Today I Learned… #2

[littlepup]

If someone is having difficult climbing a wall, they’ll say something like, ‘this wall doesn’t have perches.’ They’re not saying “purchase.”

Surely most people would be saying purchase? Purchase means firm contact or grip.

 

[AliceInWanderLost]

today i learnt that the prototype for the modern chainsaw was made in the 18th century, originally invented for the purpose of being a surgical instrument to assist in difficult childbirths!

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

That apparently crying at work once is a sign of immaturity. Go figure.

Immaturity of the person who said that! What a dick comment. Hope you’re ok

 

[Captainmouse]

A baby puffin is a puffling

 

[greenvelvet]

There is a “ring” of seismic activity around the Pacific basin which is where most earthquakes (especially strong earthquakes) and most volcanic activity occurs. These earthquakes can cause the earth to drop by several feet.

(this a bit a of a detective story about how anthropologists and scientists reconstructed the history of a massive earthquake in the US from folk history, written records miles away in Japan, and a dead forest.)

Spoiler: long post

In this “ring,” in the Pacific Northwest in America, two large tectonic plates (thousands of miles) meet - this area is called the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Written history from that part of America hadn’t recorded anything about it, as the area’s written history doesn’t go back very far.

In Japan, however, written records do go back very far - and they have records of a tsunami in early 1700 despite no earthquake having happened nearby.

Back in the Pacific North West, along the coast, there is a “ghost forest” on the shore, which is basically a bunch of dead cedar stumps. The assumption initially was that they had died over time. But in the 80s, paleogeologists found evidence in the soil that their deaths had been caused by a sudden drop in the ground level causing them to be submerged in seawater. Looking at the rings in the tree stumps, they were able to date them all to just before the Japanese tsunami. Crazy to think that “forest” had been dead 300 years but was still hanging around.

They now think what happened is there was a huge earthquake in that zone, which caused the massive tsunami that travelled all the way to Japan, and another huge tsunami that travelled east into America.

To really cement it, this lines up exactly with various stories passed down through generations in different Native American peoples in the area - of a huge earthquake and tsunami that wiped out several villages, with some recording it as reaching as far inland as 80 miles. Through shared details in the Native American spoken records (e.g., it happening when people were going to bed), and the written records in Japan, they were even able to estimate the time at which it occurred - about 9PM -and calculate the time it took to get to Japan. Some people think this massive event is the root of Native American myths in the area of a fight between a thunderbird and a whale - the description of it does line up with what the earthquake and tsunami would have been like.

I just think it’s absolutely insane how by looking at the earth, dead trees, and histories of different people thousands of miles apart, scientists and humanities researchers were able to reconstruct something that a) was mostly missing from written records and b) happened three hundred years ago. All this led seismologists to a much greater understanding about the zone & to realise there is a chance something like this could happen again in that area over the next 50-100 years.

 

[MitziAdele]

 

[JE172]

Whilst animals are being discussed, (Some) Hyenas actually enjoy a cuddle (from those who know how to handle them). Personally they freak me out, strange looking creatures.

But look at him! This is the same face my dog makes

 

[Sprezza]

That micellar water in tesco has gone up to £8 a bottle!!

 

[Kim Mild]

Right Mayall is one of the locals in the pub in American werewolf in London

 

[Captainmouse]

Today I learned that only ice cream labelled dairy contains cream, the rest is made from vegetable fat

 

[Rosie glow]

The author mary shellys mother threw herself in to the river after her relationship ended fortunately she was found and saved found love again and had her daughter mary otherwise we never would of had frankenstein

 

[nopenopenopejustno]

Thanks to another Tattle thread, I learned what a "cum gutter" is. Even more horrifying is it was used in context with Daniel O'Donnell. I'm 52 and clutching my pearls

 

[AliceInWanderLost]

I was led to believe that a snickers bar without peanuts was a mars bar. Someone on X / Twitter said it's a milky way. Google confirms they're correct.

ah, it depends where you live. in the UK, the chocolate bar you are describing IS a Mars Bar - the US version of a British Mars Bar is a Milky Way. l

BUT in the UK, the Milky Way also exists but it's a totally different chocolate bar - with a soft kinda nougat centre and no caramel - which, in the US, is a 3 Musketeers bar.

 

[Captainmouse]

I think coke cola originally contained cocaine

 

[Crazy87]

The sun is white not yellow

 

[Nelly's mum]

That cats can get acne - my cat has small lumps on her jawline, apparently it is just spots the same as humans can have.
A couple of days of bathing with warm water and a spot of baby shampoo and the spots have almost gone, she loves it !

 

[Melian]

7up got it's name because it was made with seven ingredients, including lithium which was eventually dropped

 

[EllenDeGenerate]

Today I learned that i drank too much alcohol last night

 

[Hollie Day]

Chewing gum burns about 11 calories an hour

 

[50sGirl]

That the Forsythia plant is named after Bruce Forsyth’s 4 x great grandfather.