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

[captain_cynic]

Shakermaker said:

I wouldn't say I always wanted to know the answer to this, but its been bugging me this last week or so

I'm doing some work which involves some large amounts of data in MS Excel. I've got the newer version of Excel with 1 million+ rows Hundreds of thousands of data points included in my sheet for what I'm working on.

And yet, regularly I get a message saying that "the changes you are making will take too long to complete" but yet, the computer has supposedly 16gb of RAM, and the file size is only about 12mb. Trying to make said changes results in the system spitting its dummy out and won't work.

Why? Surely the computing power on a 12mb file can't be that big?

Its not the size of the file, but the volume of data changes.

Unlike a database, a spreadsheet is not indexed, so it needs to load all the data and changes into memory as well as keeping rollback points.

Also Excel, like most Microsoft products, isn't very streamlined. Its full of decades of bloat and cruft. Excel is just a bad tool for manipulating large volumes of data.

[P-Jay]

Are Bees 🐝 still in trouble or has that sorted itself out now?

I only ask because I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to grow a Bee friendly wild flower patch for a couple of years now.

[gothatway]

One for fleet truckers (obv not owner drivers) ...
When you turn up at the depot to start your shift, do you get allocated any old truck, or do you have one allocated as "yours" which never gets used by anyone else and which you can bling up to your heart's content (assuming the company allows bling, as many obviously do) ?

[glazbagun]

If oil is held by capilliary action, will it stay there indefinitely?

[Huff]

P-Jay said:

Are Bees ?? still in trouble or has that sorted itself out now?

I only ask because I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to grow a Bee friendly wild flower patch for a couple of years now.

Bees are definitely still in trouble, just not in news. The neonicotiniod ban that seems an essential art of given bees (and therefore, actually, us!) a chance not yet in place:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-4391...

[mattyn1]

gothatway said:

One for fleet truckers (obv not owner drivers) ...
When you turn up at the depot to start your shift, do you get allocated any old truck, or do you have one allocated as "yours" which never gets used by anyone else and which you can bling up to your heart's content (assuming the company allows bling, as many obviously do) ?

My brother in law does trucking. He is allocated his own cab on a permanent basis as he spends most weeknights away from home.
Interestingly the firm arrange servicing for the cabs around booked holidays...... so it is those sort of times he might get someone else’s cab. And it is driving someone else’s cab that he finds the most demoralising.

[jet_noise]

Huff said:

P-Jay said:

Are Bees ?? still in trouble or has that sorted itself out now?

I only ask because I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to grow a Bee friendly wild flower patch for a couple of years now.

Bees are definitely still in trouble, just not in news. The neonicotiniod ban that seems an essential art of given bees (and therefore, actually, us!) a chance not yet in place:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-4391...

Neonicotinoids (and neonicotiniods ) have nothing whatsoever to do with any changes in bee populations. . It's another case of the eco-taliban demonising a modern, effective and safe insecticide. The ban will result in the use of less effective and less safe chemicals.
Be careful what you wish for. Or the law of unintended consequences.

[Rostfritt]

SpeckledJim said:

Jonnny said:

What temperature does water evaporate? I understand 100'c is boiling, and if you boiled it for long enough it would be gone.. But say you poured water on the floor in your house, it'll evaporate(?) within a few hours or so.. Or on holiday a puddle will be gone much quicker, so I assume its heat related.. But it's obviously not 100'c?

It evaporates at any temperature above zero, I think? The hotter, the faster, obviously.

I think ice can slowly evaporate. Air can be really dry below zero and it can draw moisture out of solids. Like badly wrapped chicken in the freezer which gets horribly dried out if it is left for a while.

Also if you hang clothes on the line in sub zero temperatures it will dry out eventually. It will just be quite stiff for a while.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Rostfritt said:

I think ice can slowly evaporate. Air can be really dry below zero and it can draw moisture out of solids. Like badly wrapped chicken in the freezer which gets horribly dried out if it is left for a while.

Also if you hang clothes on the line in sub zero temperatures it will dry out eventually. It will just be quite stiff for a while.

There is also sublimation - where a substance goes directly from solid to gaseous without passing through the liquid phase.

[21TonyK]

captain_cynic said:

Shakermaker said:

I wouldn't say I always wanted to know the answer to this, but its been bugging me this last week or so

I'm doing some work which involves some large amounts of data in MS Excel. I've got the newer version of Excel with 1 million+ rows Hundreds of thousands of data points included in my sheet for what I'm working on.

And yet, regularly I get a message saying that "the changes you are making will take too long to complete" but yet, the computer has supposedly 16gb of RAM, and the file size is only about 12mb. Trying to make said changes results in the system spitting its dummy out and won't work.

Why? Surely the computing power on a 12mb file can't be that big?

Its not the size of the file, but the volume of data changes.

Unlike a database, a spreadsheet is not indexed, so it needs to load all the data and changes into memory as well as keeping rollback points.

