TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Come on in, come to the place where fun never ends. (Shenanigans!)

Moderator: Fizzbuzz

Post Reply
diribigal
User avatar
Special Flowers
Posts: 174
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:35 am
Gender: Male

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by diribigal (?) » Sat Sep 21, 2019 8:26 pm

The Ghost of Ember wrote:
Sat Sep 21, 2019 6:38 pm
Gang Green Gang
I was going to "correct" you and say it's the "Gangrene Gang", but today I learned it's actually "The Gangreen Gang".
ImageImageImage Very math.

Bigdog
User avatar
implied
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:26 pm

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Bigdog (?) » Sat Sep 21, 2019 10:10 pm

diribigal wrote:
Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:23 pm
Today I learned that just like you can use Green's theorem to get a tidy formula for the area of a polygon given the coordinates of the vertices, you can do the same sort of thing with curvilinear coordinates like finding the area of a "polygonal" region on a sphere using (Kelvin-)Stokes' theorem, as explained on YouTube here:


Maybe Fontra will appreciate this?
i look at the preview image and all i can see is a bowling ball descending under a box-shaped parachute

Adiwan
User avatar
Patreon supporter
Posts: 379
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 2:40 am
Gender: Male
Location: Germany
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Adiwan (?) » Sun Sep 22, 2019 2:37 pm

Today I learned how to use a crimping tool for making custom cable connectors.

I bought replacement fans for my 3d printers but I didn't notice that they had no connectors so I made the financially wise decision to put 5 times the value of a new fan with a connector on a crimping tool and a box of connectors of various sizes (I could use the cable of the previous fan and solder to the new fan buut that's besides the point).
"The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams

Octavia
User avatar
Octavia's Orchestra
Patreon supporter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:59 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Octavia (?) » Mon Sep 23, 2019 11:36 am

Adiwan wrote:
Sun Sep 22, 2019 2:37 pm
Today I learned how to use a crimping tool for making custom cable connectors.

I bought replacement fans for my 3d printers but I didn't notice that they had no connectors so I made the financially wise decision to put 5 times the value of a new fan with a connector on a crimping tool and a box of connectors of various sizes (I could use the cable of the previous fan and solder to the new fan buut that's besides the point).
Crimpin' ain't easy :pinkieshrug:
ImageImageImageImageImage

Mechanical Ape
User avatar
Not slim, definitely shady
Posts: 582
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:23 pm
Gender: Male

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Mechanical Ape (?) » Mon Sep 23, 2019 1:10 pm

TIL the metal cobalt is named after kobolds.

Seriously.
Image

Skipper
User avatar
Rainbow Racers
Patreon platinum
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:01 am
Location: Between my ears

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Skipper (?) » Mon Sep 23, 2019 1:27 pm

Seems reasonable that an imaginary metal would be named after an imaginary creature.

Mr. Big
User avatar
いいんですよ
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 931
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Tennessee
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Mr. Big (?) » Sun Sep 29, 2019 12:07 am

TIL that the comic "Family Circus" began on February 29, 1960.

I don't know any other comic that began on a leap day, so yeah :v:

Pocket
User avatar
everything's a little bit weird now
Posts: 368
Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
Location: at soup
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Pocket (?) » Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:29 am

TIL a relative of mine who works at Disney World was the one responsible for coming up with the "Minnie Van" transportation service. In return, he got put in charge of it (and pulled from his job managing the hotels), but doesn't actually do much because "it pretty much runs itself at this point", as my cousin put it. So he's looking to get transferred to another department again.
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...

Octavia
User avatar
Octavia's Orchestra
Patreon supporter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:59 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Octavia (?) » Sun Sep 29, 2019 11:44 am

If he worked hard enough to make the system run so efficiently that it practically runs itself, then he deserves to keep the ideal job of not doing much and getting paid for it IMO.
ImageImageImageImageImage

Perpetual Motion
User avatar
Enthusiasm makes everything an adventure.
Posts: 373
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:24 pm
Gender: Non-binary

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Perpetual Motion (?) » Mon Sep 30, 2019 12:59 am

TIL that the color magenta doesn't actually exist. It's just what our brain makes up when it sees a mixture of red and violet because those colors are on deadass opposite sides of the visible spectrum and the halfway point between them is green, and our brain is compensating for the fact that what we perceive as green and the red/violet mix are from two wildly different sources. Magenta does not correspond to any actual point on the visible color spectrum. It is a lie because perception is a weird mess of chemicals doing things we barely understand.

