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I bet you didnt know that

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  • Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Don't read if you're squeamish about bodily functions.

    Human bodies are constantly regenerating and our cells naturally expire (apoptosis) at an adult rate of about sixty billion a day. Childrens cells expire at a rate of about forty billion per day, and different cells regenerate at different rates.

    Our bones would take ten years to completely replace, but the cells lining our stomachs are refreshed every few days. You lose tens of thousands of skin cells a minute and your skin, the bodys largest organ, would be entirely replaced in a matter of weeks. Red blood cells take the trophy with a death (and replacement) rate of two million cells per second. The dead red blood cells are processed through the liver in biliruben and combined with bile, and it's the combination of these three delightful substances that makes poop brown.

    The reason it smells is due to both the waste created after the nutrients are absorbed and to a greater proportion the malabsorption of nutrients that then go on to break down and decay in the colon, hitting your nose when they hit the air on the way out in your poop, which is mainly composed of bacteria, water and indigestible matter, usually in that order. A lot depends on what you eat, and a high fibre diet with some good live cultured dairy will reduce the bad bacteria and so reduce the pungency of your poop and the pungency (and volume) of any gas that happens to escape during the whole process. Antibiotics disrupt the balance of bacteria both good and bad and poop is likely to smell less during a course, but lack of good bacteria is bad for gut health and probiotic drinks after a course of antibiotics is often recommended to suppress the proliferation of 'bad' or disease causing bacteria like e-coli or salmonella by introducing good bacteria. In extreme cases of bacterial imbalance in the gut, a fecal transplant can be carried out. It is exactly what it sounds like.

    Women face additional challenges to men in the poop department. The arrangement of the reproductive organs in womens bodies mean that the colon does a bypass and so is longer by about 15cms. It's also more flexible so it can move during pregnancy and childbirth when things generally can be a bit on the squashed side. In essence, men poop more effectively as it has a shorter journey through a more robust structure, so they escape some of the issues of bloating and constipation that women are more prone do by virtue of their physiology.




    Enjoy your dinner.


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,966 ✭✭✭✭dxhound2005


    60% of the human body is water. The skin can weigh up to 10% of a person's weight.

    There is a debate recently about whether the skin or the interstitium is the largest organ.

    https://www.dogonews.com/2018/4/22/the-human-bodys-largest-organ-may-have-just-been-discovered


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,902 ✭✭✭MagicIRL


    The word 'Literally' is to take something in a literal sense/to be exact.

    An example: "The driver literally drove through the red light." This implies the driver actually did drive his vehicle through the red light.

    The opposite to this is the word "Figuratively", which is more metaphorical.

    An example: "The driver figuratively drove through the red light." This implies the driver did not actually drive his vehicle through the red light.

    However, because people started to use the word "literally" when they really should've been using the word "figuratively", it has now been re-defined to also mean figuratively.

    So the word literally now literally means both literally and figuratively.

    I literally did something now means that I may or may not have actually done the thing. :pac:

    https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/literally


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,070 ✭✭✭Franz Von Peppercorn


    MagicIRL wrote: »
    The word 'Literally' is to take something in a literal sense/to be exact.

    An example: "The driver literally drove through the red light." This implies the driver actually did drive his vehicle through the red light.

    The opposite to this is the word "Figuratively", which is more metaphorical.

    An example: "The driver figuratively drove through the red light." This implies the driver did not actually drive his vehicle through the red light.

    However, because people started to use the word "literally" when they really should've been using the word "figuratively", it has now been re-defined to also mean figuratively.

    So the word literally now literally means both literally and figuratively.

    I literally did something now means that I may or may not have actually done the thing. :pac:

    https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/literally

    I would dispute that. Plenty of words can mean their opposite like the verb to dust ( which means dust added by forensic teams, removed by cleaners) but the word literally, when used figuratively, is nearly always used in hyperbole. A sentence is known to be hyperbole by extreme exaggeration, and thus the term literally or any other word used in that sentence can be seen as figurative.

    For instance:

    I was definitely rooted to the spot with fear

    Doesn’t mean that definitely now means definitely not because that sentence is impossible. After all humans can’t grow roots.

