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July 25

Are Personal communications service (NANP) mobile numbers?

Personal communications service mentions that:

A personal communications service (PCS) is set of communications capabilities that provide a combination of terminal mobility, personal mobility, and service profile management.

Does it means that Personal communications service (NANP) are mobile numbers because of providing mobility? I cannot find the mention of ‘mobile numbers’ in NANP or List of North American Numbering Plan area codes. 49.182.135.140 (talk) 01:24, 25 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Most mobile numbers on the NANP, in the sense of telephone numbers assigned to mobile cellular devices, do not have a geography-based area code; although the first three digits of such numbers are commonly referred to as their "area code", this is a bit of a misnomer then. In the USA these mobile numbers have a 5XX "area code". However, according to North American Numbering Plan § Non-geographic services, the converse is not always true: personal communications service 5XX numbers can also be for fixed devices (not using a cellular network). --Lambiam 11:59, 25 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Punjabi and Bengali instruction language university

Which universities in Punjab, India and Pakistan are known to give instructions or lectures in Punjabi and which universities in West Bengal are known to give instructions in Bengali? I was under the impression that all universities in Punjab, India; Punjab, Pakistan and West Bengal in India give only in Hindi and English. Please do enlighten. Donmust90 Donmust90 (talk) 16:46, 25 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

July 26

Name for type of interchange

At coordinates 34.79749785424678, -82.37485296822788, there is an interchange. On both sides of the highway, there is a short side roadway that has multiple on and offramps. I've been looking at interchange designs, but I can't find an example of this "multi-interchange" with a proper name. I would like a reference that includes this interchange design. 75.136.148.8 (talk) 16:04, 26 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

That looks like a collector-distributor interchange. —C.Fred (talk) 16:06, 26 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. That looks correct. 75.136.148.8 (talk) 16:32, 26 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

July 27

Extraterrestrial orbiters update?

What's the latest data telling us about Jupiter from Juno and about Venus from Akatsuki? Have we learned anything new and interesting lately? Viriditas (talk) 01:05, 27 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Juno news is still being updated here. Akatsuki news hasn't had updates, but the old articles are still getting minor updates here. 75.136.148.8 (talk) 11:29, 29 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, that is very helpful. I will give both of those a look later tonight. Viriditas (talk) 22:48, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Boom box batteries

In Do the Right Thing, one of the characters needs 20 D batteries for his boombox. What sort of boombox would require 20 D batteries, or was that simply a fictional exaggeration? How many and what kind of batteries would one expect to use for a boombox of the size shown in the movie? 2601:18A:C500:E830:526A:B17D:E5EF:4ACD (talk) 04:25, 27 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

[1] Modocc (talk) 05:27, 27 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

So, 10 D batteries then. 2601:18A:C500:E830:526A:B17D:E5EF:4ACD (talk) 05:41, 27 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

My understanding is you would need 20 at a time because the 10 wouldn't last long enough. Viriditas (talk) 08:52, 27 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

You've got to fight the power consumption. Clarityfiend (talk) 11:06, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

July 28

Multiplication memorization

I remember back in elementary school, one of my classmates said he memorized multiplication tables by assigning a gender and color to each equation. For example, he would say eight times nine was male and purple and five times eight was female and brown. Is there a name for this phenomenon, and does this actually work? TWOrantula^TM (enter the web) 02:49, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Grapheme–color synesthesia.-Gadfium (talk) 04:38, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Synesthesia is likely a natural in-born perception while the OP's classmate voluntarily cultivates an unusual (two-dimensional) form of Mnemonic. These can aid memory because we more easily remember spatial, personal, surprising, physical, sexual, humorous and otherwise "relatable" information than more abstract or impersonal forms of information. Philvoids (talk) 13:46, 28 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

