Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 April 14

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April 14

Weight/ sleep

I was recently reading two articles-insomnia, and fatal familial insomnia. In the insomnia article, it said that one of the symptoms of prolonged insomnia is weight gain. However, under the stages of fatal familial insomnia, stage three is as follows. 3. Complete inability to sleep is followed by rapid loss of weight. This lasts about three months.

So, which is true? Does lack of sleep cause weight gain or weight loss? If it is different for the two disseases, then why? Cuban Cigar 00:58, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

It could be both. That is, people with insomnia stay up and eat snacks, thus gaining weight. However, if they can't sleep at all, this eventually leads to physical deterioration, including weight loss. StuRat 01:02, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

It's not only eating snacks. Even minor sleep deprivation has been shown to affect the - sorry, I can't remember if it's the hormones or the brain centre - that tells us when we're full. A recent study I read showed (yes, I'll go look for it) that people who slept even a little bit less than recommended (like 6.5 hours a night) were several kilos heavier than people who slept 8 or 9 hours a night. Anchoress 01:07, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Et voila! Anchoress 01:24, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

It could also be that fatal familial insomnia has a different outcome than regular insomnia (being fatal and familial). --Charlene 05:59, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

But the total insomnia is a stage in fatal familial insomnia. I still don't see a reason why they would lose weight in one case and gain weight in another, seeing as they're both insomnia (total insomnia being a symptom of faral familial insomnia).Cuban Cigar 07:02, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, because they're symptoms of two different things, I'd say. People with no particular disease condition can have insomnia -- maybe just because they're worried about something -- and it can cause them to gain weight, or maybe it's the worry that causes the weight gain rather than the sleep loss. But no one can have total insomnia without a disease condition; it's just not possible. And the same disease condition, apparently, causes weight loss.

Put it another way -- you could maintain complete sleeplessness for, I don't know, a week or two? by continual administration of methamphetamine. Or so I'm told. And I think you'd lose weight, because that's what meth does. Or so I'm told. --Trovatore 08:06, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Let me give you personal experience...I was very overweight, and i had trouble sleeping, i snored, and i was very tired all day, and slept all the time. I lost 185 lbs and I don't snore, Sleep better and for 6-7 hours and am not tired during the day. So I'd say Being overweight might cause insomnia.

one more question--

Hi, I know I've asked alot of sims 2 questions recently, but this will be the last one. On the Gamecube version of sims 2 pets, i can't seem to have children. is it possible on this specific game? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.211.8.100 (talk) 01:20, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

I suggest you try the Computer Ref Desk. StuRat 02:15, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

thanks

Why are the discard racks at blackjack tables red?

I suppose it just looks nice. A google image search suggests that clear acrylic is at least as common as red. FiggyBee 02:06, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

A result from googling "red discard rack"[1] seems to imply that a red rack makes it more difficult to count cards, but that's tenuous. --Charlene 06:04, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Ahh... well, makes it more difficult to identify marked cards, which is an entirely different thing from card counting. Good find! FiggyBee 06:08, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Hollywood Physics

I don't think this really counts as people doing my homework, but I'll try asking anyway...

Does anyone have any suggestions for a TV show that has a physics flaw like unrealistic falling time, collisions, or sound that I (a high school student) can prove? It has to be realistic, ie not star trek, more like prison break. Oh and it can't be 24.

