Today I Learned

[zoki85]

Today I learned I need more sleep than I thought.

 

[epenguin]

Yes I often find I need more sleep than I

 

[Enigman]

Today I learned I need more sleep than I thought.

I probably need more thought than sleep.

 

[phinds]

Today I learned that what all of my life I have been calling Fresnel lenses, pronounced "fres-nel" is really pronounced "fre-nel" with a silent "s" because those damned French keep throwing away perfectly good letters.

 

[epenguin]

Today I learned I do know a number of things not a lot of people know. http://www.puma-project.eu/yacs/smileys/images/medal_half.gif
I was just reminded that the disease that 30 years ago I though must be Duchesne is in fact Duchenne.
But today I learned that Duchenne was not the first to recognise and describe it but two Neapolitan physicians Givoanni Semmola and Gaetano Conte. And Neapolitans should surely be credited for everything possible, considering that not all that much is. But Duchenne extended and deepened the descriptions and today I also learned he was the first to perform a biopsy on a living patient. (Almost all from Wikipedia).

In recent days I discovered that either I or a lot of people do not understand electrolysis, but for fear it might be the first I say no more.

 

[NascentOxygen]

Today I learned that what all of my life I have been calling Fresnel lenses, pronounced "fres-nel" is really pronounced "fre-nel" with a silent "s" because those damned French keep throwing away perfectly good letters.

How have you been pronouncing "Thevenin" & "Euler"?

 

[phinds]

How have you been pronouncing "Thevenin" & "Euler"?

I've had them as "fres-nel" too.

 

[Bystander]

Poincare' and Tchepone?

 

[phinds]

Poincare' and Tchepone?

Yep, also "Fres-nel".

 

[zoobyshoe]

I've had them as "fres-nel" too.

Hmm. For "Thevenin" I get "FREZ -nel" and for "Euler" I get "Frez-NELL".

 

[Borek]

Thief in and oiler?

 

[Bystander]

Thief in and oiler?

First? I don't know. Second? That's the way I've always heard it from people I believe. Come on, now --- give us the rest.

 

[zoki85]

Today I learned I have problems with reading my own handwrite from teen days.

 

[phinds]

Today I learned I have problems with reading my own handwrite from teen days.

Hell, that's nothing. I have trouble reading my own handwriting from YESTERDAY.

 

[NascentOxygen]

First? I don't know. Second? That's the way I've always heard it from people I believe. Come on, now --- give us the rest.

The rest? The list is never ending. Van der Waals; avoirdupois measures.

I learned Thévenin is tay-ven-in (I tried to type that without hyphens but the tablet changes it to "tay even in" without confirming any changes with me!)

 

[Mad scientist]

Today I learned that surfers saved the Apollo space program. When engineers had a problem with the honeycomb insulation on the second stage tanks of the Saturn 5 rocket they employed surfers, who were using it in the construction of surf boards, to solve it.

Source: Discovery Science channel program - Moon Machines

 

[zoobyshoe]

Today I learned that people can actually go into the St. Louis Arch, up to the top, and look out little windows up there. I had no idea. I'd assumed it was a sealed construction that could only be appreciated from the outside.

 

[Pythagorean]

TIL my 5yo daughter now has a sense of humor.

3yo: "can I have chicken trips?"
5yo: "what's that? Chicken that travels? HAHAHAHA"

 

[Bystander]

people can actually go into the St. Louis Arch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_Arch

 

[Lisa!]

TIL Newton had a close relationship with Nicolas Fatio de Duillier !

 

[PWiz]

Today I learned that hard work can beat talent, not just in talk, but in real life as well. (It really works!)

 

[jim hardy]

St Louis Arch?

One should go twice
daytime view is spectacular
but the city lights at night are more stunning.

The trolley ride up is not for the claustrophobic, though.

 

[dlgoff]

One should go twice
daytime view is spectacular
but the city lights at night are more stunning.

The trolley ride up is not for the claustrophobic, though.

One should go on a windy day. The Gateway Arch/St Louis Arch is

... designed to sway up to 9 inches (23 cm) in either direction while withstanding winds up to 150 miles per hour (240 km/h).

 

[OmCheeto]

TIL my 5yo daughter now has a sense of humor.

3yo: "can I have chicken trips?"
5yo: "what's that? Chicken that travels? HAHAHAHA"

TIL, that time passes quickly. It seems like just last week, that she was born.

ps. Glad to hear she never got scooped up by an eagle.

 

[jim hardy]

Arrrghh! Computers !

Today i learned
to get the Arduino to send serial data to the PC in simplest form, the Arduino's serial monitor utility and usb,
to define a string array and find the right element in it
and to make Arduino count from one to ten in Roman Numerals.
Rest of the way from 10 to 2400 for that clock will be easier.