July 30

National Identity perceived

Hello. Small curiosity; I don't know if a census was taken at the time or something, but when England won the World Cup in 1966, what was the perceived national identity in the country that year, (England alone); did people describe themselves as more English or more British? Thank you very much. 2.45.43.119 (talk) 12:51, 30 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Identifying as English or British is not exclusive of one another. A person can authentically identify as both. It is based on need. Your IP looks up to the United States, so in a American sense, a person can identify as Cajun, Louisianian, and American all at the same time, with none of those identities taking away from another identity or being more of an identity than any other identity. It is based on need. If asked for identity while in New Orleans, the person would likely claim to be Cajun. If asked for an identity at the Delta hub in Atlanta, the person might identify as Louisianian. If asked for identity at the Olymics in France, the person might identify as American. Similarly, a person might identify as English while in Britain, but as British while outside Britain, and even go further to identify as a Londoner if in Manchester. 12.116.29.106 (talk) 17:16, 30 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The English/British nationality issue is complex and evolving, but my impression (I was 8 in 1966) was that English and British were used interchangeably by English people in the 1960s. Note that there was no question about ethnicity in the UK census until the 1991 United Kingdom census and then "White British" was the only option for "indigenous" people (for want of a better term).

For the current situation, see National identity, England and Wales: Census 2021 Alansplodge (talk) 18:16, 30 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Alansplodge: I'm only a couple of years older than you, but certainly we were taught the difference between British and English. Possibly a north/south or London/rest of the UK issue? We lived in Yorkshire and I'm of mixed Yorkshire/Scottish parentage.

One can have been taught the distinction and yet use the terms interchangeably in informal speech. --Lambiam 08:35, 31 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It is important to note (as no article should ever say) that the modern precise use of these words was elided in the past by metonymy and other close concepts. The precise concept would have been considered clear by context. You will find in some older texts free use of England for Britain (perhaps also the English identity was smudged into British more than others), and Britain (or even England) for the British Empire or Commonwealth.

Nonetheless by the sixties this usage was obsolete as far as I know. I certainly knew growing up in this era that I was English and British (and European), though it was primarily a factual matter. When we visited our Swiss friends to watch Jeux son frontier we cheered the British and Swiss teams equally. In the event that a non-English British team won something we thought this was a good thing.

I'm inclined to believe that most of the English have no trouble identifying as British, even after an English sporting success.

All the best: Rich Farmbrough 13:58, 1 August 2024 (UTC).[reply]

Although a Londoner, my parents were Scottish and Cornish, so I was well aware of the difference between English and British, but my impression was/is that not everyone was so particular in the 1960s. Witness the number of Union Jacks at Wembley. By way of a reference, I found:

In the 1970s and 1980s, it became clear that Britain is a multi-national state... England is the dominant region by far; therefore, the English saw little distinction between "English" and "British".

A History of the Peoples of the British Isles: From 1870 to the Present by Thomas Heyck (2019) p. 285

Alansplodge (talk) 19:24, 2 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

August 1

Has time been going faster?

I'm still trying to comprehend how we're almost two-thirds done with the year. It's weird how I can remember my family and I celebrating New Year's back in the beginning of the year. Then I wondered, "Has time sped up since the pandemic?" TWOrantula^TM (enter the web) 20:28, 1 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Once you're over the hill, time speeds up because you're headed downhill. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:42, 1 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

See Time perception. It speeds up with age. Modocc (talk) 21:59, 1 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

While it's considered true that younger people perceive time as running slower and older people as faster, there are other factors that can occur that can make each perceive time differently regardless of age. One of the most common is the perception that time goes faster when you are engaged or busy, and that time slows down when you are unoccupied ("footloose and fancy-free"). All of this dovetails into what is known as the flow state. Recently, neurosurgeon Theodore H. Schwartz had a conversation with Terry Gross about his new book Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery. During this conversation (and this presumably is also discussed in the book) he talks about how a neurosurgeon conditions themselves to work during long, demanding surgeries that could take anywhere from 3-7 hours, and what a neurosurgeon has to do to maintain that kind of stamina and do their job. One of the things he talks about is getting into the flow state and being able to control their body. I'm bringing up this current example because the connection between flow states and time perception also plays a role that is less discussed. For example, we know that children are able to access flow states easier than adults. This might also go some way towards providing an explanation for age-related time perception. More interestingly, I think there's also sober, altered states of consciousness that lend additional insight, and there's some evidence that people can tap into this kind of state to slow their perception of time down. For example, people in emergency situations, people who meditate, people who play sports, can also see things happen in apparent slower motion. Traffic accident survivors, for example, will often report time slowing down when they experience or recall the accident. As for drugs, there's anecdotal evidence that throughout history, musicians, writers, and artists have used cannabis to slow down their perception of time. All that aside, in terms of objective measures of time, our article on Earth's rotation indicates that indeed, "time" is going faster. In 2022, "Earth's spin was completed in 1.59 milliseconds under 24 hours, setting a new record. Because of that trend, engineers worldwide are discussing a 'negative leap second' and other possible timekeeping measures." Viriditas (talk) 23:12, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

