Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 4]

[Nimby]

Flibble said:

Those old supplies were switch mode, just without the ability to auto-sense the input voltage. Switch mode PSU use in PCs dates back to the original IBM PC and before (the Apple II brought it to the desktop market).

I had one of the first BBC Micros (1981). It came with a linear power supply, which got pretty warm. Acorn promised a switch-mode version, and sure enough one was posted a month or so later.

The IBM PC wasn't launched in Europe (ie with a 110v/240v PSU) until 1983.

[SCEtoAUX]

MartG said:

SCEtoAUX said:

Apart from virtually unlimited computing power, what technological advances of the last 50 years would have made the Apollo missions easier?

Lighter/stronger materials - e.g. making interstages out of composite could save a lot of weight

Heat resistant materials capable of withstanding higher temps could improve engine performance/reduce engine weight

3D printing of engine ( and other ) components to reduce partcount & cost, while improving reliability and reducing weight

Non-destructive testing techniques have improved

SpaceX have demonstrated how densifying fuel can improve performance

Interesting, thanks.

[lord trumpton]

Why does the world stop for 2 bleedin weeks for Christmas?

I live Christmas day dearly but for me Christmas starts on 24th and is done on boxing day.

fk me I wannabe crack on with life but no everything is either closed, running late, people on wind down or cant br arsed.

Over hyped nonsense and a real drag.

[lord trumpton]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Many if not most towns in the uk with high Asian population count are dirty run down slums.

I've no idea why this is and I'm comfortable saying it without worry of appearing racist. It's an observation made many times and the key facts of being dirty and run down is synonymous with high Asian occupancy.

Why this is I've no idea. Anyone?

[MartG]

lord trumpton said:

Why does the world stop for 2 bleedin weeks for Christmas?

I live Christmas day dearly but for me Christmas starts on 24th and is done on boxing day.

fk me I wannabe crack on with life but no everything is either closed, running late, people on wind down or cant br arsed.

Over hyped nonsense and a real drag.

Maybe people are just knackered, 4 months since they last had a bank holiday break, and really need a bit of time off

[Clockwork Cupcake]

lord trumpton said:

Many if not most towns in the uk with high Asian population count are dirty run down slums.

I've no idea why this is and I'm comfortable saying it without worry of appearing racist. It's an observation made many times and the key facts of being dirty and run down is synonymous with high Asian occupancy.

Why this is I've no idea. Anyone?

Which is the cause and which the effect, though?

Does this demographic cause areas to *become* run down, or do they tend to settle in already run down areas (due to lower prices)?

Or is it simply a false correlation?

See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not...

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Wednesday 18th December 18:43

[Hugo a Gogo]

21st Century Man said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

lord trumpton said:

Many if not most towns in the uk with high Asian population count are dirty run down slums.

I've no idea why this is and I'm comfortable saying it without worry of appearing racist. It's an observation made many times and the key facts of being dirty and run down is synonymous with high Asian occupancy.

Why this is I've no idea. Anyone?

Which is the cause and which the effect, though?

Does this demographic cause areas to *become* run down, or do they tend to settle in already run down areas (due to lower prices)?

Or is it simply a false correlation?

It's not the case in Derby. The poorer areas with a high number of Asians are much better than other poorer areas of Derby that seem to be full of home grown unpleasant types. Some of the most affluent areas of Derby are also Asian enclaves, huge Victorian houses, gravel drives, electric gates and wall to wall Mercedes.

Sounds like bks, Clacton got many Asians? Parr in St Helens, the whitest town in Britain? Grimsby? Teesside? Old mining towns in County Durham, like Ferryhill? All dirty and rundown, and white

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Hugo a Gogo said:

Sounds like bks, Clacton got many Asians? Parr in St Helens, the whitest town in Britain? Grimsby? Teesside? Old mining towns in County Durham, like Ferryhill? All dirty and rundown, and white

Quite.

Sounds like false correlation to me. Or, as you say, bks.

lord trumpton said:

I'm comfortable saying it without worry of appearing racist.

I'm glad that you're not worried that you appear racist.

[Flibble]

My assumption would be they have a higher tolerance for ropey areas than native middle class princesses and like a bargain.

