Did you know? - Page 3

marky · 21-10-2005, 19:17

Ants breath through there feet.

patrickp · 21-10-2005, 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by marky

Ants breath through there feet.

I thought all insects respire through spiracles in their abdomens (and maybe thoraxes)?

This is the reason insects can never get very big. Recent research, apparently, shows that at times the Earth's atmosphere has had a much higher oxygen cntent than it does now. These are the periods when larger insects were able to flourish.

But the giant insects of SF films would generally be impossible, even in a pure oxygen atmosphere, unless they used a completely different method of respiration. And then they wouldn't be true insects any more...

marky · 21-10-2005, 19:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickp

I thought all insects respire through spiracles in their abdomens (and maybe thoraxes)?

Just going of what the pest control guy told me

Millay · 21-10-2005, 19:31

Roald Dahl invented the word 'gremlins' This has been disputed but I beleive it to be true so it must be correct..

marky · 21-10-2005, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millay

Roald Dahl invented the word 'gremlins' This has been disputed but I beleive it to be true so it must be correct..

Looks that way, http://delarue.net/gremlins.htm

MadGamer · 21-10-2005, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by david.ewles

Did you know Robbie Williams is a smug talentless t*t

No

patrickp · 21-10-2005, 19:42

The word 'gremlins' has been in use since the '40s at least. Remember that Twilight Zone with William Shatner keeping seeing gremlins wrecking the 'plane he's on?

It was certainly used by airmen in WWII.

21-10-2005, 20:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by marky

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickp

I thought all insects respire through spiracles in their abdomens (and maybe thoraxes)?

Just going of what the pest control guy told me

I think Patrick is right, marky, but flies & butterflies taste with their feet

Anonymouse · 21-10-2005, 20:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickp

I thought all insects respire through spiracles in their abdomens (and maybe thoraxes)?

This is the reason insects can never get very big.

They do indeed breathe via spiracles, but that's not the reason for the size limitation, about 12". Their breathing process is a form of diffusion, and if the insect were any bigger it simply wouldn't work. Mind you, even a stick insect is a bit worrisome when it's 12" long.

And as for those dragonflies millions of years ago - if birds had been around then, those monsters could've picked 'em off! Even today's dragonflies are intimidating - you know, those about 4 or 5 inches long? Imagine one of those a foot long! Scary or what?

Did you know dragonflies can fly backwards?

patrickp · 21-10-2005, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by homealone

I think Patrick is right, marky, but flies & butterflies taste with their feet

LOL! That's why flies walk all over a lump of you-know-what going "mmmm, mmmm!" ;-D
__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anonymouse

Did you know dragonflies can fly backwards?

That's right, they do, don't they? And many insects can hover, which very few birds can do.

Anonymouse · 21-10-2005, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickp

Yes, people forget that Star Wars, I think, was effectively the first film to use CGI.

No, it wasn't. They did use computer control for the cameras, but CGI back then was in its infancy and wasn't even called CGI at the time. They weren't the first to use computer control, either; 2001 was the first film to employ this, although they didn't use it to the extent ILM did.

The computer graphic displays were done by Dan O'Bannon, using the same techniques he used to such effect in Dark Star - not a computer in sight.

Boiler: "He told us this, uh, four years ago."
Doolittle: "No, I think it was four years ago."
(Boiler nods, then realises)
Boiler: "That's what I said."

Hom3r · 21-10-2005, 20:39

There are only thirteen blimps in the world.

Nine of the thirteen blimps are in the United States.

The existing biggest blimp is the Fuji Film blimp.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

The hundred billionth crayon made by Crayola was Perriwinkle Blue.

Dalmatian dogs are born pure white, they don't start getting spots until they are three or four days old.

Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart.

There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.

"Video Killed the Radio Star" was the very first video ever played on MTV.

Anonymouse · 21-10-2005, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickp

The word 'gremlins' has been in use since the '40s at least. Remember that Twilight Zone with William Shatner keeping seeing gremlins wrecking the 'plane he's on?

Wasn't it John Lithgow? Loved him in 2010.

"Urrgh...if it has to taste like this, I don't care if my electrolytes are balanced or not!"

"Yeah, just don't lose that calculator."
Floyd casually pats his breast pocket. Then stops dead. Look of horror, shared by Curnow. Pats other pocket - nothing. Then, utterly straight-faced, Floyd shows the calculator was in his other hand all the time.
"S***. Please don't do that to me again."

Scrubbs · 21-10-2005, 20:50

The bell outside the kremlin is called "the Csar Kolokol "

patrickp · 21-10-2005, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anonymouse

Wasn't it John Lithgow? Loved him in 2010.

Nope. Definitely William Shatner. Wasn't it one of the episodes revisited in the Twilight Zone movie? Maybe that's what John Lithgow was in. The original episode with WS was in 1961, I think. That's one of the great things about the original TZ - so many people played parts in it who only later became famous stars.