Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 August 12

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August 12

Finger lengtheners?

I realize this is a VERY strange question, so bear with me.

I like playing the piano. I am also female. Stubby fingers run in my family, and mine are laughably short. I can just barely reach the breadth of one octave between my pinky and thumb on my piano. I don't think my fingers have any more growing to do, so I seem to be stuck. Does anyone know of any devices (gloves, prostheses, whatever) that can even slightly lengthen the fingers to make it more comfortable for me to play things that require speed outside of a single-octave range?

--✶♏‭ݣ 01:43, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Fing-longer . Sorry, couldn't help myself. Vespine (talk) 02:02, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

That really needs to be real! --✶♏‭ݣ 02:09, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

I think it's unlikely that there is a way to do that. I suggest you develop an interest in electronic keyboard instruments - many of those have smaller keys than a standard piano. SteveBaker (talk) 02:20, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

See Janko keyboard. Arise ye nonlinear downtrodden masses! Clarityfiend (talk) 02:44, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Tony Iommi, one of the top heavy metal guitarists, sliced off the tips of several of his fingers in an industrial accident before he and his friends started Black Sabbath. He wears some kind of prostheses; you could probably find some. I would have assumed they would have trouble staying on while you're hammering on the keys; but they seem to stay on while hammering on guitar strings. Tempshill (talk) 04:21, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Postscript: His article says he made his own initially and now they are "custom made", so it doesn't sound like they are off-the-shelf items. Tempshill (talk) 04:26, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

I don't see why it wouldn't be technically possible; the question is how much you're willing to pay. You'd want something with a soft tip so that you wouldn't be making clicking sounds with every note, and ideally something that would attach to every finger (rather than a glove), to avoid restricting movement. I bet there's someone out there who could make them for you. Exploding Boy (talk) 05:26, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

It is surprising that the email boxes of pianists are not full of spam promoting bogus "Pianist enlargement" via herbal supplements, pills, pumps, or exercise devices. Edison (talk) 15:52, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Just last week I saw a TV medical show about a prosthetic finger, made of metal, which works with picking up signals through the skin, so they are removable. They showed the presenter try some on and wiggle them, on the ends of his own good fingers. But they said they're around $10,000 each.

Try getting gloves with longer fingers, and filling the tips with play-dough. Dig in your own fingers before the dough sets, so some of the dough forms a "sleeve" and becomes a good fit. See if this gives you enough (or any) feedback to feel the keys as you play them.- KoolerStill (talk) 18:02, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Does anyone make pianos with more closely spaced keys for musicians with smaller hands/shorter fingers? Edison (talk) 18:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Googling on "Narrow key piano" yields [1] as the first hit, a pianists' forum wherein the availability of pianos with narrow keys is discussed. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 02:41, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

Imperfect Airplane Cabin Pressurization?

Since our ears pop during the ascent and descent of a commercial airliner, does this mean that the pressurized cabin is an imperfect one? If so, what is preventing airplane manufacturers from making a perfectly pressurized cabin? Acceptable (talk) 05:19, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

See cabin pressurization. To sum it up in one word, money, although the new Boeing 787 is supposed to improve on both the cabin pressure and humidity. --antilived^{T | C | G} 05:32, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

They need to get the thing to fly first... FiggyBee (talk) 02:30, 16 August 2009 (UTC)

It's not so much that it is imperfect (although of course it is, nothing is perfect), the intended air pressure is equivalent to about 8000ft altitude in most aircraft. Lower air pressure makes the plane easier to design/maintain - see the article linked to above for details. --Tango (talk) 05:44, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

OK, so if I'm hearing you right, your ears pop until about the 8,000 foot level, and after that things should be stable? Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 05:58, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Yes, but some people's ears take longer than others to equalise the external and internal ear pressure so popping and squeaking can be experienced after the plane has achieved 8000ft. 86.4.181.14 (talk) 07:17, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

That's why some folks help that along by chewing gum or doing something to encourage the equalization process. I find that yawning helps. I feel sorry for the small children on board whose ears are in serious pain and they have no idea why. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 07:40, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Holding my nose and trying to blow out through it works for me. (I did read somewhere that there are risks involved with that method, so I don't necessarily recommend it, but I've never had a problem with it.) --Tango (talk) 15:51, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Valsalva manoeuvre, NB Valsalva retinopathy. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 20:39, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

