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July 20

Population and Life Expectancy

I've heard that the population explosion is not caused by people having more children, but by the fact that people lived longer. Is that true?

125.255.167.126 (talk) 04:40, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Which population explosion? When? And there would be more than just one reason. People living longer would help, yes. But there's also the exponential growth of the population via good old childbirth. If two people have two kids, and those kids have two kids each, and those kids each have two kids, that's 8 kids from the original 2 parents. And that's not taking into consideration that many families have more than just two children. Dismas|(talk) 04:56, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
That'd be the explosion in human population worldwide that we have all been seeing for our entire lifetimes. The poster is asking for facts, not hypothetical cases. See for example the opening pages of this document from the World Bank. "Around the world, death rates gradually decreased in the late 19th and the 20th centuries, with death rates in the developing world plummeting after World War II thanks to the spread of modern medicine. In much of the developing world the decline in death rates preceded the decline in birth rates by 20 years or more, resulting in record-high rates of population growth of 3 percent or even 4 percent a year." In summary, I'd call that a yes. --174.88.133.35 (talk) 05:17, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Actually Dismas, having only two kids would maintain the population, not increase it. Richard-of-Earth (talk) 08:12, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I see your point. I was trying to make the math/example simple. Dismas|(talk) 08:20, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Two kids per family won't even maintain the population, because some of those kids will die childless. Assuming no children with other partners, immigration or emigration, you might need something like 2.3 kids per couple to maintain the population. StuRat (talk) 03:28, 26 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Sort of, but rather than simply being due to "people living longer" its the more specific "more people living long enough to reproduce". If every couple has two children (that survive and reproduce), then population will remain constant. If people on average have more than that, population will grow. In the past, people tended to have large families (unless limited by death in childbirth), but infant mortality was very high, resulting in an much lower life expectancy. For most of history (and pre-history), these were closely balanced, meaning population growth was relatively low. In modern times, improvements in medicine, sanitation, and agriculture have drastically reduced infant mortality and death in childbirth, meaning lots more people can survive to reproduce themselves. ("The last 100 years have seen a rapid increase in population due to medical advances and massive increase in agricultural productivity[6] made possible by the Green Revolution", with sources). Generally, as health and wealth improve, societies eventually stop having so many children, but this tends to lag behind the improvements in survivability, resulting in a period of rapid population growth. Iapetus (talk) 11:23, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Söke, Turkey's Stealth Airfield

... pilot Sipostopoulos was flying a patrol over the Greek island of Samos when he suddenly changed course and head towards an abandoned airfield in the town of Söke just 3 kilometers away in Turkey’s western province of Aydın.

I checked Google Maps, there does not seem to be an anandoned airfield anywhere near Söke. At least within walking distance. The only firport I can find on the sattlelite image is Milas–Bodrum Airport which is about 100 km from Söke.

On the other hand, how does a pilot start his F-16 at the base normally? Do they use an auxiliary power unit truck? Or does he use the F-16's own jet fuel starter?

If the F-16 did not use the jet fuel starter to start the engine and he use it in the abandoned airfield, wouldn't it be a big problem for him?

A trip to the town to withdraw and exchange money and back may take a couple of hours. How did he explain his fuel level? Did he dump the unused jet fuel somewhere above water?

Does a typical Turkish ATM have Greek language instructions? I guess it's not a big issue. They probably have English instructions. If not, there are smartphone apps to help him decipher Turkish instructions. -- Toytoy (talk) 13:48, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

OpenStreetMap shows a large "Military area" on the southern end of Söke, and Google Earth shown that the southern part of that has some dilapidated structures near a strip of crumbling concrete that could be the (truncated) remains of a runway. Also, many ATMs in Europe (and possibly non-European parts of Turkey) will automatically translate when a foreign card is inserted. However, the story seems pretty unlikely for other reasons. Turkey and Greece have been teetering on the edge of war for decades, and the idea that a Greek fighter plane would enter Turkish airspace, land for long enough for the pilot to do quite a bit of banking in a foreign country, and then leave again, with nothing more than a "formal complaint" to Athens (and that the source for this would be an anonymous forum post rather than the Turkish defense ministry or embassy to Greece) presses the edges of belief. It would be hard to get approach plates for a long-closed airbase, and the F16 is not really suitable for landing on an unprepared runway. Finally, the capital controls in Greece affect overseas withdrawals from most banks as well. It's worth noting that The Telegraph briefly reported on this before apparently deleting the story. Smurrayinchester 15:17, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Its also hard to believe that an out of the way place in Turkey the ATM will issue foreign currency. MilborneOne (talk) 18:56, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

