[Choscura]

Today, I learned that Cuteness is a survival strategy that may have been a contributing factor to us (homo sapiens) replacing Neanderthals as the dominant apex predator, by our childish ('cute') appearances playing on their nurturing instincts, and giving us an advantage in all our dealings with them- or possibly the exact opposite happened, and they took us as slaves because we looked good, because remember, everyone outside of Africa has at least some neanderthal DNA. In either case- whether we come from caveman concubines or whether we tricked them with our bigger, cuter heads and eyes and our shorter more childish arms and legs- cuteness was a factor, and seems to have been a deciding one for quite a long time, as evidenced by the very obvious 'cuteness' of long-extinct animals such as triceratops. Cite

This got me wondering- what cool stuff is out there to learn? what have other people found, especially here, where virtually everyone either has the free time to explore (the high skool kids), a direct order to discover (the college kids) or is in a line of work that requires a lot of mental effort (essentially everyone here)?

[Creecher]

I tore a toenail off while stumbling down my friends driveway in a drunken stupor last night.

[NeoTifa]

What? That has nothing to do with anything.

I was gonna post "I learned OP was a faggot" but I already knew that. JK.

http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/

[BBuschRN]

I learned that people are quick to criticize those in power without offering a solution.

[NeoTifa]

No, I really wished I could think of something though.

[Aphex19]

Today I learned that true friendship is underrated.

This post has been edited by Aphex19: 18 March 2012 - 06:00 PM

[no2pencil]

I slept throughout the morning & a good deal into the afternoon. I didn't do, or learn squat today.

[jon.kiparsky]

Mostly what I learned today was incremental. Nothing that I can set down as its own milestone, but definite progress on a few fronts. I learned some stuff about jquery, probably nothing very shocking to people who are already jquery experts, but for a novice, I felt good about making some stuff work. Especially since I'm using it for a cool project at work. It's nice to get paid for learning stuff.
Also, I continued with my research on linux sysadmin tricks, since it looks like I'm moving more into that role at work, but I didn't bill for those hours.

And I learned that John Rawls' work is more complicated than I'd expected and I'm now sure that I'm going to need at least two more readings of A Theory of Justice before I'm comfortable arguing with him. Definitely won't bill for those hours.

[BenignDesign]

The second part of your question seems pointless to me. Why do things you learn have to fit into neat little categories? Why would someone only stop to pay attention to one or two of those categories? As if you already know everything there is to know about Biology, and have a mental block against absorbing any information about chemistry. Fuck you, chemistry! We shall willfully ignore you! You can teach us nothing! WTF? I only learn cool shit about poetry for I am Super Hipster Beatnik.

[WolfCoder]

Choscura, on 18 March 2012 - 12:16 PM, said:

Today, I learned that Cuteness is a survival strategy that may have been a contributing factor to us (homo sapiens) replacing Neanderthals as the dominant apex predator, by our childish ('cute') appearances playing on their nurturing instincts, and giving us an advantage in all our dealings with them- or possibly the exact opposite happened, and they took us as slaves because we looked good, because remember, everyone outside of Africa has at least some neanderthal DNA...

:3

I never really considered KAWAII~ a survival skill.

[modi123_1]

Side note - checking that wiki page's history there is a disgusting amount of reverted edits of people injecting a specific girl (local to them) into the wiki page. I assume this must be a well worn path to getting some action. "Here honey - I put your name in the wiki page for cuteness! I have the screen shot to prove it! Now can we make'ah da lovez now plz?".

[lordofduct]

hourly

and the only thing on the list there that I don't habitually research is the 'neurology/psychology' stuff. And that's just because I grew bored and anxious of it years ago.

[Nykc]

Today I learned that boys have a penis and girls have a vagina.

[modi123_1]

Yeah, until I have pictures and proof from a peer reviewed journal (like the Journal of Scientific Exploration) I do not believe you.

[jon.kiparsky]

Nykc, on 19 March 2012 - 11:30 AM, said:

Today I learned that boys have a penis and girls have a vagina.

I think you want to use the plural there, right? Or are we meant to be sharing? (if so, sorry guys, but I'm keeping it for a while longer)

This post has been edited by jon.kiparsky: 19 March 2012 - 09:40 AM