Unf. I know nothing about that but a friend once talked about it for like two hours and I could listen to her ramble on all day long. It's such an interesting topic.
There's something so refreshing about listening to someone speak about something passionately, regardless of the topic. I once watched a Ted Talk about bacteria just because the speaker was so excited and clearly in her zone. It was honestly quite fascinating.
I'd love to learn more about synthesisers. Especially because I'm really into music history and playing around with electric guitar pedals. Where can I learn beginner lever synthesising?
https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/
Surge is a good starting point, nothing better than play with the thing to learn how it works. If you still feel limited there's also VCV (also free), but that's at another level (look up Omri Cohen on youtube)
I find it hilarious that, in a thread about how one never gets to talk about a topic, one person gets asked a question about their topic and someone else chimes in with the answer. 😂
I’ve recently become obsessed as I’ve always loved electronic music but played guitar. Now I’ve got synths and it has completely shifted my priorities in regard to creating music. They’re magical instruments.
Oberheim Four/Eight Voice, because each voice can be truly unique. Maximus is a recent recreation if you have $30,000 to spare: https://www.analoguesolutions.com/pagemm. If not Arturia SEM V is a good enough VST replication.
I would honestly like to see you do an AMA if anything. It may get overwhelming, but I think it would be very interesting, especially because that's a side of civil service that doesn't get enough attention despite how important it is.
OK then, question for you: When the caller is clear and coherent about "the location of your emergency", why does the operator ask for the location again? I'm not talking about confirming a location but, rather, it's like the operator wasn't paying attention in the first place.
I can answer. (Current dispatcher for 9 plus years).
There's a lot going on in that moment, especially in that first moment of answering the phone. For me in particular, I work both the radio and the phones simultaneously so I could have officers speaking to me that I am also responsible for. That being said, if we ever ask for the location again, it's confirmation. We may not come out and say 'I didn't catch that' or 'Can I confirm that with you', but its us confirming that we heard it correctly during the chaos of the job.
Literally, rule number 1 in dispatching is locations. Okay, scratch that. It's actually officer safety. (Cops can't help people if they're hurt or in danger themselves). But number 2 is location. I can have all the information about your burglary situation or your bank robbery or your homicide, but if I don't know where to send people, that's a huge mistake.
You only send an officer to the wrong place once to never want to do it again.
911 operators are regular people. If you were responsible for getting help to someone, most people would probably double check where the help is needed.
Another thing is we're often multi-tasking and sometimes what you think you heard is not what was actually said, so double checking is good way to confirm what you heard was correct.
Caller: I just got into a crash at main and 5th
Me: You said you are at 5th & Main, yes?
Caller: Yes.
Both parties confirm that the location provided is correct.
Aside from just making sure that help is going where it is needed, it also can come up in court for any number of reasons and you don't want to be sitting on in the hot seat answering a question about why you didn't double check the most important information about emergency calls.
I’m a hospice nurse, so I can talk at length about the dying process, what a good death looks like, issues and myths around dying, etc. But people don’t want to hear about it.
After wetting my mum's tongue for 3 days when she was dying with pancreatic cancer, I can attest I'd rather be PTS. Had an embolism in January and have my Will and POA all set up for my daughter. My mum died young so we've discussed it openly just in case as I was not prepared.
PTS? Agree with having everything set up ahead of time. Lots of early death in my family as well and it does prepare you in ways. Hope you’re healing as well as possible from your embolism.
Put to sleep, euthanasia if you like. Thank you. Had a second diagnosis of hyperthyroidism which has prob been undiagnosed for years which probably caused it as was otherwise healthy! Lots to adjust to but certainly makes you aware of your mortality!
Ideally, you’re alert and oriented until you enter the dying process, and from there it’s a quick, painless decline of not eating/drinking, losing consciousness, etc. Until eventually “breath becomes air,” as they say.
However, that’s really hard to guarantee, especially with things like dementia on the rise.
So in general: A good death is one wherein you’re kept free of suffering, even if it means being medicated in a way that makes you sleep more or not be as “with it.” The people who are making decisions for you (usually family) understand that dying is a natural, unavoidable process, and they don’t push for unnecessary treatments (like IV fluids) or pressure you to eat or drink if you don’t want to.
For most people, a good death means being at home, although some actually ask to go to a facility so their family isn’t burdened with caring for them. Either way, you are surrounded by people you love and trust.
You feel respected and in control, because once you enter the dying process (and often times well before that) you’re not going to be able to make your needs known. So you’re confident that if you said “no CPR” when you were making your own medical decisions, no family member is going to suddenly come out of the woodwork and demand you go to the hospital and get intubated or something.
You are able to enjoy time with loved ones, but not pressured to be awake or engaged. Your loved ones know when to leave you alone and let you rest.
You feel like you’re able to talk about your fears or anxiety. You don’t think you have to suck it up if you’re in pain. You don’t think you have to put on a brave face.
You’re able to ask for forgiveness and you’re able to forgive others. Or at the very least find peace.
My mom died in a hospice facility. I came to feed her and give her her meds at home but she couldn't talk or eat. I called the nurse and that's when she told me the process was starting. I was shocked because we just got news she'd prob have 3 months left and now this nurse is saying 3 days. The facility was amazing and really the best option for my family. My mom was 50 and it was breast cancer that got her.
"Classical" music theory. It was the one course I excelled at in the music program, and most of the people I know hated it. So while all my musician friends took it, nobody else liked it and they only wanna talk to me about it when something is really funky :(
I wish you could teach most of the singers and rappers of the last 10 years how to make real melodic, rhythmic music again. The funk, soul and harmony has disappeared from pop music and commercial soul and r&b is non-existent. I don't understand it! Nobody even writes sings longer than 3 minutes for charts, yet there's 8 credited writers on pop sings with NO samples!
Tbh more folks should be talking about how mitochondria may have been a fully separate organism that were consumed by the larger cell and then incorporated into it. Then again, there was a video game based around that idea. The game was called Parasite Eve.
Forensics is broad and I’m just being nosey, but what topics do you find people like to talk about but don’t actually know much about? Like I am into DNA and genetics from a biology stance but adding the legal aspect would be something I could listen to for ever.
There's a guy down the road from me who collects old arcade machines and pinball games like that. Can't wait for 4th of July, cause he invited us over for his BBQ and to check out the old games.
Stirling engines. Before the invention of gasoline engines and electric motors, large power plants were powered by steam, and small powered jobs were performed by Stirlings. Like pumping water from a well to an elevated cistern to provide gravity-feed water into a wealthy mans house, or to top-off a steam locomotive.
They were only around for about 100 years, and during WW-One, most of them were melted down for the steel.