dog retirement

While shopping yesterday, I met an acquaintance who is blind. She mentioned that she has a new guide dog, her previous dog being "retired". What happens to retired service dogs? Are they offered to the general public as pets? —Tamfang (talk) 20:44, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The website for Guide Dogs of America states that "when a guide dog is retired, the guide dog user has the option to keep the dog or give it back to Guide Dogs of America for adoption." Anyone can apply to adopt, though the waiting list is "over six years" long for those not retired for "medical issues". Clarityfiend (talk) 21:41, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
It seems to be similar in the UK - see here, which also talks about re-homing dogs that don't make it through the training. The waiting list is shorter, though, at "several months to a year". AndrewWTaylor (talk) 13:52, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]


In the United States over the past couple of decades, the use of service dogs to combat a variety of issues has become much more common. In fact many colleges across the country have programs where Students can help train service dog over the course of a year or so- which is an extremely rewarding process[1]. But with over 387,000 service dogs across the US and 10,000 of those being specifically to assist the blind they make up a pretty big percentage of the household pets in the US[2]. This is why it is reasonable to wonder what happens to the dogs when they phase out of the program or something happens to their owner. Service dogs, particularly seeing eye dogs, "phase out" of the program at around the age of 8-10, but this of course can vary. [3]. The official Guide Dogs of the Blind site has this to say about the pups as they head into retirement: " After spending a life of devoted partnership, Guide Dogs deserve to spend their senior years in comfortable (and pampered!) retirement. They may remain with their partner as a pet, return to the home where they were raised, or be placed in a loving adoptive home. In all cases, they are honored and loved." In short, just because the dog can no longer assist the owner they are cast out but if they are yes service dogs can be adopted by a normal family as a pet after retirement.Tlkwiki (talk) 02:01, 24 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

References

  1. ^ http://college.usatoday.com/2015/01/16/colleges-dog-training-program-gives-students-far-more-than-class-credit/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=how+many+service+dogs+are+there+in+the+us. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_dog_guide. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Empty quarter

What are the two most cost-effective agricultural crops/plants/trees that can be grown in the Rub' al Khali ? 78.144.241.217 (talk) 21:01, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Not much of anything, unless you add lots of water and soil. From the article, the area is mostly sand dunes and gypsum flats, and natural flora is at a very low density as well as low diversity. Basically, 3 cm of rainfall per year and daily high temperatures around 120F are not conducive to agriculture. Arabian_Desert#Ecology_and_natural_resources lists a few plants that grow there, but they are all red links. Search the genus names to see what coverage WP has - e.g. Cornulaca_monacantha is an example species of one of the genera that grows there. SemanticMantis (talk) 21:22, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, but assuming you used water from a desalination plant. 78.144.241.217 (talk) 21:40, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Plants need more than water to flourish. Nitrogen plays a very important part. See Nitrogen_fixation. The sand would not support diazotrophs very well. So you would need to fertilize with chemicals. This will work out too expensive to be viable.196.213.35.146 (talk) 07:08, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
We have an articles on Desert farming and Arid-zone agriculture which might help. See also Center for Desert Agriculture (Saudi Arabia) and Desert Farming Experiment Yields First Results. Alansplodge (talk) 12:58, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Date palms might be a good choice, although I agree that they will need water and nutrients beyond what is already present. But at least the heat and extreme sunlight won't kill them. For the other, maybe prickly pear ? Or, if you want to include non-food crops, there's aloe vera. StuRat (talk) 20:24, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
  • There were ideas floated in the 70's, maybe earlier, to mix heavy crude with sand to make a substrate that roots could bind to retain water. The problem seemed to be lack of will due to economic factors. Such subsidized farming would be far more expensive than just importing food when you have the oil money to do so. One might compare this with agriculture in Israel. μηδείς (talk) 01:19, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What are the college equivalents of Grades 13-16+?

