Life's great mysteries (things that make NO sense)

[Bystander]

Reminds me of a story I read about the most intelligent walkway layout I've ever heard of. I forget the university, but back when it was founded there were several buildings and they couldn't decide where to put the walkways.

Not certain that this is not an "urban myth," just saying...

 

[rsk]

I think it would be a good idea though. You see beautifully designed gardens and paths, with worn patches through the gardens where people have taken the short cut. If you made the paths fit the most likely route in the first place, there'd be no sense in trampling through the gardens.

 

[Rive]

Not certain that this is not an "urban myth," just saying...

The story is told many different ways, but the idea got 'official' recognition anyway.

Ps.: by this article, the story @phinds referring to might be about Michigan State University

 

[strangerep]

I just bought a new Breville electric blanket (not cheap).

From the instruction manual:

NOTE: It is not recommended that you sleep with the heated blanket switched on.

 

[Keith_McClary]

I just bought a new Breville electric blanket (not cheap).

From the instruction manual:

The "Benefits of Electric Blankets" section here is very short (and includes "The electric blanket also creates a mild magnetic field that helps repel dust mites." ).

I had one, can't remember why I bought it, or why I stopped using it long ago.

I wonder what those resistive wires are made of.

 

[strangerep]

The "Benefits of Electric Blankets" section here [...]

That article also says: "You should also never sleep or lie on top of an electric blanket [...]".
Sheesh, I've been doing that for decades: mattress, then e-blanket, then woollen under-blanket, then sheets, then upper blankets...

 

[TomGo]

This is an open discussion for people to voice their thoughts on things which just make no sense to them. And for others to possibly elucidate for them to help them understand.

I'll open with this: Touch screens in cars.

Who decided that this was a good idea? Particularly when the touch screen also controls the radio?

Case one: old fashioned car. I want to turn the volume up, so I reach over until I feel the volume knob, and I turn it, all whilst avoiding someone who just stepped out into the road.

Case two: modern car. I want to turn the volume up, so I look over to my touch screen, which has no haptic feedback so I have no idea what I'm pressing unless I look, and I press the button for the volume to go up, and there's a loud thud as somebody hurtles over the bonnet because I'm looking at the screen for my radio and didn't see them.

Just why? what was wrong with controls you can operate without looking? who decided that a RADIO needed to have a SCREEN? do you know what you call a radio with a screen? a Television.

So, what is it in this world that makes absolutely no sense to you?

Man after my own heart :)

Check here. I'm digging it for a while, in spare time
Several tries on some HUD versions, none really successful, I'm on this forum actually researching optics .

[link deleted by the Mentors]

 

[Ivan Seeking]

This is an open discussion for people to voice their thoughts on things which just make no sense to them. And for others to possibly elucidate for them to help them understand.

I'll open with this: Touch screens in cars.

Who decided that this was a good idea? Particularly when the touch screen also controls the radio?

Case one: old fashioned car. I want to turn the volume up, so I reach over until I feel the volume knob, and I turn it, all whilst avoiding someone who just stepped out into the road.

Case two: modern car. I want to turn the volume up, so I look over to my touch screen, which has no haptic feedback so I have no idea what I'm pressing unless I look, and I press the button for the volume to go up, and there's a loud thud as somebody hurtles over the bonnet because I'm looking at the screen for my radio and didn't see them.

Just why? what was wrong with controls you can operate without looking? who decided that a RADIO needed to have a SCREEN? do you know what you call a radio with a screen? a Television.

So, what is it in this world that makes absolutely no sense to you?

They put screens in cars to stop people from looking at their phones while driving. But for obvious reasons they should be called touch screams because you will only have time to scream when you look back up at the road.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

10 hot dogs to a pack.
8 hot dog buns to a pack.

 

[phinds]

10 hot dogs to a pack.
8 hot dog buns to a pack.

Oh, that makes perfectly good sense. They want you to buy 4 packs of dogs and 5 of buns. I mean, who wants to sell a piddling 1 of each?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Oh, that makes perfectly good sense. They want you to buy 4 packs of dogs and 5 of buns. I mean, who wants to sell a piddling 1 of each?

Okay then why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?

42

 

[Ivan Seeking]

If a corporation in the US is legally a person and therefore protected by the Constitution, then how do we put one in jail?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Could a massless black hole travel at the speed of light? And how could you know if they did?

 

[phinds]

Okay then why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?

