what I have learned today.

[The French Tandem]

That for most of 1811 and 1812 my Royal Marine great great great grandfather James Entwistle* served on the same ship (HMS Briseis) as future polar explorer James Clerk Ross, then 12 years old. He (Ross) currently has 4 places in the Arctic named after him, as well as 4 in the Antarctic, a seal, a gull, a ship and a mountain. And a crater on the Moon.

That in 1811, it was acceptable for a 12 years old to serve on a Royal Marine ship 

A

[Mrs Pingu]

That mushrooms are high in monosodium glutamate.

[ian]

Many things are, it's just a posh name for glutamic acid. Glutamates are basically what gives things an umami taste – think porcini. Cheese has plenty, and obviously stuff like Marmite and anything yeasty.

I inadvertently bought a 10 kg bag some time bag (note to self, look at the actual amount – but it was a bargain).

The myth of why a lot of people think MSG is bad for you is an interesting one, google Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, but basically started with a hoax letter in the NEJM.

[Pingu]

That there is a website called Cheese.com

It is about cheese, cheese and wine parings and all dairy comestibles.

That's my afternoon gone!

A belated Petril!

[Cudzoziemiec]

That early humans might have hibernated.

Early humans may have hibernated to weather harsh winters, say researchers
Academics admit their hypothesis might sound like ‘science fiction’

Science fiction? It's a thoroughly modern practice!
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/early-humans-hibernation-winter-atapuerca-spain-b1776824.html

[Efrogwr]

That Mark Fuckerberg bears a resemblance to H P Lovecraft.

[spesh]

That Mark Fuckerberg bears a resemblance to H P Lovecraft.

That might explain a lot about how Facebook has played a role in eroding the sanity of millions...

[Tim Hall]

Neanderthals are so named because the first remains were discovered in the Neander Valley.

Well I knew that bit.

What I didn't know was the Neander Valley was named after Joachim Neander, a Calvinist theologian and hymn writer whose best known work is probably Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren/ Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, King of Creation.

Where Neanderthals fit in the whole creation thing is another question.

[chrisbainbridge]

what a wonderful Christmas Quiz question

[Redlight]

I have learned that assuming a month was sufficient time to keep your old broadband service going while your new one is installed is being far too optimistic about the competence of your new provider.

(I may be disappearing from here for a week or two...)

[Salvatore]

That for most of 1811 and 1812 my Royal Marine great great great grandfather James Entwistle* served on the same ship (HMS Briseis) as future polar explorer James Clerk Ross, then 12 years old. He (Ross) currently has 4 places in the Arctic named after him, as well as 4 in the Antarctic, a seal, a gull, a ship and a mountain. And a crater on the Moon.

That in 1811, it was acceptable for a 12 years old to serve on a Royal Marine ship 

A

Another great great great grandfather of mine John Wilkin was born in 1802 and first went to sea in 1814, but he was a merchant seaman. His son also went to sea at the age of 12 (with his dad) but didn't like it and became a blacksmith.

[hatler]

Neanderthals are so named because the first remains were discovered in the Neander Valley.

Well I knew that bit.

What I didn't know was the Neander Valley was named after Joachim Neander, a Calvinist theologian and hymn writer whose best known work is probably Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren/ Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, King of Creation.

Where Neanderthals fit in the whole creation thing is another question.

More than that, the name apparently means 'New man'. How coincidental is that?

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

That early humans might have hibernated.

Early humans may have hibernated to weather harsh winters, say researchers
Academics admit their hypothesis might sound like ‘science fiction’

Science fiction? It's a thoroughly modern practice!
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/early-humans-hibernation-winter-atapuerca-spain-b1776824.html

A few years ago, I read in 'The Discovery of France*' that certain communities endured the winter by simply remaining in bed.  Possibly pre-Napoleon but not much further back.

France was largely forest with huge numbers of tracks linking isolated communities.  There was no common language and there were no maps.  Travel was of course very precarious. 

* the author explored the country the best way possible - by bicycle.

[Mr Larrington]

That early humans might have hibernated.

Early humans may have hibernated to weather harsh winters, say researchers
Academics admit their hypothesis might sound like ‘science fiction’

Science fiction? It's a thoroughly modern practice!
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/early-humans-hibernation-winter-atapuerca-spain-b1776824.html

A few years ago, I read in 'The Discovery of France*' that certain communities endured the winter by simply remaining in bed.  Possibly pre-Napoleon but not much further back.

France was largely forest with huge numbers of tracks linking isolated communities.  There was no common language and there were no maps.  Travel was of course very precarious. 

* the author explored the country the best way possible - by bicycle.

Vague recollection of this being mentioned on “QI” too, so it must be trufax.

[Salvatore]

Neanderthals are so named because the first remains were discovered in the Neander Valley.

Well I knew that bit.

What I didn't know was the Neander Valley was named after Joachim Neander, a Calvinist theologian and hymn writer whose best known work is probably Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren/ Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, King of Creation.

Where Neanderthals fit in the whole creation thing is another question.

More than that, the name apparently means 'New man'. How coincidental is that?

The family name was originally Neumann, but it was the fashion to have a Latin or Greek sounding name, so it became Neander (Gk ne=new, ander=man)

[Mr Larrington]

Today I are learning that the geographical centre of Croatia is in Bosnia & Herzgovina.

[rafletcher]

What Kelly take-offs are.

[Kim]

What Kelly take-offs are.

I learned that a few days ago.  Sounds like a BOAT^[1].


_{[1] In the detectorists sense.}

[Peter]

Today I are learning that the geographical centre of Croatia is in Bosnia & Herzgovina.

Tangentially, I was musing about where was equidistant from my home and those of my two remaining brothers, for putative equal-expense meetings in the future.  Turns out to be in the North Sea, somewhere off Grimsby.  Sort of suits the year our family has had!

[PeteB99]

That Wellingtons column in Liverpool has a set of brass strips giving imperial measures built into and around the base.

[Cudzoziemiec]

That some of everyone's favourite Lancashire cycle components are made in Gloucestershire.

Hope does get by with a little help from its friends when it comes to completing the build: “The dropouts and several connections are titanium 3D-printed, and this is done by Renishaw [a leading scientific and engineering company, who also specialise in 3D metal printing]. The bars and forks are supplied by Lotus.”

https://www.renishaw.com
I think Renishaw also make a point of employing disabled people, though possibly I'm mixing them up with some other firm in the same area.

[robgul]

That some of everyone's favourite Lancashire cycle components are made in Gloucestershire.

Hope does get by with a little help from its friends when it comes to completing the build: “The dropouts and several connections are titanium 3D-printed, and this is done by Renishaw [a leading scientific and engineering company, who also specialise in 3D metal printing]. The bars and forks are supplied by Lotus.”

https://www.renishaw.com
I think Renishaw also make a point of employing disabled people, though possibly I'm mixing them up with some other firm in the same area.

I think you might mean Remploy?

[Rod Marton]

That some of everyone's favourite Lancashire cycle components are made in Gloucestershire.

Hope does get by with a little help from its friends when it comes to completing the build: “The dropouts and several connections are titanium 3D-printed, and this is done by Renishaw [a leading scientific and engineering company, who also specialise in 3D metal printing]. The bars and forks are supplied by Lotus.”

https://www.renishaw.com
I think Renishaw also make a point of employing disabled people, though possibly I'm mixing them up with some other firm in the same area.

I think you might mean Remploy?

Don't remember this from my time at Renishaw, but things may have changed.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Definitely not thinking of Remploy but might well not be Renishaw either.

[PeteB99]

The most produced Volkswagen part is Part no 199 398 500 A

(click to show/hide)

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