Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 May 9

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.

May 9

White tie dinners in the U.S.

It was reported that President Bush’s white tie dinner for Queen Elizabeth this week was the first of his presidency. How does that compare with the number of white-tie dinners at the White House during other recent presidencies (Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan, Carter)? In other words, how frequently on average did those presidents host white-tie events? Also, if the White House has not hosted any white-die events in the past six years, have there been others in Washington D.C. (at embassies, or whatever)? One of the things I am curious about is Laura Bush’s comment that most of the guests would have had to rent their formal wear for that dinner -- how could there be a large enough supply if there is so little occasion for its use? --Mathew5000 00:53, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

For the last, white tie is relatively common at one Southern function: the wedding. Most formal rental outlets have enough stock to tide them over the hundreds of formal weddings that take place every Saturday in the summer months, so one White House banquet would hardly be a big deal. I'm also guessing that Laura Bush may have been misinformed about whether the attendees needed to rent white tie, especially since many of the attendees are in the diplomatic corps where such banquets are much more common. (And to me it rang a bit false - "gee shucks we're just regular folks here" from a woman whose Christmas party dress is known categorically to have cost $6,000?) --Charlene 01:35, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

milk and eggs

Do cows and chickens have to be artificially inseminated in order to produce milk and eggs? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Themightym (talk • contribs) 00:59, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

Neither cows nor chickens need artificial insemination to produce milk or eggs. Cows do need some kind of insemination to become pregnant, and they must become pregnant and give birth in order to produce milk. They can be inseminated artificially or naturally by a bull. Chickens do not need any kind of insemination at all in order to produce eggs. Most eggs for human consumption are infertile and are produced without any insemination. Marco polo 01:22, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Furthermore, chickens will lay eggs at roughly one a day for any of the egg laying breeds. That is breeds that are generally raised solely for their eggs. They will lay that egg a day for several days, take a break for a day or two, and then start laying again. These periods of egg laying are generally referred to as "clutches". The length that a clutch lasts depends on the bird. If you were to dissect a hen you would find the next day's egg almost completely formed, the following days egg behind that which would be smaller and much softer, and the next day's and so on behind that one. Each of them successively smaller and smaller. Dismas|^(talk) 04:13, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

How is there room for the rest of the chicken with half a dozen eggs in it?

Only the next egg is full-size; the other ones are smaller, and since they don't have a hard shell yet they can be squished together a bit. One of the benefits of living on a farm are the unlaid eggs from slaughtered chickens. They have a creamy taste all their own, and they're mainly yolk. (Also that chickens raised on small farms generally have more exercise and a better diet, and their eggs taste better generally.) --Charlene 13:04, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

The yolks of the eggs are a much richer color as well. I don't have the issue handy but I think it was in Backyard Poultry magazine that they printed an article on the nutritional benefit of eggs from chickens that were allowed to eat grass, seeds, bugs, etc. as opposed to cage raised birds who only ate grain. The nutritional analysis was surprising to me. Not that there was a difference but that the difference was such a large one. Dismas|^(talk) 13:14, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

That makes me glad that I'm not a chicken! It doesn't sound like very much fun. Adrian M. H. 18:37, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Value of 1912 Brazilian contos de réis in austrian or American currency.

A real estate transaction in 1912 at Rio de Janeiro quotes a price of "15 contos de réis". How much was that in Austrian Krone (or US$ if that is easier)? <puszta>

Searching on Google for "historic exchange rates" and "brazil", the best I could find was this page, which goes back to 1916 for Brazil and 1913 for Australia, but does not have 1912 for either country. In 1916, rounding to cents, one US dollar was worth 4.21 Brazilian milréis or 7.95 Austrian Krone. According to Brazilian real, one conto de réis was equivalent to 1,000,000 réis or 1,000 milréis, so in 1916, 15 contos de réis would be about $3,560 US or 28,300 Kronen.

But of course 1916 was wartime, when exchange rates often change rapidly. In 3 years from 1913 to 1916 the Krone dropped enough that the US dollar was worth almost 3 Kronen more. I can't guess how stable Brazilian money was at that time. Perhaps searching for the Portuguese equivalent phrase to "historic exchange rates" would produce better results. --Anon, May 9, 02:40 (UTC).

