TIL Thread

[Tillu]

16 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

 

I often wonder: We generally accept that a genius mind and prodigious skill are in-born.  But can an argument be made for grit and motivation to also be genetically determined? 

 

Let's consider Malcolm Gladwell's rule of 10,000 hours of practice leading to expertise to be true (it has since been questioned). It then stands to reason that relentless pursuit of excellence (grit/determination/motivation) in the face of adversity is as important as innate ability. We always attribute grit/motivation - unlike a genius mind - to be under the person's direct control.

 

But, what if the ability to become motivated and pursue something with grit is itself a genetically determined ability?  What if it is not my fault that I am whiling away my time on ICF while I could be getting some creative work done for my classes, because my psycho-chemical make-up is limiting me?

 

Some reading: https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2017/11/10/cant-get-motivated-may-able-blame-genes/

 

 

Having innate ability and specialization in a single discipline is not sufficient is the consensus now. People to become highly succesful in today's world should be able to draw from diverse experiences. Should be able to connect ideas across domains to innovate.

 

Should be using mental models which are cognitive shortcuts to make decisions and solve problems. Charlie Munger says

 

"80 or 90 important models will carry about 90% of the freight in making you a worldly-wise person. And, of those, only a mere handful really carry very heavy freight".

 

And we should be able to and practice using these models across different disciplines. "The big book of mental models" is a great book to study these models.

[Tillu]

Percentages are commutative and reversible.

 

24% of 50 is the same as 50% of 24.

Edited August 7, 2025 by Tillu

[coffee_rules]

This thread is becoming an equivalent of the Tharki thread , but for nerds

[BacktoCricaddict]

Today I learned that there really is no supernatural mystery to the Bermuda Triangle. 

 

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a65643514/is-bermuda-triangle-mystery-solved/

 

Since 2017, Kruszelnicki has been saying the same thing. He told The Independent that the sheer volume of traffic—in a tricky area to navigate, no less—shows “the number [of ships and planes] that go missing in the Bermuda Triangle is the same as anywhere in the world on a percentage basis.” He says that both Lloyd’s of London and the U.S. Coast Guard support that idea. In fact, as The Independent notes, Lloyd’s of London has had this same theory since the 1970s.

NOAA says environmental considerations can explain away most of the Bermuda Triangle disappearances, highlighting the Gulf Stream’s tendency towards violent changes in weather, the number of islands in the Caribbean Sea offering a complicated navigation adventure, and evidence that suggests the Bermuda Triangle may cause a magnetic compass to point to true north instead of magnetic north, causing for confusion in wayfinding.

 

Even with some high-profile disappearances—such as Flight 19, a group of five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bombers lost in 1945—pushing the theory into popular culture, Kruszelnicki points out that every instance contains a degree of poor weather or likely human error (or both, as in the case of Flight 19) as the true culprit.

 

But culture clings to Bermuda Triangle conspiracy theories. The concepts of sea monsters, aliens, and even the entirety of Atlantis dropping to the ocean floor—those are fodder for books, television, and movies. It sure does sound more exciting than poor weather and mathematical probabilities, anyway, even if the “boring” story holds more water.

 

 

 

 

[Tillu]

Arktos in Greek means bears which was the orgin for the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

 

Arctic = Arktos = Bears are present

 

Antarctic = Anti Arctic = Anti Arktos = Bears are not present.

[Tillu]

There is only one country between Norway and North Korea.

 

TIL Norway borders Russia

 

TIL Russia shares a 17 KM border with North Korea.

[BacktoCricaddict]

1 hour ago, Tillu said:

There is only one country between Norway and North Korea.

 

TIL Norway borders Russia

 

TIL Russia shares a 17 KM border with North Korea.

When the war started there, I learned that Finland ad Russia share some 800 mile border. I had no idea Finland had 800 miles of land length in any direction. 

[Tillu]

21 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

When the war started there, I learned that Finland ad Russia share some 800 mile border. I had no idea Finland had 800 miles of land length in any direction. 

