Stupid/Small Questions Megathread

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Stupid/Small Questions Megathread

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Baron Bifford posted:

Most videogames can't seem to render perfect darkness. If you turn up the brightness level, you can see just fine; some games ask you to set your brightness to an optimal level and rely on your good faith not to cheat. Doom 3 is the only game that I know that can render true darkness that forces you to use the flashlight. Why is this the case? What is the great limitation of 3D technology that makes true darkness so difficult?

It's not a limitation on technology, it's more like a decision. Doom 3 forces things so certain parts of the screen (those not illuminated by the flashlight? I haven't played the game) are pitch black no matter how high your brightness settings are.

Since different screens will show things at different brightness levels, unless you want to absolutely mask certain things from view, it's unfair to those with darker monitors to force a certain brightness level in software.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2011 19:23

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 16:45

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

tarepanda posted:

Almost definitely the head.

Apparently the situation is a little complicated. Skull fractures are rare, but can happen, and the bottle can break too.

tarepanda posted:

Bottles, tables, furniture, etc. are generally pre-destroyed in movies and then put back together so that they'll break properly. Or they're fragile stunt versions.

This is definitely the case, though.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2011 01:23

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Jeffrey Colon posted:

I saw this video the other day (I think on YouTube) of a Japanese cartoon of fast techoish music video that was a bunch scenes of different colored realities with random crazy stuff going on in them. The only one I remember is a sushi chef just standing there bored.

At the end, characters from the different scenes start breaking into each other and the colors start combining so that eventually there is mass chaos going on and the sushi chef is busily serving people from like 3 different realities.

Anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? The video title was in Japanese which I definitely do not speak.

Yes, it's the TV show (The title is actually in English; 自主制作アニメーション just means "independent animated work" or something)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ9YtJC-Kd8
link for embedded video impaired

dirby fucked around with this message at 17:30 on Jul 8, 2011

# ¿ Jul 8, 2011 17:25

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Zero Gravitas posted:

Plus, does anyone know of a site that randomly generates maths problems? I'm out of practice with calculus and need some practice.

Randomly? Maybe not. But if you want tons of problems/quizzes and lecture refreshers etc., I suggest you check out the SAP Online Resource Thread over in Science, Academics and Philosophy, specifically the multidisciplinary resource list and the mathematics resource list; there are many different sites that might be able to help you.

In case you weren't aware, SAP also has a thread for asking math questions and a thread for finding free goon tutoring if you need.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2011 16:49

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

isoprenaline, don't image leech. Also, they meant to post the following (I do not know the language):

# ¿ Jul 12, 2011 14:45

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

hooah posted:

What's something that's cheap and easily replaceable, but still satisfying to smash to bits?

Bubble wrap?

# ¿ Jul 26, 2011 03:34

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Cantv posted:

Back on page 221, I asked a question involving a very poor choice I made. I went to swallow a spoon of cinnamon, and accidentally inhaled as it entered my mouth. It entered my lungs, I coughed it up, it entered my nose and tore my throat up pretty bad. A day later, throat is in working order, and through all the advice given I have returned to semi working order. The question now is:

I am rarely ill, but after the incident last night I have been battling one hell of a fever. I feel pretty weak/useless, and am experiencing cold sweats and other "You're sick" symptoms.

What I am wondering is could the cinnamon incident could have caused this, either VIA weakening my immune system briefly, or otherwise? Is this all a coincidence?

I'd like a doctor or someone to back me up on this, but I think that maybe a small bit of cinnamon that didn't make it out could cause an infection to grow there.

# ¿ Jul 26, 2011 17:02

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

IzzyFnStradlin posted:

I'm glad this came up. Why can't I click on this thumbnail image to enlarge it? Is that a setting in the user control panel?

Are you using Chrome? That's been broken in chrome for a while. Just use Hover Zoom. If you're not using Chrome, there should be something in the top left corner of the image you can click IIRC.

Edit: Half beaten

# ¿ Jul 31, 2011 17:12

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Mak0rz posted:

My University network requires you to open your browser and punch in some login info in order to give you Internet access. Is there any way to connect to the Internet from this network using a device that has no browser?

