Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 September 29

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September 29

juice from concentrate

Why is juice made from concentrate that they add water to? Wouldn't it be easier just to bottle juice as is, than to remove the water and re-add it? Calliopejen1 00:00, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Water is heavy and bulky. Shipping it is more expensive than it is to remove it, and reconstitute the juice. And some people probably find concentrate convenient.... - Nunh-huh 00:02, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Incidentally, the Coca-Cola company produces only concentrate. The bottlers in various countries add the sugar and water.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:09, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

(And also the CO₂ of course).

In the UK, (and probably elsewhere) you can actually buy drinks like Coca-Cola as bottles of concentrate (including the sugar - but not the water or CO₂) and reconstitute them yourself using a machine that has a small CO₂ cylinder. This is extremely convenient and allows you to have dozens of flavors of such things at home and not have them take up refrigerator space. Sadly, I've never seen one of these machines in the USA - nor the supplies to refill them. That's a pain in the neck because they are REALLY useful and also save messing around with recycling cans. SteveBaker 13:31, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

It's called a Sodastream. DuncanHill 13:40, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks to DuncanHill for sending me the link to a store that sells these things in Austin, Texas! Duncan pointed out that you can buy them mail order and in some camping/boating supply stores(!). Not as convenient as having sodastream in the supermarket - but you'll tend to buy 6 month supplies at one go - so it's not a big deal to have to go to a specialist store to get the stuff. The cost of making soda this way works out at about 60c per liter (18c for CO₂, 42c for concentrate) if you can buy the stuff locally - more if you have to buy supplies by mail. The CO2 cylinders are recycled and you re-use the same soda bottles over and over again - so no can/bottle recycling. The biggest problem is the $100 cost of the machine that carbonates the drink. Right now, our local supermarket sells Coke, etc with a 'perpetual special offer' at $10 for three 12 can packs. That's 83c/liter - so at US prices, you need to drink about 450 liters of soda to pay for the machine - but if you have to pay postage to get the supplies and send back the empty cylinders - then supermarket soda is probably cheaper. So you definitely shouldn't do this to save money! But the ability to have no cans cluttering up your fridge (assuming your fridge has a cold water outlet) and a choice of a bazillion flavors - and "saving the planet" - may make it still worthwhile. SteveBaker 14:42, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

With apple and pear concentrate (and probably others) the sugar content is so high that microbes dont grow. So no preservatives are required and health regulations are easily satisfied. Also, fresher fruit juice often contains a small amount of ethanol. Polypipe Wrangler 03:08, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Most Humorous Question ?

What is the most humorous question that wikipedia has had, so far ? 65.163.112.187 00:47, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't know of any reference desk specifics - but more Wikipedia humor can be found via this link: WP:HUMOR SteveBaker 01:48, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I remember the "mask" questions. "Is it illegal to kill a man while hitting him with a cactus? What if you're wearing a mask?" Acceptable 04:44, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Link. I searched for kill cactus mask wikipedia in Google. A.Z. 04:50, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

The square root of France, How do Artic explorers go to the toilet?, Humans driving a ship (by me). And a somewhat humorous answer by me: Turkey Po Out, which was used in an episode of QI. For some more interesting threads (humorous or otherwise) see User:DirkvdM/BestOfTheRefDesk. DirkvdM 09:10, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Someone ought to create a list of lists of best reference desk threads. A.Z. 20:42, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

You're in luck! One my personal favorites: Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007_September_5#Daaaaaang. --Ybbor^Talk 22:10, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm familiar with Dweller's award. I was suggesting a list of lists of best reference desk threads, such as the following:

• Dweller's
• DirkvdM's.

A.Z. 00:09, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

What does this say?

