Today I Learned

[BillTre]

It does work Fresh.
Not everyone has a mobile oven that can convert Aluminium to a liquid in a crucible, I will give you that but the technique works and is quick.
Wasps are not vectors, however, wasps in residential areas on masse can cause problems and be a threat especially to kids, if you watch the link.
unpleasant but necessary to remove them. Rent a kill would put chemicals into the environment.

I think of hornets as being more of a problem than wasps.
The hornets I have know were more territorial and aggressive in nest defense and have larger nests.

I think what this kind of thing is really good for is visualizing the interior structure of underground nests and passageways of a variety of things. There are not other good ways to do this.
Similar cool looking things form when lightening strikes wet sand and melt some of the sand into glass underground.

Killing underground nest can be done much more easily with a bucket of soapy water. This drowns insects that would be otherwise be resistant to drowning because their waxy surface repels water.

 

[BillTre]

NY Times review of a new Documentary on Yogi Berra: “It Ain’t Over”

 

[pinball1970]

I think of hornets as being more of a problem than wasps.
The hornets I have know were more territorial and aggressive in nest defense and have larger nests.

I think what this kind of thing is really good for is visualizing the interior structure of underground nests and passageways of a variety of things. There are not other good ways to do this.
Similar cool looking things form when lightening strikes wet sand and melt some of the sand into glass underground.

Killing underground nest can be done much more easily with a bucket of soapy water. This drowns insects that would be otherwise be resistant to drowning because their waxy surface repels water.

As quick? Even with a surfactant? I admit the vid goes for the spectacular but the structure is cool.
That side chamber, a wasp nursery?

 

[fresh_42]

Wasps and hornets are both annoying. The latter is a bit more dangerous. I know why I like bumblebees:

They are chubby.
They don't annoy you.
They don't attack you.
They only mind their own business.
They are always relaxed.
They don't invite their families to the meetings.

 

[BillTre]

As quick? Even with a surfactant?

Submersion in detergents or alcohol are the preferred methods for killing insects in labs. Freezing might be up there too.
This is much cheaper and safer than getting a bunch of metal, melting it, and dumping it on the nest.

I don't have too much empathy for insects.
They are pretty dumb compared with mammals and they probably don't have much of an inner life.

 

[TonyStewart]

It appears that this was generated by ChatGPT.

Nope, it was I being almost Grammarly correct, but good try @Horbein

 

[Hornbein]

Nope, it was I being almost Grammarly correct, but good try @Horbein

Well, "users may later opt for monthly payments to access more storage or view additional ads, reminiscent of disliked live TV experiences" seems GPT-like. Why on Earth would a user pay extra for a disliked experience?

 

[TonyStewart]

Well, "users may later opt for monthly payments to access more storage or view additional ads, reminiscent of disliked live TV experiences" seems GPT-like. Why on Earth would a user pay extra for a disliked experience?

It's the You-Tube model to join to avoid ads that I predict AI rollout on Google I/O, Koogle, to entertain users with more content that they may enjoy interrupted by ads or else join a club to avoid the ads or GB of storage from cloud drives that fill up with memories that you must pay a monthly fee for.

 

[KingGambit]

TIL how some people use molten lead to clear invasive insect colonies

Edit: It's aluminium, actually.

Yes, I've watched it before. Perhaps the other video. And they call it, "Art" of ant nest.

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that Napoleon married Marie Louise Léopoldine Françoise Thérèse Joséphine Lucie, who bore him an heir. Once he was exiled she secretly and bigamously married someone else.

I have read that in the 19th century upper class women sometimes married so they could have socially acceptable affairs. Though they had to wait until they bore an heir before the fun could decently begin. Victoria Woodhull thought this was hypocrisy and so headed a free love movement. She was one of those people whom everybody in the West knew, along with Jane Digby. But I digress.

Needless to say, such history is not taught in schools.

 

[pinball1970]

Wasps and hornets are both annoying. The latter is a bit more dangerous. I know why I like bumblebees:

They are chubby.
They don't annoy you.
They don't attack you.
They only mind their own business.
They are always relaxed.
They don't invite their families to the meetings.

I do not want to kill them but they still scare me.

 

[Rive]

I know why I like bumblebees:

They are chubby.
They don't annoy you.
They don't attack you.
They only mind their own business.
They are always relaxed.
They don't invite their families to the meetings.

Though I've seen some bumblebees furiously buzzing and then attacking/annoying each other.

You just might not be chubby enough to be recognized as one of them

 

[jack action]

TIL I learn about linking directly to a specific portion of text in a web document, without requiring the author to annotate it with an ID (only Firefox doesn't support it ). The following is an example:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Text_fragments#:~:text=The syntax, follows:

 

[DrGreg]

Today I learned that the PracticalCryptography website does not support HTTPS.