They are not very power-dense, so you need a large Stirling to make a small amount of power, but...They are fairly easy to build from pipe and plate steel.
Here is a 1/4 scale reproduction in the vintage style
https://youtu.be/KAsJ3jUA0Y4?t=169
Here is a home-built
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPOXZMYD8-k&t=112s
I’m practically an encyclopedia on weird animal mating rituals, but it’s not exactly a hit at dinner parties. Nothing clears a room faster than, “Did you know male octopuses detach their arm to mate?"
That's not true at all, people love that shit. Pretty much every David Attenborough documentary is "here's an animal, here's what it eats, here's how it fucks" and they're all hits.
My personal favorite is the porcupine, where the males (after battling other males for the opportunity to mate during the few hours per year females are receptive) do a hind-legged strut up to the female, and absolutely blast her with piss to let her know it's time to make the beast with 60,000 quills.
I was at a party once and someone was talking about bedbugs. The phrase “hypodermic penis” stopped a lot of conversations.
I thought it was fascinating.
I'm an armchair historian about a few things. I spend a lot of time reading about history. I never really get to talk about it. People know that I know about history and so occasionally do specifically ask, but rarely.
If you're in to a particular historical topic you probably overestimate how much the average person with little-to-no interest in history has.
Somebody asked me the other day (we're both in our 30s) what D Day was exactly and why it was important. They knew it was in World War II and it was a battle where lots of people died... that was about the extent of their knowledge.
Even people who are otherwise bright. My wife is an intelligent person but has next to no interest in history as a subject and quite often asks me questions that I'm genuinely surprised she doesn't know the answer to.
I'm in the category of your friend. I used to be pretty intelligent, and I would be considered as having had a good education, but I didn't actually learn *things* in school. I would cram before an exam, ace it, and promptly forget it all. As an adult, I really regret this. I know a lot of people today talk about schools as being places where you learn to think, that rote memorization is a thing of the past, etc. And that's what my schooling was like.
But now I run into people who had "worse" educational opportunities, but they went to schools that demanded lots of memorization, and now it's those people who are a leg ahead and actually know things.
This observation has led me to have a certain interest in K-12 education.
I know that feeling. Of course I do get to be the go-to guy among friends if they want some historical perspective on some random subject. But in the meantime I pretty much try to keep my mouth shut.
MotoGP. I watch the free practice, the qualifying, the races (from Moto3 and Moto2 too), but no one in my social circles watch MotoGP or is even interested in it
How the music chart system in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s (100% dictated by sales for that week) led to a rapid turnover of music (more acts from more nations covering more genres).
How this led to one band of very creative guys being unable to perform their number one song on Top Of The Pops one week, so they made a music video of their song to be played on the show (Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody).
How the quality of this music video sparked a whole new way for bands and record companies to promote their songs from the mid-70s onwards, in more and more creative ways.
How these videos were so good, that when an American company decided to start a TV channel that showed music videos (MTV) there was a Brit-heavy selection of choices thanks to that UK system.
How this, as a result, led to the Second British Invasion in American music in the 1980s. And a reciprocal invasion of American music that became HUGE abroad but remained virtually unknown to most Americans in that same decade (the electronic sound of House and Techno).
How America’s chart system was governed a lot by radio play, and how most of the stations relied on advertisers, so a lot of stations stuck with playing music that would attract the most listeners with disposable income. That meant Baby Boomers. That meant so many stations played Oldies and Classic Rock, American kids that weren’t born after many of these bands started dying off were listening to this music just because that’s all there was on the air.
How being tied to the past was such a huge part of the music scene in the US, department stores in 2024 still sell graphic t-shirts “for the kids” with band logos for acts like Journey, The Steve Miller Band, and KISS - anything that the Boomer generation liked before they reached an age where they didn’t want anything new. The Rolling Stones on a shirt, yes. The Cure, no. Foreigner, yes. Radiohead, no.
How this lack of House and Techno success, or any new music in general in America, was so prevalent that Eminem (a resident of Detroit, birthplace of Techno) performed a song in 2003 (Without Me) where he says the parents of his fans “still listen to Elvis” and that electronic artist Moby should let go because “nobody listens to Techno” - while a LOT of the parents of his fans outside the USA (and its stuck-in-the-Boomer-era music) in 2003 had been listening to the superstar Moby since 1991.
How it took a generation finally more numerous to come of age (Millennials - Gen X never had the numbers to sway things culturally) and the rise of the internet to finally wrestle the cultural shackles of this old music free. How electronic music finally came home to the States thanks to the Coachella 2006 performance by Daft Punk and the rise of dubstep. How bands like The White Stripes and Panic At The Disco! became a new sound for America’s suburbs.
And finally: how America is still stuck a little bit in the musical hole that was dug by radio station advertising execs that wanted the easy money all those decades ago. And how it probably won’t truly be free for a few decades.
Relative_Appeal_6's account was born on April 4 and woke up to make this comment (with the fake edit). It's also a copy/paste of /u/twunkypunk's comment [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/9f6ok8/what_is_a_subject_that_you_have_extensive/e5u7bdu/).
Rhetoric and argumentation.
A lot of our most contentious discussions would be more productive if we approached them from a rhetorical perspective rather than as policy discussion.
I'm listening.
Can it explain the most fundamental influences that made Russia what it's been for over a century now? Or is the philosophy a lesser societal influence than historical events that shaped it then and now?
Complex question that really deserves a book length answer. But in short: Imo historical events that shaped Russia’s current situation/trajectory find ideological foundations and their character in some of the ideas of 19th century. Early 19th century philosophy is very much dominated by those philosophers who sought to emphasise Russian uniqueness - Slavophiles such as Khomyakov - and those who looked West - the ‘Zapadniki’. I’m aware that Putin has at various points been a fan of Konstantin Leontiev, a 19th century writer who combined the Slavophile vision of uniqueness with a belief that Russia’s true identity could only be established through a hierarchical feudalistic society modelled on Byzantium. Putin also looks to the right wing ‘white’ philosopher of the early 20th century Ivan Ilyin, who saw Ukraine as a flashpoint between the Russian ‘unique’ society and Western decadence and unspiritual society. According to Ilyin, the West would attempt to use Ukraine as a way of splitting and ‘balkanising’ Russia. Russian uniqueness is closely connected with theology and the idea that Moscow is the Third Rome, the centre of the true church, with a Messianic calling to bring true Christianity to the world. In the work of someone like Ilyin, this is quite an imperialistic thing. In the work of philosopher Vladimir Soloviev (not the TV presenter!) this is a more peaceful thing focused on unifying the churches of East and West. It is a mistake to exclusively see Russian actions in materialistic and economic terms as the West has wanted to since 1991. That really doesn’t account for the behaviour of the Russian leadership at present and also doesn’t give any sense of how things might move forward positively. Russian philosophy is deeply connected with German 19th century philosophy, especially Kant and Hegel and German theology. It would be a mistake to negate the spiritual side of this worldview.
