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I bet you didnt know that

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    #8042
    KevRossi
    Registered Users Posts: 4,437 ✭✭✭KevRossi


    My ex who is a biochemist described it as 'Survival of the Adaptable'


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    #8043
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    cdeb wrote: »
    I'd say the worst predator blue whales have ever had is man.

    By that logic, they should be smaller now than before - an observable fact in many other animals, especially fish.
    Cod used to be five foot long when Europeans first went fishing off Newfoundland.


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    #8044
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Ineedaname wrote: »
    Simple fact is in evolutionary terms being big works.
    Being big is handy when there's lots of food around.

    But when food is scare then there's even less of it higher up the food chain.
    Many mass extinctions took out all the large animals in some niches.

    Because the Blue Whale feeds near the bottom of the food chain there is a lot more biomass avail to them then to say killer whales. Same would be true of Whale Sharks or Basking sharks compare to Great Whites.


    And Basking Sharks can jump out of the water :eek:


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    #8045
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    The Pheasant2 wrote: »
    As a result of this you might sometimes see Green Polar bears in zoos that aren't the most fastidious about keeping their water features free from algae.
    It's the same for Sloths except for them it works as a disguise.

    Giant Sloths used to dig tunnels.


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    #8046
    IvyTheTerrific
    Closed Accounts Posts: 81 ✭✭IvyTheTerrific


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    Cod used to be five foot long when Europeans first went fishing off Newfoundland.

    Speaking of cod, those species living in arctic waters have developed an ability to produce antifreeze proteins so their blood doesn't freeze.


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    #8047
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    seagull wrote: »
    On an evolutionary theme, most people use the phrase "Survival of the fittest" in entirely the wrong context..

    Well, you see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it’s the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

    In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

    And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.

    - Cliff Clavin , Cheers.


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    #8048
    New Home
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    IvyTheTerrific wrote: »
    Speaking of cod, those species living in arctic waters have developed an ability to produce antifreeze proteins so their blood doesn't freeze.


    Coooooool. :cool:


    (pun intended)


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    #8049
    Professor Moriarty
    Registered Users Posts: 14,366 ✭✭✭✭Professor Moriarty


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    Well, you see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it’s the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

    In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

    And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.

    - Cliff Clavin , Cheers.

    Brilliant!


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    #8050
    mzungu
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,307 Mod ✭✭✭✭mzungu


    In the UK, dog urine was identified as the culprit for some lampposts rotting prematurely and in some cases even falling down. The base of the lampposts is weakened structurally by the chemical in dog urine that helps to speed up the corrosion process which is also helped along by rain and the passage of time.

    Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/derbyshire/2938749.stm


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    #8051
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    mzungu wrote: »
    In the UK, dog urine was identified as the culprit for some lampposts rotting prematurely and in some cases even falling down. The base of the lampposts is weakened structurally by the chemical in dog urine that helps to speed up the corrosion process which is also helped along by rain and the passage of time.
    A good few of the old stone buildings around Dublin have a layer of stone angled at 45 degrees. Like a low skirt around it.

    It's to stop people (men) urinating against them. IIRC urine isn't good for limestone.


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    #8052
    storker
    Registered Users Posts: 5,653 ✭✭✭storker


    seagull wrote: »
    On an evolutionary theme, most people use the phrase "Survival of the fittest" in entirely the wrong context.

    It's also used in the economic sense (and usually by the financially very-fit-indeed) to justify a dog-eat-dog attitude "because nature", conveniently ignoring the countless ways in which the human race has already flung "nature" out the window.


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    #8053
    Realt Dearg Sec
    Registered Users Posts: 10,853 ✭✭✭✭Realt Dearg Sec


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    A good few of the old stone buildings around Dublin have a layer of stone angled at 45 degrees. Like a low skirt around it.

    It's to stop people (men) urinating against them. IIRC urine isn't good for limestone.

    In San Francisco they trialled a hydrophobic paint to dissuade men from piddling against walls. So if you do piss on the wall, it splashes straight back onto your pants.



    I think Dublin is in dire need of this.