A particular scene would be extremely helpful. Thanks! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.82.132.77 (talk) 03:26, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

The most famous one was the scene in Speed where the bus jumped the gap in the road without being affected by gravity, but it's probably too well-known for you to use. (The article even comments on it.) Clarityfiend 04:53, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Yes that one can't be used. I'm specifically looking for a tv show so I can avoid it being too popular —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.82.132.77 (talk) 05:01, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

Any TV cop show where people who are shot fly 10 feet backwards as a result would qualify. Or how about car chase scenes, like in the Dukes of Hazzard, where the car and occupants were undamaged from jumps that would total the car and kill the occupants in reality ? StuRat 05:38, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Wasn't there a similar car jump scene in Road Trip (film)? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 05:56, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Easy: step 1) go here; step 2) ignore all entries that do not have (TV) in the link; step 3) review all remaining entries and find one related to physics; step 4) go on to the next letter of the alphabet (if you are not yet satisfied), and start over at step 2). Repeat this until you get tired or you reach your objective. Here's one possible lead from the letter B. dr.ef.tymac 05:58, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

I suppose the Wile E. Coyote cartoons are far too well-known for this? --Charlene 05:58, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, they are intentionally having fun with the laws of physics, like when the Road Runner is able to defy the law of gravity because, as he puts on his sign "I never studied law". StuRat 14:06, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Is Wile E. Coyote more realistic than Star Trek? ;) FiggyBee 06:06, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

There is this page, but this seems like borderline cheating for your assignment. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 07:29, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

There is the scene from The Blues Brothers where the Illinois Nazi leader's car goes flying off a bridge and falls for ~10-20 second worth of screen time and eventually puts a car sized hole in the pavement. I don't know if this would help you though based on the previously mentioned shunning of films that are "too popular". Also, you may just want to go through a single episode of MacGyver. I'll bet for each episode there is at least one example that would fit your needs. Dismas|^(talk) 12:30, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

For sounds, any show that has cars racing a long a dirt road with squealing tires. Again, the Dukes of Hazzard come to mind. --LarryMac 17:04, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Any science fiction show which lets you hear sounds in space. Corvus cornix 23:45, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Also, any science fiction show where deep-space battles, beams shooting into a star, etc. can be seen in real-time by observers on a nearby planet. --Charlene 20:11, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

what about those laser beans that trigger alarms, since you shouldn't be able to see them as the light isn't going directly toward your eyes. And this should be easy to test in a lab.

Font identification!

http://www.myspace.com/comm_undies

Could anyone identify the font in the posters? I think it's Helvetica, but I'm not exactly sure. AlmostCrimes 03:29, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Indeed, it is Helvetica Bold. — Michael J 04:24, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

F1 Racing questions

Two part question about F1 racing. During last Sunday's race, Nico Rosberg had a mechanical problem with his car and had to leave the race. Getting out of his car, he did not re-install the steering wheel, a point that the color commentators said would result in a heavy fine against his racing team. Why is that? Is there a rule that when a driver exits his car trackside he must replace the steering wheel? To what purpose?

Second question: What is or are the rule(s) governing pit stops? When a driver pits, then re-enters traffic on the track, what position does he take? That is, if a driver in first place pits, then re-enters the track behind the previously-second-place driver (who is now in first place) does he assume second place? Are the pit stops timed and is the length of the pit entrance/exit lanes set up so that a driver can usually re-enter traffic in approximately the same position that he held when he exited? 71.112.9.252 05:03, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Q1, the steering wheel has to be put back so the marshalls can steer the car to get it off the track.

Q2, when a driver exits the pits they take whatever position they are now in (ie, if they are behind two other cars, they are in third place). It's usual for a driver to lose two or three places when pitting, but since everyone has to pit approximately the same number of times it evens out in the end. Pitting can be an important part of race strategy; some drivers will run with a lighter fuel load, which means they can go faster but will have to pit more often. FiggyBee 05:22, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

xbox 360 need for speed most wanted

does any one have a pic of the need for speed acheivments completed that i can grab

thanks —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 210.54.229.45 (talk) 06:58, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

Wiki Ref Desks Questions - Correct Spelling.

