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Main
Date: 08 Sep 2007 12:54:20
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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help bot wrote:
>Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/> wrote:
>
>>[killfiled] wrote:
>>> I bought a thesaurus at China-t
>
> English translation: Wal-t
>
>>> once, and the first word I look up was 'thesaurus'
>>> and its wasn't in it.
>>
>> Question # 18 on my _Easy Questions_ page
>> (see [ HTTP://WWW.GUYMACON.COM/FUN/QUESTION/INDEX.HTM ] ):
>>
>> [18] What is another word for Thesaurus? Hint: One word,
>> four syllables, eight letters, one letter is used three
>> times, another letter is used twice, and I found it in
>> Roget's Thesaurus.
>
> Um... lemesee...
>
>Pterodactyl? Er, no -- one letter three times.
>
>Brontosaurus? No, same problem and too long.
>The word, not the dinosaur I mean.
>
> Sheesh-- only eight letters yet one appears three times?
>And another appears twice?
>
>neneneii?
>filll-inz?
>mogumbuu?
>chewawaa?
>
> Heck, I give up.
Synonymy.
From the preface to Roget's International Thesaurus, 1922
edition: "Apart from the scientific and logical arrangement
the distinguishing feature of Roget is the inclusion of phrases.
No other synonymy gives anything but individual words."
At the risk of confusing almost-IMs and associate CIS
Professors who haven't learned to be civil,here is the
entire list:
Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
[01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?
[02] What was New Mexico named after?
[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?
[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?
[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?
[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?
[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest North? South? East? West?
[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship
"Old Ironsides"?.
[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?
[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?
[12] What was King George VI's first name?
[13] What color is a Purple Finch?
[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?
[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?
[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?
[18] What is another word for Thesaurus? Hint: One word, four
syllables, eight letters, one letter is used three times,
another letter is used twice, and I found it in Roget's
Thesaurus.
[19] What color are White Rhinos?
[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?
[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.
[21a] What color is the bear?
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?
--
Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/ >
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 08:07:47
From: Offramp
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Taylor, he clearly doesn't know the answer himself. He may have had an
idea in his mind and remembered it wrongly - hence the vacillation. I
think you have the right answer.
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 08:05:45
From: Offramp
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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On Sep 17, 10:48 pm, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> Don't you own a globe and a ball of twine?
He means 'string' BTW, for those of you that use 21st Century English.
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 08:03:22
From: Offramp
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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On Sep 17, 10:18 am, David Richerby <[email protected] >
wrote:
> Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
> > What the hell is twine?
>
> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
It seems that 'string' was meant. Someone accidentally used 16th
Century English.
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 16:13:31
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Offramp <[email protected] > wrote:
> David Richerby <[email protected]>wrote:
>> Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> What the hell is twine?
>>
>> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
>
> It seems that 'string' was meant. Someone accidentally used 16th
> Century English.
`Twine' is a perfectly ordinary English word, in reasonably common use.
Dave.
--
David Richerby Technicolor Wine (TM): it's like
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ a vintage Beaujolais but it's in
realistic colour!
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Date: 17 Sep 2007 15:19:50
From: Taylor Kingston
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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On Sep 17, 5:48 pm, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> Taylor Kingston wrote:
> > On Sep 17, 5:17 pm, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> David Richerby wrote:
> >>> Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>> What the hell is twine?
> >>>http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
> >>> Dave.
> >> What the hell is Google?
>
> > So, Ken, are you ever going to give us your answer to your question
> > about sailing west from Lisbon?
>
> Don't you own a globe and a ball of twine?
No, I own neither. Life in Vermont is hard, and we can afford few
luxuries.
> The point of a good question is not the answer - it's the process of
> investigating and finding the answer for yourself that counts.
Well, I already investigated and gave my answer here, Ken. As far as
I could determine, it is impossible to sail over water due west from
Lisbon, because there's a land mass about 20-25 miles wide at all
points west of Lisbon. Therefore it's meaningless to ask when one
makes landfall going due west from Lisbon, because the initial part of
a course westward from that city is already over land. One does not
hit the Atlantic Ocean, or any other appreciable body of water, until
the Cabo da Roca, which is not part of the city of Lisbon. That's my
answer. What did your investigations conclude?
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Date: 17 Sep 2007 23:30:06
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Taylor Kingston wrote:
>
>Kenneth Sloan wrote:
>
>> Taylor Kingston wrote:
>>
>>> So, Ken, are you ever going to give us your answer to your question
>>> about sailing west from Lisbon?
>>
>>Don't you own a globe and a ball of twine?
>
> No, I own neither. Life in Vermont is hard, and we can afford few
>luxuries.
>
>>The point of a good question is not the answer - it's the process of
>>investigating and finding the answer for yourself that counts.
>
> Well, I already investigated and gave my answer here, Ken. As far as
>I could determine, it is impossible to sail over water due west from
>Lisbon, because there's a land mass about 20-25 miles wide at all
>points west of Lisbon. Therefore it's meaningless to ask when one
>makes landfall going due west from Lisbon, because the initial part of
>a course westward from that city is already over land. One does not
>hit the Atlantic Ocean, or any other appreciable body of water, until
>the Cabo da Roca, which is not part of the city of Lisbon. That's my
>answer. What did your investigations conclude?
He also has neglected to tell us whether the great-circle segment
that the twine represents should be parallel with the line of
lattitude at the libson end, the other end, or the midpoint.
I suspect a variation of CEO disease. CEOs are surrounded with
people who will lose a high paying job if they tell him he is
wrong, and so everyone blows smoke up their arse. One day they
run into someone from the press who is free to ask tough questions
and they go crazy at being contradicted. Teachers at universities
have the same basic problem; they are surrounded with people who
will get a bad grade if they tell him he is wrong, and so everyone
blows smoke up his arse. Then one day he runs into someone in a
newsgroup who is free to ask tough questions and he starts insulting
anyone who dares to contradict him.
University
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 16:12:26
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
> Taylor Kingston wrote:
>> Kenneth Sloan wrote:
>>> The point of a good question is not the answer - it's the process
>>> of investigating and finding the answer for yourself that counts.
