Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 March 4

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March 4

Filling a room with popcorn

How much corn would I need to buy to make enough popcorn to cover a 5m x 5m room to a depth of roughly a foot? 86.8.176.85 (talk) 01:38, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Googling popcorn expansion ratio gives, for instance, an expansion ratio between 40 and 44. If we take 42, then circa 0.182 cubic metres of unpopped popcorn is required. Now we need a volume to weight conversion for unpopped corn, and we're there. So. Based on an assertion that a 1 ounce serving is 3.5" by 2" by 8" (i.e. 0.000917676 cubic metres) then we need 8303 one ounce servings, or 235 kilograms of popping corn. --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:50, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

(EC with above. Leaving my solution anyways) Let's do a little Fermi problem on this. Let's just guess that a popcorn kernel is 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm. That's 3.375 cubic centimeters or 0.000003375 cubic meters. Assuming we are filling a rectangular prism of size 5 m x 5 m x .305 m as you describe means that we need 7.625 cubic meters. 7.625 divided by 0.000003375 is 2,259,259 kernels. So you would need 2 million kernels. I have no idea how much this translates to in terms of how much of what sized containers of popcord you would need to buy. But I say, why stop with a 5m x 5m room 1 foot deep. Go all the way and do what they did in this fine piece of cinema. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 01:58, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

(edit conflict)Don't forget to use a chemical laser. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 02:08, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

(EC)From a few Googles, I came up with a figure of around 500 kernels per average bag of microwave popcorn. So you'd need about 4,000 bags of microwave popcorn. Of course, factoring unpopped kernels per bag, you might want to get an extra hundred bags or so to be sure. There's a 6-pack of cheap popcorn that I got at Aldi's for $1.49, so it'd cost you roughly $1000. Of course, if you used gourmet popcorn, it'd probably be considerably pricier. --Alinnisawest,^{Dalek Empress} (extermination requests here) 02:10, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Wow, quick answers, brilliant. I'm going to use the crappy popping corn you can buy in half-kilo bags in supermarkets here; a bag is normally about 60p. If it's not prohibitively expensive/timewasting I'll do more than a foot, but I need to know what I'm getting in to. 86.8.176.85 (talk) 02:17, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Note that my first answer has changed, as I made a basic error. It seems to be rather a lot of popcorn... --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:22, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

As another cross check, this paper shows an experiment in which 30g of popcorn produces circa 1250 ml of popped corn. You have a volume of 7,620,000ml to fill, which would be 6096 * 30g servings, or 182kg. --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:31, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Let me just say that I love it that you weren't asking this just out of curiosity, but are actually crazy enough to fill a room with popcorn. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 07:46, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

If it happens I would love to see some pictures. Lanfear's Bane | t 09:26, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Don't forget to put up a web site, like this previous reference desk questioner. :) --Sean 14:02, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Depending on the circumstances of your prank, you may be able to get away with significantly less popcorn if you're just aiming to achieve the appearance of a full room, rather than an actually full one. If you elevate the floor (using sheets of carboard or plastic) and pile a a few inches of popcorn on top of that, the apparent depth is increased. Similarly, placing large boxes about the room will displace some popcorn and reduce the volume you need to fill (Archimedes' principle!).

Another alternative is to construct a box inside the room, with dimensions slightly larger than the doorway. Line one side of the box with clear plastic sheeting. Install the box just inside the room, flush against the doorway with the plastic sheeting facing out. Fill the box with popcorn. To the casual observer, the room now appears full – floor to ceiling – with popcorn when the door is opened. (This solution also reduces the hassle of cleanup, as there won't be popcorn jammed into every nook and cranny of the room.) Don't forget to construct a similar bag or box of popcorn around any windows which might be visible from the exterior. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:37, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I am totally in favor of this kind of prank - yes, the ENTIRE room must be filled. Anything short of that WILL be a letdown - and you will not be able to tell your grandchildren about it with the pride it deserves. Resist all temptation to do a half-assed job. However, I would urge finding something better/cheaper to fill it with. Filling the room with something bigger/cheaper might make sense. Balloons is a be passe...but you CAN think of something!

When a friend at college went home for spring break - we took the door off of his bedroom and moved the hinges to the top edge of the door - so you had to lift the entire thing upwards and outwards to get in. This was OK - but it was a half-assed job and we knew it. So the following Xmas break - we removed the wooden surround to his door - we nailed 2x4's across the gap, nailed sheet-rock (aka plasterboard) to that - plastered it over, spackled it and painted it to match the rest of the walls in the corridor - we even added a bit of trim at the bottom to match the rest of the wall and hung a poster on that section of wall to make it look 'natural'.

The room was GONE! As far as anyone could tell, it was never there.

Then I went to a friend's wedding - and met my (now) wife as we happily wallpapered his car. The big pink roses really added something to the look of his rusted out wreck - and it looked so much nicer like that that he never did remove it...sadly the car didn't survive more than a month or two before heading off to the car crusher.