I'm sure this topic has been covered before but please forgive my ignorance of how to check that out. And any Wiki Purists out there, please don't jump down my throat for asking this question. I watched a movie last night that prompted me to do a bit of research afterwards. I hadn't taken particular note of the Film's title as spelled, but was frustrated when Wiki couldn't trace The Bridges of Maddiston County (Maddiston is a village near where I live in Scotland so I can perhaps be forgiven for presuming that is the generic spelling), yet, after doing an IMDB search, which correctly and promptly referred me to The Bridges of Madison County (one fewer d and no t), I found a great Wiki Article, that I would have otherwise not been able to access. If IMDB and Google can do that broader search of a mis-spelt word, why not Wiki? Thanks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.241.226 (talk) 10:59, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

I don't know the answer I'm afraid, except to say that Wikipedia's search functionality is simply not as strong as Google's. However, there are other ways you could have found the article. The easiest thing would have been to have looked at the articles for Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep (assuming you knew they were the stars of the film). Both those articles have lists of the films in which those people have starred. A quick scan of those lists would have given you the film you were looking for. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 11:30, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Another option would be to search on "clint eastwood" "meryl streep", which would bring up a list of results. And at the top of the list... - Eron ^Talk 11:47, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

As I understand it, the code for that (mis)spelling technology that Google employs would have to be changed to fit in with the MediaWiki software that runs this site. Doing so would take at least a few programmers if they wanted it to be done anytime soon. And since the Wiki software is pretty much entirely volunteer driven, it's just not a priority to do such a large change. Also, those companies that use the code may have a copyright on it that won't allow for MediaWiki to just steal it and tweak it to their own purposes. Dismas|^(talk) 13:06, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

This question comes up on the Help Desk/Village Pump all the time, the answer is that there is in fact a spell checking feature built into the wikipedia search mechanism, however it's been disabled for a very long time because it causes too much server lag--VectorPotential^Talk 20:39, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Yes, Wikipedia's search capabilities are rather pathetic. The only way misspellings can be overcome is if somebody manually enters a redirect for each and every possible misspelling. As you can imagine, that's not going to happen. The best we can do is handle some common misspellings, and British and American spellings. However, you can use Google's excellent spelling correction by typing:

"The Bridges of Maddiston County" wikipedia

In the search window. Just pick on:

 Did you mean: "The Bridges of Madison County" wikipedia

and it gives you a list, with the Wikipedia article right on top. 13:57, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

You can also force Google to return results from a single web site using the site: keyword. So a search for site:wikipedia.org Madrid returns all the pages from Wikipedia containing Madrid, sorted using Google's usual ranking. To limit the search to the English Wikipedia, use site:en.wikipedia.org Madrid. I find this trick to be rather handy. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:48, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

lost photos

203.40.194.223 12:21, 14 April 2007 (UTC)≥Is anyone able to advise how to retrieve deleted photos from a 64mb multimedia card. Photos were deleted from the camera's memory, Kodak DX3215, with the memory card still in the camera.

Do you mean you deleted from the built-in memory but also have a copy on the removable memory card ? StuRat 13:47, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, if the deleted data is on the memory card, don't write anything to it. Run something like PhotoRescue or other products. Splintercellguy 16:01, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

The file system on a typical memory card is the same as the 'FAT' file system on old fashioned MS-DOS computers. When you 'delete' a file, you are actually only markiing the file as 'unused' and allowing new photos to overwrite it. It's certainly possible to 'undelete' files on FAT filesystems on real, physical disk drives (floppy disks especially) - so it's possible that you can undelete pictures from a memory card too - but whether there is software out there to do that - I'm not sure. Have you tried plugging the this memory card into a PC with a memory card slot - and then using an 'undelete' tool of some kind? No matter what - if you want to have any chance at all to recover these photos then it's absolutely essential that you don't take any more photos using that memory card because the new photos will overwrite the ones you deleted making them utterly impossible to recover. Good luck! SteveBaker 16:03, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Self adhesive postage stamps