August 2

Weather website

Is there any European weather website similar to AccuWeather, The Weather Channel and Wunderground that eiuld offer forecasts, national and global weather news and other such things? Are there any English-language sites that are such? --40bus (talk) 16:46, 2 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

European countries each have their own weather bureaus, but they generally share their data with the sites you already mentioned and more. If you go to the Nordic Weather Service (Yr.no) for example, you'll see forecasts for the whole world. My favourite on mobile is Yr and the UK Met Office, on desktop the BBC. I am in the UK, and in terms of weather warnings and video forecasts specifically, they (except for Yr) cater specifically for UK audiences. For foreign forecasts, Wunderground on desktop is perfectly fine but their app has a bit of 'nonsense'. Komonzia (talk) 00:02, 4 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

August 3

Simone Biles and marker pen

Why did Simone Biles hold a marker pen with five (or four) fingers rather than two, as did other women in the picture and most other people while writing or drawing? 212.180.235.46 (talk) 19:00, 3 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Some people hold a pen in different ways. --Viennese Waltz 19:01, 3 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Look up "types of pencil grips" on Google Images and you'll see a variety. Also look up videos of her signing autographs. It might be that this is how she's most comfortable signing autographs dozens of times a day. Komonzia (talk) 23:51, 3 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If you hold a pen with less than four fingers, you get a 0.1 deduction. Them's the rules of gymnastic penmanship! Clarityfiend (talk) 09:47, 4 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Rather reminiscent of the grip used by Japanese calligraphers. In my 1960s childhood in England, we were taught the "correct" way to hold a pen at school; it seems that the education system is less prescriptive in these enlightened times, but the result is that younger folks sometimes hold their writing implements in ways that seem rather awkward to me. Alansplodge (talk) 14:50, 4 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

August 5

Tesla Cybertruck - What conventional English grammar/spelling template should be used?

Should the article be in American English? I feel like that's correct since Tesla's HQ is in California. I would like to add that to the talk page, but I need a consensus vote to apply the change. Article: Tesla Cybertruck. Ṫḧïṡ ṁëṡṡäġë ḧäṡ ḅëëṅ ḅṛöüġḧẗ ẗö ÿöü ḅÿ ᗰOᗪ ᑕᖇEᗩTOᖇ 🏡 🗨 📝 19:32, 5 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

What is it currently? Is it all British, or is it a mix? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:56, 5 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I do not know. I have a feeling it's all AmE (American English), but I could be wrong. Just making sure it's all according to conventions. ѕιη¢єяєℓу ƒяσм, ᗰOᗪ ᑕᖇEᗩTOᖇ 🏡 🗨 📝 23:56, 5 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I may be wrong, but I think the usual practice here is to leave an article alone if its use of either British or American English is consistent within the article. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:45, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure what you're concerned about. After reading/skimming the article, I found only one Britishism: "Tesla stated that they use". Everything else would pass US Grammar Police inspection, as far as I can see, and it is available only in North America, so American English seems the logical choice. Clarityfiend (talk) 03:55, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

You can find this use also by (presumably) US speakers, like on Daily Kos, "Tesla put in a 6.5 foot long bed with a lockable and retractable cover which they claim is strong enough to stand on. ... Tesla has said that they'll have a battery-day for investors in the spring, ...".^[2] To become a true Britishism, we'd need to see a plural verb form, as in, "Tesla have stated that ...". --Lambiam 11:19, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, American usage is a little complex. In more "static" things or when the action is more attributable to the company as a whole, a singular verb form is used. But when the construction is more active or would be more easily understood as the actions of multiple people, a plural verb is used. --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 11:40, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