SteveBaker (talk) 16:23, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Agreed pranks are fun, when they go as planned. If you fill the room with popcorn remember that both the people doing the filling (may we suggest blowing the fluff in?) and the people opening the door will have to breathe. Be sure to have emergency procedures in place to get a] a person out from underneath an avalanche of popcorn, b) errant popped corn out of s.o.'s airways. Safety first. (Lots of OR to back that one up :-)76.97.245.5 (talk) 08:19, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for all the answers, I'll try and get photos, but I don't think we can afford to entirely fill the room. I might try and get some popcorn cheap at the end of the day from a cinema, and hopefully we can get a consistent 40-50 cm of popcorn on the floor. Strongly considering the catflap door too. Thanks 86.8.176.85 (talk) 01:31, 8 March 2009 (UTC)

Natural American Spirit tobacco

So I finally managed to get my hands on a packet of these cigarettes, and I must say, I am very, very pleased with them, but they are so hard to find in the UK. After getting a packet of these, I do not wish to ever go back to regular cigarettes. There is none of the harshness in the taste, and the smell is not nearly as bad.

A few questions...

Where can they be bought in the UK? I'm not ever smoking regular cigarettes again if possible, these are so good. They have rolling cigarettes in this form, but I am bad - bad - at rolling. I notice Asda has the rolling tobacco, but if I was to smoke these I'd have to become more proficient at rolling.

Do they not stink up the places you smoke them in as badly? Seriously, I think in comparison with regular tobacco, the smell is almost like incense. I notice that the cigarettes are slower burning as well.

Is this like the original way that tobacco was smoked like the American Indians first did, free of additives? I notice there is a Native American man on the packet.

The article says that they are as bad for your health as regular cigarettes. I do NOT want a lecture on the health effects of tobacco, but somehow I feel that they are not as bad as regular cigarettes. My throat tells me this.

I do wish to give up smoking, but am not pursuing it actively.--I Want To Do This (talk) 01:46, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I live in Brighton, and the Sainsbury's here sells them. The Waitrose I used to work in, in London, also sold them. I've always had the impression that they're uncommon but fairly easy to obtain. Oh, and they're much worse than real cigarettes; they taste like someone else has already inhaled them. 86.8.176.85 (talk) 02:14, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

What? No way.--I Want To Do This (talk) 04:28, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Native American smokers did not originally use paper to wrap their tobacco. They almost certainly used a pipe and / or wrapping made of tobacco leaves, i.e., a cigar. DOR (HK) (talk) 08:01, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

We don't seem to have an article on Native American tobacco smoking in general, but there is Peace pipe, which has some info. The article says, A type of herbal tobacco or mixture of herbs was usually reserved for special smoking occasions, with each region's people using the plants that were locally considered to have special qualities or a culturally condoned basis for ceremonial use. I'm not sure whether Native Americans smoked recreationally or for non-ritual purposes. I suspect that modern commercial tobacco cultivation is far removed from pre-Columban tobacco farming. I doubt this brand is at all similar to "the original way that tobacco was smoked like the American Indians first did." Pfly (talk) 09:33, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I'm glad you're happy with the choice, though "the smell is not nearly as bad" strikes me as faint praise. --- OtherDave (talk) 11:18, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

There's a lot of companies selling them online if you Google "american spirit cigarettes uk" (WP seems to frown on links of this sort); make sure to check store reviews and see you get a reputable supplier since some online cigarette companies will be selling smuggled or other dodgy merchandise. (Incidentally I notice Native American Spirit got a nice bit of product placement in recent film He's Just Not That Into You, is that the reason for the sudden interest?) --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 11:50, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

"I notice there is a Native American man on the packet." I think images of American Indians have been used to promote tobacco ever since it was commercialized. See cigar store Indian for another example. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 12:10, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I don't have the quote, but Santa Fe Tobacco insists this wasn't product placement and that they didn't even know they were so prominently featured in the film until after its release. Tomdobb (talk) 13:37, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

As for having difficulty rolling cigarettes, have you tried a rolling machine ? StuRat (talk) 16:22, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

If you really want to quit smoking like you said, I need to tell you my story. I was what you might call a party smoker most of the eighteen or so months that I really did smoke, but I also did enjoy the occasional puff now and then when walking in the street or just to take a reality break. Anyway, at the same time I also suffered from stomach ulcers for seven years or so. At one point almost two years ago my ulcer burst and I threw up digested blood, which kinda tastes like vomiting chocolate mixed with water, and a lot of it. I was sent to the hospital instantly, and the doctor told me that I shouldn't even look at a fag, much less smoke, because smoking (more or less) dries up your mucous membranes in the digestive tract (apart from other things) and helps nasty things develop. And that was the moment. All it took was for them to appeal to health. This is not, I believe, medical advice, as I am not advising anyone to do anything, it's more in the sharing-of-a-personal-story field. Right? On occasion I do feel I'd love to have a smoke, and I know I'd enjoy it, if it weren't for the fact that I know that I'd feel rotten afterwards again. Hope I didn't sound lectury. Cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 21:25, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Translation for Americans: "fag" = cigarette. StuRat (talk) 06:38, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

You took the time to read all that? --Ouro (blah blah) 08:39, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Sure, my eyes don't glaze over until I hit responses which are over a page long. If there's no end in sight, then I move on. StuRat (talk) 06:19, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