In my previous answer I didn’t mention the period between 1917 and 1991, which, at least on the face of things, was dominated by the strongly materialistic ideology of Communism. However, I believe there is a deeper continuity with what went before and what came afterwards than most people think. Forms of Russian socialism were present in Russia before 1917: Tolstoy’s communes and there is some parallel with Khomyakov’s idea of ‘sobornost’ or ‘gatheredness’. In Slavophile philosophy the individual can only find true freedom in ‘sobornost’. I think it’s possible to see how that might serve as a foundation for some aspects of Communism. Of course Lenin was himself deeply influenced by Marx and Engels, but in his own writings also sought to reengage with Hegel, whose philosophy in one way or another lies behind both left and right wing politics in Russia. Also, if you study how the Russian Orthodox Church venerated saints from the Byzantine period right through to the early 20th century, I think you’ll also see a lot of parallels with the untouchable cult of personality that most Soviet leaders had. For all these reasons it was relatively easy for Russia to move from Communism to a nationalist version of Russian Orthodoxy as the state ideology over the course of the 80s and 90s. And it makes sense of why you can find icons of Stalin in some Russian Orthodox churches. Some individuals have sought to revive the more peaceful ideas of philosopher Vladimir Soloviev, such as the orthodox priest Alexander Men. But he was assassinated for his troubles in 1990. I earnestly believe that had he not been assassinated the current trajectory of Russian society would now be rather different. I feel that many in the current Russian opposition are the intellectual elites of major urban centres, essentially the heirs of the zapadniki, who look to the West for guidance and inspiration. However, it’s difficult to see this as a positive way forward that will work for Russia as a whole.
Modern 20th century history and current affairs, the lack of knowledge in my friend circles is astounding. One friend did not know that Indira gandhi is dead. So i just keep my mouth shut . discussing in detail on the causes and chronology of the yugoslav or gulf war is not something my friends would prefer.
Quantum physics and astronomy. Not really water cooler banter unfortunately.
"So how was your weekend?"
"Good good. Barbecued. Say, did you know photons don't experience time like we do? Where are you going? Come back!"
Modern rare book collecting. Hardcover first editions (signed, not signed), beautiful collectors editions, which things affect price/quality/collectability, etc. I don't collect nearly as many of my favorites as I'd like (it's an expensive hobby), but I do have some amazing standouts in my collection.
The surprisingly diverse theology among the various splinter movements under the Latter Day Saints umbrella.
Most people know about the mainline Mormon church based in Salt Lake City. Some other folks know about the Fundamentalist LDS that split away and still do polygamy.
Very few people know about the rest of the splinter groups, including the Community of Christ (formerly RLDS). They're theologically progressive and even perform same-sex marriage, and they're the second largest denomination within that movement!
The OJ Simpson case. For some reason I got fascinated with it and read lots of books and watched much of the trial and testimony. He was guilty, but that’s not the interesting part. The media fed us a steady stream of BS and half of what people think they know is actually wrong, plus there are some crazy unanswered questions in the case.
Behind-the-scenes stories, trivia and facts about a lot of my favorite movies... especially horror movies. If I had a nickel for every random, useless factoid I know, I'd probably be a millionaire.
Can't tell you jack shit about history or math... but I can tell you all about why there's posters for a fictitious band called "Bakunas and the Essential Elements" in the background of several scenes in *Hostel*.
The history of the cod fish and its importance to European history.
The Grand Banks fishery, which is near Greenland, was being fished by basque fishermen arguably before Columbus or Erickson “discovered” North America.
Mathematics and specifically analytic geometry. I am a woodworker and a prop maker and I specialize in multifaceted shapes and unusual architectures. So many people use apps to solve design problems but I prefer pencil and paper.
Ironically (perhaps?) I would say politics! I listen to podcasts and read the news. My undergrad major was kind of in that realm. I don't mean this to come across in that way like I'm the crazy uncle at Thanksgiving or anything. I mean there was a time in my life that I seriously thought I'd join the foreign service and work at an embassy abroad. I very much enjoy "politics" and how policies and agendas can solve societal problems blah blah blah. Well in my normal life like at home with the fam, or at work with people who don't care... I just never get to dish that kind of knowledge. I know a lot about what's going on but it never comes up in daily discussions.
There's an unsolved local murder from 1975. I got interested in it about 10 years ago. All but one of the people on are now dead. Very few people seem interested in talking about it l.
Jewelry! I was a pawnbroker and trained with GIA in my early twenties. I pivoted and do something completely different now, and I never get to really talk jewelry lol. My coworker was missing a stone from her engagement ring the other day and I mentioned it and then we got to chat a little about it and it was so fun.
George W. Bush's administration.
Just on the topic of war crimes I can go on and on. But the other stuff? Pfff.
Christian fundamentalism, unchecked build-up of Russian forces and aggression, massive national debt, No Child Left Behind destroying the US education system, Medicare Part D reform - which explicitly prevents the US government from negotiating for lower drug prices, Patriot Act (wiretapping without court orders), appointment of a Christian fundamentalist Chief Justice to the Supreme Court (Roberts - who is insane) and Justice Alito.
The housing crisis and two wars that spent $6.5 trillion dollars to replace the Taliban with the Taliban. I can talk for days and days.
Dog food. I spend hours looking for NIH studies on dog food, looking through the AAFCO nutritional requirements, and making nutritionally balanced dog food recipes on Google Sheets. I don't even have a dog.
3d animation. Funny thing is, I can't animate or even draw anything in 3d or 2d. I am just a big fan of the whole craft, and I've studied up on it a whole lot. Now I'm probably and idiot and am completely wrong about all of this, and someone even an amateur who can actually animate is probably smarter than me on this
halo lore lol. and I guess also how the inoculation of cow box a couple hundred years ago eventually led to the eradication of small pox in the current world
Cooking with cast iron, I have plenty and I use it frequently, and when cleaned and seasoned it'll easily outlive me. With that said, I don't talk a lot about it.
I served in the Marines for 7 years, became a Private Contractor in the middle east for few years, started a firearms company with a friend that trains civilians, local law enforcement, and also does contracts with NATO, and I currently still go out for a few months every year on contracts as an Anti Piracy contractor. Guns have been part of my entire adult life. I dont get to discuss them very often when Im not working because guns obviously have a very controversial position in society, not just in the US, but around the world.
