Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 5]

[hidetheelephants]

The Mad Monk said:

hidetheelephants said:

The Marshall Plan wasn't a loan it was a gift, albeit with strings attached.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan

A gift that was repaid in full, with interest.

Still looks like a gift to me, $3.2bn of which $0.4bn was a loan.

wiki said:

The proportion of Marshall Plan loans versus Marshall Plan grants was roughly 15% to 85% for both the UK and France.

[shirt]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Sway said:

No, they don't know exam questions ahead of time!

Daughter did get the heads up (legitimately!) regarding a shortlist of topics from a much longer list they've learnt in class for one of her a level exams she's just taken. Out of the four she's done, it was the toughest one.

Closest I ever got to know knowing the questions ahead of time was during my degree finals when we were on study leave, and we were all contacted to come back in for a special emergency lecture as it had been discovered that they hadn't taught us something that was coming up in one of the exam papers.

that's university though, its up to the lecturer to set the questions without an exam board to answer to.

[ChevronB19]

What constituency has the best record of voting for the party that becomes government?

(Obviously not Dunny on the Wold)

[Clockwork Cupcake]

ChevronB19 said:

What constituency has the best record of voting for the party that becomes government?

(Obviously not Dunny on the Wold)

Ahhh.... a Robber Button!

[CivicDuties]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

ChevronB19 said:

What constituency has the best record of voting for the party that becomes government?

(Obviously not Dunny on the Wold)

Ahhh.... a Robber Button!

Colin gets my vote.

[beagrizzly]

Nut allergies.

Not intended at all to diminish or make light of the issue and what some have to go through to keep themselves safe, and/or deal with the aftermath of getting it wrong, but:

I think I was in my forties before I met anyone with a nut allergy, or even heard much about the existence of the problem. Is this pure happenstance, or is nut allergy a recent 'thing', or something that has just increased a lot in recent years?

If it is a recent arrival or increase, why?

[CivicDuties]

beagrizzly said:

Nut allergies.

Not intended at all to diminish or make light of the issue and what some have to go through to keep themselves safe, and/or deal with the aftermath of getting it wrong, but:

I think I was in my forties before I met anyone with a nut allergy, or even heard much about the existence of the problem. Is this pure happenstance, or is nut allergy a recent 'thing', or something that has just increased a lot in recent years?

If it is a recent arrival or increase, why?

Years ago they just all died young and nobody knew why.

[Truckosaurus]

Also, we all know peanuts aren't actually nuts, so why to they get lumped into nut allergies?

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Truckosaurus said:

Also, we all know peanuts aren't actually nuts, so why to they get lumped into nut allergies?

Because it's fairly rare for someone with a nut allergy not to also be allergic to peanuts. And vice versa.

[beagrizzly]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Truckosaurus said:

Also, we all know peanuts aren't actually nuts, so why to they get lumped into nut allergies?

Because it's fairly rare for someone with a nut allergy not to also be allergic to peanuts. And vice versa.

Also depends if you are using the culinary definition or the botanical definition. If the latter, then lots of things we call nuts aren't actually nuts. If the former, then they're all nuts, get over it.

[RizzoTheRat]

beagrizzly said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Truckosaurus said:

Also, we all know peanuts aren't actually nuts, so why to they get lumped into nut allergies?

Because it's fairly rare for someone with a nut allergy not to also be allergic to peanuts. And vice versa.

Also depends if you are using the culinary definition or the botanical definition. If the latter, then lots of things we call nuts aren't actually nuts. If the former, then they're all nuts, get over it.

There are probably more culinary nuts that aren't nuts than are nuts. I believe cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts and pistachios are all not nuts

[Sway]

beagrizzly said:

Nut allergies.

Not intended at all to diminish or make light of the issue and what some have to go through to keep themselves safe, and/or deal with the aftermath of getting it wrong, but:

I think I was in my forties before I met anyone with a nut allergy, or even heard much about the existence of the problem. Is this pure happenstance, or is nut allergy a recent 'thing', or something that has just increased a lot in recent years?

If it is a recent arrival or increase, why?

Nut allergies essentially don't exist in the Netherlands. But then, they bloody love the things, and it's in both mother's milk and babies have them in weaning food.

I'd imagine that there's less nut consumption now, and I recall as a kid 35 years ago my gran being terrified of me eating peanuts and choking! Hence no exposure, so allergies can develop.

I recall watching a shark tank in the US where some very impressive medical researchers/doctors setup a subscription service for new parents. $X a month, and they send you milk formula specifically containing micro doses of all the primary allergens. Apparently lots of very solid research into that approach 'almost' eradicating food allergies.

