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

[Ivan Seeking]

Why do so many physics departments have excellent machine shops and so few have passable electronics shops? I don't think I know anyone in research who needs mechanical parts more often than they need circuits.

They have had an extra 150 years to have machine shops.

 

[Keith_McClary]

Because that side in unhinged.

How do I determine door handing?​

To figure out which handing you need for a handleset with interior lever or non-turning levers, stand outside the door. From this position, the door will open away from you. Now notice where the hinges are. If they’re on the left, you will need a left hand lever. If the hinges are the on the right, you will need a right hand lever.

 

[jtbell]

Have you ever noticed that the people who run college football conferences have apparently forgotten how to count?

My own favorite, the Big Ten, actually has 14 teams, after adding 4 new teams beginning in 1990.

And the Big 12 now has 10 teams, but will drop to 8 after Texas and Oklahoma bolt to the SEC (announced today).

Maybe the Big Ten will steal Iowa State and Kansas from the Big 12. Then they can rebrand themselves as the Sweet Sixteen.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Have you ever noticed that the people who run college football conferences have apparently forgotten how to count?

My own favorite, the Big Ten, actually has 14 teams, after adding 4 new teams beginning in 1990.

Most of them are failed computer science majors. They count in base 14

 

[jrmichler]

I just received a solid steel drill chuck that arrived in a nice plastic container. The label on the front side is self explanatory:

There is another label on the opposite side:

How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

 

[phinds]

How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

Manufacturers have given up trying to guess what products might run afoul of CA's strict labeling requirements, so everything that is ever sold in CA gets that kind of label. It has become meaningless, as you noticed.

 

[berkeman]

I just received a solid steel drill chuck that arrived in a nice plastic container. The label on the front side is self explanatory:
View attachment 287150
There is another label on the opposite side:
View attachment 287151
How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

Maybe the plastic packaging? I have no clue. I do know that we were required to put such notices into our electronics product boxes over the last few years, but I have no clue why.

 

[Mondayman]

Manufacturers have given up trying to guess what products might run afoul of CA's strict labeling requirements, so everything that is ever sold in CA gets that kind of label. It has become meaningless, as you noticed.

I work in a furniture warehouse in Canada. We receive couches made of cows, trees, and perhaps a tad of vinyl from Italy, China, Vietnam, all with "This may cause cancer in California" warnings. Ridiculous.

 

[Keith_McClary]

I just received a solid steel drill chuck that arrived in a nice plastic container. The label on the front side is self explanatory:
View attachment 287150
There is another label on the opposite side:
View attachment 287151
How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

This is the generic "short form" warning:
https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/warn...h-listed-carcinogen-and-reproductive-toxicant
"By requiring that this information be provided, Proposition 65 enables Californians to make informed decisions about their exposures to these chemicals."

 

[256bits]

I just received a solid steel drill chuck that arrived in a nice plastic container. The label on the front side is self explanatory:
View attachment 287150
There is another label on the opposite side:
View attachment 287151
How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

https://www.metalsdepot.com/assets/files/Page-Editor-Files/MetalsDepotSDS-Steel-2018.pdf

Nickel, cobalt, ... realistically its the contamination from additives that are in steel.
Not the iron or carbon that should be fairly safe to chew on.
But these compounds iron for example can be toxic to fish .

 

[Tom.G]

..."informed decisions"...

Living in California, I must say that many (most?) such labels are decidedly lacking in the "info" aspect.

I work in a furniture warehouse in Canada. We receive couches made of cows, trees, and perhaps a tad of vinyl from Italy, China, Vietnam, all with "This may cause cancer in California" warnings. Ridiculous.

In spite of the above, wood is often treated or processed with some nasty stuff, especially wood referred to as "wood product."

The vinyl is on the Prop. 65 list as "Vinyl chloride" with the "Type of Toxicity" being "cancer."

The 22 page PDF of the Proposition 65 chemicals is at:
https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/p65list12182020.pdf

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Bystander]

Living in California, I must say that many (most?) such labels are decidedly lacking in the "info" aspect.

Big +1.

 

[jack action]

 

[Mondayman]

In spite of the above, wood is often treated or processed with some nasty stuff, especially wood referred to as "wood product."

The vinyl is on the Prop. 65 list as "Vinyl chloride" with the "Type of Toxicity" being "cancer."

The 22 page PDF of the Proposition 65 chemicals is at:
https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/p65list12182020.pdf

Cheers,
Tom

I know about wood, but I never knew that about vinyl. Makes me fear for my safety. Good thing I'm leaving my job to join the infantry.