Also Excel, like most Microsoft products, isn't very streamlined. Its full of decades of bloat and cruft. Excel is just a bad tool for manipulating large volumes of data.

As above. I've been out of IT for years now but even back in my day (2000's) we dropped Excel for a lot of projects that were seen as "spreadsheets". The last project I did was a forecasting system for a well known chewing gum manufacturer. Ended up with billions of elements in the data set, back then it was 65536 rows and 256 columns!

Even had to have a "custom built" PC to crunch the data as it was used in real time during meetings.

So, maybe time to look at a decent database.

[21TonyK]

captain_cynic said:

Shakermaker said:

I wouldn't say I always wanted to know the answer to this, but its been bugging me this last week or so

I'm doing some work which involves some large amounts of data in MS Excel. I've got the newer version of Excel with 1 million+ rows Hundreds of thousands of data points included in my sheet for what I'm working on.

And yet, regularly I get a message saying that "the changes you are making will take too long to complete" but yet, the computer has supposedly 16gb of RAM, and the file size is only about 12mb. Trying to make said changes results in the system spitting its dummy out and won't work.

Why? Surely the computing power on a 12mb file can't be that big?

Its not the size of the file, but the volume of data changes.

Unlike a database, a spreadsheet is not indexed, so it needs to load all the data and changes into memory as well as keeping rollback points.

Also Excel, like most Microsoft products, isn't very streamlined. Its full of decades of bloat and cruft. Excel is just a bad tool for manipulating large volumes of data.

As above. I've been out of IT for years now but even back in my day (2000's) we dropped Excel for a lot of projects that were seen as "spreadsheets". The last project I did was a forecasting system for a well known chewing gum manufacturer. Ended up with billions of elements in the data set, back then it was 65536 rows and 256 columns!

Even had to have a "custom built" PC to crunch the data as it was used in real time during meetings.

So, maybe time to look at a decent database.

[Joshsl]

Why do aeroplane toilet sets not stay up when you put them up?

[Einion Yrth]

Joshsl said:

Why do aeroplane toilet sets not stay up when you put them up?

In the event of turbulence they'd rather you were sitting down to pee. Less messy and you're less likely to bang your head on stuff.

[Jonboy_t]

Being a miserable fker, I hate it when it’s under 10 degrees because I have to wear trousers and a jumper, but I also hate it when it’s above 25 degrees because I get all burnt.

Is there anywhere in the world I can move to where it’s between 15 and 25 degrees all year round?

[Djtemeka]

Jonboy_t said:

Being a miserable fker, I hate it when it’s under 10 degrees because I have to wear trousers and a jumper, but I also hate it when it’s above 25 degrees because I get all burnt.

Is there anywhere in the world I can move to where it’s between 15 and 25 degrees all year round?

Central Africa would be closest but then it would rain ALOT

[Gareth1974]

Jonboy_t said:

Being a miserable fker, I hate it when it’s under 10 degrees because I have to wear trousers and a jumper, but I also hate it when it’s above 25 degrees because I get all burnt.

Is there anywhere in the world I can move to where it’s between 15 and 25 degrees all year round?

Hawaii is pretty close to your requirement http://www.holiday-weather.com/hawaii/averages/

[Gareth1974]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Rostfritt said:

I think ice can slowly evaporate. Air can be really dry below zero and it can draw moisture out of solids. Like badly wrapped chicken in the freezer which gets horribly dried out if it is left for a while.

Also if you hang clothes on the line in sub zero temperatures it will dry out eventually. It will just be quite stiff for a while.

There is also sublimation - where a substance goes directly from solid to gaseous without passing through the liquid phase.

Reminded me of this experiment https://www.nature.com/news/world-s-slowest-moving...

[Jonboy_t]

Gareth1974 said:

Jonboy_t said:

Being a miserable fker, I hate it when it’s under 10 degrees because I have to wear trousers and a jumper, but I also hate it when it’s above 25 degrees because I get all burnt.

Is there anywhere in the world I can move to where it’s between 15 and 25 degrees all year round?

Hawaii is pretty close to your requirement http://www.holiday-weather.com/hawaii/averages/

DONE!!

[foxbody-87]

Tyre sizes for some reason are a mixture of metric and imperial (for example, 195mm width, 16" wheel diameter). Is this also the case in countries that only use metric units?

[foxbody-87]

captain_cynic said:

Maybe, depends on how much hipsters are paying for them.

From an old Tele article from 2009, Network Rail were still replacing 200,000 wooden sleepers a year with concrete ones. Its possible there are still some lines that haven't been done.

I cant imagine there is much demand for used sleepers either.

There are still plenty of branch lines, goods lines, and sidings with wooden sleepers. When these require replacement under maintenance it is invariably with wooden replacements, so I guess there is still a steady supply. Many of the old wooden sleepers come from abroad too I believe.