Did you know... ?

[Tight_N_Juicy]

A thread for facts!

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Share some knowledge, people

 

[twoton]

The shellac used as a protective sealant and coating for everything from hardwood floors to furniture to fresh produce to cosmetics to pills to dental wax is a secretion of the lac beetle.

 

[twoton]

We are closer to the time of Jesus’ birth than Jesus’ birth was to the building of the Great Pyramids.

 

[NCbear]

Bears are cute.

Oh, wait, that’s an opinion.

Hmmm.

Let’s see.

Think, think, think . . . .

Aha! Got it: A lot of people believe bears are cute.

NCbear (who benefits from this belief )

 

[AlteredEgo]

The shellac used as a protective sealant and coating for everything from hardwood floors to furniture to fresh produce to cosmetics to pills to dental wax is a secretion of the lac beetle.

It's also used in pastry design. If you see gold or silver icing, or really any high-gloss icing, it is likely food-grade shellac responsible for that gleam.

 

[AlteredEgo]

Also, xanthan gum, a mainstay of low carbohydrate baking, is made from beetle husks.

 

[Tight_N_Juicy]

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[palakaorion]

Texarkana, Texas is closer to Lake Michigan than to El Paso, Texas.

 

[NCbear]

On a more serious note, I find it amazing that we live 93 million miles from a fusion reactor (the Sun) and that therefore a whole hell of a lot of cold, dark space is between it and us—but we feel its warmth from here.

That’s an unimaginable amount of energy.

NCbear (who liked writing—and, later, rhetoric—only just a bit more than science, back when I was choosing my college major)

 

[1323180]

The ‘pter’ in ‘Helicopter’ is the same as the one in ‘Pterodactyl’.

Helico= spiral
Pter= wing
Dactyl= finger

 

[twoton]

Texarkana, Texas is closer to Lake Michigan than to El Paso, Texas.

 

[twoton]

There is no scientific evidence supporting the advice to drink eight 8oz. glasses of water per day. What's more, there's no conclusive evidence as to where that advice came from originally.

 

[MickeyLee]

Big Water Bottles. It has all been a plot to sell plastic water bottles.

 

[TexanStar]

Did you know... bees can be taught tricks using a fake bee to teach them, and then then other bees can learn the same tricks from the bees that know it?

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[twoton]

Did you know... bees can be taught tricks using a fake bee to teach them, and then then other bees can learn the same tricks from the bees that know it?

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Astonishing

 

[Enid]

there's about as much time between the construction of gobekli tepe and of stonehenge as there was between the construction of stonehenge and today.

the white part of bird "poop" is actually equivalent to our pee: it's crystallized uric acid

crows are super brainy. they never forget a human face, have similar brain capabilities as primates, and have their own dialects within groups which they can mimic. they can even learn to "talk" like parrots. they sometimes will bring their favorite humans little trinkets and gifts.

 

[twoton]

Talking cows?
Pics or it didn’t happen.

 

[Pandora77]

Hannibal Lecter, Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw and Norman Bates from Psycho are all based on one real person- Ed Gein:
Ed Gein - Wikipedia

 

[1323180]

there's about as much time between the construction of gobekli tepe and of stonehenge as there was between the construction of stonehenge and today.

the white part of bird "poop" is actually equivalent to our pee: it's crystallized uric acid

crows are super brainy. they never forget a human face, have similar brain capabilities as primates, and have their own dialects within groups which they can mimic. they can even learn to "talk" like parrots. they sometimes will bring their favorite humans little trinkets and gifts.

Crows are amazing.
They put nuts on the road and wait for cars to drive over them to crack the shells.
And they can use tools in clever ways. I saw one video where a crow worked out how to use a short stick to get access to a longer one that could be used to get food.

And this one where they combined sticks:
Clever crows reveal window into the mind

 

[Pandora77]

there's about as much time between the construction of gobekli tepe and of stonehenge as there was between the construction of stonehenge and today.

the white part of bird "poop" is actually equivalent to our pee: it's crystallized uric acid

crows are super brainy. they never forget a human face, have similar brain capabilities as primates, and have their own dialects within groups which they can mimic. they can even learn to "talk" like parrots. they sometimes will bring their favorite humans little trinkets and gifts.

I know about the white part of bird poop, as I've owned birds all my life.
Every bird, no matter how small, has it's own tiny personality and things they like/dislike.

Crows, or well Ravens are super duper awesome, some of the smartest animals on this planet.
They are really hated on in many parts of Europe, including Germany.
Mainly because they can be a real plague, cause they eat seeds from the fields or the corn/etc and are not as easily chased away as other birds, cause they are way too smart for that.
Many people hunt them down and it's a real shame, as in some Mythologies (Norse and Celtic for example) they were greatly respected.

If you haven't read about Hugin and Munin yet, read their story:
Hugin and Munin - Norse Mythology for Smart People