 

[berkeman]

The 22 page PDF of the Proposition 65 chemicals is at:
https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/p65list12182020.pdf

Interesting, thanks for the list. Do you know why some of the chemicals have been "Delisted"? Was the original study data that got them listed later discredited or something?

 

[Jarvis323]

I work in a furniture warehouse in Canada. We receive couches made of cows, trees, and perhaps a tad of vinyl from Italy, China, Vietnam, all with "This may cause cancer in California" warnings. Ridiculous.

It's usually the foam, flame retardents, and coatings, that people are concerned with.

https://time.com/4462892/couch-cancer-flame-retardants/

 

[Tom.G]

Interesting, thanks for the list. Do you know why some of the chemicals have been "Delisted"? Was the original study data that got them listed later discredited or something?

Various reasons, for instance:
..original entity classifying as carcinogenic changed their classification;

..Chlorsulfuron was added to the list on May 14, 1999, based on its formal identification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), an authoritative body2, as causing reproductive toxicity. On November 18, 2013, U.S. EPA concluded that there is no compelling evidence of reproductive toxicity for chlorsulfuron3.

List of 768 delisted items and the reason for each is at:
https://oehha.ca.gov/serp?search=delisted

Have fun reading them,
Tom

 

[Hornbein]

A guide service sold trips to the top of K2 in winter. Winter was unpopular so to attract climbers the trips were half price.

You can guess what subsequently happened.

 

[Bystander]

The "Watchman" ad, barefoot gallop along a dock/pier by an elderly gent barely missing rusty, badly driven crooked nail-heads.

..., and, now with an elderly female; got to stay woke...same crooked, rusty nail-heads.

 

[SimplePrimate]

Lumpenproletariat

 

[Tom.G]

Lumpenproletariat

According to Google that roughly translates to 'rag workman.'
Upon which a further search leads to:


Or if you prefer the text version:
https://www.csh.rit.edu/~ding/ragman_by_walter_wangerin_jr1.htm

 

[SimplePrimate]

N

According to Google that roughly translates to 'rag workman.'

Not so much what Tom refers to. I meant it in it's technical/political sense:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumpenproletariat

Edit:
This is one of several things history has proved Marx wrong on. He thought workers (the Proletariat) would largely co-operate together to negotiate better pay and working conditions. However, he acknowledged that perhaps a few really desperate workers (the Lumpenproletariat) might undermine this by competing for lesser conditions, rather than co-cooperating with their fellow workers for better ones. Today it seems, Marx got the ratios of these two kinds of workers reversed.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Size should matter!

If you take a string and wrap it around a Coke can and pull it tight, and then add 1 foot to the length, you can make a uniform gap of about 1.9 inches all the way around the can.

If you take a string and wrap it around the Earth and pull it tight, and then add 1 foot to the length, you can make a uniform gap of about 1.9 inches all the way around the earth.

The size of the gap is independent of the total circumference of the object. The math is simple enough but it has never made sense intuitively.

It's like I always say, size should matter!

 

[Bystander]

"Do not take 'X' if you are allergic to 'X'," seen often on U.S. advertisements for pharmaceuticals; perhaps a global phenomenon.

 

[jrmichler]

From today's credit card statement:

Does this mean that I need to send them a check for $0.00?

 

[sysprog]

@jrmichler:
If I owed them $58.45, I would send it in via instrument or transmit it electronically, and would also disregard the threat about the $38.00, except that I would try to never do business with them again.

 

[jbriggs444]

@jrmichler:
If I owed them $58.45, I would send it in via instrument or transmit it electronically, and would also disregard the threat about the $38.00, except that I would try to never do business with them again.

I think the "CR" means that it is a credit balance. The lender owes the customer $57.45. Sending money would just make the problem worse.

 

[sysprog]

I think the "CR" means that it is a credit balance. The lender owes the customer $57.45. Sending money would just make the problem worse.

I didn't notice that $-$ maybe because I've never overpaid a lender $-$ I think that you're right.

 

[Tom.G]

I think the "CR" means that it is a credit balance. The lender owes the customer $57.45. Sending money would just make the problem worse.

I didn't notice that maybe because I've never overpaid a lender I think that you're right.

Well, are you going to argue with them?

 

[pinball1970]

From today's credit card statement:
View attachment 289234
Does this mean that I need to send them a check for $0.00?

So they pay you? Send them a letter with a $10 admin fee