Questions you've always wanted answered

[Marc Meakin]

Another thermal related question.
Warm water freezes faster than cool water, why?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpemba_effect
This appears to be the answer but I'm still confused

[Marc Meakin]

Last one for now.
Are subtitles on TV shows generated by AI?

[Ian Volante]

Another thermal related question.
Warm water freezes faster than cool water, why?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpemba_effect
This appears to be the answer but I'm still confused

I don't see anything conclusively presented there as the answer.

[Gavin Chipper]

Last one for now.
Are subtitles on TV shows generated by AI?

I think some are, others not.

[Ian Volante]

Last one for now.
Are subtitles on TV shows generated by AI?

I think it's a mix of computer voice recognition and stenographers, I don't know if any of the software in use would count as AI, but I assume there are learning models used.

[Mark Deeks]

Paul Talmey, Countdown alumnus, is a subtitle writer.

[Matt Morrison]

Isn't/wasn't Maus/Tom Carey too/as well?

[Fiona T]

Paul Tallmey, Countdown alumnus, is a subtitle writer.

As is Shireen Hibs/Ahmed - I believe she does the subtitles for Countdown

[Jon O'Neill]

Jack Welsby too.

[Thomas Carey]

Isn't/wasn't Maus/Tom Carey too/as well?

Not to my knowledge but I'm weirdly pleased people thought this

[Marc Meakin]

Why is it 50 years ago the yanks sent men to the moon but it seems landing on the moon atm is proving to be difficult?

This isn't a "Moon Landings were fake" post but no progress in 50 years.
C'mon Elon sort it out!!

[Ben Wilson]

NASA's Artemis 2 mission is set to orbit the Moon next year with Artemis 3 landing crew on the Moon by about 2026 (Artemis 1 was orbital and has already launched successfully)

[Marc Meakin]

NASA's Artemis 2 mission is set to orbit the Moon next year with Artemis 3 landing crew on the Moon by about 2026 (Artemis 1 was orbital and has already launched successfully)

I see India has successfully made a Vindaloonar landing

[Mark Deeks]

Why is it 50 years ago the yanks sent men to the moon but it seems landing on the moon atm is proving to be difficult?

This isn't a "Moon Landings were fake" post but no progress in 50 years.
C'mon Elon sort it out!!

Because of the political importance given to it, absolutely immense amounts of American government funding were directed to NASA in the 1960s, to get it done, to get there first, to best the Russians. The public went with it. But after that, the novelty wore off, the public got bored, and the programme was cancelled. It could of course still be done - it's not like it got harder - but the incentive has not been the same.

Put simply, America has not been to the Moon since 1972 simply because it hasn't tried to.

[Matt Morrison]

Isn't/wasn't Maus/Tom Carey too/as well?

Not to my knowledge but I'm weirdly pleased people thought this

I'm equally pleased to be referred to as people.

[Mark James]

If you're in court and the judge says, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" What happens if you say no?

[Gavin Chipper]

If you're in court and the judge says, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" What happens if you say no?

Well surely any oath is meaningless if it's under duress so the judge would have to say "Cool, at least we know where we stand. Let's get on with it."

[David Williams]

If you're in court and the judge says, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" What happens if you say no?

I think you would be held in contempt of court, and dealt with appropriately. I've always wondered what would happen if you answered fully all the questions that were put to you, but didn't think that amounted to the whole truth, and said so.

[Paul Worsley]

If you're in court and the judge says, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" What happens if you say no?

"I'd say "Yeah.....I'll tell you about as much truth as the people who wrote that bible, how do you like that?""....George Carlin.

[Gavin Chipper]

If you're in court and the judge says, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" What happens if you say no?

I think you would be held in contempt of court, and dealt with appropriately. I've always wondered what would happen if you answered fully all the questions that were put to you, but didn't think that amounted to the whole truth, and said so.

What does "appropriately" mean in this case? Anyway I've always thought that compulsory oaths are a stupid thing. Just make it illegal to lie in court and leave it at that. Adding this thing in adds nothing.