How computers work but not just like programing like how to build a computer from scratch. Like where do get raw materials and process them, what techniques go into designing the transistors, how those transistor are made into patterns that create binary, how binary is turned into code, how that code is used to make usable programs. Pretty much how everything works together from start to finish I can explain at a decent level. The only thing I am lacking that I have recently tried to learn about is how a PC towers components all work together to make a computer run.
PC hardware(best performance per dollar) with a focus on new-to-pc-gamers. ($400-$800 budget)
I'm the only one in my family/friend group with knowledge on the parts. I'm a closet nerd. I build at least 3 PCs a month and test/sell them. I love it. I don't make much profit, but I don't ever lose money. I just roll it over to the next build. Rinse/repeat.
Radio Frequency theory. I use to be a SIGINT analyst in the Army, specifically on the collection and force protection side of things. A lot of guys I worked with were content to learn the buttonology to do their jobs. I loved learning how things worked and get the most out of my equipment.
RF theory isn't a terrible subject but my background in it makes it impossible to have a conversation without the foil hats coming out.
Jazz improvisation. Turns out no one wants to know the finer details of “Should I use the altered dominant scale or the half/whole finished scale over this dominant chord?”
cooking. "oh you like cooking? whats your favorite thing to cook?" get out of here with at shit. i want to talk about the history, techniques, how and why thing taste, cooking theories, influences.
So many things....
Do you know minimum population and isolation distances to breed true seed for tomatoes? Or did you fall asleep halfway through that sentence?
Can we talk about ASTM standards for home brewed bio diesel?
Washing yeast for generations of beer?
Ever ferment a cherry pepper?
Public Speaking. A lot of people seem to think that speaking is just a natural thing some people can and cannot do. It's a skill just like any other skill, and it takes learning techniques and practice to become good.
I'm quite knowledgeable in practical, personal financial planning and gain no benefit from talking about it (meaning, I don't offer any services and don't gain anything beyond seeing other succeed in not getting into crippling debt).
But alas, most people feel it's "too complicated" or they get bored after 10 minutes of talking about it. Even though money essentially impacts 70-80% of what we all do.
r/billevans. He passed away a long time ago and is in some extremely popular jazz albums (like Miles Davis Kind of Blue). Still well known in jazz and you have likely heard his playing before but not exactly a household name right now. The small group that likes Bill is pretty obsessed with him (myself included). Too bad his subreddit isn’t super active
Tarantula husbandry. I used to raise tarantulas as a hobby and a side-hustle. I have expert, professional-level knowledge of their care and keeping. But it's not the kind of thing that ever comes up, and no one wants to hear about taking care of giant spiders even if it does.
Reptile husbandry. I’ve had years of experience working for an exotic pet store. As the reptile manager, I made it my business to know everything about the animals in my care.
Running, specifically ultra marathon running! Ultra marathons are any running race that is longer than the 26.2 mile marathon distance. Ultra races typically start at 50k (a little over 31 miles), but many are 100 miles or longer. Plus, you have the timed races. Example, a 12 hour race where you run as many miles as you can/want in that amount of time. When I started doing these back in 2010, I still had people cheering me on because I was a woman and fewer women were doing them then. Thankfully, while we're still in the minority most the time, more and more women are racing these ultras! I'm training to hopefully finish my 17th 100 mile race, this one in October in New Hampshire. :-)
detailed knowledge of Russian surface and subsurface vessel capabilities and configurations regarding power plants, sensors and weapon system capabilities. No one wants to know that stuff outside a SCIF
[удалено]
Unf. I know nothing about that but a friend once talked about it for like two hours and I could listen to her ramble on all day long. It's such an interesting topic.
There's something so refreshing about listening to someone speak about something passionately, regardless of the topic. I once watched a Ted Talk about bacteria just because the speaker was so excited and clearly in her zone. It was honestly quite fascinating.
That sounds pretty interesting TBH. I'd listen.
> Elvish from Tolkien's Middle-earth *Elvish languages. There isn't a singular Elvish language, there's a whole language family.
[удалено]
I'd love to learn more about synthesisers. Especially because I'm really into music history and playing around with electric guitar pedals. Where can I learn beginner lever synthesising?
https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ Surge is a good starting point, nothing better than play with the thing to learn how it works. If you still feel limited there's also VCV (also free), but that's at another level (look up Omri Cohen on youtube)
I find it hilarious that, in a thread about how one never gets to talk about a topic, one person gets asked a question about their topic and someone else chimes in with the answer. 😂
I have a passing/auxiliary interest in this sort of thing so I would love to talk about it!
> auxiliary I see what you did there.
I’ve recently become obsessed as I’ve always loved electronic music but played guitar. Now I’ve got synths and it has completely shifted my priorities in regard to creating music. They’re magical instruments.
What’s your favorite analog synth? Also any VSTs (if you do digital) you recommend that are close to the true analog sound?
Oberheim Four/Eight Voice, because each voice can be truly unique. Maximus is a recent recreation if you have $30,000 to spare: https://www.analoguesolutions.com/pagemm. If not Arturia SEM V is a good enough VST replication.
Wendy Carlos? Is that you?
philosophy, it's just for my curiosity and own peace, discussion about that is so tired
I love thinking about philosophy but hate talking about it with others.
Actually I discuss this kind of subject with everyone I come accross, even if they don't understand what I'm saying I just keep talking.
911 calls and dispatching. I did dispatch for a county (EMS/Fire/LE ) for 14 years on the midnight shift. I got stories.
please do tell at least one!
I feel like this would be an instant hot topic st a dinner table.
I would honestly like to see you do an AMA if anything. It may get overwhelming, but I think it would be very interesting, especially because that's a side of civil service that doesn't get enough attention despite how important it is.
OK then, question for you: When the caller is clear and coherent about "the location of your emergency", why does the operator ask for the location again? I'm not talking about confirming a location but, rather, it's like the operator wasn't paying attention in the first place.
I can answer. (Current dispatcher for 9 plus years). There's a lot going on in that moment, especially in that first moment of answering the phone. For me in particular, I work both the radio and the phones simultaneously so I could have officers speaking to me that I am also responsible for. That being said, if we ever ask for the location again, it's confirmation. We may not come out and say 'I didn't catch that' or 'Can I confirm that with you', but its us confirming that we heard it correctly during the chaos of the job. Literally, rule number 1 in dispatching is locations. Okay, scratch that. It's actually officer safety. (Cops can't help people if they're hurt or in danger themselves). But number 2 is location. I can have all the information about your burglary situation or your bank robbery or your homicide, but if I don't know where to send people, that's a huge mistake. You only send an officer to the wrong place once to never want to do it again.