>>
>> Well, I already investigated and gave my answer here, Ken. As far
>> as I could determine, it is impossible to sail over water due west
>> from Lisbon [...]
>
> He also has neglected to tell us whether the great-circle segment
> that the twine represents should be parallel with the line of
> lattitude at the libson end, the other end, or the midpoint.
The second and third would be rather unusual definitions of `sailing
due west' to my mind. For example, if I asked you to calculate the
distance travelled by a projectile thrown at 37deg from the horizontal
at a speed of 10m/s, I'd be very surprised if you asked whether the
37deg angle should be at the start, in the middle or at the end of the
trajectory.
> I suspect a variation of CEO disease. CEOs are surrounded with
> people who will lose a high paying job if they tell him he is wrong,
> and so everyone blows smoke up their arse. One day they run into
> someone from the press who is free to ask tough questions and they
> go crazy at being contradicted. Teachers at universities have the
> same basic problem; they are surrounded with people who will get a
> bad grade if they tell him he is wrong, and so everyone blows smoke
> up his arse. Then one day he runs into someone in a newsgroup who
> is free to ask tough questions and he starts insulting anyone who
> dares to contradict him.
Huh? He's already explained that the point of the question was the
working out of the answer, not the answer itself. I for one have
learnt a certain amount about great circles and the geography of
Lisbon as a result of the question. Both of these things seem far
more useful than knowledge of the first land-fall due west of that
city via any of the possible definitions of `due west'.
Dave.
--
David Richerby Natural Artificial Dish (TM): it's
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ like a fine ceramic dish that's
made of plastic but it's completely
natural!
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 11:11:14
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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David Richerby wrote:
>
> Huh? He's already explained that the point of the question was the
> working out of the answer, not the answer itself. I for one have
> learnt a certain amount about great circles and the geography of
> Lisbon as a result of the question. Both of these things seem far
> more useful than knowledge of the first land-fall due west of that
> city via any of the possible definitions of `due west'.
>
>
> Dave.
>
"City"? Oh dear, did I say the *city* of Lisbon?
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 17 Sep 2007 14:47:51
From: Taylor Kingston
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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On Sep 17, 5:17 pm, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> David Richerby wrote:
> > Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> What the hell is twine?
>
> >http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
>
> > Dave.
>
> What the hell is Google?
So, Ken, are you ever going to give us your answer to your question
about sailing west from Lisbon?
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Date: 17 Sep 2007 16:48:58
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
Taylor Kingston wrote:
> On Sep 17, 5:17 pm, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
>> David Richerby wrote:
>>> Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> What the hell is twine?
>>> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
>>> Dave.
>> What the hell is Google?
>
> So, Ken, are you ever going to give us your answer to your question
> about sailing west from Lisbon?
>
Don't you own a globe and a ball of twine?
The point of a good question is not the answer - it's the process of
investigating and finding the answer for yourself that counts.
That's why Google may be a disaster for higher education.
Or...it might be its salvation.
What do you think?
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 16 Sep 2007 13:53:14
From: Offramp
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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On Sep 10, 4:36 pm, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> Guy Macon wrote:
> A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
> direction, where does it make landfall?
> To explore this question, I recommend a globe and a length of twine.
What the hell is twine?
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Date: 17 Sep 2007 10:18:06
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Offramp <[email protected] > wrote:
> What the hell is twine?
http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
Dave.
--
David Richerby Radioactive Atom Bomb (TM): it's like
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ a weapon of mass destruction but it'll
make you glow in the dark!
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Date: 17 Sep 2007 16:17:42
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
David Richerby wrote:
> Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>> What the hell is twine?
>
> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
>
>
> Dave.
>
What the hell is Google?
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 16:07:08
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> David Richerby wrote:
>> Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> What the hell is twine?
>> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
> What the hell is Google?
http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/?q=google
Dave.
--
David Richerby Beefy Beer (TM): it's like a
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ refreshing lager that's made from
a cow!
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 11:13:09
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
David Richerby wrote:
> Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
>> David Richerby wrote:
>>> Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> What the hell is twine?
>>> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
>> What the hell is Google?
>
> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/?q=google
Oh, I see - some new-fangled competitor to Alta Vista?
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 18 Sep 2007 22:29:26
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
>David Richerby wrote:
>> Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> David Richerby wrote:
>>>> Offramp <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>> What the hell is twine?
>>>> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/search?q=define%3A+twine
>>> What the hell is Google?
>> http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/?q=google
> Oh, I see - some new-fangled competitor to Alta Vista?
Y'see, the main problem with Alta Vista is that it doesn't sound right
as a verb so there's no point registering justfuckingaltavistait.com .
Dave.
--
David Richerby Addictive Indelible Soap (TM): it's
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ like a personal hygiene product but
it can't be erased and you can never
put it down!
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 09:48:27
From: Taylor Kingston
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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On Sep 10, 12:34 pm, [email protected] (Tony Mountifield)
wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Taylor Kingston <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > On Sep 10, 11:36 am, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
> > > direction, where does it make landfall?
>
> > B) Assuming the ship gets out of the harbor and continues west at
> > the same latitude as Lisbon, it looks like the first landfall would be
> > at one of the Azores, maybe Tercera.
>
> Or if it follows the great circle path, it looks like it would be either
> Haiti or Jamaica.
>
> Seehttp://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=lis-kin&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=red&PATH...
>
> Orhttp://tinyurl.com/33lbtb
But that's hardly due west, is it? Lisbon's at about 38' 40" north
latitude, while the north shore of Haiti's at about 20' north. I'm no
nautical navigator, but it looks like maybe WSW to me.
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 23:26:13
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Taylor Kingston wrote: I'm no
> nautical navigator
>
Absolutely correct.
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 17:03:02
From: Tony Mountifield
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
In article <[email protected] >,
Taylor Kingston <[email protected] > wrote:
> On Sep 10, 12:34 pm, [email protected] (Tony Mountifield)
> wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > Taylor Kingston <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > On Sep 10, 11:36 am, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > > A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
> > > > direction, where does it make landfall?
> >
> > > B) Assuming the ship gets out of the harbor and continues west at
> > > the same latitude as Lisbon, it looks like the first landfall would be
> > > at one of the Azores, maybe Tercera.