This page has the exchange rate for 1912. Mil means simply one thousand, so one conto de réis is 1,000 mil réis or mil mil réis or 1,000*1,000 réis or one million réis. A.Z. 03:18, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Dog <- aspirin?

NoClutter 02:00, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Many web sites, and also Aspirin#Aspirin in pets, say that aspirin can be given to dogs but it is more dangerous than it is to humans (and still more dangerous to cats), so don't think of doing it without advice from a veterinarian. --Anonymous, May 9, 22:46 (UTC).

Reading the question differently, I do not believe that aspirin contains dog parts of any kind. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:19, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Reading the question as a diagram, I believe it should be Aspirin -> Dog. I've never heard of a suppository aspirin. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 03:29, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Aspirin has been available in suppository form in the past (according to my 1992 CPS) but nowadays you're more likely to find 5-ASA, a derivative of salicylic acid, in suppository form. It's is used in the treatment of proctitis, Crohn's Disease, and other inflammatory bowel conditions. --Charlene 12:59, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

It looks like "Is a dog less than negative aspirin?" I think the answer would be "No" or "Undetermined". Edison 04:10, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Definitely no, as negatives are always lower than positives.

But what if Dog or asprin has a negative value to begin with? FiggyBee 17:12, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Asprin has a negative value as it is a poisonous chemical :] HS7 19:53, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

In the body, aspirin is degraded to NAPQI. NAPQI is toxic. Most animals (eg. us) have an enzyme to detoxify NAPQI, but dogs don't. Moral of the story - if your dog has a headache don't give it aspirin, give it something else. That lecture was a long time ago, so I could have made some mistakes, or I could be confused with something else. Be warned! Aaadddaaammm 01:38, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

legal drug use for self-experimentation

Is it possible to get a permit as a private adult citizen of USA for one-time use of controlled substance such as LSD? If yes, how. If not, why not, and then what is a good substitute (if any) to conduct this research. NoClutter 02:04, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

No, it would be abused (look at painkillers), Lucid Dreaming is the closest you can get to a trip without drugs. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 03:27, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

What "research" exactly would that be? In some U.S. jurisdictions you might be able to legally use peyote as part of "bonafide religious ceremonies" and if you happened to be a member of the Native American Church its religious use would be much less legally ambiguous. Salvia divinorum is still legal in many if not most U.S. jurisdictions and produces some rather interesting effects that might be along the lines you're interested in. If you happen to reside in the state of New Mexico per an Appellate Court ruling[1]the growing of psilocybe containing mushrooms from spores does not appear to be illegal(however, I am not a lawyer, this is not advice, and a professional should be consulted in all legal matters). Non-pharmacological possibilities to achieve altered states, in addition to lucid dreaming, have, in the past and present, included some forms or combinations of sensory deprivation and fasting. -- Azi Like a Fox 05:48, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

I am licensed to have cocaine, cannabis and a number of other narcotics for experimental use. Indeed, just today I used ketamine in an experiment (though not on myself, obviously). Our license permits us to use them in a defined, controlled manner, and the amount of each of them is logged and reported back the the authorities. We also can only keep them at a single named location and always under lock an key.

However, my license is not issued as a private citizen, but as a scientist at an accredited institution in the USA. I very much doubt you would have any success submitting a proposal for "personal research" purposes (though back in the 60s and 70s NIH scientists such as John C. Lilly used LSD on themselves. Those were the days.) Rockpocket 06:21, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Not that I would ever suggest such a thing, NoClutter, but people have been known to conduct such research without the proper permits. --killing sparrows ^(chirp!) 07:25, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

dreamachine and Salvia divinorum. No idea if the machine actually works, Salvia is legal most places, but not all. Also, while the effects of both have been described as trancelike the experience will not be like the 8-10 hour odyssey of LSD. With the exception of the machine you will also need an experienced babysitter to keep you out of trouble if you do decide experiment. 161.222.160.8 00:12, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray

