What really obvious thing have you only just realised?

Seachmall

I got caught out on this sometime last year but it just popped into my head so I figured I'd mention it.

A pterodactyl is not a dinosaur.

Seems obvious to me now but I had to look it up when someone laughed at me for assuming it was.

Pace2008

Seachmall wrote: »

I got caught out on this sometime last year but it just popped into my head so I figured I'd mention it.

A pterodactyl is not a dinosaur.

Seems obvious to me now but I had to look it up when someone laughed at me for assuming it was.

Assuming a giant reptile that lived 150 million years ago was a dinosaur, how absurd.

Whoever laughed at you is a bit of an asshat.

kraggy

unknowngirl!! wrote: »

Until recently I thought numbers on the side of a toaster were a heat setting and not minutes!

I don't believe this.

There's no timer so how does the toaster know when to stop. Also, of course number 4 stays on longer than number 3 so of course it stays on longer because it takes longer to heat up to that temperature.

Thundercats Ho

When i was a child, i thought the prayer went "the blood of the new and ever lasting cup of it" (everlasting covenant)
Also, my best friend used to think that when you shake hands in church, you say "pleased to meet you" (peace be with you).
Oh we laughed...

locum-motion

mikemac1 wrote: »

Neil Patrick Harris was gay...

Probably still is, in fairness!

crusher000

That I will always be in debt, and no matter how hard I try to cut back there's always a new bill waiting to be left. All the saving and denying of eceryday items still don't add enough to cover my debts.

mortarhate

On the toaster issue, the numbers aren't actual minutes, they are gradients of time. I tried this the other night and a 5 went for 3 and a half minutes, and an 8 went for 4 minutes. My mate did the same and the durations were slightly longer, but the higher number stayed in for more time. Then I realised how sad it is that I was timing a toaster and stopped.

Capt'n Midnight

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Not everyone knows that nouns are spelt with a capital letter.

Frenchman/rat are the same in Irish

Only proper nouns, this isn't German

hardCopy

Deleted User wrote: »

February is not spelled Febuary !!

February doesnt even sound correct.

Janruary still catches me out regularly.

Paramite Pie

Kolido wrote: »

Realised about a year ago that tigers are not indigenous to Africa

That's an extremely common mistake but it's one that always gets on my nerves! Glad you realised this!:)

Flutterby80 wrote: »

That escalators in shops are so called because they escalate you to a higher level , I'm so proud of myself

Wait till you figure out where the 'Lift' gets it's name from... it'll blow your mind!!:D

Capt'n Midnight

amtw wrote: »

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Which came first the Cardinal or the cardinal.

Cardinal of course.

Boombastic

mortarhate wrote: »

On the toaster issue, the numbers aren't actual minutes, they are gradients of time. I tried this the other night and a 5 went for 3 and a half minutes, and an 8 went for 4 minutes. My mate did the same and the durations were slightly longer, but the higher number stayed in for more time. Then I realised how sad it is that I was timing a toaster and stopped.

Never mind your gradients of time see Kraggy's answer below for the reason

kraggy wrote: »

I don't believe this.

There's no timer so how does the toaster know when to stop. Also, of course number 4 stays on longer than number 3 so of course it stays on longer because it takes longer to heat up to that temperature.

Capt'n Midnight

Pace2008 wrote: »

Assuming a giant reptile that lived 150 million years ago was a dinosaur, how absurd.

Like crocs and tortoises and snakes and ichthyosaurs and pleisosaurs and other swimming reptiles

not sure if there were any giant tuataras back then



[edit]The Daily Mail doesn't know what a dinosaur is. But then it doesn't have a reputation for accuracy/truth.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2144715/The-dinosaurs-suffered-arthritis-150-million-years-ago--scientists-find.html

Dinosaurs suffered painful arthritis in their huge joints, scientists revealed for the first time today.

Researchers found signs of a degenerative condition similar to human arthritis in the jaw of a pliosaur - an ancient sea reptile that lived 150 million years ago.

Capt'n Midnight

Oh - Dr Who is on BBC4 now, with dinosaurs :cool:

Kolido

kraggy wrote: »

I don't believe this.

There's no timer so how does the toaster know when to stop. Also, of course number 4 stays on longer than number 3 so of course it stays on longer because it takes longer to heat up to that temperature.

If it didnt know when to stop it would stay on until the power was cut. So what stops it?

Boombastic

Kolido wrote: »

If it didnt know when to stop it would stay on until the power was cut. So what stops it?