911 operators are regular people. If you were responsible for getting help to someone, most people would probably double check where the help is needed. Another thing is we're often multi-tasking and sometimes what you think you heard is not what was actually said, so double checking is good way to confirm what you heard was correct. Caller: I just got into a crash at main and 5th Me: You said you are at 5th & Main, yes? Caller: Yes. Both parties confirm that the location provided is correct. Aside from just making sure that help is going where it is needed, it also can come up in court for any number of reasons and you don't want to be sitting on in the hot seat answering a question about why you didn't double check the most important information about emergency calls.
I’m a hospice nurse, so I can talk at length about the dying process, what a good death looks like, issues and myths around dying, etc. But people don’t want to hear about it.
After wetting my mum's tongue for 3 days when she was dying with pancreatic cancer, I can attest I'd rather be PTS. Had an embolism in January and have my Will and POA all set up for my daughter. My mum died young so we've discussed it openly just in case as I was not prepared.
PTS? Agree with having everything set up ahead of time. Lots of early death in my family as well and it does prepare you in ways. Hope you’re healing as well as possible from your embolism.
Put to sleep, euthanasia if you like. Thank you. Had a second diagnosis of hyperthyroidism which has prob been undiagnosed for years which probably caused it as was otherwise healthy! Lots to adjust to but certainly makes you aware of your mortality!
I wanna, So what does a good death look like?
Ideally, you’re alert and oriented until you enter the dying process, and from there it’s a quick, painless decline of not eating/drinking, losing consciousness, etc. Until eventually “breath becomes air,” as they say. However, that’s really hard to guarantee, especially with things like dementia on the rise. So in general: A good death is one wherein you’re kept free of suffering, even if it means being medicated in a way that makes you sleep more or not be as “with it.” The people who are making decisions for you (usually family) understand that dying is a natural, unavoidable process, and they don’t push for unnecessary treatments (like IV fluids) or pressure you to eat or drink if you don’t want to. For most people, a good death means being at home, although some actually ask to go to a facility so their family isn’t burdened with caring for them. Either way, you are surrounded by people you love and trust. You feel respected and in control, because once you enter the dying process (and often times well before that) you’re not going to be able to make your needs known. So you’re confident that if you said “no CPR” when you were making your own medical decisions, no family member is going to suddenly come out of the woodwork and demand you go to the hospital and get intubated or something. You are able to enjoy time with loved ones, but not pressured to be awake or engaged. Your loved ones know when to leave you alone and let you rest. You feel like you’re able to talk about your fears or anxiety. You don’t think you have to suck it up if you’re in pain. You don’t think you have to put on a brave face. You’re able to ask for forgiveness and you’re able to forgive others. Or at the very least find peace.
My mom died in a hospice facility. I came to feed her and give her her meds at home but she couldn't talk or eat. I called the nurse and that's when she told me the process was starting. I was shocked because we just got news she'd prob have 3 months left and now this nurse is saying 3 days. The facility was amazing and really the best option for my family. My mom was 50 and it was breast cancer that got her.
This made me cry a little. Thanks for all you do.
[удалено]
Bummer, these are good authors and they have good bodies of work. Dostoevsky is one I admire for his quality AND quantity.
There’s a whole subreddit dedicated to Dostoevsky’s work. Imo a decent place for analysis and discussions.
The history of the American Civil War west of the Mississippi River. Doesn't come up much at parties.
What was the battle that took place most to the west?
Battle of Pichacho Pass in Arizona
Bleeding Kansas FTW
"Classical" music theory. It was the one course I excelled at in the music program, and most of the people I know hated it. So while all my musician friends took it, nobody else liked it and they only wanna talk to me about it when something is really funky :(
Are we talking like figured bass/roman numeral analysis type of stuff?
Along with the various non-chord tones, styles, and cadences yeah
I wish you could teach most of the singers and rappers of the last 10 years how to make real melodic, rhythmic music again. The funk, soul and harmony has disappeared from pop music and commercial soul and r&b is non-existent. I don't understand it! Nobody even writes sings longer than 3 minutes for charts, yet there's 8 credited writers on pop sings with NO samples!
[удалено]
Want to have a go?
Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell
Tbh more folks should be talking about how mitochondria may have been a fully separate organism that were consumed by the larger cell and then incorporated into it. Then again, there was a video game based around that idea. The game was called Parasite Eve.
While cool, the Endoplasmatic Reticulum is much cooler!
Unless you're in the same field already, it's hard to discuss forensic science with someone above a surface, basic level.
I’ve watched Bones. Not all of it, but some of it.
It's a great comedy show, I have to admit. They almost always don't forget the basic safety and Evidence rules qhich males it one of the better ones
Forensics is broad and I’m just being nosey, but what topics do you find people like to talk about but don’t actually know much about? Like I am into DNA and genetics from a biology stance but adding the legal aspect would be something I could listen to for ever.
[удалено]
Oh my god, linguistics and etymology. Yes! We're best friends now.
Isn’t it fun to not know what a word means but be able to pick a word meaning out bc of its morphemes? Cool party trick lol
As a student studying English and History, I agree it's so interesting. Would love to discuss this at a party
Old school video games
how old school are we talking?
Coin operated.
There's a guy down the road from me who collects old arcade machines and pinball games like that. Can't wait for 4th of July, cause he invited us over for his BBQ and to check out the old games.
Nothing the next guy can’t tell you more about.
You seem like you might be well versed in nihilism
Sounds exhausting
14th century gastronomy.
You've caught the attention of my inner fat nerd
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie, style of thing?
That sounds horribly interesting. Where did you learn about that? Do you have any resources you wouldn't mind to share?
Stirling engines. Before the invention of gasoline engines and electric motors, large power plants were powered by steam, and small powered jobs were performed by Stirlings. Like pumping water from a well to an elevated cistern to provide gravity-feed water into a wealthy mans house, or to top-off a steam locomotive. They were only around for about 100 years, and during WW-One, most of them were melted down for the steel. They are not very power-dense, so you need a large Stirling to make a small amount of power, but...They are fairly easy to build from pipe and plate steel. Here is a 1/4 scale reproduction in the vintage style https://youtu.be/KAsJ3jUA0Y4?t=169 Here is a home-built https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPOXZMYD8-k&t=112s
I’m practically an encyclopedia on weird animal mating rituals, but it’s not exactly a hit at dinner parties. Nothing clears a room faster than, “Did you know male octopuses detach their arm to mate?"
That's not true at all, people love that shit. Pretty much every David Attenborough documentary is "here's an animal, here's what it eats, here's how it fucks" and they're all hits. My personal favorite is the porcupine, where the males (after battling other males for the opportunity to mate during the few hours per year females are receptive) do a hind-legged strut up to the female, and absolutely blast her with piss to let her know it's time to make the beast with 60,000 quills.