What horrible horrible cigarettes do you get in the UK if you like American Spirits this much? Back when I was a smoker a friend of mine bought a pack of those and they were the harshest most foul tasting brand I've ever tried.-- Mad031683 (talk) 00:42, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Re. native American smoking. Some nations used what gets translated as "cherry leaves". I have no idea what plant they were from. It's just as likely to have anything to do with cherry trees as not. (OR You have no idea how happy I was when I found out that "frog eggs" in one recipe turned out to be a water plant :-) - 76.97.245.5 (talk) 08:02, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Communicating with an alien

Inspired by the SETI question above, I was wondering if we ever encountered an alien, would we be able to create a foundation for communication? What would this be based on? Is there anything we could express that isn't dependent on (or can be simply translated out of) an agreed system of symbols? Even stuff like the Voyager Golden Record seems like it wouldn't convey much to a totally different form of life. 86.8.176.85 (talk) 02:11, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

If we were to encounter a form of life from an entirely different planet/culture/etc. from ours, I'm not sure we'd ever be able to communicate fully, probably leading to a war a la Ender's Game. The drastic differences in our perceptions of life would make it very difficult indeed to find any sort of common ground whatsoever. If one culture (either ours or theirs) had been observing the other for a very long period of time, they might be able to approach them on some sort of common ground, but if we just ran into one another out of the blue, I don't think we could communicate. --Alinnisawest,^{Dalek Empress} (extermination requests here) 02:16, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Well, any civilization sufficiently technologically advanced enough to recieve and/or send communication with us will likely also be looking to do so, much like we are (they quite likely have their own "SETI" program). They also would likely have at least as advanced an understanding of Cryptography as we have, and so even if they couldn't directly translate our language (and us theirs) they should at least be able to recognize it as language. Also, certain things, like universal constants (say Pi and other mathematical constants) should be universally recognizable. They may not use base-10 numbers, but that is a minor deal; any decent mathematician in any society should be able to work out that someone is broadcasting math at you... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 02:20, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Mathematics is the basis of most of the intentional signals we have sent, many of which attempts are discussed in Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Rmhermen (talk) 02:34, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

You assume, Jayron, that they have something that is reasonably similar to our idea of language, or, like Alinnisawest implies, that they won't mistake our "language" for the guttural noises of beasts... it's clear my dog is trying to communicate with me, but that doesn't mean I'll take what it says all that seriously. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 03:00, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, but if your dog transmits radio signals or flies around in a starship, or fills a planet with cities, I bet you're gonna take him seriously, guttural noises or no guttural noises. Barring situations where the alien life form is, oh, the laughter in a child's voice or something as conceptual as that, the idea that one species would mistake another for dumb animals is a kind of a non-issue. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 07:43, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

But suppose we send off a series of the first 100 prime numbers in the hope of contacting them - and 50 years later, what we get back is some kind of interpretive dance with associated digital data representing the odours given off by the dancers. Now what? SteveBaker (talk) 15:35, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Then we have a problem, obviously. But at that point, the question is not "are these dumb animals"?, because clearly they're transmitting something to us. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 12:23, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Indeed...and I don't really think it's likely that we'd find that kind of problem at the outset. Any civilisation capable of detecting, receiving and decoding our message would have to have a reasonable grip on mathematics. Assuming they don't get strings of binary numbers arriving in their radio telescopes every day - we'd expect a fairly vigorous attempt to understand it. I'm sure they'd spot a prime number sequence for what it is. What will be tough will be the higher levels of communication. So perhaps we'd exchange some numbers - perhaps some equations...but it's not clear that we'd get much further than that. If our interpretive-dance/odor communicators really do that as their only means of talking...it would indeed be tough to get any kind of idea about what they are saying to us. The worst part is that every generation of human scientists only gets to ask maybe one question and get one answer back from it...in the worst case, you'd ask the aliens something - and never live to hear the answer. Understanding the aliens in such a fashion would be an exercise in utter frustration.

I've long held that the solution in the book/movie "Contact" has it about right. What you do is to send a complete description of how to build a computer system - what all of the software that has to be loaded into it - which would comprise an AI package designed to respond as much like a human as possible - with a database like (maybe) Wikipedia. Then the aliens can learn as much as possible about us on the first round-trip - so perhaps their reply ends up being in similar form. But that's an awful lot of information to send at the low data rates we're likely to be able to use reasonably. SteveBaker (talk) 04:40, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

If we imagine the alien to be very similar to ourselves, then communication becomes not such a problem. If they are some kind of hivemind, then not so much. If they are some kind of poisonous space spore, then even less so. The assumptions make the answer. There are about a billion different sci fi answers to this question, some more encouraging than others. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 03:09, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

For initial communication, to prove sentience, use math. (Or "maths," if they are more like the British.). Edison (talk) 05:05, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Assumptions inherent in the above posts: Aliens exist; we actually notice said aliens (i.e., they aren’t microscopic); aliens communicate; alien communications require technology and / or cryptography (no telepathy or billion light-year eyesight for semaphore). Folks, we have no idea if any of these assumptions are correct! DOR (HK) (talk) 08:06, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I think most people would accept all that implicitly, DOR. At the same time, we can't say they don't exist, either. We just don't know either way. They certainly might exist, hence SETI etc. -- JackofOz (talk) 19:55, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