I'm filling out a job application, and it says "Please circle highest grade completed: 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16+" I have a Bachelor's Degree from a four-year college. Do I circle 16? --Aabicus (talk) 21:45, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. At least in the United States, high school consists of grades 9 to 12, so that the four years of college are considered 13 through 16. That notation is not uncommon in the United States. Robert McClenon (talk) 21:49, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Not uncommon?? I don't think I've ever seen college referred to as grades 13-16. That said, I'd probably know what they meant and circle 16. Dismas|(talk) 23:16, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I don't want to speak for Robert McClenon. But, I think he meant (or, at least, I interpreted his comment to mean) not that it is common to refer to college as grades 13 through 16, but, rather, that notation ("Please circle highest grade completed: 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16+") is pretty common on job applications and other forms. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 03:27, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Exactly. On job application forms, it is always used that way in the United States. In the United States, no college sophomore would ever say that they are in grade 14, but it is grade 14 based on the numbering. (Being a sophomore, they may say something that is both wise and foolish. Oh well.) If you are somewhere else, your mileage will vary. Robert McClenon (talk) 03:52, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Death Rate

What was the death rate of the world in 1850, 1900, 1950 and 2000?

Nineguy (talk) 23:26, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

To quote Myron Cohen: "One per person." ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots23:57, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, only 90 some percent of the people who ever have lived are dead now. Now you can assume that everyone will eventually die, but maybe not, with enough technology it might be possible to keep the essence of a person alive forever. StuRat (talk) 16:44, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by 'death rate', but maybe Mortality rate is a place to start. According to that article (and UNData), between 1950-1955 19.5/1000 people died every year (called the crude death rate or CDR), and between 2000-2005 8.4/1000 people per year. It may not be easy to find worldwide data that goes back more than a century, but assuming that the death rate wasn't changing fast, you can use Life expectancy data to calculate the crude death rate. For example, if the average lifespan of a person is 40 years, it follows that 1 in 40 people (or 25/1000) dies each year. - Lindert (talk) 12:17, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think that method is very good, because people die far more as babies or near their life expectancy than in their prime. For example, a baby boom will bring with it an increased death rate when they start to reach their life expectancy. Plagues, famines, and wars can have an effect, too. StuRat (talk) 16:48, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
That is true. It would only be useful for a stable period with little variation in population and life expectancy. - Lindert (talk) 17:14, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Infant Mortality Rate of Australia

What was the infant mortality rate and under-5 mortality rate of Australia in 1850, 1900, 1950 and 2000?

Nineguy (talk) 23:29, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

  • It's unclear whether you are just asking multiple random questions, or if this is homework. Your first question is ambiguous; the second one needs to define infant, assuming someone can get you the statistics. μηδείς (talk) 00:20, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Read it again, Stu. The OP asked for the infant and under five rate. They are not the same thing, and different countries define infant mortality differently. μηδείς (talk) 15:55, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Our article puts infant mortality at under 1, so we can use that. StuRat (talk) 18:08, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Technically the problem is that some countries count stillbirth as infant mortality, others only live births, and others only children that survive 24 hours from delivery. But the OP seems to be a puppet of the indeffed Bowei Huang 2, report in progress. μηδείς (talk) 18:31, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
See this for infant mortality (1912-2012) and this for child mortality (1960-2013). Note that further statistics may be available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics if they were recorded. Nanonic (talk) 06:47, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Before a certain date I doubt if the Aboriginal rate would have been recorded. StuRat (talk) 15:51, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]


July 21

OverDrive's name

Does anyone know how OverDrive, Inc. got its name? I can't find any information on it from a quick search of their website and WP's article. Thanks. 151.132.206.26 (talk) 00:22, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