It depends. At my undergrad, you could log in to a device registration system and manually enter info for extra devices.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2011 18:14

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

DarkStarRecondite posted:

I need to be thoroughly slapped with a massive book about how to use MS excel. Specifically, for starters, i have this question:

how do express in excel, over 100 'instances' the 12% chance of removing 1 value from a starting value of 10. Compound each initial starting value to signify 1 unit. This involves a high degree of 'random', so that after 100 instances, approximately 88% but possibly a much wider varience of the starting units will be at values below 10.

i've tried playing around witht eh RAND and RANDBETWEEN functions, but its slow going and i cannot seem to be able to write 'conditions' into the function. specifically, "If random number generated in box A2 is between 88-100, then subtract 1 from teh value of Unit A" and to compound that over 100 instances.

Im probably not even making any sense at all but if someone, anyone knows what im talking about, please reply quote or pm me. Thanks

I think the sort of command you're looking for is actually called "IF". That said, here is the small excel question thread. Also,

Eggplant Wizard posted:

…for gently caress's sake, use your shift key & apostrophes.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2011 04:47

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

John Redcorn posted:

I might have declared victory too soon, hacked again.

When I tried to recover this time it asked for mothers birthplace and 1st car again even though I'd changed the questions. It said this security question was added july 2009, so I don't think they're messing with that, maybe yahoo is just taking too long to actually push the changes through for my security questions.

Can you call yahoo to get this straightened out?

# ¿ Aug 1, 2011 20:11

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

silversiren posted:

Trying to remember the name of this game.. I think it was on Windows 95 and it was one of those pre-installed things or it came in a package with the rest of the CDs you got with it. It had this little adventurer dude that was going through the jungle, climbing ladders and ropes and jumping over alligators and such. It was a 2-D game sort of like the kind Mario is. Help, it's going to bother me all night.

Sounds like a ripoff of Pitfall. Unfortunately that means you'll probably have to be a lot more specific.

Maybe try Help us remember the name of a game!!!!?

Edit: daaaamn

# ¿ Aug 2, 2011 01:48

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Fig Newton posted:

I've never had a restaurant manager come up and ask me about my DAY; that's my significant other's job. Management only ever comes up and asks me about my meal. Not my life. If the manager did ever stand there and seem disposed to chat lingeringly about my day and my life, I'd be, like, "Um, what? I'm trying to eat? I have no idea who you are? Go away?"

At some upscale restaurants managers may get to know their patrons in this way. However, in these cases the restaurant is usually small enough that they have the time for a 5 minute chat.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2011 04:08

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

The Moon Monster posted:

What is the point of beds? What do they add to the equation over just putting a mattress on the floor? I guess there's the storage space under the bed, and geezers would have an easier time getting into and out of a bed that's high off the ground. Neither of those really explain their prevalence though.

I think a big part of it is cultural. In some other countries a mattress on the floor is pretty common, and you can find plenty of evidence of people using a mattress on the floor with no issues online.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2011 17:36

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Rick Rickshaw posted:

I'm trying to find a webpage I registered for months ago that allowed you to create random lists of text in bullet form that allowed for extreme nesting and categorization. It was fairly basic in its look and feel, but the technology behind it seemed fairly advanced. They claimed their web application was designed to function "the way your brain works". Seems like a bold statement, but it was a cool app.

I'm not even sure I received an email when I signed up, and I haven't used it in a while, but I'd love to get back into it, if I could only find it!

It's called WorkFlowy, and it's been a lifesaver for me. This and gmail are the tabs I keep open all the time now.

# ¿ Aug 9, 2011 15:09

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Wagonburner posted:

What is this cake called that I see sometimes at Chinese buffets? I've asked and "Chinese cake" was the answer I got. That did not google so well.

It's kind of a whipped frosting like layer on top and in the middle and it kind of has a coffee taste to it. Reminds me of tiramisu for some reason but it's been many years since I've had that.

A google search for "Chinese buffet cake" suggests it may be "Mocha-flavored sheet cake". I don't know if that's specific enough for your needs, though.

Edit: If it's not, you might be able to get a more in-depth description from this cake maker in A/T.

# ¿ Aug 9, 2011 21:14

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

TheAngryDrunk posted:

Is there a fun way to improve your grammar?