[Mark James]

Admittedly stolen from twitter, but why does the word fridge have a d in it when the word refrigerator doesn't?

[Marc Meakin]

Admittedly stolen from twitter, but why does the word fridge have a d in it when the word refrigerator doesn't?

I think when people decided to shorten the name they added the D so it followed the same pattern as Bridge and Ridge.
Similarly Perambulator sounds better shortened to Pram rather than Peram
Apropos of nothing, are you spending a little too much time on Twatter?

[Mark James]

Yes. I absolutely am spending too much time on twitter. Have to get my fill before he makes you have to pay for it.

[Mark James]

You know in tv shows, kids and even adults get upset when their parents divorce. I've never understood this. Divorce was only legalised in Ireland in 1997 or something like that so even the idea of couples being separated was pretty taboo and I remember the first set of kids I met who came from a "broken home" and I just thought it was cool. I think people were worried about them and I just thought that it sounded good to me. I guess my question is am I the only person who wished their parents weren't together and why do some kids get upset about it? I know they say that some kids blame themselves but I just don't get that.

[Marc Meakin]

You know in tv shows, kids and even adults get upset when their parents divorce. I've never understood this. Divorce was only legalised in Ireland in 1997 or something like that so even the idea of couples being separated was pretty taboo and I remember the first set of kids I met who came from a "broken home" and I just thought it was cool. I think people were worried about them and I just thought that it sounded good to me. I guess my question is am I the only person who wished their parents weren't together and why do some kids get upset about it? I know they say that some kids blame themselves but I just don't get that.

I think if both parents still share childcare then they get 2 lots of everything at chrimas birthdays and holidays etc.
Plus the parents are not rowing all the time as they would be living seperately

[Gavin Chipper]

You know in tv shows, kids and even adults get upset when their parents divorce. I've never understood this. Divorce was only legalised in Ireland in 1997 or something like that so even the idea of couples being separated was pretty taboo and I remember the first set of kids I met who came from a "broken home" and I just thought it was cool. I think people were worried about them and I just thought that it sounded good to me. I guess my question is am I the only person who wished their parents weren't together and why do some kids get upset about it? I know they say that some kids blame themselves but I just don't get that.

I think it's more weird when adults get upset about it. I think with children it depends on the exact situation with their parents.

I think "broken home" is a very weird term for it. I've always thought of that in a more general sense. Like if one of your parents goes out and gets drunk and then comes back and beats everyone, that's a broken home. Not just your parents happen not to live with each other.

[Mark James]

I think "broken home" is a very weird term for it. I've always thought of that in a more general sense. Like if one of your parents goes out and gets drunk and then comes back and beats everyone, that's a broken home. Not just your parents happen not to live with each other.

My sentiments exactly which is why I put it in exclamation marks. It was a reflection of the societal attitude in Ireland at the time, that someone escaping from a toxic relationship was seen as having broken the family up whereas if things looked OK from the outside and people didn't know what went on behind closed doors, that was almost preferable.

Not that any of that went on with my folks. I still can't put my finger on why I think my parents should have split up. I don't remember there being any mad arguments and they seem to get on OK. In many ways they are perfect for each other, I just have this feeling that they both could have met who they really wanted to be with. Maybe it's projection because I haven't been able to meet someone or have failed to get with who I want to be with.

[Mark Deeks]

If you drink an orange juice within about an hour of brushing your teeth, why does it taste like actual arse?

[Gavin Chipper]

If you drink an orange juice within about an hour of brushing your teeth, why does it taste like actual arse?

Good question but I only brush my teeth once a day and that's before I go to bed. No more orange juice for me. Only water allowed.

[Marc Meakin]

Is it only mammals that yawn?
Ive seen most mammals yawn at some point but not other species

Edit Giraffes don't yawn

[Ian Volante]

Is it only mammals that yawn?
Ive seen most mammals yawn at some point but not other species

Edit Giraffes don't yawn

Most vertebrates do apparently.

