Mad Scientist Trivia
Originally published as a daily e-mail newsletter
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WILLARD SCOTT, CRICKET?
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you if you can predict the
weather by the sound of katydids or crickets. This question comes in by email
from an anonymous reader, and sounds suspiciously like the kind of thing my
dad used to tell me when I was a kid. ("Why do crickets chirp, Dad?"
"Because it's going to rain, so you better get that lawn mowed right now!")
Anyway, there's no scientific evidence that I can find about weather-predicting
abilities of crickets or katydids. Both insects create their "songs"
by rubbing the bases of their wings together. The resultant chirping - made
primarily but not exclusively by males - is a mating call.
And now for today's question: How is the length of a season determined?
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ALASKANS SPEAK OUT
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you how the length of a
season is determined. This question comes from reader "Nicola," who
writes: "I live in Alaska and we get 7 to 8 months of winter weather. I
would like to know how the length of seasons is determined." I hear you,
Nicola. If I were in your shoes, I'd want some answers too. The changing seasons
are caused by the changing position of the earth in relation to the sun. In
the Earth's Northern Hemisphere, things are generally warmer in the middle of
the calendar year because the north end of the Earth's axis is tilted toward
the sun. In the winter months, the Southern Hemisphere gets more light (and
warmth). In your case, Nicola, the effects are intensified since you live so
far north. In winter months, very little sunlight gets to your part of the world,
because the northern half of the Earth is tilted away from the sun. Them's the
breaks.
And now for today's question: At what angle should a baseball leave a bat to ensure the greatest distance?
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BASEBALL REDUX
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what angle a baseball
should leave a bat to ensure the greatest distance. (This question came up a
few weeks back, but because of a technical glitch, the answer was never delivered.)
If there were no such thing as air resistance, an angle of 45 degrees would
give the greatest distance, as it would equally distribute the force of the
baseball between the horizontal and vertical axes, offering a compromise between
how long the ball would remain aloft and how far it would travel while doing
so. Because of air resistance, the flight path of a ball diminishes rapidly
after it reaches its highest point, and the angle of the ball needs to be lower
for it to fly further. So, an angle ofroughly 35 degrees yields the greatest
distance in most conditions. This figure, however, is probably not what Mark
McGuire is thinking of when he's standing in the batters box.
And now for today's question: What is hyperopia? (A) nearsightedness (B) farsightedness (C) color blindness (D) x-ray vision
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A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what hyperopia is --
(A) nearsightedness (B) farsightedness (C) color blindness (D) x-ray vision.
Hyperopia is the five-dollar word for farsightedness, a visual defect in which
a person can see distant objects clearly, but close-up vision is blurred. It's
usually associated with an actual physical problem with the eyeball itself.
Specifically, if the eyeball is too short, front to back, light reaches the
retina before it can be properly focused. In mild cases, the eye can sometimes
fix itself by a process called accommodation, in which certain muscles contract,
making the lens of the eye rounder and thicker. Accommodation become harder
as you get older, however, which is why you may need glasses at 50 you never
needed at 20.
And now for today's question: Concave lenses are used to correct farsightedness, true or false?
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CONCAVE VS CONVEX
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you whether concave lenses
are used to correct farsightedness. I had a lengthy discussion on this topic
with my optometrist the other day, just before he used that irritating little
machine that blows a puff of air into your eyes. I hate that thing. Anyway,
she set me straight: Concave lenses (thinner in the middle, thicker along the
edges) are actually used to correct myopia, or nearsightedness. With myopia,
light rays reflected from distant objects focus before they reach the retina.
For farsightedness, you need a convex lens (thicker in the middle) because light
hits the retina before it focuses. Now you know.
And now for today's question: What is artificial turf made of?
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ARTIFICIAL TURF AND OTHER EVILS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what artificial turf
is made of. Baseball purists will tell you that artificial turf is one of the
leading causes of general social decline, along with the designated hitter rule.
Most artificial turf is constructed much like regular household carpeting, with
tough nylon fibers or similar material woven into a base pad. For outdoor artificial
turf, these fibers are likely to be a lot tougher than your standard soft carpeting.
The base pad is glued to a rubber pad, usually around one inch thick. Then the
rubber is glued to a layer of asphalt that can be up to five inches thick. The
whole synthetic mess is then laid atop whatever existing ground covering there
is, usually gravel.