A slightly similar communication scenario with fewer assumptions is discussed here and here. Leaving messages for future far distant generations who's culture might be very different to our own, about the dangers of radioactive waste. meltBanana 16:32, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Some musings: Starman is a simple summary of fantasies about aliens: we'd shoot them. Humans already shoot others who are not like themselves so why not aliens? And until we can communicate with other beings (the opposite sex, other age groups, whales, dogs, insects etc) why would aliens be better at communicating with us than we are on our own planet and vice versa? Maths is just one code or signifier, though a brilliant one, it does restrict the options. It's also interesting that filling a planet with cities is a kind of coda for "advanced" – don't ants already do that? I guess it depends where you're looking from. Julia Rossi (talk) 22:54, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Who are you?

A couple of years ago my employer, as part of the agreement, bought jackets and windpants for all the workers that wanted them. Mainly aimed at the sewage/water truck workers it was offered to all. Out of 7 at the airport only two, myself and another wanted them. My co-worker has worn his constantly since then but I just started using mine about four months ago. I wear the full set and he wears the jacket with a different set of windpants and any of the water/sewage people have long since worn theirs out. Since I started wearing mine several people have called me by my co-workers name. Not a problem, it was on the street and they were at a distance and had to look twice. However, two incidents had me wondering. I was in the store talking to someone and as the conversation finished and they walked off they called me by my co-workers name. Earlier today, at the post office, I met one of the elders, that I have spoken to several times. After both of us saying good morning she asked me a question. I missed it or thought I heard wrong and she repeated it, "How's co-workers wife's name?" Without really thinking and assuming that she had confused the name of my daughter I said fine. She replied that she hardly ever saw her about anymore. I then realised, as she walked off, that it was my co-worker she was thinking of. I said that I was not my co-worker and she turned round, walked back and looked puzzed. I repeated myself and with some surprise she realised that I wasn't who she thought I was. So, after all that (sorry about the length), the question is, what role does the face play in recognising other people? Enter CambridgeBayWeather, waits for audience applause, not a sausage 06:12, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Face perception plays a very big role in how we recognize other people. However there is a rare disorder, Prosopagnosia, which inhibits a person’s ability to ability to recognize faces, often even those of close friends and family! It’s unlikely that you just happen to have two coworkers with Prosopagnosia though. How well do you know these people exactly? I’d put it down to coincidence personally. --S.dedalus (talk) 06:48, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Do you look at all like your co-worker? I am terrible at remembering people I seldom speak to/meet in the workplace (well, ok, everywhere) and if you happen to share some common traits with your co-worker that would be enough to add in to the confusion. For instance if you are both white, tall, with short-brown hair, clean cut with no glasses then it's more likely you'll be confused as each other. Expectation is a large part of recognition in some circumstances. Example - If you walk into your family home you might not expect to see say the barber you've been to every month for the past 10 years, the circumstance alone may be enough to make you question your assumption of who you think it is. Not saying this is the case here, but there is more to recognising people than simply their face. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:19, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for the replies and the links. Recognition of human individuals explains why on the street people see me as my co-worker. Just to clarify, the two people were not co-workers. I'm 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) and my co-worker is 1.93–1.98 m (6 ft 4 in – 6 ft 6 in), we both would be wearing toques, though his is white and mine is black, at this time of year and both wear glasses. The person in the store is a good friend who I see almost every day. The elder is a relative, by marriage, and has been at my house at least twice in the past year. Enter CambridgeBayWeather, waits for audience applause, not a sausage 11:36, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I rely far more on voice to recognize people than faces. A couple of times I've run into coworkers outside of work, and I didn't recognize them until they spoke. StuRat (talk) 16:16, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

This doesn't really help answer your question but it's related and might give you some insight... I work in a clean room, so the only parts of a co-worker that I see are their eyes. The first and third images in that article will give you an idea of what the suits look like. Although with ours, you can see even less of the face than what is shown in the first image. There are ~200 people that work in the clean room with me. I've worked there for a few years now and I'd say that I can pick out 99% of people just by their body size, posture, gait, etc. even from a few dozen meters away. I don't know them well enough to know all their names but I can tell who is who. And it can be a little strange running into someone in public who I work with since my brain tries to figure out who they are by looking at their entire face, clothing, etc. and I no longer have the context of the clean room in that situation. Dismas|^(talk) 16:55, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Similar issues apply for surgeons and nurses wearing masks in the operating room. There must be medical papers on the subject, or official guidance in training? And similar issues apply in places that observe sartorial hijab for women -- the Iranian-style headscarf strips out a lot of identifying features, but the Arab abaya and the Afghani burqa are even more anonymising, and yet apparantly children have no problem following their mothers aroudn the shops. Maybe it is the walk that adds distinctiveness. BrainyBabe (talk) 17:16, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