How does Stream (Mother) die? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.36.217.147 (talk) 02:30, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

Did you try looking at The actual article? V-Man - ^T/_C 03:21, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Dang! The article doesn't say. Perhaps we are never told. It might be worth bearing in mind that fictional beings never really die because they are never really born. It all happens in the writers' imagaination, and in the imagination one can achieve anything but there are also lots of gaps.--Shantavira 12:20, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

"Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die."[2] V-Man - ^T/_C 03:00, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Dragon Rider

How does firedrake lift Sorrell and Ben at the sametime? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.36.217.147 (talk) 02:34, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

Because it's a movie. Luigi30 (Taλk) 12:57, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Inkheart

Why does Dustfinger(silvertounge's old friend) come to Silvertounge's front door at the beginning of Inkheart? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.36.217.147 (talk) 02:38, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

why not?Coolsnak3 00:12, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Bittorrent and Lobbying

I know that organizations like the MPAA and RIAA keep tabs on some public trackers and send out warning letters to ISPs to protect their respective intellectual properties (movies and music). If I recall correctly, the end user typically just gets a letter in the mail and nothing happens legally. What are they doing nowadays and what about rumors of students paying thousands of dollars to settle out of court for illegal downloading? Were they involved in major piracy rings or something? Also does any organization do the same but for video games or applications (warez)? --froth^t 04:01, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

BSA for software and ESA for video games Coolotter88 10:45, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Usually, no companies are as strict as the RIAA (Although, Ironically, my "Stop Torrenting, Thanks" letter from comcast was sparked by downloading a Tom Cruise movie. Silly Scientologists and their lawyers), but yeah. Usually, a company will sit on a torrent, collect IPs, then contact those ISPs and tell them to warn the user. The RIAA has stopped going after end downloaders somewhat to focus more on the people distributing them, since going after everyone under the sun illegally downloading would be both insanely expensive and a horrible PR move. Sort of like how drug possession is just a fine in a lot of places now, and the sellers are the ones the police are really out to get. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 14:06, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Well I don't know about it being expensive- the RIAA makes a killing on out-of-court settlements, and probably nearly as much from cleaning out the 1% of people who refuse to settle. But impractical, yes. By the way, I've known actual scientologists on wikipedia so watch your tongue :x --froth^t 20:28, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

? (White student unions)

Should White Student unions be in schools?Zakaerckis 04:24, 9 May 2007 (UTC) Zakaerckis

I believe opinion questions should not be asked at the Reference Desks. Rather, you should pose at one of the many discussion forums on the Internet. Elaboration would most likely help any possible responders. Splintercellguy

• No,all students should wear black and be as EMO as possible.hotclaws 09:41, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Are there any schools with white student unions? What country are we talking about? Perhaps in a country where white students are a racial minority and traditionally discriminated against, a white student union would be useful and appropriate. -FisherQueen (Talk) 12:23, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Since when has racism been appropriate be it black or white student unions. Joneleth 22:49, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

What is a "white student union"? Is there such a thing as a "black student union"? A.Z. 00:20, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

• At some schools, yes. My highschool had a Black club, a Chinese club and a Tamil club, at the very least. Although there were a lot of white people in the Chinese club ... WilyD 02:46, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I understood those kinds of clubs to include people who are interested in that particular culture, in no way excluding other races. Of course, nobody really seemed interested enough to make a White people club. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:17, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia should have an article on that. I would read it. A.Z. 03:47, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

What, on Culture clubs, or White people clubs? V-Man - ^T/_C 04:00, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's an interesting question. If the club were called an Anglophile club (sit around eating crumpets for "tea" while staring at pictures of the Queen ?) it might be "acceptable" to most, or even a "European" club (a club for the "in" continent ?). However, any use of racial terms, like "white" or "Caucasian", in the club name is likely to be deemed unacceptable by most, even though a club with "black" in the name would be deemed to be acceptable. StuRat 03:59, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

... by whom? dr.ef.tymac 04:05, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

By Black people. Further, if the club is staffed by black people, it is acceptable in the United States to refer to it as a N***** club. V-Man - ^T/_C 04:08, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