[Marc Meakin]

Is it only mammals that yawn?
Ive seen most mammals yawn at some point but not other species

Edit Giraffes don't yawn

Most vertebrates do apparently.

I go to a wildlife park and the staff told me birds and reptiles do but although I have read fish do too I've yet to see it

[Marc Meakin]

Why does the UK persist with BST?
It serves no practical purpose

[Gavin Chipper]

Why does the UK persist with BST?
It serves no practical purpose

We've had a couple of threads on this before.

[Gavin Chipper]

Why does the UK persist with BST?
It serves no practical purpose

We've had a couple of threads on this before.

But I think basically, it seems that people don't like it to be too dark in the mornings in the winter (so we need GMT), but other than that they want it to stay light as late as possible in the evenings (BST).

[Jon O'Neill]

And it's absolutely impossible for things to change time by an hour. No - the whole clock has to change.

It's ridiculous.

[Marc Meakin]

Why does the UK persist with BST?
It serves no practical purpose

We've had a couple of threads on this before.

But I think basically, it seems that people don't like it to be too dark in the mornings in the winter (so we need GMT), but other than that they want it to stay light as late as possible in the evenings (BST).

Going to school in the dark is not as bad as coming home in the dark surely.
I dont have any evidence that child abductors and the like prefer a lie in but still.

I was only pissed off because all electronic equipment automatically changes and my dual time digital watch had to be done manually.
Ironically it took me the best part of that hour gained to download the instructions to change it
1st world problems indeed

[Mark James]

I don't think the worry is kids getting abducted, more them getting hit by cars.

[Johnny Canuck]

Does the sun have a surface, where there is a transition from low to high density quicker than usual, or is it a smooth gradient from empty space all the way to its core?

[Ian Volante]

Does the sun have a surface, where there is a transition from low to high density quicker than usual, or is it a smooth gradient from empty space all the way to its core?

The sun is a ball of plasma, so it doesn't have a solid surface. It does have an actual surface though; without going back to my text books, I think that surface is effectively the point at which the plasma becomes transparent to photons.

Photons (and other stuff) are generated by fusion in the centre (ish) of the Sun. They take many years (millions?) to escape to the surface due to the extreme density of the plasma. We then see them as they leave, effectively radiated from the surface at around 6,000degC, a temperature at which the spectrum peaks in visible yellow.

Other markers of the surface are sunspots, which are localised magnetic eruptions (again, been a long time since I looked at the text books), and look darker because they are cooler. You can see that the Sun is rotating by following the movement of the sunspots.

[Johnny Canuck]

What’s a catacomb? Like, a singular, individual catacomb. Is it one room? Is it one wall of skulls?

[Johnny Canuck]

If the maximum number of terms a US president can serve is two, how can there be people who both maintain Trump won in 2020 and support another term for him in 2024? Is the conservative movement shifting to admitting he lost?

[Gavin Chipper]

Well he hasn't served the term even if he "won".

[Adam Gillard]

Is it better to fill a kettle with cold water or warm water? Why?

[Gavin Chipper]

Is it better to fill a kettle with cold water or warm water? Why?

Well it's said that hot water freezes more quickly so maybe cold water boils faster.

But how are you warming the water? If it's from the hot tap it's probably not drinking water.

[Marc Meakin]

Is it better to fill a kettle with cold water or warm water? Why?

Well it's said that hot water freezes more quickly so maybe cold water boils faster.

But how are you warming the water? If it's from the hot tap it's probably not drinking water.

Only if its from a water tank rather than the mains

[Adam Gillard]

Is it better to fill a kettle with cold water or warm water? Why?

Well it's said that hot water freezes more quickly so maybe cold water boils faster.

But how are you warming the water? If it's from the hot tap it's probably not drinking water.

Only if its from a water tank rather than the mains

Hot water tap from the mains. Boiling speed and potability (bearing in mind it will have been boiled) are factors I would like to be considered in this debate.

[Gavin Chipper]

Isn't hot water always from a tank? It's not served directly to your house hot anyway. It's heated locally.

Anyway, don't drink it.

