty of Humboldt Bay(coordinates: 40°45′53.06″N 124°14′05.01″W), when the National Weather Service issues a High Surf Advisory for Northern California after overnight measurements indicated a surf height of 27 feet.

 

[fresh_42]

This kind of crazy?

Sure that crazy is the appropriate adjective here?

 

[jedishrfu]

This kind of crazy?
Today, I learned to stay off the north jetty of Humboldt Bay(coordinates: 40°45′53.06″N 124°14′05.01″W), when the National Weather Service issues a High Surf Advisory for Northern California after overnight measurements indicated a surf height of 27 feet.

Just Wow!

 

[Borg]

This kind of crazy?

What a maroon.
Looks like he busted a right front tie rod early on. He was screwed after that.

 

[OmCheeto]

Sure that crazy is the appropriate adjective here?

hmmmm... Are you implying that it's going to be crazier?
Could be.
But my imagination only goes so far, and the next 4 years is only a week old, and many of us are already...

We may need a new adjective.

 

[OmCheeto]

What a maroon.
Looks like he busted a right front tie rod early on. He was screwed after that.

Yah... He's the second best excuse for not defunding Planned Parenthood, IMHO.

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

We have a saying here: What others built up with their hands in months, he tears down with his butt in minutes.

Regarding information, there are backups. Science marches on.

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-record/climate

 

[fresh_42]

Regarding information, there are backups. Science marches on.

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-record/climate

Does Twitter meanwhile fall under diplomatic immunity?

 

[mfb]

This kind of crazy?

That is not crazy, that is a suicide attempt.Today I learned: There was never a proper randomized double-blind trial on whether parachute use prevents death when jumping out of airplanes.

 

[fresh_42]

That is not crazy, that is a suicide attempt.Today I learned: There was never a proper randomized double-blind trial on whether parachute use prevents death when jumping out of airplanes.

Sure?

 

[mfb]

Today I learned: There was never a published randomized double-blind trial on whether parachute use prevents death when jumping out of airplanes.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Today I learned: There was never a published randomized double-blind trial on whether parachute use prevents death when jumping out of airplanes.

Pfft. Total placebo.

 

[jedishrfu]

Pfft. Total placebo.

More likely skewed results from those who couldn't report back the failure of their jump.

 

[dkotschessaa]

More likely skewed results from those who couldn't report back the failure of their jump.

Questionnaire:

1. Did you use a Parachute? Y/N
2. How would you rate your landing experience on a scale of 1-10? ____

 

[fresh_42]

TIL why it's called terminal velocity.

 

[OCR]

Today I learned: There was never a published randomized double-blind trial on whether parachute use prevents death when jumping out of airplanes.

Sure ?

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Today I learned that just because Windows Update has been saying "Checking for Updates" day and night for 18 days (with the Windows Update service under svchost.exe showing 100% CPU for all of that time) that doesn't necessarily mean it's not making progress!

This morning, I found it had just applied 40 updates and had two more ready to install, after which it now reports it's up to date.

This is a Windows Vista system that I hadn't used since July, when I tried but failed to update it to Windows 7 (which it claimed should be compatible), getting some extremely obscure error in "specialization" processing after it had all apparently installed fine, probably due to the hard disk having been replaced a couple of years ago by someone who didn't do the right incantations to initialise the new disk correctly for Windows. Or perhaps the disk controller doesn't support the new disk properly. Or it's a side-effect of a known bug in the original CD version of the Windows 7 Update package to do with RAID controllers. Or something. Or something else. Grrr.

 

[phinds]

Today I learned that just because Windows Update has been saying "Checking for Updates" day and night for 18 days (with the Windows Update service under svchost.exe showing 100% CPU for all of that time) that doesn't necessarily mean it's not making progress!

This morning, I found it had just applied 40 updates and had two more ready to install, after which it now reports it's up to date.

This is a Windows Vista system that I hadn't used since July, when I tried but failed to update it to Windows 7 (which it claimed should be compatible), getting some extremely obscure error in "specialization" processing after it had all apparently installed fine, probably due to the hard disk having been replaced a couple of years ago by someone who didn't do the right incantations to initialise the new disk correctly for Windows. Or perhaps the disk controller doesn't support the new disk properly. Or it's a side-effect of a known bug in the original CD version of the Windows 7 Update package to do with RAID controllers. Or something. Or something else. Grrr.

Yeah, my bet is it's your last suggestion, "something else". It's ALWAYS "something else" with *&#^@%%# Windows.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Today I learned a judge granted an emergency stay on the executive order Trump signed regarding travellers holding certain passports.

 

[Buzz Bloom]

TIL about Göbekli Tepe while reading Sapiens: A brief histry of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.
It “is an archaeological site atop a mountain ridge in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of modern-day Turkey, approximately 12 km (7 mi) northeast of the city of Şanlıurfa.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Göbekli_Tepe​

What is fantastically unusual about this site are the very large carved monumental structures built there

about 9500 BCE by hunter gathers rather than by farmers who archeologists have determined have built all other similar kinds of structures found so far.