Latest revision as of 14:48, 20 November 2025

Template:Short description {{Wikipedia:Reference desk/header|WP:RD/M}}

November 10

Are there sources proving that Torres Strait Islanders are not Aboriginal Australians?

Can you please provide me sources of Torres Strait Islanders being distinct to Aboriginal Australians, if there is. ~2025-32680-48 (talk) 19:08, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

It is, at least to me, not entirely clear what kind of statements these sources should contain. I believe that British people are distinct from Belgians (as a group – some individuals may straddle the fence), but I think you will be hard-pressed to find a source stating this as a fact in a straightforward way. ‑‑Lambiam 21:53, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

I need a source so the latest edit request on Talk:Black people to be implemented. ~2025-32297-74 (talk) 22:13, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

There are certainly sources indicating that e.g. the 2021 Australian census distinguishes between the two, and includes both in the broader grouping 'Indigenous Australians'. [1] See also my response on Talk:Black people. AndyTheGrump (talk) 22:59, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

~2025-32680-48

The International Handbook of the Demography of Race and Ethicity (2015) p. 602 says:

Template:Xt

Alansplodge (talk) 00:17, 13 November 2025 (UTC)

"Distinct" in what sense? Legally? Culturally? Genetically? Something else? How would it be measured? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:43, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

November 16

Remastering audio from a Shirley Temple movie?

How did this dude pull it off prior to the likes of machine learning and gen-AI becoming mainstream (the video was published in 2019)? It's not like they had access to something akin to the MAL model in "Now and Then" which removed the mains noise from Lennon's recording, yet it sounded at least vaguely like someone brought Shirley to a modern recording studio and let her have it. Blake Gripling (talk) 01:51, 16 November 2025 (UTC)

The art of digital remastering precedes the use of generative AI for such purposes. For the approach that may have been used, see the version of Remaster § Music as it was at the time the video clip was posted. I do not know how its audio quality compares to that of the song on the 2009 DVD of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. ‑‑Lambiam 09:31, 16 November 2025 (UTC)

Photography prevention?

File:Fernand Léger, 1910, Nudes in the forest (Nus dans la forêt), oil on canvas, 120 x 170 cm, Kröller-Müller Museum.jpg

Fernand Léger, Nudes in the forest (1910), Kröller-Müller Museum

This image of Léger's painting is used in three articles and has made its way elsewhere on the internet. It originated with a commons upload in 2015. But, the painting may not appear like this at all. In most books and printed literature it has earth tones.[2] Curious, I went on a virtual tour of the museum on YouTube. I noticed that the gallery containing this painting has an unusual bluish light and color cast, both on the walls of the room and possibly coming from the lighting itself. Is this a way for them to discourage photography (and flash), such that any photo taken of the painting will look quite different from the actual work? Viriditas (talk) 20:37, 16 November 2025 (UTC)

If anything, such a strategy would encourage the use of flash, as a flash user would be bringing their own light, with its own controlled color temperature and spectrum.

Of course, the tools to digitally correct color are so widely available that there would be little point to trying to obfuscate an image in this way. And I would be very surprised to see an art museum that deliberately chose to distort the appearance of a work that way—curators tend to be very hot on respecting the integrity of the artist's work and vision.

Seems more likely that the illumination in that space happened to have a slightly different color balance for non-malicious, non-strategic reasons. Though it's hard to provide a reference to support that answer; I doubt that the museum's curator has gone on the record to say "No, we're not doing anything weird with our lights." TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:39, 16 November 2025 (UTC)

One more thought just came to mind. Is it possible that the piece has yellowed somewhat over the last century-plus, and the bluer-blue whiter-white version is an attempt to more closely reflect the original colors of the work? TenOfAllTrades(talk) 22:05, 16 November 2025 (UTC)

I'm not sure, but I recall reading older reviews that mentioned the earth tones. Also, most museums do a restore after some time. I would be very surprised if this painting hasn't been restored since the 1970s. Viriditas (talk) 23:50, 16 November 2025 (UTC)

I've been to the Kröller-Müller Museum on a number of occasions (including two school excursions; I think everybody in the Netherlands has been there at least once on a school excursion), although I don't remember seeing this painting. I seem to remember that many rooms in this museum are lit primarily by daylight, either through big windows or skylights with milkglass. The continuous spectrum of daylight gives a better colour rendering index than any kind of artificial light. This means that lighting conditions change with cloud cover and the height of the sun. Human eyes adapt easily, but this may throw off the white balance of a camera. PiusImpavidus (talk) 10:43, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

That's super interesting. I wonder if that explains the cool green-blue tones. Viriditas (talk) 22:18, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

The version uploaded to the Commons is a scaled-down version of what the website of the Kröller-Müller museum had at the time; the current museum version is markedly different. They can be compared here: comparison, the Commons version on top and the current museum version, scaled to the same size, below.

The hues and brightness of versions found on the Web are all over the place, but those that appear to be photos of reproductions tend to be brighter and have more earth colours. I found an outlier in size and clarity on Facebook, which can be seen here. I could not find its provenance, but this can hardly be the result of sprucing up the gloomy low-contrast image at the museum site. I guess someone needs to get to the museum to see the actual colours. ‑‑Lambiam 11:30, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

Are you familiar with Yellow Milkmaid Syndrome? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:45, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

Vaguely. I first became aware of a similar issue in the domain of music in the mid-1980s. Without mentioning any names, I used to frequent a record store in the Bay Area which, if you got to know the people working there, trafficked in underground bootlegs. That's when the first problem occurred to me. In many cases, you had these terrible recordings of famous bands floating around when the bands themselves had soundboard-quality reproductions that they couldn't or wouldn't release. Viriditas (talk) 21:04, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

November 17

Mystery structure in a Welsh field

File:Concrete stand overlooking the Loughor valley - geograph.org.uk - 552694.jpg

Concrete stand overlooking the Loughor valley

Can we identify what this is, and its purpose? It's at Template:Coord.

I thought it might cap a mine- or ventilation shaft, but I can't see anything on old Ordnance Survey maps, and I have only just added it as a generic "building:yes" to OpenStreetMap. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:42, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

Sometimes random concrete blocks are remnants of wartime defences, but there's nothing on the Extended Defence of Britain Database which is pretty comprehrensive (but there is a Type 24 pillbox a couple of miles south of there). Alansplodge (talk) 18:31, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

There is a recent gas pipeline nearby (there is a view of its construction in the "nearby" on Geograph, where the picture came from), perhaps something to do with that. DuncanHill (talk) 19:04, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

A search for similar images brings up mostly WWII military installations. But they all either have small openings or show signs that something used to be mounted on top. The few images that don't fit that pattern include a mine building, a milk churn stand and an old water tank with the last looking the most similar. Long is the way (talk) 07:55, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

The thing appears to be located at a local maximum in terrain elevation. If this is to cap a shaft, the shaft would have been shorter (and presumably easier to construct and cheaper) if they had moved it a short distance in any direction. A maximum in elevation could be convenient for a liquid storage tank, as one can use gravity to move liquid from there to anywhere (but it's harder to fill). The good view from there and limited soil movement (no downhill direction at a local maximum) make it useful as a reference point for the Ordnance Survey (one could put a big theodolite on it), but would it not be indicated on the Ordnance Survey map then? There's also the option of something unfinished. It doesn't look very recent, mid 20th century is plausible. The top layer may be more recent and could be hiding bolts or other attachment points.

The thing appears too small for a pillbox. PiusImpavidus (talk) 11:30, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

There seems to be an irregular ring of smallish stones around the construction. This prompts me to wonder if the 'box' might have been placed to protect something of possible archaeological interest pending later excavation (for which funding might not have materialised). Its lack of presence on OS maps argues against this, unless it was only identified in the mid-20th century, if not later, and immediately covered over. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} ~2025-31359-08 (talk) 14:39, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

That very land appears to be for sale, though I cannot identify the object in any of the estate agent's pictures. They might answer a query on the matter?

Given it is on a high point of sorts, I wondered if it was intended as the base of an aerial? -- Verbarson ^talk_edits 16:08, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

We could buy it and have a RefDesks country break! DuncanHill (talk) 18:22, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

Where'd you go for the weekend?

Oh, we had a lovely time sitting on the wet grass around a weird concrete block in a Welsh field.

