gdp's Comments

Learn Something New Every Day : Why are there 24 hours in a day?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:16:45 +0000

I have no absolute answer about that, but I did read somethng-or-other that mentioned the Babylonians may have been using a base-60 system at some point as well.

Learn Something New Every Day : Why are there 24 hours in a day?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:05:28 +0000

Hey Joe, I accidentally slipped into a long break. However, I'm going to get things in gear again!

Learn Something New Every Day : We Eat Beetles On A Daily Basis

Wed, 8 Jun 2011 16:21:33 +0000

Jell-O, or any gelatin, is made from stuff like horse hooves and animal hide. I'm not certain what pigment is used for the green colour, but it might be some sort of algae. I couldn't find anything linking frogs and Jell-O.

Learn Something New Every Day : How Pigments Determine Colour

Tue, 7 Jun 2011 21:04:21 +0000

That would depend entirely on the colour. The next article will talk about some of the unusual sources for common pigments. Prepare to be grossed out.

Learn Something New Every Day : 202-blue-raspberry

Tue, 17 May 2011 19:19:19 +0000

I suppose that depends on what blue food colouring tastes like.

Learn Something New Every Day : The History of Human Height

Thu, 12 May 2011 19:11:55 +0000

Well, it is titled the History of Human Height... not the Herstory. :o)

Learn Something New Every Day : 201-three-way-switch

Thu, 12 May 2011 17:03:46 +0000

Those usually control lights in your neighbour\\\'s house.

Learn Something New Every Day : 105 Ways To Eat A Peanut

Wed, 11 May 2011 19:26:57 +0000

George really missed the boat, however, when he failed to include chocolate peanut butter cream cupcakes in his book. Simply the finest use of the peanut that I've ever encountered.

Learn Something New Every Day : How Locks Work (and how they get picked)

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:03:05 +0000

Well let's hope you don't find yourself handcuffed in a packing crate being tossed off a bridge!

Learn Something New Every Day : What Happens Inside a Battery

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 16:59:08 +0000

A regular battery loses it's ability to create a chemical reaction, but a rechargeable battery can use electricity to "re-set" itself.

Learn Something New Every Day : Twelve Drummers Drumming - Twelve Facts of Christmas

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:42:30 +0000

Thanks, Dan. But your late for class, so I require that you read every single old post before any new ones. You know, due diligence and all.

Learn Something New Every Day : FACT: a CD track is five kilometers long

Sat, 1 Jan 2011 05:07:06 +0000

Wow! Mucho thanks for the clarification.

Learn Something New Every Day : Partridges in Pear Trees - Twelve Facts of Christmas

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 17:28:28 +0000

I didn't find a definitive answer to this, but I would guess that it was originally a bilingual lyric: "my true love gave to me a partridge, une perdrix". Perhaps, like Canada's Bob and Doug McKenzie they just realized they needed more words to fil out the line.

Learn Something New Every Day : David vs. Goliath: David's not such a nice guy after all

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:29:16 +0000

Hi Ethan, thanks for your thoughtful comment. Most articles I write are the result of about 1 hour or less of research. (this one being a more tangled web, was on the longer side) Obviously, that doesn't compare with somebody investing years to become an expert. You've piqued my curiosity about real-life giants. I'll have to add that to my topic list for next week.

Learn Something New Every Day : FACT: England is not a country, and that flag might be upside down

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:15:32 +0000

Hold the phone! I was in the process of making this edit, since I had heard about this distinction before, when I went looking for confirmation. I found this article: The Union Jack or Union Flag. (http://www.flaginstitute.org/index.php?location=7.2) "It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag". So with the blessing of Parliament, I'll leave things just as they were!

Learn Something New Every Day : Who put the polka in the polka dot?

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 16:42:49 +0000

There was a time when I thought any and all plaid patterns made for a perfect ensemble. Now, of course, I know that only works for houndstooth.

Learn Something New Every Day : Who put the polka in the polka dot?

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 05:13:16 +0000

I think it's marvelous to see a blog entirely about one person's fascination with polka dots. For me, it's merely a passing phase in my day-to-day curiosities.

Learn Something New Every Day : Fluorescent bulb survival tips

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:55:13 +0000

The terrible secret is that Mr. Wizard has to use Google himself. Not only can a microwave excite the fluorescent bulb, but it can even make the filament of an incandescant bulb glow. So, yes, I suppose it would detect stray radiation. As for leaky microwaves, that's not a very complex science. The microwaves stay in because it's a metal box. The glass door is protected by a piece of metal with little holes punched in it. Simply because the holes are so small the microwaves are unlikely to escape. However, if there is a gap in the door seal, you could have a radiation prison break on your hands.

Learn Something New Every Day : Shakespeare enwisened* the English language with new words

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 19:07:50 +0000

I'm sorry to hear that your teacher hit you, but I guess the lessons stayed with you. "Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, But I do love thee and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again." Also, I stumbled upon a more interesting/exhaustive list of Shakespeare words and phrases. http://www.pathguy.com/shakeswo.htm (updated the original post)

Learn Something New Every Day : Do Not Fear the Large Hadron Collider

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 18:23:22 +0000

Sure the LHC cost $9 billion dollars to build... but can we really put a price on laughter?