I do a lot of technical writing for work and I'm often wondering if my grammar is correct.

There's a thread on this very topic in Science, Academics and Languages.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2011 02:08

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

ibroxmassive posted:

Is there a name for the sensation of reading or writing a word so many times that it loses all sense of being right?

"semantic satiation"?

# ¿ Sep 5, 2011 15:02

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

For future reference, questions along those lines can also be posted in the math question thread or the misc. academic/language question thread.

# ¿ Oct 20, 2011 19:24

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Raimundus posted:

I recognize that I'm a bit behind on my research, but I think I need help.

Edit: Is this question broad enough to deserve its own thread?

Have you checked out the grad school admissions thread in Science, Academics and Languages yet?

# ¿ Oct 29, 2011 15:37

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

AlphaDog posted:

What do you call that shape?

I don't know what randyest calls it, but in math(s) it's a great dodecahedron (among other names). A very similar gif is on this artist's page* but there's a small error in the gif on that artist's page that can't be seen at the resolution of randyest's avatar.

*Thanks, Google reverse image search.

# ¿ Nov 4, 2011 00:23

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Lollerich posted:

Is there a website that calculates changes in money's worth over time? Or something like inflation rates from some point in time till today?
I wouldn't mind calculating it myself if I could just find some kind of appropiate exchange factor.

For example: What is a dollar worth if you compare the years 1919 and 2011?

That's one of the many features of Wolfram Alpha: see?

# ¿ Nov 6, 2011 22:00

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Wandering Knitter posted:

I had a filling fall out of my tooth but the dentist can't see me till Friday. Isn't there a type of paste that I can put in there myself as a temp filling? I think I recall some product like that existing but I'm blanking on a name or if it's real.

There are many brands of things like this ("temparin" is one); you can find then in a store (e.g. CVS) near toothpaste.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2011 16:16

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Manifest Despair posted:

I'm about to enter my junior year in college but I'm losing motivation. Where do I find more motivation?

Maybe talk about the issues your facing and the details of your situation in the college advice thread?

# ¿ Nov 14, 2011 04:13

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Kritzkrieg Kop posted:

What's the best search engine for finding (economic) journal articles and research papers? Something comprehensive like Google Scholar but "better".

If you're at a university, there are a lot of options. I'll just quote the Science, Academics and Languages Online Resource Thread:

helopticor posted:

JSTOR
"They have an amazing amount of journal articles online for use, from a plethora of disciplines...Unfortunately, you have to be a member to use the service, of which many academic institutions are. You can access it from your school, or use their proxy (most school libraries have instructions on how to do this) to do it from home. It may seem like a hassle but the amount of information it holds is awesome." (Thanks, xunzi)

Academic Search Complete
A good database for papers on a wide variety of topics. Like JSTOR, you'll almost definitely be accessing it through your academic institution. Check your school's library or library website for access details. (Thanks, Kill Dozed)

Scopus
"Peer reviewed articles of all types." It requires a login, like JSTOR. (Thanks, Lord Dewtain)

JournalSeek
A collection of articles on a variety of subjects. Most of the full-text articles require a login, like JSTOR. (Thanks, Melchiresa)

# ¿ Nov 18, 2011 17:23

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

lllllllllllllllllll posted:

Can gay people actually fall in love with each other?

Yes.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2011 14:54

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

BubsFart posted:

I can't figure out why my pictures aren't attaching when I am writing a post. I know it's a simple process, but what is the easiest way to add pictures to my posts?

Even if you get attachments to work, they can't be undone. I personally use an imgur browser extension to make what gopperhopper said easy.

# ¿ Nov 26, 2011 00:04

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Mortley posted:

What are some Spanish-language sites for the SomethingAwful demographic?

I don't know, but I'd bet the people in the Spanish thread over in Science Academics and Languages might have an idea, if no one following this thread does.

# ¿ Nov 28, 2011 20:37

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

AlphaDog posted:

This doesn't affect me personally, I just want to know how people do it, since I've only ever split it evenly between everyone living in a place and other people think that's weird and unfair.