Sounds wonderful. Count me in next time. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 16:48, 19 November 2025 (UTC)

Milk churn stands are generally next to roads, they were placed so that the churns could be quickly transferred to a lorry doing its rounds; but this is nowhere near a road. A water tank seems more likely. Alansplodge (talk) 13:37, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

Perhaps a herd of sheep were killed by a stray bomb? -- Verbarson ^talk_edits 14:48, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

November 18

Villanov?

In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1st ed., vol. 10, p. 108 entry on Nikolai Klenovsky: "[...] and it was in fact to Klenovsky that Vsevolozhsky (director of the imperial theatres) first offered The Queen of Spades as a subject for an opera; only when he failed to make any progress with the idea was the libretto passed first to Villanov and finally to Tchaikovsky." Here it mentions a composer named Villanov. There doesn't seem to be anyone named Villanov, so who is this? Check it out for yourself here (you need to borrow it). WafflesInvasion (talk) 11:18, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

This page (not the photograph) seems to be about him, well, google-translate mentions the Queen of Spades, so yeah. You could use the cyrillic Александр Александрович Вилламов to find more about him. --Wrongfilter (talk) 11:46, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

Seems like the case, Villanov might be a typo. Russian Wikipedia for Queen of Spades mentions a "А. А. Вилламов." WafflesInvasion (talk) 11:55, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

(ec) John Warrack's Tchaikovsky (1973) says:

• … Kandaurov sent his material to another minor composer, known chiefly as the writer of little salon pieces, A. A. Villanov. ("Travels and the Break", p. 235)

Tchaikovsky Research: Queen of Spades was more useful:

• The only established fact is that towards the end of 1886, Kandaurov offered his scenario to a Petersburg socialite composer Aleksandr Villamov (1838-1917).

It goes on to provide more detail of the dealings between these people.

But note the spelling difference: Tchaikovsky Research has VillaMov, not VillaNov. This seems correct, as The Lieder Net Archive has an entry for a composer named Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Villamov, who set various texts to music as songs. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 11:53, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

I guess the Grove dictionary entry above used a source like Warrack's. WafflesInvasion (talk) 11:58, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