I think i dislike C - it seems at this point dreadfully awkward compared to Basic.
But Arduino has a pretty handy console that seems to not crash Windows very often.

old jim

 

[Borek]

I think i dislike C - it seems at this point dreadfully awkward compared to Basic.

You have put me back in time. Eons ago interpreted BASIC was the first language available to people on their 8-bit computers (C64, ZX Spectrum, Atari 800, such things). And they all thought they know a thing or two about BASIC, so they know what programming is. You have just (unknowingly) quoted their comments

And you are as wrong as they were 30 years ago

 

[jim hardy]

And you are as wrong as they were 30 years ago

I take that as "an encouraging word", that things will get better as i become accustomed to C.

I started on TI99 (16 bit) interpreted basic and moved to Qbasic.
And i make no pretense about being a real programmer, just learned what was necessary task by task.

This Arduino utility says it's "compiling"... i wonder if it really is running compiled C ?

 

[Borek]

I take that as "an encouraging word", that things will get better as i become accustomed to C.

They should. Actually I would suggest you learn a little bit about how the processor works (registers, addressing of memory, stack, interrupts) - while these things are not necessary, IMHO they help understanding why C is so effective.

This Arduino utility says it's "compiling"... i wonder if it really is running compiled C ?

Definitely. That is one of reasons that made me wrote what I wrote above. C is relatively close to the hardware, many of the things you write in C almost directly translate to the underlying assembler commands (processor operations).

I started with BASIC eons ago, but I started to understand what I am doing once I srtarted programming in assembly. I don't need it now, but I feel like it still helps me.

 

[jim hardy]

I started with BASIC eons ago, but I started to understand what I am doing once I srtarted programming in assembly. I don't need it now, but I feel like it still helps me.

Interesting.

We used Fotrran II in school (1965)

next i worked on a Data General Nova and learned its assembler
in those days a register was a 4 bit 7400 DIP IC that you could see
and i 'scoped every IC in the doggone thing chasing intermittents from board to board

yes i'd like to learn this processor
guess I'm OCD for basic understanding

 

[Astronuc]

There comes a time when one has to give up the keys and the car.

92-year-old slams into 9 cars in Piggly Wiggly parking lot
http://news.yahoo.com/92-year-old-slams-into-9-cars-in-parking-lot-150212529.html

 

[zoobyshoe]

Today I learned "Hagia Sophia" is pronounced "Hi ya, Sophia!"

 

[nitsuj]

There comes a time when one has to give up the keys and the car.

92-year-old slams into 9 cars in Piggly Wiggly parking lot
http://news.yahoo.com/92-year-old-slams-into-9-cars-in-parking-lot-150212529.html

I would interested to know the stats on this (old people and driving accidents). Certainly insurance companies would know best, and I haven't heard an old person say, "we'll now that I'm 85 my auto insurance has gone through the roof."

It must be that they (very senior drivers) don't have a higher risk to them, but when they do have a "lapse" in driving ability it's dramatic. Such as pressing the wrong peddle, or not really caring that they've hit numerous vehicles. I'd guess they will be "priced out" for insurance coverage.

I'm pretty sure in our province a doctor can pull a driver license.

 

[jim hardy]

I haven't heard an old person say, "we'll now that I'm 85 my auto insurance has gone through the roof."

It must be that they (very senior drivers) don't have a higher risk to them, but when they do have a "lapse" in driving ability it's dramatic.

Old folks generally don't drive very much anymore. So the product of risk/mile X miles might actually go down.

Dad got to where he wouldn't venture into city traffic.
So he was able to drive until very near the end. Everybody in his small town knew to give the old blue Buick wide berth,.
Dad's doctor would have his nurse drive Dad home and call me to come get the Buick.
It has been in the family since new in 1965, a great-grandson has it now. It should be a real head-turner when he turns 16.

old jim

 

[Astronuc]

My mother-in-law did left turn into the left turn lane of a multi-lane road. Fortunately, there were no cars in the lane. She got cited by police. She was blinded by the sun during the turn and missed it by one lane.

My grandfather gave up his car and keys at 93. I don't think he had an accident, but he was becoming less steady, so he gave up the car in favor of a three wheel scooter that he could use on side-walks.

I understand the desire and need for independence, but there also needs to be consideration for the safety of others. I have seen reports of elderly running over pedestrians. So, clearly there comes a time when one has to give up the privilege of driving to avoid harming others.

 

[Astronuc]

Britain's Royals Search for New Chauffeur - for the Queen no less

https://gma.yahoo.com/britains-royals-search-chauffeur-181838449--abc-news-celebrities.html
The job pays up to $37,000 per year, includes meals and 33 vacation days, but does require nearly 50-hour work weeks, according to the posting on the Monarchy’s website.