Adiwan
User avatar
Patreon supporter
Posts: 379
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 2:40 am
Gender: Male
Location: Germany
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Adiwan (?) » Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:28 am

"The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams

Pocket
User avatar
everything's a little bit weird now
Posts: 368
Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
Location: at soup
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Pocket (?) » Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:34 am

Ever see those giant, automated marble runs that they have in glass cases in some public buildings? Like this:



TIL there are dozens of them, and almost all of them were made by one guy, George Rhoads.
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...

Void Chicken
User avatar
Stare Masters
Posts: 658
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 6:14 pm
Gender: Male

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Void Chicken (?) » Tue Oct 01, 2019 10:42 am

My mall had one about five times that size, with a small one on top for people on the second floor to watch.

Mr. Big
User avatar
いいんですよ
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 931
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Tennessee
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Mr. Big (?) » Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:00 pm

Remember the old running gag in "Garfield" where he would try to ship Nermal to Abu Dhabi?

Well, TIL that Abu Dhabi has a really large stray cat population, hence why Garfield tries to ship Nermal there.

Skipper
User avatar
Rainbow Racers
Patreon platinum
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:01 am
Location: Between my ears

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Skipper (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 10:23 am

TIL we aren't allowed to get within 30 nautical miles of Bermuda, for some reason.

DaikatunaRevengeance
User avatar
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 334
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
Gender: Female
Location: FLAVATOWN

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by DaikatunaRevengeance (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 10:27 am

haunted
ImageImage Image Image

;) ❤️ :twasnothin: ❤️ :fancyhat:

Skipper
User avatar
Rainbow Racers
Patreon platinum
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:01 am
Location: Between my ears

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Skipper (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:29 am

I should probably be able to find out why by looking through the recent NtMs on board, but that sounds like a lot of work honestly. :effort:

I'll ask my second mate to look into it.

Probably.

DaikatunaRevengeance
User avatar
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 334
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
Gender: Female
Location: FLAVATOWN

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by DaikatunaRevengeance (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:35 am

i'm telling you it's haunted
ImageImage Image Image

;) ❤️ :twasnothin: ❤️ :fancyhat:

Skipper
User avatar
Rainbow Racers
Patreon platinum
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:01 am
Location: Between my ears

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Skipper (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 12:06 pm

That's honestly the most likely scenario, yes

Octavia
User avatar
Octavia's Orchestra
Patreon supporter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:59 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Octavia (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 5:35 pm



TIL about the most ridiculously unsafe amusement park in history, and it wasn't shut down until 1996. :starity:
ImageImageImageImageImage

Skipper
User avatar
Rainbow Racers
Patreon platinum
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:01 am
Location: Between my ears

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Skipper (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 5:48 pm

DaikatunaRevengeance wrote:
Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:35 am
i'm telling you it's haunted
Image

Seems like there's been some (near) groundings recently, prompting the IMO to extend the safety contour.

So, yeah, in a sense Bermuda's being haunted. By the ghosts of incompetent sailors.

Skipper
User avatar
Rainbow Racers
Patreon platinum
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:01 am
Location: Between my ears

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Skipper (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 5:50 pm

kookwowse wrote:
Fri Oct 04, 2019 5:48 pm
incompetent sailors
So, just regular sailors. :-I

The Doctor
User avatar
Turner Of All Things Timey Wimey
Celestia's Champions
Patreon supporter
Posts: 806
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:42 pm
Location: Time & Space

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by The Doctor (?) » Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:11 pm

Pocket wrote:
Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:34 am
Ever see those giant, automated marble runs that they have in glass cases in some public buildings? Like this:



TIL there are dozens of them, and almost all of them were made by one guy, George Rhoads.
There was one in a local shopping center in my hometown (Pittsfield, MA). It was two stories tall, and was mounted as the side of a glass elevator shaft.

