Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous: Difference between revisions
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= November 1 = |
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== Why was the bicycle invented so recently? == |
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Dear All, |
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Humanity has had wheeled transport for several thousand years, and the bicycle is perhaps the most efficient form of human-powered transport ever designed. Certainly it would have been hugely useful for the 90% or so of that time in which humans hadn't invented combustion/steam engines, so why wasn't it (or something similar) invented? A bicycle is basically wheels connected to pedals somehow, everything else is changeable. You could have gears, but they aren't necessary. Likewise with tyres, and even the number of wheels. Wouldn't pedal-powered carts have been very useful in lots of ancient towns/cities? What was holding it back? [[User:Prokhorovka|Prokhorovka]] ([[User talk:Prokhorovka|talk]]) 23:05, 1 November 2018 (UTC) |
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October 25
world's longest postal strike
How long did the world's longest postal strike last? I would like to research this question. Sphinxmystery (talk)
- The 1971 United Kingdom postal workers strike lasted seven weeks. I don't know if that is the longest, but it is the longest in Category:Postal strikes. I have a memory of a very long postal strike in Italy (when the backlog of mail was so massive that they burned it all?) but I haven't been able to find the details.--Shantavira|feed me 16:37, 25 October 2018 (UTC)
- @Shantavira: Apparently in 1974, Italy sold 40 tons of undelivered mail for pulp. I found this in a Google newspaper scan of the July 3, 1974 issue of the Sarasote Helard-Tribune [1], page 10-A. I don't know how to link the specific page. Only partly due to a strike it seems. RudolfRed (talk) 18:06, 25 October 2018 (UTC)
October 26
Loop ramp ...
... links to Interchange (road). However, the first mention is in the Terminology section, where it only says: "Many loop ramps (as in a cloverleaf) are non-directional." – Now, wouldn't it make sense to add a definition of "loop ram" first? (I'm asking here, since the talk page doesn't seem to be very busy currently.) Thanks a lot in advance for any support! Best wishes--Neufund (talk) 17:04, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
- WP:BEBOLD is the relevant policy here. You should just do so, and if no one objects, then discuss it and come to a consensus. If no one objects, then no one objects... --Jayron32 17:08, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
- @Jayron32: Thank you for posting! In fact, I often make use of this guideline – however, in this case, I am afraid I do not have the necessary expertise to come up with an accurate, professional definition ... I don't want to confuse readers with a botched definition.--Neufund (talk) 17:23, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
- Of course! Fortunately, we have lots of reliable sources from highway engineers and the like to choose from this Google search turned up some good things, some of which could be useful. --Jayron32 17:58, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
- Cloverleaf interchange exists as another place to redirect Loop ramp. That article at least mentions loop ramps in the lead. –Fredddie™ 15:41, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- Cloverleaf interchanges aren't the only type of interchange to feature loop ramps though. For example, trumpet interchanges also contain loop ramps. Dough4872 16:20, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- @Fredddie and Dough4872: Thank you both very much for commenting here! As you seem to know a lot more than I do (even after googling ...), would you mind if one of you maybe added a proper entry in the relevant target article section? Right now, the reader gets redirected from Loop ramp without being given any definition there. Hoping for your obligingness--Neufund (talk) 19:58, 1 November 2018 (UTC)
- Cloverleaf interchanges aren't the only type of interchange to feature loop ramps though. For example, trumpet interchanges also contain loop ramps. Dough4872 16:20, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- Cloverleaf interchange exists as another place to redirect Loop ramp. That article at least mentions loop ramps in the lead. –Fredddie™ 15:41, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- Of course! Fortunately, we have lots of reliable sources from highway engineers and the like to choose from this Google search turned up some good things, some of which could be useful. --Jayron32 17:58, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
- @Jayron32: Thank you for posting! In fact, I often make use of this guideline – however, in this case, I am afraid I do not have the necessary expertise to come up with an accurate, professional definition ... I don't want to confuse readers with a botched definition.--Neufund (talk) 17:23, 26 October 2018 (UTC)
October 27
Shad Olson
This person is saying Sayoc was a Democrat until 2016. Is this true?Rich (talk) 05:08, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- It appears to be true that Olson is saying it, yes. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 05:36, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- what?? What’s this about, some sarcastic silliness? You can be hard to take bugs. Im sure you realize i asked if Shad Olson was correct in saying Sayoc was a Dem before 2016, i was not asking if Olson said that, which is well established. Im quite tired of your pseudosmart remarks.Rich (talk) 08:02, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- Another thought- Baseball bugs, why are you even here on wikipedia? Your work is pointlessat best. What is that you ever try to accomplish?Rich (talk) 08:57, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- what?? What’s this about, some sarcastic silliness? You can be hard to take bugs. Im sure you realize i asked if Shad Olson was correct in saying Sayoc was a Dem before 2016, i was not asking if Olson said that, which is well established. Im quite tired of your pseudosmart remarks.Rich (talk) 08:02, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