If your answer reflects serious sociological and linguistic research, let's have a look at it. In the meantime, I welcome your response as the newest member of the "zero-credibility club". dr.ef.tymac 04:20, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

My response has as much credit as the Wikipedia articles I linked to; however, now looking at it, the part in N***** that I was referring to is unsourced... I wonder where one would find a source about how it is okay for black people to call themselves n*****s? Anyone who has heard rap likely knows what I mean. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:41, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Uh, the Black club was really only for Black people (I doubt they could de jure exclude non-Blacks, but they did de facto) - the Chinese Association didn't care, and the Tamil club didn't care (but they watched tamil movies as their only activity - so uh, no one tried). In University I don't know much about the racial clubs - I occasionally went to the Vietnamese Association meetings, but only to pick up some chick (who was also not Vietnamese). WilyD 04:25, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's been tried (unsuccesfully). You may be interested in reading[3] or even [4]. (I am not sure they are the same White Students Alliance, I just used google, but I remembered a story on it a while back. Cyta 07:30, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

What do you think is the best approach to use in forming and developing the East africa economic co-operation?

– —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Sarakibs (talk • contribs) 15:39, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

The reference desk has a policy of not answering 'homework' questions. If you were a little more subtle you could ask this in such a way as not appear to be doing homework...The best approach would be one of international trade, stable governance and eliminate conflict. ny156uk 17:37, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

This doesn't look like obvious homework to me, so I will answer. However, as my answer will require speculation, I will answer here: [5]. StuRat 19:58, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

stock screener

looking for a stock screener that can sort by the percentage of stocks that have been sold short. THanks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.199.4.203 (talk) 16:24, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

Hmm lets wikilink Sold short to see if there's an article, because I have no Idea what sold short means --Khunter 21:34, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

LOL, the Java version of the Yahoo Finance stock screener @ http://screen.finance.yahoo.com/newscreener.html provides a "short ratio". I would be concerned that this data couldn't be provided in real-time from the exchanges though, so it may not take into account short term swings (like when say... DNDN crashed today...)

NByz 05:31, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

omlette

i have a trivia question.who knows which american couple had an omlette named after them.they guy was addicted to painkillers and they no longer are together. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 212.49.74.210 (talk) 16:26, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

I don't see anything on List of egg dishes. Jon513 19:07, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

I've just gone through three pages of omelet dishes but didn't find a thing. Could this be an omelette dish that's named differently in Africa than it is in the West? (Your IP is from Kenya, so I'm assuming you're in Africa.) --Charlene 22:06, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Could be a reference to Mr and Mrs Benedict from NY - Eggs Benedict - but not sure about the painkiller story. Sandman30s 11:32, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

commercial bee pollination

Does anyone know when commercial bee pollination started becoming popular? I know the ancient Egyptians used bee's honey and what not, but when did they start purposely setting them in fields waiting for them to pollinate??? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.138.26.59 (talk) 19:04, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

According to the Honey_bee article bees were first domesticated by the Egyptians during the time of the pyramids, over 4,000 years ago. -Czmtzc 20:26, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

What types of bees did most of the pollinating in the Western Hemisphere before the importation of the European honeybee? Corvus cornix 21:44, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

That might be a question for the Science desk. --Charlene 23:04, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Deseret. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:20, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

How does that answer my question? Corvus cornix 18:05, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Hm. Looking at the article, it neglects to mention that the Jaredites brought the bees over with them at the time of the Tower of Babel. Sorry to leave you hanging! V-Man - ^T/_C 02:55, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I don't know, but my economics professor used to have a professor when HE was an undergrad that used the honey industry as an example of an "externality" (a cost or benefit not reflected in market prices). He believed that the Honey bee owners provided an uncompensated service to gardeners through pollination, until he noticed in the Yellow Pages that many Honey farmers were actually selling these services, thereby 'capturing' the externality.

Maybe not applicable to what you're doing, but an interesting anecdote...