 

[OmCheeto]

TIL that I'm(b. May 1959) older than lasers(b. May 1960).

Twasn't quite as bad as when I learned I was older than the Flintstones(b. Sept 1960).

 

[Drakkith]

TIL that I'm(b. May 1959) older than lasers(b. May 1960).

But you are younger than masers.

 

[Hornbein]

TIL that I'm(b. May 1959) older than lasers(b. May 1960).

Twasn't quite as bad as when I learned I was older than the Flintstones(b. Sept 1960).

I can recall seeing the premier of The Flintstones.

 

[Grelbr42]

TIL I learn about linking directly to a specific portion of text in a web document, without requiring the author to annotate it with an ID (only Firefox doesn't support it ). The following is an example:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Text_fragments#:~:text=The syntax, follows:

I learned this by searching for text phrases and having Google proffer up links with the search-for-phrase highlighted.

 

[pinball1970]

TIL : Detailed Structure of bacteriophages illustrated https://phys.org/news/2023-05-phage-captured-benefit-biotech-applications.html

 

[Hornbein]

Today I learned that the first demonstration of electric street lighting took place in the London of 1848.

 

[Hornbein]

TIL that Murray Gell-Mann's father was in range of the blast of the 1920 Wall Street terrorist bombing. "Two pieces of plate glass blew by either side. Either one could have killed him."

 

[Hornbein]

TIL that Enrico Fermi loved L'il Abner comics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmGwZ4LO39Q

 

[strangerep]

You seen this guy? He works through past [Oxford Entry] exam papers.

Sheesh! How much time do the candidates get for this exam?

 

[pinball1970]

Sheesh! How much time do the candidates get for this exam?

2 hours 30

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests/mat

 

[pinball1970]

2 hours 30

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests/mat

It is Oxford so to be expected, like Harvard, MIT and the like? They are ranked high so they want to attract the gifted youngsters.
Put them under pressure a bit?
Cannot be anywhere near those Math Olympiad trials and competitions in terms of pressure. That is crazy at such a young age.

 

[BillTre]

TIL about Weed Wine, something I never heard about before.

Eric Asimov (son of Issac and NY Times wine guy) wrote an article about it.

Here are some excerpts:

Cannabis is legal for recreational use in 22 states, two territories and Washington, D.C. Cannabis for medical use is permitted in 38 states. It can be sold as chocolates and gummy candies, in nonalcoholic beverages and in creams and rubs. Fine chefs prepare cannabis cuisine. Yet the addition of cannabis to any commercially available alcoholic beverage is strictly prohibited.

The main reason is that cannabis is still illegal federally. As the federal government licenses alcoholic products and wineries, commercial production of weed wine cannot be licensed by the states.

Even states that have legalized marijuana prohibit the blending of two different intoxicants, like alcohol and cannabis. Stores that are licensed to sell alcohol are prohibited from selling cannabis, and vice versa.

While cannabis-infused wines or beers are sold commercially, it’s in name only. These beverages are made with drinks that have been dealcoholized.

While the method is uncomplicated, it permits myriad variations, depending on a winemaker’s intent and appetite for experimentation. Simply add cannabis to grape juice as it begins to ferment. The process of fermentation produces heat, which extracts the active ingredients, largely THC, which causes the buzz, and cannabidiol, or CBD, which has a relaxing effect.

Winemakers can choose to add the weed early, allowing it to steep in the juice before fermentation begins, and they can allow the wine to age on the cannabis lees, or remnants, after fermentation, both of which will add aromas and flavors.

He says it is now becoming less popular due to other eatables which are very easy to get.
(I had some great Baklava at a Dead concert once.)

 

[Swamp Thing]

TIL that people used to drill a hole in the top of an integrated circuit package in certain Microsoft gaming devices in order to defeat anti-piracy features. Essentially, hacking right into the silicon.

 

[strangerep]

It is Oxford so to be expected, like Harvard, MIT and the like? They are ranked high so they want to attract the gifted youngsters.

I was surprised, and a bit depressed, to find that although I knew immediately how to do (almost) every problem, I kept making silly mistakes when I tried to write out the full solution by hand. I'm so used to doing everything directly in latex, which eliminates a plethora of silly line-to-line copying errors. I'm also accustomed now to looking up (almost) every elementary formula instead of relying of memory (e.g., for trig identities). <Sigh>

Put them under pressure a bit?
Cannot be anywhere near those Math Olympiad trials and competitions in terms of pressure. That is crazy at such a young age.

Hmm. At that age, my self-assured arrogance used to compensate totally for any feeling of anxiety. I never once felt under pressure in any exam (even when I was the only one in my class who managed to complete the final year-12 science exam). If I tried to do a serious exam now under time pressure I'd probably collapse with a heart attack.