No, it's not that simple. The pressure inside isn't equal to the pressure outside until you reach 8000ft. They start off equal and then the pressure inside goes to 8000ft gradually, but not necessarily at the same rate as the pressure outside is decreasing (in fact, I think it is quite a bit slower). Interestingly, there are some airports that are above 8000ft which means the pressure has to be increased after takeoff or decrease before landing. --Tango (talk) 15:51, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

The cabin altitude change rate is normally 500ft/min, so the cabin will climb to minimum pressure in about 15 minutes. When decending, the aircraft will normally be stepped down through levels rather than zooming straight on in, so the pressure increase may stop and start over a longer period. Personally, I find opening my mouth and wiggling my jaw from side to side works well. FiggyBee (talk) 02:25, 16 August 2009 (UTC)

This pain has a lot of names: "Airplane ear," "Aviator's ear," "Otic barotrauma," "Barotitis media," "Aerotitis." If Eustacian tubes are blocked then pain can be bad. The sinuses can similar be painful if there is blockage and pressure changes. Edison (talk) 18:28, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Yes, I was going to add—don't fly while you have a cold, unless you want some serious, serious pain. It sucks. I had a long-running cold (months and months) and had to fly a bunch. It was like torture. Gum, drinking water, yawning, you name it, did not help at all. Piercing, agonizing pain, until finally it would release, in its own good time. Youch. Avoid it, if you can! --98.217.14.211 (talk) 21:48, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Its actually the design of the human ear that is the problem...for anyone that scuba dives you will know that the ear does not have the ability to compensate for an increase in atmospheric pressure which is why when we dive to depth we must constantly pressurize our ears to match the pressure exerted on them but when we ascend to the surface we need to do nothing to our ears. The design of the human ear allows for the release of pressure, but not the ability to increase the pressure on its own173.3.235.48 (talk) 22:33, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

an article on herb cohen?

do you have an article on Herb Cohen, the negotiator and Larry King best friend? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.0.28.174 (talk) 15:03, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

We have an article on a man called Herb Cohen no idea if he was Larry King's best friend though. Is this your guy? 194.221.133.226 (talk) 15:07, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Doesn't look like the same guy. Here is the negotiator's website: [[2]]. Fribbler (talk) 15:35, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Herb Cohen the agent is Larry King's friend. They met while teenagers at Lafayette High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. (The article on the school has a famous alumni list.) — Michael J 22:04, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Largest river

WHICH IS THE LARGEST RIVER ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.248.75.149 (talk) 15:16, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Take a look at List of rivers by length, List of drainage basins by area, and List of rivers by average discharge. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 15:19, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Size of mouth could be another form of "largest" (Río de la Plata) 75.41.110.200 (talk) 15:25, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Nile is the longest, Amazon is the biggest —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 17:15, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Man is the oldest. DOR (HK) (talk) 03:23, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

Some people say Finke River is older. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.41.11.134 (talk) 23:30, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

Ipod (continued)

Hiya, still trying to get my Ipod to work with my Hi Fi, I have read the manual and it states that I needs a cabel to go from the Ipod, to the Hi Fi, the Ipod side needs to be an Ipod connection and the other side needs a tiny litte connector, it is this connector that I needs help with. It looks a bit like a USB port, but is about half the diameter and half the width. Imagine a tiny paper thin, narrow USB port. What is this called, where can I get one of these. Any info would be helpful. Thank you very much. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 17:28, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

That's simply called the iPod Connector or iPod Dock Connector. Any TV or audio shop will sell you a variety of cables that connect to it - you probably want an iPod<->RCA cable. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 17:35, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

An Apple Dock Connector.

I think we need pictures. So you're saying the ipod side needs an ipod connection, as in the top picture, but the stereo needs something else, right?

Different types of USB connectors from left to right
• 8-pin AGOX
• Mini-B plug
• Type B plug
• Type A receptacle
• Type A plug

Is it any of the connectors pictured in the middle image?