[simoid]

This might have different names in different locales: call it “breaking the seal” when going to the toilet to urinate for the first time during an extended beer tasting session. Ie if you go once, you need to keep going for a leak.

What’s the optimal way to ensure you don’t need to “break the seal” and go for a pish once every pint when drinking a gallon of ale?

Pee as you start drinking?
Not drink liquids for a couple of hours pre drinking?
Have a bit of dry food?

[GIYess]

When in my in-laws shower-bath thing this morning (Christmas hols) I noted that the water running off the screen, down the bath, was not running straight but was slaloming (sp?) In perfect squiggly lines. Why is this and not just straight?

[StevieBee]

lord trumpton said:

Why does the world stop for 2 bleedin weeks for Christmas?

I live Christmas day dearly but for me Christmas starts on 24th and is done on boxing day.

fk me I wannabe crack on with life but no everything is either closed, running late, people on wind down or cant br arsed.

Over hyped nonsense and a real drag.

I've developed a theory that the time between Christmas and New Year is a government plot to demonstrate the futility of retirement and encourage us all to maintain gainfully employment for ever.

[MartG]

simoid said:

This might have different names in different locales: call it “breaking the seal” when going to the toilet to urinate for the first time during an extended beer tasting session. Ie if you go once, you need to keep going for a leak.

What’s the optimal way to ensure you don’t need to “break the seal” and go for a pish once every pint when drinking a gallon of ale?

Pee as you start drinking?
Not drink liquids for a couple of hours pre drinking?
Have a bit of dry food?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-catheters/

[bigpriest]

StevieBee said:

In Line of Duty, whenever they interview someone, they a) use a tape and b) there's a protracted beep before the machine starts to record. Assuming they mimic reality, what benefit is to be had using a tape and what purpose does the beep serve?

More info on the recording machines used for interviews. I think some have a hidden timestamp running all through the recording.

Techmoan

[Cantaloupe]

I noticed on a trip to the Manchester arena that the locality has a Hasidic [ orthodox ? ] jewish community.

They produce large families ,have nice houses, drive Volvos, yet I believe the men
do nothing all day , they just reading religious books.

I often wondered how they managed to have such a decent lifestyle without resorting to criminality, a lesson to us all .

[Dr Jekyll]

StevieBee said:

I've developed a theory that the time between Christmas and New Year is a government plot to demonstrate the futility of retirement and encourage us all to maintain gainfully employment for ever.

+1 It's the perineum of the year.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Cantaloupe said:

I noticed on a trip to the Manchester arena that the locality has a Hasidic [ orthodox ? ] jewish community.

They produce large families ,have nice houses, drive Volvos, yet I believe the men
do nothing all day , they just reading religious books.

I often wondered how they managed to have such a decent lifestyle without resorting to criminality, a lesson to us all .

Plenty of them work, others are paid to study, get help from the community etc. They don't have a lot of outgoings I expect

[RizzoTheRat]

Flibble said:

Those old supplies were switch mode, just without the ability to auto-sense the input voltage. Switch mode PSU use in PCs dates back to the original IBM PC and before (the Apple II brought it to the desktop market).

Interesting, so are modern computer PSU's just able to take 110 or 240v?

I had an 8086 (with Turbo button to take to 10 MHz ) back in the day and it weighed a ton so I just assumed it had a transformer.

[vonuber]

GIYess said:

When in my in-laws shower-bath thing this morning (Christmas hols) I noted that the water running off the screen, down the bath, was not running straight but was slaloming (sp?) In perfect squiggly lines. Why is this and not just straight?

Imperfections and dirt on the glass making the water change direction.
In effect they create local areas of friction, that means one part of the water droplet moves faster than the other, causing it to turn. When the friction gets higher than the energy propelling it downwards, the droplet stops or breaks up.

[Shakermaker]

How old is Irish TV chef Catherine Fulvio?

she's been on TV every lunch time this week and my colleague and I now need to know which one of us actually won the "who is nearer"

the internet isn't actually much help on this so over to PH. Her birthday is NOT 1st Jan 1970.



sub question:

Why is the default date in many computers set as 1st Jan 1970?