Things you've always wondered about but couldn't be bothered to find out

[Craigieboy]

Who decided what food was edible.

 

Like, who first ate a cucumber not knowing whether or not you'd die after eating it.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Craigieboy

[G.Wright]

Who decided what food was edible.

 

Like, who first ate a cucumber not knowing whether or not you'd die after eating it.

 

On the same track. Who first looked at an egg and though, I bet that hard shelled thing that just came out the chickens arse would be great cooked.

 

Or let's pull that cows tit and drink whatever comes out

[JamboInSouthsea]

On the same track. Who first looked at an egg and though, I bet that hard shelled thing that just came out the chickens arse would be great cooked.

 

Or let's pull that cows tit and drink whatever comes out

 

All sounds a bit scrambled to me...

 

On the milk front do people drink anything other than human, cows, sheep and goats breast juice?

 

Remember a Red Dwarf episode and think they were reduced to drinking dogs milk

[Creepy Lurker]

 

 

All sounds a bit scrambled to me...

 

On the milk front do people drink anything other than human, cows, sheep and goats breast juice?

 

Remember a Red Dwarf episode and think they were reduced to drinking dogs milk

 

My cousin's Somalian husband was confused when she didn't buy camel milk for their son who can't tolerate cow's milk.

[PsychocAndy]

If there is a guitar solo on Baker St.

[Boof]

If Prince William had turned out gay, and married a man, what would he be to the royal family?

 

A current queen and future king?

[Boof]

 

On the milk front do people drink anything other than human, cows, sheep and goats breast juice?

 

 

Horse... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumis

 

And rats' milk in that Simpson's episode.

[Locky]

In my defence, I've never been on a plane nor do I know hee haw about them. Although, they do fascinate me.

 

I don't know alot about stuff other than football and music.

[151]

why stairs are stairs inside but steps outside

[Boof]

Who decided what food was edible.

 

Like, who first ate a cucumber not knowing whether or not you'd die after eating it.

 

Not always a guarantee of success, but I guess early people would've seen animals eating stuff and not having any ill-effects...maybe?

[peter_hmfc]

A current queen and future king?

 

Heyooo.

[TheMaganator]

If Prince William had turned out gay, and married a man, what would he be to the royal family?

2nd in line to the throne

[Groot]

If Prince William had turned out gay, and married a man, what would he be to the royal family?

 

Dead in a car accident most likely

 

Damn paparazzi

[Lancashire_Lou]

If Prince William had turned out gay, and married a man, what would he be to the royal family?

 

And what if George had been born with a disability? Maybe a learning disability? Would he still be in line for the throne if he had Downs Syndrome for example?

[Smack]

What was evolution trying to achieve with addiction (or a similarly destructive trait) and why hasn't it been eliminated from the gene pool?

[benny]

Why did nobody put wheels and a handle extension on luggage until recently.

[sarissa]

(a ) The city of Los Angeles

(b ) Nothing

 

I'm sure if all land was divvied up between all people we'd all get two hectares each.

 

Answered by the title of the classic sci-fi novel Stand on Zanzibar by john Brunner.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

"the title refers to an early twentieth-century claim that the world's population could fit onto the Isle of Wight ? which has an area of 381 square kilometres (147 sq mi) ? if they were all standing upright. Brunner remarked that the growing world population now required a larger island; the 3.5 billion people living in 1968 could stand together on the Isle of Man (area 572 square kilometres (221 sq mi)), while the 7 billion people who he (correctly) projected would be alive in 2010 would need to stand on Zanzibar (area 1,554 square kilometres (600 sq mi)).^[4] Throughout the book, the image of the entire human race standing shoulder-to-shoulder on a small island is a metaphor for a crowded world."

[Snake Plissken]

In my defence, I've never been on a plane nor do I know hee haw about them. Although, they do fascinate me.

 

I don't know alot about stuff other than football and music.

 

How old are you?

 

I'd have thought just about everyone would have been on a plane at some point in their lives.

[Locky]

19 Snake.

 

Never left the country.

[Gregory House M.D.]

I mixed up my facts

 

If you took all the people in the world and squashed them all together so that there was no space between the atoms,it's be the size of a sugar cube that weighed so heavy it sink into the earth's core in a nano second with the magnetic attraction

[Boof]

Magnetic????