    Literally isnt a substitute for figuratively except in hyperbole but that would be true of any word used to amplify the verb.

    "The driver figuratively drove through the red light." This implies the driver did not actually drive his vehicle through the red light.

    you wouldn’t use figuratively in that sentence. A sentence is figurative or it isn’t ( and that isn't), you shouldn’t have to declare it so. Theres nothing figurative about driving through a red light.

    Wordsworth didn’t wander lovely as a figurative cloud in the poem.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,930 ✭✭✭Cordell


    Wouldn't that be actually a metaphor?

    That is
    a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money); broadly : figurative language


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  • Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    And even more than that you wouldn’t use figuratively in that sentence anyway. A sentence is figurative or it isn’t you shouldn’t have to declare it so. Wordsworth didn’t wander lovely as a figurative cloud in the poem.


    Damn right he didn't, he wandered lonely as a cloud! :)


  • Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    A dentist was telling me about a very American crisis in the poverty stricken Appalachian region of the US.

    Mountain Dew soft drink is exceptionally popular in the area because it's extremely cheap, and it's laden with sugar and high levels of caffeine which makes it somewhat addictive. The result is it's the most popular beverage in the region, drunk instead of milk or water by many of the very poorest.

    To top the lot carbonated drinks leech calcium from your teeth and acidic, sugary drinks erode enamel - and children are especially vulnerable. As a result about seventy percent of children and adolescents in West Virginia suffer from serious tooth decay. Because MD is cheaper than milk, it's commonplace to see babies drink it from the bottle.

    The issue is so widespread and serious that the resulting mouthful of rotting teeth has been christened Mountain Dew Mouth by dental professionals, and the poorer you are the more likely you are to have it and to be unable to afford either healthier options or dental care.

    PepsiCo, who produce Mountain Dew, have been funding mobile dental clinics in the region for the last decade to help combat MD Mouth, but the figures haven't changed much, and are unlikely to until cheap alternatives to tooth-rotting sodas are found.

    Or until people cop on and start drinking water.


  • Registered Users Posts: 33,509 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    Could PepsiCo not increase the price of MD so that its more expensive than milk?

    Sometimes the human race is just too thick for its own good.


  • Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    NIMAN wrote: »
    Could PepsiCo not increase the price of MD so that its more expensive than milk?

    Sometimes the human race is just too thick for its own good.

    I know, it seems so obvious. Or put things that are so very bad for you on a list of goods you can't pay for with food stamps at least?

    I don't want to get too judgy as the worst affected are in the most isolated and uneducated areas of the US, but you'd imagine instead of dealing with the results they'd at least try to educate people about the issue before their kids teeth are ruined forever. Crazy stuff altogether.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,569 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    From the Moncrieff show today.

    Any title with the name forensic in it implies an expert in the eyes of the court. It originated in Roman times as both prosecuting and the defendant gave evidence before the forum. The winner was essentially the side that made the best argument.

    A forensic pathologist is concerned with how somebody died, a forensic anthropologist is concerned with who they were. A forensic anthropologist, Sue Black, was speaking about her career and a book she has written and was very interesting. They can be involved in investigations of a deceased who passed away literally minutes ago to some who passed away hundreds of years previously.
    She gave details who they can tell from isotopes present in hair and finger nails whether someone might have spent several months in a particular location. A technique which has been used to identify terrorists who have spent time in training camps in parts of the middle east.

    One queezy fact which a certain poster here might enjoy is that in Sierra Leone, a corpse can go from a body to a skeleton in just 7 days due to the extreme heat and insects in the region.

    She sounded very competent and interested in her job but understandably also pointed out that many of those in the profession end up needing professional help for dealing with the sights they have seen.


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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,147 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    NIMAN wrote: »
    Could PepsiCo not increase the price of MD so that its more expensive than milk?
    They're not going to take a hit to their bottom line N. The dental trucks must cost less, likely far less than the profits they make on selling the sugar drinks. Like that time in the US car industry, Ford I think it was. Where they found a potentially fatal flaw in one of their cars. Did they fix the flaw? Nope, their lawyers told them the cost of any potential cases would be a much smaller cost than the costs of rectifying the mistake in the cars. People died and lawsuits were filed and fines paid out, but still cheaper than fixing the faults. Corporate "morals" at work. Always follow the money.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,615 ✭✭✭Kat1170


    NIMAN wrote: »
    Could PepsiCo not increase the price of MD so that its more expensive than milk?

