Today I Learned

[sbrothy]

TIL that there's a really ugly Australian "episode" of Rick & Morty called "Bushworld Adventures". I've rarely seen anything so randy and offensive while still laughing out loud (alone)!

Also the "Georgia Vs Denver Fenton Allen feat. Rick & Morty" can be found on youtube (I won't link to it as the language is really bad (although the worst expletives are *beeped* out). The art sucks but it's pretty funny. Based on an authentic exchange where the judge had to subsequently recuse himself from a murder case because he got sucked into this highly unprofessional, unethical and embarrassing exchange.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that Mollie was originally a pet name for Mary but has become popular on its own.

 

[symbolipoint]

Today I learned that Mollie was originally a pet name for Mary but has become popular on its own.

A check to wikipedia indicates specifically, "a diminutive for the name Mary". My senses tell me these are two completely different names. The true background information is what it is, regardless of my reaction to "Mollie" and "Mary". I also wonder why the -ie instead "Molly".

add: the article says a few other things, too.

 

[Hornbein]

A check to wikipedia indicates specifically, "a diminutive for the name Mary". My senses tell me these are two completely different names. The true background information is what it is, regardless of my reaction to "Mollie" and "Mary". I also wonder why the -ie instead "Molly".

add: the article says a few other things, too.

Mollie, a spelling variation of the name Molly, was initially an Irish nickname for the name Mary.

While less popular than the traditional spelling, Mollie is still a well-known name. It appeared in the top 1,000 girls' names in the United States from 1900 – and was most popular that year, ranking No. 139 – until falling off the list in 2016. --- https://www.babycenter.com/baby-names/details/mollie-4873

 

[pinball1970]

Today I learned that Mollie was originally a pet name for Mary but has become popular on its own.

"Whiskey in the Jar" is an old traditional Irish song, features a Molly. Most big Irish catholic families I knew growing up had a Mary and John.

 

[Ibix]

Most big Irish catholic families I knew growing up had a Mary and John.

Not Catholic, but somewhere back in my family tree there are a brother and sister called John and Mary who married a Mary and a John who were also brother and sister.

 

[jack action]

TIL about shockwave traffic jams and the fact that they moved backward at a rate of 20 km/h.

​

 

[OmCheeto]

TIL that all the planets, other than earth, were on the other side of the sun, about a week ago. [ref]

In spite of what Ai said when I asked about it:

me; 'how often is earth the only planet on one side of the sun'
Ai; 'Earth is never the only planet on one side of the Sun.'

I was curious of planetary alignments due to today's 7.8 earthquake near the Philippines.

The sun-earth-moon angle today is 90°.

 

[sbrothy]

Now when you say "all the planets" how many of them do you actually mean cause I'm told there're a lot!

 

[sbrothy]

Today I learned that Mollie was originally a pet name for Mary but has become popular on its own.

And one wonders why? You're sure it's not spelled "molly" by any chance?

 

[PeterDonis]

TIL that all the planets, other than earth, were on the other side of the sun, about a week ago.

If you use the restrictive definition of "planet" by which Pluto got demoted to, IIRC, a "dwarf planet" (and the others further out are also "dwarf planets"), yes.

 

[sbrothy]

If you use the restrictive definition of "planet" by which Pluto got demoted to, IIRC, a "dwarf planet" (and the others further out are also "dwarf planets"), yes.

Yeah, who knows if they're even there? It could be smudge on the lens!

 

[OmCheeto]

If you use the restrictive definition of "planet" by which Pluto got demoted to, IIRC, a "dwarf planet" (and the others further out are also "dwarf planets"), yes.

Yes. 3 of the 5 known dwarf planets ( Pluto, Makemake, and Haumea ) are currently on our side.
The other two ( Ceres and Eris ) are not.
[ref: scroll back to June 1, 2026]

Given how evenly angularly distributed they are, and the wide variation in orbital periods:

Ceres 4.6 years​

Eris 560 years​

I would be surprised if such an alignment that included them would happen less than every million years. But that's just a wild guess.
It's raining here, so gardening is canceled.
Perhaps I'll do a ton of research, and come up with a better guess.