NByz 05:27, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

APUSH test comming up!!

alright...so I just took a practice exam at school and would love to see why i got the answers wrong that I did so I can better study for the AP test this Friday. I have searched all over and I know they have released it but I can not seem to track one down. can anyone help me find the 1984 version of the APUSH test. If you can find others it would help as well. I really wish to knew what i made a mistake on. Thank you so much!--Kittycat rox 22:03, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Did you ask your teacher? Splintercellguy 00:23, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

yes but she said she couldn't release it because another teacher may use it. never mind though....i begged her to let my borrow it till tommarow and she let me. thank anyway.--Kittycat rox 21:52, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Vibrations in new cars

Why is it that when both windows are down in my car (2005 hyundai sontata), and it is going at a reasonable speed (50+ mph), a strong sound / vibration can be felt in my ears which can sometimes become painful if the windows aren't rolled up. I've heard other people complain about this too with other cars. It also doesn't seem to happen on older cars- only cars made in the last 6 or so years. 68.231.151.161 23:43, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

The mechanism is air pressure changes brought about by turbulent airflow. I can only postulate that there is a relation between the aerodynamic design of the car and the amplitudes and frequencies generated for various combinations of open & partially open windows. If you're right that this is associated more with modern than older cars (and that for me is not proven) then we can speculate that increasingly aerodynamic cars tend to give rise to the frequencies / amplitudes you find disturbing. (Not much of an answer, I grant, and I'm sure there are n other factors to take into consideration.) I recognise your description and have encountered it in at least a couple of reasonably contemporary cars when rear windows are partially open & front are shut. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I can sympathize. If I drive my 2003 Chevy Avalanche at highway speeds with the sunroof open, the low-pitched vibration is deafening. Wouldn't you think they would have tested this before selling them ? StuRat 01:41, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I've always thought of that as a sort of Helmholtz resonance, but with two windows open being the requirement, I'm rather puzzled as to the explanation; the article is a good read, at any rate. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:36, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It isn't that much of a concern, I believe, since the expectation in newer cars is that you will be driving with the windows rolled up; doing so increases fuel economy, if I recall correctly. Have you tried experimenting with different window configurations? For example, I've found that when my sunroof is open, I can greatly reduce the noise by slightly opening the back windows. Rolling up/down your windows in various ways should stop the vibration. --Philosophus ^T 09:38, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's still nice to have the option to roll down the windows and/or sunroof, on nice days to quickly cool a car that's been baking in the Sun and, of course, after the family spends the day at the 5-alarm chili festival. StuRat 02:35, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I thought I might add that my guess about this is that it is caused by the slanting in newer cars, which causes the front windows and sunroof to act like intakes. If there is nowhere for the air to flow, you get messy turbulent flow, increased pressure in the car, and so on, which probably causes the vibrations. --Philosophus ^T 09:41, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I have also noticed this phenomenon. I was going to suggest Sympathetic vibration. Vespine 03:42, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Windows down or up?

The owners manual for my MINI Cooper convertible says that if you open just the front section of the roof (which - in effect - gives you a sunroof) then opening the rear windows just an inch or so gets rid of the noise. It really works. So check your owner's manual - maybe it has similar advice. SteveBaker 11:17, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

The phenomenon is the same as occurs in a whistle, and is discussed in that article. --169.230.94.28 19:06, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

dogs

Why do dogs like cheese? 68.231.151.161 23:44, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Ummmm...they don't. Shindo9Hikaru 00:44, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

My 2 dogs will eat anything, including cheese. I think a more pertinent question would be "Why do some dogs like cheese, but others don't". JackofOz 00:47, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It depends on a number of factors. They typically will eat anything you throw at them, which is why it's important to keep their allergens in mind. // Pilotguy radar contact 00:54, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