 

Finland is next only to Russia, so it sharing an 800 mile border is plausible but I never saw the northern part of Norway sharing a border with Russia and was surprised for not noticing it all this time.

[coffee_rules]

Did you know you potentially  can walk from Cape Town, SA till New York, USA? Only during peak winter when the Bering Strait freezes over. But, nobody has walked across the icy Bering Strait. 

[Lord]

Had to double check lol

 

 

[Tillu]

The Vulture species of India in the 90s nearly went extinct when 99% of their population was killed due to them feeding on the carcasses of cattle like cows and buffaloes administered with diclofenac to relieve them of pain and inflammation.

 

The side effect of this was the exponential increase in the numbers of stray dogs which led to an increase in the incidence of rabies and dog bites we see today.

 

The Supreme Court's decision to remove stray dogs from Delhi's streets sparked outrage from animal activists and dog lovers, who argued that dogs help control pests like rats and maintain ecological balance, warning that their removal could lead to new problems and diseases.

 

Developed countries also once faced similar issues and found effective waste management to be the solution. By ensuring no food is left in public garbage bins, the food source for strays and pests is eliminated, significantly reducing their populations.

 

[Tillu]

The world map often depicts Greenland as larger than South America and comparable in size to Africa, despite being significantly smaller than both continents. This distortion comes from the Mercator projection, widely used in Google Maps to atlases and everywhere else.

 

The Mercator projection exaggerates the size of landmasses near the poles compared to those near the equator, as accurately projecting a 3D spherical Earth onto a 2D plane is impossible without some distortion. Africa is actually so large that we could actually fit the US, India and China inside it.

 

 

Among the numerous map projections, the Mercator remains the most popular due to its practical benefits for navigation, particularly for maritime purposes. While some view it as Eurocentric, its widespread use stems from its utility rather than bias.

 

No map projection is perfect. The 3 main characteristics for any projection are Areas, Shapes and distances and any projection will have to compromise on one or two of these characteristics while creating a new projection.

[coffee_rules]

I keep getting recurring dreams and I learnt  the meaning of it- 

 

I have two subjects still pending from last semester of Engineering and I go back to college to finish it. It could mean - 

Dreaming about going back to college to finish your studies can symbolize various things, often related to learning, unresolved issues, or anxieties. It might indicate a desire for personal growth, a feeling of unfinished business, or anxieties about your current life or career path. 

 

 

I also dreaming about going to toilet in front of a lot of people. It could mean - 

Dreaming of going to the toilet in front of people can symbolize feelings of vulnerability, exposure, or a fear of judgment in waking life. It may also indicate a need to release pent-up emotions or address personal issues, and the presence of others could suggest a feeling that these issues are being noticed by those around you. 

 

[Lord]

8 minutes ago, coffee_rules said:

I keep getting recurring dreams and I learnt  the meaning of it- 

 

I have two subjects still pending from last semester of Engineering and I go back to college to finish it. It could mean - 

Dreaming about going back to college to finish your studies can symbolize various things, often related to learning, unresolved issues, or anxieties. It might indicate a desire for personal growth, a feeling of unfinished business, or anxieties about your current life or career path. 

 

 

I also dreaming about going to toilet in front of a lot of people. It could mean - 

Dreaming of going to the toilet in front of people can symbolize feelings of vulnerability, exposure, or a fear of judgment in waking life. It may also indicate a need to release pent-up emotions or address personal issues, and the presence of others could suggest a feeling that these issues are being noticed by those around you. 

 

 

or maybe just kinky

[coffee_rules]

38 minutes ago, Lord said:

 

or maybe just kinky

Is it just me? It must be common otherwise Gemini would not report it

[BacktoCricaddict]

3 hours ago, coffee_rules said:

I keep getting recurring dreams and I learnt  the meaning of it- 

 

I have two subjects still pending from last semester of Engineering and I go back to college to finish it. It could mean - 

Dreaming about going back to college to finish your studies can symbolize various things, often related to learning, unresolved issues, or anxieties. It might indicate a desire for personal growth, a feeling of unfinished business, or anxieties about your current life or career path. 