> >
> > Or if it follows the great circle path, it looks like it would be either
> > Haiti or Jamaica.
> >
> > See http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=lis-kin&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=red&PATH...
> >
> > Or http://tinyurl.com/33lbtb
>
> But that's hardly due west, is it? Lisbon's at about 38' 40" north
> latitude, while the north shore of Haiti's at about 20' north. I'm no
> nautical navigator, but it looks like maybe WSW to me.
It starts out due west (see the initial heading just below the map),
and then follows a great-circle path. By the time you reach the
Carribean, you are travelling southwest on a heading of 235 deg.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_circle
The original question was ambiguous about whether to follow the great
circle that starts out westbound or to keep going due west along a line
of latitude. The comment about stretching twine round a globe suggests
that the intention was the great circle path.
Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: [email protected] - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: [email protected] - http://tony.mountifield.org
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 09:05:49
From: Taylor Kingston
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
On Sep 10, 11:36 am, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> Guy Macon wrote:
> >...the fact that lines of lattitude are highly
> > curved sideways near the poles) ...
>
> lines of lattitude (sic) are curved SIDEWAYS?
>
> From what point of view?
>
> And now...for something completely diferent, here's a question that
> really should be on your quiz:
>
> A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
> direction, where does it make landfall?
I don't have a detailed enough map to be sure, but it looks like
either:
A) There may be no way to sail exactly due west from Lisbon per se.
The city of Lisbon is on the southeastern end of a peninsula about 20
miles wide. To get out of the Lisbon harbor, one must go a small
distance south, because the mouth of the harbor opens on the Atlantic
at a point slightly south of the city.
B) Assuming the ship gets out of the harbor and continues west at
the same latitude as Lisbon, it looks like the first landfall would be
at one of the Azores, maybe Tercera.
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 16:34:13
From: Tony Mountifield
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
In article <[email protected] >,
Taylor Kingston <[email protected] > wrote:
> On Sep 10, 11:36 am, Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
> > direction, where does it make landfall?
>
> B) Assuming the ship gets out of the harbor and continues west at
> the same latitude as Lisbon, it looks like the first landfall would be
> at one of the Azores, maybe Tercera.
Or if it follows the great circle path, it looks like it would be either
Haiti or Jamaica.
See http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=lis-kin&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=red&PATH-UNITS=mi&PATH-MINIMUM=&KER=1&SPEED-GROUND=&SPEED-UNITS=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=navy&MAP-STYLE=ortho&MAP-CENTER=LIS
Or http://tinyurl.com/33lbtb
Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: [email protected] - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: [email protected] - http://tony.mountifield.org
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 08:12:18
From: Taylor Kingston
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
On Sep 10, 10:26 am, Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
> Taylor Kingston wrote:
> >> >> >[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
>
> >> >> > Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.
>
> >> >> Incorrect.
>
> >> > You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
> >> >Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
> >> >body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
> >> >was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?
>
> >> Nope. The World Book Encyclopedia is wrong about his wife.
> >> Grant and his wife were entombed, not buried. Grant's tomb i
> >> s an above-ground structure and thus nobody can be "buried" in it.
>
> > Another semantic cheapo.
>
> I respectfully disagree. By the time someone has gone through
> the 15 previous questions, it should be obvious that these are
> purposely constructed to be tricky questions. "Buried" and
> "Entombed" have distinct meanings.
OK, I won't belabor that point. Never having been to Grant's tomb, I
didn't know if he was above or below ground. The World Book might want
to change their wording.
Anyway, an interesting quiz, Guy. Thank you. I enjoyed researching
the answers, and learned something in the process.
I happened to be reading about the Wars of the Roses the same day I
worked on your quiz, and a question occurred to me that you might want
to include. Something along these lines:
The Wars of the Roses were dynastic struggles for the English throne
in the 1400s. The two main antagonists were the noble houses of York
and Lancaster, which came to be symbolized by heraldic symbols, roses
of different colors, red and white. Which color rose is in the York
coat of arms?
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 14:26:00
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
Taylor Kingston wrote:
>
>Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/> wrote:
>
>> Taylor Kingston wrote:
>>
>> Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/>
>>
>> >>New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
>> >> called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.
>>
>> > I don't understand why the name New Mexico would be used before
>> >there was an "old" Mexico. England came before New England, Spain
>> >before New Spain (i.e. Mexico), France before New France (i.e.
>> >Quebec), Guinea before New Guinea, Wales before New South Wales, etc.
>> >How could there be a "new" Mexico without an older Mexico (not
>> >necessarily the country now called Mexico) preceding it?
>>
>> The older Mexico was Mexico city, capital of what was then
>> New Spain.
>
> Then in fact Mexico *_is_* the correct answer to this question.
>Whether the older Mexico in question is a city, a country, or a tuna
>sandwich is irrelevant. The question becomes merely a semantic cheapo.
>Perhaps if you phrased it as "What country was New Mexico named
>after?" then you would have something. But as "What was New Mexico
>named after?", the answer is simply "Mexico."
Excellent point. Add one to your "Correct" tally -- it isn't fair
saying that you are incorrect when the wording of the question is
flawed. I will change the wording in the future.
>> >> >[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
>>
>> >> > Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.
>>
>> >> Incorrect.
>>
>> > You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
>> >Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
>> >body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
>> >was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?
>>
>> Nope. The World Book Encyclopedia is wrong about his wife.
>> Grant and his wife were entombed, not buried. Grant's tomb i
>> s an above-ground structure and thus nobody can be "buried" in it.
>
> Another semantic cheapo.
I respectfully disagree. By the time someone has gone through
the 15 previous questions, it should be obvious that these are
purposely constructed to be tricky questions. "Buried" and
"Entombed" have distinct meanings.
--
Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/ >
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Date: 09 Sep 2007 13:19:25
From: Taylor Kingston
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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On Sep 9, 3:50 pm, Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
> Taylor Kingston wrote:
>
> Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/>
>
> >>New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
> >> called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.
>
> > I don't understand why the name New Mexico would be used before
> >there was an "old" Mexico. England came before New England, Spain
> >before New Spain (i.e. Mexico), France before New France (i.e.
> >Quebec), Guinea before New Guinea, Wales before New South Wales, etc.