August 6

Weird social phenomenon

Why does a room full of people suddenly go silent at random points in time? TWOrantula^TM (enter the web) 03:57, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Who says so? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:50, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Check it out.. manya (talk) 06:15, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Statistics? Conversations don't go non-stop, and the pauses may just line up at the same time. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:13, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

An angel has passed. --Error (talk) 16:26, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

River (typography). 91.234.214.10 (talk) 17:51, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

User:TrademarkedTWOrantula, you are mixing up multiple phenomenons and confusing it as a single experience. Please see salience, selective auditory attention, sensory memory, crowd psychology, and collective animal behavior. Like you, I have also witnessed the silence of crowds, but there are many different factors and reasons for this, some of which may be random, some of which may not. I would invite you to study this yourself up close and personal in a busy bar, restaurant, or club where the opportunity will present itself. For the most part, there are good explanations for the silences, which often involve a trigger or stimulus that the rest of the crowd will respond to with silence. There's also elements of spontaneous order and self-organization at work. What I've found is that people will often respond to or mimic what others are doing, probably without even thinking about it. This explains how a loud crowd in a restaurant or bar will suddenly go silent for no apparent reason. Viriditas (talk) 23:26, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I recall that forty years ago, people^[who?] were commenting on this phenomenon, and claiming that it always occurred at 20 minutes past or to the hour (but not on the hour).^{[citation needed]}^{, but none given.} Personally, I think it's fractal. See also Apophenia. -- Verbarson ^talk_edits 22:05, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The link provided by manya points to something called the protection postulate, which I vaguely remember hearing about. It is described as a period of time when "humans lapse into silence so that they can listen for danger in the manner of their prehistoric ancestors". Do we have an article on this or should I create one? Viriditas (talk) 22:08, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

filming location

Here is a screenshot from the movie The Verdict with Paul Newman and I would like to know where this location can be found. https://s20.directupload.net/images/240806/hvvl8par.png Many locations in Boston and New York (Brooklyn Heights) have been identified, this one not. I think there's a church in the background. Thank you! --Chris06 (talk) 10:23, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Compile a list of sources

Moved from Wikipedia talk:AutoEd § Compile a list of sources

– Aaron Liu (talk) 18:37, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Category of which I have been trying to get your attention or order for me to be able to get a free license

screensaver and competition enforcement services for business owners with a variety range from a broad country's financial environment Bookkeeping@Damiyo 41.121.25.255 (talk) 17:38, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I have read this four times I and have no idea or understanding of what you are asking for. ColinFine (talk) 22:17, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Can I move this thread a second time? I don't think this is the proper venue for unintelligible word salad. Folly Mox (talk) 22:25, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

While we have no clue what the user who posted this is seeking, they will have no clue what happened to their question and won't see a reply posted here anyway. --Lambiam 09:47, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

A report is being prepared for the coroner

Here's a news report from today's smorgasbord. Dot point 3 says "a report is being prepared for the coroner". I've seen this wording literally thousands of times ("is being prepared" and "will be prepared" are the usual formulations).

I have to wonder why news organisations feel the need to always tell us this. It's obviously a perfectly normal part of the procedure of investigating deaths that occur other than from natural causes. The police who attended the scene may have formed a strong opinion that the cause was suicide, or an accident, or foul play, or whatever. But it's not their call to make any sort of official announcement about the cause. That's the coroner's job. The way these sentences are worded suggests the readers are already aware of coroners and their role in the justice process, so telling us that a report is being prepared seems like one of those cases where "we do it this way because we've always done it this way, and nobody ever questions that, least of all the writers of these news items".

Is there actually any value in these statements? Is this solely an Australian thing? -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 22:31, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I think there's two simple explanations. Firstly, the article you are referring to includes prepared copy that is provided by the authorities, often the investigating agencies, to the media for release. The news agencies then include this copy in their final publications; that's why you see it all the time. In the states, we have similar wording for similar releases. Beyond that, there are other, more significant reasons for the wording. This document from the state government of Indiana indicates how and why law enforcement works with the coroner, and spells out the nature of their relationship and shows how it goes well beyond just the two parties. I think if you look at that document, you'll get the sense that the wording of "a report is being prepared for the coroner" implies this working relationship is occurring and tells the public that due process is being followed. Viriditas (talk) 23:39, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

August 8