So, I'd posit that if there's been an increase in food allergies, it's because of a lack of exposure in early months.

[beagrizzly]

RizzoTheRat said:

beagrizzly said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Truckosaurus said:

Also, we all know peanuts aren't actually nuts, so why to they get lumped into nut allergies?

Because it's fairly rare for someone with a nut allergy not to also be allergic to peanuts. And vice versa.

Also depends if you are using the culinary definition or the botanical definition. If the latter, then lots of things we call nuts aren't actually nuts. If the former, then they're all nuts, get over it.

There are probably more culinary nuts that aren't nuts than are nuts. I believe cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts and pistachios are all not nuts

You're right, I think. Can't remember which show it was, but on the radio the other day someone was listing nuts and getting people to say whether actually a (botanical) nut or not. Most seemed to be not nuts.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

To someone with a nut allergy, like myself, it doesn't really matter a jot whether the thing I'm allergic to is really a nut or not. My body fails to be persuaded by me saying "that's not actually a nut, you know".

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Thursday 23 May 16:09

[The Gauge]

Why don't tins of tuna have ring pull lids?

[48k]

The Gauge said:

Why don't tins of tuna have ring pull lids?

Because you're buying the wrong ones.

Buy the ones with ring pull lids, then they do.

[hidetheelephants]

John West seem to have canneries that do both, presumably only some have the machinery for the ringpull ones, which seems to coincide with the slightly odd tasting not-in-brine-but-not-really-dry-either variety. The non-ringpull stuff is still in brine.

[beagrizzly]

Sway said:

beagrizzly said:

Nut allergies.

Not intended at all to diminish or make light of the issue and what some have to go through to keep themselves safe, and/or deal with the aftermath of getting it wrong, but:

I think I was in my forties before I met anyone with a nut allergy, or even heard much about the existence of the problem. Is this pure happenstance, or is nut allergy a recent 'thing', or something that has just increased a lot in recent years?

If it is a recent arrival or increase, why?

Nut allergies essentially don't exist in the Netherlands. But then, they bloody love the things, and it's in both mother's milk and babies have them in weaning food.

I'd imagine that there's less nut consumption now, and I recall as a kid 35 years ago my gran being terrified of me eating peanuts and choking! Hence no exposure, so allergies can develop.

I recall watching a shark tank in the US where some very impressive medical researchers/doctors setup a subscription service for new parents. $X a month, and they send you milk formula specifically containing micro doses of all the primary allergens. Apparently lots of very solid research into that approach 'almost' eradicating food allergies.

So, I'd posit that if there's been an increase in food allergies, it's because of a lack of exposure in early months.

Interesting stuff.

[Sway]

beagrizzly said:

Sway said:

beagrizzly said:

Nut allergies.

Not intended at all to diminish or make light of the issue and what some have to go through to keep themselves safe, and/or deal with the aftermath of getting it wrong, but:

I think I was in my forties before I met anyone with a nut allergy, or even heard much about the existence of the problem. Is this pure happenstance, or is nut allergy a recent 'thing', or something that has just increased a lot in recent years?

If it is a recent arrival or increase, why?

Nut allergies essentially don't exist in the Netherlands. But then, they bloody love the things, and it's in both mother's milk and babies have them in weaning food.

I'd imagine that there's less nut consumption now, and I recall as a kid 35 years ago my gran being terrified of me eating peanuts and choking! Hence no exposure, so allergies can develop.

I recall watching a shark tank in the US where some very impressive medical researchers/doctors setup a subscription service for new parents. $X a month, and they send you milk formula specifically containing micro doses of all the primary allergens. Apparently lots of very solid research into that approach 'almost' eradicating food allergies.

So, I'd posit that if there's been an increase in food allergies, it's because of a lack of exposure in early months.

Interesting stuff.

Found the (short) clip from the show:



What was cut iirc, was a whole bunch of stuff at the beginning where Mark Cuban really challenged the research and credentials of the firm - he absolutely despises pseudoscience bullst - and they absolutely smashed it out of the park.

[popeyewhite]

CivicDuties said:

beagrizzly said:

Nut allergies.

Not intended at all to diminish or make light of the issue and what some have to go through to keep themselves safe, and/or deal with the aftermath of getting it wrong, but:

I think I was in my forties before I met anyone with a nut allergy, or even heard much about the existence of the problem. Is this pure happenstance, or is nut allergy a recent 'thing', or something that has just increased a lot in recent years?

If it is a recent arrival or increase, why?

Years ago they just all died young and nobody knew why.

Years ago there was far fewer people with allergies of any kind.