    Sometimes the human race is just too thick for its own good.

    Probably seen as a case of .... Increase in price = BAD !!!!! Dental help = YAY GOOD !!!! by the local populace.

    :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,777 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    Wibbs wrote: »
    Like that time in the US car industry, Ford I think it was. Where they found a potentially fatal flaw in one of their cars. Did they fix the flaw? Nope, their lawyers told them the cost of any potential cases would be a much smaller cost than the costs of rectifying the mistake in the cars. People died and lawsuits were filed and fines paid out, but still cheaper than fixing the faults. Corporate "morals" at work. Always follow the money.

    I seem to remember they made a film out of that many many years ago - it was something like, if the car had the left indicator on and was hit frontally by another car, it would definitely catch fire. If was repulsively unethical.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 384 ✭✭SeamusG97


    New Home wrote: »
    I seem to remember they made a film out of that many many years ago - it was something like, if the car had the left indicator on and was hit frontally by another car, it would definitely catch fire. If was repulsively unethical.

    https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a6700/top-automotive-engineering-failures-ford-pinto-fuel-tanks/


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,480 ✭✭✭wexie


    Wibbs wrote: »
    They're not going to take a hit to their bottom line N. The dental trucks must cost less, likely far less than the profits they make on selling the sugar drinks. Like that time in the US car industry, Ford I think it was. Where they found a potentially fatal flaw in one of their cars. Did they fix the flaw? Nope, their lawyers told them the cost of any potential cases would be a much smaller cost than the costs of rectifying the mistake in the cars. People died and lawsuits were filed and fines paid out, but still cheaper than fixing the faults. Corporate "morals" at work. Always follow the money.

    I think you're probably referring to 'switchgate' and it was GM.

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

    I'm sure though there are other examples, this is the biggest I can recall, 124 deaths and they paid over 900 million, on top of settlements and recalls


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,777 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    The story I remembered was definitely the one SeamusG97 made reference to.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,480 ✭✭✭wexie


    New Home wrote: »
    The story I remembered was definitely the one SeamusG97 made reference to.

    Ah I forgot about the infamous Pinto...like I said there are a few, no doubt more on the way still.

    Life is cheap for big corporate entities. Until people actually start going to prison for significant amounts of time because they decided it's cheaper to deal with a few lawsuits than deal with the fallout of admitting a mistake these things will keep happening :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Ancient Greek had tones like Chinese (though not as many).


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dan man


    The sweet fruit, dates, are used as an ingredient in HP Brown Sauce.


  • Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭el_gaucho


    MagicIRL wrote: »
    The word 'Literally' is to take something in a literal sense/to be exact.

    An example: "The driver literally drove through the red light." This implies the driver actually did drive his vehicle through the red light.

    The opposite to this is the word "Figuratively", which is more metaphorical.

    An example: "The driver figuratively drove through the red light." This implies the driver did not actually drive his vehicle through the red light.

    However, because people started to use the word "literally" when they really should've been using the word "figuratively", it has now been re-defined to also mean figuratively.

    So the word literally now literally means both literally and figuratively.

    I literally did something now means that I may or may not have actually done the thing. :pac:

    https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/literally

    A word which can also mean the opposite of itself is called a contronym.


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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,307 Mod ✭✭✭✭mzungu


    If drivers stick to the 45 mph speed limit on a stretch of Route 66 in New Mexico, the road's rumble strips will play a rendition of "America the Beautiful."



  • Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭el_gaucho


    Dan man wrote: »
    The sweet fruit, dates, are used as an ingredient in HP Brown Sauce.

    It’s called HP because the creator named it after the Houses of Parliament.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,930 ✭✭✭Cordell


    wexie wrote: »
    Ah I forgot about the infamous Pinto...like I said there are a few, no doubt more on the way still.