————-
- Apology! Base bugs Im just so upset today i couldn’t be reasonable, in the hospital all night withnother possible heart attack. Your contributions are almost always pretty good! And your occasional snark does no harm!Rich (talk) 10:27, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- All is calm. You had a long night, like the Red Sox and the Dodgers minus the big paychecks. Be well. :) The core problem is that right-wingers are trying to say the alleged perp was a closet Democrat, ignoring the obvious fact that he's not playing with a full deck, and is just looking for scapegoats. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:37, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- Baseball Bugs, you are a very kind and forgiving person! Thanks Rich (talk) 20:33, 28 October 2018 (UTC)
- All is calm. You had a long night, like the Red Sox and the Dodgers minus the big paychecks. Be well. :) The core problem is that right-wingers are trying to say the alleged perp was a closet Democrat, ignoring the obvious fact that he's not playing with a full deck, and is just looking for scapegoats. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:37, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- Apology! Base bugs Im just so upset today i couldn’t be reasonable, in the hospital all night withnother possible heart attack. Your contributions are almost always pretty good! And your occasional snark does no harm!Rich (talk) 10:27, 27 October 2018 (UTC)
- Even the Daily Caller's fact checker seems to agree there's no evidence Sayoc was a Democrat [2]. Maybe some Americans are confused because they think someone is either a Democrat or Republican so since he first registered as a Republican in 2016, he must have been a Democrat before then, but that's wrong in at least 2 obvious ways. To be clear, this doesn't mean he wasn't a Democrat, simply that there's good evidence he was. Nil Einne (talk) 11:04, 29 October 2018 (UTC)
- Nil, I think you meant "there's no good eveidence". --Khajidha (talk) 12:06, 30 October 2018 (UTC)
- You're right, thanks for the correction! Nil Einne (talk) 18:22, 30 October 2018 (UTC)
- Nil, I think you meant "there's no good eveidence". --Khajidha (talk) 12:06, 30 October 2018 (UTC)
October 31
Edward Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran
Should there be an article about Edward Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran? What happen to them is really incredible and they had a documentary filmed about their life (and plenty of newspaper articles too). Check Three Identical Strangers. Ericdec85 (talk) 02:26, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- What would you include in such an article that isn't already covered by the article about the film? HiLo48 (talk) 02:44, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- The obvious thing to do is create all three names as redirects to the film article. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:08, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- Seems reasonable - done (but only for the individual names, not the amalgamated list that Ericdec85 linked to). Matt Deres (talk) 15:48, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- I think any useful information about the individuals could be added to the film article itself, I see no impending benefit from separate articles at this time. The information is fine to add to the film article. --Jayron32 16:21, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- Mostly agree. The situation itself possibly needs to be a distinct article from the film interpretation, but it usually comes down to amount of verifiable/noteworthy material to be added. For now, I think it's fine; it could always be split if there's a lot of development down the road. Matt Deres (talk) 18:22, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- I think any useful information about the individuals could be added to the film article itself, I see no impending benefit from separate articles at this time. The information is fine to add to the film article. --Jayron32 16:21, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- Seems reasonable - done (but only for the individual names, not the amalgamated list that Ericdec85 linked to). Matt Deres (talk) 15:48, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- Redirects from Edward Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran would work sufficiently once they are created. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 16:52, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- Don't let us stop you. --Jayron32 17:39, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- Done for the other versions of their names now as well (the ones I made earlier were under variations of their names; I never even noticed). Matt Deres (talk) 18:09, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- Don't let us stop you. --Jayron32 17:39, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- Redirects from Edward Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran would work sufficiently once they are created. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 16:52, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
- For two of the three, MD had their nicknames instead of their formal names. All should be well now. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 21:11, 31 October 2018 (UTC)
November 1
Why was the bicycle invented so recently?
Dear All, Humanity has had wheeled transport for several thousand years, and the bicycle is perhaps the most efficient form of human-powered transport ever designed. Certainly it would have been hugely useful for the 90% or so of that time in which humans hadn't invented combustion/steam engines, so why wasn't it (or something similar) invented? A bicycle is basically wheels connected to pedals somehow, everything else is changeable. You could have gears, but they aren't necessary. Likewise with tyres, and even the number of wheels. Wouldn't pedal-powered carts have been very useful in lots of ancient towns/cities? What was holding it back? Prokhorovka (talk) 23:05, 1 November 2018 (UTC)