Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2017 August 23

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August 23

What is the name of the Sci-Fi book where Earth's continents are planets

Earth has been conquered millennia ago but the conquerors only wanted the planet, not the people so they moved the people to other planets and named them after the continents. These planets are near each other but after all this time the inhabitants don't know their origin. The story is about a hero trying to overthrow the empire (if I remember correctly). They have something like n-space where you can store things and retrieve them from anywhere else.

I read this years ago but can't remember the title, author, or even the publisher. Any help is appreciated!

Thanks. Boston Cowboy (talk) 16:05, 23 August 2017 (UTC)

This would fit better at the Entertainment desk (or at scifi.stackexchange.com). I hope you find an answer! —Tamfang (talk) 08:23, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

He already asked on stackexchange. No answer, though. No longer a penguin (talk) 10:51, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

The series I believe you are referring to is Starhawk, by Mack Maloney. --Kwwhit5531 (talk) 22:36, 27 August 2017 (UTC)

Politicians at Third GECF summit

I need your help identifying some politicians from the Gas Exporting Countries Forum. Since now only Evo Morales and Abdelmalek Sellal have been identified on this photo. The guy at the right could be Robert Mugabe?--Alexander Hug (talk) 18:29, 23 August 2017 (UTC)

• Does Third GECF summit help any? --Jayron32 18:37, 23 August 2017 (UTC)
  • Yes, but only to identify Teodoro Obiang.--Alexander Hug (talk) 19:00, 23 August 2017 (UTC)

Not only. Abdelmalek Sellal is far left Gem fr (talk) 08:36, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

@Gem fr: IMHO Morales is hugging Abdelmalek Sellal, and the man at the far left is Abdallah Salem el-Badri.--Cloned sheep (talk) 10:04, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

considering the hair and size of Abdelmalek Sellal (relative to Barack Obama), i agree with you about him.

The far left guy has different hair than the guy on the picture of Abdallah Salem el-Badri, so either it is not him, or the latter is old enough for him to have lost hair. Gem fr (talk) 12:36, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

The man in the brown robes on the far right in the back is Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada. hereuhhlive (talk) 19:53, 23 August 2017 (UTC)

any of them appear in Getty's set of images from the meeting? All are captioned. [1] 70.67.222.124 (talk) 20:27, 23 August 2017 (UTC)

Were there things besides US road signs that switched to metric/"bilingual" then "regressed"?

Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 19:40, 23 August 2017 (UTC)

I seem to recall weather forecasts having both in the 1970's, then going back to just °F. StuRat (talk) 20:26, 23 August 2017 (UTC)

There are still bilingual road signs in the U.S. In Northern New England and Northern New York State, for example, there are high concentrations of French speakers, and local road signs are often in French and English (and occasionally just French!). Signs welcoming people to New Hampshire say "Bienvenue Au New Hampshire" as far south as the Massachusetts Border: [2]. Here's an Exit/Sortie sign in Plattsburg, New York: [3]. Here's another advertising lodging (hebergement): [4]. From the other end of the country, here's a sign in French in Louisiana: [5]. Here is a Spanish language sign for a Snow Emergency Route in York, Pennsylvania. A warning sign in Los Angeles. Here are Chinese street signs in Manhattan. So, the thesis that bilingual signs in the U.S. don't exist anymore doesn't hold up. --Jayron32 11:10, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

The two languages were metric and customary or imperial. In quotation marks because those aren't real languages. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 11:27, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

A number of major league baseball parks posted meters along with feet when there was somewhat of a push toward metric. Most of them have long since reverted, except Toronto, of course. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:31, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

• If you want to know more about the general topic of metrication in the United States, and its history, Wikipedia has an article titled Metrication in the United States which is a good starting point for your research. --Jayron32 12:28, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

• Have you heard the joke about the 12cm pianist? μηδείς (talk) 02:27, 25 August 2017 (UTC)

I owe you one LOL xD Gem fr (talk) 09:31, 25 August 2017 (UTC)