November 20

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-= May 18 =
+= November 10 =
-== [[:n:Trainmen_and_engineers_go_on_statewide_strike_in_New_Jersey,_first_time_in_42_years]] ==
-Requesting assistance with copyright. Is it acceptable to keep 2-3 sentences quote from external sources. (if not, you can edit and reword it)  For a few years I have been at the site and collaborating, I have not understood what is a "safe" amount of quotes to shove on a page. Would appreciate a fresh cross-wiki perspective. Thanks. [[User:Gryllida|Gryllida]] ([[User talk:Gryllida|talk]], [[Special:EmailUser/Gryllida|e-mail]]) 12:30, 18 May 2025 (UTC)
-:IMO, quoting several sentences verbatim from someone's public speech is less problematic than an extended quotation from a written work. Such quotations often need to several sentences to ensure the core message can be understood in its proper context, and any paraphrasing of spoken text needs to be done with extra care. [[Press statement]]s and similar are even issued in the hope their content will be faithfully copied and their message thereby spread further. &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 19:22, 18 May 2025 (UTC)
-::The Wikipedia rules on this are at [[Wikipedia:Quotations]]. To quote that page:
-::{{xt|...quoting a brief excerpt from an original source can sometimes explain things better and less controversially than trying to explain them in one's own words.}}
-::[[User:Alansplodge|Alansplodge]] ([[User talk:Alansplodge|talk]]) 21:51, 18 May 2025 (UTC)
-= May 19 =
-== Explain on Print Encyclopedias ==
-Why are there only few print encyclopedias being published today? And why isn’t Wikipedia making official and real print copies anytime soon? What is the purpose if they are going all digital? [[Special:Contributions/107.115.29.138|107.115.29.138]] ([[User talk:107.115.29.138|talk]]) 19:10, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
-:Print media is right up-to-date the moment the contributors stop contributing and the editors stop editing. The manuscript then goes to the printers, and after printing in each language desired, the bulky, resource-intensive printed media is physically shipped hundreds and thousands of miles to warehouses. There, the bulk packages of books are broken down into smaller batches for distribution to wholesalers. After the books arrive at the wholesalers' warehouses, they they are distributed (usually by truck) to retailers. Once the books are on the retail shelves, customers -- some of whom may have pre-ordered, but most of whom will only see the edition after it is on the shelves -- purchase the book. It is then taken home (or to a library; adding additional delay) for use. This process takes months, during which time there is no updating. If one is lucky, the edition being consulted is only a year or so out-of-date. As for Wikipedia, the charm and beauty of it is that the last time the contributors stopped contributing and the editors stopped editing -- about five seconds ago -- is possibly the point at which it begins to go out-of-date. That process, however, stops when the next contributor / editor makes a change. [[User:DOR (HK)|DOR (ex-HK)]] ([[User talk:DOR (HK)|talk]]) 22:23, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
-::More information about this print encyclopedia? [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9|2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9]] ([[User talk:2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9|talk]]) 05:31, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:Reading [[Print Wikipedia|this]] thoroughly may help explain why Wikipedia isn't printed.  More [[Wikipedia:Size of Wikipedia|info on size]] here.  And [[Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team|some ancient history]] relating to producing a version that could be printed.  Btw, there was once a facility for producing [[Wikipedia:Books|books of Wikipedia articles]] that could be printed.  That can still be done manually, with printing through specialized third parties, I believe -- but I've never had any interest in trying it.  -- [[User:Avocado|Avocado]] ([[User talk:Avocado|talk]]) 12:44, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-== Farret's Head, Scotland ==
-In a book on [[mental calculators]], I read that [[George Parker Bidder]] as a young boy was asked by [[Queen Charlotte]]: "How many days would a Snail be creeping, at the rate of 8 feet per day, from the [[Land's End]], in Cornwall, to Ferret's Head, in Scotland, the distance by admeasurement being 838 miles?" (He immediately gave the correct answer of 553,080).
-I tried looking up "Ferret's Head", but I couldn't find any such named location in Scotland. I would assume it is another name for [[John o' Groats]] or perhaps [[Duncansby Head]], and indeed the shortest route by car from [[Land's End to John o' Groats]] is 838 miles. Is anyone aware of such a location in Scotland named Ferret's Head? [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 19:29, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
-:After some further digging on the topic, I found that [https://web.archive.org/web/20220125012411/https://lionlocomotive.org.uk/lionsheart/LH10.pdf#page=4 some sources] actually spell it as "Farret's Head", but I still can't find any such place. [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 19:53, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
-::Possibly an egregious misreading of [[Dunnet Head]], or a mishearing / alternative spelling of [[Faraid Head]], or a confusion with Farr Point (no article)?
-::[Edited to add] I favour Faraid Head myself. Depending on the source of the anecdote, it's possible that someone (perhaps unfamiliar with this remote Scottish location) misunderstood Queen Charlotte's strong German accent. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} [[Special:Contributions/94.1.170.37|94.1.170.37]] ([[User talk:94.1.170.37|talk]]) 23:04, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::Yes, Faraid Head sounds best, though seems to me a rather unremarkable location to be used in such a question. Makes one wonder what's so interesting about it that Queen Charlotte would know that the distance to it is 838 miles. Also, just curious, how did you know all these places? [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 04:56, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::::Being an elderly Brit (who lived in Scotland for a while), I have general familiarity with the UK's geography, and I have various atlases and maps to hand. I just looked along the North Scottish coast for points and headlands with possibly relevant names. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} [[Special:Contributions/94.1.170.37|94.1.170.37]] ([[User talk:94.1.170.37|talk]]) 13:26, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-::::Presumably, some published list of trivia that Charlotte had at her disposal contained an item like, "the longest distance between any two points on the island of Great Britain is between A and B, having been admeasured to be X miles". (Google Maps gives a walking distance of 804 miles.<sup>[https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Sennen,+United+Kingdom/58.603333,-4.775833/@54.3757284,-8.5348052,5z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x486ab84463e35c33:0x37e8d8c886a5ad5c!2m2!1d-5.6927695!2d50.0744458!1m0!3e2?hl=en]</sup>) &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 07:19, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::::For instance, in [https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_a-new-and-accurate-descr_paterson-daniel_1771/page/n105/mode/1up?q=%22838+miles%22 A new and accurate description of all the direct and principal cross roads in Great Britain (Paterson, 1771)] is written {{tq|From the Land's End in Cornwall to Farout Head, the neareſt way, (viz. by Briſtol, Carliſle, Edinburgh and Inverneſs,) is 838 miles.}} This information is repeated six years later in [https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_owens-book-of-roads-or_owen-w-william_1777/mode/2up?q=%22838+miles%22 Owen's book of roads], which looks suspiciously like Paterson's book of roads, but in pocket format. [[User:Card_Zero|<span style=" background-color:#fffff0; border:1px #995; border-style:dotted solid solid dotted;">&nbsp;Card&nbsp;Zero&nbsp;</span>]]&nbsp;[[User_talk:Card_Zero|(talk)]] 19:03, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
-::::I just found that there actually is something remarkable about Faraid Head: The line from [[Mull of Galloway]], the southernmost point of Scotland, and Faraid Head runs almost perfectly north to south (with a [[heading (navigation)|heading]] of only around 0.49 degrees), which makes it the longest line due north and south one could draw on a map of Scotland, at least according to [https://books.google.com/books?id=0aIxAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA11 this source]. [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 06:00, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::Looking at some older maps of Scotland from the [[National Library of Scotland]]'s website ([https://maps.nls.uk/countries/scotland/ listed here]), Faraid Head has also been labelled as [https://maps.nls.uk/view/216441725 "Farout Hd."] or [https://maps.nls.uk/view/142842111 "Farrid Hd."], or [https://maps.nls.uk/view/216441308 "Fair Aird"], or possibly [https://maps.nls.uk/view/00000470 "Mills Farritt"]. This makes the ID more convincing. [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 18:40, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:It looks like the speed of 8 feet per day was chosen to make the calculation easier and the distance of 838 miles (with the repeating digit 8) and the number of feet per furlong (with the repeating digit 6) also helps:
-:<math>\frac{838\,\mathrm{miles}\times 8\frac{\mathrm{furlongs}}{\mathrm{mile}}\times 660\frac{\mathrm{feet}}{\mathrm{furlong}}}{8\frac{\mathrm{feet}}{\mathrm{day}}}=838\times660\,\mathrm{days}=(11110\times(8\times6)+1100\times(3\times6))\,\mathrm{days}=553080\,\mathrm{days}</math>