 

[KingGambit]

Today I learned that,
Szilard letter was signed on August 2nd 1939,
Wow, that was before Germany Hitler invaded Poland, right. September 1st that year.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It was Einstein name there all along.

Then it intrigued me to search when was Manhattan Project started.
And it was in 1942. January 19th to be exact as FDR signed the Atomic Bomb Project.
And also from that link I search "Oppenheimer" name. It first comes up at July 1942.
Leslie Groves name, September 1942.
So what's taking FDR so long to start that project. When he had Pearl Harbor??

Btw, the United States have had Pearl Harbor since 19th century, if you know what I mean.

 

[PeterDonis]

So what's taking FDR so long to start that project.

It didn't. By early 1940 the US government already had researchers working on nuclear fission. What took until January 1942 was doing enough research to show that an atomic bomb was a real possibility--enough of one to justify a full-on effort to design, produce, test, and deploy bombs.

 

[KingGambit]

It didn't. By early 1940 the US government already had researchers working on nuclear fission...

Oh, that.
And thanks for the information.
I'm aware of Szilard - Einstein letter. I thought the letter was written after Germany invaded Poland, and not before Pearl Harbor, somewhere in 1940. And then I thought that the US Government appointed Leslie Groves a few days later and then Groves approached Oppenheimer, and all this before attack on Pearl Harbor.

And in my opinion regarding US government attitude in WW 2, is that the US gorvernment had tooo much waiting.
Germany had launched blitzkrieg, Benelux fell in three weeks. And in June 1st 1940, German soldiers marched in Paris. V2 had been raining on London and other cities, still the US Gorvernment only gave UK lend lease.
But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, US declared war on Japan and Hitler declared war on US (fortunately), and Churchill declared war on Japan, etc... and then we had D-Day operation. (Neptune)

 

[KingGambit]

Since the coming Chris Nolan's Oppenheimer in the theaters in July 2023, I've been reading Manhattan Project thoroughly.

And I come accross this video today.


Today I learned that Oppenheimer quotes "I'm the destoyer of the world..." long after Trinity Test.
All these years I thought Oppenheimer said "I become death, the destroyer of the world" right after Trinity Test, countdown to zero. How arrogant.
But, no. Oppenheimer still the introvert scientist who dedicated his work in science.
And he quoted Bhagavad Gita, I think in the 60's, judging by his face.
He said this not out of pride or arrogance, but out of exasperation, that the FBI suspected him and interrogated him to be a communist agent.
Okay, so what, I'm the destroyer of the world. Confiscate me, arrrest me!

Oppenheimer, "... a few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu is trying to persuade the prince that he should do his duty. And to impress him takes on his multiarmed form and says: 'Now I am become death the destroyer of the worlds.' I suppose we all thought that one way or another'"

 

[KingGambit]

Oppenheimer, "... a few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu is trying to persuade the prince that he should do his duty. And to impress him takes on his multiarmed form and says: 'Now I am become death the destroyer of the worlds.' I suppose we all thought that one way or another'"

Perhaps I was wrong.
If I have to interprete his quotes.
"Vishnu is trying to persuade the prince."
And I think Vishnu in this context is Krishna, one of Vishnu Avatar.
Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. So the "prince" in this quotes is Arjuna.
Yes, Arjuna has some doubt that he has to fight his brothers (Kurava, 100 princess and 1 princest). But Krishna (Vishnu) assured Arjuna that what Arjuna fight are not his brothers but the evils.
Perhaps this what Oppenheimer trying to say.
That Oppenheimer (not as Vishnu, the destroyer of the world. But as Arjuna, the prince), that he/Oppenheimer should do his duty, because I am (Krishna) is the destroyer of the worlds.
And all Arjuna does is only his duty.
And as Oppenheimer himself, I myself reads Mahabharata a lot.

 

[PeterDonis]

I'm aware of Szilard - Einstein letter. I thought the letter was written after Germany invaded Poland

No, it was written on August 2, 1939, according to Wikipedia [1]. Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.

And then I thought that the US Government appointed Leslie Groves a few days later and then Groves approached Oppenheimer, and all this before attack on Pearl Harbor.

No, Groves was not appointed to head the Manhattan Project until September 1942, according to Wikipedia [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein–Szilard_letter

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Groves

 

[PeterDonis]

Perhaps I was wrong.

What you quoted is Oppenheimer recalling the Trinity test. Whether he actually said "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" out loud at that time is, I believe, a matter of some debate (other witnesses who were present and nearby differ about what they did or didn't hear him say), but it seems clear that he had the thoughts he describes at the time, not just decades later.