Little known facts

[smokeshadow]

Japanese Vikings

The Strange Story of Japanese Vikings

How Japan's best hotel introduced vikings to Japan.

www.japan-talk.com

 

[pornoboy]

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[gsdx]

The boot and laces which Charlie Chaplin ate in 'Gold Rush' was made of licorice.

 

[fredroy]

View attachment 2288469​

Now add on an overlay of dominant religions.

 

[Araucaria]

This weekend I encountered a diverging diamond interchange while driving across the state. At first glance, the design looks counterintuitive, as it crosses the traffic directions on the opposite side of the road from which they would normally travel. That is, you will be traveling on the left side of the road through the interchange. But the design apparently facilitates movement through the interchange, as it make it easier for traffic to move onto and off of the freeway ramps.

Diverging diamond interchange - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This video explains how a diverging diamond interchange works quite well:

 

[Araucaria]

This is video of the actual diverging diamond interchange I encountered.

 

[fredroy]

There's an intersection in Round Rock. I think. Far north edge of Austin, anyway. Over IH-35. You can see Ikea from there. It's pretty trippy the first few times but it goes pretty quick unlike the usual big intersections around here where you sit for 5 minutes (because timers are cheap) waiting for a green light.

 

[Kulindahr]

This is video of the actual diverging diamond interchange I encountered.

I find the inclusion of a pedestrian crossing a bit odd; I would think that an overpass would be safer.

 

[Kulindahr]

A few million years ago parrots were three feet tall.

 

[Kulindahr]

Tics have been around longer than mammals!

 

[fredroy]

Dinosaurs had ticks? Wow.

 

[gsdx]

A few million years ago parrots were three feet tall.

"Polly want a cracker. NOW!!!"

 

[Araucaria]

I find the inclusion of a pedestrian crossing a bit odd; I would think that an overpass would be safer.

I was thinking the same thing. Wouldn't it be safer to have overpasses for pedestrians and bicyclists, so they wouldn't have to encounter the motor vehicle traffic at all?

 

[pornoboy]

​

 

[Kulindahr]

Gargoyles were originally rain spouts.

 

[smokeshadow]

^^when not designed nor used as a rain scupper/downspout, gargoyles are more commonly known as a grotesque, chimera or boss. Regardless of their use, they were also said to protect whatever ediface they guarded from evil spirits.

 

[gsdx]

The Peace Symbol (the lines within the circle) actually stands for 'Nuclear Disarmament'. The diagonal lines represent the letter 'N' in semaphore while the vertical line represents the letter 'D'.

 

[Kulindahr]

Comparing telescope images of the sky between the 1950s and 2021, astronomers noticed that over a thousand stars seem to have disappeared.

 

[Kulindahr]

A startling find was that one night in 1952 three stars were photographed but then fifty minutes later when another photo was taken they were gone.

 

[Kulindahr]

The Peace Symbol (the lines within the circle) actually stands for 'Nuclear Disarmament'. The diagonal lines represent the letter 'N' in semaphore while the vertical line represents the letter 'D'.

The inverted version, with the diagonal lines going upwards, says "U" and "D", standing for "universal disarmament.

There's also a "Christian" version that replaces the lower part of the vertical line with a cross -- which happens to make it look like the Eiffel Tower.