-:There are only two multiplications, then some shift operations and addition of six numbers, each of which have only two non-zero digits. Although still impressive, not as impressive as it appears on first sight. Now I wonder, was this coincidence, was the queen a hobby mathematician who knew the tricks or is the story apocryphal? 8 feet per day is slow for a snail; most can cover that distance in less than half an hour. The number 838 could also be tuned. I doubt the distance was know to single mile accuracy and is was probably calculated by summing the lengths of many segments, with some intermediate rounding. [[User:PiusImpavidus|PiusImpavidus]] ([[User talk:PiusImpavidus|talk]]) 09:35, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-::Charlotte "assembl[ed] a significant library containing volumes on all kinds of intellectual pursuits, she collected natural history specimens and scientific instruments, and employed, funded or corresponded with both male and female scientists, often by means of intermediaries". See {{cite journal|last=Hansen|first=Mascha|date=6 July 2022|title=Queen Charlotte's scientific collections and natural history networks|journal=Notes and Records|publisher=The Royal Society|volume=77|issue=2|pages=323–336|doi=10.1098/rsnr.2021.0070|url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsnr.2021.0070}}. [[User:DuncanHill|DuncanHill]] ([[User talk:DuncanHill|talk]]) 09:48, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-::I do not think one would intentionally make the calculation easier when examining the abilities of a renowned calculating prodigy. I would think she'd ask harder questions to see the extent of his calculating prowess. [[User:Dreykop|Dreykop]] ([[User talk:Dreykop|talk]]) 18:45, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::Maybe because she needed to calculate the answer before asking the question, so that she would know if he got it right or not. [[User:Alansplodge|Alansplodge]] ([[User talk:Alansplodge|talk]]) 13:04, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
-::::It's like the traditional "Your train leaves Euston at 08.24 and runs north at an average speed of 63 mph. Another train leaves Edinburgh at 10.01 and runs south at 73 mph. Where do they pass each other?" question. You dress up arithmetic in a "realish world" problem to see if your <s>victim</s> examinee can extract the relevant information. Euston, Edinburgh, Land's End, and Ferret Head are all irrelevant. [[User:DuncanHill|DuncanHill]] ([[User talk:DuncanHill|talk]]) 21:02, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::::I was going to suggest this is a trick question, because Edinburgh is on the East Coast Main Line (London Terminus King's Cross), while Euston serves the West Coast Main Line to Glasgow, so the trains ''don't'' pass each other. However, while this was once true, I find on checking that there are now direct services from Euston to Edinburgh. {The poster formerly knowna s 87.81.230.195} [[Special:Contributions/90.193.154.147|90.193.154.147]] ([[User talk:90.193.154.147|talk]]) 13:46, 23 May 2025 (UTC)
-== selling car with above-water loan ==
-Car is worth about $15K, outstanding loan is about $7K, owner is too cash-poor (and in other debt) to simply pay off the loan to get the title and sell the car.  Is there a straightforward way to deal with that through the loan servicer?  Find buyer and get some kind of document where the buyer pays the loan servicer and the seller?  I have to think this is a standard type of transaction.  I'm not the seller but just discussed it with her and am puzzled by the situation.  Thanks. [[Special:Contributions/2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9|2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9]] ([[User talk:2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9|talk]]) 22:20, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
-:Sell the car for the best price, then pay off the remainder of the debt. [[User:DOR (HK)|DOR (ex-HK)]] ([[User talk:DOR (HK)|talk]]) 22:26, 19 May 2025 (UTC)
-::You can't sell the car without the title (official document saying you own the car), which is held by the loan servicer til the loan is paid off.  This has to be a very common situation with a standard way to do the necessary juggling, something like escrow for a house sale.  That's what I'm asking about.  [[Special:Contributions/2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9|2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9]] ([[User talk:2601:644:8581:75B0:8F01:9261:FCD:4BB9|talk]]) 00:25, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:Essential information for respondents: OP is based in the US (California). &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 06:40, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:Here is a webpage on dealing with this issue: [https://www.lendingtree.com/auto/how-to-sell-a-car-when-you-still-have-a-loan/]. Some companies will buy a car with an outstanding loan; e.g. [https://www.carvana.com/sell-my-car], [https://www.autonation.com/sell-my-car]. For selling to a private party, perhaps some of the answers given [https://www.reddit.com/r/askcarsales/comments/r9scjr/how_do_i_sell_a_car_to_a_private_party_buyer_if_i/ here] are also helpful. &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 06:56, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-Thanks everyone.  The Reddit thread that Lambiam link helps a bit.  [[Special:Contributions/2601:644:8581:75B0:76FA:C1BF:94F4:EDF3|2601:644:8581:75B0:76FA:C1BF:94F4:EDF3]] ([[User talk:2601:644:8581:75B0:76FA:C1BF:94F4:EDF3|talk]]) 02:00, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
-= May 20 =
-== Shopping malls opened in recent years ==
-If you look at the categories of years shopping malls established, why are there very few malls opened and established in United States as of 2010s and 2020s, compared to Asia, where it opened in large numbers? Why is this a case? And why do malls in USA due so quickly while the other malls outside United States are much better thriving? Please use a mindset again please. [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9|2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9]] ([[User talk:2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9|talk]]) 05:35, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:What's the statistical basis for your premise? ←[[User:Baseball Bugs|Baseball Bugs]] <sup>''[[User talk:Baseball Bugs|What's up, Doc?]]''</sup> [[Special:Contributions/Baseball_Bugs|carrots]]→ 05:41, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-::The number of shopping malls in United States, compared to Asia. Also the malls are commonly seen opened in Asia and Europe other than United States. See it here: [[:Category:Shopping malls established in the 2020s|as of 2020s]] [[Special:Contributions/2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9|2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9]] ([[User talk:2600:387:F:4B16:0:0:0:9|talk]]) 07:35, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::No new malls have opened in England for at least ten years, and those we have are struggling to stay afloat. [[User:Shantavira|Shantavira]]|[[User talk:Shantavira|<sup>feed me</sup>]] 08:57, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::The categories of shopping centres/malls by year only lists shopping centres that have an article and have been categorised by year, which means the the authors of the article know the opening year and took the trouble of adding the right category. That makes the list far from complete. The shopping centre I grew up with, on the outskirts of a provincial town in Western Europe, has no article. Only if you know the biases in the list, you can use it for any statistics. [[User:PiusImpavidus|PiusImpavidus]] ([[User talk:PiusImpavidus|talk]]) 09:57, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::The USA pioneered [[Shopping mall|shopping malls]], so will have begun to approach its 'saturation level' (where enough are present and suitable sites have mostly been used) earlier than other countries. Further 'mall demand' will largely be driven only by the country's population (and prosperity) increase, but latterly this will have been countered by the steep rise in [[E-commerce#Impacts|online purchases]] for home delivery, [[Retail apocalypse|reducing the need]] for '[[Brick and mortar|bricks and mortar]]' shopping facilities. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} [[Special:Contributions/94.1.170.37|94.1.170.37]] ([[User talk:94.1.170.37|talk]]) 13:45, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:Using North Kansas City as an anecdote: [[Metro North Mall]] was a very popular shopping mall. The owner wanted to increase profits. So, the owner kept increasing rent and fees on the businesses until they were ready to leave the mall. While that took place, the owners purchased land a few miles away and began construction on an outdoor mall called [[Zona Rosa (Kansas City, Missouri)|Zona Rosa]]. In other words, Metro Norh is a mall where shoppers are indoors the whole time and Zona Rosa is a mall where shoppers go outside to go from store to store. The owners realized that the rent and fees for a store with external walls and doors all around is significantly higher than the rent and fees for a small parcel inside an indoor mall. Most of the clients in the indoor mall quickly moved to the outdoor mall, leaving the indoor mall abandoned. Now, the original indoor mall has been demolished. The point of this anecdote is that it isn't that the public prefers to walk around outside in Kansas City's blistering summer heat and brutal winter freezes when shopping. It is that the mall owner wants more money and gets more money with an outdoor mall. So, it is expected that there will be less indoor malls for new construction while outdoor malls (not included in the mall counts) are increasing. [[Special:Contributions/68.187.174.155|68.187.174.155]] ([[User talk:68.187.174.155|talk]]) 14:08, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::Maybe the need for shopping malls has already been fulfilled in the US, or aybe online shopping is having an effect? [[User:Alansplodge|Alansplodge]] ([[User talk:Alansplodge|talk]]) 13:07, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
+== Are there sources proving that [[Torres Strait Islanders]] are not [[Aboriginal Australians]]? ==
-:::::<small>Did you bother to read my reply (and links) above, posted nearly 24 hours before yours? :-) {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} [[Special:Contributions/94.1.170.37|94.1.170.37]] ([[User talk:94.1.170.37|talk]]) 19:23, 21 May 2025 (UTC)</small>
-::::It isn't just quantity as well. Consider the [[Jumbo shopping centre]] in Vantaa, Finland. 86,100 square meters with 119 shops. Sticking to the Nordic area, consider the Nerstranda mall in Tromso, Norway. 12,000 square meters with 30 shops. Both count as malls, but they are not equal. It will get very complicated very quickly to accurately identify how much mall space and how many stores are opening and closing rather than rounding everythign up to a unit of one mall. [[Special:Contributions/68.187.174.155|68.187.174.155]] ([[User talk:68.187.174.155|talk]]) 18:48, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