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    #8054
    storker
    Registered Users Posts: 5,653 ✭✭✭storker


    New Home wrote: »
    Coooooool. :cool:


    (pun intended)

    I think you mean "waaaaarmm". :)


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    #8055
    RiderOnTheStorm
    Registered Users Posts: 2,107 ✭✭✭RiderOnTheStorm


    seagull wrote:
    On an evolutionary theme, most people use the phrase "Survival of the fittest" in entirely the wrong context....

    And another phrase used incorrectly is "innocent until proven guilty". If you did the crime, then you did it, ie you are guilty of doing it. It doesnt matter if it can be proved or not. You did it. Its a fact that cannot be altered. But proving it is hard, and a court assumes you are innocent until guilt can be proven. The correct phrase is "assumption of innocence until proven guilty"...... semantics, eh!

    Blood is thicker than water ..... wrong! Most think this means that family bonds (ie blood) are more important than non family (ie water). But the quote is "blood of battle is stronger than the waters of the womb", ie bonds between those that share adversity are more important than family bonds.

    (Might have posted that one before, but it fits the theme!)


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    #8056
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,524 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »
    Blood is thicker than water ..... wrong! Most think this means that family bonds (ie blood) are more important than non family (ie water). But the quote is "blood of battle is stronger than the waters of the womb", ie bonds between those that share adversity are more important than family bonds.

    (Might have posted that one before, but it fits the theme!)

    Along the same theme. A phrase which often is used as a somewhat backhanded compliment refers to a person somewhat skilled in various ways as being a "jack of all trades", with the implication being that they are no expert as the second part of the phrase continues "and master of none".

    A 3rd part to the phrase consisting of "is oftentimes better than master of one" implies a distinctly positive view on the person being referenced in this way yet my experience is largely the phrase being used as extending polite but limited praise on someone.


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    #8057
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    retalivity wrote: »
    The rich lads had beeswax candles to see in the dark without their sense of smell getting violated.
    In prehistory a wood fire emits a lot of heat but very little light. So you have to spend hours gathering enough to illuminate the night.

    The % of GPD spent on illumination has been roughly constant for the last seven centuries.

    From animal fat candles to Oil For The Lamps Of China to the latest electronics what's happened is that as light has gotten cheaper we've used more of it.

    https://ourworldindata.org/light


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    #8058
    mirrormatrix
    Registered Users Posts: 615 ✭✭✭mirrormatrix


    RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

    Blood is thicker than water ..... wrong! Most think this means that family bonds (ie blood) are more important than non family (ie water). But the quote is "blood of battle is stronger than the waters of the womb", ie bonds between those that share adversity are more important than family bonds.

    (Might have posted that one before, but it fits the theme!)

    Not that Wikipedia is an infallible resource, but a quick look at this online would suggest that there evidence to support this assertion is sketchy:

    "Modern commentators, including authors Albert Jack[5] and R. Richard Pustelniak,[6] claim the original meaning of the expression was that the ties between people who've made a blood covenant were stronger than ties formed by "the water of the womb". However, no known historical sources support this. "


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    #8059
    secondrowgal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,056 ✭✭✭secondrowgal


    Griffith Avenue in Dublin is the longest double tree-lined avenue in the Northern Hemisphere with no retail outlets. (courtesy of a Dublin taxi driver yesterday!)


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    #8060
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 25,611 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    In prehistory a wood fire emits a lot of heat but very little light. So you have to spend hours gathering enough to illuminate the night.

    The % of GPD spent on illumination has been roughly constant for the last seven centuries.

    From animal fat candles to Oil For The Lamps Of China to the latest electronics what's happened is that as light has gotten cheaper we've used more of it.

    https://ourworldindata.org/light

    And now that it's cheap people want 26 different lights in each room :pac:


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    #8061
    gozunda
    Registered Users Posts: 18,996 ✭✭✭✭gozunda


    Countries-Drive-Left-or-Right.jpg

    Most countries which were British colonies still drive on the left hand side of the road including huge land masses such as India, Australia and Southern Africa as well as the Caribbean.