This article from 1988 seems to imply that the original company was "Turbosoft" and "Overdrive" was a product. I found here that "Turbosoft" and "Overdrive" were trademarks owned by "Turbo Law Laboratories, Inc". Finally this link shows that the company was previously called "Potash & Nigbor - Legal Applications, Inc." M. Steve Potash is the founder and CEO of Overdrive and was apparently a lawyer who according to this article, practiced with "Potash & Podor Co., L.P.A." Richard-of-Earth (talk) 07:54, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
And for those too young to remember, an overdrive was additional gear unit for high performance cars before the days of five-speed gearboxes, so "going into overdrive" was what you did when you wanted to cruise at high speed. Alansplodge (talk) 12:53, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Not necessarily just "high performance" cars - my Dad had an Austin 1100 with overdrive in the early 1960s. It was activated by a lever on the steering wheel (like the ones used to work indicators). AndrewWTaylor (talk) 14:00, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I stand corrected. I used to drive my sister's Morris 1300 in the 1970s but if it had one, I never found out how to use it. Alansplodge (talk) 19:06, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
And many cars with automatic transmissions had automatic overdrive. They often had a D with a circle around it (an O), or sometimes a rounded square [1], which meant overdrive was available. I think it had more to do with fuel economy than "going fast", however: [2]. Note that overdrive was only engaged at high speeds, though, hence the association with high speed. StuRat (talk) 15:57, 21 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
So why was this company/product given this name? Why “Overdrive”? —67.14.236.50 (talk) 17:19, 24 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Presumably to make people think they are fast. StuRat (talk) 17:53, 24 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
To "go into overdrive" is an idiom meaning ""to start working with a lot of effort" or "overdrive" as a noun can mean "the state of high or excessive activity or productivity or concentration", both of which would be desirable qualities. Also "drive" fits nicely with their IT specialisation. Alansplodge (talk) 18:16, 25 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

July 22

Des Moines International Airport international service or fully domestic

If there is no international flight service then why is Des Moines International Airport called International in its name. I didn't even see any Mexico or Canadian flight service. Is this true most airports in the USA even it is a big city like Denver International Airport, San Diego International Airport it is unlikely you can go to China or Japan or Africa by direct shot? Do San Diego actually have direct service to Japan or Europe on a average basis for customers, or San Diego only does Japan or Europe for charter schools or business service. I heard Portland is like that. Is it because Des Moines have hub so multiple of airport stations connects to it?--107.202.105.233 (talk) 03:06, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

