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Snule t1_j32h3z5 wrote

Reply to comment by masklinn in Where does all of the snot come from when you have a cold? by Dunkachin0

Never ceases to amaze how someone always knows this niche information and can produce a great link to explain exactly like they mean as you did with the Richard Hammond video. On top of that, make it super easy to understand and enjoyable too!

Great reply, thank you.

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fuzzygondola t1_j32vrd5 wrote

Many answerers don't know a lot about the subject at the time of reading the question, but get intrigued and just start reading about it. It's pretty fun actually, you get to learn it yourself first and then hone your writing skills by distilling the information into an easy to read comment.

I read of a study which concluded that teaching others immediately after learning something new is the most reliable way to retain the information. Personally I believe it is too!

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Alexis_J_M t1_j358iiu wrote

Yes yes yes, the best way to learn something is to teach it.

(Assuming you don't just pass on wrong information.)

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slouchingtoepiphany t1_j331d9p wrote

It's funny because I intended to provide some of the information that u/masklinn (in much less detail, of course), but saw that he/she had already done a superb job. Still, I want to say something, so I'll mention that the particular, slime like feel of the mucins derives from the heterogeneous, O-linked glycoproteins (i.e., carbohydrate chains linked through an oxygen atom to a protein). These carb moieties have a negative charge on them that causes water molecules to be electrostatically attracted to them, making them very "wet" and slippery.

PS: The UN u/Snule is perfect for this conversation. :)

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interwebtalkerhere t1_j33aynf wrote

It amazes me that there are scientists who are like “yes, I study this ONE specific snot molecule… and we still barely know anything” 😆 (and yet they know SOOOOO much)

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DFHartzell t1_j36h04z wrote

This is one of the single greatest features in social media history. Non-redditors are missing out.

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