[Snake Plissken]

19 Snake.

 

Never left the country.

 

That's something you'll want to rectify soon then, I've seen more of the world in the last year than I had in the last five and my only regret was not doing it sooner.

[2NaFish]

What was evolution trying to achieve with addiction (or a similarly destructive trait) and why hasn't it been eliminated from the gene pool?

 

Evolution isn't just for the betterment of humanity. It's survival of the fittest. Take nicotene as an example - over the course of history it's not had a hugely negative effect on those who take it, alteast not enough to stop them having as many kids as they would've otherwise. It'll kill you eventually, but your best years for shagging wont be affected too much. In fact, nicotine is, i think, the only drug that both calms the nerves and improves mental performance in the short term. Why do animals become addicted - it's pretty complex, but it centres on the the way we are motivated and the subsequent 'reward deficiency syndrome'. It works well in controlled doses, but can become dangerous if unchecked, but the benefits outwiegh the risks in terms of darwinian fitness.

 

On the other hand, by being addictive, the plant it comes from ensures that it is pollinated - therefore it's ability to survive is improved by being addictive. Why do some plants affect our emotions? It's their defence mechanism, incredibly. It's meant to stop mammals wantonly eating the plant, so that it can be left to be pollinated by insects. In our case we've taken a liking to lots of these plants.

 

Now that's just how it works with plants as drugs, but 'addiction' in general works on the principle of this reward deficiency syndrome. By and large it's very useful as a motivator for animals, but it can come unstuck. If addiction become a serious problem to our ability to reproduce - unlikely - its effect will be diminished.

[Guest GhostHunter]

^ it's not the nicotine that causes those side effects, it's the other shite they put in cigarettes....

[2NaFish]

^ it's not the nicotine that causes those side effects, it's the other shite they put in cigarettes....

 

well, whatever it is, it seems like it's pretty wonderful stuff.

 

 

 

I had a professor at uni who always claimed that there was no such thing as a side effect - only effects that we desirable and effects that were not.

Edited October 22, 2013 by 2NaFish

[dougal]

I have a question. Having recently moved house I now have use of a dishwasher. The dishwasher has a few settings. One is a quick wash cycle that takes about thirty mins and another is an economy cycle which takes about 2 hours. Is the cycle economy because it uses less water or because despite taking longer uses less energy and thus costs less to run than the thirty minute cycle.

[PsychocAndy]

The Russian Steppes, the biggest ladder in the world or a tribute act.

[Stuart McNeill]

When Halloween has finished what do Tesco and asda etc do with all the stock etc..?

[JamboInSouthsea]

^ it's not the nicotine that causes those side effects, it's the other shite they put in cigarettes....

 

Very true...have just finished reading Dope Stories, edited by Howard Marks (Mr. Nice) and 'real' tobacco is looked upon with reverence by certain indigenous groups/tribes and it's effects are somewhat different.

 

Almost anything is potentially addictive I guess, it depends on the individual, and guessing once again that anything that releases dopamine into the brain can have positive effects on a person mentally. Don't think anything in nature is necessarily 'designed' to be addictive, some just are to some people or animals.

[Gavsy Van Gaverson]

When Halloween has finished what do Tesco and asda etc do with all the stock etc..?

 

Sell it the following year?

[Cade]

 

I have a question. Having recently moved house I now have use of a dishwasher. The dishwasher has a few settings. One is a quick wash cycle that takes about thirty mins and another is an economy cycle which takes about 2 hours. Is the cycle economy because it uses less water or because despite taking longer uses less energy and thus costs less to run than the thirty minute cycle.

 

Economy washes use a lower temperature and run longer so the cooler water has a chance to actually clean the dishes.

Most of the cost of running a dishwasher comes from the heating elements.

Dishwashers typically run at 70 degrees centigrade for a hot wash and only 40-50 for an economy wash.

Since they operate by constantly re-circulating the same water, the elements are on for the entire duration of the cycle.

It takes far more energy to keep the water at 70 for 30 mins than at 40 for 2 hours.

[Tazio]

Back to the idea of the first people to eat certain foods.

 

Cheese.