#1 does not necessarily equal 1 minute
#2...etc

When you push down on the handle, the plastic bar presses against the contacts and applies power to the circuit board.
120-volt power runs directly through the contacts to the nichrome wires to start toasting the bread.
A simple circuit made up of transistors, resistors and capacitors turns on and supplies power to the electromagnet.
The electromagnet attracts the piece of metal on the handle, holding the bread in the toaster.
The simple circuit acts as a timer. A capacitor charges through a resistor, and when it reaches a certain voltage it cuts off the power to the electromagnet. The spring immediately pulls the two slices of bread up.
In the process, the plastic bar rises and cuts off power to the toaster.


:pac:

Kolido

Boombastic wrote: »

#1 does not necessarily equal 1 minute
#2...etc

When you push down on the handle, the plastic bar presses against the contacts and applies power to the circuit board.
120-volt power runs directly through the contacts to the nichrome wires to start toasting the bread.
A simple circuit made up of transistors, resistors and capacitors turns on and supplies power to the electromagnet.
The electromagnet attracts the piece of metal on the handle, holding the bread in the toaster.
The simple circuit acts as a timer. A capacitor charges through a resistor, and when it reaches a certain voltage it cuts off the power to the electromagnet. The spring immediately pulls the two slices of bread up.
In the process, the plastic bar rises and cuts off power to the toaster.


:pac:

Ok so we have established that the settings on the toaster relate to time and not heat which is almost what the op on this topic originally said.

I think we can put this one to bed.

kraggy

Kolido wrote: »

If it didnt know when to stop it would stay on until the power was cut. So what stops it?

A certain temperature. As opposed to a certain length of time.

There may be a thermostat in it but there ain't no timer. Of that I'm sure.

whatsyourquota

http://home.howstuffworks.com/toaster4.htm

now lets forget all about toasters

Boombastic

^^^^you're late with that link, It's popped up before



The simple circuit acts as a timer. A capacitor charges through a resistor, and when it reaches a certain voltage it cuts off the power to the electromagnet. The spring immediately pulls the two slices of bread up.

kraggy

From the same link:

"Less sophisticated toasters use a bi-metallic strip (see How Thermometers Work for details on bi-metallic strips) to turn off the electromagnet. As the strip heats up (due to rising temperatures inside the toaster), the strip bends and eventually trips a switch that kills the power to the electromagnet."



So it's heat-based, not time-based.

QED.

newportlad

Football fans sometimes throw coins at players who have left the fans club for more money. Been watching soccer for years and only just copped this

rogieop

That the reason your profile pic on twitter is an egg when you join up is because the twitter logo is a bird, and therfore you begin the same way as birds do.

rogieop

newportlad wrote: »

Football fans sometimes throw coins at players who have left the fans club for more money. Been watching soccer for years and only just copped this

They may wave notes at the players to do this, make no mistake, they throw coins to inflict injury!!

Ice Storm

The toaster debate reminded me of something I discovered a while ago:

The numbers on fridge temperature settings aren't actually degrees Celsius. And even more confusingly, the higher the number, the colder the temperature. I'd been doing it wrong all along!

Also, for ages I thought that this: \o/ was a guy with his hands to his mouth a la Edvard Munch's The Scream (or indeed Kevin in Home Alone )

Kolido

kraggy wrote: »

From the same link:

"Less sophisticated toasters use a bi-metallic strip (see How Thermometers Work for details on bi-metallic strips) to turn off the electromagnet. As the strip heats up (due to rising temperatures inside the toaster), the strip bends and eventually trips a switch that kills the power to the electromagnet."



So it's heat-based, not time-based.

QED.

Sorry to bring this up again, according to this design, the setting would change the distance the strip needs to bend before cutting the power thus changing the time required. It doesn't change the temperature the toast is submitted to. Therefore the setting relates to a change in time.

pitythefool

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Like crocs and tortoises and snakes and ichthyosaurs and pleisosaurs and other swimming reptiles

not sure if there were any giant tuataras back then



[edit]The Daily Mail doesn't know what a dinosaur is. But then it doesn't have a reputation for accuracy/truth.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2144715/The-dinosaurs-suffered-arthritis-150-million-years-ago--scientists-find.html[/QUOTE]

if it looks like a dinosaur, talks like a dinosar and sounds like a dinosaur

It might not be a dinosaur

But you are not a fool for thinking it was

knucklehead6

I've just realised that a lot of the regular posters in the Conspiracy Theory forum are freakin' nutbars!!

pitythefool

newportlad wrote: »

Football fans sometimes throw coins at players who have left the fans club for more money. Been watching soccer for years and only just copped this

or just because its the handiest weapon in their pockets

speedboatchase

knucklehead6 wrote: »

I've just realised that a lot of the regular posters in the Conspiracy Theory forum are freakin' nutbars!!

Or maybe they want YOU to think they are.... :eek:

*cue mysterious music*