# What did you learn today? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 4, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483 "2017-07-04T02:44:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/61 "2017-07-11T15:35:17Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I didn’t learn it today but I learned (and learned the hard way) that capsaicin is **not** a good treatment for chronically cold feet. A former doctor (note the term “former”) of mine suggested I apply capsaicin cream to my feet under the theory that the “heat” from the spice would warm my feet. It did no such thing. It affected the coldness about as much as a punch in the face would. Meaning not at all, other than being temporarily distracted by a much worse sensation. It burned so bad and wouldn’t wash off, I was so pissed at my doctor that I never saw him again and it was solely due to this. I mean, who the fuck would think spreading hot pepper paste on their skin would **improve** anything? Although, to be fair, I’m sure he had some anecdotal patient info that supported it. I mean, I hope. That is leaning towards insane, imo. I cannot even imagine what a painful, miserable sensation that must’ve been. On the other hand, and I don’t know if this is factual, but I saw that people that eat a lot of spicy food, I think it could be getting into the competitive eating here, do so because after awhile it starts to release endorphins. I wonder if that was part of the doctor’s thinking, but again, I have no idea if that’s scientifically proven or how long you’d have to put hot pepper paste on your feet to get any kind of positive benefit. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/62 "2017-07-11T15:44:55Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > That is leaning towards insane, imo. I cannot even imagine what a painful, miserable sensation that must’ve been. On the other hand, and I don’t know if this is factual, but I saw that people that eat a lot of spicy food, I think it could be getting into the competitive eating here, do so because after awhile it starts to release endorphins. I wonder if that was part of the doctor’s thinking, but again, I have no idea if that’s scientifically proven or how long you’d have to put hot pepper paste on your feet to get any kind of positive benefit. Spicy food absolutely does something awesome for me. I can’t say it’s endorphins, but it’s a great feeling and it can be fairly extreme, if I eat things that are really really spicy. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/63 "2017-07-11T17:34:21Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > I learned the chemical in spicy foods is capsaicin, I never knew that. Better stated as "the chemical in some spicy foods is capsaicin. Black pepper, for instance, gets its heat from piperine while ginger’s punch come from gingerone. Horseraddish and mustards contain allyl isothiocyanate. All trigger TRPV1 ion channels (heat receptors). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/64 "2017-07-12T08:49:11Z")
I learned something about hope, but it took me a [leisurely hour](http://www.radiolab.org/story/galapagos/) to find it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/65 "2017-07-12T13:57:08Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > ginger’s punch come from gingerone. Having had only 12 oz. of coffee so far, my first thought was that Ginger One would make a good vehicle for a red-headed version of _Thunderbirds_. My second thought is that ‘ginger-oh-neh’ sounds like an Italian food. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/66 "2017-07-12T15:16:03Z")
I learned that Reverand Run of Run-DMC (RIP) is Russell Simmons’ brother. I feel really weird/bad/amazed/ashamed that I didn’t know this. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/67 "2017-07-12T16:59:47Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Having had only 12 oz. of coffee so far, my first thought was that Ginger One would make a good vehicle for a red-headed version of _Thunderbirds_. My second thought is that ‘ginger-oh-neh’ sounds like an Italian food. Quick, grab a second cup before you post again! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/68 "2017-07-12T17:45:25Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Quick, grab a second cup before you post again! 😛 I’m halfway through the second pot. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/69 "2017-07-12T19:05:11Z")
I’m taking piano lessons with my daughter and learned my first jazz riff today. 'Twas way cooler (and way harder) than the classical music I learned when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/70 "2017-07-12T23:14:53Z")
Quite a lot about regulations regarding credit card fraud, unfortunately ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/71 "2017-07-13T01:01:40Z")
That putting on your underwear both inside-out and backwards while getting dressed in the morning is not as hard to do as one would have previously thought, even if the lights are on and one is wearing one’s glasses. Also, that discovering the above during one’s first trip to the bathroom at work can be…awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/72 "2017-07-13T01:53:50Z")
A woman who feels scorned can be truly terrifying. I mean, _truly_. Holy shit. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/73 "2017-07-13T18:27:16Z")
I learned that the sticky stuff raining down from a sycamore tree onto my car is produced by aphids being farmed by ants. There must be an incredible number of the little buggers up there. Now that I know what’s going on, its war! ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/74 "2017-07-13T18:49:33Z")
I learned that tarantulas use their front feet to wash their face (like a hamster.) At least that’s what it looked like she was doing. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/75 "2017-07-14T15:28:48Z")
Yesterday I looked up nepotism (because Trump) on Wikipedia, and was surprised to discover a link to [Bob’s your uncle,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob%27s_your_uncle) which in cluded a purported nepotistic origin for the phrase. The story makes sense, given the common use of the phrase as an inexplicable/arbitrary answer for how something works, or why it’s justified or why its just is the way it is. ---
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/76 "2017-07-14T23:37:23Z")
[Everyone should drink coffee for health.](http://annals.org/aim/article/2643435/coffee-drinking-mortality-10-european-countries-multinational-cohort-study) “Coffee drinking was associated with reduced risk for death from various causes. This relationship did not vary by country.” ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483/77 "2017-08-30T13:20:59Z")
Today I learned that in Scotland, three out of four leaders of parliamentary parties are women, and two are gay (although the reason I learned this is that it’s in the process of no longer being true) I also learned [(holy crap!)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MPs_for_constituencies_in_Scotland_2015%E2%80%9317) just how one-sided the vote was in the last election… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-learn-today/790483.md?page=3)