From the article you linked to: "The airport was renamed the Des Moines International Airport in 1986 to acknowledge the presence of a United States Customs Service office at the airport". Rojomoke (talk) 04:08, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
All three of the other airports mentioned serve multiple international destinations by major or regional carriers. Rmhermen (talk) 06:16, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Googling "faa definition of international airport" indicates that the presence of a Customs service is the basis for labeling an airport as "International". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots08:15, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
An international airport doesn't have to be the terminus of an international flight. For example, I can fly from Des Moines to Atlanta's international section and then off to many international destinations. Once I go through customs in Des Moines and remain in an international terminal, I am technically on an international flight. It works the other way also. If I fly from China to Des Moines, I will likely land in San Francisco, but I won't leave the international terminal. I will then fly to Des Moines where I will go through customs. 209.149.113.45 (talk) 15:05, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
That seems really unlikely, and needs supporting evidence, as it does not match my experience with international travel or common sense. For example, there is no flight from Des Moines to "Atlanta's international section"; such a flight would have to consist of only international travelers (or domestic travelers who are electing to and capable of clearing customs). That doesn't happen; flights from Des Moines to Atlanta are a mix of international and domestic travelers and the international-bound travelers don't go through customs until they're actually entering a fully-international portion of the travel leg, and they clear customs on the other side when they exit such a portion.
Now, all that said, the likely parallel to Bugs' note on the FAA definition of "international airport" is to note that passengers are not the only things that land at an airport; if there are no international passenger flights from Des Moines, I would guess that cargo flights make up the international portion of Des Moines' traffic (and justify/drive the existence of the customs office) -- a guess that the DSM website confirms. And since cargo can't walk across the domestic/international divide in a connecting airport of its own volition, the "clear customs in Des Moines before flying to Atlanta and beyond" explanation is the true one here. — Lomn 18:02, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I was only using "Des Moines" as an example because that is what the question used. I've never flown in or out of Des Moines. In my most recent trip back from Norway, I flow into Maine, switched to a smaller aircraft, and flew into Atlanta. I went through customs in Atlanta, switched aircraft, and flew home. Similarly, went to Spain before that, I flew into Atlanta, went through customs, flew to New York, was allowed to walk around, but stayed on the same plane, flew to London, switched planes without going through customs, then flew to Lisbon, where I went through customs. So, the point was not specifically about Des Moines. It was about airports in general. You can go through customs at one airport and then fly to another airport where you leave the country. 209.149.113.45 (talk) 18:12, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
So, my point there is that it's not actually about "airports in general"; it's about (particularly) when you enter a country (or country-like entity such as the Schengen Zone; a passenger from Atlanta to New York to London to Madrid would clear customs in London). This is not generic to airports; it is only applicable to the point of arrival (or, for some countries, departure) of the international flight legs themselves. — Lomn 18:44, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Again, this is airport-by-airport. In London Heathrow, there is a terminal that is outside customs (by which I mean that you have to go through customs to leave the terminal - or get on a plane, obviously). I landed in this terminal coming from the U.S. to Spain. I did not go through customs. I did not leave the terminal. I got on another plane to Spain. When I arrived in Spain, I went through customs - showing my passport and declaring why I was entering the country. Now, if I my flight from London to Spain left from a different terminal, I would likely have to go through customs in London and then not go through customs in Spain. It just didn't happen that way. 209.149.113.45 (talk) 19:45, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
There is no customs check when leaving most countries (including the US). Also, except for the airline check-in agent glancing at your passport, there are no immigration checks on exiting the US (unlike the EU), so your memory of your flight experience sounds off. —Nelson Ricardo (talk) 02:10, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Every time I leave the U.S., at some point I must show that I have my passport. I assume this is an "idiot check" to make sure that I can leave and return to the country. I refer to that as "customs". It is very obvious that we are turning this into a semantic argument. Soon, someone will jump in to claim that if you aren't sent into a private room for a full cavity search, they don't consider it "passing through customs." 209.149.113.45 (talk) 19:30, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Kinda sounds Humpty-Dumpty-esque, with words meaning what you want them to mean. You're confusing customs (which deals with goods) and immigration (which deals with people). Based on my time reading TripAdvisor forums, you are not alone in this confusion. —Nelson Ricardo (talk) 23:18, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I never distinguished between customs and immigration. Now that you mention it, it is obvious, but I've always called the whole thing "customs" because that is what people around me called it. When I lived in California, the big gate to Mexico was the "customs" gate. The stop on I-5 to check for illegals was the "customs" stop. The special security gate for the international gates at LAX was the "customs" gate. So, I kept that meaning. I was not attempting to dishonestly change the word's meaning. 209.149.113.45 (talk) 15:47, 24 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What breed of dogs did the Spaniards use to conquer Mexico.

What kind of dogs did Cortes and the conquistadors use in their campaign against the Aztecs? Were they an early form of Spanish Mastiff? If so, the wiki doesn't mention their use by the conquistadors.--Captain Breakfast (talk) 08:17, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

According to "Dogs of the Conquest" by John and Jeannette Varner, they were mastiffs. I wouldn't suggest reading the book though. It is hard to stomach page after page of graphic descriptions of dogs being used to attack and eat children to keep the natives in order. 209.149.113.45 (talk) 15:02, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, I didn't realize there's a whole book about the subject. The Spaniards must have been very much like terrifying space aliens with their vicious dogs and horses and steel armor, none of which the Aztecs had ever seen.--Captain Breakfast (talk) 02:59, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
It wasn't just conquests of the "New World." That book also includes references to Spaniards launching attacks on places such as Ireland with ships packed full of mastiffs. 209.149.113.45 (talk) 19:24, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Lesbian Sex

Apparently when two women rub their clitorises together it's called Tribadism? Why is it called this, how did this word originate. It's a strange one. Could it just be called something like rubbing?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.152.12.4 (talkcontribs)