Why do self adhesive postage stamps have perforations please.--88.110.118.46 13:09, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Are you referring to the knurled edges along the left and right sides of the stamp? I'd bet it's just to keep with the generic and stereotypical look of stamps from when they weren't self adhering. Postage stamp shows several examples of stamps and each and every one of them shows that edge. It's what people are familiar with and they equate that edge with a stamp. Even if you were to make a poster of a non-stamp image and then put that edge on it, people would most likely assume it's a large image of a stamp. They may even ask you how you got a picture of the stamp without the currency on it. Dismas|^(talk) 13:14, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Per Dismas' remark, the knurled edges are sometimes retained to preserve a traditional 'stamp' look. Many postal services now use self-adhesive stamps that have straight edges, or even a combination of straight and knurled edges (Canada, for instance:[2]). Some have also gotten more creative in their shapes—Tonga has issued a number of fruit-shaped stamps: [3]. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:43, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

The perforations are there on old-style stamps to make it easier to tear one stamp off of a sheet. With self-adhesive stamps, the sheet is held together by the backing sheet - and the stamps are pre-cut into individual stamps. So the perforations are certainly not needed anymore - if they are still there, it must be for reasons of tradition and decor. SteveBaker 15:55, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

At least in the way they're cut in France, the "perforations" do make it easier to take a stamp off the backing paper, as there are small tabs of paper sticking out when you bend the backing paper along the line between the stamps. I dare say that this is quite useful for people whose finger movements are less than perfect (e.g., arthritis sufferers). Physchim62 (talk) 18:26, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Lots of answers; thanks to all.--88.110.118.46 19:17, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Polish Documentary - hard question

I am looking for a specific documentary about Poland. It is a documentary made not long after they became a member of the EU. First a man speaks about the history of Poland, they show pictures and speak about communism. Then they discuss the Economy and future. Would be very nice to have the name of this, though I have no expectations. Clq 14:58, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Try searching at http://imdb.com/list. Use genre:documentary and keyword:poland to get 41 results, but only a few are within the last few years. --Mathew5000 20:41, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Laminate flooring.

I would like to put a laminate floor in my cottage kitchen, the problem is that there is no heat in the cottage in the winter in Michigan. Will that be a problem? Thank you, Loraine —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.110.55.252 (talk) 15:05, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

If you're thinking about a laminate floor such as Pergo (a trademark), you can refer to their installation guide. It's a floating floor system, which means that the flooring is allowed to expand and contract as the temperature changes, and it isn't nailed or permanently affixed to the subfloor. They recommend that you leave a 1/4 inch gap around the edges to allow for expansion and contraction. (You'd want to cover that gap with a molding of some kind.) I don't know how it would work in an unheated cottage, though. In this case, you should probably call the manufacturer of the flooring that you're planning to install and ask about the suitability of the product. --Elkman ^(Elkspeak) 15:30, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Elkman's answer above is correct. but of course, that implies you should lay the laminate when the ambient temperature is cool, so that it can expand when warmer, without buckling. So, if you buy it from a centrally heated store in winter, the laminate will also be warm, and will need to be allowed to cool to the ambient temperature of the intended laying area - and that might take several days - shorter if you unpack the planks and spread them out singly all over the floor - but never never pin them or glue them down - or the floating qualities will be lost. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.240.104 (talk) 20:37, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

Yahoo

On the Yahoo Search page, the search box says it's improved? What has improved about Yahoo?

Lots of little things, but nothing major recently. You can read about improvements in Yahoo!'s press releases, here [4] or learn more about Yahoo! Search here [5]. Yahoo!'s "newest and coolest projects" are detailed here. [6] Rockpocket 18:32, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Grovedale College

Does anyone know what year Grovedale College was established? I can't seem to find it in any searches. --Candy-Panda 15:27, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Have you tried contacting them? See http://www.grovedale.vic.edu.au/contact.htm Corvus cornix 23:48, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

landscaping

When plantations were used in the old south, the long entrance to the plantation house was often lined on both sides with trees. Upon entering the drive,it appeared that the trees could reach into infinity. What is this use of trees called?Olive07 15:52, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