The way a person walks (Gait?) definitely aids in recognition - i can't begin to count the number of times i've known a commentator was wrongly specifying the name of a player on the soccer pitch because i could tell by the way they run/walk that it wasn't the person they said. Also I think one of the Fifa games such as FIFA 07 specifically mimics the running/walking style of players in the game to increase the realism. ny156uk (talk) 20:33, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I think all these replies have given me the answer. As I was coming home earlier I saw a different co-worker. He's a tall skinny guy who always wears a black parka, like this. Because of his hight and slim build the parka hangs on him in a distinctive way and he always has the hood up masking his face. But as soon as I noticed how they were walking I realised it was someone else with a similar build. That reminded me that when I lived in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories we all wore parkas like these. Every Christmas or Easter you would either get a new parka or the outer shell would be replaced (the fur and inner duffel would be the same). For a week or some it would be difficult to figure out who was who with the new parka/shell. So I suspect that because we live in a place where for most of the year, and that sometimes includes summer, our clothing is such that it's difficult to see the face we learn other ways of figuring out who people are. I think it must be a combination of all the suggestions above, clothing, build, walk, posture, etc. Then we end up doing it for so long that even when we can see the face we still use the other clues. In the case of my co-worker and myself the jacket is so distinctive, only two in town, and he has been wearking his 18 months longer than I have, it's blocking out the differences in the other clues we use. Thanks to all for helping me figure this out. Enter CambridgeBayWeather, waits for audience applause, not a sausage 23:21, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Resolved

StuRat (talk) 23:41, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

looking for a children's book author

story is about angels who each day line up at the gate and go to earth to help people. the main character is called 'little dream' who patiently waits her turn to finally be allowed to go to earth to help people. the book was a soft cover, approx 12" square blue pages, about 10 - 16 pages in length. how can I find the book? I hope you can help me aunty julie2605freedom (talk) 08:14, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

The book you're talking about is called Little Dream and it's author is Cynthia Leonetti.It was illustrated by Laurie Sharp, John Taylor and Cynthia Leech. It is copyrighted 1969 by Atransa Park Television Pty Ltd and printed and published by Sungravure Pty Ltd. There is no ISBN or cataloguing information. I think you can find it in the rare Australian section at most State Libraries. It is comparatively rare and hard to come by, since it dates back to the 1970's. Best of luck with your search. La Alquimista 10:41, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Library Resources Classification

Discuss five reasons why Library resources are classified?

Evaluate the NLDS Act in relation to the establishment of Libraries in Zimbabwe? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Weddington (talk • contribs) 10:11, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Welcome to the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misevaluation, but it is our policy here to not do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn how to solve such problems. Please attempt to solve the problem yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know. Thank you. Nanonic (talk) 10:25, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Wikipedia Articles

How do we know when a place, or a school, or a temple, etc. is important enough to merit it's own article in Wikipedia? Does it have to be important at all? If Wikipedia aims at having "the sum total of knowledge of all the people in the world" then shouldn't even the most insignificant things and tiniest objects have their own article?? La Alquimista 10:33, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

See here Wikipedia:About#Wikipedia_content_criteria and the links there-in. Notability is a big part of this - because something is notable/important to a small group of people in City X does not make it worthwhile being included as a page on wikipedia which is visible to pretty much anyone. Obviously there are ongoing debates about these - particularly as wikipedia seems to have a huge volume of extremely detailed 'pop culture' articles such as crazily-indepth articles like say episode 7 of series 3 of Third Rock from the Sun (no idea if that is a correct example but you get the idea). 194.221.133.226 (talk) 11:07, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

• I've asked Jimmy Wales to be more nuanced about the "sum of all human knowledge" statement, because basically it's a statement about Wikimedia, rather than Wikipedia. Wikipedia isn't a dictionary. Dictionary knowledge belongs on Wiktionary. Quotes belong on WikiQuote and public domain poetry and books belong on WikiSource. And then there's the whole verifiability thing; we can't cover something that can't be checked and we have to make editorial decisions to keep articles a readable size. So we're not the sum of all human knowledge just a lot of it. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:15, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Well, I really don't think it makes much sense to take that statement very literally. It wouldn't be the total sum of human knowledge unless everything everyone knew was in there, which is obviously impossible -- it couldn't even contain all of my knowledge, let alone everyone's. That's got little to do with how much I know and much more to do with the nature of my knowledge. It's a pretty good statement of an ideal, though. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 13:22, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

But that statement does mean, people come here and promote their business or website, because they think everything can be included. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:27, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Those people don't come here to promote their business because they think everything can be included, they come here to promote their business because they want more customers. It's got nothing to do with whether they believe in collecting the total sum of human knowledge. (They may well quote that when an argument ensues, but that's blatantly disingenuous.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:41, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

The thing is, Notability is a ridiculously fuzzy concept. What generally happens is, we try to create an article on every town, every high school, etc, within any area in the world that people are willing to write articles on. Small businesses, bands, people, etc. are easier to determine notability for. ~AH1^(TCU) 16:28, 8 March 2009 (UTC)

changing the extended network box message?

how do i change the extended network box message? all i seem to find on the web is replace it with a picture not how to change the message —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.106.69.142 (talk) 11:26, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Is this about MySpace? Please explain.--Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 11:53, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

yeah myspace :P, i tried a few tricks but it didn't work out properly

Well, nowadays, MySpace has an option where you change it. It's called Mood and Status setting. Good luck! 66.229.148.27 (talk) 18:25, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Automotive price conversion question

I'm looking at the new Ford Focus on Ford's New Zealand site, and am trying to work out the currency conversion. The models I'm interested in is the 2.0 Zetec five-door hatchback, at $35,490 (New Zealand dollars), but how much is that in United Kingdom pounds?

