Miscellaneous desk
< October 1	<< Sep \| October \| Nov >>	October 3 >

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

October 2

World Location automobile

So far I know that Fiat, Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroen are the only articles that map of world locations of plant assemblies. What about Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley, Lotus, Vauxhall Motors, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche, BMW, Saab and Volvo? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.89.43.132 (talk) 02:13, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The use of "oracles" in decision-making processes

Resolved

– enough, mostly by 92.28.254.154 and "Dr. Joy" (Cuddlyable3;) – thank you for your responses. WikiDao ☯ (talk) 23:23, 6 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I was recently reading an article about the Dalai Lama which talks about HH's practice of using ~~the traditional Tibetan Oracle~~ traditional Tibetan divination ("mo") to help him make important decisions:

"After I consult human beings and these oracles, if there's something clear, something which I can now decide, then I decide," he told me. He said he had made "all major decisions" from the age of sixteen with the help of the oracles, and he had become convinced that they are correct.

This got me wondering about similar Western-style practices, specifically the Sortes Virgilianae and other forms of bibliomancy.

1) Has anything approaching "scientific" (ie., non-anecdotal) evidence ever been found to support the useful/discernable existence of such meaningful synchronicity? (whether or not a plausible model to explain it has so far been developed)
2)→ Is there any psychological or cognitive-scientific support or explanation for why applying random chunks of information to a problem-solving task might help in the formation of relatively successful or advantageous decision-making about that task?
WikiDao ☯ (talk) 03:34, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

How is this different from consulting a trusted religious advisor in any other religion? People often will ask for the advice of their priest, minister, rabbi, or imam. While it may not be for all people, faith is an important factor in decision making for many people. --Jayron32 03:43, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The Nechung Oracle is claimed to be a "medium" for the Tibetan deity Nechung. He goes into a trance and supposedly channels this entity directly, which pronounces its views on the situation at hand through him. A bit different than your more every-day sort of spiritual adviser. The article also mentions HH's use of "mo divination", which is actually closer to the Sortes Virgilianae thing (and was actually more what first got me wondering about this question). WikiDao ☯ (talk) 03:53, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Meh. I don't judge. Sounds like some rather intense prayer, but I am still not sure how this is functionally different, except by a matter of intensity, from other prayer. Generally, clergy tend to pray to the deity they represent. --Jayron32 04:01, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In this case, the deity is speaking audible words apparently. But by "oracle" is also meant the practice of "mo divination" which seems to be a form of Astragalomancy, which is very similar, again, to the Sortes Virgilianae. If there is no answer to either of my two questions it is not, of course, necessary to say so -- I'm just wondering if anyone out there has anything on this. WikiDao ☯ (talk) 04:14, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Depending on the religion and the advisor, it's often the case that the advisor claims no special source of information from the divine, only that they have studied scripture a great deal and that they will give detached advice in confidence. Paul (Stansifer) 11:39, 3 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, I unfortunately gave a misleading link in my original question, it's actually about the practice of Mo (divination). Do you know anything about how that might work...? WikiDao ☯ (talk) 20:23, 3 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

On a slightly off-topic tanget, I'm intrigued by the use of the expression "...human beings and these oracles." Does it imply that the Dalai lama sees the oracle as somehow not human, Or have we simply lost something in translation? HiLo48 (talk) 04:13, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There may be some sort of disconnect between the oracle and the medium used to commune with the oracle. The article on Nechung Oracle implies that the oracle is seperate from the medium, but I am not sure the precise nature of the relationship between the two concepts. --Jayron32 04:18, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Again: Nechung is a non-human deity who speaks through the court oracle. Mo is a random selection from among inanimate pieces of paper with things written on them. Both are referred to here by HH as "oracles". WikiDao ☯ (talk) 04:22, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