Bigdog
User avatar
implied
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:26 pm

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Bigdog (?) » Sat Oct 05, 2019 1:50 am


Vivianinatoga
User avatar
Semper Pie
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 9:01 pm
Gender: Genderfluid

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Vivianinatoga (?) » Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:07 pm

The Doctor wrote:
Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:11 pm
There was one in a local shopping center in my hometown (Pittsfield, MA). It was two stories tall, and was mounted as the side of a glass elevator shaft.
Same shopping center with the half-buried ship in the parking lot, right?
Image
ImageImageImage

The Doctor
User avatar
Turner Of All Things Timey Wimey
Celestia's Champions
Patreon supporter
Posts: 806
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:42 pm
Location: Time & Space

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by The Doctor (?) » Sat Oct 05, 2019 8:11 pm

Davyinatoga wrote:
Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:07 pm
Same shopping center with the half-buried ship in the parking lot, right?
That's the one!

I know the ship is gone. I don't know if the ball machine is still there.

Perrydotto
User avatar
Agents of Chaos
Posts: 1277
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 6:20 am
Gender: Genderqueer
Location: Somewhere Far Beyond
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Perrydotto (?) » Sun Oct 06, 2019 1:57 am

Octavia wrote:
Fri Oct 04, 2019 5:35 pm


TIL about the most ridiculously unsafe amusement park in history, and it wasn't shut down until 1996. :starity:
Action Park is wild and learning about it was too

Image /// Image /// Image

DaikatunaRevengeance
User avatar
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 334
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
Gender: Female
Location: FLAVATOWN

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by DaikatunaRevengeance (?) » Sun Oct 06, 2019 5:50 am

:starity:
ImageImage Image Image

;) ❤️ :twasnothin: ❤️ :fancyhat:

Octavia
User avatar
Octavia's Orchestra
Patreon supporter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:59 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Octavia (?) » Wed Oct 09, 2019 3:55 pm

TIL that if you earned $5,000 a day for every single day since Columbus left Spain in 1492, you would still not have earned $1 billion by today.
ImageImageImageImageImage

Skipper
User avatar
Rainbow Racers
Patreon platinum
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:01 am
Location: Between my ears

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Skipper (?) » Wed Oct 09, 2019 5:50 pm

Can you really say anyone who has $1 billion actually earned it, though

W.T. Fits
User avatar
Storm, ride the storm
Never-ending
Skies darkened, torn
Heaven-rending
Ire, fury borne
Never-ending
Roar, hear my roar!
Faithful Students
Posts: 285
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:46 pm
Gender: Male
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by W.T. Fits (?) » Wed Oct 09, 2019 7:03 pm

TIL that Masahiro Sakurai created Smash Bros. because he felt guilty about completely destroying a couple of newcomers in King of Fighters '95 one time.
Sakurai wrote:The day I first saw a “Street Fighter II” arcade cabinet installed in my local arcade, I thought to myself, What is this!? A machine with two screens, each facing towards a seated player, designed so you can play against an unseen opponent, a design that persists today. If you lose, your one play is over, if you win, you get to keep playing. The tension I felt when playing against a stranger for the first time was incomparable to when I played my friends, and my heart started to race. This is groundbreaking![1] I felt as if a new way of playing games had introduced itself into arcades. This was over ten years ago.

A little time passed since then, to a time where I felt the fighting game [2] boom had leveled off a bit. I was slightly aimlessly playing “King of Fighters ‘95” when someone joined me, playing on the other side. Despite feeling that I’d really want to just play alone..the fight was on! I landed my moves cleanly, and quickly took the first two games. One more team member to go and victory was mine!

…Weird. Something’s not right. My enemy is way too unresponsive, unresistant. Thinking something was strange, I stealthily used the reflection in the window glass to take a peek at my opponent, and to my surprise, they were…a normal couple! And the current player was the girlfriend.

Oh no…! I was filled with regret and remorse. I shouldn’t have been feeling good about myself, landing Zanretsuken [3] combos and whatnot. On the final round, once she had switched with her boyfriend, I did handicap myself, but by then my intent was obvious and it was far too late. I don’t know my opponents thought of me, but I personally left with a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

At the time, when I was playing well I would win about 50 matches in a row, so I probably wasn’t too bad at fighting games. But because of this I felt especially regretful about what I had done. Most likely, that woman would never play a fighting game ever again. From the couple’s perspective, the two had probably walked into the arcade just to have some casual fun and have a nice time. And there, I had mercilessly destroyed them.