And now for today's question: Phineas Miller was the financial backer for what famous American inventor?
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MILLER AND WHITNEY
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you to name the American
inventor who was financially backed by Phineas Miller. Sadly forgotten by most
historians, Phineas Miller was the financial partner of one of America's most
revered inventors - Eli Whitney. Whitney, you'll recall, patented the first
cotton gin, which helped to automate the process of removing cotton fiber. His
invention almost single-handedly led the U.S. to become the world's leading
cotton grower, giving the young nation a sorely needed economic boost. Miller
and Whitney never made the fortune you'd expect from their endeavors, though.
Other manufacturers copied Whitney's design, and although he would win court
cases against them eventually, by the time it all shook out his patent had expired
anyway.
And now for today's question: What planet is named after the Roman god of the dead?
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DOGS AND ROMAN DEATH GODS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked which planet is named after
the Roman god of the dead. That'd be Pluto, although a better question might
be why did Walt Disney name the Mickey's family dog after the Roman god of the
dead? Seems a little grim for pre-schoolers. Anyway, Pluto the planet was actually
discovered by pure mathematics, not direct observation. In 1905, American astronomer
Percival Lowell observed that the gravity of some unknown planet seemed to be
affecting the orbits of Neptune and Uranus. Lowell spent more than 10 years
trying to locate the planet by telescope, but died in 1916 with no success.
Pluto would not be photographed by telescope until 1929. (The name Pluto also
honors Lowell, whose initials are the planet's first two letters.)
And now for today's question: On what planet might you find the Great Dark Spot?
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THE GREAT DARK SPOT
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you on what planet you might
find the Great Dark Spot. This one's a little tricky. Jupiter is home to the
Great Red Spot, a swirling, hurricane-like mass of gas around three times the
diameter of the Earth. But to find the Great Dark Spot, you'll have to look
a little further out in the solar system -- to Neptune. In 1989, Voyager 2 observed
that Neptune had a dark area made up of violently swirling masses of gas, very
similar to the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. But in 1994, the Hubble Space Telescope
found that the Great Dark Spot had vanished. (The Great Red Spot disappears
from time to time as well.) Scientists aren't sure where these awesome cosmic
storms disappear to, though some suspect they may simply be wintering in southern
France.
And now for today's question: Name the three types of solar eclipses.
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SOLAR ECLIPSES
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you to name the three types
of solar eclipses. A solar eclipse occurs, as you know, when the moon passes
between the earth and the sun, casting a shadow of the moon on our lovely home
planet. The first type is a total eclipse, in which the moon fully blocks the
sun from the sky. The sun's corona, or outer rim, will still be visible. (Back
on our high school football team, we had a linebacker called Tommy "Total
Eclipse" Milchner, named for his ability to get between the sun and opposing
quarterbacks.) If the moon is at its farthest point from the earth when a total
eclipse occurs, the eclipse may be an annular eclipse, in which the moon darkens
only the middle of the sun. A partial eclipse occurs when the moon covers only
part of the sun from the side, leaving a crescent sun in the sky.
And now for today's question: What is the path of totality?
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THE PATH OF TOTALITY
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what the path of totality
is. Little known outside of certain esoteric circles, the path of totality is
a state of Zen-like consciousness that can be achieved via meditation and Robitussin.
No, not really. Actually, the path of totality is the path along which the moon's
shadow passes across the earth in a solar eclipse. During an eclipse, the total
eclipse effect - in which the moon totally blocks the sun - occurs only in a
narrow band. In fact, the path of totality is never wider than about 170 miles
(274 kilometers).
And now for today's question: What is cellophane made from?
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CELLULOSE TO CELLOPHANE
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what cellophane is made
from. This question comes in from reader B. Vial, who was wrapping a sandwich
one day when it occurred to her: "What am I wrapping this in, anyway?"
It's good to cultivate a questioning mind, B. Cellophane ultimately comes from
cellulose, a substance found in the walls of plant cells. Manufacturers chemically
remove cellulose from wood pulp and treat it with various chemicals to create
viscose, a think, syrupy liquid. The viscose is then filtered and drawn into
liquid sheets which are immediately sprayed with sulfuric acid. The viscose
hardens to cellophane, and various other chemical processes are used to increase
flexibility. Cellophane was produced in the United States for the first time
in 1924.