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

Isn't hot water always from a tank? It's not served directly to your house hot anyway. It's heated locally.

Anyway, don't drink it.

Not if you have a combi-boiler

[David Williams]

Isn't hot water always from a tank? It's not served directly to your house hot anyway. It's heated locally.

Anyway, don't drink it.

Surely that link is nonsense. There is a closed system where water is heated in the boiler, the hot water is piped through the cylinder to heat the fresh water that then comes out of your hot tap. The water from the hot tap never touches a heating element. Not like a kettle.

[David Williams]

I would have thought there were a lot more words ending in -OUS than starting in OUT-. So why is it that if you have O U and T there's nearly always an OUT- word, but if you have O U and S there's almost never an -OUS word?

[Gavin Chipper]

I always wonder why looking for -IEST words generally seems more fruitful than looking for -EST words without the I. Surely it's adjectives ending in Y versus all other letters.

[Martin Hurst]

I would have thought there were a lot more words ending in -OUS than starting in OUT-. So why is it that if you have O U and T there's nearly always an OUT- word, but if you have O U and S there's almost never an -OUS word?

Outrageous!

[Thomas Cappleman]

I would have thought there were a lot more words ending in -OUS than starting in OUT-. So why is it that if you have O U and T there's nearly always an OUT- word, but if you have O U and S there's almost never an -OUS word?

A couple of thoughts:
- The larger number of -OUS words (if it's even true) may come in at larger lengths. On apterous I can't get a full list for each, but the first 100 words of length 7 or 8 get to roughly the same point in the alphabet (for the other part of the word) for both OUT- and -OUS. Whereas for 9 length, -OUS seems to start having a lot more.
- OUT- words are easier to spot, as you're then just looking for a regular word to stick on the end, while -OUS often needs a non-word to go before.

[Marc Meakin]

If you wanted to travel around the world to include, Japan, Australia and USA what would be the minimum flying you would have to take, assuming you didn't want to use the boats or ships.
Geography is not my strong suit

[Johnny Canuck]

If you wanted to travel around the world to include, Japan, Australia and USA what would be the minimum flying you would have to take, assuming you didn't want to use the boats or ships.
Geography is not my strong suit

I assume you could just go NYC-Tokyo-Sydney-NYC? Boeing 777s should have enough fuel to do the pushes. Or do you mean minimum flight time

[Marc Meakin]

If you wanted to travel around the world to include, Japan, Australia and USA what would be the minimum flying you would have to take, assuming you didn't want to use the boats or ships.
Geography is not my strong suit

I assume you could just go NYC-Tokyo-Sydney-NYC? Boeing 777s should have enough fuel to do the pushes. Or do you mean minimum flight time

Oh year I meant minimum flight time for an individual stop over journey overseas

[Gavin Chipper]

What is it with this really weird singing voice that some people have adopted in recent years? It's difficult to describe except that there seems to be something a bit piratey about it. But to give some examples - Lewis Capaldi, Tom Walker*, Jess Glynne, and not forgetting Adele, although hers is probably not the most pronounced.

*Not Jonathan Pie.

It's what the kids of today seem to like.
Jess Glynne is more of a warble but Tom Walker is one of the worst.

By the way, Sia singing Chandelier is one of the best (worst?) examples of this. Listen to the beginning of the song. She just sounds completely demented.

[Marc Meakin]

What is it with this really weird singing voice that some people have adopted in recent years? It's difficult to describe except that there seems to be something a bit piratey about it. But to give some examples - Lewis Capaldi, Tom Walker*, Jess Glynne, and not forgetting Adele, although hers is probably not the most pronounced.

*Not Jonathan Pie.

It's what the kids of today seem to like.
Jess Glynne is more of a warble but Tom Walker is one of the worst.

By the way, Sia singing Chandelier is one of the best (worst?) examples of this. Listen to the beginning of the song. She just sounds completely demented.

Tones and I takes it further with Dance Monkey, but strangely I liked it

[Mark Deeks]

What was with that "steal your hubcaps" stereotypical joke about Scousers? Why would anyone steal hubcaps?