Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 August 7

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August 7

Changing career path

I've always thought i wanted to do something "sciency" at university so that basically dictated the subjects i chose to take at GCSE and A-level. I just finished my AS exams a couple months ago (Biology, Chemistry Physics and Maths) and I now feel like I'm regretting the subjects I did and wish there was something I could do to study languages at uni instead however the only language qualification I have is an A* GCSE Spanish. The thing is I speak/understand Spanish very well, and also was very good at French until before GCSE so I think I could easily get A grades at A level if i did them and maybe even another A in italian. Is there a way i can do this now? I wouldn't mind starting those subjects at A level now and going to uni a year later. Spanish shouldn't be a problem as i have a gcse but what about Italian and French? Do i need the gcse before doing the A level? Does it make a difference if I speak/understand french and italian more or less to GCSE level?

Another idea: I know that some in unis for example you can study Spanish and Russian as part of a Languages course and they don't ask taht you have the A level in both languages just one of them. Now I dont have A levels in Spanish or Russian but would I be able to do such a course provided I just proved to them some other way that I can speak Spanish as well as I do?

--JD77 (talk) 03:45, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

I would first pick up the phone and talk to the admissions department of the university you are interested in attending, or even get the department's number off the university's website, and explain your situation. You may be surprised how helpful they may be; they may ask you to sit a language test or two though. If they say no, however, then you can do A-levels at an evening course if you want to (speak to your local college - if they don't do them, they will be able to put you in touch with a local evening school that does), or even talk to your sixth form/college about taking them in an accelerated course over the course of a year (they can often do this). Neıl ☄ 12:48, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

If you're willing to do an extra year in sixth form (and your sixth form will let you, but I can't see why they wouldn't), I can't you see having a problem. You can get an A-level in Spanish and at least AS levels in another language or two - that should be plenty to get onto a language course at Uni (it might not be enough for a top Uni, you'd have to look it up). If you want to go to Uni on time, you probably still have options. You need to investigate a few universities (your 6th form will be able to help there, as will the internet) and find out their requirements. They might let you in with just AS level Spanish (and maybe a GCSE in another language - my 6th form offered GCSE languages alongside other A levels, yours might too). You could also look into doing a combined arts degree, or whatever the university you like calls it, where you study bits from lots of subjects. You could then do some languages and some other stuff (maybe even some of the science stuff you were interested in before) - such courses wouldn't require any specific qualifications to get on (some of the individual modules might, but as you say, there are often language modules which don't require an A-level in that language). I expect your 6th form has career advisers, they'll be able to help you more than I can. --Tango (talk) 18:46, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Zoroastrian Websites

Are there any Zoroastrian websites with blogs, forums, discussion groups, chat rooms or reference desks ,etc, where different people, different Zoroastrians, can contact and communicate with each other, discuss about Zoroastrianism and ask questions to others, other Zoroastrians, to do with Zoroastrianism and answer others’, other Zoroastrians’, questions to do with Zoroastrianism? I mean, a website with something similar to the reference desk in Wikipedia or Wikichristian. I mean a place where your questions might be answered as soon or as quickly as in Wikipedia or Wikichristian. How do I search on the Internet for such websites, websites with such things?

Bowei Huang (talk) 07:07, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

You might look for "Parsee" or "Parsi". Corvus cornix_talk 17:33, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

I didn't find any such websites with such things in those articles. They didn't say if those websites were such websites with such things.

Can you tell me the names or URLs of one of or some of those such websites with such things? Can you please tell me how to search for them on the Internet? Bowei Huang (talk) 04:48, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

Antispyware 2008 help!?

Moved to Computer Desk where more expert help will be available. Richard Avery (talk) 07:29, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Whats the average number of crew on ships?

Whats the average number of crew on Cargo ship of say Suezmax size? In general how many for navigation, how many for say running engine, other support systems etc? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ranemanoj (talk • contribs) 08:37, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Our Exxon Valdez article lists a crew of 21 - albeit EV was larger than suezmax. Not sure how they were divided. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I guess it may depend on the age of the ship and the cargo carried; I've found references for crews of 15-20 for oil tankers, but over 60 for livestock carriers. The breakdown for the livestock carrier, in 1995, was; the Master, four deck officers, a radio officer, six engineer officers, an electrician, three fitters, Bosun, three able seamen, 28 ordinary seamen, three oilers, three wipers, three cooks and four messmen.[1] FiggyBee (talk) 03:20, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

There would normally be a steward also to take care of the officers quarters and to serve their meals.--Artjo (talk) 17:12, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

Gordon Hospital

The Gordon Hospital for Fistula and other Diseases of the Rectum (and not to be confused with the Aberdeen hospital) was established, as far as I can work out, in 1884, and is situated on Vauxhall Bridge Road, Victoria, London. Who was the Gordon after whom it was named? (Bonus points for any other pointers to its history.) thanks --Tagishsimon (talk) 09:21, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

This link says:

• Gordon Hospital for Fistula and other Diseases of the Rectum, Vauxhall Bridge Road, S.W. Founded as the "West Hospital for Fistula, etc." in 1884; Name changed 1886; Rebuilt 1899.