+Can you please provide me sources of Torres Strait Islanders being distinct to Aboriginal Australians, if there is. [[Special:Contributions/&#126;2025-32680-48|&#126;2025-32680-48]] ([[User talk:&#126;2025-32680-48|talk]]) 19:08, 10 November 2025 (UTC)
-:Malls are an endangered species. The numbers of their preferred prey, the brick-and-mortar shopper (''Consumerus pedestriani''), are declining (curse you Amazon). The mighty herds of yore are no more. According to Capital One Shopping's [https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/mall-closure-statistics/ Mall Closure Statistics], projections indicate the US's estimated 1200 malls (2025) may be down to 900 by 2028, "the number of malls declined 16.7% per year from 2017 to 2022" and that "up to 87% of large shopping malls may close over 10 years". [[User:Clarityfiend|Clarityfiend]] ([[User talk:Clarityfiend|talk]]) 20:50, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
+:It is, at least to me, not entirely clear what kind of statements these sources should contain. I believe that [[British people]] are distinct from [[Belgians]] (as a group – some individuals may straddle the fence), but I think you will be hard-pressed to find a source stating this as a fact in a straightforward way. &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 21:53, 10 November 2025 (UTC)
-:[[List of largest shopping malls in the United States]] says the 2nd largest is [[American Dream Meadowlands]] which opened 2019 (the same Meadowlands the New York NFL teams play in). [[User:Sagittarian Milky Way|Sagittarian Milky Way]] ([[User talk:Sagittarian Milky Way|talk]]) 16:47, 29 May 2025 (UTC)
+::I need a source so the latest edit request on [[Talk:Black people]] to be implemented. [[Special:Contributions/&#126;2025-32297-74|&#126;2025-32297-74]] ([[User talk:&#126;2025-32297-74|talk]]) 22:13, 10 November 2025 (UTC)
-::I know of Meadowlands as a racetrack.   I thought it might be a [[Triple Crown]] venue, and indeed it is, but [[Belmont Park|not the one I was thinking of]]. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:C7C:F338:A200:D8ED:5DF:9E42:F|2A02:C7C:F338:A200:D8ED:5DF:9E42:F]] ([[User talk:2A02:C7C:F338:A200:D8ED:5DF:9E42:F|talk]]) 11:34, 30 May 2025 (UTC)
+:::There are certainly sources indicating that e.g. the 2021 Australian census distinguishes between the two, and includes both in the broader grouping 'Indigenous Australians'. [https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/IQS315011402] See also my response on Talk:Black people. [[User:AndyTheGrump|AndyTheGrump]] ([[User talk:AndyTheGrump|talk]]) 22:59, 10 November 2025 (UTC)
-= May 21 =
+::::[[Special:Contributions/&#126;2025-32680-48|&#126;2025-32680-48]]
+::::[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_International_Handbook_of_the_Demogr/v_bLCQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Torres+Strait+Islanders+ethnicity&pg=PA602&printsec=frontcover ''The International Handbook of the Demography of Race and Ethicity'' (2015) p. 602] says:
+::::{{xt|Australia has two broad Indigenous population categories: Aboriginal peoples are those who share biological ancestry back to the original occupants of the continent and Torres Strait Islander peoples are those whose Melanesian roots are traced to the archipelago between the Australian mainland and Papua New Guinea.}}
+::::[[User:Alansplodge|Alansplodge]] ([[User talk:Alansplodge|talk]]) 00:17, 13 November 2025 (UTC)
+:"Distinct" in what sense? Legally? Culturally? Genetically? Something else? How would it be measured? <span class="vcard"><span class="fn">[[User:Pigsonthewing|Andy Mabbett]]</span> (<span class="nickname">Pigsonthewing</span>); [[User talk:Pigsonthewing|Talk to Andy]]; [[Special:Contributions/Pigsonthewing|Andy's edits]]</span> 16:43, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
-== How come there is no Wikipedia article on the Auckland metropolitan area in New Zealand? ==
+= November 16 =
-How come there is no Wikipedia article on the Auckland metropolitan area in New Zealand? [[Special:Contributions/2001:569:5022:4400:FDB9:FFA9:1F62:BD0|2001:569:5022:4400:FDB9:FFA9:1F62:BD0]] ([[User talk:2001:569:5022:4400:FDB9:FFA9:1F62:BD0|talk]]) 04:10, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
+== Remastering audio from a [[Shirley Temple]] movie? ==
-: Nobody has written it yet. Our 8-odd million articles cover a lot of ground, but there'll always be more stuff that needs being written about. In most of those cases, there'll be someone who says "How come this wasn't written X years ago?". Things happen when they happen, surprisingly enough. This is all done by unpaid volunteers, remember. -- [[User:JackofOz|<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">Jack of Oz</span>]] [[User talk:JackofOz#top|<span style="font-size:85%; font-family: Verdana;"><sup>[pleasantries]</sup></span>]] 04:34, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
+How did this dude [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znn9rI2KR7s pull it off] prior to the likes of machine learning and gen-AI becoming mainstream (the video was published in 2019)? It's not like they had access to something akin to the MAL model in "[[Now and Then (Beatles song)|Now and Then]]" which removed the mains noise from Lennon's recording, yet it sounded at least vaguely like someone brought Shirley to a modern recording studio and let her have it. [[User:Blakegripling ph|Blake Gripling]] ([[User talk:Blakegripling ph|talk]]) 01:51, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
-:[[Auckland]] is about the urban area, and also includes some data for the Auckland Functional urban area, which is larger and which it calls Metro. [[Auckland Region]] is about a much larger area but only a modest additional population. [[Auckland CBD]] covers the commercial centre of the city. [[Auckland City]] covers the local body area prior to 2010. [[Auckland isthmus]] covers the same area as Auckland City excluding Hauraki Gulf islands. How does your idea of the Auckland metropolitan area differ from all of these?-[[User:Gadfium|Gadfium]] ([[User talk:Gadfium|talk]]) 05:47, 21 May 2025 (UTC)
-= May 22 =
+:The art of digital remastering precedes the use of generative AI for such purposes. For the approach that may have been used, see the version of [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Remaster&oldidt3423299#Music Remaster § Music] as it was at the time the video clip was posted. I do not know how its audio quality compares to that of the song on the 2009 DVD of ''[[Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938 film)|Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm]]''. &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 09:31, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
-== Website for automatically generating Wikitext citations ==
+== Photography prevention? ==
-I used to use the website https://citer.toolforge.org/citer.fcgi? for generating citations when writing Wikipedia articles. However, it appears that that website is now unavailable. It was a particularly good one. Does anyone know of any similar site that automatically generates Wikipedia text citations? [[User:Cerebrality|Cerebrality]] ([[User talk:Cerebrality|talk]]) 01:04, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
+[[File:Fernand Léger, 1910, Nudes in the forest (Nus dans la forêt), oil on canvas, 120 x 170 cm, Kröller-Müller Museum.jpg|thumb|[[Fernand Léger]], ''Nudes in the forest'' (1910), [[Kröller-Müller Museum]]]]
-:That URL still works for me... [[User:Rojomoke|Rojomoke]] ([[User talk:Rojomoke|talk]]) 04:46, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
+This image of Léger's painting is used in three articles and has made its way elsewhere on the internet.  It originated with a commons upload in 2015.  But, the painting may not appear like this at all.  In most books and printed literature it has earth tones.[https://krollermuller.nl/en/fernand-leger-nude-figures-in-a-wood-1]  Curious, I went on a virtual tour of the museum on YouTube. I noticed that the gallery containing this painting has an unusual bluish light and color cast, both on the walls of the room and possibly coming from the lighting itself.  Is this a way for them to discourage photography (and flash), such that any photo taken of the painting will look quite different from the actual work? [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 20:37, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
-::Its back online for me now, too. Thank you. [[User:Cerebrality|Cerebrality]] ([[User talk:Cerebrality|talk]]) 07:46, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
-== Advanced neurosurgical techniques ==
+:If anything, such a strategy would ''encourage'' the use of flash, as a flash user would be bringing their own light, with its own controlled color temperature and spectrum.
+:Of course, the tools to digitally correct color are so widely available that there would be little point to trying to obfuscate an image in this way. And I would be very surprised to see an art museum that ''deliberately'' chose to distort the appearance of a work that way&mdash;curators tend to be very hot on respecting the integrity of the artist's work and vision.
+:Seems more likely that the illumination in that space happened to have a slightly different color balance for non-malicious, non-strategic reasons. Though it's hard to provide a reference to support that answer; I doubt that the museum's curator has gone on the record to say "No, we're ''not'' doing anything weird with our lights." [[User:TenOfAllTrades|TenOfAllTrades]]([[User_talk:TenOfAllTrades|talk]]) 21:39, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
-As any fan of cartoons or screwball comedies can tell you, the leading cause of amnesia is a clonk on the head and the best method ''curing it'' is a second clonk. What medical pioneer developed this technique? I'm sure it was old when Mr Howell tried it on the Skipper in [[Gilligan's_Island_season_1#Episodes|1965]] with a coconut. [[User:Matt Deres|Matt Deres]] ([[User talk:Matt Deres|talk]]) 01:49, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