> >How could there be a "new" Mexico without an older Mexico (not
> >necessarily the country now called Mexico) preceding it?
>
> The older Mexico was Mexico city, capital of what was then
> New Spain.
Then in fact Mexico *_is_* the correct answer to this question.
Whether the older Mexico in question is a city, a country, or a tuna
sandwich is irrelevant. The question becomes merely a semantic cheapo.
Perhaps if you phrased it as "What country was New Mexico named
after?" then you would have something. But as "What was New Mexico
named after?", the answer is simply "Mexico."
> >> The Sir Richard Francis Burton translation is online here:
> >> http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html]
> > Not in my edition. Night 29 there, beginning on page 296 of Volume
> >1, finishes "The Tale of the Jewish Doctor" and starts "The Tale of
> >the Tailor." No Aladdin there, or anywhere, according to the index.
> >But that does not necessarily invalidate your question or answer; the
> >story might have been added later.
>
> Interesting! Would you be so kind as to look athttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_One_Thousand_and_One_Nights#...
> and tell me which version you have?
As far as I could see, the Wikipedia article mentions only one
Burton version by that title, which seems to be the version I have. To
quote the relevant passage:
"A well known English translation is that by Sir Richard Francis
Burton, entitled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (1885).
Unlike previous editions his ten-volume translation was not
bowdlerized. Though printed in the Victorian era it contained all the
erotic nuances of the source material replete with sexual imagery and
pederastic allusions added as appendices to the main stories by
Burton. Burton circumvented strict Victorian laws on obscene material
by printing a private edition for subscribers only rather than
publicly publishing the book. His original ten volumes were followed
by a further six entitled The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand
Nights and a Night, which were printed between 1886 and 1888."
I do not have the six supplemental volumes.
> >> >[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
>
> >> > Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.
>
> >> Incorrect.
>
> > You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
> >Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
> >body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
> >was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?
>
> Nope. The World Book Encyclopedia is wrong about his wife.
> Grant and his wife were entombed, not buried. Grant's tomb i
> s an above-ground structure and thus nobody can be "buried" in it.
Another semantic cheapo.
> Also, "Ulysses S. Grant" should be "Ulysses S Grant."
> The S is his middle name, not an abbreviation.
Well, then you need to tell a lot of people besides me. Every
relevant source I have, including the World Book, the Britannica, "The
Cause Lost" by William C. Davis (1996), "An American Crisis: Congress
and Reconstruction 1865-1867" by W.R. Brock (1963), and Shelby Foote's
magisterial trilogy "The Civil War" all put a period after the S when
referring to Grant.
> He was named Hiram Ulysses Grant at birth, and often used the
> name used Ulysses Hiram Grant to avoid the initials H.U.G.
> The congressman who appointed him to West Point, knowing him as
> Ulysses Grant, assumed that his mother's maiden name (Simpson)
> was his middle name and apointed him as "Ulysses S. Grant."
> He then started using (spoken) "US Grant" as his name (The other
> cadets nicknamed him 'Uncle Sam' for the US). always insisting
> that his middle initial stood for "nothing."
Kind of like his presidency.
> >> And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
> >> miss the lack of bears there.)
>
> >Would you believe I remembered this from a Junior Scholastic or some
> >such magazine I read in 5th or 6th grade, nearly 50 years ago?
>
> Amazing how the mind works, isn't it? :)
>
> --
> Guy Macon
> <http://www.guymacon.com/>
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Date: 09 Sep 2007 19:50:45
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Taylor Kingston wrote:
Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ >
>>New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
>> called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.
>
> I don't understand why the name New Mexico would be used before
>there was an "old" Mexico. England came before New England, Spain
>before New Spain (i.e. Mexico), France before New France (i.e.
>Quebec), Guinea before New Guinea, Wales before New South Wales, etc.
>How could there be a "new" Mexico without an older Mexico (not
>necessarily the country now called Mexico) preceding it?
The older Mexico was Mexico city, capital of what was then
New Spain.
>> The Sir Richard Francis Burton translation is online here:
>> http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html]
> Not in my edition. Night 29 there, beginning on page 296 of Volume
>1, finishes "The Tale of the Jewish Doctor" and starts "The Tale of
>the Tailor." No Aladdin there, or anywhere, according to the index.
>But that does not necessarily invalidate your question or answer; the
>story might have been added later.
Interesting! Would you be so kind as to look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_One_Thousand_and_One_Nights#Versions
and tell me which version you have?
>> >[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
>>
>> > Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.
>>
>> Incorrect.
>
> You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
>Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
>body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
>was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?
Nope. The World Book Encyclopedia is wrong about his wife.
Grant and his wife were entombed, not buried. Grant's tomb i
s an above-ground structure and thus nobody can be "buried" in it.
Also, "Ulysses S. Grant" should be "Ulysses S Grant."
The S is his middle name, not an abbreviation.
He was named Hiram Ulysses Grant at birth, and often used the
name used Ulysses Hiram Grant to avoid the initials H.U.G.
The congressman who appointed him to West Point, knowing him as
Ulysses Grant, assumed that his mother's maiden name (Simpson)
was his middle name and apointed him as "Ulysses S. Grant."
He then started using (spoken) "US Grant" as his name (The other
cadets nicknamed him 'Uncle Sam' for the US). always insisting
that his middle initial stood for "nothing."
...
>> And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
>> miss the lack of bears there.)
>
>Would you believe I remembered this from a Junior Scholastic or some
>such magazine I read in 5th or 6th grade, nearly 50 years ago?
Amazing how the mind works, isn't it? :)
--
Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/ >
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Date: 09 Sep 2007 12:06:21
From: Taylor Kingston
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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On Sep 9, 2:29 pm, Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
> Impressive performance. 20 right, 3 wrong, and two places where
> *I* was wrong -- one a major blunder on my part, one poor wording.
>
> You did far better than anyone else who has ever taken the quiz.
>
> >[02] What was New Mexico named after?
>
> > I give my answer with some trepidation, since it seems to lack the
> >irony inherent in the others, but as far as I can determine it was
> >named after (Old) Mexico, which ceded the New Mexico territory to the
> >USA in 1848.
>
> Incorrect. New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
> called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.
