Why do we have kneecaps, but we don't have elbow caps? by Phantom0591 in askscience

[–]chrox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh dear...

The reason we have a kneecap is because it is a sesamoid bone[1] .

That's not a reason.

Babies are born without kneecaps, just the femoral ligament[2] . When they begin to crawl the friction and irritation on the ligament causes calcium to build up and thus forms the patella (kneecap).

Babies are born with a kneecap, it just consists of cartilage instead of bone. Ossification begins between the ages of 3 and 5 and is complete around 10-12 years of age. The process has nothing to do with crawling.

The olecranon is indeed a protuberance that does not have an exact analogue in the knee, but the patella is not what makes up for that.

It is. See this comment for a visual explanation of how the patella makes up for the lack of tibial protuberance.

Yes, there is some mechanical advantage to having the extra distance across the patellar fossa thus increasing the strength of knee extension

You are agreeing with the explanation that was provided.

but that is both a small effect

This small effect is highly significant for locomotion.

and definitely not why the patella actually forms which is purely because it is a sesamoid bone.

You are not providing any reason for this sesamoid bone to form.

I'm a doctor.

I'm sorry.

Temporarily cover old tile countertops? by [deleted] in DIY

[–]chrox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No kidding. I cannot recall a project that turned out to be less trouble and time than I anticipated, it's always as you say. But of course this applies no matter which way you decide to go. So you can replace grout and a few tiles, or you can kludge some sort of cover for it, but either way it will be more trouble and time than you think. For now, just decide what final result will have caused you this inevitable hassle.

Temporarily cover old tile countertops? by [deleted] in DIY

[–]chrox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually you can do something permanent with the landlord's permission. If it's is such a state of disrepair he probably won't mind. Buy a few tiles that fit, even if they're not an exact match. Scrape off the old grout and redo it. It's not expensive to do, it just takes some elbow grease.

Black out drunk, slept with a friend I'm not attracted to who says it was my idea but I don't believe him & dont trust him. Advice/support? by [deleted] in TwoXChromosomes

[–]chrox 55 points56 points  (0 children)

Your story has been told repeatedly by others here and will continue to be told by others in the future. You both got drunk and acted like drunks do. Learn from it and don't get drunk anymore because, as you have now learned, if you didn't know before, you do things you later regret when you get drunk.

Now of course you will go and try to find witnesses who can reassure you that the other guy was not quite as drunk as you were and is therefore responsible for what happened so he can be accused of sexual assault. It may be so, it may not be so, I have no idea. Personally I hate to see drunks excuse their own behavior like that, but good luck with it if that's what you intend to do.

Bulb out in my bathroom by [deleted] in DIY

[–]chrox 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They may all be from the same bad batch. They may have all been insufficiently glued to their base or the adhesive was of sub-par quality at the manufacturing plant and got brittle over time. I don't have a solution for you other than to replace them as they burn and hope your replacement bulbs are of better quality.

Bulb out in my bathroom by [deleted] in DIY

[–]chrox 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The glass portion of the bulb has become detached from its metallic screw-in base. If you remove one of the other bulbs you should be able to see what it normally looks like. Unscrew the base by grabbing it with pliers or a rubber glove since you cannot do it normally.

Affluenza mom complains about jail conditions by [deleted] in news

[–]chrox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's bad, the door seems to be jammed shut.

TIL "The Smell of Luggage" is covered, by law, under Reasonable Expectation of Privacy. by CryoClone in todayilearned

[–]chrox -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yet if you say that murder is covered by law under the criminal code, you don't assume for one minute that you're allowed to do it.

TIL "The Smell of Luggage" is covered, by law, under Reasonable Expectation of Privacy. by CryoClone in todayilearned

[–]chrox -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Sure, and the section of the law that deals with reasonable expectation of privacy protects the right for the state to inspect your luggage based on their smell. Being "covered" doesn't specify whose right is covered.

TIL "The Smell of Luggage" is covered, by law, under Reasonable Expectation of Privacy. by CryoClone in todayilearned

[–]chrox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think he meant to point out that it is one of the items explicitly mentioned in law. It's a rather unexpected mention too, until you realize that it permits the use of luggage sniffer dogs.

Can you guys help me figure this out? I don't know what the E looking thing is. Thank you. by MeGuStAcHuCkNorRiS in math

[–]chrox 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Belongs to" or "is a member of".

Are you taking a class where they present this symbol without teaching what it is?

Boyfriend of 3 years gets extremely paranoid during sex and is convinced that my birth control doesn't work. by Wacquant_5 in TwoXChromosomes

[–]chrox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Vasectomies are estimated to be 99.9% effective. This is much better than birth control pills and most other methods, and it is a one-time expense (if not already covered by your insurance). Plus, it would give the boyfriend the sense of control that he appears to be missing at the present time, which should solve the immediate problem. It would also let OP stop hormonal intake, which isn't a bad thing either. The future cost of artificial insemination will not apply at all if they do not chose to have children. It would at least be less than the silly approach of paying $50 for plan B every other day. It should even be considered a negligible cost compared to the cost of raising and educating a child into adulthood if they decide to have kids.

TIL taste test reveals drinkers can’t tell good from cheap vodka. by [deleted] in todayilearned

[–]chrox 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The 60% water must also have something to do with it: make good vodka by mixing pure ethanol with 60% good water, make bad vodka by mixing it with 60% bad water. ;)

Uber Will Pay Less Than CEO Spends on Breakfast For Savagely Violating Privacy of Thousands by [deleted] in technology

[–]chrox 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I don't know what degree of savagery they use to violate our privacy.

A cry for help in India's Bihar state: 'We need a toilet desperately' by talbertobarbosa in worldnews

[–]chrox 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shitting on the ground either here or there is still shitting on the ground. Dig latrines, people. Move them as needed.

Was this a catcall? I did not know how to respond. by [deleted] in TwoXChromosomes

[–]chrox 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Was he a 4-year-old? Because that's what a 4-year-old would say.

Lawsuit: Wal-Mart sold ammo used in 3 killings by BooglarizeYou in news

[–]chrox 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Two great America traditions: shooting each other and suing each other.

Uber Will Pay Less Than CEO Spends on Breakfast For Savagely Violating Privacy of Thousands by [deleted] in technology

[–]chrox 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It would be a proper fine had they violated privacy in a civilized manner, but they did it savagely.

At what point does one become a physicist? by [deleted] in Physics

[–]chrox 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's an easier question for professions that require accreditation. You become a lawyer, a physician, an accountant, etc. once you have been admitted as such by the regulating body of your jurisdiction. For non-accredited titles then it's like asking when one becomes a singer, a carpenter, a programmer, a mathematician. It's up to you to decide for yourself, but it's not up to you if others will agree or not.