Today I Learned

[Astronuc]

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

We do. I have Marmite and Vegemite in my pantry. Marmite is OK, but I have a preference for Vegemite.

I spread it thick like peanut butter. I also have it on toast with cheese or hummus, or in a Vegemite sandwich.

 

[berkeman]

I've heard about injured POWs who used maggots to debride their wounds of necrotic tissue, then urinated on them to kill them when they finished clearing the dead tissue and to start the healing.

**** **** | ** *** | * * | *** *** | * *** | **** *** | * * | **** *** | **** **** | **** ** | *** ****

 

[symbolipoint]

An advertisement for a lab job appeared a few times on Craigslist some years ago to work with maggots raised for wound debridement therapy.

 

[DrGreg]

Today I learned that, in a biology lecture, leech is used in surgery, thus its name.

According to the Wikipedia article Hirudo medicinalis § Current, leeches can still be used to treat venous congestion after microsurgery, varicose veins, muscle cramps, thrombophlebitis, and osteoarthritis. Leech saliva contains anticoagulants and vasodilators (so improves blood flow), and also anaesthetic so the bites don't hurt much.

 

[Hornbein]

According to the Wikipedia article Hirudo medicinalis § Current, leeches can still be used to treat venous congestion after microsurgery, varicose veins, muscle cramps, thrombophlebitis, and osteoarthritis. Leech saliva contains anticoagulants and vasodilators (so improves blood flow), and also anaesthetic so the bites don't hurt much.

I can attest that the bites don't hurt at all. More than once I've looked at my feet to discover fat leeches there. It's impressive how fast they can suck.

 

[DeBangis21]

Still a current method or treatment today? Me, not sure, but I may not be well-informed. Today wound debridement therapy using maggots does exist; special care taken in rearing the young maggots.

edit: (excuse me for editing this. I forgot about the word, "maggot" so used the misspelled larva instead.)

No idea actually

 

[KingGambit]

Today I learned that,
Galileo ever measured the speed of light, and again, by his pulse.
Oh
My
God!

And someone ever measured the speed of light by determining the time delay between one of Jupiter's moon eclipse.

Can't believe that. Four of Jupiter's moons are called "Galilean moon". How could a genius like Galileo missed that method?

But, I can understand that. Galileo was before Newton, and by that time, he didn't know the distance between Sun and Earth and Jupiter.

 

[Vanadium 50]

That Galileo! What an ignorant stumblebum!

Measuring the speed of light with the Romer method requires, a) about five years between observations, b) a a heliocentric model (and five years after his discovery of Jupiter's moons Galileo was in enough hot water about heliocentrism) and c) timekeeping good to the few minute level, The latter didn't exist until Romer's time.

 

[PeterDonis]

That Galileo! What an ignorant stumblebum!

Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Morons!

 

[malawi_glenn]

Today I learned what these are called on a carpet

 

[pinball1970]

TIL: This from NASA on Black holes, size comparisons with some nice dreamy spaced out music.

 

[KingGambit]

Today I learned that,
I cannot [like] nor [comment] on YouTube video played in Physics Form windows.

 

[Grelbr42]

TIL how a PET scan works. Thanks to @Dale for directing my attention.

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

 

[mfb]

12+1 = 11+2, but today I learned that they are also anagrams in English:

TWELVE + ONE = ELEVEN + TWO

 

[fresh_42]

12+1 = 11+2, but today I learned that they are also anagrams in English:

TWELVE + ONE = ELEVEN + TWO

View attachment 325901

And "12"+"1"=11^2.

 

[Borg]

This works also.

TWELVE PLUS ONE = ELEVEN PLUS TWO

 

[KingGambit]

Today I learned, that...

https://www.onezoom.org/life.html/@...3Fimg%3Dbest_any&anim=flight#x1942,y8,w5.4031
Hyaenas are closer to cats than dogs.

 

[BillTre]

Wow. Who knew?
wikpedia link on Hyaenas.

picture of a particularly weird looking striped hyena:

 

[fresh_42]

Wow. Who knew?

Me. But I was also surprised the first time I read it.

 

[pinball1970]

Today I learned, that...

https://www.onezoom.org/life.html/@=827259?img=bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.onezoom.org%2Flife.html%2F%40FELIFORMIA%3D827259%3Fimg%3Dbest_any&anim=flight#x1942,y8,w5.4031
Hyaenas are closer to cats than dogs.

I always thought that about foxes, they look doggish but move like a cat. I will check

 

[fresh_42]

Wolves, all kinds of seals, foxes, jackals, coyotes, ... all dogs.