Ta. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.45.219.185 (talk) 14:36, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Should add it was because I was thinking of getting it as a grey import. Ta. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.45.219.185 (talk) 14:41, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Google does currency conversions automagically direct from the search box.

• 35490 new zealand dollars in uk pounds or
• 35490 NZD in GBP

Either the three-letter currency code or some approximation to the currency name will work. Their algorithm is quite clever. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:44, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

That's a pretty serious issue - and I can almost guarantee it's a bad idea. Make sure that the NZ version of it meets UK emissions/economy/safety standards - and that it's tuned to run well on whatever kind of gasoline is common in the UK. There are frequently significant differences between vehicles made for different markets. Within the European community - you should be OK because the standards have been 'harmonized' between the european countries - but with NZ - all bets are off. You'll have to pay import duties on it too. Shipping from NZ will probably cost you several thousand on top of that. If you are looking for grey imports - it makes sense to stay within the European markets where you could probably go and pick up the car yourself and drive it home - where all of the laws regarding vehicle standards are harmonized - and where there are no import tarrifs to worry about. You might also look as US prices...at least the shipping will be cheaper. SteveBaker (talk) 15:29, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

The US and Europe are, of course, LHD. Grey import vehicles can be complicated: warranty, taxation, MOT and specification details, parts and servicing will all have to be considered. Also the hassle of shipping (as well as the cost). A quick google found this forum where users discuss shipping cars from NZ to UK, all offers quite different views. Also here's a shipping company which offers some info. Goggle will find you more shipping companies. Gut instinct tells me it wouldn't be worth it: NZ is not the cheapest place for new cars (but then, the UK isn't either, so who knows). And don't forget you might be able to get a good deal from UK car sale companies at the moment. And why buy new? Gwinva (talk) 21:38, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Europe's LHD, but you can order a RHD car from somewhere else in the EU provided you're prepared to wait for it to be built. (People doing that is the reason you sometimes see RHD Opels.) That way you'd also avoid having to get it tested for SVA - if I've read the reference correctly, you'd have to get that done for a car imported from NZ. Don't know how much money you'd save that way, but you'd certainly save a bit of effort! AJHW (talk) 11:36, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

I need a certain title for a book

The book has to do with Slaves in Antebellum America and in one scene, a certain slave's breasts are torn off. Please help =] 66.229.148.27 (talk) 17:53, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

DO you want to find a book, or do you needa title for a book you are writing? Thnaks, Genius101^Guestbook 22:14, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Toni Morrison's Beloved is a book like that, but can't recall that scene exactly, it has violent stories in it. It's been awhile since reading it though. Here's a list of her other books. Unless you do need a title for your own antebellum brutality book. Julia Rossi (talk) 22:35, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I think Kindred by Octavia Butler has something similar to that, too. Steewi (talk) 00:22, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Chicken Wound

Monday night, my bantam chicken disappeared. Tuesday night I found her trying to get back into our yard (she was on the other side of the fence). However, she now has a small wound on her chest. She also seems fatter than before and can't seem to flap her wings. Does anyone know what might have caused this and if I can do anything for her. Should I take her to a vet?--Pufferfish4 (talk) 17:55, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

If you are concerned, taking her to the vet would be the best plan. Even a small wound can get infected, so I would certainly advise getting professional help. A bunch of random people on the internet are not the best people to trust with your pet's well-being. --Tango (talk) 18:05, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

On the other hand, a random chicken does not have a lot of monetary value, so a replacement might be cheaper then repairs (vet). 65.167.146.130 (talk) 20:20, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I would've said the same as 65.167 but judging by the reference to 'her' and 'she' and asking about vets I guess this is more of a pet than a commodity. as Tango says you'd be best off seeing a vet to find out more, anything we say would likely be of limited use (unless you follow 65.167's advise, eat your current one and replace it with a new chicken). ny156uk (talk) 20:30, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

If you are fond of the banty, take her straight to a vet who deals with such animals. She might or might not need a bit of surgery or antibiotics. We do not provide any veterinary advice, unfortunately. Edison (talk) 00:52, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Since it's usually impractical to give chickens the quality of veterinary care that larger animals receive, I think it's appropriate to answer such questions here. We had many wounded chickens after a dog attack. Some were so far gone that we euthanized them. For the others, we washed out the wounds with saline and a topical antibiotic, sewed the wounds closed, bandaged them up, and separated them from the other birds. Except for one beloved hen which got a worm infestation and died, all 5 of the wounded made full recoveries. You should get a book on bird doctoring before you proceed. Good luck! --Sean 16:41, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

I found another, but smaller, wound under her wing, so we think she might have been picked up by a hawk and then dropped and she may be slightly bloated because of bruises. I've been applying Hydrogen Peroxide and Neosporin on her wound and they look a little better. She is also running around, eating and drinking. But if the swelling doesn't go down soon I will call a vet. Thanks for your help. If you have any more suggestions, they are welcome--Pufferfish4 (talk) 01:33, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

