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What's the most "oof" or wtf fact you know about an everyday object? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 1 week ago by DoGeeseSeeGod to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Mine is this little tidbit about Khaki's from https://www.heddels.com/2019/05/history-khaki-anything-drab/

"Tried and tested by all the major powers, khaki-dyed, lightweight cotton twills became the de facto uniform for any colonizing power. If you were going to ship your boys abroad to pillage and conquer someplace in the Southern Hemisphere, khaki was your go-to color."

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[-] PhilipTheBucket@quokk.au 26 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

~~Which brings us to just one of those bizarre US things, "artificial flavor" versus "natural flavor" is totally arbitrary and random. It's based on which molecule, not what the source is, so you can have "natural flavors" that came from a massive stainless steel tank and will kill you if you touch them in pure form without the proper protective gear, or "artificial flavors" that come from squeezing beaver ass glands.~~

Edit: Every word of this post is wrong. Literally every one. I think I read a book decades ago that told me this, maybe I remembered it wrong, but anyway according to the internet of today it's different and I'm a big dummy.

[-] tal@lemmy.today 11 points 1 week ago

It's based on which molecule, not what the source is

Other way around. You can have identical molecules be classified as "artificial" or "natural" depending upon whether they were synthesized or extracted.

https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/svbl7/what_are_artificial_flavors_made_out_of/

[-] PhilipTheBucket@quokk.au 7 points 1 week ago

Oh, you're completely right. IDK how I thought it was different, but yes, what I said was completely wrong.

[-] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

Which brings us to just one of those bizarre US things, "artificial flavor" versus "natural flavor" is totally arbitrary and random. It's based on which molecule, not what the source is,

But, that's sensible. If it's the chemical you find in raspberry, then its natural raspberry flavor. If it's something we invented or discovered that's like raspberry, its artificial. Who cares if it came from a bioreactor?

will kill you if you touch them in pure form without the proper protective gear,

While I wouldn't recommend eating concentrated artificial flavours, touching them won't kill you. Unless you jump into the reactor, but jumping into one would kill you no matter what the substance inside is.

this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2025

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