That would be an avenue, I think. - Eron ^Talk 16:31, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Mail-order bride

How can I get a mail-order bride? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.185.136.143 (talk) 16:28, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

See Mail order bride as well as this Google search. Dismas|^(talk) 17:47, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Illegaly It may be illegal based on where you live. - AMP'd 02:14, 15 April 2007 (UTC) (Edited 02:17, 15 April 2007 (UTC))

I suppose that it may be, but the questioner's IP address suggests that he/she is in Kansas, USA, and I have not found any evidence that arranging a marriage by mail or internet is illegal in that jurisdiction. That said, I am not a lawyer and am not qualified to give a legal opinion. Marco polo 14:25, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Marx Toy Soldiers

I am looking for a list of Marx Warriors of the World figures,hand painted(60mm size) made from the 50's and 60's. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mookis (talk • contribs) 16:29, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

Have you tried ebay? Corvus cornix 23:50, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Islands in the North West Atlantic Ocean

I'm searching for the above to answer a x word clue.

The answer is -- I think B-A--A [Where the spaces are the three missing letters]

Any help??

Thanks David Beattie 17:03, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Hmm... Does it have to be northwest Atlantic Ocean? I paid a visit to Crossword Solver, and the only proper names that seemed to fit were "Bahía Blanca",[7] in southeast Argentina, "Branca" [8] the name of some municipalities in Brazil, and "Braúna" the name of another municipality in Brazil. You may want to double check the other 10 or so possibilities at crossword solver, but I don't think any of them are names for islands. List of islands in the Atlantic Ocean didn't prove very fruitful either. --Ybbor^TalkSurvey! 17:51, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

If the first A is wrong, it's "Bahama". Compared to the entire Atlantic (Antarctica to Greenland) they're in the northwest. --Charlene 18:54, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

If the first A is wrong, and the letter count is wrong, and the clue is wrongly in plural, it's Bermuda. jnestorius^(talk) 19:41, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

If we're talking about possible answers to innacuracies, Bahama at least satisfies two of the three leters, keeps the plural, and fits letter count. --Ybbor^TalkSurvey! 19:46, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Agreed. But Bermuda does fit "North West Atlantic Ocean" better than any other island. jnestorius^(talk) 21:48, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Try checking this page: List of islands by name (B). With a north-west Atlantic location, it's probably going to be associated with Canada, Iceland, or Denmark (Greenland). Anchoress 21:06, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Only if you see the Equator as running through the South Atlantic. In reality, anything north of the Equator and west of the mid-point is going to be in the northwest. --Charlene 17:55, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

tghat list doesn't reveal any matching results either :( --Ybbor^TalkSurvey! 21:46, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

What if the question is being read wrong? I wonder what the word 'islands' is in Danish or Icelandic or Innu? Anchoress 21:50, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't find any island anywhere called "Bahama". The country is called the Bahamas. "Bahama" would be a back-formation. (The Beach Boys have a lot to answer for, unless I've misheard Kokomo). -- JackofOz 22:08, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

"Bahama islands" get 337K Ghits. jnestorius^(talk) 22:57, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. Since "Bahama Islands" is a recognised way of referring to the island group, "Bahama" might be the answer to the original question. (But there was still no reference to any single island called "Bahama"). JackofOz 23:57, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Of course there was no reference to a single island, the title asks for "islands in the Northwest Atlantic". 12:40, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

You're dead right. I misread the question. My apologies. JackofOz 22:15, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

urgent

Explain housing finance and housing finance in india —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 59.182.18.222 (talk) 17:21, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

Housing finance in India is largely controlled by ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank. There are other players like State Bank of India and other PSU banks who give housing loans.You should contact the representative of your nearest branch of the any of these banks I have quoted above. Remember to negotiate hard and go for a floating rate of interest. sumal 06:20, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Petrol lawnmower run on alcohol