 

[pinball1970]

Wolves, all kinds of seals, foxes, jackals, coyotes, ... all dogs.

For a newspaper the Guardian can be pretty good sometimes.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...of-evolution-are-we-barking-up-the-wrong-tree

 

[fresh_42]

For a newspaper ...

... the Guardian can be pretty good sometimes.

For a little, very little moment I thought you would say Sun or Mirror.

 

[KingGambit]

I always thought that about foxes, they look doggish but move like a cat. I will check

Don't bother. I've checked searched the wiki page.

They belong to Canidae family. It's dog allright.
Fox, I knew before. But Hyaena I just knew yesterday.

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

 

[pinball1970]

TIL 40% Of mammals are Rodents and 20% are bats. Beavers, squirrels and chipmunks are Rodents but not badgers, minks, otters and wolverines. I had to check Wolverine, it looks like a badger nothing like a wolf.

 

[DeBangis21]

TIL, yesterday 09th May, in our PHY102: E&M lecture, that it is better to use the left ear for phone calls due to increase in EM waves around when on calls, and because the left ear have some protective...fluid(?)

 

[jedishrfu]

TIL, yesterday 09th May, in our PHY102: E&M lecture, that it is better to use the left ear for phone calls due to increase in EM waves around when on calls, and because the left ear have some protective...fluid(?)

Are you sure you heard that right? There is no research to back up either claim. Both ears are constructed the same but of course one could have some hearing loss making the other ear the preferred one for phone calls.

As an example, there Maniere's Disease that can affect hearing in one ear and sometimes both as it progresses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ménière's_disease

The fluid of the inner ear is the same in both ears.

Electromagnetic waves of mobile phones, are non-ionizing radiation and are generally considered safe at the levels at which we are exposed to them. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted and the consensus is that there is no conclusive evidence to link mobile phone radiation to harmful health effects.

 

[Tom.G]

TIL, yesterday 09th May, in our PHY102: E&M lecture, that it is better to use the left ear for phone calls due to increase in EM waves around when on calls, and because the left ear have some protective...fluid(?)

Me thinks your E&M lecturer is a creative storyteller.

 

[DeBangis21]

Are you sure you heard that right? There is no research to back up either claim. Both ears are constructed the same but of course one could have some hearing loss making the other ear the preferred one for phone calls.

As an example, there Maniere's Disease that can affect hearing in one ear and sometimes both as it progresses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ménière's_disease

The fluid of the inner ear is the same in both ears.

Electromagnetic waves of mobile phones, are non-ionizing radiation and are generally considered safe at the levels at which we are exposed to them. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted and the consensus is that there is no conclusive evidence to link mobile phone radiation to harmful health effects.

Thank you for the information.

 

[Borg]

I've seen a few articles on using AI in combination with a hospital MRI machine to figure out what a person was looking at or generally thinking. TIL that reading a person's mind with AI may not always require an MRI and that the algorithms are getting sophisticated enough to understand more complicated thoughts such as sentences.

https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/a...es-brain-activity-into-diaglogue-173774917826

About 3 minutes in, the discussion turns to other ways to read a person's thoughts using more portable methods. I'm not familiar with the device that she mentions to know how 'portable' it is (I suspect that it's still big). However, she does state that it is using GPT 1 and goes on to discuss future, smaller devices like ear buds that could have this scanning tech installed into them. Given the advancements we're seeing in AI, the possibility of reading others thoughts may be closer than anyone realizes and the corporations building those devices may have direct access to our inner thoughts. Pretty scary if it becomes reality.

 

[jedishrfu]

Lets hope its not misused by bad actors as was done with the polygraph tests in the past.

I can see the tech used as means to talk with patients in a coma or some sort of paralysis.

 

[BWV]

The average Canadian lives in Michigan

 

[BillTre]

The average Canadian lives in Michigan

View attachment 326338

Looks like the Houghton in the upper peninsula.

Also Detroit is north of Windsor.

 

[Bystander]

The average Canadian lives in Michigan

View attachment 326338

"...lies, damned lies, and statistics."

 

[KingGambit]

Are you sure you heard that right? There is no research to back up...

What did you mean "heard that right"? With his right or left ear?

 

[TonyStewart]

Google I/O plans to implement AI across all its 50? Apps, all new mobiles, and all new developer tools.

This fresh approach introduces features like easy printing of related photos, generating thoughtful yet artificial text, expanding storage in G Drive, and boosting Google's revenue.

AI serves as a creative tool, compensating for skill and creativity deficiencies while enhancing Google's profitability. Initially free, users may later opt for monthly payments to access more storage or view additional ads, reminiscent of disliked live TV experiences.