And now for today's question: What do water, coffee and tea have in common?
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COFFEE, TEA, BEER
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what water, coffee,
tea and beer all have in common. As you may have guessed, this is the exact
sequence of beverages I use to jump start my mornings at the office. No, no--the
truth is that these are all diuretics. Diuretics are drugs or substances that
increase the amount of urine discharged by the kidneys. Many diuretics particularly
increase the amount of sodium and chloride discharged. Diuretics can be used
to alleviate high blood pressure, simply by reducing the amount of blood in
the body. However, they also result in the loss of potassium and other helpful
substances.
And now for today's question: How do altimeters work?
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ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you how altimeters work.
Altimeters, for those who don't fly airplanes or climb mountains regularly,
are devices used to indicate altitude. This question came up when my ever-curious
nephew noticed an elevation sign at the side of the highway. He asked how they
measure elevation, and since I didn't know (at the time) I told him that the
information had been classified by the Pentagon. Works like a charm. Now enlightened,
I can tell you that there are two main kinds of altimeters--pressure altimeters
and radar altimeters. Pressure altimeters, used by mountain climbers, measure
atmospheric pressure, which decreases as altitude increases. Radar altimeters
are used by aircraft and measure distance to the ground by radar.
And now for today's question: Coral reefs are made of skeletons, true or false?
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CORAL SKELETONS?
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you if it's true that coral
reefs are made of skeletons. No bones about it, coral is formed by millions
of tiny animals called coral polyps. Coral polyps are tiny, cylinder shaped
critters usually less than an inch in diameter (although some measure as wide
as a foot.) Most coral reefs are composed of stony corals, which build exterior
limestone skeletons by taking calcium out of the seawater at one end of their
cylindrical bodies and depositing calcium carbonate (limestone) from the other.
Subsequent generations build upon the skeletons of dead polyps, and pretty soon
(in a planetary sense) you have gigantic coral reefs.
And now for today's question: Name the animal whose name means "thousand
footed."
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MANY, MANY FEET
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you to name the animal whose
name means "thousand footed." Yes, it's an easy one: millipede. But
don't call it an insect. A millipede is technically an anthropod, member of
the phylum Anthropoda, as are insects. But properly speaking, they constitute
two separate groups. (They're not centipeded either--that's a third classification
within the phylum.) Also, millipedes don't really have 1,000 legs, although
some species do have more than one hundred. Creepy as they are, you don't have
to worry about millipedes. They eat plants. Centipedes are the bad guys--some
species in Arizona can grow up to a foot long, eat small lizards, and are poisonous
to humans.
And now for today's question: Scientifically speaking, which cartoon character is a Picidae?
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THE WOODY WOODPECKER SHOW
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you which cartoon character,
scientifically speaking, is a Picidae? The next Saturday morning that Junior
is camped in front of the TV, switch off the tube and explain to him that Woody
Woodpecker is actually an M. erythrocephalus, of the family Picidae. He'll thank
you for it later. Woodpeckers use their long bills to drill into trees and get
to the bugs and larvaue that live underneath. Most kids can tell you that. But
then you can tell him how woodpeckers use their long barbed tongue to grab the
goodies and eat. Woodpeckers have a few other unique characteristics that help
them do what they do best. Most have two front toes and two hind toes on each
claw to help them stay upright while latched onto a vertical trunk. They also
have strong neck muscles to help them with that repetitive pecking. Few had
the comic timing of Woody, though, which is why not many woodpeckers ever made
it to Hollywood.
And now for today's question: Name the only known mammal whose social organization resembles that of insects.
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BLIND MOLES
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you to name the only known
mammal whose social organization resembles that of insects. Very likely the
ugliest mammal on the planet (no mother-in-law jokes, please) the naked mole
rat is an enduring curiosity of the animal kingdom. Nearly blind and around
eight centimeters long (about three inches), the naked mole rat isn't actually
naked--it has whiskers and some scattered body hair that it uses to feel its
way through the burrows it digs with its teeth. The interesting thing is that
in any given colony (70-80 mole rats), there is only one offspring-producing
female. The female has one to three mates; the rest of the colony serves as
workers, foragers, or defenders. In fact, if any other female attempts to reproduce,
she'll be attacked by the rest of the colony. Whatever works, I guess.