+:One more thought just came to mind. Is it possible that the piece has yellowed somewhat over the last century-plus, and the bluer-blue whiter-white version is an attempt to more closely reflect the original colors of the work? [[User:TenOfAllTrades|TenOfAllTrades]]([[User_talk:TenOfAllTrades|talk]]) 22:05, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
-: I would guess that information is lost to time. [[Trepanning]] was done 10,000 years ago and that's a bit more advanced than a clonk on the head with a coconut. [[Special:Contributions/196.50.199.218|196.50.199.218]] ([[User talk:196.50.199.218|talk]]) 04:52, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
+::I'm not sure, but I recall reading older reviews that mentioned the earth tones. Also, most museums do a restore after some time.  I would be very surprised if this painting hasn't been restored since the 1970s. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 23:50, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
-:: <small>Dropped, no doubt, by an overladen African swallow on its way to England. [[User:Clarityfiend|Clarityfiend]] ([[User talk:Clarityfiend|talk]]) 05:11, 22 May 2025 (UTC)</small>
+:::I've been to the Kröller-Müller Museum on a number of occasions (including two school excursions; I think everybody in the Netherlands has been there at least once on a school excursion), although I don't remember seeing this painting. I seem to remember that many rooms in this museum are lit primarily by daylight, either through big windows or skylights with milkglass. The continuous spectrum of daylight gives a better colour rendering index than any kind of artificial light. This means that lighting conditions change with cloud cover and the height of the sun. Human eyes adapt easily, but this may throw off the white balance of a camera. [[User:PiusImpavidus|PiusImpavidus]] ([[User talk:PiusImpavidus|talk]]) 10:43, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
-:::<small>How do you know these things? Are you a king?--[[User:Khajidha]] ([[User talk:Khajidha|talk]]) ([[Special:Contributions/Khajidha|contributions]]) 11:46, 22 May 2025 (UTC)</small>
+::::That's super interesting.  I wonder if that explains the cool green-blue tones. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 22:18, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
-::::<small><small>I can't resist summarizing this TV commercial I once saw:
+:The version uploaded to the Commons is a scaled-down version of what the website of the Kröller-Müller museum [https://web.archive.org/web/20190106055204/https://krollermuller.nl/en/fernand-leger-nude-figures-in-a-wood-1 had at the time]; [https://krollermuller.nl/en/fernand-leger-nude-figures-in-a-wood-1 the current museum version] is markedly different. They can be compared here: [https://ibb.co/spZ9kjrr <u>comparison</u>], the Commons version on top and the current museum version, scaled to the same size, below.
-:::::
+:The hues and brightness of versions found on the Web are all over the place, but those that appear to be photos of reproductions tend to be brighter and have more earth colours. I found an outlier in size and clarity on Facebook, which can be seen [https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/506466070_2536268010055341_3395517142613165776_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=aa7b47&_nc_ohc=tX1jM0IiyncQ7kNvwGnGMeq&_nc_oc=AdkbrxOJ1PefDm34l6fISfpe3rYqMSD_3AzJQec1VoF6lsPPox6fn2UfOHhfs1vCFlI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&_nc_gid=3iJVbMNp-ly83jRM8TUPSA&oh=00_AfhpBsiorxD1uXFwl5aCWDWbMRu7S823YUlUZlpzC787HQ&oe=6920D219 <u>here</u>]. I could not find its provenance, but this can hardly be the result of sprucing up the gloomy low-contrast image at the museum site. I guess someone needs to get to the museum to see the actual colours. &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 11:30, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
-:::::Setting: a tropical beach resort.
+:Are you familiar with [https://pro.europeana.eu/post/the-yellow-milkmaid-syndrome-paintings-with-identity-problems Yellow Milkmaid Syndrome]? <span class="vcard"><span class="fn">[[User:Pigsonthewing|Andy Mabbett]]</span> (<span class="nickname">Pigsonthewing</span>); [[User talk:Pigsonthewing|Talk to Andy]]; [[Special:Contributions/Pigsonthewing|Andy's edits]]</span> 16:45, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
-:::::#A beautiful woman stands up, adjusts her bikini straps, smiles brightly, and says: "I can't believe this bikini still fits me."
+::Vaguely.  I first became aware of a similar issue in the domain of music in the mid-1980s.  Without mentioning any names, I used to frequent a record store in the Bay Area which, if you got to know the people working there, trafficked in underground bootlegs.  That's when the first problem occurred to me.  In many cases, you had these terrible recordings of famous bands floating around when the bands themselves had soundboard-quality reproductions that they couldn't or wouldn't release. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 21:04, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
-:::::#Her husband, relaxing in a chair and reading a travel magazine, absentmindedly makes the mistake of agreeing: "Yeah, I can't believe it either."
-:::::#She's dismayed: "''What'' did you say?!"
-:::::#The husband squirms a bit, trying to think of how to recover.
-:::::#Another group of people, nearby, are celebrating something.  One of them opens a bottle of champagne.  The cork shoots out and up into the top of a palm tree, where it knocks down a coconut{{mdash}} which falls directly on the bikini-wearing wife's head.  The husband's jaw drops as he sees.
-:::::#The wife blinks a few times, dazed, and then snaps out of it and remembers what she was doing.  She adjusts her bikini straps, smiles brightly, and says: "I can't believe this bikini still fits me."
-:::::#Now primed, the thankful husband replies: "You've... never looked better."
-:::::#She says happily: "Thanks, honey!" and trots off toward the water.
-:::::#He nods and smiles back, and relaxes contemplatively into the chair.
-:::::#Slogan: "Anyone can get lucky."
-:::::#Advertiser: a casino.
-::::--[[Special:Contributions/142.112.140.207|142.112.140.207]] ([[User talk:142.112.140.207|talk]]) 18:18, 22 May 2025 (UTC)</small></small>
-:According to the ''[[Neurology (journal)|Neurology]]'' article [https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000002765 "The head trauma amnesia cure: The making of a medical myth"], "The double trauma amnesia plot device appeared in 19th century fiction and was fully formed by the 1880s." [[User:Clarityfiend|Clarityfiend]] ([[User talk:Clarityfiend|talk]]) 05:08, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
-::The idea of percussive maintenance is surely much older than that. --[[User:Khajidha]] ([[User talk:Khajidha|talk]]) ([[Special:Contributions/Khajidha|contributions]]) 11:49, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
-::: And it extends way beyond bodies. I well remember the days when otherwise sensible, intelligent adults would adopt this technique when the picture on the TV screen started rolling or going haywire. They'd bash the sides of the box, and if it didn't work the first time, they'd bash it harder. Their thinking must have been that this was exactly how the delicate, intricate internal wiring was designed to be fixed. My dad was a civil engineer, and pretty down to earth in any other context. Go figure. -- [[User:JackofOz|<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">Jack of Oz</span>]] [[User talk:JackofOz#top|<span style="font-size:85%; font-family: Verdana;"><sup>[pleasantries]</sup></span>]] 22:17, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
-::::Well, unlike hitting someone on the head to cure amnesia, hitting an old CRT television sometimes would actually fix a problem. CRT TVs, especially tube-based ones, had a lot of components connected via spring-loaded contacts, which would tend to shift around due to the high amount of heat generated by such components. If a component was slightly mis-seated, percussion could reseat it. I've certainly seen it work numerous times, as have others old enough to remember such devices.[https://www.howtogeek.com/did-hitting-tvs-ever-actually-fix-them/] [[User:CodeTalker|CodeTalker]] ([[User talk:CodeTalker|talk]]) 23:55, 22 May 2025 (UTC)
-::Great reference - thank you. I can't access the actual article, but that's okay. So, it goes back to at least the 19th century. There's a whiff of [[sympathetic magic]] to it as well, so I suppose it could go back a lot further. [[User:Matt Deres|Matt Deres]] ([[User talk:Matt Deres|talk]]) 02:32, 23 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::Maybe even earlier; the original sinner may have been [[Xavier Bichat]]. Quoting from the article:
-::::{{tq|During the time Gall was in Vienna, French anatomist and physiologist Francois Xavier Bichat (1771–1802) was working in Paris (1794–1802), where he developed his own theories on dual hemispheric functioning without apparent knowledge of Gall. [...] In 1805, Bichat published a comprehensive book ''Recherches Physiologiques sur la Vie and sur la Mort'' (''Physiological Researches upon Life and Death'') in which he argued that the parts of the brain “resemble each other on every side” and “cannot be different in their mode of acting.” While both Bichat and Gall suggested that the 2 halves of the brain have double function, Bichat, unlike Gall, postulated that the cerebral hemispheres are symmetrical and must operate in synchrony.<br>{{quad}}&nbsp;&nbsp;With respect to brain damage, Bichat’s symmetrical functioning reasoning led directly to the endorsement of a second trauma cure. He seriously proposed the notion that a second blow could restore the wits of someone who had had a previous concussion. Bichat justified this idea by reasoning that hemispheres that are in balance with each other functioned better, while those out of balance cause perceptual and intellectual confusion.}}
-:::(The year 1805 is a mistake; this is the year of the posthumous publication of the 3rd edition. The first edition was published in [[French Republican calendar|An VII]], that is, the year 1799 AD.)
-:::This apparently got married with the idea, already popular in the 19th century, that memories never truly disappear, but, although being inaccessible for conscious recall, persist "somewhere" in the brain. &nbsp;&ZeroWidthSpace;‑‑[[User talk:Lambiam#top|Lambiam]] 15:31, 23 May 2025 (UTC)
-::::Excellent find - thank you! When I asked the question, I was assuming the answer (if there was one) would be comic; how wonderful to have it involve a fellow whose name is [[List of the 72 names on the Eiffel Tower|on the Eiffel tower]]. [[User:Matt Deres|Matt Deres]] ([[User talk:Matt Deres|talk]]) 17:26, 26 May 2025 (UTC)