 

[Hornbein]

Stockfish is the premier chess program. Today I learned that it was and is crowdsourced, with over two hundred contributors.

 

[sbrothy]

TIL, perhaps for the third or fifth time that people will ignore a crying child. So, once again I had to engage. (I don't know why it's always girls. I suspect it has to do with upbringing, social taboos and boys being more daring). Still I'm walking into a discount shop and this little girl (<10) is standing sobbing outside. I ask her whats wrong and she can't find her mother "she was just here". After having asked her how long she's been standing here without a hard answer ("a long time", but what can you expect from a child?). Naturally, I call the police and they tell me they haven't got the time!!!

OK, I say, I'm a 50 year old man so I'll take her home and we'll find a solution. How do you think that sounds?

Funny enough they find the time (who would've thought?!), so I wait by her side till a police car shows up (after 20 minutes!!), and what do I get for my empathy? A suspicous stare while they take her with them and calm her down ("You're not with that evil man anymore"). OK, admittely that's not what they said (or what do I know), but dammit it makes me effing angry!!!

 

[pinball1970]

Not Catholic, but somewhere back in my family tree there are a brother and sister called John and Mary who married a Mary and a John who were also brother and sister.

So their wives/Husbands were also sister/brothers-in-laws? if they both had kids

 

[sbrothy]

Well, according to the bible there were only Cain and Able, but still one of them (I forget who) managed to find a wife. Where did she come from?

Also the parable in the New Testament with people possed by demons where Jesus ordered the demons to jump off the cliff. The demons then begged to be sent into some pigs which then jumped off the cliff. I've never understood that one. I mean what did the pigs do to deserve that?

EDIT: I mean the rest of it makes perfect sense. It's only that particular story I have a problem with.

EDIT2: *cough*.

 

[Ibix]

So their wives/Husbands were also sister/brothers-in-laws? if they both had kids

Yes. It's not enormously rare - a man's sister hitting it off with his wife's brother isn't a crazy idea - and in itself it's fine. However, the children of the relationships would be "double cousins" and share DNA to the same extent as half-siblings. This particular instance is long enough ago and my family tree is sprawling enough that nobody needs to care, but it can cause (additional) problems where cousin marriage is common because double cousins are more closely related than normal cousins, so them having children would be even riskier than normal cousins having children.

 

[pinball1970]

Yes. It's not enormously rare - a man's sister hitting it off with his wife's brother isn't a crazy idea - and in itself it's fine. However, the children of the relationships would be "double cousins" and share DNA to the same extent as half-siblings. This particular instance is long enough ago and my family tree is sprawling enough that nobody needs to care, but it can cause (additional) problems where cousin marriage is common because double cousins are more closely related than normal cousins, so them having children would be even riskier than normal cousins having children.

I finished mid sentence there for some reason. "If they both had kids what would the relationship between the two?"

"Double cousins" was what Ai said also, I wrote it out on paper and did not know what to call it.

I think marriage between cousins is illegal in the UK, I would have to check.

 

[Ibix]

I think marriage between cousins is illegal in the UK, I would have to check.

I'm not sure about double cousins, but it's legal between first cousins. There was some argument earlier this year about making it illegal (I think there was a longitudinal study published that showed that while major health issues weren't that common, there were a lot of less obvious negative effects that were pretty common) but they decided not to change the law.

 

[jack action]

Yes. It's not enormously rare - a man's sister hitting it off with his wife's brother isn't a crazy idea - and in itself it's fine. However, the children of the relationships would be "double cousins" and share DNA to the same extent as half-siblings. This particular instance is long enough ago and my family tree is sprawling enough that nobody needs to care, but it can cause (additional) problems where cousin marriage is common because double cousins are more closely related than normal cousins, so them having children would be even riskier than normal cousins having children.

I finished mid sentence there for some reason. "If they both had kids what would the relationship between the two?"

"Double cousins" was what Ai said also, I wrote it out on paper and did not know what to call it.