I don't understand why the name New Mexico would be used before
there was an "old" Mexico. England came before New England, Spain
before New Spain (i.e. Mexico), France before New France (i.e.
Quebec), Guinea before New Guinea, Wales before New South Wales, etc.
How could there be a "new" Mexico without an older Mexico (not
necessarily the country now called Mexico) preceding it?
> >[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?
>
> > Interesting - checking Richard Francis Burton's translation of
> >"Arabian Nights" (first published in the 1880s), I can find no
> >character named Aladdin. The closest match is Ala al-Din, son of Cairo
> >merchant Shams al-Din, but his story does not seem to involve genies
> >from magic lamps.
>
> Incorrect. The Sir Richard Francis Burton translation is online here:
> http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html]
> and the story told on night 29 is here:
> [http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_night_29.html].
> The title is "Aladdin; Or, The Wonderful Lamp"
Not in my edition. Night 29 there, beginning on page 296 of Volume
1, finishes "The Tale of the Jewish Doctor" and starts "The Tale of
the Tailor." No Aladdin there, or anywhere, according to the index.
But that does not necessarily invalidate your question or answer; the
story might have been added later.
> >[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
>
> > Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.
>
> Incorrect.
You sure about that? To mention just one source, the World Book
Encyclopedia (1988 edition) says "Grant died on July 23, 1885 ... His
body lies in a tomb in New York City ... Mrs. Grant died in 1902 and
was buried at his side." Have they been exhumed since then?
> >[18] What is another word for Thesaurus?
>
> > Snynonymy
>
> I am going to assume that that second letter "n" was a typo.
> and say you got it right. "Synonymy" is correct.
Yep, typo on my part.
> Nobody has ever gotten this one right without looking at the
> answers on my website or in one of my posts. I am curious;
> did you know the answer before I posted it?
I did not know the term already, but since the answer already
appeared in the first post of this thread, I couldn't help but see it.
However, I would probably have found it with a little research.
> >[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
> > 90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
> > which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
> > degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
> > to the exact spot he left from.
> >[21a] What color is the bear?
> >[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
> > starting/ending point?
>
> > The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
> >south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
> >possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
> >no bears there.
>
> Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
> miss the lack of bears there.)
Would you believe I remembered this from a Junior Scholastic or some
such magazine I read in 5th or 6th grade, nearly 50 years ago?
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Date: 09 Sep 2007 08:39:17
From: Taylor Kingston
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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I was going to ignore this, but finally decided to take a crack at
it. I think I have most of them right.
On Sep 8, 8:54 am, Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?
About 116 years off and on, 1337-1453
[02] What was New Mexico named after?
I give my answer with some trepidation, since it seems to lack the
irony inherent in the others, but as far as I can determine it was
named after (Old) Mexico, which ceded the New Mexico territory to the
USA in 1848.
[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?
Ecuador
[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?
Interesting - checking Richard Francis Burton's translation of
"Arabian Nights" (first published in the 1880s), I can find no
character named Aladdin. The closest match is Ala al-Din, son of Cairo
merchant Shams al-Din, but his story does not seem to involve genies
from magic lamps.
BTW, this question is phrased incorrectly; the "Arabian Nights" is
not _a_ story, but a collection of several hundred stories.
[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?
German
[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?
Ungulates such as sheep and goats. Never from cats.
[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest North?
Alaska
South?
Hawaii
East?
Alaska. Some of the Aleutian islands stretch from the western into
the eastern hemisphere, up to longitude 173 east, approximately.
West?
Alaska again, for the same reason.
[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
Due to changing to the Gregorian calendar, what was October 24 is
now November 7.
[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship
"Old Ironsides"?.
You mean the USS Constitution? It was made mainly of oak,
specifically Southern live oak from Georgia. This proved tough enough
to withstand some cannon-fire, hence the nickname "Old Ironsides."
[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?
Variously from the hair of horses, squirrels, goats, sheep, and/or
bears.
[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?
Dogs. In Latin "insula canaria" means "island of dogs."
[12] What was King George VI's first name?
Albert
[13] What color is a Purple Finch?
Mainly brown. The males have a reddish (not really purple) head and
breast, and a sort of reddish wash over their otherwise brown wings.
The females are brown with whitish breasts.
[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?
The Cuban Lily comes from the western Mediterranean: Portugal, Spain
and environs. The Confederate Rose is a species of Hibiscus orignally
from China.
[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?
Breed's Hill
[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.
[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?
The Manx Shearwater. The Atlantic Puffin is Fratercula arctica.
[18] What is another word for Thesaurus?
Snynonymy
[19] What color are White Rhinos?
Gray, like most rhinos.
[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?
30 years, give or take a few months. 1618-1648.
[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
to the exact spot he left from.
[21a] What color is the bear?
[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
starting/ending point?
The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
no bears there.
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Date: 09 Sep 2007 18:29:04
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Impressive performance. 20 right, 3 wrong, and two places where
*I* was wrong -- one a major blunder on my part, one poor wording.
You did far better than anyone else who has ever taken the quiz.
Taylor Kingston wrote:
>
> I was going to ignore this, but finally decided to take a crack at
>it. I think I have most of them right.
>
>Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/> wrote:
>
>01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?
>
> About 116 years off and on, 1337-1453
Correct!
>[02] What was New Mexico named after?
>
> I give my answer with some trepidation, since it seems to lack the
>irony inherent in the others, but as far as I can determine it was
>named after (Old) Mexico, which ceded the New Mexico territory to the
>USA in 1848.
Incorrect. New Mexico was named during the 1500s. The country
called Mexico came into being hundreds of years later in 1821.
>[03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?
>
> Ecuador
Correct! The Panama region of Ecuador, to be precise. A portion of
the Panama region of Ecuador became the country named "Panama" but
the majority of the hats have been made for more than 300 years
in the portion of the Panama region that remained part of the
country of Ecuador.
>
>[04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?
>
> Interesting - checking Richard Francis Burton's translation of
>"Arabian Nights" (first published in the 1880s), I can find no
>character named Aladdin. The closest match is Ala al-Din, son of Cairo
>merchant Shams al-Din, but his story does not seem to involve genies
>from magic lamps.