-:Isn't this whole thing a variation on the "hit it with a hammer" solution to fixing things that was so prevalent at the time?  When old televisions went on the fritz in the 1970s, you were supposed to hit it with your hand to get it to work.  This is also a common trope in lots of different films up to the present day.  Recently, I think ''The Last of Us'' brought this idea back on the show.  In lots of science fiction over the last 50 years, there's usually a small, funny scene where an engineer is trying to get something old or complex to work and when all else fails they smack it really hard in a targeted area and it comes to life. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 21:55, 24 May 2025 (UTC)
-::Yep. [[The Gambler (novel)|Black 13]] isn't always [[Death by coconut|that lucky]]. [[User:Martinevans123|Martinevans123]] ([[User talk:Martinevans123|talk]]) 21:59, 24 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::I just remembered; my old mechanic used to temporarily fix failing fuel pumps by giving it one heavy strike with a hammer.  Depending on how bad the problem was, the fix would work until you could get yourself a new fuel pump. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 00:04, 25 May 2025 (UTC)
-::::Yeah, after all, the brain is just like an [[Petrolhead|internal combustion engine]], really, isn't it. But [[head gasket|without the petrol]]. [[User:Martinevans123|Martinevans123]] ([[User talk:Martinevans123|talk]]) 16:46, 25 May 2025 (UTC)
-= May 24 =
+= November 17 =
-== Jim Henson's death ==
+== Mystery structure in a Welsh field ==
-His bio says he died from complications related to [[Group A streptococcal infection]] at the age of 53 in 1990.  Wasn't it unusual to die from this in 1990? How common would it have been? It says he recently traveled from Los Angeles to North Carolina to New York over the space of two weeks while he came down with his initial symptoms.  Could he have caught something while traveling?  I remember reading that back in 1990, there was little oversight over the health quality of circulated air on board commercial air travel, and HEPA filters didn't become common until much later. It sounds like there was no particle filtration on planes when Henson flew.  Could an airplane HEPA filter have saved Henson's life? Although it isn't mentioned in his Wikipedia bio, other sources suggest that Henson was a private tobacco smoker and this might have contributed to his poor health. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 21:44, 24 May 2025 (UTC)
+[[File:Concrete stand overlooking the Loughor valley - geograph.org.uk - 552694.jpg|thumb|Concrete stand overlooking the Loughor valley]]
-:It's potentially possible. But as I recall from that sad event, he knew he was sick but didn't want to "bother" anybody with it, and by the time he got around to looking into it, it was too late. ←[[User:Baseball Bugs|Baseball Bugs]] <sup>''[[User talk:Baseball Bugs|What's up, Doc?]]''</sup> [[Special:Contributions/Baseball_Bugs|carrots]]→ 22:30, 24 May 2025 (UTC)
-::It's a bit creepy to me, because I was deathly ill just around the same time (I think it was several months before that date) and the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me.  I think I had been spending too much time in Tijuana (it was a thing back then) and probably caught some unusual bug. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 09:39, 25 May 2025 (UTC)
-:The article states that "Infection of GAS may spread through direct contact with mucus or sores on the skin," and "Close contacts of people affected by severe Group A streptococcal infections, defined as those having had prolonged household contact in the week before the onset of illness, may be at increased risk of infection." It doesn't commonly spread through the air, so HEPA filters are unlikely to make a difference. [[User:PiusImpavidus|PiusImpavidus]] ([[User talk:PiusImpavidus|talk]]) 10:57, 25 May 2025 (UTC)
-::I'm seeing different information. It apparently spreads easily through airborne dispersion in airplanes if you are within 1-2 rows of the carrier.  There's a bit more info here.[https://www.proquest.com/openview/64acbece3219634a7e541ca3aac08c56/] That's from 2015, and there's a lot of unknowns. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 11:33, 25 May 2025 (UTC)
-= May 28 =
+Can we identify what this is, and its purpose? It's at {{Coord|51.746383|-4.037704|type:landmark_region:GB}}.
-== History of sugar confectionery ==
+I thought it might cap a mine- or ventilation shaft, but I can't see anything on old Ordnance Survey maps, and I have only just added it as a generic "building:yes" to OpenStreetMap. <span class="vcard"><span class="fn">[[User:Pigsonthewing|Andy Mabbett]]</span> (<span class="nickname">Pigsonthewing</span>); [[User talk:Pigsonthewing|Talk to Andy]]; [[Special:Contributions/Pigsonthewing|Andy's edits]]</span> 15:42, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
-I'm trying to track down info about "Tavernier's Drup".  John Tavernier, the British father of [[Jules Tavernier]] was apparently successful with this product as a candy maker, although it isn't clear if he made it in Britain or France, as they lived in both countries. The product is described as "a lump of sugar dyed pink and flavored with banana essence, which proved popular and led to a series of other creative, colorful confections."  This is interesting, because apparently banana flavoring in candy had never been done before up to that point, but it isn't clear if Tavernier's father was an innovator or an early adopter of the new flavor.[https://www.artandantiquesmag.com/jules-tavernier-works/]  That's about the only info I can find.  Artificial banana flavoring was said to have been introduced in the 1850s, which was around the time Tavernier was supposedly making his candy.  Anyone know anything else? [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 10:15, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
+:Sometimes random concrete blocks are remnants of wartime defences, but there's nothing on the [https://edob.mattaldred.com/map/location51.74638300,-4.03770400 Extended Defence of Britain Database] which is pretty comprehrensive (but there is a [[Type 24 pillbox]] a couple of miles south of there). [[User:Alansplodge|Alansplodge]] ([[User talk:Alansplodge|talk]]) 18:31, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
-:Not much yet, I thought an advert would turn up easily, but no. The following is from a [https://archive.org/details/annualofscientif0000davi/page/228/mode/1up?q=banana scientific yearbook for 1854]: {{tq|The various artificial extracts of fruit have been applied to the flavoring of an agreeable species of confectionary known as the “acidulated fruit drops.’ These have been denounced as poisonous by some persons, on the ground that [[fusel oil]] is known to produce deleterious effects; and as a natural consequence the confectionary referred to has been discarded. There is, however, no foundation for such statements or belief, and if the confectionary flavored with these extracts has in any case produced injurious effects, it is undoubtedly to be referred to an injudicious consumption of it, and not to any inherent deleterious property.}}  [[User:Card_Zero|<span style=" background-color:#fffff0; border:1px #995; border-style:dotted solid solid dotted;">&nbsp;Card&nbsp;Zero&nbsp;</span>]]&nbsp;[[User_talk:Card_Zero|(talk)]] 12:04, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
+::There is a recent gas pipeline nearby (there is a view of its construction in the "nearby" on Geograph, where the picture came from), perhaps something to do with that. [[User:DuncanHill|DuncanHill]] ([[User talk:DuncanHill|talk]]) 19:04, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
+:A search for similar images brings up mostly WWII military installations. But they all either have small openings or show signs that something used to be mounted on top. The few images that don't fit that pattern include [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_mine_building_on_Denton_Fell_-_geograph.org.uk_-_759828.jpg a mine building], [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Milk_churn_stand_with_blue_plaque..._-_geograph.org.uk_-_759590.jpg a milk churn stand] and [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_water_tank,_Springside,_West_Kilbride,_North_Ayrshire.jpg an old water tank] with the last looking the most similar. [[User:Long is the way|Long is the way]] ([[User talk:Long is the way|talk]]) 07:55, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
+:The thing appears to be located at a local maximum in terrain elevation. If this is to cap a shaft, the shaft would have been shorter (and presumably easier to construct and cheaper) if they had moved it a short distance in any direction. A maximum in elevation could be convenient for a liquid storage tank, as one can use gravity to move liquid from there to anywhere (but it's harder to fill). The good view from there and limited soil movement (no downhill direction at a local maximum) make it useful as a reference point for the Ordnance Survey (one could put a big [[theodolite]] on it), but would it not be indicated on the Ordnance Survey map then? There's also the option of something unfinished. It doesn't look very recent, mid 20th century is plausible. The top layer may be more recent and could be hiding bolts or other attachment points.
+:The thing appears too small for a pillbox. [[User:PiusImpavidus|PiusImpavidus]] ([[User talk:PiusImpavidus|talk]]) 11:30, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
+:There seems to be an irregular ring of smallish stones around the construction. This prompts me to wonder if the 'box' might have been placed to protect something of possible archaeological interest pending later excavation (for which funding might not have materialised). Its lack of presence on OS maps argues against this, unless it was only identified in the mid-20th century, if not later, and immediately covered over. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} [[Special:Contributions/&#126;2025-31359-08|&#126;2025-31359-08]] ([[User talk:&#126;2025-31359-08|talk]]) 14:39, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
+:[https://www.onthemarket.com/details/17217448/#/photos/4 That very land] appears to be for sale, though I cannot identify the object in any of the estate agent's pictures. They might answer a query on the matter?
