Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 May 6

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May 6

volcanoes

please can you help me by providing detailed information about volcanoes? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rosalie Roy (talk • contribs) 02:34, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Yes. See volcano. If you're interested in the recent Iceland eruption, see the article 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull. Comet Tuttle (talk) 02:47, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Well, we have this really big encyclopedia! Have you read our Volcano article yet? You might also enjoy Pacific Ring of Fire, Volcanology, Caldera, Magma chamber, Lava, Magma, Types of volcanic eruption, Explosive eruption, Volcanic crater, Lists of volcanoes (in which you'll find links to lists that contain pretty much every volcano in the world - organised by which country they are in - most of which we have articles on), Category:Volcanologists contains a list of people who study volcanoes - with links to their biographies. Category:Volcanoes has links to hundreds of other articles relating to this subject. As you read those articles, you'll find hundreds of links to other articles about subjects relating to volcanoes. I think it's safe to say that you could spend several months of your life reading everything Wikipedia has to say about volcanoes! SteveBaker (talk) 02:55, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Another good place to start might be our Volcanoes Portal. ---Sluzzelin talk 12:01, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

British Rail Class 220

Are these trains British Rail Class 220?

• 
  Picture 1
• 
  Picture 2
• movie 1

If not what Classes are these? --Tyw7  (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 20:22, 2 May 2010 (UTC)

Yes, they are - ex Virgin Voyager, now Cross Country. You can even see the "220" on the lower bodyside in this one. FiggyBee (talk) 03:46, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

Does this not strike anyone else as an odd question? Given the the OP actually linked to the article that he got the pictures and video from which confirms they are that class, and also has multiple other pictures of identical trains from the same class... Gazhiley (talk) 09:55, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

Well, Tyw7 contributed the photos, so I'd imagine they just wanted to be sure they were right. Fribbler (talk) 14:30, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

First of, I'm only one person not multiple persons. Secondly, British Rail Class 221 AKA Virgin SuperVoyager look very similiar to the 220s. By the way, any "train expert" tell me the difference between these two series as they look very alike! --Tyw7  (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 08:29, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

It's not uncommon to use "they" and "them" to refer to a person whose gender is not known. See singular they. decltype (talk) 09:09, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Well, I would say the user or editor. :D But this is just me. BTW, what's the difference between BRC220 and BRC221? BRC=British Rail Class (easier to type at least). --Tyw7  (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 09:15, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

I recommend you read our excellent articles on British Rail Class 220 and British Rail Class 221. The latter states "The Class 221 are similar to the Class 220 Voyager units, but they have a tilting mechanism offering up to six degrees of tilt to allow faster speeds on curved tracks."--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:12, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

I mean visually. Unless it's safe to assume CrossCountry only have 220s and Virgin Trains only have 221s. --Tyw7  (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 16:36, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

No, it isn't. I'd say you can't visually tell the difference without being able to see the numbers or the bogies. Perhaps if you have more photos from the shoot where the numbers of the trains are visible (such as the one with the 220 visible I pointed out before), you could definitively identify them. FiggyBee (talk) 10:14, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

nails

what are those white spots that appear on ones nails called and what causes them? thx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:24, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Leukonychia 131.111.248.99 (talk) 10:38, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Bed chair with proper sprung mattress

Anyone know where in the UK I could buy a single armchair with a folding bed inside? One with a metal or wooden frame and a real mattress with springs. I know these things exist because I slept on one for a month last year.... in Russia. But I can't find any for sale in this country, and I'm probably using the wrong search terms. 81.132.218.0 (talk) 16:54, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Companies who make sofa beds generally have one of these too - suggest you search on "sofa bed". --TammyMoet (talk) 17:09, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

What about looking at mobility companies? They may produce things like this and there are many based in the UK. Chevymontecarlo. 17:34, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

How about using google? I found many search results linking to sofa beds

• http://www.archiexpo.com/architecture-design-manufacturer/armchair-bed-2373.html
• http://www.archiexpo.com/architecture-design-manufacturer/armchair-bed-2373.html