And now for today's question: What does a fathometer measure?
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HELLO FATHOMETER
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what a fathometer measures.
Used by ships to measure depth of water, a fathometer works by using sonar to
send sound waves down to the floor of the ocean, lake, river--what have you.
A fathometer has two parts: the submarine oscillator puts out the sound signals,
and the echo receiver takes the signal back up. The sound is amplified and sent
to an output device of some sort, usually on the bridge.
And now for today's question: Name the American inventor born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1847.
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GOD BLESS THE SCOTS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you to name the American
inventor born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1847. God bless the Scots. They gave
us William Wallace, single malt whiskey, and Alexander Graham Bell--inventor
of the telephone. Bell's early life helped form his later interest in sound
and the human voice. His mother was a musician and his father an educator that
taught deaf mutes to speak and wrote extensively on speech. Bell was a talented
musician and played by ear since he was a child. After moving to Boston in 1872,
he began experimenting with transmitting speech electrically. The rest is history:
The basic patent for Bell's telephone was granted in 1876. He was 29.
And now for today's question: Name the first U.S. astronaut to make two orbital space flights.
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TWO ORBITAL FLIGHTS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you to name the first U.S.
astronaut to make two orbital space flights. This is a good one to bring out
at your next NASA luncheon. The answer: Leroy Gordon Cooper. A lot of space
buffs might try to convince you that the answer is Virgil I. Grissom. This is
your chance to chuckle sympathetically and set the record straight. Grissom
did indeed make two space flights before Cooper did, but Grissom did not orbit
the earth on his first flight. On May 15-16, 1963, Cooper circled the earth
22 times in the Mercury spacecraft Faith 7. On Aug. 21-29, 1965, he and Charles
Conrad, Jr., orbited the earth 120 times in the Gemini 5 spacecraft.
And now for today's question: Who invented the electron microscope?
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ERNST "THE RUSK" RUSKA
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you who invented the electron
microscope. A German electrical engineer, Ernst "The Rusk" Ruska produced
the first electron "lens" in 1931. Ruska's thinking was thus: It was
known at the time that electrons form configurations of waves similar to light
waves, but with a wavelength of around 1 angstrom (1/10,000,000 millimeter).
The shortest wavelength of visible light, however, is about 4,000 times greater
than this. Ruska figured that if a device were to focus electron waves as an
ordinary microscope focuses light, objects could be observed in far greater
detail. He was right, and was awarded a Nobel prize in 1986, two years before
he died.
And now for today's question: Name the six noble gases.
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XENON AND THE REST
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you to name the six noble
gases. Always considered great fun at royal banquets, the six noble gases were
Sir Randolph "Bubbles" Jacobin, Duke Archibald "Boo Boo"
Smythe, Countess Marissa "Loco" Amicoco--oops, wait a sec. Wrong notes
again. Here we go: The six noble gases are argon (Ar), helium (He), krypton
(Kr), neon (Ne), radon (Rn), and xenon (Xe). Unlike most other gaseous elements,
the noble gases occur as single atoms instead of as molecules. Therefore, they
do not gain or lose electrons, or share electrons with other elements, unless
you deliberately mess with them. This makes them useful for providing checmically
inactive atmospheres for heating metals and performing other tasks.
And now for today's question: What do you call an eleven-sided polygon?
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ELEVEN SIDED POLYGONS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what you call an eleven-sided
polygon. This is an old groaner at mathematics department funding meetings.
The answer: "Call it anything you want, just don't try to divide it into
congruent isosceles triangles unless it's equilateral and equiangular!"
An eleven sided polygon is called a hendecagon. The rundown: Three sides is
a triangle; four, a quadrilateral; five, a pentagon; six, a hexagon; seven,
a heptagon; eight, an octagon; nine, a nonagon; ten, a decagon; eleven, a hendecagon;
and twelve, a dodecagon. Go forth with this knowledge and prosper.
And now for today's question: If Blaise Pascal taught a law school course, it would most likely have to do with which of the following? (A) the law of gravity (B) the litigation of velocitiy (C) the appeals court of magnetism (D) oil pumps.