Bad grades

How does people interpret bad grades? Bad luck? Foolishness? Lack of motivation? And how important are they? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.12.16.53 (talk) 18:48, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

That depends on the circumstances and the people involved. Grades in what and at what level? How bad are they? Is it one grade that's bad or lots of them? Did the person in question do sufficient work? What are the grades being used for (getting a job, getting into the next level of education, etc.)? Were there any extenuating circumstances? Without more information, there is no way to answer this question. There is no single explanation for people getting bad grades. --Tango (talk) 18:54, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Also, and I realize this will sound snarky, but when the person trying to explain their bad grades says stuff like, "How does people..." it tends to over-ride any explanations or justifications they might have. A grade is a teacher's interpretation of how well a student is doing; using incorrect grammar will also influence people's interpretations of how well the student is doing. Matt Deres (talk) 21:24, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

The IP address traces to Spain. In Spanish the most direct translation of the English word "people" (gente) is construed as singular (this brings me back to one of my hobby horses — people is not the plural of person; it's a mass noun construed as plural, as gente is a mass noun construed as singular). Unless the poster plans to study in an English-speaking country (or get a degree in English) I wouldn't worry too much about this particular aspect. --Trovatore (talk) 09:09, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Your whole post looks advanced to me. The mathiacs in my high school class had really high grades in maths and the sciences but barely registered on the literature, language scale. They were highly regarded though. Another person had average grades though he worked hard and consistently and was well-regarded by teachers as well. His nice attitude seemed to attract people too. Later he became a teacher himself. But to answer your question, mostly the person who gets bad grades is blamed for it along the lines that you have there. Bad grades are important in that they can prevent you from going further and they give the impression that's all there is to you, but doing something about it and improving grades through commitment and consistently working in class and in assignments can change things. That makes a good impression and people are patient with someone seen to be making an effort. Julia Rossi (talk) 22:30, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

In my experience students getting bad grades either could do well, but for whatever reason (maybe their own fault, maybe not) are not achieving their potential, or could not do well, no matter how hard they try. There is a world of difference between the two. Luck has very little to do with it as far as I can see—grades are a complicated calculus of ability plus time spent on it. That's it. A deficit in either side of that equation (much less both sides) can lead to a bad grade. I give a lot of bad grades, for both reasons. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 01:05, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

If you believe that you have had a bad day, bad luck or that under other circumstances you'll get a better grade go for independent exams: SAT for bad high-school grades, GRE for bad undergraduate grades, or perhaps TOEFL for bad English grades. A short (1 year) master can repair bad graduate grades.

Bad grades will clearly influence your chances of getting to the next level of education. That can be specially harmful for you, if you plan to study further.--Mr.K. (talk) 12:31, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

It would be even better if the OP took independent exams that exist in their country (Spain, apparently). People stop assuming the entire world is in the USA. --Tango (talk) 13:52, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Does mixing mayonnaise and English mustard give an approximation of American mustard?

It certainly seemed to. I just tried it. English mustard is too strong, and that's coming from someone who likes heavily spiced food. But the article doesn't seem to mention this practice.--Rosechu (talk) 21:14, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

And when I say American mustard, I might also mean French mustard as well. You know, just the milder stuff, NOT the Coleman's stuff which I'm trying to dilute.--Rosechu (talk) 21:17, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Is American mustard and yellow mustard the same? 65.167.146.130 (talk) 21:51, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Well something like French's is much sweeter than english mustard with mayonnaise from my experience, but you'd certainly be getting closer to american mustard and further away from the stronger/more potent english mustard. ny156uk (talk) 22:17, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I have no experience with English mustard, but might it make sense to mix it with honey to make a honey mustard? It's rare for American mustard to have anything mayonnaise-y in it, though mustard sauces and dressings often do. Here are the ingredients for the three best-selling American mustards:

French's classic yellow: distilled vinegar, water, No.1 grade mustard seed, salt, turmeric, paprika, spice, natural flavor, garlic powder

Plochman's mild yellow: white distilled vinegar, water, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, onion powder, spices, natural flavoring

Gulden's: vinegar, mustard seed, salt, spices and turmeric --Fullobeans (talk) 03:10, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

I think the difference between American Hot Dog mustards and the traditional English brown mustards is the type of mustard seed and the addition of tumeric, which gives the distinctive yellow color. There is usually no oil or egg in it at all, which are the operative ingredients in Mayonaise... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:13, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

I suspect that the difference between American and English mustard is that English mustard is mustard powder mixed with water - nothing more. Other mustards tend to have vinegar, sugar and other diluting agents in it. It's a source of mild amusement to use Brits to see Americans go for the English mustard with the same vigour as they go for the milder American stuff! --TammyMoet (talk) 09:08, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Coleman's English mustard also contains wheat flour, sugar, salt, turmeric, but it seems that there's a greater quantity of mustard flour[1]. So it's more in the proportions than anything else. --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 14:50, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

