justing.net

New to me Facts and Ideas in January 2024

By Justin G. on 24FEB05MON

I found a wide ranging set of ideas and facts to be new and noteworthy, to me at least. Enjoy!

Began on 24JAN01MON .

(Modern) design originated with Bauhaus in Germany in 1919. Via John Maeda’s The Laws of Simplicity, supported by UNESCO World Heritage and it depends on what is meant by “(modern) design”.
The northern ~half of Japan is part of the North American tectonic plate. Via Shawn Willsey.
Slugs and snails are slow because their food isn’t moving, and they’ve evolved effective defenses against predation. I don’t want to imagine a world where they are moving fast.¹

Began on 24JAN08MON .

Desalination is economically viable because of solar photo voltaic derived electricity can be very very cheap. I remember reading something a year or two ago that made a similar claim. This suggests some follow up questions for me.
There is a World Porridge Making Chapionship, via Serious Eats. I don’t know why I am surprised.
Copernicus’s remains have been identified, via Damn interesting.
The NASA mission to the moon is pushed back a year to September 2026 due to issues with the heat shield. Via Space Flight Now.
DARPA is making a plane that doesn’t fly by flaps and stuff, via Hacker News. It controls flight by jets of air.
Is the origin of the house spirit folk myths wood mice??
Wing has announced some level of service to Dallas-Fort Worth. I still wonder if it will go global or be shut down for some random reason.

Began on 24JAN15MON .

The wealth of the 5 richest people (men) has more than doubled since 2020, 405B$ to 869B$. Via New Minimalist.
Atomic batteries for you and me? Do you think it’ll become a reality? Via Damn Interesting.
Debunked: The jet stream doesn’t keep Europe warm, the ocean currents do. I admit that I would have parroted this when asked, but before reading the article my inner monologue said something like “it’s the ocean”. Via Damn Interesting.
Debunked II: No, names were not changed at Ellis Island or elsewhere via Marginal Revolution. I admit to resisting this update in the state of my model of the world.

Began on 24JAN22MON .

This one is a two-fer. The names for groups of birds (or other animals) is actually called a “company term”, and the origin for many of them, in English, is one of the first books printed in English. Via The Marginalian.

Began on 24JAN29MON .

Death Valley is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, and nearly as large as Puerto Rico. Not only that, but a lot (I mean a lot!) of surrounding land is also open access: map.
You now have the option to get a tri-focal replacement lens for your cataracts surgery. Via my friend Ben. It is considered a cosmetic upgrade by insurers.
The greenhouse effect was identified and caclulated closer to the start of the industrial revolution (in 1776) than today. Via XKCD.
More cursed knowledge: IE (if you are old enough, you know) was first released closer to the Apollo 11 moon landing than today. Via Kottke. Is this some sort of sign??
Humans and Neanderthals overlapped in Europe for longer than previously known. Via Danm Interesting.

Other categories: fascinating facts.

Back references: none.