Not sure if this will help but I just thought I'd point out that we have an article on Tribadism. Bus stop (talk) 10:34, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
See Tribadism#Etymology and usage. Lots of sexual terms - penis, vagina, cunnilingus, fellatio, etc. etc. - derive their names from classical languages, because the people who first wrote extensively about them in the 19th and early 20th centuries intended that discussion be limited only to those academics who understood classical languages, not the hoi polloi. Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:46, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
The Church Lady would probably say it's only a tribadism if there is a threesome. Clarityfiend (talk) 05:59, 24 July 2015 (UTC) [reply]

According to the following document [3] research found that: "There is an interaction of noise and gender on performance; girls tend to perform better in quiet classrooms, while boys tend to perform better in noisy classrooms". Can this gender bias be explained, and is there any strategy for addressing that question ? Thanks --Askedonty (talk) 13:15, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Cunliffe's report (Cunliff, D.D. (1967), Soft floor covering in the Los Angeles city school district. New York: American Carpet Institute) seems to be the only one that arrived at that conclusion so perhaps no-one bothered to look into it further. Most other studies (Morgan (1917), Glass (1985), Kyzar (1977), Dixon (1953), Bronzaft and McCarthy (1975), and Cohen, Sheldon and Lezak (1977)) all agree that noise is detrimental to learning but found "no significant differences for sex". King and Marans (1979) found that noise had a greater effect on those with learning difficulties and Hall 1952, concluded that some background music was actually beneficial, particularly for those with learning difficulties.[4]--Ykraps (talk) 21:48, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Well Hall 1952, Bach, Mozart or Beethoven (?) I'm go for Ives--Askedonty (talk) 06:27, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Bronzaft and McCarthy (1975) found "No significant differences for sex... (p.521) Bronzaft, A. L. and McCarthy, D P. The Effect of Elevated Train Noise on Reading Ability, Environment and Behavior, Vol. 7, 517-528.

What car ?

What car model is this please ? Blump007 (talk) 20:14, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I think it says "Plymouth" on the front. I'll see if I can identify the ornament above the name... The attached (1950 Plymouth Deluxe) looks pretty similar. Not identical. But your picture is definitely of a Plymouth, ca. 1950. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots20:22, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Per Bugs, it is a 1950 Plymouth Deluxe. The Deluxe came in several different body styles, the pic Bugs posted is the 2-door coupe. The picture the OP posted is the same model, but in the 4-door sedan style. See This page here, which looks almost the same as the OP posted, except with a white (rather than cream) hard top. --Jayron32 21:35, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks a lot guys, it's definitely it! Blump007 (talk) 04:15, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

July 23

___ girl in BDSM

Hopefully someone can save my sanity.There's a name for a certain type of girl who enjoys extreme BDSM activities-I've been racking my brains all night for it,but I just cannot remember it-all I know is that I'm sure it begins with D-it's something like Durcott girl or Dellcott girl .Trying to google it without knowing it is rather difficult-hopefully some one of you nice people can produce the name for me.Many thanks Lemon martini (talk) 01:27, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Dominatrix? --Jayron32 01:55, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Only if she's the perpetrator. Or perpetratrix. But not if she's the receptrix. -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 05:14, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
You've omitted the hostrix, the waitrix, and the bussor. μηδείς (talk) 21:11, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
If she works in a museum, she may also be a curatrix. StuRat (talk) 00:41, 25 July 2015 (UTC) [reply]
Dolcett. No article, but perhaps that's for the best. Google the term, _carefully_. Tevildo (talk) 08:10, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, we used to have an article on the topic - see WP:Articles for deletion/Dolcett. Tevildo (talk) 08:16, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Dolcett! That's the one. Many thanks Tevildo. My brain can stop fretting about that and get onto other worthwhile things.... Lemon martini (talk) 08:57, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

There's an Encyclopedia dramatica page encyclopediadramatica.se/Dolcett (unlinked due to blacklist). Apparently the name came from a user who made a bunch of art depicting these things. SemanticMantis (talk) 22:47, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
The pictures in question are decades older than ED - they were certainly available (not necessarily on-line) in the early 80's. But this is perhaps going too far down the rabbit-hole that leads to the BOC-numerics, and similar things which should not be spoken of under the sun. If you don't know, you don't want to know. Tevildo (talk) 22:58, 23 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
An ironic name, considering that dulcet means "sweet and soothing". StuRat (talk) 22:20, 25 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

July 24

Hidden pregnancy

I've heard of women who suddenly go into labour without realizing they were pregnant. Is it really possible for a woman to have no idea a baby is on the way?