I think marriage between cousins is illegal in the UK, I would have to check.

What about twins marrying twins?

Safe to say that the Salyers make up quite a unique family. It all started when identical twins Brittany and Briana met identical twins Josh and Jeremy at a twin festival in 2017. A year later, Brittany married Josh and Briana married Jeremy in a double wedding ceremony. What is even more surprising is that the sisters became pregnant only a few months apart and both gave birth to boys.

While technically the two boys are cousins, any genetic analysis would identify them as brothers because their parents are identical twins on both sides!

 

[pinball1970]

What about twins marrying twins?

Yikes.

"Hey cousin but genetically close enough to call you brother, how you doing?"

Actually, not as weird as, "Hey sister-in-law..............or is it the wife?"

I interviewed a lovely lady for a lab job with my boss. She seemed a bit quiet but she was smart enough, well qualified. The best from the day.
She left, quick chat with the boss, "Can you toughen her up?" Probably.
Read the next C.V. and something was off, my boss seemed to be happy as she had reviewed all of the prior, she just wanted my option and feel of the guys. Door opens and ..Quiet girl walks back in.

Boss does not flinch and starts talking normally to her. I look at the CV again then it hit me, same second name.
I focus on qualifications and experience, if they are in a band and like Lord of the rings that's great but what did they do?

I barely remember first let alone second names.

Girl two is identical twin. Same degree, same class of degree, same Uni, same A levels, same A level grades, same GCSEs (exams at 16) same GCSE grades.
The joke was planned and on me of course (I think), boss already hired them.

 

[BillTre]

What about twins marrying twins?

I have a friend (a molecular geneticist) who has an identical twin.
The twin is married with children, but not him.
He says his twin's kids are his virtual kids.

I don't like the cousin half-this or that terminology. I'd rather have the calculated average inheritance or a drawn out lineage, but that's not common.

As someone who was responsible for the genetic integrity of "wild type" genetic lines of fish, I should point out that all these effects at an individual level will also effect the population level. Genetic lines that are too inbred do not do well.

 

[OmCheeto]

TIL that there are birds that cannot walk.
I ran across an instagram post regarding 'be on the lookout for stranded loons', which sounded a bit funny, as I didn't know loons were prone to stranding, nor off the top of my head as to why.
So I googled and found out that they cannot walk, along with a few other types of birds:
hummingbird
kingfisher
swift
grebe

Grebes and Loons apparently need long water runways to take off and fly.
Swifts also can get stranded on the ground, and need to launch from tall vertical structures.

Hummingbirds and Kingfishers as far as I can tell, do not get stranded.

 

[Ibix]

TIL that stag beetles can fly, and they're quite big.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

TIL that stag beetles can fly, and they're quite big.

They don't seem to be very good at it. I found out about stag beetles flying a few years ago on a summer evening when a loudly buzzing slow-moving object bounced off my face. It could barely lift itself, let alone navigate, despite apparently trying to fly up vertically, and it kept bumping into things.

 

[Ibix]

They don't seem to be very good at it. I found out about stag beetles flying a few years ago on a summer evening when a loudly buzzing slow-moving object bounced off my face. It could barely lift itself, let alone navigate, despite apparently trying to fly up vertically, and it kept bumping into things.

Yes, they didn't seem to have a great thrust to weight ratio. I gather they're cruising about looking for females, so they're probably watching the ground and not where they're going.

 

[Ibix]

Also on the wildlife front, TIL what British toads sound like:

I agree with the presenter.

 

[symbolipoint]

T.I.L.
This seems like the damndest thing. T.I.L. that badgers and coyotes coordinate in hunting together; but also later in the reading that coyote prey on young badger.

Check in the Behavior section and in the Predation section of the Wiki article. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger

 

[symbolipoint]

We are supposed to be skeptical of what we find on YouTube and on Wikipedia, but if these contents in the video are true about Opossum, the just so amazing:

T.I.L.
Immune to snake venom
Eat ticks as part of their grooming
Other things specified there too.