I'm not sure, but I am pretty sure it's for the same reason that "palindrome" isn't spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm not sure, but I am pretty sure it's for the same reason that "palindrome" isn't spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards.

Are there meetings where people decide these things?

 

[Tom.G]

...I am pretty sure it's for the same reason that "palindrome" isn't spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards.

Are there meetings where people decide these things?

Yes.

They are social gatherings, often called "Parties," where people (principally of pre-teen age) gather in a circle and play "Postoffice." The rules are; a person whispers a short message to the next person and that 'next person' repeats it to the next, and so-on.

When the message gets back to the initiator, they announce the received message and the the original message; they are never indentical.

In some instances these games are played by political entities, which are also called "Parties." This just shows that chronological age is not necessarily indicative of anything in particular.

Have Fun!
Tom

 

[OCR]

Lol. . . .

∞

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Grey's Anatomy is in its 17th season.

My gf clued me in. I thought that show ended 10 years ago! LOL!

I noticed that in an ad for the new season, I didn't recognize any of the actors on the current cast.

 

[DaveC426913]

10 hot dogs to a pack.
8 hot dog buns to a pack.

What I don't understand is why they didn't take it to the logical limit:
11 hot dogs to a pack.
13 buns to a pack.
(and, just for fun: 17 slices of cheese to a pack)

OK everybody, I got 2,431 dogs here. Nobody gets outta here 'til they're all gone.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What I don't understand is why they didn't take it to the logical limit:
11 hot dogs to a pack.
13 buns to a pack.
(and, just for fun: 17 slices of cheese to a pack)

OK everybody, I got 2,431 dogs here. Nobody gets outta here 'til they're all gone.

The Catsup containers only hold enough for 23 dogs.
However the Ketchup containers hold enough for 31 dogs.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What is the difference between a Marshmallow and a Marshmellow? And for that matter, when did they stop making marshmallow out of marsh mallow. and why? A guy can't find any decent mallow these days.

Marsh mellows are stoned Cajuns.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I don't understand people who deny the existence of aliens, and then turn right around and complain about illegal aliens.

 

[some bloke]

I'm not sure, but I am pretty sure it's for the same reason that "palindrome" isn't spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards.

And why the fear of long words is "Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia"!

 

[some bloke]

I don't understand people who deny the existence of aliens, and then turn right around and complain about illegal aliens.

The one which got me was when Britain was voting for Brexit (ugh, says something when your country has to make everything a catchy name no matter how serious it is...) and a lot of people I spoke to said they were going to vote for Brexit, and I quote: "To keep the illegal immigrants out".

Yes, we'll leave Europe and they'll suddenly stop not caring about the law and stop coming over! hooray! What did they think would happen, it would become more illegal?

 

[jtbell]

10 hot dogs to a pack.
8 hot dog buns to a pack.

Heinz (the ketchup people) want to change this!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Heinz (the ketchup people) want to change this!

They are making a pack pact? LOL!

The average can of paint can cover 400 square feet. And if you only count the walls, the average small room has about 400 square feet of wall. But with the ceiling you get just over 500 square feet.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

If I want to watch a commercial on YouTube, I have to watch another commercial first to see it.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I consider the following question every year around April 15th.

What would happen if I did my taxes in hexadecimal? I don't see anything in the tax code stating that base 10 must be used.

 

[Keith_McClary]

I don't see anything in the tax code stating that base 10 must be used.

The US doesn't seem to have an official system of weights and measures, so they probably don't have an official base.

 

[phinds]

What would happen if I did my taxes in hexadecimal? I don't see anything in the tax code stating that base 10 must be used.

I think you should do it next year and let us know the result.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Taxable income = 30D40? Does Turbo Tax allow that?

 

[jack action]

Taxable income = 30D40? Does Turbo Tax allow that?

Try binary instead: 110000110101000000. The IRS will love that number.

 

[Bystander]

Time bombs with ticking/beeping, flashing numeric/digital displays for the protagonist/s to race.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Try binary instead: 110000110101000000. The IRS will love that number.

But that doesn't yield a tax advantage. Using hex puts me in a much lower tax bracket.

 

[DaveC426913]

Time bombs with ticking/beeping, flashing numeric/digital displays for the protagonist/s to race.

Yep. Nuthin' like a hidden bomb that beeps loudly and flashes a bright light, telling the whole world where it is.
Oh, and here's a ten second visual and audio lead up to the final boom - so you know when to run.