I've only heard of one or two cases of people actually using it, but the problem of "how should a bunch of parties split rent fairly" has been solved by mathematics. You just have to spend some time (maybe an hour? maybe a half hour?) in front of a computer answering simple questions of the form "if the rent divisions were like this, which room would you take?".

For the pairs of people intending to be in the same room, they can just act as one "person" as far as the algorithm is concerned, but they'll combine their earning power in the decisions they make.

# ¿ Dec 5, 2011 16:05

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

JDanielS posted:

I looked through SAP, but didn't find one. Is there a "I have to take the GRE soon and want people to tell me what I'm in for" thread?

I really don't know if that could sustain a whole thread, although maybe it could be a section in the OP of the Grad School Admissions thread in SAL (the L is for Languages).

In any case, a general description of what the GRE is like/practice problems are pretty googlable, and you can ask specific questions in that thread I just linked.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2011 15:09

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

TLG James posted:

What is the name of the PC game that is like Super Meat Boy? It is pretty similar with Nintendo level graphics.

You're gonna have to be a lot more precise than that. Like Super Meat Boy in what ways? Do you mean the original Meat Boy?

# ¿ Dec 13, 2011 21:03

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Clockwork Sputnik posted:

Disclaimer: NOT a math guy.

However, my bosses and I were trying to figure out what the name is for the process of 1+2+3+4+5....

We both remember seeing it in math books. It's got a name like Fibonacci but, obviously not.

There are lots of things you might be asking for, and I'm not sure which is the right one.

The sum of the first n counting numbers is called a "triangular number". 1,2,3,4,… is an example of an "arithmetic sequence/progression", and when you sum them you have an "arithmetic series" (beaten on this one). There's also a famous story about Gauss's childhood in which he supposedly was made to sum 1+…+100 as punishment, and did it very quickly.

Maybe none of these were what you were looking for (edit: e.g. see stubblyhead's reply below mine), I'm not sure. For future reference, small math questions can go in the small math questions thread in Science, Academics and Languages.

dirby fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Dec 13, 2011

# ¿ Dec 13, 2011 22:37

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

TremendousMajestic posted:

Any Amsterdam residents ITT?

I'd try asking in Tourism & Travel in either the Europe thread and/or the Holland thread.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2011 03:12

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

FLX posted:

Where did the new Humble Bundle 4 thread go?

I didn't see it, but there's a general bundle thread in Games.

Edit: Actually that looks like it's just an indie royale thread? I thought I saw a post about Humble Bundle 4 in some thread…

Edit2: Ah, someone posted it in the video game deals thread.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2011 22:09

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

INTJ Mastermind posted:

Anyone read Chinese? How do I make this soup?

If you don't get an answer here, you might try the Chinese thread.

# ¿ Dec 22, 2011 01:23

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Raenir Salazar posted:

Is there any active threads that talk about kimono/hakama fashion?

I doubt it, but IIRC Reverend Cheddar from the Japan thread works in Japanese fashion stuff, so may have resources for you.

# ¿ Dec 22, 2011 18:01

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

BonHair posted:

Excel question: I have a bunch of numbers that I want to turn into lines in a diagram. I want essentially a hundred or so lines, each consisting of two (x,y) points. That's the easy yet tedious part. Now, I also want to make a lot of them share the same colour and, if possible legend, preferably without having to change every god drat line individually. I would also like if it could tell me which point in the line is the first and which is the second.

Can that be done in an easy way?

It depends what form your original data is in, and what programs you have access to, but the bottom line is "probably". I would check out the Scientific Computing Thread and/or the Excel Thread

# ¿ Dec 26, 2011 16:21

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

reflir, wikipedia has everything.

# ¿ Dec 31, 2011 16:40

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

Dudebro posted:

What's the medical name for the therapeutic treatment where adhesive pads are placed on the skin in various spots to stimulate muscles through gentle electric pulses?

Copying the text in your post into google verbatim suggests it's either TENS or maybe EMS.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2012 18:21

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 16:45

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

SlaveToTheGrinds posted:

Is there an ask a teacher megathread anywhere around here?

The closest thing is the Miscellaneous Small Academic/Language Question Thread in Science, Academics and Languages. I haven't personally dealt with a trimester system.

# ¿ Jan 30, 2012 23:49

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Stupid/Small Questions Megathread

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