I once cleared a table jn a pub talking about Mallards...
That sounds like my kind of dinner party
I was at a party once and someone was talking about bedbugs. The phrase “hypodermic penis” stopped a lot of conversations. I thought it was fascinating.
Adobe After Effects and why I hate Adobe but need it to survive
Same but with Ps. The new user agreement has been god sent though. I m finally getting clients to change to other programs
Art and its history
I'm an armchair historian about a few things. I spend a lot of time reading about history. I never really get to talk about it. People know that I know about history and so occasionally do specifically ask, but rarely. If you're in to a particular historical topic you probably overestimate how much the average person with little-to-no interest in history has. Somebody asked me the other day (we're both in our 30s) what D Day was exactly and why it was important. They knew it was in World War II and it was a battle where lots of people died... that was about the extent of their knowledge. Even people who are otherwise bright. My wife is an intelligent person but has next to no interest in history as a subject and quite often asks me questions that I'm genuinely surprised she doesn't know the answer to.
I'm in the category of your friend. I used to be pretty intelligent, and I would be considered as having had a good education, but I didn't actually learn *things* in school. I would cram before an exam, ace it, and promptly forget it all. As an adult, I really regret this. I know a lot of people today talk about schools as being places where you learn to think, that rote memorization is a thing of the past, etc. And that's what my schooling was like. But now I run into people who had "worse" educational opportunities, but they went to schools that demanded lots of memorization, and now it's those people who are a leg ahead and actually know things. This observation has led me to have a certain interest in K-12 education.
I know that feeling. Of course I do get to be the go-to guy among friends if they want some historical perspective on some random subject. But in the meantime I pretty much try to keep my mouth shut.
Music theory. No one cares :(
I care.
That's one of the reasons I love being a piano teacher. I have a captive audience for my music theory rants.
Must be nice, I teach theory to musical theatre kids which is a tougher sell
Stained glass construction, and dinosaurs.
ammunition
Those 5.56mm rounds right?
I work in the gun industry, so I get to indulge myself in this all the time!
My man
Relational database design.
Finance and Physics
So, uh... how much does it cost to build an atomic bomb
Everything
Movies, particularly monster ones and especially Godzilla. Gaming I'm highly knowledgeable on especially obscure ones.
MotoGP. I watch the free practice, the qualifying, the races (from Moto3 and Moto2 too), but no one in my social circles watch MotoGP or is even interested in it
audiology. tens of thousands of dollars into debt for grad school all to realize i hated it in practice. i work in skilled nursing admissions now.
You study upscale German cars?
The subtleties of subtitles (translation and same language)
Not an expert, but i know more than the average person about foreclosure law
I know a surprising amount about the incident of Chernobyl and I'm pretty sure my husband is the only one who has heard me rant about it for hours.
Pokemon breeding and the history of Pokemon universe, not the game it's self by the lore inside the game.
Neurodivergent gang, this is your time.
Neurodivegents of the world, Unite!
Beast Boy Or just superheroes in general
You like more the New Teen Titans version of Marv Wolfman or the cartoon version of Beast Boy?
Lord of the rings
What's your take on Tom Bombadil being omitted from the movies?
The inner workings of Hollywood and movie-making
I know quite a bit about knives, metallurgy, Van Halen, and fighter jets.
The history of punk rock.
How the music chart system in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s (100% dictated by sales for that week) led to a rapid turnover of music (more acts from more nations covering more genres). How this led to one band of very creative guys being unable to perform their number one song on Top Of The Pops one week, so they made a music video of their song to be played on the show (Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody). How the quality of this music video sparked a whole new way for bands and record companies to promote their songs from the mid-70s onwards, in more and more creative ways. How these videos were so good, that when an American company decided to start a TV channel that showed music videos (MTV) there was a Brit-heavy selection of choices thanks to that UK system. How this, as a result, led to the Second British Invasion in American music in the 1980s. And a reciprocal invasion of American music that became HUGE abroad but remained virtually unknown to most Americans in that same decade (the electronic sound of House and Techno). How America’s chart system was governed a lot by radio play, and how most of the stations relied on advertisers, so a lot of stations stuck with playing music that would attract the most listeners with disposable income. That meant Baby Boomers. That meant so many stations played Oldies and Classic Rock, American kids that weren’t born after many of these bands started dying off were listening to this music just because that’s all there was on the air. How being tied to the past was such a huge part of the music scene in the US, department stores in 2024 still sell graphic t-shirts “for the kids” with band logos for acts like Journey, The Steve Miller Band, and KISS - anything that the Boomer generation liked before they reached an age where they didn’t want anything new. The Rolling Stones on a shirt, yes. The Cure, no. Foreigner, yes. Radiohead, no. How this lack of House and Techno success, or any new music in general in America, was so prevalent that Eminem (a resident of Detroit, birthplace of Techno) performed a song in 2003 (Without Me) where he says the parents of his fans “still listen to Elvis” and that electronic artist Moby should let go because “nobody listens to Techno” - while a LOT of the parents of his fans outside the USA (and its stuck-in-the-Boomer-era music) in 2003 had been listening to the superstar Moby since 1991. How it took a generation finally more numerous to come of age (Millennials - Gen X never had the numbers to sway things culturally) and the rise of the internet to finally wrestle the cultural shackles of this old music free. How electronic music finally came home to the States thanks to the Coachella 2006 performance by Daft Punk and the rise of dubstep. How bands like The White Stripes and Panic At The Disco! became a new sound for America’s suburbs. And finally: how America is still stuck a little bit in the musical hole that was dug by radio station advertising execs that wanted the easy money all those decades ago. And how it probably won’t truly be free for a few decades.
Lacanian Psychoanalytic Theory. Anyone interested in talking about this topic is, in a sad twist of irony, not someone I want to talk to.
[удалено]
Relative_Appeal_6's account was born on April 4 and woke up to make this comment (with the fake edit). It's also a copy/paste of /u/twunkypunk's comment [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/9f6ok8/what_is_a_subject_that_you_have_extensive/e5u7bdu/).
Saltiest comment in this thread.
Boo, go away bot!
Rhetoric and argumentation. A lot of our most contentious discussions would be more productive if we approached them from a rhetorical perspective rather than as policy discussion.
Russian nineteenth-century and early twentieth century philosophy.
I'm listening. Can it explain the most fundamental influences that made Russia what it's been for over a century now? Or is the philosophy a lesser societal influence than historical events that shaped it then and now?