    Europe generally drives on the right hand side apart from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. Guyana (formerly a British colony) is the only country in South America to drive on the left.

    The other two thirds of the countries in the world drive on the right including the USA, China and Russia. Canada used to drive on the left but changed to the right to make border crossings with the USA more manageable.

    The reasons for these distinctions are historical. British horseback riders used to ride on the left hand side of the road, thus keeping their right arm free to offer greetings to passersby or, if needs be, draw their sword. However, in The USA teamsters used to sit on the left hand horse while driving a wagon and therefore keep their right hand free for whipping the other horses. They decided to start driving on the right so that they could see the passing wheels of other wagons and avoid collisions.


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    #8062
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,524 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    ^^^^^^

    Along the same lines. (I read this somewhere lately, apologies if it was on this thread, I did search to see if it was).

    countries which use metric verus those that use imperial

    p7rri0trqbpy.jpg

    There is a suggestion that Thomas Jefferson was actively looking in to using Metric and requested a meeting with a French representative who set out to travel to the US but his ship was blown off course and he ended up being captured by pirates and dying in captivity so the meeting never happened.


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    #8063
    Carry
    Registered Users Posts: 1,024 ✭✭✭Carry


    gozunda wrote: »

    Most countries which were British colonies still drive on the left hand side of the road including huge land masses such as India, Australia and Southern Africa as well as the Caribbean.

    Europe generally drives on the right hand side apart from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. Guyana (formerly a British colony) is the only country in South America to drive on the left.

    The other two thirds of the countries in the world drive on the right including the USA, China and Russia. Canada used to drive on the left but changed to the right to make border crossings with the USA more manageable.

    The reasons for these distinctions are historical. British horseback riders used to ride on the left hand side of the road, thus keeping their right arm free to offer greetings to passersby or, if needs be, draw their sword. However, in The USA teamsters used to sit on the left hand horse while driving a wagon and therefore keep their right hand free for whipping the other horses. They decided to start driving on the right so that they could see the passing wheels of other wagons and avoid collisions.

    Not quite. Driving (or riding or walking) on the left side goes back to the ancient world when Roman, Egyptian and Greek troops marched on the left side, since most soldiers were right-handers (drawing the sword, see above). That was the norm for centuries or even millenias.

    During the French Revolution the French changed this rule (as they did with many others) to the right side, and after the Napoleonic Wars every conquered European country was forced to change to the right as well. As did the now USA (since 1792 enforced by law) that was supported by French troops during the War of Independence - probably to spite their former British overlords. Same was in all French colonies during the colonial era.

    So it wasn't a question of practicality or due to American teamsters, it was enforced initially by the French who during the French Revolution decided that all old rules have to go and must be dramatically changed.
    Only the UK and British (former) colonies drive on the left hand side because they were never conquered by the French.


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    #8064
    jmayo
    Registered Users Posts: 13,168 ✭✭✭✭jmayo


    Back in 2008 Seanad Leader fianna fails Donie Cassidy came up with the idea we should start driving on the right to accommodate immigrants and tourists who were mainly from right hand drive countries.

    He also thought it a bright idea to enforce a 50mph/80kph speed limit on those people who hailed from right hand drive countries.

    How in the name of God he thought it possible to enforce that is beyond me and probably everyone else bar him.

    There was also joke doing the rounds that he thought it might be easier to move to right hand drive if we did only some counties at any one time.

    I know it is not an astounding piece of scientific trivia or an example of human ingenuity, rather it is the opposite and highlights just how mentally limited some of our elected representatives are.
    BTW he was once an elected TD.


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    #8065
    New Home
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    These are from 1967, taken on the day Sweden switched from left- to right-hand drive.

    8232560-WeirdPeople04-1482221869-650-9d9580f909-1482395159.jpg

    the-day-sweden-changed-from-left-hand-drive-to-right-7186616.png


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    #8066
    nim1bdeh38l2cw
    Closed Accounts Posts: 689 ✭✭✭nim1bdeh38l2cw


    jmayo wrote: »
    Back in 2008 Seanad Leader fianna fails Donie Cassidy came up with the idea we should start driving on the right to accommodate immigrants and tourists who were mainly from right hand drive countries.