Hi, My electric lawnmower's just burnt out its engine so I'm considering getting a more sturdy petrol powered one, but i'm not keen on increasing my reliance on hydrocarbon fuels so would it be possible to run it on alcohol, or alcohol with a few drops of petrol? AllanHainey 18:46, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

You really need to check the specifications on the engine for this one. Putting in a fuel that the engine is not expecting seems to me a sure-fire way to damage the engine, if not yourself. --24.147.86.187 19:30, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

If similar to car engines, you can run up to about 25% ethanol in a gasoline engine without modifying it. Beyond that, modifications are required. In the US, at least, ethanol is still more expensive than gasoline, so there isn't much call to do this, in any case. StuRat 03:06, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

A lawnmower will likely have a 2-stroke engine - you'll have to add oil to the fuel to lubricate the engine - that's pretty much unavoidable and is going to keep you reliant on hydrocarbons. Ethanol in low concentrations of less than maybe 20% is OK - but when you go to 100% ethanol (as they have in Brazil for example) there are many new problems:

1. Ethanol is not good for starting the engine. 100% ethanol cars have a small gasoline tank used to get the engine started - then you switch over to pure ethanol once it's warmed up.
2. Ethanol rots rubber. In low concentrations (like maybe 10%) it's not a problem - but in higher concentrations you have to make sure that all of the seals and gaskets in the engine are made of some synthetic compound that resists reaction from the ethanol.
3. Ethanol procduces a much more acidic residue than gasoline - and in a car engine this gets dissolved in the oil. It is necessary to have the right kind of engine oil to solve this problem or the guts of your engine will corrode that way. Quite how this translates to a two-stroke engine where there is no crankcase oil and all of the lubricant is mixed in with the fuel is anyone's guess. I have no clue.
4. Ethanol conducts electricity - gasoline doesn't. In car engines, this has caused problems with electrical components that are routinely immersed in gasoline such as the fuel tank level gauge and the fuel pump. Lawnmowers don't usually have either of those things - but I suppose there might be other things I havn't thought of yet that might be implicated.

Overall - I'd be rather surprised if you got this to work well. In my opinion, you should stick with an electric mower if you are that concerned.

SteveBaker 06:39, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

At least in the United Staes, essentially all gasoline-powered lawnmowers use four-stroke-cycle engines. The Lawn-Boy brand still sells a two-stroke, but nowadays, they also sell more-usual engine designs [9]. Briggs & Stratton make most of the engines used in the application with Honda and Tecumseh making the rest.

Atlant 16:56, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks AllanHainey 09:13, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

What does it take for a sport to become part of the Olympic games?

What does it take for a sport to become part of the Olympic games? Just wondering when and if we might see sports like rugby, lacrosse or baseball. 206.188.56.88 20:52, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

According to Olympic sports: "A sport or discipline is included in the Olympic program if the IOC determines that it is widely practiced around the world, that is, the number of countries that compete in a given sport is the indicator of the sport's prevalence. The IOC's requirements reflect participation in the Olympic Games as well — more stringent toward men (as they are represented in far higher numbers) and Summer sports (as more nations compete in the Summer Olympics). To be able to be competed at the Olympics, for instance, an event must be practiced by men in at least, fifty countries on three continents, and by women in at least thirty-five countries on three continents." --Ybbor^TalkSurvey! 20:59, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

But even then, TPTB in the Olympics start cracking down. Baseball is going to be eliminated because too few countries participate. Golf isn't in the Olympics even though it meets the above criteria. It's basically, whatever the people in charge get out of it. Corvus cornix 23:51, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