Incorrect. The Sir Richard Francis Burton translation is online here:
http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html ]
and the story told on night 29 is here:
[ http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_night_29.html ].
The title is "Aladdin; Or, The Wonderful Lamp"
Aladdin and his father lived in China.
The story also says that a "dervish from the Maghrib, the Land of the
Setting Sun" who was "a Moorman from Inner Morocco" misrepresented
himself as being the brother of Aladdin's father -- and presumably
of the same race -- but it also says that Morocco was his "adopted
country" and that "hath reappeared from his exile." From this I
conclude that Aladdin's father and presumably his mother were native
to China where they lived.
> BTW, this question is phrased incorrectly; the "Arabian Nights" is
>not _a_ story, but a collection of several hundred stories.
Thanks! You are right. I will correct my error, and I really
appreciate you calling it to me attention.
>[05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?
>
> German
Correct!
>[06] From which animal do we get Catgut?
>
> Ungulates such as sheep and goats. Never from cats.
Correct!
>[07] Which U.S. State is the farthest North?
>
> Alaska
Correct!
>South?
>
> Hawaii
Correct!
>East?
>
> Alaska. Some of the Aleutian islands stretch from the western into
>the eastern hemisphere, up to longitude 173 east, approximately.
Correct!
>West?
>
> Alaska again, for the same reason.
Correct!
>[08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
>
> Due to changing to the Gregorian calendar, what was October 24 is
>now November 7.
Correct!
>[09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship
> "Old Ironsides"?.
>
> You mean the USS Constitution? It was made mainly of oak,
>specifically Southern live oak from Georgia. This proved tough enough
>to withstand some cannon-fire, hence the nickname "Old Ironsides."
Correct!
>[10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?
>
> Variously from the hair of horses, squirrels, goats, sheep, and/or
>bears.
Correct! Do you know wht it is called a Camel hair brush?
>
>[11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?
>
> Dogs. In Latin "insula canaria" means "island of dogs."
Correct!
>[12] What was King George VI's first name?
>
> Albert
Correct! His full name was Albert Arthur Frederick George Windsor.
>[13] What color is a Purple Finch?
>
> Mainly brown. The males have a reddish (not really purple) head and
>breast, and a sort of reddish wash over their otherwise brown wings.
>The females are brown with whitish breasts.
Correct! Other descriptions I have seen are "Dusky rose red"
or "dark crimson red overlaying an off-gray" but your description
comes closer to the birds I have seen.
BTW, The latin name is Carpoedacus purpureus --"purple fruit eater."
Not only is the purple finch not purple, it eats mostly seeds.
>[14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?
>
> The Cuban Lily comes from the western Mediterranean: Portugal, Spain
>and environs. The Confederate Rose is a species of Hibiscus orignally
>from China.
Correct! (Some sources say Japan, and I had incorrectly agreed,
but further research based on your answer shows that the flower
was depicted in Chinese art long before it was depicted in Japanese
art.)
>[15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?
>
> Breed's Hill
Correct!
>[16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
>
> Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia.
Incorrect.
>[17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?
>
> The Manx Shearwater.
Correct!
>The Atlantic Puffin is Fratercula arctica.
...and the Horned Puffin is Fratercula Corniculata, and
the Tufted Puffin is Fratercula Cirrhata..
>[18] What is another word for Thesaurus?
>
> Snynonymy
I am going to assume that that second letter "n" was a typo.
and say you got it right. "Synonymy" is correct.
Nobody has ever gotten this one right without looking at the
answers on my website or in one of my posts. I am curious;
did you know the answer before I posted it?
>[19] What color are White Rhinos?
>
> Gray, like most rhinos.
Correct!
>[20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?
>
> 30 years, give or take a few months. 1618-1648.
Correct! For some strange reason many people expect a trick question...
>[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
> 90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
> which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
> degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
> to the exact spot he left from.
>[21a] What color is the bear?
>[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
> starting/ending point?
>
> The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
>south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
>possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
>no bears there.
Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
miss the lack of bears there.)
BTW, There are an infinite number of possible starting points near
the south pole, and not just then obvious case of different places
on a circle that is 1 kilometer + 1/Pi kilometers from the pole.
Where are they?
--
Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/ >
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| | | |
Date: 10 Sep 2007 14:12:30
From: Tony Mountifield
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
In article <[email protected] >,
Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
>
> >[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
> > 90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
> > which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
> > degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
> > to the exact spot he left from.
> >[21a] What color is the bear?
> >[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
> > starting/ending point?
> >
> > The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
> >south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
> >possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
> >no bears there.
>
> Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
> miss the lack of bears there.)
>
> BTW, There are an infinite number of possible starting points near
> the south pole, and not just then obvious case of different places
> on a circle that is 1 kilometer + 1/Pi kilometers from the pole.
That circle won't work - you only go half way round and end ups
180 degrees out.
The obvious case is 1 + 1/(2*Pi) km from the S pole.
> Where are they?
Concentric circles of radius 1 + 1/(2*Pi*N) kilometers for all positive
integers N
N is the number of times walking round the pole while travelling 1km east.
And strictly speaking, the radii quoted above are as measured along the
curved surface of the earth, rather than in a true straight-line between
the pole and the start point.
Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: [email protected] - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: [email protected] - http://tony.mountifield.org
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| | | | |
Date: 10 Sep 2007 14:33:46
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
Tony Mountifield wrote:
>
>Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/> wrote:
>>
>> >[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
>> > 90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
>> > which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
>> > degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
>> > to the exact spot he left from.
>> >[21a] What color is the bear?
>> >[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
>> > starting/ending point?
>> >
>> > The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
>> >south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
>> >possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
>> >no bears there.
>>
>> Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
>> miss the lack of bears there.)
>>
>> BTW, There are an infinite number of possible starting points near
>> the south pole, and not just then obvious case of different places
>> on a circle that is 1 kilometer + 1/Pi kilometers from the pole.
>
>That circle won't work - you only go half way round and end ups
>180 degrees out.
>
>The obvious case is 1 + 1/(2*Pi) km from the S pole.
Of course. Silly bonehead error on my part. Sorry about that.
>> Where are they?
>
>Concentric circles of radius 1 + 1/(2*Pi*N) kilometers for all positive
>integers N
>
>N is the number of times walking round the pole while travelling 1km east.
