Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 4]

[Initforthemoney]

100SRV said:

French word for stop is "arret" yet their road signs have "stop" on them.

Pourquoi?

I think it's because it is universally understood language wise?

[Doofus]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Initforthemoney said:

How did mankind find out what vegetation was edible?

Presumably trial and error.

Who discovered that if you beat an egg white for 3 minutes it goes fluffy?

[The Mad Monk]

Doofus said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Initforthemoney said:

How did mankind find out what vegetation was edible?

Presumably trial and error.

Who discovered that if you beat an egg white for 3 minutes it goes fluffy?

For how long did they stare at a potato before they realised they could make chips from it?

[HTP99]

The Mad Monk said:

Doofus said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Initforthemoney said:

How did mankind find out what vegetation was edible?

Presumably trial and error.

Who discovered that if you beat an egg white for 3 minutes it goes fluffy?

For how long did they stare at a potato before they realised they could make chips from it?

I've asked this before.

What made someone grind up that weird looking dry grass thing, add water to it, heat it up and hey presto you have bread!

Edited by HTP99 on Saturday 17th August 20:10

[loafer123]

Dr Jekyll said:

Based on a question on another forum, does a 6 digit mileometer actually go up to 999,999? There was a suggestion they only go up to 399,999, which as far as I can see would make little sense on a mechanical one and none on an electronic display.

Is there some involved technical reason why they might not go to 999,999? Or is this one of those weird automotive myths?

I wonder if it might be because, when on anything from x35,000 to x65,000, it would be illegible as the number would be halfway, whereas they make a separate wheel which clicks over when it reaches x99,999 + 1?

[Doofus]

Why does Tupperware and similar never dry in the dishwasher?

[Exige77]

Doofus said:

Why does Tupperware and similar never dry in the dishwasher?

Probably because it’s generally hydrophobic and repels water so instead of thin layer of water which can quickly evaporate you get little puddles of water which take longer.

[Doofus]

Exige77 said:

Probably because it’s generally hydrophobic and repels water so instead of thin layer of water which can quickly evaporate you get little puddles of water which take longer.

Makes sense.

[Initforthemoney]

Why are Cornish hedgerows so high?

Kinda spoils the drive a bit.

Edited by Initforthemoney on Sunday 18th August 11:35

[The Mad Monk]

Initforthemoney said:

Why are Cornish hedgerows so high?

It makes drivers concentrate on, er, driving.

[talksthetorque]

Initforthemoney said:

Why are Cornish hedgerows so high?

Kinda spoils the drive a bit.

Edited by Initforthemoney on Sunday 18th August 11:35

It would be no fun if you could see the Kia Driver coming towards you with caravan in tow weaving down the middle of the road trying to look at a map.

[Wiccan of Darkness]

glazbagun said:

Doofus said:

glazbagun said:

Now that we're all lyrically enlightened, could someone explain to me what "you're so vain" by Carly Simon is about if it is not, in fact, about the vain guy she's singing about?

It is. She just denied it was about the specific person everyone thought it was about.

Ah, so the verse is the body of the song and the chorus is a fourth-wall breaking dig at an ex?

Oddly enough this was playing on the radio the other day, and the more I listen to the lyrics, the more I actually wonder whether Carly Simon wrote the song about her cat. the "scarf was apricot" probably referred to the cats collar, and all the rest of the song is what she imagined her cat doing after he'd run away (gave away the things you love, and one of them was me).

Doofus said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Initforthemoney said:

How did mankind find out what vegetation was edible?

Presumably trial and error.

Who discovered that if you beat an egg white for 3 minutes it goes fluffy?

Someone who threw an egg at their ginger stepchild?

[Phillippe Lambert]

Initforthemoney said:

Why are Cornish hedgerows so high?

Kinda spoils the drive a bit.

Edited by Initforthemoney on Sunday 18th August 11:35

http://www.cornishhedges.co.uk/different.htm Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about Cornish hedges... Short answer, they stop the soil running away when it rains. Along with a lot of other valuable benefits.

[RosscoPCole]

Has the skin on human feet evolved to be thinner since the invention of shoes?

[Clockwork Cupcake]

RosscoPCole said:

Has the skin on human feet evolved to be thinner since the invention of shoes?

I think it is more likely that the skin on the soles of the human foot has always been thin, but thick skin rapidly develops if you walk around barefoot all the time and doesn't if you don't.

I walked around barefoot on my laminate flooring a lot and started developing painful callouses on the main pressure points, so stopped doing so.

[Exige77]

RosscoPCole said:

Has the skin on human feet evolved to be thinner since the invention of shoes?

Not sure you understand how evolution works

[HTP99]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

RosscoPCole said:

Has the skin on human feet evolved to be thinner since the invention of shoes?

I think it is more likely that the skin on the soles of the human foot has always been thin, but thick skin rapidly develops if you walk around barefoot all the time and doesn't if you don't.

I walked around barefoot on my laminate flooring a lot and started developing painful callouses on the main pressure points, so stopped doing so.

I'm barefoot as often as practically possible as I hate my feet being covered; I'm barefoot now but I'm at home, if I've not got anything on after work it's socks off and barefoot for the rest of the day/evening; all year round, if I suddenly needed to pop to the shops I'll bung a pair of flip flops on, if I need to pop to the car which is over the road, I'll go barefoot; same with putting the bins out even if it's raining or cold. I do have cracked heels though which I'm in the process of sorting, the rest of my feet are fine with no odd hard bits at the point of contact.

From what I've read, the heel cracking is due to the skin drying out.

Edited by HTP99 on Sunday 18th August 19:16

[V8mate]

HTP99 said:

From what I've read, the heel cracking is due to the skin drying out.

Yep. That's why it's mainly women who suffer with cracked skin around their heel, as men tend to wear socks all/most of the time.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

HTP99 said:

I do have cracked heels though which I'm in the process of sorting, the rest of my feet are fine with no odd hard bits at the point of contact.

I probably have different existing callouses to you as I wear heels a lot, so the balls of my feet are predisposed to harder skin.

Additionally, we all have a slightly different gait (ie. walk differently) so put pressure on different parts of our feet when we walk.

I worked with some people who did Gait Analysis using motion capture cameras in addition to pressure plates on the floor - it was fascinating. Since then I really notice the different ways people walk.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Sunday 18th August 19:29

[Fermit and Sexy Sarah]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Additionally, we all have a slightly different gait (ie. walk differently) so put pressure on different parts of our feet when we walk.

I worked with some people who did Gait Analysis using motion capture cameras in addition to pressure plates on the floor - it was fascinating. Since then I really notice the different ways people walk.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Sunday 18th August 19:29

I figured this one out some years ago, after wondering for ages why the back left heel of my left shoes was always the first point to wear down.