 

Who thought squashing up and eating the lumpy leftover stuff from rotten milk was a good idea?

[Boof]

And food again - did many of the discoveries of what could be made come about by accident.

 

Like bread, f'rinstance.

 

'Oh there's some green stuff growing in that field. Let's wait a month or two then it'll turn slightly brownish. Then let's cut it down. Och, let's take out the wee bits and crush them. I know - how's about we take some of that living fungus and mix it with that crushed stuff and water and leave it a while. Then let's bung it somewhere hot and eat it afterwards'

 

Just HOW could that process have come about? (with apologies to any bakers or GBBO watchers for the bits I've inevitably missed)

[Sooperstar]

Back to the idea of the first people to eat certain foods.

 

Cheese.

 

Who thought squashing up and eating the lumpy leftover stuff from rotten milk was a good idea?

 

A genius.

[Heres Rixxy]

Why do the hand rails on escalators move slower than the steps? Or maybe it's the other way around.

[wibble]

Because addiction is just an extreme version of the compulsion we all have to repeat those things that make us feel good, or rewards us. It is this behavior that has contributed a great deal to our evolution by ensuring that we repeat beneficial actions.

Just my theory.

[Paolo]

Why are English poppies different from Scottish ones?

[Guest C00l K1d]

Why are English poppies different from Scottish ones?

2 different organisations.

 

Poppy scotland think its daft to spend thousands sticking a leaf on each of their poppies

[Paolo]

 

2 different organisations.

 

Poppy scotland think its daft to spend thousands sticking a leaf on each of their poppies

 

It is not just the leaf. It is also the shape. Scottish poppies have four petals, English poppies have two larger petals.

Edited October 27, 2013 by Simon Says

[Guest C00l K1d]

 

 

It is not just the leaf. It is also the shape. Scottish poppies have four petals, English poppies have two larger petals.

I looked it up and theres only a reference made to why theres no leaf.

 

I think theyre different just because its 2 seperate charities and its just the way its done.

 

On the poppy thing though, what are white poppies for?

[Gorgiewave]

I doubt the milk question is really a mystery: people would have seen the young of these animals suckling. I don't think it would have been an "on spec" tug.

[Paolo]

 

I looked it up and theres only a reference made to why theres no leaf.

 

I think theyre different just because its 2 seperate charities and its just the way its done.

 

On the poppy thing though, what are white poppies for?

I think the white poppies are worn by pacifists.

[J.C 7]

The black and white thing in the corner of the tv when theres an advert approaching. Why?

[Carl Fredrickson]

The black and white thing in the corner of the tv when theres an advert approaching. Why?

 

To warn the person responsible for pressing play on the adverts to ensure they have them lined up

[PsychocAndy]

The black and white thing in the corner of the tv when theres an advert approaching. Why?

To tell me I have 30 seconds to get out of the couch and get the kettle on and a smoke.

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

This is kind of a cheat as I spent years not being bothered enough to find out but finally got round to it today...

 

The question was, what on earth does the bagel setting on a toaster do?

 

I've now discovered that with the bagel setting on, the toaster only toasts one side (should be the 'cut' side) so that the outside gets warm but not actually 'toasted'.

 

My life is now complete. ish.

[Heres Rixxy]

This is kind of a cheat as I spent years not being bothered enough to find out but finally got round to it today...

 

The question was, what on earth does the bagel setting on a toaster do?

 

I've now discovered that with the bagel setting on, the toaster only toasts one side (should be the 'cut' side) so that the outside gets warm but not actually 'toasted'.

 

My life is now complete. ish.

 

How do you know which side to put it in?

[Paolo]

This is kind of a cheat as I spent years not being bothered enough to find out but finally got round to it today...

 

The question was, what on earth does the bagel setting on a toaster do?

 

I've now discovered that with the bagel setting on, the toaster only toasts one side (should be the 'cut' side) so that the outside gets warm but not actually 'toasted'.

 

My life is now complete. ish.

 

Your toaster is clearly more fancy than mine.

[Brian Whittaker's Tache]

The black and white thing in the corner of the tv when theres an advert approaching. Why?

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_mark

[¼½¾]

How do yachts and other sail powered craft manage to get from point A to point B, no matter what way the winds blowing?