The Random Thread Of Randomosity

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Happy Daylight Savings Time!

Until November!

[Al-x]

74F in Manhattan right now. To think about 2 weeks ago this time, the city was deep in a snowstorm

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Quick question: I am looking at pics in the picture thread I posted all the time and it’s all blank to me. Any of you see anything?

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 3 days ago by Al-x.
• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 2 days ago by Al-x.

[Al-x]

Beware the idea of March

 

Oscars tonight. Should be nice…

 

• This reply was modified 1 week, 4 days ago by Al-x.

Al-x wrote:

Beware the idea of March

It is a pretty terrifying idea.

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njerry, Todd

A is next to S so…

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This Friday at 10:46AM (Eastern time in NYC) will be the first minute of Spring.

Pity no one has calculated exactly how much daylight and darkness there is on the Equinox but I digress…

[Sean Robinson]

https://www.timeanddate.com/

Bunch of good information on there.

Sunrise and sunset (specific to each city), plus you can find stuff like “sunrise isn’t the halfway point, it’s the first dot you see the sun” and then “but you’re not actually seeing the sun the first minute or so, you’re seeing it’s reflection bouncing off the atmosphere”.

Play around with it.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/usa/new-york

• This reply was modified 1 week, 2 days ago by Sean Robinson.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Al-x

I looked at old photos today in the nursing home that one of the residents showed me. It was a nice moment but I was stunned by how strong and healthy people looked back in the day. I think the pictures were from the 40s or early 50s.

 

It was like they had a healthy glow over them. Today so many people look pudgy and unhealthy.

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Todd

I woke up today thinking about pipe cleaners (no, I don’t know why and I think it’s probably not even worth investigating). It took me years to realise they’re for cleaning tobacco pipes. Whenever they were used for crafts on Blue Peter or Smart or whatever, I assumed they were for cleaning pipe pipes, you know plumbing, which was confusing, because they’re far too small. I think I only made the smoking pipe connection while watching Bargain Hunt, where someone was showing off some pipes.

Anyway, what this led to me think about is how strange it is that an ancillary product that existed solely to service something else has ended up with an entire other life and purpose (as a staple of fair naff kids crafting items) while the main product is practically extinct. I’ve been trying to think of other examples of that, but am coming up blank. Anyone got any?

Martin Smith wrote:

Anyone got any?

Not exactly the same, but there are some pharmaceuticals that were developed for one purpose but became popular for a completely different purpose, such as minoxidol aka Rogaine (originally intended to treat high blood pressure and peptic ulcers, now used to treat baldness in men and women) and semaglutide aka Ozempic, Wegovy, etc (originally an anti-diabetic medication now used as a long-term weight-loss/weight management drug). Then there’s LSD, originally developed to treat psychiatric disorders including depression and ADHD…

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Martin Smith

Tongue depressors and popsicle sticks become craft supplies

Todd wrote:

Tongue depressors and popsicle sticks become craft supplies

Right, but people still have lollies. And tongues.

Kleenex was originally developed as a filter paper for WWI-era gas masks, I think.

Totally cheated here…

Play-Doh (Wallpaper Cleaner): Originally created in the 1930s by Cleo McVicker to remove soot from wallpaper. When vinyl wallpaper made this unnecessary, it was repurposed as children’s modeling clay in the 1950s.

WD-40 (Nuclear Missile Lubricant): Stands for “Water Displacement, 40th attempt.” It was created in 1953 by the Rocket Chemical Company specifically to protect the outer skins of nuclear missiles from corrosion, not for household maintenance.

Super Glue (Gun Sights): Dr. Harry Coover was trying to create clear plastic gun sights during World War II when he invented cyanoacrylate. It was initially dismissed for being too sticky before it was repurposed as a fast-acting adhesive.

Bubble Wrap (Wallpaper): In 1957, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes sealed two shower curtains together, creating a pattern of air bubbles. They tried to sell it as fashionable wallpaper before realizing its potential for shipping protection.

Slinky (Ship Instruments): Engineer Richard James was trying to develop a system of springs to stabilize and support sensitive instruments on ships in 1943. When he dropped one and saw it “walk,” he realized it was a toy.

Vaseline (Drilling Machine Scum): Chemist Robert Chesebrough noticed a “gloppy scum” that accumulated on petroleum drills in the mid-1800s. He discovered that workers used it to heal cuts and burns, so he rebranded it as Petroleum Jelly.

Kotex (Wartime Bandages): During World War I, Kimberly-Clark developed “Cellucotton,” a material far more absorbent than cotton, to be used as surgical bandages. After the war, the company repurposed the leftover material into the first sanitary napkins.
Post-it Note Adhesive (Super-Strong Glue): Dr. Spencer Silver, a scientist at 3M, was trying to develop a high-strength adhesive. He instead created a “low-tack,” reusable, pressure-sensitive adhesive that later found its purpose on sticky notes.

Kevlar (Tire Reinforcement): Stephanie Kwolek was trying to develop a lightweight material to reinforce tires, but her experiments led to the creation of the ultra-strong fiber used in bulletproof vests.
Micro-encapsulated Ink (Ribbonless Typewriter Paper): A paper company created this to eliminate the need for typewriter ribbons, but it was a failure. It smeared when handled, but its technology was later adapted for other purposes.

Gunpowder (Immortality Medicine): Originally developed by Chinese alchemists in the 9th century who were trying to create an elixir of immortality, it was later discovered to be explosive.