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FLUIDS AND OIL PUMPS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you, "If Blaise Pascal
taught a law school course, it would most likely have to do with which of the
following? (A) the law of gravity (B) the litigation of velocitiy (C) the appeals
court of magnetism (D) oil pumps." The answer is actually (D) oil pumps.
Pascal's Law states that pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted
with equal force throughout the container. Pascal, a French physicist and philosopher,
developed his principle around 1650. It explains the operation of air compressors,
hydraulic elevators, and--yes--oil pumps. It's also the reason why forcing the
cork into a bottle of wine can cause the bottle to shatter. Pascal also laid
the foundation for probability theory in mathematics, and invented an automatic
calculating machine. He liked to keep busy.
And now for today's question: What common type of analog computer can be found in the medicine cabinet?
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THERMOS AND SPEEDOS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you, "What common type
of analog computer can be found in the medicine cabinet?" Our conception
of the word "computer" has changed dramatically with the advent of
the PC, but there are many common devices that are technically analog computers.
A thermometor, for example. It uses the expansion and contraction of mercury
to indicate temperature. An analog computer can be anything that solves problems
by measuring a continuously varying quantity. Another example might be a speedometer,
which indicated speed by measuring a wheel's RPMs. A digital computer, which
we are most familiar with, uses numerical digits to measure quantities.
And now for today's question: What is Boolean logic and who is it named after?
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ALGEBRA AND LOGIC
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you, "What is Boolean
logic and who is it named after?" George Boole, an English logician and
mathematician, developed a new type of mathematics in the mid-1800s based on
the binary system. (If you've ever attempted to develop a new type of mathematics,
you know how tough it can be. Especially before your first cup of coffee.) Boolean
algebra and Boolean logic can be used to perform advanced mathematical and logical
operations within the binary system, the core mathematical language of digital
computers. Boole's advances contributed greatly to the development of computer
logic and languages. His major works include "Mathematical Analysis of
Logic" (1847) and "An Investigation of the Laws of Thought" (1854).
Good for light bedtime reading.
And now for today's question: What is the Jacquard loom?
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LOOMS AND ENGINES
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you, "What is the Jacquard
loom?" Considered a major breakthrough in custodial technology, this invention
forever changed the way janitors sweep floors and - oops, wait a second. Wrong
notes. That's the Jacquard broom, a whole different story. We're talking about
the Jacquard loom, a device invented in 1801 by French weaver Joseph Marie Jacquard.
Jacquard used a system of punch cards to mechanically automate the motion of
needle and thread on his loom. When there was a hole present, the needle would
meet the thread; when there was no hole, there was no contact. By switching
up the cards and alternating the patterns of holes, Jacquard was able to create
complex weaves mechanically. Jacquard's loom inspired mathematician Charles
Babbage to design his famous "analytical engine," an early mechanical
computer.
And now for today's question: Which came first, ENIAC, EDVAC, or UNIVAC?
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THE FIRST COMPUTERS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you, "Which came first,
ENIAC, EDVAC, or UNIVAC?" For those unfamiliar with the history here, ENIAC,
EDVAC and UNIVAC were the first general-purpose electronic digital computers
to be built. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) was the first
of the first, built in 1946 by University of Pennsylvania engineers J. Presper
Eckert, Jr. and John William Mauchly. ENIAC used more than 18,000 vacuum tubes,
occupied more than 1,500 square feet of floor space, and consumed 150 kilowatts
of electricity during operation. EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic
Computer) and UNIVAC 1 (UNIVersal Automatic Computer) were built in 1951. UNIVAC
1 became the first commercially available computer.
And now for today's question: If someone offers you acetylsalicylic acid, you should (A) put on goggles and protective gear (B) call the cops (C) run away quickly (D) get a glass of water.
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WILLOW TREES AND ASPIRIN
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you, "If someone offers
you acetylsalicylic acid, you should (A) put on goggles and protective gear
(B) call the cops (C) run away quickly (D) get a glass of water." Besides
being one of the funnest words in medicine to say out loud, acetylsalicylic
acid is one of the most widely-used drugs in the word - aspirin. It's prepared
from the chemical compound salicylic acid, which is used in several drugs that
treat fever and pain. Salicylic acid was first prepared in 1838 from salicin,
a substance found in the bark of willow trees. Salicylic acid is also a fairly
good food preservative, but its use as such is banned in many countries because
the acid can be poisonous in large doses.
