Wikipedia:Wikifun/Round 12/Answers/Question 2

Alright, I'm far from a complete answer, but here's my thoughs on the questions:

A precursor of the Geneva convention made of wood. Considering the purpose of the convention, this could possibly be some sort of wooden torture device, such as the rack.
Something that applies to redshirts and blackbelts. Both are commonly found as extras in action and martial arts films.
A Japanese town with an area of ~66 km.² This one I'm actually certain of: Yamazoe, Nara
Something created by bureaucracy and delegation. Red tape?
Something written anonymously by a king of three countries. Probably the Neijing Suwen, an anonymous medical text consisting of fictional conversations with Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China after the Three Kingdoms period.

As for what they have in common? Other than a possible asian influence, I have no earthly idea. Sikyanakotik 01:37, 22 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Here, you are not very close. Your second answer could lead you further, but the other ones will guide you wrong. -- Ravn 10:05, 22 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Darn, I thought the precursor of the Geneva convention was the Red Cross which matched nicely with red tape and redshirt. Hoof Hearted 18:46, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not much progress on this

The only one of the clues that I got anywhere with at all was the Japanese town clue, but I didn't find much that was promising even with that. I found four Japanese towns with approximately the area given, but they are all former towns: Ohara, Chiba, Mikata, Hyogo, Inakawa, Akita and Hayato, Kagoshima. I didn't find any current towns of the given area, and frankly I don't see any reason for preferring any of the four former towns as being the answer. It might be possible to see which of these four "fit" with my answers for the other clues, but I don't have any other answers.... Zoicon5 19:57, 24 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I am referring to another town. I did not think that this clue would be the one that leads to the answer. (of course, if you happen to find the right town, this might work quite well.) -- Ravn 09:49, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is the Japanese town in the Kumamoto Prefecture? AndyZ 01:15, 5 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. -- Ravn 11:16, 5 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And is the precursor a "code"- would paper count as wood? AndyZ 14:44, 5 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Paper does not count as wood. It may be interpreted as a code though. -- Ravn 19:09, 5 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've been struggling with this riddle for quite a while and really can't find any relationship at all with the several clues that I have assembled together, so I'll put this clue up for everybody into common knowledge (if I'm correct in assuming that it is correct): Is the Japanese town Mashiki, Kumamoto? AndyZ 21:23, 7 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think I know the King. Did he become monarch of one country, roughly 35 years before the other two? Dmn 20:35, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. -- Ravn 10:50, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Strange Answers

Well, they were all made by people. - Ghelae 12:09, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not necessarily. ;) -- Ravn 16:55, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

They are also all connected to "law" and/or "war" (well, at least if AndyZ is wrong with his guess on the town...) - but unfortunately, as I see it, one is not connected to war, and one is not connected to law... and I fear I'm wrong since I can't see any deeper sense in the particular choices... (especially the 1st one... b.t.w., is it really made of wood?) — MFH:Talk 14:58, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You are pretty close now. They are connected.. maybe not that deeply. The first one is only made of wood by it's name. -- Ravn 16:55, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For the Geneva one: Lieber Code? 'Code' comes from latin 'Codex', which could mean a block of wood (for writing on). 17:32, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

Negative. -- Ravn 17:52, 8 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about the Hague Conventions? Long shot, since one of the Geneva Conventions predates them, but the name "Den Haag" for the Hague means "the hedge", which is arguably wooden... Zero Gravitas (話す • 投稿) 09:34, 14 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, this is also not what I meant. But a good answer nonetheless. -- Ravn 09:41, 14 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some tentative answers

(Some more tentative than others)

They all seem to be related to law of some kind:

A precursor of the Geneva convention made of wood. - the Codex Runicus? (a bit of a long shot this)
Something that applies to redshirts and blackbelts. - Perhaps the Inverse Ninja Law found in the Stormtrooper effect article.
A Japanese town with an area of ~66 km² - This is Ueki, Kumamoto which leads to a Japanese manga: Law of Ueki
Something created by bureaucracy and delegation. - Perhaps Parkinson's law
Something written anonymously by a king of three countries. - The king is James I of England who wrote The True Law of Free Monarchies