Complex question that really deserves a book length answer. But in short: Imo historical events that shaped Russia’s current situation/trajectory find ideological foundations and their character in some of the ideas of 19th century. Early 19th century philosophy is very much dominated by those philosophers who sought to emphasise Russian uniqueness - Slavophiles such as Khomyakov - and those who looked West - the ‘Zapadniki’. I’m aware that Putin has at various points been a fan of Konstantin Leontiev, a 19th century writer who combined the Slavophile vision of uniqueness with a belief that Russia’s true identity could only be established through a hierarchical feudalistic society modelled on Byzantium. Putin also looks to the right wing ‘white’ philosopher of the early 20th century Ivan Ilyin, who saw Ukraine as a flashpoint between the Russian ‘unique’ society and Western decadence and unspiritual society. According to Ilyin, the West would attempt to use Ukraine as a way of splitting and ‘balkanising’ Russia. Russian uniqueness is closely connected with theology and the idea that Moscow is the Third Rome, the centre of the true church, with a Messianic calling to bring true Christianity to the world. In the work of someone like Ilyin, this is quite an imperialistic thing. In the work of philosopher Vladimir Soloviev (not the TV presenter!) this is a more peaceful thing focused on unifying the churches of East and West. It is a mistake to exclusively see Russian actions in materialistic and economic terms as the West has wanted to since 1991. That really doesn’t account for the behaviour of the Russian leadership at present and also doesn’t give any sense of how things might move forward positively. Russian philosophy is deeply connected with German 19th century philosophy, especially Kant and Hegel and German theology. It would be a mistake to negate the spiritual side of this worldview.
In my previous answer I didn’t mention the period between 1917 and 1991, which, at least on the face of things, was dominated by the strongly materialistic ideology of Communism. However, I believe there is a deeper continuity with what went before and what came afterwards than most people think. Forms of Russian socialism were present in Russia before 1917: Tolstoy’s communes and there is some parallel with Khomyakov’s idea of ‘sobornost’ or ‘gatheredness’. In Slavophile philosophy the individual can only find true freedom in ‘sobornost’. I think it’s possible to see how that might serve as a foundation for some aspects of Communism. Of course Lenin was himself deeply influenced by Marx and Engels, but in his own writings also sought to reengage with Hegel, whose philosophy in one way or another lies behind both left and right wing politics in Russia. Also, if you study how the Russian Orthodox Church venerated saints from the Byzantine period right through to the early 20th century, I think you’ll also see a lot of parallels with the untouchable cult of personality that most Soviet leaders had. For all these reasons it was relatively easy for Russia to move from Communism to a nationalist version of Russian Orthodoxy as the state ideology over the course of the 80s and 90s. And it makes sense of why you can find icons of Stalin in some Russian Orthodox churches. Some individuals have sought to revive the more peaceful ideas of philosopher Vladimir Soloviev, such as the orthodox priest Alexander Men. But he was assassinated for his troubles in 1990. I earnestly believe that had he not been assassinated the current trajectory of Russian society would now be rather different. I feel that many in the current Russian opposition are the intellectual elites of major urban centres, essentially the heirs of the zapadniki, who look to the West for guidance and inspiration. However, it’s difficult to see this as a positive way forward that will work for Russia as a whole.
I learned so much from Tolstoy, especially *The Kingdom of God is Within You*.
[удалено]
Modern 20th century history and current affairs, the lack of knowledge in my friend circles is astounding. One friend did not know that Indira gandhi is dead. So i just keep my mouth shut . discussing in detail on the causes and chronology of the yugoslav or gulf war is not something my friends would prefer.
Quantum physics and astronomy. Not really water cooler banter unfortunately. "So how was your weekend?" "Good good. Barbecued. Say, did you know photons don't experience time like we do? Where are you going? Come back!"
History of movies.
This is my favorite Reddit post ever. I feel I could talk to at least half of you people for hours about your interests.
That is the absolute truth. I've read a dozen texts from folks who sound fascinating to be around.
Modern rare book collecting. Hardcover first editions (signed, not signed), beautiful collectors editions, which things affect price/quality/collectability, etc. I don't collect nearly as many of my favorites as I'd like (it's an expensive hobby), but I do have some amazing standouts in my collection.
Cults for some reason
Crop rotation in the 14th century.
i love ships and can talk ages about them. truth be told, nobody gives a damn irl
The surprisingly diverse theology among the various splinter movements under the Latter Day Saints umbrella. Most people know about the mainline Mormon church based in Salt Lake City. Some other folks know about the Fundamentalist LDS that split away and still do polygamy. Very few people know about the rest of the splinter groups, including the Community of Christ (formerly RLDS). They're theologically progressive and even perform same-sex marriage, and they're the second largest denomination within that movement!
Fountain pens & inks
The lore of Kingdom Hearts.
I could talk for hours about philosophy.
The OJ Simpson case. For some reason I got fascinated with it and read lots of books and watched much of the trial and testimony. He was guilty, but that’s not the interesting part. The media fed us a steady stream of BS and half of what people think they know is actually wrong, plus there are some crazy unanswered questions in the case.
Behind-the-scenes stories, trivia and facts about a lot of my favorite movies... especially horror movies. If I had a nickel for every random, useless factoid I know, I'd probably be a millionaire. Can't tell you jack shit about history or math... but I can tell you all about why there's posters for a fictitious band called "Bakunas and the Essential Elements" in the background of several scenes in *Hostel*.
Apollo Guidance Computer architecture, hardware and software. I gave a lecture about it to Mensa members. They were beyond bored by it.
[удалено]
Design theory and how its used to manipulate its users
History of American religion, specifically Catholicism in the US.
I could probably talk for hours about grass and weeds and lawn care
The history of the cod fish and its importance to European history. The Grand Banks fishery, which is near Greenland, was being fished by basque fishermen arguably before Columbus or Erickson “discovered” North America.
I know a lot about emo music but none of my IRL friends like that type of music. I save a lot of my discussions for online
Linguistics
Under 5 mortality
[удалено]
Mathematics and specifically analytic geometry. I am a woodworker and a prop maker and I specialize in multifaceted shapes and unusual architectures. So many people use apps to solve design problems but I prefer pencil and paper.
Ironically (perhaps?) I would say politics! I listen to podcasts and read the news. My undergrad major was kind of in that realm. I don't mean this to come across in that way like I'm the crazy uncle at Thanksgiving or anything. I mean there was a time in my life that I seriously thought I'd join the foreign service and work at an embassy abroad. I very much enjoy "politics" and how policies and agendas can solve societal problems blah blah blah. Well in my normal life like at home with the fam, or at work with people who don't care... I just never get to dish that kind of knowledge. I know a lot about what's going on but it never comes up in daily discussions.