    He also thought it a bright idea to enforce a 50mph/80kph speed limit on those people who hailed from right hand drive countries.

    How in the name of God he thought it possible to enforce that is beyond me and probably everyone else bar him.

    There was also joke doing the rounds that he thought it might be easier to move to right hand drive if we did only some counties at any one time.

    I know it is not an astounding piece of scientific trivia or an example of human ingenuity, rather it is the opposite and highlights just how mentally limited some of our elected representatives are.
    BTW he was once an elected TD.

    Other than the speed limit, Sweden did just that in 1967

    http://realscandinavia.com/this-day-in-history-swedish-traffic-switches-sides-september-3-1967/


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    #8067
    maccored
    Registered Users Posts: 10,664 ✭✭✭✭maccored


    In 1788, the Austrian army accidentally attacked itself, losing around 10,000 men


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    #8068
    reap-a-rat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,005 ✭✭✭reap-a-rat


    Some might have learned this on the Top Gear Burma special like I did but others might not know!

    In Myanmar (formerly Burma) they used to drive on the left given they were a British colony. The guy in charge decided that he wanted to switch, so they now drive on the right. Except they still have right-hand drive steering! A lot of the vehicles are very old, including busses. So even to this day, if you're in a RHS bus(most likely) and the bus is driving on the right as it is required to, thenot you are getting out of the bus onto a lane of traffic instead of a path or the side of the road. It's mental!

    Apparently the infrastructure still hasn't caught up either and in many places the signage is facing the wrong way. So seems if you're tired of mundane driving then Myanmar could be a destination to make you feel alive again!


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    #8069
    Meanaspie
    Registered Users Posts: 375 ✭✭Meanaspie


    Carry wrote: »
    Not quite. Driving (or riding or walking) on the left side goes back to the ancient world when Roman, Egyptian and Greek troops marched on the left side, since most soldiers were right-handers (drawing the sword, see above). That was the norm for centuries or even millenias.

    During the French Revolution the French changed this rule (as they did with many others) to the right side, and after the Napoleonic Wars every conquered European country was forced to change to the right as well. As did the now USA (since 1792 enforced by law) that was supported by French troops during the War of Independence - probably to spite their former British overlords. Same was in all French colonies during the colonial era.

    So it wasn't a question of practicality or due to American teamsters, it was enforced initially by the French who during the French Revolution decided that all old rules have to go and must be dramatically changed.
    Only the UK and British (former) colonies drive on the left hand side because they were never conquered by the French.

    I picked it up somewhere over the years that it was Napoleon himself that changed it as he was left handed and wished to pass people on the opposite of the road with his weapon hand closest to them


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    #8070
    Realt Dearg Sec
    Registered Users Posts: 10,853 ✭✭✭✭Realt Dearg Sec


    reap-a-rat wrote: »
    Some might have learned this on the Top Gear Burma special like I did but others might not know!

    In Myanmar (formerly Burma) they used to drive on the left given they were a British colony. The guy in charge decided that he wanted to switch, so they now drive on the right. Except they still have right-hand drive steering! A lot of the vehicles are very old, including busses. So even to this day, if you're in a RHS bus(most likely) and the bus is driving on the right as it is required to, thenot you are getting out of the bus onto a lane of traffic instead of a path or the side of the road. It's mental!

    Apparently the infrastructure still hasn't caught up either and in many places the signage is facing the wrong way. So seems if you're tired of mundane driving then Myanmar could be a destination to make you feel alive again!
    For a little while at least


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    #8071
    cdeb
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,170 Mod ✭✭✭✭cdeb


    Meanaspie wrote: »
    I picked it up somewhere over the years that it was Napoleon himself that changed it as he was left handed and wished to pass people on the opposite of the road with his weapon hand closest to them
    Heard that one alright.

    Also heard that the US changed just to be different from Britain, around the time they were asserting themselves as an independent entity and not a colony


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