Interesting stuff

[Alan C.]

Latest post of the previous page:

Fia
Wonder what sort of transport could be called after the Scottish Midge?

The stuka?

[petemster]

The Polish word for wasp is bonk.

... and there are two sports where you might come across the expression, "Shag flies".

( Hint : Trampolining is not one of them ).


Pete M.

[animist]

this has made me realise I don't really know what the difference between elbow and knee is for a tetrapod - could you explain please, Paolo?

The obvious difference is the kneecap (patella), but there may be more to it than that.

Both hinge joints, a little move movement in the elbow, some muscle, tendon etc differences but not really a great deal of variance in comparison to say the hip joint.

Trouble is lots of animals have ankles that look like they are half way up the leg, gurt long metatarsals, and the foot is actually only the toes. Makes lit look like the knees bends backwards until you realise that is the ankle!

Great responses all, so I don't think I need to say much more! The one obvious visible difference I will mention, without getting bogged down with the anatomy, is that knees allow the lower section of the hind limb to hinge backwards, whilst the elbow allows the lower section of the forelimb to hinge forwards.

in view of this information, and this is addressed especially to you Dave as an SF fan, did you ever read Brian Aldiss's wonderful Helliconia trilogy? The alien species was the phagors, whose legs were hinged forward, as I remember!

[Dave B]

in view of this information, and this is addressed especially to you Dave as an SF fan, did you ever read Brian Aldiss's wonderful Helliconia trilogy? The alien species was the phagors, whose legs were hinged forward, as I remember!

Blimey, that feels like a long time ago now! (Er, 28 years from the first it seems . . .) Where those the ones whose "milt" ran from their noses? I always wondered what that meant! I only know "milt" from fish sperm, otherwise known as "soft roe" for those who might have eaten it. Lovely on warm buttered toast!

[thundril]

[
I only know "milt" from fish sperm, otherwise known as "soft roe" for those who might have eaten it. Lovely on warm buttered toast!

Oh Yukk!

[Dave B]

[
I only know "milt" from fish sperm, otherwise known as "soft roe" for those who might have eaten it. Lovely on warm buttered toast!

Oh Yukk!

Wassup, thundril, an interesting fact you did not wish to know then?

[Nick]

There can be such a thing as too much information!

[animist]

but isn't caviare fairly revolting when you think about it? We are so conditioned to accept and reject certain foodstuffs - and other things!

[thundril]

Spermy the details, please!

[Dave B]

but isn't caviare fairly revolting when you think about it? We are so conditioned to accept and reject certain foodstuffs - and other things!

Fish eggs are known as "hard roe" in the food trade. All but caviare that is - gotta keep the mystique and the price up (revoltingly salty to my palate!)

Talking about posherizing things: it seems that asparagus was called "sparrow grass" in the vernacular but when it went upmarket they changed the name to something posher sounding.

[Alan C.]

Dave
Talking about posherizing things: it seems that asparagus was called "sparrow grass" in the vernacular but when it went upmarket they changed the name to something posher sounding.

Interesting thing about asparagus (I grow quite a lot) No that's not the interesting thing.
Some folk when they eat it (my wife but not me) their pee smells of it, she eats it raw but I only eat it cooked, don't know if that makes any difference. Anybody know?

[Vicky]

Wikipedia explains that many people produce odorous compounds after eating asparagus, but only about 22% of the population (inc. your wife and I!) are able to smell them!

[Dave B]

I know it makes my pee pong! I think it used to be called "the chambermaid's burden" or something like that.

The ability to detect the smell or not is probably genetic, like the fact that I am in a genetic group to who aspartame is totally tasteless, no use to me as a sweetener at all. But that means diet colas have an sharp taste to me that I find very refreshing!

[jaywhat]

Many moons ago one of my 4 (little) sisters ate an excessive amount of beetroot and - yes, you know .....................mummy thought she had 'started' rather young.

[Alan H]

Many here will remember Pathe News - they were newsreels that played before the main feature film at cinemas.

Many of those films are available on their website: British Pathe

Warning: you'll be lost in there for hours!

ETA: They say they have 90,000 videos...

[Dave B]

Great stuff, Alan!

[Val]

Thanks for the warning about getting lost in there. I took that on board and I have just logged on and then bookmarked it.

[Dave B]

Problem and solution:

I have this futuristic steel and glass triangular corner computer desk - problem, is with its 10mm thick glass top it weighs lots and only sits on four round feet about 1.5 inches across. There is no way I can lift this and move it over the carpet on my own.





Up into loft for a coupla of bits of hardboard, a piece of sheet metal, a short bit if 1"x1" wood and a very large screwdriver.

Get under desk and use the s/driver and the 1x1 wood to lever up the back feet - slide bit of metal under them. Ditto front feet with bit of hardboard (shiny side up) under these. Carefully slide desk over hardboard - making sure the bit of metal moves with the desk. When edge of hardboard neared rotate the sheets for new direction and slide again. Leave on hardboard so no new dents in carpet.

So, job done with no lifting or straining - just how I like it!

(One thing leads to another, I did the above to get the steps in place to fit new blind. Hmm, whilst I am here I'll just fill in those old screw holes, clean the windows (inside and out), touch up the paint work . . . . . . . . . )

[Alan C.]

Not to put a dampener on your heroic effort Dave but wont you get even larger (hardboard shaped) indentations in your carpet?

[Dave B]

Not to put a dampener on your heroic effort Dave but wont you get even larger (hardboard shaped) indentations in your carpet?

There are dips and bumps on the large scale anyway, Alan, mainly from the rollers of the office chair rolling over that same couple of square feet -but they do not really show because they don't throw "shadows". The small round holes caused by the feet do have shadows and can't be missed.

[animist]

does "Interesting stuff" include mathematical impossibilities which actually are possible? If anyone knows about bowlers' averages in cricket (ie runs conceded/wickets taken) they will assume that bowler A, who has a better average than bowler B in both innings, will have a better average overall. In fact, it is possible for the reverse to be true - if anyone want to know how, or challenges this, I will dig out the old book which explains it!