Same shape as these, but actually the red and white ones just off-shot

If not, Finlay was suggesting there might be a pair of RCA sockets, as in the bottom picture. Are there? AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 18:00, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

aka ipod to phono - here's an example http://www.amazon.com/Cables-4-Feet-Stereo-Connector-Cable/dp/B000JG3WBY/ref=pd_sim_dbs_e_2/188-8246905-1039269 83.100.250.79 (talk) 20:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

What does it call the stereo connection? what stereo? what sockets on the stereo?83.100.250.79 (talk) 20:29, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Thanks a ton, I think it is the 8 pin, furthest to the right in the middle pic, but where can I get a cable with this on one side and a ipod connector on the other? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.147.65 (talk) 21:56, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Warning: The 8-pin is furthest to the left in the photo. The one on the far right is a standard USB A plug. iPod to USB-A cables are readily available; you may have got one with your iPod, or you could get one from the Apple store. On the other hand, I have no idea about iPod to 8-pin. AlexTiefling (talk) 22:10, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

If you do mean the one on the left, I also have never seen an iPod to "mini A". However, adapters do exist (like this one) that you can plug your standard USB into. I'm not sure if you discussed this earlier, but going through the USB connection on the HiFi probably isn't the easiest way to do this... Going through the headphone jack probably is. TastyCakes (talk) 22:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

sorry, meant furthest to the left, where can i get one or a different one with an adapter

You really want to make sure it is the right kind of port.. it should say in the manual what it is named. If you get the wrong kind, it won't work. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 23:59, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Yeah i think headphone jack is the easiest and surest way. The only devices I've ever seen that can play ipod through a usb socket always have iPod in the model name and written on them in big letters on them and are quite a lot more expensive then a similar device without the ability to play ipod. Just because a stereo has a usb socket does NOT in any way mean it will play an ipod, much more common use for a USB socket is the just ability to play mp3 off a usb thumb drive, which is NOT the same as plugging in an ipod. Vespine (talk) 00:26, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

If you are serious about your hi-fi, you won't want to use the headphones socket, it is not as high quality. While I'm dubious about the iPod->USB idea without seeing the actual manual page, I'm sure there is a better way to do it than the headphones option. I would seriously look into whether the iPod->RCA option would work, as that seems tried and true. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 13:21, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

In the context of a lossy compression replay system, alleged shortcomings in the headphone socket department are the least of the serious hi-fi issues. --13:25, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

I'd actually wager there is no difference between the signal that comes out of the headphone socket and that from the $15 "iPod to RCA" cable. Are you suggesting there is a second and better DAC inside the iPod for the RCA output? I very much doubt it. And as the above says, the fact your source is mp3 pretty much precludes "serious hi-fi". Vespine (talk) 00:11, 14 August 2009 (UTC)

The difference is that the headphone output goes through whatever passes for a volume pot these days, whereas the RCA output does not. As the primary focus of the iPod is the headphone wearer, it is counter intuitive to suppose that that output is degraded. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:20, 14 August 2009 (UTC)

website

http://real-funny-lady.livejournal.com/1005066.html what is the point of this website, it is lovley and has numerous pages of art grouped together with a common theme. But why? What does all the russian stuff say? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.147.65 (talk) 21:53, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

If you paste the link into Google, there is a "translate this page" option. Obviously mechanical translation is unreliable but you can get a feel for it. It seems like it is just a personal blog, of someone who likes art, among other things. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 23:52, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

oldest and youngest people to murder a police officer

I am trying to confirm the ages of the oldest and youngest people to murder a police officer in the line of duty in the United States. I was told by someone that the oldest person was 88 years old and that the youngest was 8 years old, but i can not find information to confirm or dispute this 173.3.235.48 (talk) 22:25, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial list over 18,000 officers who died in the line of duty, along with at least some of their stories. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 22:49, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

I have been fishing around all those sites for several days and have sent requests for information to all the contact us links but i have yet to get a response from them —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.3.235.48 (talk) 23:33, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

And if you find that the 8 year old shot the officer by mistake and not to "murder" him, what then? Dismas|^(talk) 02:12, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

Could an 8 year old even be convicted of a crime in the US? If not, he can not technically commit homicide any more then a bear or a dog could. Googlemeister (talk) 14:26, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

Minors can be tried as adults in special circumstances (in some states, at least). These are usually reserved for cases where a judge has decided that the minor knowingly and maliciously acted with intent to commit the crime. Even if the child is tried as a minor, I think there are still felony convictions - but they fall into a separate category with a different legal consequence. Nimur (talk) 16:11, 13 August 2009 (UTC)