I suspect Tammy meant "the mustard that most English people eat and think of as mustard" when she said "English mustard", rather than "a branded product that calls itself English mustard". I think it's pretty common just to have a tin of mustard powder in the cupboard (which, as far as I can tell, contains nothing but mustard flour), which you can mix up with water, or vinegar, or milk, or whatever, and is also useful for adding to various recipes. 79.66.56.21 (talk) 18:40, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

Dijonnaise is a blend of (Dijon) mustard and mayonnaise. You'd end up with something more like this then American mustard IMHO. Nil Einne (talk) 18:13, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

Really large payments

When some company or organisation buys something really expensive, like a ship or an aeroplane, from another company or organisation, how is the payment actually handled in practice? Does someone sit at an online banking website and key in a transfer of several million euros/dollars? And, a question that has been nagging at my mind, what if say, a ship costs € 100 million, but the customer only pays € 99'999'999.95? Does the provider say "No can't do, we won't deliver the ship until you pay us the missing 5 cents"? JIP | Talk 21:58, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Most businesses buy things on 'account', so they are given the product without paying, and then billed later. For businesses where this is a 'standard' purchase that would be reasonably normal. ny156uk (talk) 22:22, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

That really depends on how they want to do it. I mean, if the two parties trust each other enough, I'm sure they can use an online banking service if they like. Hell, they can even use an IOU, I guess. Typically, though, large transactions like this are done on a bank's premises, or with an officer of the bank presiding over the transaction at another location. In cases like this, money is held in escrow. In other words, if you're buying that 100 million ship from me, in the beginning of the process, you authorize the bank's officer to take that money from your account and hold it in escrow. This ensures that you indeed have the money, and that you can't suddenly take the money and the ship and run (or only pay me a part of the money). The terms of the escrow dictate that I will get the money when we both sign the purchase agreement. The bank officer then releases the money to me. The details can vary, but this is how things are typically done. (That's how it works if you buy your own home, too.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 22:26, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

(ec) I suspect it depends entirely on the terms of the contract. Payment may be spread out in some form (advances, milestones, installments, etc.), divided into multiple classes (stock, assets, cash, etc.), or paid as a lump sum (often with the assistance of one or more banks). The contract will also probably provide resolution for partial payment, though I suspect few would bother with a 5-cent discrepancy. I would also doubt that any employee would have access to a website where large amounts of money could be transferred with little or no oversight—moving that much money most likely requires multiple-level approvals. (This is conjecture; I, unfortunately, do not have personal experience with such amounts of money.) – 74  22:33, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

I have to say, we all probably wish that we had that much money lying around. *sigh*. Genius101^Guestbook 22:49, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

You don't say... With even one million €, I could pay my rent and eat a 15 € meal every day, without having to lift a finger to work, until the year 2091... 194.100.223.164 (talk) 13:34, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

You haven't accounted for inflation. You need far more than €1m to retire that early. --Tango (talk) 13:42, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

Invest it. With a million to start with, you shouldn't have any trouble finding something that will match inflation. --Carnildo (talk) 00:02, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

To use a lump sum of money to retire you need to invest it in a way that allows you to live off the interest without touching the principle (and, in fact, allowing the principle to grow to compensate for inflation keeping the real value of the interest constant). You can try guessing when you are going to die and working out when you can start spending the principle, but you risk running out of money when you're 90 years old, or something, which wouldn't be pleasant. --Tango (talk) 01:40, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

principal. —Tamfang (talk) 20:27, 7 May 2009 (UTC)

I don't know about other such huge purchases, but aeroplanes aren't actually 'bought' as such. The financing transaction (varies between transactions, of course, since they are so major) works like this. The customer (airline, say) enters into a contract with a bank to pay a monthly sum (call it rent or interest). The bank securitises that income stream, and sells interests in it (i.e. the right to receive money coming in from the airline) to financiers who, in return, cough up the money up front. That money goes to the seller of the aircraft.

You can, of course, add other bells and whistles to make the transaction more complex, but basically the money upfront flows from financiers --> bank --> manufacturer, the plane flows from manufacturer --> airline, and the repayments (rent) flows from the airline --> financier, and thus everything goes full circle.

In other (less) large international trade transactions, a letter of credit is often used to facilitate the movement of the money. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 05:01, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

One of the bells and whistles PalaceGuard left out would be an insurance company. They often insure both ends to some extent. It's called risk management. So the buyer will have an insurance that will help out if they face financial difficulties and the seller will have a "bad debt" insurance. In addition large purchases are sometimes insured separately from the company's general risk insurance. (... and if lots of companies default on payment for their deals the insurance companies get into trouble - see AIG) 76.97.245.5 (talk) 07:39, 5 March 2009 (UTC)

In H. Norman Schwarzkopf's autobiography (he was a commander in the early 1990's Gulf War), he described how the Saudi government contributed something like US$ 500M towards the war costs, by simply writing a check for that amount to the US Government (I think the check may have been signed by the king of Saudi Arabia) and handing it over to one of Schwarzkopf's people. IIRC, Schwarzkopf immediately had someone jump into a military jet and fly the check to Washington DC for deposit, since sending it by normal courier would have taken a couple days longer, and the daily interest on such a large amount was enough to justify the cost of the special flight. 207.241.239.70 (talk) 13:48, 5 March 2009 (UTC)