[IMG]http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o71/Baku-Aoki/book_intro_gogeta.jpg[/IMG]

It is drawn by Akira Toriyama. Can someone tell me what it says? Thank you-Natalie. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.189.57.235 (talk) 03:48, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

You may have more luck getting an answer at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language. - Eron ^Talk 04:38, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Do you by chance have a larger version? I can hardly read the kana, it's sort of like trying to translate Shakespeare in 1px. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 11:10, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

The picture looks like Vegeta in his max-ed out Super Saiyan form in the popular Japanese cartoon Dragon Ball GT. Acceptable 16:23, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

And the text begins doragonbōru. —Tamfang 05:33, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Tiffany Taylor

What is the real height of Tiffany Taylor? Somesay she is 5'7" and some say she is 6' tall. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.248.2.51 (talk) 06:24, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, her playmate data sheet says 5'7" so that is probably correct. I'm guessing that Playboy asks the models to fill in their physical info (or rather has their agent do it), so that info should come pretty much directly from Taylor. Dismas|^(talk) 13:02, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Which is probably about as accurate as her age and weight --froth^t 18:21, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Auschwitz

The sign our OP is talking about

The 'B'

At Auschwitz, the B in 'Arbeit Macht Frei' (slogan above the gate) is placed upside-down, what is the story behind this? Or is it just an accident? 88.110.203.63 14:22, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

See our photo of the gate (at right). I can certainly see what you mean. The upper loop of the 'B' is bigger than the lower one. Is it a B or is it a ß? If the latter then maybe this is a common thing? It's definitely a B, not a ß - the other versions of this sign shown here: Arbeit macht frei have normal B's. The inverted B is even mentioned in our article - but it doesn't say why. Weird. SteveBaker 15:11, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

There's even a zoomed in version here. I'm not sure there's a reason behind it — could be an error, could be stylistic, could be related to how they made the letters. My bet is on the latter—it's not necessarily inverted, it might just be using the same upper form as the R and then not have a lot of space for the lower form. --24.147.86.187 15:54, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm betting on either stylism or accident. It's definitely not a ß, because there is no such word as "Arßeit". JIP | Talk 16:08, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

maybe it's just the angle of the camera. parallax or something —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 20:45, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm starting to think that the shape of that "B" is just a style. It's not a fluke, because the gate at Sachsenhausen (the link is blacklisted) looks that way, too. I googled for images of the Fraktur typeface, and I found this. The "B" looks a bit like the one in question, which is odd, because apparently the Nazis banned Fraktur in 1941. --Milkbreath 22:31, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Why did they ban a typeface? A.Z. 22:56, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I found the relevant Wikipedia section. A.Z. 22:59, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't really think Fraktur's B looks anything like that B, to be honest. --24.147.86.187 03:36, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I reckon it's just an Art Deco affectation. —Tamfang 05:36, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Wow, how are articles blacklisted? and why is Sachsenhausen blakclisted? (sorry going a bit off topic, but i dont think there isnt an answer for my original question.) 88.110.203.63 09:13, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Links are blacklisted, not articles. Look here. I can't imagine why this one is but I'm going to try to find out. And I think there is an answer for your question, but nobody who has answered so far actually knows what it is. --Milkbreath 18:39, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't know what typeface you're all reading this in, but for me the 'B' has a smaller bottom 'half' (well, not really 'half' if it's smaller :) ). As opposed to the edit box, for example, where the top 'half' is smaller, as it usually is. The smaller bottom is less common in modern typefaces, but in Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Jugenstil it was more common, such as here. They experimented a lot with round shapes in those styles, and this might just be an extreme. DirkvdM 06:29, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

To me it looks like this: The top half of the 'B' seems to roughly be the same shape and size as the top half of the 'R' just before it. A font thing. However, if you really really need to know I could one day go there and find out, or mail them with a question (I live quite close to Oświęcim). Cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 21:57, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

the bottom part of the B in question is smaller and has come to the attention of quite a few people in my research i have found that it could just be creativity or something of that nature but it could also have a secret meaning. i have recently contacted the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum acquiring about this piece of information and am awaiting a response. i will be quick to update as soon as possible when i do hear from them.