My hunch is that it was renamed after the 1885 death of General Gordon in Khartoum. He was eponymised far and wide throughout the Empire, in various ways. -- JackofOz (talk) 12:19, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Jack may well be right, but if you want to be sure ... I'm going to be lazy, and let you do most of the work yourself, but the Gordon Hospital in London] is now a mental health hospital, administered by the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. You can contact the CNWL Trust here, or contact their Communications Officer directly, details here. They will be able to help you. This search shows Gordon Hospital, London SW1 is mentioned in The New Hazell Annual and Almanack, as well as a number of other books, although what it says I can't tell. Neıl ☄ 12:57, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Oh yeah, note it's actually on Bloomburg Street, which is just off Vauxhall Bridge Road (might help with your searching). It's been a mental health facility since at least the early 1980s, and was definitely still a intestinal and colorectal place in the late 1940s ([2]). Neıl ☄ 13:12, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Much obliged, many thanks. The bonus mark goes to Jack, for matching the date of renaming with G~ of Khartoum, which seems a likely fit. but I have also taken up Neil's suggestion and emailed Emma Thingie, the communications officer to she if she knows what's what. It's a little landmark in the vicinity of my place of work, and I'm slowly trying to understand how all of the area fits together & where it comes from. --Tagishsimon (talk) 13:33, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

I'm still poking around; depending how dedicated you feel, the London Metropolitan Archives (not available online) hold all the Gordon Hospital's early records - see [3], and those from 1936-82 are here, with contact details. A bit more on the Gordon here. Was an army hostel during World War II. Greville Wynne was treated there following his release and return via prisoner exchange from the Soviet Union in 1964. Neıl ☄ 13:52, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Oh, that - visiting the archive - might be interesting; on which basis Neil is awarded a bonus and much thanks. --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:32, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, Tagishsimon. I'll add that to my resume.  :) -- JackofOz (talk)

Why cats like sea fish and avoid fresh water fish

In my part of the world, what the cats like best is sea fish. Not all cats eat meat [fowl and red meat] bought from the butcher's. Most cats don't eat fresh water fish. I have seen most cats avoiding saline water fish caught from rivers. why is this so? Raosab (talk) 13:33, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps they've simply developed a taste for it? Humans are not alone in restricting their diets beyond what is digestible. 72.242.117.18 (talk) 14:40, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

But cats who live far from sea developing this taste is very strange. Raosab (talk) 17:17, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

You are making a tremendous generalization. Are you sure this isn't just the taste preference of your cats? My cats don't even like fish at all! Assuming your generalization is accurate though, maybe there is something wrong with the freshwater that produces fish in your area: maybe it's polluted and your cats can smell it on the fish. --Shaggorama (talk) 17:49, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Your cats don't like fish at all? Wow. Maybe all that glisters is gold. --Trovatore (talk) 02:10, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Of course, I was talking about the cats in my part of the world in general. Here cats are not exactly pets. They live a semi domestic semi wild life. They are not really fed. They live on offal and small preys. Pet cats have different taste. Cats' love for fish monger [they sell sea fish only] is famous here. Every morning in every byroads and lanes cats wait to hear the hoot of the fish monger. Cats can even recongnise the engine sound of their mopeds. Maybe I should upload some video/photos of cats cosying up to the fish mongers Raosab (talk) 18:14, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

What part of the world are we talking about? --Trovatore (talk) 18:57, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

You say they don't eat fresh water fish, is that by choice or are there just none available? You say the fish mongers only sell sea water fish. --Tango (talk) 18:49, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Fresh water fish is never not so readily available as sea fish. But animals' tastes are instinctive rather than developed, aren't they? Raosab (talk) 01:58, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Probably no more than human taste. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 00:24, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Wait I'm confused. If the cats you are referring to are not pets and simply living on whatever they can get how do you know what they prefer? In any case, from what I know of wild/semiwild animals, particularly (semi-)wild semi-domesticated animals, they are no where near as picky as you suggest. They will generally eat whatever they can get (which is not surprising since it usually isn't a great amount). Of course over time the cats may develop a preference for certain types of food, but this is going to be learnt/from experience and is not likely to be anything instinctive. I wouldn't even call it 'taste' since unlike humans or domestic cats, it's most likely not so much the cat rejecting otherwise good food because it wants something that tastes better but the cat relying on its experience to tell it what food may be suspect. For example, if most of the fish the cats eat are seafish, then they may be wary on the odd occasion they actually encounter fresh water fish since it's not something they're used to and they may be concerned it doesn't smell right and unsure if it's safe to eat. Perhaps it's even possible that for whatever reason fresh water fish tend to be more likely

to cause problems for the cats (if they are rare and expensive then it seems possible the fishmongers may keep them for longer then they would the cheap seawater fish). Similar things may be the case for meat (perhaps the butchers are less 'generous' then the fishmongers and any meat the cats do get tends to be rather old, in any case it's possible meat itself tends to be more problematic for cats) Nil Einne (talk) 18:50, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

Asian Cuisine?