Correct. BTW, it took me two days before I had the "Aha!"
thought that the hunter could circle two or more times.
>And strictly speaking, the radii quoted above are as measured along the
>curved surface of the earth, rather than in a true straight-line between
>the pole and the start point.
Indeed. That's (and the fact that lines of lattitude are highly
curved sideways near the poles) why in the original question I used
language like "walked due east." I should have done so above as
well.
--
Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/ >
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| | | | | |
Date: 10 Sep 2007 10:36:09
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
Guy Macon wrote:
>...the fact that lines of lattitude are highly
> curved sideways near the poles) ...
lines of lattitude (sic) are curved SIDEWAYS?
From what point of view?
And now...for something completely diferent, here's a question that
really should be on your quiz:
A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
direction, where does it make landfall?
To explore this question, I recommend a globe and a length of twine.
Here's another, motivated by my VERY long day, yesterday:
An airplane leaves Frankfurt, Germany and flies directly to Atlanta,
Georgia. How long is the longest segment of this flight which is over
water?
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 16:01:30
From: Tony Mountifield
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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In article <[email protected] >,
Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> Guy Macon wrote:
>
> >...the fact that lines of lattitude are highly
> > curved sideways near the poles) ...
>
> lines of lattitude (sic) are curved SIDEWAYS?
>
> From what point of view?
The point of view of the person walking along them, in comparison to
following a great circle path.
> And now...for something completely diferent, here's a question that
> really should be on your quiz:
>
> A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
> direction, where does it make landfall?
By "the same direction", do you mean continues sailing due West, or
continues along the great circle that passes due West through Lisbon?
> To explore this question, I recommend a globe and a length of twine.
Really must get a globe one day....
Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: [email protected] - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: [email protected] - http://tony.mountifield.org
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 23:22:42
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Tony Mountifield wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Guy Macon wrote:
>>
>>> ...the fact that lines of lattitude are highly
>>> curved sideways near the poles) ...
>> lines of lattitude (sic) are curved SIDEWAYS?
>>
>> From what point of view?
>
> The point of view of the person walking along them, in comparison to
> following a great circle path.
>
>> And now...for something completely diferent, here's a question that
>> really should be on your quiz:
>>
>> A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
>> direction, where does it make landfall?
>
> By "the same direction", do you mean continues sailing due West, or
> continues along the great circle that passes due West through Lisbon?
Why have you switched sides?
>
>> To explore this question, I recommend a globe and a length of twine.
>
> Really must get a globe one day....
>
> Cheers
> Tony
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 11 Sep 2007 08:45:55
From: Tony Mountifield
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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In article <[email protected] >,
Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> Tony Mountifield wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> Guy Macon wrote:
> >>
> >>> ...the fact that lines of lattitude are highly
> >>> curved sideways near the poles) ...
> >> lines of lattitude (sic) are curved SIDEWAYS?
> >>
> >> From what point of view?
> >
> > The point of view of the person walking along them, in comparison to
> > following a great circle path.
> >
> >> And now...for something completely diferent, here's a question that
> >> really should be on your quiz:
> >>
> >> A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
> >> direction, where does it make landfall?
> >
> > By "the same direction", do you mean continues sailing due West, or
> > continues along the great circle that passes due West through Lisbon?
>
> Why have you switched sides?
Er, I wasn't aware I was taking sides....
I was just trying to resolve an apparent ambiguity in your question.
"In the same direction" could mean continuously heading due West along a
line of latitude, which in the northern hemisphere would be a path that
is slightly curved to the right, or it could mean in a straight line,
which would be the great circle path suggested by your twine and globe.
What do you consider is the correct answer to your Lisbon question?
Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: [email protected] - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: [email protected] - http://tony.mountifield.org
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Date: 11 Sep 2007 10:52:09
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
Tony Mountifield wrote:
>
> What do you consider is the correct answer to your Lisbon question?
>
The Great Circle route. Globe, twine.
Have you ever tried to sail along a line of latitude? I understand that
they curve (some st person pointed that out). What instruments give
you the necessary information to stay at the same latitude?
The point of the question is to highlight the term "in the same direction".
How does the answer change if we change the sailing ship to an airplane?
to a spacecraft?
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 11 Sep 2007 17:25:23
From: Tony Mountifield
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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In article <[email protected] >,
Kenneth Sloan <[email protected] > wrote:
> Tony Mountifield wrote:
> >
> > What do you consider is the correct answer to your Lisbon question?
> >
>
> The Great Circle route. Globe, twine.
Yes, I thought so.
> Have you ever tried to sail along a line of latitude? I understand that
> they curve (some st person pointed that out). What instruments give
> you the necessary information to stay at the same latitude?
A compass! In fact it would be easier to navigate due West along the line
of latitude, where you steer so as to keep your heading at 270 degrees,
than it would be to navigate along the the great circle path, where you
have to continuously adjust your compass bearing according to where you
are. The article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_circle says this:
"The great-circle route is the shortest path between two points on a
sphere; however, if one were to travel along such a route, it would be
difficult to manually steer as the heading would constantly be changing
(except in the case of due north, south, or along the equator)."
> The point of the question is to highlight the term "in the same direction".
Which I still believe is ambiguous, since "direction" could justifiably
be interpreted as "heading".
> How does the answer change if we change the sailing ship to an airplane?
Since an aircraft is navigated by headings in real-time, the same
considerations apply. A better example for great-circle paths (ignoring
wind factors and the rotation of the earth) would be an Inter-Continental
Ballistic Missile.
Interesting topic though!
Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: [email protected] - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: [email protected] - http://tony.mountifield.org
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Date: 11 Sep 2007 14:45:02
From: Kenneth Sloan
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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Tony Mountifield wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Tony Mountifield wrote:
>>> What do you consider is the correct answer to your Lisbon question?
>>>
>> The Great Circle route. Globe, twine.
>
> Yes, I thought so.
>
>> Have you ever tried to sail along a line of latitude? I understand that
>> they curve (some st person pointed that out). What instruments give
>> you the necessary information to stay at the same latitude?