 

 

I also dreaming about going to toilet in front of a lot of people. It could mean - 

Dreaming of going to the toilet in front of people can symbolize feelings of vulnerability, exposure, or a fear of judgment in waking life. It may also indicate a need to release pent-up emotions or address personal issues, and the presence of others could suggest a feeling that these issues are being noticed by those around you. 

 

Not to start a science-debate, but I have not seen any rigorous evidence for these interpretations, and have a hard time believing them. We know very little about the brain - esp sleep and dreaming - and all of the above interpretations are just hypotheses at this point. 

[coffee_rules]

1 hour ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

Not to start a science-debate, but I have not seen any rigorous evidence for these interpretations, and have a hard time believing them. We know very little about the brain - esp sleep and dreaming - and all of the above interpretations are just hypotheses at this point. 

Go to a Shrink and he will tell what your dreams mean. I believe that sin sleep , our thoughts and worries do manifest as dreams. You do see your departed ones, yiour worst fears come in your dreams. 

[BacktoCricaddict]

1 hour ago, coffee_rules said:

Go to a Shrink and he will tell what your dreams mean. I believe that sin sleep , our thoughts and worries do manifest as dreams. You do see your departed ones, yiour worst fears come in your dreams. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dream-catcher/201307/the-folly-dream-interpretation

 

 Occasionally ou will get a scientist with some track record in dream research offering his or her idiosyncratic interpretation of a dream or two. The dreams most often given interpretations even by some dream scientists are the so-called universal dreams—the dreams all of us have experienced. These are dreams of being chased by a monster or criminal; of showing up in a public forum completely naked; of being asked for one’s ID and not being able to produce it and so forth.

 

The typical interpretations both scientists and the new agers give to these dreams are predictable enough: In the chase dream you are supposedly running from your uncomfortable affects or memories. In the case of appearing naked in public you are attempting to deal with feelings of inadequacy at work or with respect to some other social role. In the case of being asked for an ID but not being able to produce it you are supposedly grappling with feelings of social anomie or personal disorientation.

 

In short, what the dream interpretation websites offer up for dream interpretation systems is mere metaphor mongering. Freud is partly to blame for this but the ancients used the same sort of analogical imagining procedure when interpreting their dreams as do our modern “experts”. The art and science of dream interpretation has not really progressed beyond ancient dream interpretation manuals and soothsayer nonsense.

[coffee_rules]

15 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dream-catcher/201307/the-folly-dream-interpretation

 

 Occasionally ou will get a scientist with some track record in dream research offering his or her idiosyncratic interpretation of a dream or two. The dreams most often given interpretations even by some dream scientists are the so-called universal dreams—the dreams all of us have experienced. These are dreams of being chased by a monster or criminal; of showing up in a public forum completely naked; of being asked for one’s ID and not being able to produce it and so forth.

 

The typical interpretations both scientists and the new agers give to these dreams are predictable enough: In the chase dream you are supposedly running from your uncomfortable affects or memories. In the case of appearing naked in public you are attempting to deal with feelings of inadequacy at work or with respect to some other social role. In the case of being asked for an ID but not being able to produce it you are supposedly grappling with feelings of social anomie or personal disorientation.

 

In short, what the dream interpretation websites offer up for dream interpretation systems is mere metaphor mongering. Freud is partly to blame for this but the ancients used the same sort of analogical imagining procedure when interpreting their dreams as do our modern “experts”. The art and science of dream interpretation has not really progressed beyond ancient dream interpretation manuals and soothsayer nonsense.

 

 

You will make a bad Histrionics student , if you mock Freud. The professors will fail you.

 

 

[coffee_rules]

Perth is the most isolated big city