Today I Learned...

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  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    MistressSara wrote: »
    cee134 wrote: »
    MistressSara wrote: »
    cee134 wrote: »
    TIL that in 1946, a trapped moth caused a malfunction in the early computer which resulted in the term 'bug' to be coined for all software errors.

    But wouldn’t that be a bug in the hardware?

    ETA: also, I think it’s a phrase that predates computers.

    Ever wondered where the term ‘bug’ came from? Well, on September 9, 1945, U.S. Navy officer Grace Hopper found a moth between the relays on the Harvard Mark II computer she was working on. In those days computers filled (large) rooms and the warmth of the internal components attracted moths, flies and other flying creatures. Those creatures then shortened circuits and caused the computer to malfunction.

    The term ‘bugs in a computer’ had been used before, but after Grace Hopper wrote in her diary “first actual case of bug being found” the term became really popular, and that’s why we are still using it today.

    a90la4k7prpc.jpg

    https://thenextweb.com/shareables/2013/09/18/the-very-first-computer-bug/

    Yeah, I read that in wiki just now, but I still think it was a new application of an old word

    Check out etymology section. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bug

    You are correct but:
    The term ‘bugs in a computer’ had been used before, but after Grace Hopper wrote in her diary “first actual case of bug being found” the term became really popular, and that’s why we are still using it today.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    TIL in the 1960's the Sugar Industry funded and selectively picked skewed studies that helped blame saturated fat with causing heart disease instead of sugar.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    TIL that Roger Boisjoly was an engineer working at NASA in 1986 that predicted that the O-rings on the Challenger would fail and tried to abort the mission but nobody listened to him.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    TIL that most oxygen actually comes from the ocean as opposed to trees. (70%)

    https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/save-the-plankton-breathe-freely/
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    TIL: Japan had issues with crow nests on electric infrastructure, so they went and destroyed all of the nests....which prompted the local crow population to just build MORE nests, far in excess to what they actually needed.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    JustReadTheInstructions wrote: »
    cee134 wrote: »
    TIL: Japan had issues with crow nests on electric infrastructure, so they went and destroyed all of the nests....which prompted the local crow population to just build MORE nests, far in excess to what they actually needed.

    Is a crow a bird of prey or are they just scavengers and is there much of a difference and if I built an electric infrastructure in my yard will it attract crows to build nests there and do they eat moles?

    The American crow is omnivorous. It will feed on invertebrates of all types, carrion, scraps of human food, seeds, eggs and nestlings, stranded fish on the shore and various grains. American crows are active hunters and will prey on mice, frogs, and other small animals. In winter and autumn, the diet of American crows is more dependent on nuts and acorns.

    American Crows are very social, sometimes forming flocks in the thousands. Inquisitive and sometimes mischievous, crows are good learners and problem-solvers, often raiding garbage cans and picking over discarded food containers. They’re also aggressive and often chase away larger birds including hawks, owls and herons.

    So you don't want crows you want owls and hawks which crows would scare away. You need a good owl tree.
  • SirMxyzptlk
    SirMxyzptlk Posts: 841 Member
    People have too many facts on crows.
  • rickylee60
    rickylee60 Posts: 3 Member
    👌
  • SirMxyzptlk
    SirMxyzptlk Posts: 841 Member
    JustReadTheInstructions wrote: »
    SirMxyzptlk wrote: »
    People have too many facts on crows.

    And yet not enough on owl trees. The current school system amirite?

    Too true.
  • SirMxyzptlk
    SirMxyzptlk Posts: 841 Member
    Interesting to gauge just 100 years of currentl change, compared to the 1000's of years of change before.

    Neat video to demonstrate this: NY 1911

    https://youtu.be/aohXOpKtns0
  • SwannySez
    SwannySez Posts: 5,864 Member
    That @caco_ethes doesn’t throw around the <3 around silly nilly.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    JustReadTheInstructions wrote: »
    SirMxyzptlk wrote: »
    People have too many facts on crows.

    And yet not enough on owl trees. The current school system amirite?

    409igaq4a3fa.gif
  • SirMxyzptlk
    SirMxyzptlk Posts: 841 Member
    The Aztec word ahuacatl means testicle, which is where the word for avocado comes from and is most likely because of the similar shape and texture. Interestingly, Avocados also act as aphrodisiacs.

    Here is a Readers Digest Version:
    https://www.rd.com/culture/avocado-origin/
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    TIL that, on Venus, 1 day (1 revolution on its axis) is longer than 1 year (1 revolution around the sun).

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