What is the most well known dish in Asian Cuisine? please no links or references to wikipedia pages. thank you --Confusedlad (talk) 16:46, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

I'd go with rice. Useight (talk) 17:14, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

I'd say either Sushi or sweet and sour chicken, or chicken fried rice, 3 of my favorite Asian Cuisine! But most well known dish IMO.. Sushi Nick910 (talk) 18:37, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

What constitutes Asian Cuisine? Any food eaten in Asia? If so, curry is almost certainly the most well known Asian dish in the UK. It will obviously be different in different places - the most well known Asian dish in China is going to be something Chinese! --Tango (talk) 18:51, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

What is the most well known dish in European Cuisine? Asia is a hell of a lot bigger, and much more varied, than Europe. --ColinFine (talk) 22:11, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

If you're looking for a definitive answer, you're not going to get one. "The most well know dish" is highly subjective.--El aprendelenguas (talk) 22:39, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Marco Polo knew it was noodles. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:59, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Antidepressants and alcohol

I AM NOT ASKING FOR MEDICAL ADVICE!!!!! Just asking out of sheer curiousity... I've noticed that with antidepressants they always warn not to drink alcohol while taking these. Obviously it's bad for you, but what exactly is the problem? 12.155.80.115 (talk) 18:59, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Per an article from the Mayo Clinic, alcohol may counteract the medication, worsen its side effects, and (depending on the medication in question) increase your risk of stroke. — Lomn 19:05, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

In addition, alcohol depresses the nervous system, and can temporarily screw up some of the processes in your brain by affecting the cortex, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens. See Alcohol_effects#Moderate_doses for a little more information. Since several antidepressants alter levels of serotonin, and serotonin is important for parts of the brain such as the hippocampus, having the two drugs (i.e. alcohol and antidepressants) acting on the same area with different effects isn't a good idea.--El aprendelenguas (talk) 22:36, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

I'm not certain, but I suspect that it's also the case that several antidepressants are metabolised primarily through the liver, in which case that organ's getting a double hit on its resources (this is also the reason why paracetamols are not ideal for treating hangovers, BTW). Grutness...wha? 00:26, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Time switches

How do time switches work? I'm referring to the ones like this, that have on and off trippers of two different metals. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 19:44, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

The "on" and "off" trippers appear to be made of different metals to tell them apart when clamped to the clock wheel. So, as the wheel turns (usually once every 24 hours) the "on" tripper, at its selected time, flips a switch to supply power and as the wheel continues its rotation the "off" tripper, at its selected time flips the switch off. Actuation times depend on where the trippers are clamped onto the wheel. -hydnjo talk 00:24, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

The on & off trippers have different shapes, well illustrated here. Looking at the bottom of each, one has a peg at one end, the other has a peg at the other end. The tripper presumably is rotated over a couple of switches, one setting the current on, the other setting the current off. Which of the switches is hit by the tripper depends on the position of the tripper's peg. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:35, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Actually, one switch which is toggled to & fro by the pegs. -hydnjo talk 01:00, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

So the different metals are just for convenience? Interesting. I hadn't quite noticed the peg shapes. Thanks! --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:28, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Both trippers are the same metal: a soft steel. The "ON" tripper has a very thin chrome-colored coating, and the "off" tripper has a very thin brass-colored coating, merely to provide an additional visual differentiation. -Arch dude (talk) 18:40, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I guess you'd want them to be relatively soft, since they're cheap and easily replaceable, as opposed to the mechanism they are constantly banging against, which is a bit more of a nuisance. (And that's what was broken on ours, as it turns out.) --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:16, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

English Multi-Label Categorization Collection

I understand that Wikipedia has a free downloadable document entitled English Multi-Label Categorization Collection.

Where and how can I access and download it?

Thank you.

--Cbagu (talk) 21:47, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

The only reference I could google for that term is an academic paper describing some collections assembled from Wikipedia data by a third party. According to the paper, the collections are downloadable from http://www-connex.lip6.fr/~denoyer/wikipediaXML/ , though I didn't try downloading a copy myself. 81.187.153.189 (talk) 22:23, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

The website seems to have disappeared; but I concur, that's the only reference I've come across. The PDF 81.187 pointed to has a couple of email addresses which might or might not still work. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:26, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia spoken articles

Hi, Can Wikipedia spoken articles be transferred into an MP3 Player, such as an iPod? --88.104.253.146 (talk) 21:49, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

You can download them and load them on any MP3 player which can handle the Ogg Vorbis format. According to our iPod article, "Alternative open-source audio formats, such as Ogg Vorbis ... are not supported without installing custom firmware onto an iPod (e.g. Rockbox)." So there you have it: just one more reason not to buy Apple :) Yes, I know that was an uncalled comment, but I'm having a bad evening. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:55, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Yes, we did notice that you and Froth never seem to edit at the same time ô_o -hydnjo talk 00:03, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

(e/c) Sure, but you'll probably have to convert the .ogg format into .wav or .mp3, because I don't think iPods or most MP3 players can play .ogg. I'm pretty sure you could use Audacity to do the conversion.--El aprendelenguas (talk) 21:58, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for your help - --88.104.253.146 (talk) 22:13, 7 August 2008 (UTC)