# (Un)Common Knowledge **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-common-knowledge/780524 "2017-02-23T04:27:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-common-knowledge/780524/121 "2017-04-20T14:26:20Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I knew what a lathe did when I was a kid, because my best friend’s father operated one. But I can easily see someone in his 20s (or older) not knowing what one was. It’s something that’s not relevant to a lot of people’s lives. Your point is valid. I was just a bit surprised that this is not as common knowledge (i.e. a lathe is used to make round things). Similar to your experience, I only know what [one of these](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overlock#/media/File:Singer_14U344B_overlock_sewing_machine.JPG) is used for because of seeing my sister-in-law using one. (it’s an overlock machine, used to finish a raw edge in fabric). ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-common-knowledge/780524/122 "2017-04-20T14:41:55Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Waking this thread up for a few minutes… > > I have been working on putting my basement machine shop together, and the machines arrived on Tuesday. > > My nephew sent a photo of the metal cutting lathe to his friend. This morning he came up to me and said “I don’t know how to answer his question, maybe you can help?” > > I looked at his phone: > “what is it?” > “a lathe” > “what does it do?” > > They are both in their mid 20s. > I don’t expect many people to recognize it as a screw cutting engine lathe or even that it is a metal cutting lathe (as opposed to a wood lathe), but to not know what a lathe does? > [@panache45](#): > > I knew what a lathe did when I was a kid, because my best friend’s father operated one. But I can easily see someone in his 20s (or older) not knowing what one was. It’s something that’s not relevant to a lot of people’s lives. I will be 31 in 3 days. I have no idea what a lathe does. And would probably be hard pressed to pick one out of a tools lineup. I just never grew up around tools/machines and had no reason to learn this. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-common-knowledge/780524/123 "2017-04-20T15:35:46Z")
The piece of knowledge I’ve found most folks don’t know: Radio/TV/other device static is the remnant sound from the Big Bang. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-common-knowledge/780524/124 "2017-04-20T22:23:13Z")
Most people seem unaware that everywhere you go, you enter a new bio-zone, where there are new kinds of life forms that are not present back home. People going on a car trip several states away come to this forum to ask “What should we go and see?” Well, just looking out the car window on a country road, there will be new species of birds and new species of wildflowers that are not present in your home state. A local guide to the wildflowers of the state you are visiting can open up hours or days of delightful exploration of roadside ditches and fields along country roads. Even the frogs you hear in the night will likely be different from the ones you hear at home – each species is easily identifiable by its voice, but even at home you probably never realized there are so many different kinds. Almost every state has a website listing their indigenous amphibians, with a link to listen to their voice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-common-knowledge/780524.md?page=6)