Oftentimes, people will say that “intentionally not trying your hardest is rude [4],” but that’s not true! Situations where your opponent wants to play you at your best aside, there was a chance that my opponent at that time may not have even known that there was a person controlling her opponent on the other side of the machine. Moreover, you need to be able to play games and have fun! What constitutes “fun” may vary depending on your level of skill, but people who know how to play the game must gently introduce the game to the new, introductory players!

Currently, I rarely play fighting games at arcades. The regret I felt that time is a trivial reason for many, but mostly I’ve already given up because I think “I’ll probably just get destroyed.” There’s too much of I need to know beforehand. The controls and rules are difficult and confusing as well. And thinking “I’m going to study this game!” isn’t something many people do [5].

I like fighting games even today, and playing them with my circle of friends is still fun. Thinking as a consumer, knowing that there is a foundation of fun in fighting games has already been laid down, I do wish a fighting game would come along that solves the problems that newer, introductory players face [6].

Thinking as a developer, “Smash Brothers” is the only answer I can offer. Please make do with that.

Octavia
User avatar
Octavia's Orchestra
Patreon supporter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:59 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Octavia (?) » Wed Oct 09, 2019 7:42 pm

kookwowse wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 5:50 pm
Can you really say anyone who has $1 billion actually earned it, though
They're the JOB CREATORS so OF COURSE they earned it! All I need to do is just work 1.5 million times harder and I'll be as rich as Jeff Bezos!!! :amazing:
ImageImageImageImageImage

Orange Fluffy Sheep
User avatar
Dropping tears does not always mean the sadness.
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 494
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:17 am
Gender: Male
Location: The hearts of man
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Orange Fluffy Sheep (?) » Thu Oct 10, 2019 12:30 pm

Perrydotto wrote:
Sun Oct 06, 2019 1:57 am
Action Park is wild and learning about it was too

There's also a dollop about it

Trying to visualize some of these rides from Dave's descriptions was really hard.
:snoop: Image :snoop:

Orange Fluffy Sheep
User avatar
Dropping tears does not always mean the sadness.
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 494
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:17 am
Gender: Male
Location: The hearts of man
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Orange Fluffy Sheep (?) » Thu Oct 10, 2019 12:32 pm

some of them just sounded like elaborate ways to launch one's body into concrete spikes and die horribly, honestly
:snoop: Image :snoop:

Madeline
never existed
Semper Pie
Posts: 1003
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:45 pm

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Madeline (?) » Thu Oct 10, 2019 12:37 pm

Action Park is fascinating because it seems like the owners and designers were intentionally trying to physically harm the guests, for no good reason

Here’s some footage of it in its prime


Skipper
User avatar
Rainbow Racers
Patreon platinum
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:01 am
Location: Between my ears

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Skipper (?) » Sun Oct 20, 2019 3:06 am

TIL my avatar was apparently never uploaded properly, despite 3 attempts at doing so! Have I mentioned before shipboard internet sucks?? Well it does!!

Pocket
User avatar
everything's a little bit weird now
Posts: 368
Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
Location: at soup
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Pocket (?) » Sun Oct 20, 2019 3:56 pm

TIL former Disney animator, mid-2000s furry mocker, and Headless Horse's favorite crazy person Shawn Keller is still around and still... doing... things.



:-I

Dude hasn't changed much, from the looks of things.
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...

DaikatunaRevengeance
User avatar
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 334
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
Gender: Female
Location: FLAVATOWN

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by DaikatunaRevengeance (?) » Sun Oct 20, 2019 4:05 pm

who? what?
ImageImage Image Image

;) ❤️ :twasnothin: ❤️ :fancyhat:

Gloomy Rube
User avatar
I want you to be like a hamster please
Celestia's Champions
Posts: 496
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 2:36 am

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Gloomy Rube (?) » Sun Oct 20, 2019 5:24 pm

Perrydotto wrote:
Sun Oct 06, 2019 1:57 am
Action Park is wild and learning about it was too

Today I learned that despite seeing defunctland videos posted here all the time I never actually clicked on one until now :-I

Sooo that's a backlog I have to go through!!
Image
ImageImageImageImage

Mr. Big
User avatar
いいんですよ
Rarity's Roughnecks
Posts: 931
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Tennessee
Contact:

Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...

Post by Mr. Big (?) » Tue Oct 22, 2019 2:37 am

TIL that animator Grim Natwick got his nickname because of his "anything but Grim" personality. (His real first name was Myron)

Post Reply