Today I learned...

[BenG]

Today I learned that the taser was inspired by a fictional Tom Swift invention and NASA physicist Jack Cover, who invented it, named it after him. “Taser” is an acronym for the “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle.”


What did you learn today?

[red_phoenix]

Today I learned about a "Witch Window". I'd never heard of one. Thanks Javed.

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

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Okay, I totally want one of those.

[wannabee]

I learned that the CIA spent 15 million dollars developing technology into cats so they could spy on the soviets. They had the first cat ready after years of work with mikes under the skin and antennas in its tails. They pulled up in their secret van near the Soviet embassy ready to electronically direct this cat into the grounds and spy on the staff who would go outside to discuss things they didn't want overheard by all the bugs in the walls, paintings, photocopiers and things in the building. They opened the door and let the cat out and it was promptly run over by a car.

[qlob]

Originally Posted by wannabee

I learned that the CIA spent 15 million dollars developing technology into cats so they could spy on the soviets. They had the first cat ready after years of work with mikes under the skin and antennas in its tails. They pulled up in their secret van near the Soviet embassy ready to electronically direct this cat into the grounds and spy on the staff who would go outside to discuss things they didn't want overheard by all the bugs in the walls, paintings, photocopiers and things in the building. They opened the door and let the cat out and it was promptly run over by a car.

tax dollars at work.....

[Hamlet53]

Originally Posted by wannabee

I learned that the CIA spent 15 million dollars developing technology into cats so they could spy on the soviets. They had the first cat ready after years of work with mikes under the skin and antennas in its tails. They pulled up in their secret van near the Soviet embassy ready to electronically direct this cat into the grounds and spy on the staff who would go outside to discuss things they didn't want overheard by all the bugs in the walls, paintings, photocopiers and things in the building. They opened the door and let the cat out and it was promptly run over by a car.

I hope that they at least collected the road kill before the Soviets. The whole spy cat program could have been blown.


The US Navy has come up with a state of the art “stealth destroyer.” Unfortunately so much money was spent on R&D that instead of actually building 32 such ships [ the original plan] now only three will be built. I recall reading a Sci-Fi story a long time ago about two forces at war. One side just put money and effort into building many current state of the art warships while the other was continually coming up with newer superior technology, but only building a few at a time. Guess who won in the end?

[Hamlet53]

I learned at lot of things from the short broadcast. Learning From the Things That Annoy Us One of the most important is that all those people who have been saying that “life just keeps getting worse” were right.

He was in a church and he noticed that in this church you could go and buy a candle. And there was a sign saying if you take a candle, leave some money. And he counted for a few hours how many people who take these candles pay for it and how many don't. And then he came back a few years later and he counted again. He watched. And he came back a few years later and he counted again. And he discovered that every time he came back, fewer and fewer people were paying. People were stealing these candles, and the world was getting worse and worse.

[MJK2111]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

^Okay, I totally want one of those.

Whatcha' gonna do with a Witch Window?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by MJK2111

Whatcha' gonna do with a Witch Window?

Ca(s)t a spell.



Great thread! Thanks Ben!

[wannabee]

In 1835 The New York Sun published a six part series claiming to be extracts from the Edinburgh Journal of Science reporting how Sir William Hersrschel invented a new powerfull telescope that could see planets around distant stars and as an after thought turned it on the moon and discovered beaver people who lived in huts that had smokel, unicorns, three kinds of flying bat people and a miriad of other wonders that increased the paper's circulation and was rereported in many other papers throughout the world.

Seems strange that people would believe stories like this. However, when you consider that at the time explorers were showing civilized society the duck billed platypus, koalas and kangaroos and reports of pigmy natives in the jungle why wouldn't there be flying men on the moon?

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

I learned at lot of things from the short broadcast. Learning From the Things That Annoy Us . . . . . . . . . . .

That happens to me in the Religion and Politics forum.