→ I reworded the question after (some of) the above comments were made to try to clarify the nature of the question. WikiDao ☯ (talk) 19:56, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Answer to 1) No. 2) Somewhat. That is what is used in many creativity or brainstorming techniques. More technically, adding randomness may help you search the problem-space for a better solution that what you had previously. It enables you to escape a local minima, and is used in some artificial intelligence techniques such as simulated annealing or genetic algorithms. Original research: it may help you make a decision which may be better than prevaricating and making no decision. You did not specifically ask, but common "oracles" in the west include fortune-telling, tea-leaves, horoscopes, tarot cards, and so on. I have been trying to remember the name of a novelty toy which looks like a snooker-, pool- or billiard-ball, which you shake and shows an answer at random in a window. Edit: it is a Mystic 8 ball. 92.28.254.154 (talk) 20:31, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Cool, thnx! :) WikiDao ☯ (talk) 20:49, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, the "Magic 8-Ball". WikiDao ☯ (talk) 20:51, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Forgot to mention The Dice Man, a nasty unpleasant violent novel in my opinion. The article surprisingly says it comic, but it seemed completely unfunny to me. 92.28.254.154 (talk) 21:01, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There is also Flipism. 92.29.114.118 (talk) 20:11, 4 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Just to clarify on some of the overly-mechanistic answers above, human brains are not computers, and oracles are not exactly stochastic processes. it's more of an holistic shift than a mere introduction of randomness. this is best explained by analogy: say you're waffling between two two different cell phones (different looks, different features, different prices even, but on balance equal to each other in your mind). you happen to notice that the cute stranger standing next to you looks approvingly at phone A, and that tips the balance in your mind so you buy phone A. This isn't just a random influence: that cute stranger added a new dimension to the decision process - you now consider the social ramifications of the two phones as well as their technological elements - and that modifies your decision model as a whole. Likewise, if you are faced with a decision and you consult an oracle, well - an oracle is always a complex set of meaning relationships wrapped in symbolic form. the outcome of the oracle will add a new symbolic dimension to your decision model, which can go a long way to helping you make the decision even if you're not actually aware that a new dimension has been added. It can seem very mystical ("wow, I consulted the oracle and suddenly I just knew what I wanted to do"), and who's to say it isn't?- -Ludwigs2 21:07, 4 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The OP asked for a scientific explaination. The above isnt that. Although the oracle influencing the subject like a celebrity endorsement in advertising is interesting speculation. 92.29.115.43 (talk) 19:29, 5 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, 92.29, I see you have asked another question at the Science desk about that. I'm still giving that some thought, but I'm not sure it's what is most going on here. Anyway, again, I am not asking about the Nechung Oracle here, but about Mo (divination). And, yes, I am interested in a "scientific" (preferably cognitive scientific) explanation! Thanks, WikiDao ☯ (talk) 23:50, 5 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

A cruder "oracle" than those used by HHDL that is in regular use is the Coin toss. Its purpose is usually to put a difficult decision out of any person's control, which serves the dual purposes of getting a quick decision and absolving anyone of bias in the matter. A section in the cited article notes a psychoanalytical application of coin tossing. A pious monk decided to choose two random Bible verses to discover God's will for him. The first verse was Mat. 27:5. The second said "Go and do likewise" (Luk 10:37). Cuddlyable3 (talk) 20:17, 5 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

What did the pious monk do then? WikiDao ☯ (talk) 23:44, 5 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

He became a friar of potatoes when he was reborn as a chipmunk. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:52, 6 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Clarification of the use of the word "oracle": the OED defines it as "Something that is believed to prophesy, or give oracular replies or advice" and cites a 2000CE usage, "We consulted the I Ching, the ancient Chinese oracle, and the reply reinforces your need for experienced help." And it is about the use of "oracles" much like the I Ching that I am wondering about here. WikiDao ☯ (talk) 00:16, 6 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

CNN Website

Who or what determines why you might be blocked from commenting on CNN's website?--ChromeWire (talk) 03:50, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The Website administrator of their website. --Jayron32 03:51, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The site guidelines list types of postings that are unwelcome, and states that if you post more than three pieces of material that need to be removed from the site, your account will be disabled. The Terms of Use repeat this in legal language. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 20:32, 5 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Bees/wasps, why do they sting?

What do they gain/lose by stinging?--85.211.193.110 (talk) 07:49, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This is discussed to some extent in Stinger#Zoology. WikiDao ☯ (talk) 07:57, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on the critter. There are non-social wasps which sting, what they gain is keeping you away from their nest. Such wasps have smooth-stingers which they keep, and can sting over and over. Honeybees, and some other varieties of bee, have barbed stingers, which remain in you. This almost invariably kills the bee, however since honeybees are social, then the loss of an individual bee has little bearing on the health of the nest; had it not stung you, and you gotten in and damaged the nest, it would have caused a much greater problem for the colony. --Jayron32 15:55, 4 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Jaryon has the gist of it. Also note that the Meleponini are Stingless_bees, and do not use stings for defense. Some of them have interesting alternative deterrent methods, such as pulling out an attacking mammals' hair.SemanticMantis (talk) 18:58, 4 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

How short is Yao Ming?

