h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Did you learn something interesting, surprising, or just odd today?

Are you one of the Lucky 10,000? http://xkcd.com/1053/

"Today I Learned (TIL)" threads are typically very enlightening; I'm surprised we didn't already have a busy TIL thread here on h2g2. Sure, there's the "Useless Facts" thread, but that's only almost, but not entirely, not unlike a TIL.

Anyway, today I learned that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is hollow. I never new that and never even considered that possibility. OK, I never thought about what might be in it, but I found the answer "nothing" quite surprising. Here's a pic:

http://imgur.com/6pIhu9I




So, what did you learn today?

I learned not to assume that the dark mass at the bottom of a pail of water was a clump of dead leaves. Instead it turned out to be a dead mouse . I hoped it had been the *only* mouse in my house, but I saw a live one a few hours after that.

I learned that if you play Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' backwards, then at 5:58, Ozzy Obourne distinctly sings 'Benjamin Netanyahu'.

I learned that three year old boys going to the toilet by themselves while fantasising about fire trucks is not a good combination.

The fantastic fire had been extinguished in all directions.

I have "war pigs" on CD, but don't know how to play it backwards. I doubt that I will learn how to do that today.

I just learned that I somehow missed these replies.



I also just learned why veins look blue.

When I was younger, and believed what adults told me, I thought the blood in veins was blue because it was deoxygenated. And that the reason you never saw blue blood come out of a cut was because it instantly reoxygenated in the air.


But, now I know blood is never blue.

The reason veins appear blue (on pale skinned people) is complicated, but it mostly has to do with the optical qualities of our skin, our perception, and the depth and thickness of veins. Veins have thinner walls than arteries since the pressure in veins is less than in arteries and veins are typically closer to the skin. The way our skin and blood absorbs and reflects light make them appear blue when they're at certain depths below the skin.

This article explains it better than I can and even the writer finds it very complicated.

http://scienceblogs.com/scientificactivist/2008/04/17/why-are-veins-blue/

http://www.publico.es/tremending/2018/02/08/twitter-el-efecto-streisand-en-la-cara-de-cristo-la-red-se-rebela-ante-la-multa-a-un-joven-por-su-montaje/

The Streisand effect.

The news is about a young man who has been fined for photoshopping his face with the Christ of The Bitterness. ( catholics give quite theatrical names to their saints, particularly to those that parade in EAster)

If I were Streisand,I would sue.

I tried to read that article, but got a little confused. Help me out:

Did it say that the Judge claimed you couldn't parody a religious image if the intention is specifically to insult the religious, and did the internet, uh.... get upset about that?

I haven't read any of that yet, but if that is the judgement - there's a measuring of understanding in that. In today's world, parody with the intent to insult or injure anyone because of race, gender (if the target is female, abuse males all you wish), sexual orientation, race or physical disabilities are all seriously frowned on. As with all of the rest - religion is intrinsic to the individual.

This morning I picked up the newspaper and learned that there are in the U.S. Senate.

Very expensive circus though.

I think Rand Paul would agree with you, though he was unable to prevent even more expensive programs.

"if that is the judgement - there's a measuring of understanding in that."

Respectfully disagree with you there.

Get some cats there will be no more mice they will soon dissapear, so will all unattended food

Heh.... I just read your thread about the new cat swiping a cake in mid air.

He is getting better but he is still a dlinquent. He had been let down by people he is very clever "for a cat" and keeping him busy is working well.

It's still early in my day. I haven't learned anything new yet, unless it relates to General Kelly's willingness to resign from Trump's White House over charges that he botched the handling of a staff issue. Kelly seems to have some sense of honor. How long will that help him where he is?

OK...


This is a major one for me.

Many years ago I got into sometimes heated discussions campaigning for a smiley, a hitchhiker smiley, in the form of a grinning green eyeless and noseless orb with hands that appeared on most of the American versions of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker books & games.

Most of the resistance I got about it was regarding possible (but never confirmed) copyright issues.

And after some years, I let it go.


TIL
Today I learned that character has a name. It's the Cosmic Cutie.
I'd also read over the years that DNA wasn't fond of that image. Today I also found a quote of his, expressing his distaste for it.

~~~~~~~~
"I HATE the little green blob and have spent years locked in arguments
with my publishers with me trying to get rid of the obscene little thing.
I've finally secured its demise with the new Ballantine editons of the
soft cover backlist."
~~~~~~~~

I feel bad now for wanting the image as a smiley here. I'll stil have an affection for it as it was so closely associated with the series in my youth. I now can't help but feel a bit conflicted about it.

Thanks to you, I have learned something new today, and it's barely nine in the morning.