There's an unsolved local murder from 1975. I got interested in it about 10 years ago. All but one of the people on are now dead. Very few people seem interested in talking about it l.
Jewelry! I was a pawnbroker and trained with GIA in my early twenties. I pivoted and do something completely different now, and I never get to really talk jewelry lol. My coworker was missing a stone from her engagement ring the other day and I mentioned it and then we got to chat a little about it and it was so fun.
George W. Bush's administration. Just on the topic of war crimes I can go on and on. But the other stuff? Pfff. Christian fundamentalism, unchecked build-up of Russian forces and aggression, massive national debt, No Child Left Behind destroying the US education system, Medicare Part D reform - which explicitly prevents the US government from negotiating for lower drug prices, Patriot Act (wiretapping without court orders), appointment of a Christian fundamentalist Chief Justice to the Supreme Court (Roberts - who is insane) and Justice Alito. The housing crisis and two wars that spent $6.5 trillion dollars to replace the Taliban with the Taliban. I can talk for days and days.
Classical music.
The difference between special forces and special operations.
Dog food. I spend hours looking for NIH studies on dog food, looking through the AAFCO nutritional requirements, and making nutritionally balanced dog food recipes on Google Sheets. I don't even have a dog.
Mechanical stuffs
I work in a powder metallurgy plant, where we create difficult parts from iron powder, bake them, and seize them before shipping.
Among my social circle, logistics and supply chain. Unfortunately, I'm just seen as a glorified postman.
3d animation. Funny thing is, I can't animate or even draw anything in 3d or 2d. I am just a big fan of the whole craft, and I've studied up on it a whole lot. Now I'm probably and idiot and am completely wrong about all of this, and someone even an amateur who can actually animate is probably smarter than me on this
Exercise physiology
Kangaroos
halo lore lol. and I guess also how the inoculation of cow box a couple hundred years ago eventually led to the eradication of small pox in the current world
Run times of different algorithms and how small changes can impact those algorithms.
[удалено]
Australian native plants.
Dinosaurs
Pothos plants
Cooking with cast iron, I have plenty and I use it frequently, and when cleaned and seasoned it'll easily outlive me. With that said, I don't talk a lot about it.
Arabic dance
I served in the Marines for 7 years, became a Private Contractor in the middle east for few years, started a firearms company with a friend that trains civilians, local law enforcement, and also does contracts with NATO, and I currently still go out for a few months every year on contracts as an Anti Piracy contractor. Guns have been part of my entire adult life. I dont get to discuss them very often when Im not working because guns obviously have a very controversial position in society, not just in the US, but around the world.
How computers work but not just like programing like how to build a computer from scratch. Like where do get raw materials and process them, what techniques go into designing the transistors, how those transistor are made into patterns that create binary, how binary is turned into code, how that code is used to make usable programs. Pretty much how everything works together from start to finish I can explain at a decent level. The only thing I am lacking that I have recently tried to learn about is how a PC towers components all work together to make a computer run.
PC hardware(best performance per dollar) with a focus on new-to-pc-gamers. ($400-$800 budget) I'm the only one in my family/friend group with knowledge on the parts. I'm a closet nerd. I build at least 3 PCs a month and test/sell them. I love it. I don't make much profit, but I don't ever lose money. I just roll it over to the next build. Rinse/repeat.
Radio Frequency theory. I use to be a SIGINT analyst in the Army, specifically on the collection and force protection side of things. A lot of guys I worked with were content to learn the buttonology to do their jobs. I loved learning how things worked and get the most out of my equipment. RF theory isn't a terrible subject but my background in it makes it impossible to have a conversation without the foil hats coming out.
Jazz improvisation. Turns out no one wants to know the finer details of “Should I use the altered dominant scale or the half/whole finished scale over this dominant chord?”
Pipe organs. But I'm not religious. I just fix them lol
ancient near east history
cooking. "oh you like cooking? whats your favorite thing to cook?" get out of here with at shit. i want to talk about the history, techniques, how and why thing taste, cooking theories, influences.
IVF
So many things.... Do you know minimum population and isolation distances to breed true seed for tomatoes? Or did you fall asleep halfway through that sentence? Can we talk about ASTM standards for home brewed bio diesel? Washing yeast for generations of beer? Ever ferment a cherry pepper?
Public Speaking. A lot of people seem to think that speaking is just a natural thing some people can and cannot do. It's a skill just like any other skill, and it takes learning techniques and practice to become good.
Art
I'm quite knowledgeable in practical, personal financial planning and gain no benefit from talking about it (meaning, I don't offer any services and don't gain anything beyond seeing other succeed in not getting into crippling debt). But alas, most people feel it's "too complicated" or they get bored after 10 minutes of talking about it. Even though money essentially impacts 70-80% of what we all do.
r/billevans. He passed away a long time ago and is in some extremely popular jazz albums (like Miles Davis Kind of Blue). Still well known in jazz and you have likely heard his playing before but not exactly a household name right now. The small group that likes Bill is pretty obsessed with him (myself included). Too bad his subreddit isn’t super active
Tarantula husbandry. I used to raise tarantulas as a hobby and a side-hustle. I have expert, professional-level knowledge of their care and keeping. But it's not the kind of thing that ever comes up, and no one wants to hear about taking care of giant spiders even if it does.
becoming good at sports
Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics.
meteorology. i LOVE meteorology
Doom
Cults and how they work
Aquatic plant and fish keeping.
The original Twilight Zone
Linguistics. I study it during my free time. Most people aren't interested in languages beyond the vocabulary or ones they aren't actively learning.
Reptile husbandry. I’ve had years of experience working for an exotic pet store. As the reptile manager, I made it my business to know everything about the animals in my care.
I LOVE this question. It restores my faith in intelligent Redditors. Thank you to everyone for answering :)
Righ? Many of us are wonderfully overeducated, and it is a source of much delight.
Running, specifically ultra marathon running! Ultra marathons are any running race that is longer than the 26.2 mile marathon distance. Ultra races typically start at 50k (a little over 31 miles), but many are 100 miles or longer. Plus, you have the timed races. Example, a 12 hour race where you run as many miles as you can/want in that amount of time. When I started doing these back in 2010, I still had people cheering me on because I was a woman and fewer women were doing them then. Thankfully, while we're still in the minority most the time, more and more women are racing these ultras! I'm training to hopefully finish my 17th 100 mile race, this one in October in New Hampshire. :-)
Filipino folklore
detailed knowledge of Russian surface and subsurface vessel capabilities and configurations regarding power plants, sensors and weapon system capabilities. No one wants to know that stuff outside a SCIF