Hope that helps! --Tyw7  (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 18:56, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for all replies! I don't think I could afford custom-made mobility furniture, though I'm sure the suppliers would be happy to build me a chair. I've been searching a bit more, and found two models that I'm trying to track down in a showroom: John, by Flame, and Kip, by Slumberland which is actually a footstool, but fits the space perfectly. 81.132.218.0 (talk) 22:28, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Gas pipe maintenance

How do workmen know where to dig when they are repairing gas pipes? Chevymontecarlo. 17:33, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

This looks like two pipes, both 4ft in diameter

I think most local authorities in the civilized world today, demand that utility companies keep more accurate maps than they did before. Plastic gas pipes are of course harder to locate but it can be done. This article has some interesting insights into below ground utilities and finding them again.[1]. You no doubt know that there are also gas pipe line markers giving the distance to and the diameter of pipe. Most common use, is to give the location of a control valve, which might need to be located and shut of in a hurry. --Aspro (talk) 18:27, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

If the pipes are metal, then a metal detector will work. If not, then utilities can use ground penetrating radar to locate buried pipes. --Jayron32 18:35, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

I think most pipes are too deep to be detected by the metal detector. Plus, there can be many pipes and other objects to disturb the metal detector. In addition, by digging randomly, there is a chance of damaging other buried cables/pipes/electric cable. I don't think the workmen/workwomen would want to be responsible of damaging an internet or phone cable and causing a communication blackout for the whole street :D. I think most companies use the maps or the pipe line markers. Most places there is a marker warning of a pipe line/buried cables in the vincity. --Tyw7  (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 18:59, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Cool, I had never thought about that before. I was thinking about using maps of some sort, maybe something from the house builder who built the estate, street or road. Thank you for your replies :) Chevymontecarlo. 19:25, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

I've worked in mapping for a utility company (an Australian telecommunications company). Utility maps tend to be fairly accurate, showing, for example that a pipe or cable is 'x' centimetres from a road or surveyed boundary, and at 'this' standard depth. Before digging more than 30cm/1 foot deep, one should have gotten copies of maps from each utility company in the area. Armed with those maps it becomes trivial to avoid other peoples' pipes and cables, and to have a fair chance of finding your cable quickly. Phone and electric company cables and pipes are generally buried with a plastic ribbon a short distance above them, so you're unlikely to accidentally hit one when digging with hand tools. Of course you want to make sure you know exactly where everything likely to be in the area is before you bring in excavating equipment. --Psud (talk) 05:11, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Oh, and you can (probably) get access to utility network maps from a dial-before-you-dig organisation (a quick google gave me this for the UK. The Australian equivalent is a free service, I don't know about the UK one. --Psud (talk) 05:41, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

You need a cat and jenny (unfortunately a redlink). It's a jolly bit of kit that's great for finding lost pipes. You can also use a kind of stethoscope to listen for the noise of the pipe. Or you could do what South West Water did in the 80's, and rehire as consultants lots of the men you gave early retirement to a couple of years before and who knew where the pipes were. DuncanHill (talk) 13:41, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Hmm, Apaparently 'up north'(UK) somewhere some old gasworks man retired when the system changed from town to north sea gas, sending all his 90 year's archive worth of maps to Head Office (British Gas). The maps promptly got lost in the system, meaning that for a about decade later in that locality, when anyone need to find the gas mains there was a general cry of 'Fetch Grandpa!', because in some cases he was the only person that knew where the mains actually were! Thankfully a modern survey was understaken before he died though :) Sfan00 IMG (talk) 15:59, 9 May 2010 (UTC)

There are little plastic rf passive responders which look a bit like Frisbies, which can be buried with utility pipes, plastic or metal, or with buried powerlines. They respond to test instruments above ground with a power and specific response of "gas pipe buried here," "water pipe buried here," power line buried here" or whatever. Edison (talk) 16:39, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

"Escape options" in statistical surveys - how to make them meaningful?