--Spondoolicks 12:55, 9 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Congratulations. Four of these are correct, only the Codex Runicus isn't yet. There is actually a redirect from Law of Diminishing Ninjas, but I guess it would've been hard to find. -- Ravn 13:17, 9 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I also knew these four since some days, but "law" as sole connection didn't seem to make enough common sense to me --- at least, it didn't yet allow me to isolate a particular treaty... I thought of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen which could be supposed graved in wood according to the picture (yet, I think its rather stone), but according to your reply, this seems not the right guess... but googling "intitle:codex international-law" on wikipedia doesn't give better results, either... — MFH:Talk 17:28, 9 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about the Codex Ad legem Juliam majestatis which detailed the Law of majestas? Or am I on the wrong track with this codex thing? --Spondoolicks 16:46, 9 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It is not named codex, no. -- Ravn 17:04, 9 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh dear. That's me stumped then. It's still anyone's game. --Spondoolicks 17:38, 9 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"It may be interpreted as a code though", said Ravn, but now that appears to have nothing to do with it, because it seems to have nothing to do with Codex / Code, Latin for wood. (:|) - Ghelae 18:05, 9 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would know such a precursor which is made of meat (by its name). Couldn't you accept this instead? — MFH:Talk 22:31, 15 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

/me grins -- Ravn 10:12, 16 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wait... using some wrong ethymology, my guess could be the right one! I'l have a try:

Following log, we read :

A log can be:

* a cut portion of a tree bole or large branch (see logging)..

and "log" is a part of "Kellogg-Briand Pact", which is a peace treaty

"...significant for later developments in international law."

So here we are, the last missing piece, also connected to the abovementioned through the notion of "law". — MFH:Talk 22:37, 15 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

P.S.: in reality, "Kellogg" comes from "kill hog", that's why my 1st comment... but hogs are not in categories peace treaties, laws of war, international law etc... — MFH:Talk 22:42, 15 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I just checked.. yes, it should've been in the category laws of war, but it isn't. (No, it's not kellogg's). I think it's generally time for some hints. Stay tuned. -- Ravn 10:12, 16 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I assume "article 9" is Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan. Funny thing is, the fourth link on that page is kellogg's. F e tofs ^Hello! 10:50, 16 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nope. I am not referring to Japan. -- Ravn 12:43, 16 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Kellogg-Briand Pact

Sorry, but I found my previous answer so nice and irrefutable that I'm putting it once again (in case you missed it in-between the "meat" and cereals...):

A precursor of the Geneva convention made of wood. : The Kellogg-Briand Pact.

Indeed, following log, we read :

"A log can be:

* a cut portion of a tree bole or large branch (see logging)

*(...)"

and "log" is a part of "Kellogg-Briand Pact", which "... is an international treaty

(...) significant for later developments in international law."

So:

* it's name has "log", i.e. a piece of wood, as constituent : it is made of wood by its name.

* it is a (significant!) precursor for later developments in international law and thus of the Geneva conventions

* and, of course, it is obviously also connected to the notion of law, and through this to the other points.

Summarizing, I think this should be admitted as correct reply (even if you thought of something else). (Of course I say "should" and not "must", since In case of doubt, the question-setter's decision is always right. -- Although there is no doubt here...;-) — MFH:Talk 12:42, 21 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Er... but... it does not even have law in it's name. -- Ravn 12:47, 21 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry, but AFAICS there is no page on Wikipedia having a title containing "Law" and something even remotely "made of wood". — MFH:Talk 15:36, 22 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Apart from Elder law which unfortunately has nothing to do with the Geneva Convention. (Elder in a different context is a shrub or small tree). I'm thinking laterally here but apparently in totally the wrong direction. --Spondoolicks 15:58, 22 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You may want to check the redirects, too. -- Ravn 16:30, 22 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or.... could it perhaps be Planck's law which certainly sounds wooden and was a forerunner of work by Einstein, such as his nobel-prize winning paper on the Photoelectric effect. Einstein was living in Switzerland at the time - in Berne I think, rather than Geneva, but it's pretty close I reckon. --Spondoolicks 16:47, 22 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Woo-hoo

I was lost in the wilderness but now I have seen the light... The answer is Law of the splintered paddle. The constitution mentioned in Ravn's hint is the Hawaii state constitution. --Spondoolicks 19:39, 22 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hell, I "scanned" too quickly over that! ~~But you didn't explain why it is a precursor of the Geneva conventions...~~ — MFH:Talk 22:00, 22 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Congratulations! I was starting to get a bad consciensce for mentioning that kind of hidden pages.. but just barely ;) -- Ravn 09:52, 23 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]