The "I learned something new today!" Thread

[Yanrima~]

I've learned that Dr. Seuss used to do political cartoons during the WW2 era.

Also the fact that Salvador Dali actually appeared on television and he has an anteater (the anteater appears on the other tv show in the 70's, not the video footage below), it's "surreal" seeing one of the artists who were prominent in one of the art movements of modern era make an appearance on live TV.

 

[QueenCobra]

Lord Byron’s wife Annabella was nicknamed the “Princess of Parallelograms” due to her passion for mathematics. She taught daughter Ada math and science because she worried she would end up like her irrational father. (Ada would become Ada Lovelace, mathematician and first computer programmer.)

 

[nightglow]

Black berry bushes are part of the rose family??
(So are raspberry bushes, pear and apple trees)

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Here’s something I accidentally discovered on Sunday: you can place items on top of the outdoor storage shed in NH.

 

[QueenCobra]

The Rock studied criminology in college and considered joining the FBI.

 

[BetsySundrop]

So this made me feel a bit slow

I remember old nature shows mentioning tiger's stripes being camouflage, and when I was little it confused me. Because they have orange! How the heck does orange blend in with a green jungle, even striped orange?

Fast forward many years of not thinking about it and -

I read a thing about tiger camouflage and they said the tiger's prey CAN'T SEE ORANGE!!!


A lot of things make a lot more sense now.

 

[Cirice]

Today I learned that there are one US dollar coins and one US dollar bills.

 

[QueenCobra]

Elizabeth Taylor voiced Maggie Simpson??

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Elizabeth Taylor voiced Maggie Simpson??

For a single word too.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

TIL there is a type of bird called a Bronzewing Pigeon, and this bird is special because they have patches of iridescent feathers on their wings. under dark/dull light the patches appear to be green or brown coloured, but in sunlight they flash a beautiful rainbow of colours!

yet another bird to add to my favourite birds list hehehe

 

[QueenCobra]

Weird random fact about Dusty Springfield…inherited foodfights?

 

[Yoshi155]

Nvm I’m actually a dumbass lmao

 

[Chere.]

Okay, this wasn't necessarily today but I learned that the UK has Mother's Day in March just a day before they had Mother's Day on the 30th this year haha. I just somehow never came across this information until I was talking to a member on here who was prepping for Mother's Day the day before and I was like omg... new info for me I suppose lol.

 

[QueenCobra]

It wouldn’t be stretch for me to say that this might have inspired “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”

 

[QueenCobra]

I found this adorable pic of The Rock as a baby (or pebble)

 

[LadyDestani]

So this made me feel a bit slow

I remember old nature shows mentioning tiger's stripes being camouflage, and when I was little it confused me. Because they have orange! How the heck does orange blend in with a green jungle, even striped orange?

Fast forward many years of not thinking about it and -

I read a thing about tiger camouflage and they said the tiger's prey CAN'T SEE ORANGE!!!


A lot of things make a lot more sense now.

I have seen this in action, in a way. Dogs can't see red/orange either. My dog has a little orange and black striped tiger toy. When we were playing one day, I tossed it onto the sofa where we have a green plaid blanket. He couldn't find it! He was looking all over, sniffing around, and even stepped on it multiple times before finally zeroing in on it. If the toy lands with the white belly showing, he has no problem finding it, but if it lands so only the stripes are showing on another patterned surface, it might as well be invisible.

 

[QueenCobra]

Harriet Tubman experienced traumatic brain injury as a child, causing seizures, chronic pain, and narcolepsy. This was because she was beaten by an overseer.

 

[VernalLapin]

Not that I know much about pokémon cards, but there’s a Mega Altaria card that says the name of its move “MIST PURGE” (in English letters) on the Japanese card’s picture and the English card has “ミストパージ” (Mist Purge in katakana). I like to think we just find each others’ languages cool.

 

[-Blue-]

I learned that Mormons really like The Princess Bride. I mean, a lot of people do, but it’s popular with them. I guess because it’s clean and focuses on marriage and true love?

Also maybe fighting realistic rat-suit people

 

[QueenCobra]

In Inuit folklore, there was Tuniit— a race of giants who are known as the “shy giants”. They were kind and spoke simply, in Kutak or “baby-talk.”
The giants lived before the Inuit people, but what’s also interesting to note is that in the myths, the giants left around the same time as the real-life Dorset people— who preceded the Inuit. Whether or not the giants were their interpretation of the Dorset people, it’s a curious note.