There are many statistical surveys such as "at what age did you first move to live on your own?", offering to select from several answer options, each representing a statistical category. For example:

• Earlier than 15 years
• 15-20 years
• 20-25 years
• 25-30 years
• 30-35 years
• Later than 35 years

But there are people who still live with their parents. So the obvious thing to do is to amend the above options in this way:

• Earlier than 15 years
• 15-20 years
• 20-25 years
• 25-30 years
• 30-35 years
• Later than 35 years
• I still live with my parents

The problem, though, is that the added option does not convey any information about how old the participant is. Infants who couldn't survive a single day without their parents' care, university freshmen who have found it very difficult to find an available apartment, and middle-aged people who have steady jobs and active hobbies but can't bear to break ties with their parents are all grouped together. How should the options be fixed to make the added "escape option" more meaningful? JIP | Talk 19:55, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

How about a second question asking the current age of the participant? Googlemeister (talk) 19:58, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Plus, no infant can access the internet... :? So it would be silly to ask whether the user is still an infant or younger than 5 years old (assuming the youngest age that can access the internet is 5). It is a safe bet that most young people accessing the survays range from 10 to 19 years old. --Tyw7  (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 20:00, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

I don't think the question specifies the surveys are carried out on the Internet. I'm not up on my statistics; is "Other (please specify):" not feasible? Vimescarrot (talk) 20:02, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

That is true, the question is about statistical analysis about "when did X first happen?" in general, having the compulsory "escape option" of "X has never happened so far". JIP | Talk 20:09, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

I think yould be better off targeting the people of the internet age. Basically people older then 10 years old. Plus, most people, such as me, feel unconfortable giving my real full age in surveys. Perhaps you can "group" the age groups? --Tyw7  (☎ Contact me! • Contributions)   Changing the world one edit at a time! 20:16, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

What does it mean to "group" something that has already been grouped? Wouldn't it just mean making the grouping less specific? JIP | Talk 20:39, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

I think escape is probable the wrong concept. The homo sapiens is a tribal and social animal. Throughout our recorded history, people have left home not only when they got married but also, to go into religious orders, armies, joined households as servants, etc. Not everyone is well adapted to living independently, and on their own. In fact, some people are hopeless at it. There are others that are naturally self-resourceful and become independent very early on. A survey would yield more useful results if it could identify and separate out these different types of individuals. 'Escape' is the wrong word but probably favoured by those that left home as soon as possible and can't fathom out why others take so long about doing the same. The lack of financial resources to find an apartment is just an excuse. There are many examples of people who left home with very little. Premier Nikita Khrushchev was a shepard boy, but that did not stop him leaving home early. People may identify more closly to a survey that asks the questions they ask themselves --Aspro (talk) 20:36, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

This question is not specifically about people leaving home, but about the statistical theory about "when did X first happen?" in general. JIP | Talk 20:39, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

We cannot answer how to make the survey more meaningful without a statement of what meaning one wants. What is the motivation for making the survey? Ages when people left home, or categorizing people who have not left home are separate survey subjects; the latter subject does not lend itself to a multiple-choice questionaire because the range of reasons is too open-ended to predefine exhaustively. I think Aspro connects "escape" with the idea of escaping from home but the OP just means a logical alternative for cases that do not qualify to any of the other choices. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:05, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Try this:

1. “Do you still live with your parents?”

2. “If you answered ‘no’ to question one, skip down to question 3. If you answered ‘yes’ to question 1, how old are you now?” [followed by multiple choice list of age brackets]

3. “At what age did you move out of your parents’ home? ” [followed by multiple choice list of age brackets] DOR (HK) (talk) 02:43, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Old oil cans

Before the days of plastic motor oil bottles with the spout off center to make pouring easier, there were round cans. I've seen them in old films and TV shows. I've seen pictures of them with a spout on them which was taken off the can when the oil had been used and put on the next can. How did these work? Did a person open the can with a church key and then put the spout on? Or did the spout have some sort of church key like gadget on the bottom of the spout to open the can? Dismas|^(talk) 21:16, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

