Today I learned...

@Taffycat that's really interesting about the pollination via vibrations. On a similar note, I remember seeing a while ago that certain bees can kill hornets attacking their hive by crowding around them and vibrating in a certain way to 'cook' the hornet. Fascinating little creatures!

@V_R that monowheel looks so advanced for 1935! Looks like good fun :)
 
Today I learned that I had a tomato plant growing in my head. :D

I had a routine six monthly appointment at the dentist today but for a few days I felt that I had something stuck between two teeth. Endless toothpicking did not solve the problem so I was looking forward to going today. He found a small gap between the teeth and managed to pick out a seed which we thought was a tomato seed. Further probing finally got another one out but when we looked at it we could see that it had started to germinate, a tiny stem protruding from one end. :eek:

Not sure what would have happened if it had been left. Tomatoes with every meal perhaps. :D
 
TIL more about the 1935 Monowheel...

This picture has been 'colourized'.

Original B&W image

"One wheel motorcycle, invented by Italian M. Goventosa de Udine. It had a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour ( 93 Mph), and was one of several 'mono wheels' that de Udine designed."

HiNoa2M.png
 
Today I learned...

Hippos can produce their own sunscreen, in the form of a sticky reddish sweat.

The oily secretion is made up of two unstable pigments - one red, the other orange.

The red pigment also has antibacterial properties, which work to protect the hippo from certain pathogens and accelerate its recovery from wounds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3749351.stm
 
Taffycat said:
Today I learned...

Hippos can produce their own sunscreen, in the form of a sticky reddish sweat.

The oily secretion is made up of two unstable pigments - one red, the other orange.

The red pigment also has antibacterial properties, which work to protect the hippo from certain pathogens and accelerate its recovery from wounds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3749351.stm
Click to expand...

Fascinating! Isn't nature marvelous? :)
 
Unchained melody is one of the very few songs where the words of the title do not appear anywhere in the lyrics. I always wondered why it was so named. :confused:

Well, today I learned that it was originally the theme for the little known 1955 prison film “Unchained.” Hy Zaret and Alex North’s soaring tune went on to be a massive hit, with more than 500 cover versions. The best-known is the 1965 version by the Righteous Brothers, and there are great versions by Sam Cooke, Willie Nelson and,of course, here in the UK, Jimmy Young.

I'd never heard of the film. :D
 
To be wrong is to be right.
Being wrong is human as is forgiveness.
Life is to short to bear a grudge or be angry at people.
One life, live it, love it, enjoy, be happy, forgive,
 
Today I learned that...

For every human on Earth there are 1.6 million ants.

The total weight of all those ants, however, is about the same as all the humans. :eek:
 
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