There is a formal process towards becoming an Olympic sport. That used to take the form of demonstration sports that were chosen by the local organising committee, but that programme was suspended. Now the process is by recommendation of the IOC Olympic Programme Commission followed by a vote by the IOC members. The IOC voted to drop baseball and softball from the Olympic program for 2012, but rejected their replacement with karate and squash, which were selected from a short-list that included golf, roller sports and rugby sevens. These remain recognized sports however. Rockpocket 00:46, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Did synchronized swimming actually meet the criteria ? StuRat 03:03, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Why wouldn't it? Because it isn't stereotypically popular with men? (Actually, it's a cheap sport to put on and to participate in, is popular in many countries, and brings in huge ratings.) --Charlene 03:38, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Rugby union at the Summer Olympics was been played four times between 1900 and 1924, with a total of ten teams over the four competitions. The USA are the reigning champions, which is probably why it hasn't been played since ;-) --ColinFine 15:00, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

The qualifications seem to be rather flexible. Contract bridge made a bid for inclusion at one point. Clarityfiend 17:09, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

So did Bowling. Corvus cornix 20:17, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Sometimes the International Olympic Committee uses inclusion (or lack thereof) to make a point, whether they admit it or not. I've heard that IOC officials are eliminating baseball in part because the U.S. will not field its best players. — Michael J 23:40, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Screenshots on the Playstation 3?

Is it possible? Яussiaп F 22:18, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

With a PS3 SDK, or with a TV/video capture card on your PC, it should be. The latter is the practical one, unless you're a developer. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 22:23, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Okay thanks. Яussiaп F 22:35, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

camera

For what it's worth - I believe game developers (I'm about to become one when I start my new job in a couple of weeks!) develop initially on the PC and port to the PS3 as they go because debugging software on the PC is a lot easier. Since the nVidia graphics chip in the PS3 is very similar to the ones you can get for the PC, the resulting screen shots should be pretty much identical - except perhaps for any artifacts brought about by video encoding to PAL, SECAM or NTSC or inherent in interlaced video. So my strong suspicion is that the developers capture their screenshots from the PC. For non-developers, I agree that you need a video capture card in a PC hooked up to the video output of the PS3. SteveBaker 22:44, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

Injury Questions

I've been having some debates about injuries, and I haven't come up with any good answers. Could you guys help me out?

• If someone receives an impact injury to the heart area, would doing cardiovascular activities make it better or worse?
• If someone is sore, would stretching that muscle make it better or worse?
• If someone squishes their finger in a door and it leaves a black lump, would cutting it open (to drain it out) make it better or worse?

Thanks. --JDitto 23:06, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

These are medical questions, and as I'm sure you understand we can never give medical advice. --Charlene 03:36, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Burn Notice (TV series)

When will Burn Notice (TV series) be on the USA Network? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 12.18.90.101 (talk) 23:44, 14 April 2007 (UTC).

imdb.com says "Scheduled to air mid-June 2007". Corvus cornix 23:53, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Wiping a tape

Anyone know where the term 'wiping' in relation to erasing magnetic tapes, comes from?--88.110.28.251 23:49, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

If you're asking who first used the word in this context, I have no idea. If you're asking why this word is used, I'd say it's a very obvious extension of existing meanings of the word. One wipes a slate clean, so one wipes a tape clean. JackofOz 23:55, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

OED suggests that "wipe" as a verb has been used in the sense of to demagnetize a magnetic recording since at least 1900! It is clearly using the sense of word meaning "to obliterate" (i.e. "wipe out"). Also note that "wiping" was used in the sense of demagnetizing a metal ship (to avoid setting off magnetic mines, I'd imagine) in the 1940s. --24.147.86.187 12:55, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Though both the OED's examples before 1946 use the phrase 'wipe out', rather than the bare word 'wipe'. The 1946, 1947 and 1962 quotations are plain 'wipe', but all refer to degaussing ships. The earliest quotation which refers to 'wiping' a tape (as opposed to 'wiping out') is 1962. --ColinFine 15:16, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Yes when iron ships were degaussed, a coil of cable around the ship was 'wiped' up the hull to demagnetise it. Did they have magnetic sensitive mines in WW1?--88.111.70.68 20:31, 16 April 2007 (UTC)