>
> A compass!
really? Try it sometime.
hint: lines of latitude are circles around the rotational axis of the
Earth. Compasses tell you about the MAGNETIC poles - which are not in
the same place as the geographic poles.
They are close enough for Boy Scouts - but not for trans-oceanic voyages.
> In fact it would be easier to navigate due West along the line
> of latitude, where you steer so as to keep your heading at 270 degrees,
> than it would be to navigate along the the great circle path, where you
> have to continuously adjust your compass bearing according to where you
> are. The article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_circle says this:
>
"Easier to navigate" wasn't the condition. "continuing in the same
direction" was. And no, "same direction" is not the same as "same heading".
> "The great-circle route is the shortest path between two points on a
> sphere; however, if one were to travel along such a route, it would be
> difficult to manually steer as the heading would constantly be changing
> (except in the case of due north, south, or along the equator)."
>
>> The point of the question is to highlight the term "in the same direction".
>
> Which I still believe is ambiguous, since "direction" could justifiably
> be interpreted as "heading".
No, it can't. Maintaining the same heading involves constantly changing
direction.
>
>> How does the answer change if we change the sailing ship to an airplane?
>
> Since an aircraft is navigated by headings in real-time, the same
> considerations apply.
Don't you want to consider the effects of the Earth rotating underneath
you as you fly?
> A better example for great-circle paths (ignoring
> wind factors and the rotation of the earth) would be an Inter-Continental
> Ballistic Missile.
Well, I did mention "spacecraft" (which you clipped). But, there the
point was that "continuing in the same direction might mean that no
landfall (on Earth) would ever occur.
>
> Interesting topic though!
>
> Cheers
> Tony
--
Kenneth Sloan [email protected]
Computer and Information Sciences +1-205-932-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX +1-205-934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/sloan/
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Date: 11 Sep 2007 09:14:41
From: Nick Cramer
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
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[email protected] (Tony Mountifield) wrote:
> Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Tony Mountifield wrote:
> > > Kenneth Sloan <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >> Guy Macon wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> ...the fact that lines of lattitude are highly
> > >>> curved sideways near the poles) ...
> > >> lines of lattitude (sic) are curved SIDEWAYS?
> > >>
> > >> From what point of view?
> > >
> > > The point of view of the person walking along them, in comparison to
> > > following a great circle path.
> > >
> > >> And now...for something completely diferent, here's a question that
> > >> really should be on your quiz:
> > >>
> > >> A ship leaves Lisbon, sailing due West. If it continues in the same
> > >> direction, where does it make landfall?
> > > [ . . . ]
If "the same direction" means due west, landfall would be 13 nautical miles
north of Fenwick Island, Delaware, give or take an inch or two.
--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
~Semper Fi~
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 15:31:59
From: Tony Mountifield
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
In article <[email protected] >,
Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
>
> Tony Mountifield wrote:
> >
> >Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/> wrote:
> >>
> >> >[21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
> >> > 90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
> >> > which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
> >> > degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
> >> > to the exact spot he left from.
> >> >[21a] What color is the bear?
> >> >[21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
> >> > starting/ending point?
> >> >
> >> > The man starts at the North Pole, from which all directions are
> >> >south. The bear is a white polar bear. The described itinerary is also
> >> >possible starting from a point very near the South Pole, but there are
> >> >no bears there.
> >>
> >> Correct! (And very few get that second location, or incorrectly
> >> miss the lack of bears there.)
> >>
> >> BTW, There are an infinite number of possible starting points near
> >> the south pole, and not just then obvious case of different places
> >> on a circle that is 1 kilometer + 1/Pi kilometers from the pole.
> >
> >That circle won't work - you only go half way round and end ups
> >180 degrees out.
> >
> >The obvious case is 1 + 1/(2*Pi) km from the S pole.
>
> Of course. Silly bonehead error on my part. Sorry about that.
The other thing that has just occurred to me is that 21b can only be
answered at the north pole, and not with the south pole itineraries.
Cheers
Tony
--
Tony Mountifield
Work: [email protected] - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: [email protected] - http://tony.mountifield.org
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Date: 10 Sep 2007 16:41:12
From: Guy Macon
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
Tony Mountifield wrote:
>The other thing that has just occurred to me is that 21b can only be
>answered at the north pole, and not with the south pole itineraries.
Good point. Assuming that 21b is answerable limits the range of
possible answers to 21a.
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Date: 09 Sep 2007 03:40:12
From: Offramp
Subject: Re: Easy Questions: The Ultimate Easy Quiz
|
On Sep 8, 1:54 pm, Guy Macon <http://www.guymacon.com/ > wrote:
> [01] How long did the Hundred Years War last?
100 years
> [02] What was New Mexico named after?
Mexico
> [03] Which country makes most Panama Hats?
Panama
> [04] In the story "1001 Arabian nights" what nationality was Aladdin?
Arabian
> [05] What nationality were the original Pennsylvania Dutch?
Dutch
> [06] From which animal do we get Catgut?
The cat
> [07] Which U.S. State is the farthest North? South? East? West?
Alaska, Hawaii, RI, Hawaii
> [08] In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
October
> [09] What material was used to clad the sides of the US warship
> "Old Ironsides"?.
Iron
> [10] What is a Camel hair brush made of?
Camel hair
> [11] The Canary Islands are named after what animal?
Canaries
> [12] What was King George VI's first name?
George
> [13] What color is a Purple Finch?
Purple
> [14] Where do the Cuban Lily and Confederate Rose come from?
Cuba
> [15] Upon what hill was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought?
Bunker Hill
> [16] Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
Grant
> [17] What bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus puffinus?
The puffin
>> [18] What is another word for Thesaurus? Hint: One word, four
> syllables, eight letters, one letter is used three times,
> another letter is used twice, and I found it in Roget's
> Thesaurus.
Synonymy
> [19] What color are White Rhinos?
White
> [20] How long did the Thirty Years War last?
30 years
> [21] A man travels due south for one kilometer. He turns left
> 90 degrees and travels due east for one kilometer, at
> which point he shoots a bear. He then turns left 90
> degrees and travels due north for one kilometer, returning
> to the exact spot he left from.
>
> [21a] What color is the bear?
White
> [21b] What direction is the wind blowing from at the
> starting/ending point?
South
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