See Cryptic pregnancy for our article. It's rather basic, but it does have a couple of references. Tevildo (talk) 14:52, 24 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
It happens (and gets reported) all the time, most recently in May of this year. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:12, 24 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
There's a Brazilian case of a 10-year old published on the 18th of this month which I won't link to due to BLP reasons. But it seems the mother may have been intimidated or the family in denial about the obvious, given the current criminal charges. μηδείς (talk) 00:19, 25 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I found How can a woman not know she’s pregnant? Surprise births rare, but do happen and Woman gives birth to a surprise baby. Alansplodge (talk) 14:04, 25 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

July 25

Battery Back-up on traffic signals

Can Battery-Backup be done on traffic lights if there is incandescent on any of yellow lamp. Because when I went to meet the traffic engineers at Mission Viejo the guy said to have battery backup all three colors will have the LEDs, the way it works is for the first two hours the traffic light will still go through red, green, yellow phase cycle, then the next two hours green lights stop working, what I will see is red lights will flash, after that is full black outs. When I called City of Irvine on the phone the guy told me battery backup can be done if yellow lamps are still incadescents, it is just better when all red, yellow, green is LEDs. I have seen it happen alot when green lights stop working and red lights flash, when that case scenario does it have to do with Battery Backup. I remember ten years ago in my Metropolitan Area there wasn't even LEDs on the Yellow lamps, the LED for most of South Orange County Area were only Red and Green since they were considerably more frequently illuminated than the Yellow ones, because I remember at that time I saw Red lights flash and Green lights stop working I was wondering if it has to do with Battery-Backup.--107.202.105.233 (talk) 04:12, 26 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Green lights stay on when there is no vehicle in demand

I thought is weird when Green lights stay on when there is no traffic in demand, because I know the rule is when there is no traffic movement in demand, the green signal demands suppose to skip completely, but sometimes during weekday rush-hours I have seen that case when green light turns on even when there is no traffic movement in demand. Could this be programming error, when the data is not reading information properly or the computer programming are done on purpose and there is a reason why the traffic engineer done it that way. And also since I tend to obsess traffic lights and want to know all the details as possible, if I want to know left turn vs. straight turns, which corners (side A or B) are more likely to skip the green signal demand, is it better to watch the signals when traffic are greater (Weekday during high volume traffic), or is it a better idea to do it when the traffic volumes are lighter (Like on Weekends or early morning or later at night), because as I noticed when left turn pockets have smaller cars, what happens is the green signals timing are shorter on side A and green signals timing are longer on B. Because sometimes I tend to do it and ignore the fact I may not get the accurate readings I hoped when during that time green lights just goes through full demand phasings.--107.202.105.233 (talk) 04:21, 26 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

  • Assuming these are questions about the US, when there is no signal it is normally dealt with as if there were a red signal. You'll want to look at the relevant state laws for your local jurisdiction. μηδείς (talk) 04:30, 26 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
(Your question is very hard to understand. Please repost in your native language, and we will translate it to English.)
Most traffic lights are still timed, not using sensors to detect when traffic is present, at least where I live. And even where they do use sensors, in the absence of any input from the sensors they might still go back to timing, in case the sensors are broken. StuRat (talk) 04:27, 26 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I am asking about battery backup does all of the colors have to be LEDs, or you can do it a battery back when the Yellow lights is incadescent or all three colors are incadescents, because I have seen it when red lights flash and the green lights shuts down. I know on that intersection the Yellow light are incadescent, I have seen it when red lights flash and green lights stops working, and all red, yellow and green lamps are incadescent, does the red lights flash and green lights stop have anything to do with battery backup, or there is some other reasons like there is something wrong with the lights traffic engineers have to go through the system and fix it. (Oops I talked too fast on the battery backup part, I do have trouble controlling myself when I discuss traffic lights topic)--107.202.105.233 (talk) 04:38, 26 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]