    Life is cheap for big corporate entities. Until people actually start going to prison for significant amounts of time because they decided it's cheaper to deal with a few lawsuits than deal with the fallout of admitting a mistake these things will keep happening :(

    They still do that and have been doing it forever, just not that blatant.
    Think about optional safety, like automatic collision detection today or optional airbags 10-20 years ago, they can save lives but at a cost, so lower trim level don't have them as they can sell to a larger customer base. Money vs. lives again.


  • Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭Froshtbit


    Candie wrote: »
    I know, it seems so obvious. Or put things that are so very bad for you on a list of goods you can't pay for with food stamps at least?

    I don't want to get too judgy as the worst affected are in the most isolated and uneducated areas of the US, but you'd imagine instead of dealing with the results they'd at least try to educate people about the issue before their kids teeth are ruined forever. Crazy stuff altogether.

    You're tlkaing about the poorest, least educated people in America. A country with rampant poverty and and zero ****s given about it. If the price were rasied, do you think they'd be able to afford adeqate amounts of milk or would the children simply end up more malnourished than they likely are now?


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,777 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    Froshtbit wrote: »
    You're tlkaing about the poorest, least educated people in America. A country with rampant poverty and and zero ****s given about it. If the price were rasied, do you think they'd be able to afford adeqate amounts of milk or would the children simply end up more malnourished than they likely are now?

    "More malnourished" doesn't seem possible to me, if a large part of their diet is based on huge amounts of sugared water with artificial additives of various kind. As for being able to afford the milk, if you don't spend your money on cigarettes you can probably afford more bread (not you-you, this is just a "for instance").


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭Chancer3001


    It's 2018...and Leeches and maggots are still used in Irish hospitals.

    Leeches are making somewhat of a comeback. For example to increase blood flow after certain treatments. It's a relatively common occurrence to use them to increase blood flow on the tongue after surgery.

    Can you imagine going into a private hospital in Dublin and the doctor telling you they were going to use leeches!?

    Or use maggots to clean away dead tissue whilst leaving live tissue alone.

    It blew my mind when I found it out


  • Posts: 25,611 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Had my uncle tell me that the other day about someone else who was on his ward, I thought he was bull****ting. :P


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,147 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    mzungu wrote: »
    If drivers stick to the 45 mph speed limit on a stretch of Route 66 in New Mexico, the road's rumble strips will play a rendition of "America the Beautiful."
    The way I tend to drive I'd hear the speed metal version of it. :D

    Or use maggots to clean away dead tissue whilst leaving live tissue alone.
    Maggots are fantastic little surgeons and work at a size impossible by any other means. This ability was well known many centuries ago and also among traditional tribal medicine types*. It came to light again in western medicine on the battlefields of World War One. Doctors noticed that wounded men who had been left out for longer in No Man's Land often had higher survival rates than men who had received more immediate medical attention for wounds. Turned out the men in No Man's Land's wounds were usually infested with maggots and they had cleaned the wounds before too much infection had taken hold from the necrotic tissue.



    *my late dad actually observed this for himself when he lived in Africa many years ago. The brother of a tribal lad he knew got some hideous infection on his leg, so the local medicine shaman lass grabbed some grubs(the Da thought they were either local ant or termite grubs) and a particular clay and packed that onto the wound and wrapped the lot in some local leaves. She was insistent on the latter, even though they had cloth from local missionary types. A few days later and yer man's wound was as clean as a whistle and his fever had dropped. Then she applied different leaves and honey IIRC and within the next week it had scabbed over and was well on the way to healing. The Da remembered and was amazed by how little scarring resulted.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,378 ✭✭✭Duffy the Vampire Slayer


    el_gaucho wrote: »
    A word which can also mean the opposite of itself is called a contronym.

    The verb rent is an example. We can rent to or from somebody else.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,670 ✭✭✭MikeyTaylor


    John Fashanu paid his brother Justin Fashanu (RIP) a lot of money NOT to come out as gay. I'd say it was probably for the sake of his career but still I wouldn't do it.
    https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/04/18/justin-fashanu-brother-john-monster-came-out-football/


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