The old round cans I remember had a tab near the edge of the top which you pulled, and the hole was under that. Some had a little spout that was inside the can and pulled out with the tab so you could pour it. I don't recall seeing detachable spouts such as those you describe. DuncanHill (talk) 21:21, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Even before those, oil cans could be opened using a Churchkey. You just punched two holes in the top (one for pouring and one to let air in so the oil didn't splash as it came out) and used either a paper or plastic or metal funnel to direct the oil into the fillpipe. --Jayron32 21:31, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

This is not quite the image I was searching for but is this the sort of thing you mean?[2]. I remember something like this only they also had in addition, a smaller tube also, to allow air to go back into the can so as to prevent the oil coming out glug - glug – glug -glug -glug. --Aspro (talk) 22:42, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

I don't know about the OP, but that would have been my answer. You would line it up at the rim and push hard. And of course you always got oil on your hands, or worse. But it worked. And it was generally the station's grease monkey (as noted below) who would do that work anyway. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:20, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Hey, do you remember those days when one would drive into a gas station and an attendant would appear from nowhere, then wash your wind-shield,, spit on the wing mirrors an' give 'em a polish, then go round your wreak, kicking the tires, lift the hood, check the fluids an' say “ Howdy partner! Your 'gin could do with a quart of oil an' we have a special offer on! If your tired and weary, why not stop off at the Bates's Motel. He'll be real pleased with your company, what with his mother dyeing an' all.” Oh yes, a real personal and friendly service - those where the days..!Aspro (talk) 23:10, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Maybe you also remember the choral group that used to sing, "You can trust your car to the man who wears the star... The big, bright Texaco star!" ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:22, 6 May 2010 (UTC)

Nope. But then I always watched Bishop Sheen. PhGustaf (talk) 04:43, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

And you know they had the same boss, right? :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:57, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

As a former gas-station attendant, I can tell you that those metal spouts had an angled and pointed part (on the inside, parallel to the lengthened portion that rested on the side of the can when in use) that pierced a hole in the top of the can when the spout was pushed onto the can. You can see one version of such a spout here (the dark part is the piercing part). Deor (talk) 00:34, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Oh, yeh, those are them. I wonder if they are still used, or whether all the oil comes in plastic now. (You can tell I no longer change my own oil.) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:59, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

I don't remember seeing motor oil in anything but plastic. Course, I live in the US and have never looked for motor oil in other countries. Dismas|^(talk) 04:47, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Are you terribly young? By which I mean under 40 DuncanHill (talk) 04:52, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Terribly young is under 40?! Then yes, I am terribly young! Though my sister-in-law says that I'm "old and boring" and a friend once referred to anyone in my age group as "ancient". Dismas|^(talk) 05:08, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

I've been concerned about our youth, but as long as they're still saying "don't trust anyone over 30", all is well. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:59, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

@Aspro: Yes, that's basically what I was thinking of. @Deor: Cool! Thanks! Now I know. Dismas|^(talk) 00:55, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

When I worked in Australian service stations in the 1970s, oil was sold from glass bottles with long spouts. From memory these were 1/4, 1/2 and 1 pint. They looked very swish all lined up on the driveway in their rack. I don't think any of the customers knew that we filled them up at the start of the shift, from a 44 gallon drum of oil. Later, we moved to sealed cans with a spout that you forced in, as Deor describes above. I too remember cans with a pull up plastic spout, after you unscrewed the cap, but these were mostly for petrol. Often the spout would pull out and get lost; maybe Dad was too zealous in pulling it. If the can has no spout, he used to pour the liquid down the back of can somehow and rarely spilled a drop.--TrogWoolley (talk) 13:14, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

See the "Texaco Star Theater" theme song from the Milton Berle Show:"I wipe the pipe, I pump the gas, I rub the hub, I scrub the glass, I touch the clutch, I mop the top, etc." When Milton Berle appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1979, a parody of this included Garret Morris singing "I slash the top, I pick the lock, I take your car around the block..." Edison (talk) 16:36, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

That one includes a bit of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody, always a winner musically. This one [3] is two similar commercials back-to-back which both conclude by singing the chorus to the classic "You can trust your car..." song. Some of the pumps include the name that Berle used to say both he and Bishop Sheen worked for: "Sky Chief". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:24, 7 May 2010 (UTC)