Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2023 August 18

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

August 18

Railway children

I am familiar with the foibles of King's Cross Station (a platform zero, Queen Boadicea not being interred under platform 9, and platform 9 3/4 where Harry Potter fans can buy merchandise), but when I went there this evening platform 11 seems to have disappeared. Platform 9 is in it's usual place, but alongside it is a carpet of ballast and platform 10 is against the western wall. Has the track been lifted, and if so, why? 2A00:23A8:0:3D01:E856:801C:1D5B:E61D (talk) 18:33, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

Answer is in the article. 2A00:23A8:0:3D01:E856:801C:1D5B:E61D (talk) 18:37, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

Specifically, it's in the last sentence of the lead section, but it doesn't say why. --142.112.221.64 (talk) 19:54, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

"The project also involved reducing the overall number of platforms from 12 to 11, with platform 10 now replacing the location of platform 11. The simplified alignment will help to boost operational flexibility, with trains now capable of getting in and out of the station quicker." [1] --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 04:56, 19 August 2023 (UTC)

I asked Clive Feather if he knew any more about this specific change. He said that it was part of raising the speed limit for trains in the station throat from 15 to 20 mph. The track that used to serve platform 9 was too sharply curved, so it was removed and the platform was connected to the track that used to serve platform 10. Clive writes: "The old 9 had a sharp curve at that end before the end of the platform and the track went across what are now F and E roads to meet D road. The new 9 is straight to the end of the platform and only connects to F road (after merging with 10), followed by a separate crossover to E road." In any case three platforms (old 9-11) leading to a single track made for "somewhat of a bottleneck". --142.112.221.64 (talk) 10:47, 25 August 2023 (UTC)

Din-i Ilahi

• 1. The article says "Dīn-i Ilāhī appears to have survived Akbar according to the Dabestān-e Mazāheb of Mohsin Fani. However, the movement was suppressed by penalty and force after his death and was totally eradicated by Aurangzeb, a task made easier by the fact that the religion never had more than 19 adherents.[8][4]" - In the source number 8 there is no about the destruction of the sect by Aurangazeb, the source number 4 is without pages and its volume is too large to view.
• 2. The article card says "Defunct Likely 1606", but the article says "In the 17th century, an attempt to re-establish the Dīn-i-Ilāhī was made by Shah Jahan's eldest son, Dara Shikoh,[9] but any prospects of an official revival were halted by his brother, Aurangzeb, who executed him[10]", Judging by the article Dara Shikoh he was executed in 1659, but source 10 has no pages to check.
• 3. In source 8 it is written that there were no more than 19 people in the sect, and in the preamble of the article "Members 21; also there were several influenced followers".

Vyacheslav84 (talk) 21:05, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

The place to suggest your improvements to the article is Talk:Din-i_Ilahi. Philvoids (talk) 08:00, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

Ok. --Vyacheslav84 (talk) 19:20, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

Why are so many photographers switching to Sony?

Within the past three weeks, I've seen photographers, who normally shoot using Canon or Nikon, move to the Sony α7R V (ILCE-7RM5). What explains this sudden shift? Viriditas (talk) 23:04, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

This is very likely to be because of the specific people you have seen. It is almost impossible to generalize on this subject from one person's recent observations.DOR (ex-HK) (talk) 17:37, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

Kind of a form of Confirmation bias? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:12, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

Or Information bubble? -- 136.54.106.120 (talk) 21:10, 20 August 2023 (UTC) . . . However, searching your question suggests that it is a common, but not very recent phenomenon: [2] (which might in itself be an information bubble/confirmation bias).

I've seen multiple, different photographers that I follow online in altogether different areas of professional photography suddenly switch to the Sony ILCE-7RM5. I don't think it's confirmation bias. Since I didn't know the answer to the question, I recently spent some time searching for an answer. I discovered two things that I didn't know: 1) the Sony ILCE-7RM5 is considered one of the best professional cameras currently available for pros who need to generate and deliver quickly, and 2) its new technological features, particularly the use of AI, makes it easier for working pros to get the best shots. I think this perfectly explains why I'm seeing seasoned wedding photographers and photojournalists suddenly make the switch. I wasn't aware that this camera even existed until now, but I always look at the exif metadata of my favorite photographers to see what they are using. Until last week, it was all Canon and Nikon. Now it's all Sony. Looking at the results, it is interesting. It's almost like these photographers are getting the best of what they got from Canon and Nikon, now combined into one platform. My understanding, based on what I've read, is that fine art photographers are probably not going to use it. It's designed for commercial photography workflows. As far as I understand it, the AI and other features allow the quickest turnaround for their clients, which means more clients and less work in post (I think). This could go a long way towards explaining why so many people are going in this direction, if it means making more money in less time to support your career. I don't know much about the camera, but I'm curious if the AI really does save time for pros. Reviews say it's not designed for pros who mainly capture sports or action, just stills and video. Viriditas (talk) 23:23, 20 August 2023 (UTC)