What is the shortness of Yao Ming? I can't seem to find it anywhere. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.7.4.135 (talk) 09:22, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

His article says that he is 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) short. WikiDao ☯ (talk) 09:30, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Whoa! that's tall. I guess the answer to the OP is 'not very'. Richard Avery (talk) 09:59, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Sun Mingming is 2.36 metres tall. Therefore, Yao Ming is -0.07 metres short. ~A H 1^(TCU) 15:42, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Wouldn't that be 0.07 metres short or -0.07 metres tall? Nil Einne (talk) 03:17, 3 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Robert Wadlow was 2.72 m tall, which would make Yao Ming 0.43 meters short. Given advances in medical science, it is quite likely that there will never be anyone as tall as Wadlow (his super height was due to a medical condition, one that also ended up shortening his life), so he's the ceiling for height, (or baseline for shortness) as it were. --Jayron32 03:30, 5 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

increasing my height

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

hey, i know that hanging exercises increase height, but am i supposed to do them in a single stretch? my fingers really pain a lot after a minute, but i'm really aiming for a time limit of 10 minutes, so, is it ok if i hang for a minute, then a little break, and then another minute and a break and so on? and if that's ok, how long should the breaks be? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.197.250.90 (talk) 10:09, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

We cannot provide medical advice. Please speak with a competent medical practitioner. → ROUX ₪ 10:15, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

e-mail id

How to create an e-mail id?115.241.123.210 (talk) 15:46, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

There are several providers of free webmail in our article. Do you just mean an account, or some other meaning of "id"? Dbfirs 15:57, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Theseus

What day,Month & Year did Theseus kill the Minotaur? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.97.87.138 (talk) 17:12, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

As it says in the first line of our article Theseus, "Theseus (Greek: Θησεύς) was the mythical founder-king of Athens". Following the blue link on "mythical" may help you understand why this is not a question we can answer. Ka renjc 17:31, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

They did sometimes try to assign dates to events like that though. Someone (was it Aristotle?) came up with dates for the (semi-)mythical Kings of Athens, which for Theseus is 1234-1204 BC on our calendar. So presumably he killed the Minotaur sometime before that, maybe the 1230s or 1240s BC. Adam Bishop (talk) 23:24, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Didn't he become king immediately on returning home to find his father had just killed himself? Is there any suggestion anywhere in the earlier stories of even a time of year, bright midsummer perhaps, or just as autumn was fading and the last leaves falling? 148.197.121.205 (talk) 10:04, 3 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Oh yeah, so I guess it would have been 1234 BC, at least according to Eusebius of Caesarea. I don't know where he got that date from though, since none of the ancient Greeks who wrote about Theseus seem to have mentioned anything like that (not Euripides, Aristotle, or Plutarch, anyway). Adam Bishop (talk) 11:45, 3 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Further to that, we might assume that Theseus was sailing during the summer, because it's difficult to sail the Mediterranean at other times of the year, so perhaps he killed the Minotaur in the spring? Of course, that might be applying a bit too much logic to a mythological story. Adam Bishop (talk) 00:07, 4 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, here is another clue. Plutarch says that Theseus "went down to the sea on the sixth day of the month Munychion", then killed the Minotaur on Crete. Then, "after burying his father, Theseus paid his vows to Apollo on the seventh day of the month Pyanepsion; for on that day they had come back to the city in safety." According to our article on the Attic calendar, Munychion was typically April/May and Pyanepsion was typically October/November, so he left in the spring and returned in the autumn. So, following Plutarch it was probably in the summer, and following Eusebius it was probably 1234 BC. Adam Bishop (talk) 00:16, 4 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Just because a story is mythological doesn't mean that it can't also (at least at core) be true! :-) 87.81.230.195 (talk) 15:33, 5 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Haircut Name

I've been looking all over for the name of this kind of haircut.

http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/8085/topheric4.jpg

Does anyone know the name of this kind of hair or know a gallery where I can find more models like it? 98.77.210.36 (talk) 19:39, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Scruffy?--Artjo (talk) 06:46, 3 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I would say it's simply "parted on the left". It's a bit messy but that's the basics. Dismas|^(talk) 10:32, 3 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Moptop Hotclaws (talk) 13:49, 7 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

French railway: announcement jingle

[1] If you listen to this sound-clip, at about thirteen seconds in, you hear the bizarre and unique jingle which preceeds announcements at various stations in France. Does anyone know where I could find a clean recording of it, and/or any information about it? Thanks! ╟─Treasury Tag►estoppel─╢ 20:42, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

You can also hear it at the start of this video too! ╟─Treasury Tag►inspectorate─╢ 20:56, 2 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

SNCF jingle. And if you parle francais, theres a website from SNCF about their branding (including le jingle): Here. Fribbler (talk) 15:44, 3 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]