• I found an article that says it may by possible that the inverted "B" is a warning to the people that arrived at Oświęcim. The article said that the man that created the sign was also a prisoner in Oświęcim and he made the inverted "B" to let people know that "Arbeit macht frei" is a lie.
  • The famous slogan “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” translating to “WORK MAKES YOU FREE,” taunted prisoners with false hope, yet the inverted “B” of the sign, tried to alert new prisoners that life here in Auschwitz-Birkenau, like the “B,” was inverted, insane and upside-down. The Jewish prisoner, forced to produce the sign, ingeniously found a way to give warning. -- Andy -- 24.jun.2008

"The Jewish prisoner, forced to produce the sign, ingeniously found a way to give warning." Do you just make things up? It wasn't even a Jewish prisoner who made the sign.

Dry ice to chill drinks

Is it safe to use dry ice from packaging of chemical products to put into drinks to chill and carbonate them? Acceptable 16:20, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

This website suggests that it's ok if you're using food grade dry ice. I doubt stuff used in packaging is going to be food grade. Friday (talk) 16:29, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

ACTUARIAL SCIENCE AS A PROFESSION

THE RELEVANCE OF MATHEMATICS TO ACTUARIAL ≤≤≤SCIENCE. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.207.13.198 (talk) 18:41, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Our article Actuary says: Analytical skills, business knowledge and understanding of human behavior and the vagaries of information systems are required to design and manage programs that control risk. - I would imagine that beyond simple arithmetic, you'd need a really good grounding in statistics and perhaps a little calculus. Beyond that, a wide knowledge of business and general science. But our article seems very good - you should read that...right after you learn to TURN OFF THAT GODDAMN CAPS LOCK BUTTON! SteveBaker 18:50, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Squeezing Your balls

Before the kickoff in a football game, the kicker always squeezes the ball before placing it on the tee. Why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.101.53.147 (talk) 20:36, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

make sure it's full of air maybe? if it's not, well there goes your 1 point —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 20:47, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

To make sure its perfectly round before kicking? Or maybe to test the pressure?--88.110.150.148 21:42, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure the type of football in question isn't supposed to be round. - Eron ^Talk 22:00, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Maybe it's just for good-luck. Acceptable 23:08, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

It's a test to check the pressure of the ball. These guys spend hours just kicking their balls**!!. They learn how different pressures affect their kicks, etc. They want to know how much pressure their balls have, so they squeeze them. Dismas|^(talk) 04:10, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Of course it could be one of those actions that have become habitual, like a sort of ritual, one kicker has seen another doing it and so it gets copied until almost everybody is doing it for no good practical reason. There are plenty of other examples in other sports. I can't for a minute believe that the kicker is testing the pressure of the ball, although we can't discount the possibility that this may have been the original, spurious, reason. Richard Avery 13:06, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

oh wow when i heard the title of the question i got a little worried. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.146.114.248 (talk) 22:16, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Actually, this came about because of the introduction of "K-balls" (that is, Kicking-only balls) introduced to the NFL in 1999 in response to allegations of the home team (which supplies balls for a game) tampering with balls in an attempt to gain advantage. Rather than the used, worn, and otherwise broken-in footballs used during the rest of the game, K-balls are in near-mint condition. They're firmer than a worn ball and still have a factory-fresh slippery quality to them.[1] The squeeze the kicker applies is a last-second attempt by the kicker to soften up the ball for additional kick distance. The degree to which the K-ball is decreasing kick distance, however, is not entirely clear.[2] — Lomn 13:09, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Additionally, the pressure theory is right out. The NFL carefully regulates the pressures of all game balls, K-balls particularly. Balls are as near-identical as the league can manage. — Lomn 13:11, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

printing/mailing online

can I print something and have it mailed to an address all over the web? links? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 20:47, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

If you google online printer you'll get all the links you can handle. - Eron ^Talk 21:34, 29 September 2007 (UTC)