+:Given it is on a high point of sorts, I wondered if it was intended as the base of an aerial? <span class="nowrap">[[User:Verbarson|--&nbsp;Verbarson&nbsp;]]&nbsp;<sup>[[User talk:Verbarson|talk]]</sup><sub>[[Special:Contributions/Verbarson|edits]]</sub></span> 16:08, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
+::<small>We could buy it and have a RefDesks country break! [[User:DuncanHill|DuncanHill]] ([[User talk:DuncanHill|talk]]) 18:22, 18 November 2025 (UTC)</small>
+:::<small> Where'd you go for the weekend?
+::: ''Oh, we had a lovely time sitting on the wet grass around a weird concrete block in a Welsh field.''
+::: Sounds wonderful. Count me in next time. -- [[User:JackofOz|<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">Jack of Oz</span>]] [[User talk:JackofOz#top|<span style="font-size:85%; font-family: Verdana;"><sup>[pleasantries]</sup></span>]] 16:48, 19 November 2025 (UTC) </small>
-::Google shews lots of antique tins, jars, boxes, and adverts for Bonbons John Tavernier, 1 Rue du Cloitre St Merri, Paris. [[User:DuncanHill|DuncanHill]] ([[User talk:DuncanHill|talk]]) 12:10, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
+::::[[Milk churn]] stands are generally next to roads, they were placed so that the churns could be quickly transferred to a lorry doing its rounds; but this is nowhere near a road. A water tank seems more likely. [[User:Alansplodge|Alansplodge]] ([[User talk:Alansplodge|talk]]) 13:37, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
-::"Drup" is perhaps a slip for "Drop", I've seen him described as "[https://www.zeldaetcharlie.fr/products/boites-en-metal-bonbons-john-tavernier-1930?srsltid=AfmBOoq-rslFS43Iddna6Gw9D67AmBii2oUncMUCzuZ8uCncNA2zjgI5 Cet anglais a importé en France les bonbons anglais appelés drops, en forme de quartiers de fruits, de coquillages colorés et parfumés aux essences de fruits]" Do we have an article on [[fruit drops]], or [[pear drops]], or [[acid drops]]?  [[User:DuncanHill|DuncanHill]] ([[User talk:DuncanHill|talk]]) 12:24, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
+:::::Perhaps a herd of sheep were [[War memorial|killed by a stray bomb]]? <span class="nowrap">[[User:Verbarson|--&nbsp;Verbarson&nbsp;]]&nbsp;<sup>[[User talk:Verbarson|talk]]</sup><sub>[[Special:Contributions/Verbarson|edits]]</sub></span> 14:48, 20 November 2025 (UTC)
-:::[https://archive.org/details/lagrandeencyclop07dref/page/271/mode/1up?q=%22john+tavernier%22 Bonbons anglais.— C'est vers 1830 que ce bonbon a été importé en France par un Anglais nommé John Tavernier; plus tard, on a perfectionné les machines qui permettent d'obtenir économiquement ce produit.] [[User:Card_Zero|<span style=" background-color:#fffff0; border:1px #995; border-style:dotted solid solid dotted;">&nbsp;Card&nbsp;Zero&nbsp;</span>]]&nbsp;[[User_talk:Card_Zero|(talk)]] 12:49, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
-:[http://nadiaberenstein.com/blog/2016/2/15/bananas In order to really understand where artificial banana flavor comes from,] {{tq|you have to start with artificial pear. Because amyl acetate — produced from fusel oil, a waste product of alcohol distilling, and one of the very first synthetic chemicals used as an artificial flavor -- initially came to prominence as a pear flavoring. Pear drops — barley sugar flavored with amyl acetate diluted in alcohol — were one of the new confections available at the 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition in London. The drops and the chemical used to flavor them drew the attention of [[August Hofmann]], the distinguished chemist who was one of the judges of the exhibition. In a letter to [[Justus Liebig]], his teacher, he noted the "remarkably fruity odor" of amyl acetate ...}} if you scroll up in my previous link, before "various artificial extracts of fruit", there is a section that ends "Hofmann's letter to Liebig". {{tq|pear oil is an alcoholic solution of acetate of oxide of amyle, and acetate of oxide of ethyle, prepared from potato fusel oil, (the hydrate of oxide of amyle.) }} [[User:Card_Zero|<span style=" background-color:#fffff0; border:1px #995; border-style:dotted solid solid dotted;">&nbsp;Card&nbsp;Zero&nbsp;</span>]]&nbsp;[[User_talk:Card_Zero|(talk)]] 13:30, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
-::Thanks, everyone. Based on the above, it looks like the [[pear drop]] is a type of Tavernier drop. Also, it’s interesting to see [[The Crystal Palace]] come up again as the focal point for the [[Great Exhibition]].  No matter what topic I work on, I am inevitably drawn back to those two like a black hole. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 20:13, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
+= November 18 =
-:::There is a British company called [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgl08x1pvjo Tavener], but I don't think they are connected. [[User:DuncanHill|DuncanHill]] ([[User talk:DuncanHill|talk]]) 20:26, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
+== Villanov? ==
-::::That was the original spelling of his name before he changed it, I think.  Might be a coincidence. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 20:40, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
-:::::Sorry, I'm wrong (and slightly blind) . The original spelling was "Taverner", which somehow morphed into "Tavernier".  This information is also suspect because apparently Jules was the source for all of it, so nobody knows what was really true. But some of his obituaries (which were for the most part written by his friends) seemed to suggest that some of it was true.  One other interesting thing I recently discovered was how much his friends left out of his obituary and their memoirs.  That's where the real "fun" begins.  Of course, this isn't the first time I've found some pretty shocking things once you go looking for it. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 23:53, 28 May 2025 (UTC)
-= June 1 =
+In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1st ed., vol. 10, p. 108 entry on Nikolai Klenovsky: "[...] and it was in fact to Klenovsky that Vsevolozhsky (director of the imperial theatres) first offered ''The Queen of Spades'' as a subject for an opera; only when he failed to make any progress with the idea was the libretto passed first to Villanov and finally to Tchaikovsky." Here it mentions a composer named Villanov. There doesn't seem to be anyone named Villanov, so who is this? Check it out for yourself [[iarchive:newgrovedictiona0010unse_q6f8/page/108|here]] (you need to borrow it). [[User:WafflesInvasion|WafflesInvasion]] ([[User talk:WafflesInvasion|talk]]) 11:18, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
+:[https://www.staroeradio.ru/audio/38019 This page] (not the photograph) seems to be about him, well, google-translate mentions the Queen of Spades, so yeah. You could use the cyrillic Александр Александрович Вилламов to find more about him. --[[User:Wrongfilter|Wrongfilter]] ([[User talk:Wrongfilter|talk]]) 11:46, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
+::Seems like the case, Villanov might be a typo. Russian Wikipedia for Queen of Spades mentions a "А. А. Вилламов." [[User:WafflesInvasion|WafflesInvasion]] ([[User talk:WafflesInvasion|talk]]) 11:55, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
-== Identify this vehicle and camera gear ==
+: (ec) John Warrack's ''Tchaikovsky'' (1973) says:
+: •	''… Kandaurov sent his material to another minor composer, known chiefly as the writer of little salon pieces, A. A. Villanov.'' ("Travels and the Break", p. 235)
+: [https://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/The_Queen_of_Spades Tchaikovsky Research: Queen of Spades] was more useful:
+: •	''The only established fact is that towards the end of 1886, Kandaurov offered his scenario to a Petersburg socialite composer Aleksandr Villamov (1838-1917). ''
+: It goes on to provide more detail of the dealings between these people.
+: But note the spelling difference: Tchaikovsky Research has '''VillaMov''', not '''VillaNov'''. This seems correct, as The Lieder Net Archive has [https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_settings.html?ComposerId=13784  an entry for a composer named Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Villamov], who set various texts to music as songs. -- [[User:JackofOz|<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">Jack of Oz</span>]] [[User talk:JackofOz#top|<span style="font-size:85%; font-family: Verdana;"><sup>[pleasantries]</sup></span>]] 11:53, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
+::I guess the Grove dictionary entry above used a source like Warrack's. [[User:WafflesInvasion|WafflesInvasion]] ([[User talk:WafflesInvasion|talk]]) 11:58, 18 November 2025 (UTC)
-Photo is by Corwin Short: [https://uofllibraries.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/m-b-w_1.jpg] Date is late January or early February 1937, Louisville, Kentucky.  Subject is [[Margaret Bourke-White]] who had just arrived in Kentucky after covering the FDR inauguration, so possibly same gear. ChatGPT says the camera is a [[Graflex]] Series D or Graflex Super D and the vehicle is a [[Pontiac]], but it's probably just making that up. [[User:Viriditas|Viriditas]] ([[User talk:Viriditas|talk]]) 02:21, 1 June 2025 (UTC)
+= November 20 =
-:The car looks like a number of models did in that time period, complete with rumble seat. You'd probably have to study the details to narrow it down. Google "1937 car with rumble seat" to get help narrow it down. ←[[User:Baseball Bugs|Baseball Bugs]] <sup>''[[User talk:Baseball Bugs|What's up, Doc?]]''</sup> [[Special:Contributions/Baseball_Bugs|carrots]]→ 15:29, 1 June 2025 (UTC)

Wiki143:Reference desk/Miscellaneous: Difference between revisions

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November 10

Are there sources proving that Torres Strait Islanders are not Aboriginal Australians?

November 16

Remastering audio from a Shirley Temple movie?

Photography prevention?

November 17

Mystery structure in a Welsh field

November 18

Villanov?

November 20

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Wiki143:Reference desk/Miscellaneous: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:48, 20 November 2025

November 10

Are there sources proving that Torres Strait Islanders are not Aboriginal Australians?

November 16

Remastering audio from a Shirley Temple movie?

Photography prevention?

November 17

Mystery structure in a Welsh field

November 18

Villanov?

November 20

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