The OpenAI trend aids in finding quick answers, and creative instant art, but constructive actions matter more than this transient entertainment.

 

[fresh_42]

The OpenAI trend is the last nail in the coffin of independent thinking!

This alone is sad, but even sadder is the fact that AI is so stupid, superficially, and usually wrong.

 

[Hornbein]

Google I/O plans to implement AI across all its 50? Apps, all new mobiles, and all new developer tools.

This fresh approach introduces features like easy printing of related photos, generating thoughtful yet artificial text, expanding storage in G Drive, and boosting Google's revenue.

AI serves as a creative tool, compensating for skill and creativity deficiencies while enhancing Google's profitability. Initially free, users may later opt for monthly payments to access more storage or view additional ads, reminiscent of disliked live TV experiences.

The OpenAI trend aids in finding quick answers, and creative instant art, but constructive actions matter more than this transient entertainment.

It appears that this was generated by ChatGPT.

 

[pinball1970]

The OpenAI trend is the last nail in the coffin of independent thinking!

This alone is sad, but even sadder is the fact that AI is so stupid, superficially, and usually wrong.

You seen this guy? He works through past exam papers. EDIT just to add this was live a few minutes ago but I am tied up at work so I will watch later

 

[Swamp Thing]

TIL how some people use molten lead to clear invasive insect colonies

Edit: It's aluminium, actually.

 

[pinball1970]

TIL how some people use molten lead to clear invasive insect colonies

Edit: It's aluminium, actually.

Wasps too

 

[jack action]

TIL a new definition for the acronym AI: Artificial Imbecility

 

[pinball1970]

I know that is a horrific way to kill a living organism, fire and heat. My worst nightmare.
Melting point of Aluminium is 660C so death would be quick. @fresh_42

 

[fresh_42]

I know that is a horrific way to kill a living organism, fire and heat. My worst nightmare.
Melting point of Aluminium is 660C so death would be quick. @fresh_42

Yes, but it seems so useless. I never liked these.

 

[pinball1970]

Yes, but it seems so useless. I never liked these.

It does work Fresh.
Not everyone has a mobile oven that can convert Aluminium to a liquid in a crucible, I will give you that but the technique works and is quick.
Wasps are not vectors, however, wasps in residential areas on masse can cause problems and be a threat especially to kids, if you watch the link.
unpleasant but necessary to remove them. Rent a kill would put chemicals into the environment.

 

[BillTre]

It does work Fresh.
Not everyone has a mobile oven that can convert Aluminium to a liquid in a crucible, I will give you that but the technique works and is quick.
Wasps are not vectors, however, wasps in residential areas on masse can cause problems and be a threat especially to kids, if you watch the link.
unpleasant but necessary to remove them. Rent a kill would put chemicals into the environment.

I think of hornets as being more of a problem than wasps.
The hornets I have know were more territorial and aggressive in nest defense and have larger nests.

I think what this kind of thing is really good for is visualizing the interior structure of underground nests and passageways of a variety of things. There are not other good ways to do this.
Similar cool looking things form when lightening strikes wet sand and melt some of the sand into glass underground.

Killing underground nest can be done much more easily with a bucket of soapy water. This drowns insects that would be otherwise be resistant to drowning because their waxy surface repels water.

 

[BillTre]

NY Times review of a new Documentary on Yogi Berra: “It Ain’t Over”

 

[pinball1970]

I think of hornets as being more of a problem than wasps.
The hornets I have know were more territorial and aggressive in nest defense and have larger nests.

I think what this kind of thing is really good for is visualizing the interior structure of underground nests and passageways of a variety of things. There are not other good ways to do this.
Similar cool looking things form when lightening strikes wet sand and melt some of the sand into glass underground.

Killing underground nest can be done much more easily with a bucket of soapy water. This drowns insects that would be otherwise be resistant to drowning because their waxy surface repels water.

As quick? Even with a surfactant? I admit the vid goes for the spectacular but the structure is cool.
That side chamber, a wasp nursery?

 

[fresh_42]

Wasps and hornets are both annoying. The latter is a bit more dangerous. I know why I like bumblebees:

They are chubby.
They don't annoy you.
They don't attack you.
They only mind their own business.
They are always relaxed.
They don't invite their families to the meetings.

 

[BillTre]

As quick? Even with a surfactant?

Submersion in detergents or alcohol are the preferred methods for killing insects in labs. Freezing might be up there too.
This is much cheaper and safer than getting a bunch of metal, melting it, and dumping it on the nest.

I don't have too much empathy for insects.
They are pretty dumb compared with mammals and they probably don't have much of an inner life.