And now for today's question: Was the typewriter keyboard really designed to slow typists down?
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QWERTYUIOP
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you whether the typewriter
keyboard was really designed to slow typists down. You better believe it --
just another example of industry's bottom-line mentality shafting the working
folks. Well, not really. As we discussed previously, the familiar QWERTY keyboard
was manufactured by Remington & Sons around 1873 or 1874 (sources vary).
Original prototypes using alphabetical layouts would often jam when bars would
collide en route to the ribbon and paper. The QWERTY layout was designed to
remedy this by slowing typists down -- the most common letters are put in hard-to-reach
spots. Then there's this theory, sent in by reader P. Pitta: "The QWERTY
design was created as a marketing ploy. When a sale rep would demonstrate the
speed of a typewriter, they would type out the word 'typewriter'. All the letters
needed to type out typewriter were placed along the top line to help create
the illusion of speed."
And now for today's question: What do the terms AM and FM stand for?
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SIDEBANDS AND CARRIER WAVES
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what the terms AM and
FM stand for. This question comes in from reader C. Toro, who after years of
mindlessly flipping the radio dial has finally decided to come to grips with
the world around her. Good work, C. An inquisitive mind is a healthy mind. AM
(amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation) designate specific kinds
of radio transmissions. In a radio transmission, information is imparted to
a carrier wave by varying its amplitude, frequency, or duration in a process
called modulation. AM and FM go about this differently, AM by creating "side-band"
frequencies in the carrier wave, FM by varying the number of cycles the wave
goes through. (It gets pretty technical.) In the US, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) regulates broadcast frequencies. For AM radio, it's 535 kilohertz
to 1.7 megahertz; FM, 88 megahertz and 108 megahertz.
And now for today's question: Can two people see the same rainbow?
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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAINBOW
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you whether two people can
see the same rainbow. This question came up a few weeks back and I provided
a very sensible answer, plus some excellent Kermit the Frog jokes. Still, the
e-mails poured in. The answer I gave was no, since rainbows are simply refracted
light in drops of water. Basically, every person is standing in the middle of
their own rainbow. Not so, writes reader S. Branigan: "Actually there is
a way for two people to see the same rainbow ... take a picture of it. (There's
always a smart-aleck out there, isn't there?)" Sigh. Actually, S., there
were several -- you were the first of many to write in. Reader T. Lohrmann wonders
whether two people standing perpendicular and equidistant to a rainbow would
see the same thing. Sorry, T., there is no "other side" to a rainbow.
This is apparently news to another reader, Shelly, who writes: "My fiancé
swears he drove through a rainbow, though. He says he actually went through
the colors and everything." I'm sure you're fiancé is a fine young
man, Shelly, but I suspect there were illegal alkaloids involved….
And now for today's question: Why is seawater salty?
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OLD SALT
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you why seawater is salty.
Thanks to reader E. Bobobee for this query. The simple answer: It's salty because
there's quite a lot of salt in it. A typical sampling of seawater would be about
96.5 percent water, 2.5 percent salts, and the rest various trace amounts of
dissolved substances. I sense this answer leaves you hungry. Well, the composition
of seawater is affected by many different chemical and physical transport mechanisms.
As for the salt - blame the hydrologic cycle. Over the millennium, as rain washed
over the continents, soluble salt particles in the rocks were washed out to
sea. Some salts conceivably bubble up from the mantle of the earth as well.
And now for today's question: Can you touch your two index fingers together?
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HAIRY FINGERTIPS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you whether you can touch
your two index fingers together. This question, which gets rather cosmic, was
inspired by reader "Rusty," who writes: "I have always wondered
what would be the absolute smallest distance measurement possible when moving
two index fingers toward each other, before they actually touch. I have always
felt that nerves in the skin can 'feel' the other finger before they actually
make contact." We humans have two types of touch receptors: tactile hairs
and subcutaneous receptors. Since there are no hairs on your fingertips (well,
none on mine; can't speak for you, Rusty) it is the subcutaneous receptors doing
the work. Some holistic types and massage therapists believe in what amounts
to auras, in which you can physically feel something without actually touching
it. Then again, maybe you've heard this approach: Any two object moving toward
one another will never touch, since they are always halving the distance between
them. That is, you can bisect a linear space indefinitely. Very Zen, isn't it?