For the record, my dog loves cheese. And broccoli. And arugula. And potatoes, grapes, peanut butter, and tissues (for blowing your nose). And junk mail. So yeah, dogs eat almost everything. - AMP'd 01:29, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Grapes are bad - don't feed them to your dog! SteveBaker 11:13, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's true that dogs will eat just about anything, and not just food, which is why I've removed everything from rocks to corncobs to tampons from their stomachs and intestines. But here's a heads up on the grapes, AMP'd. --Joelmills 02:46, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Wow, "A trend was seen as far back as 1999." That's so long ago. (I was imagining the ancient Egyptians using grapes to fend off jackals, or something? It shouldn't be such a difficult thing to discover, you'd think) V-Man - ^T/_C 03:38, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Dogs are generalists - a bit like humans. Although their digestive system is that of a carnivore they'll eat a wide range of foods including lots of things (like grapes and chocolate) that are very bad for them. But just like humans, they have personal preferences. Both of my dogs both love cheese but like most mammals, they are probably lactose intolerant - so keep it down to small pieces just to snack on. One of my dogs likes nuts - the other spits them out. Neither will go near broccoli. They are individuals and they aren't entirely stupid (although...). SteveBaker 11:13, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Mammals are lactose intollerent? I thought the whole point of being a mammel was to drink milk.

Most adult mammals are lactose intolerant. Aaadddaaammm 22:13, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Yea if you stop drinking milk the enzyme you need to break it down with stop being produced and you become lactose intolerant. Joneleth 23:18, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

That's absolutely not the case. It has nothing to do with stopping drinking milk. It's totally hereditary. Some people lose the ability to produce lactase between two and five years of age. It doesn't matter if they stop drinking milk or not before that. --Charlene 00:05, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

This subject came up before...Lactose intolerance is interesting. The way it's supposed to work in nature is that baby mammals produce the lactase enzyme and can drink and digest milk just fine - it's necessary that they can do that because immediately after birth, milk is the only food they have - that's the defining feature of a mammal after all! But in order to ensure that the baby is weaned off mothers milk and onto solid food, there is a genetic signal that turns off lactase production at some appropriate age which varies from species to species. This is evolutionarily sound since mothers milk is going to be needed for the next litter of babies and you don't want the older and stronger offspring muscling in on mommas' milk supply. Hence lactase goes away and the young animal starts getting uncomfortable stomach pains after drinking milk - which prompts it to start looking for other food. Isn't nature wonderful? So lactose intolerance in adults is the norm for almost all mammals.

In humans things have changed and most of us are not like 'normal' mammals. Sometime in the last ten thousand years we invented farming and started keeping and milking domesticated mammals like goats and cows. With that technological change, it became advantageous for adults to be able to digest milk. In times of famine it is better to drink milk from your animals than it is to slaughter them for meat. The occasional (rare) genetic mutant who didn't have the gene that switches off lactase production at age 3 or so would have a natural advantage in difficult times and would tend to survive by drinking milk when his neighbours had no choice but to kill off their livestock. This provided enough survival pressure to allow us to evolve lactose tolerance in adulthood. Now we are at a point where so many people have this mutation that us adult milk lovers consider the few remaining lactose intolerant people as having some kind of genetic defect - when in fact the reverse is the case! But since many societies no longer have the kind of survival pressure that allows evolution to select for lactose tolerance in adults, and lactose intolerance is merely an inconvenience, it's likely that intolerant people will have no problems passing on their genes and humanity will continue to have a mix of tolerant and intolerant individuals in the future - just as we have a mixture of eye colors and skin tones no matter what latitude we live at.

But I don't think domesticated dogs have had the same evolutionary pressures. In times of hardship and famine - nobody would be feeding cows milk to their dogs (particularly because almost none of them could digest the stuff). So dogs won't have been able to evolve like we did. So I'm pretty sure that a large majority of adult dogs are lactose intolerant. Which (to cut a long story short) is why they may not like cheese. However, they eat a lot of other things that aren't good for them - so it's possible that your pet may not know to avoid the stuff. Hence don't feed your dog a lot of cheese (although small amounts aren't likely to do much harm).

SteveBaker 11:12, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Cutting Ones

What is, or who are, Cutting Ones? NeonMerlin 23:58, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Can you give us any context? All I can find at the moment is what appears to be a use of the term to classify a set of tools that have cutting faces. --Tagishsimon (talk)

"Ones who cut?" V-Man - ^T/_C 03:41, 10 May 2007 (UTC)