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

[Ivan Seeking]

Did anyone mention tip screens on ipads at places people previously didn't tip. People are now getting tips for taking your money. This didn't make sense until 2020.

Another one is commercials during trailers for movies; basically commercials during commercials. How long until the commercial commercials have commercials too?

From time to time I will search You Tube for a commercial and have to watch a commercial to see it.

 

[berkeman]

From time to time I will search You Tube for a commercial and have to watch a commercial to see it.

Yes, but is it a commercial for a competing product? Now *that* would be smart advertising!

 

[epenguin]

The lay fish designation is an older term than the fish as defined by biology.
Its seems to just refer to some animal living in the water. This meaning has been around for a long time.

Shellfish is another good example: molluscs and crustaceans (and maybe some other things).
Neither are anything like a fish (to biology), and they aren't even closely related to each other.

This has even come up in law. there are old treaties defining fishing rights. One case came up invoking a treaty of, if I remember, the 13th century. Some category or other was entitled to take fish from certain seas (this was in the Channel Islands if I remember) but they were taking lobsters etc. which was contested.It was ruled that lobsters were fish at the time of the treaty.

 

[Bystander]

This has even come up in law. there are old treaties defining fishing rights.

Moby Dick, the "Royal Fish."

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What makes no sense?

William Shatner will go to space in about a week aboard Blue Origin. He has been to space many, many times. He should give someone else a chance.

 

[DaveC426913]

What makes no sense?

William Shatner will go to space in about a week aboard Blue Origin. He has been to space many, many times. He should give someone else a chance.

 

[jtbell]

William Shatner will go to space in about a week aboard Blue Origin. He has been to space many, many times.

Which is impressive considering that his character hasn't even been born yet.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/midwest-road-trip-2019.975405/post-6214975

 

[phinds]

Camouflage? How about US Navy blue camouflage uniforms:

View attachment 289814

I think the point is that if they fall overboard, the enemy will not be able to find them. I'm not sure this has been thought through all the way.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

View attachment 290213
View attachment 290212

Shatner said he plans to keep his nose stuck to the window. He just hopes nothing is outside and looking back.

 

[DaveC426913]

He just hopes nothing is outside and looking back.

Something on the wing??

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Something on the wing??

OMG! I didn't even think of that!

 

[DaveC426913]

JEEEEEEEFFFFFFFFF!

 

[Jarvis323]

So I was reading about quantum tunneling, and then I noticed google started suggesting I search "isolated tetrahedra". Is there a particular reason for this connection? People who search for information about quantum tunneling also search for information about isolated tetrahedra?

 

[DrGreg]

So I was reading about quantum tunneling, and then I noticed google started suggesting I search "isolated tetrahedra". Is there a particular reason for this connection? People who search for information about quantum tunneling also search for information about isolated tetrahedra?

View attachment 296111

No, it's suggesting searches that begin with the letters "is..."

 

[Jarvis323]

No, it's suggesting searches that begin with the letters "is..."

I know that. The mystery is why it has personalized the list it generates for me to place "isolated tetrahedra" at the top.

 

[DaveE]

I know that. The mystery is why it has personalized the list it generates for me to place "isolated tetrahedra" at the top.

You could retire tomorrow and buy a small Caribbean island if you can figure out google's suggestion algorithm. I think it's more secret than the nuclear launch codes, and certainly changes more often.

It also seems remarkably stupid sometimes.

 

[Jarvis323]

You could retire tomorrow and buy a small Caribbean island if you can figure out google's suggestion algorithm. I think it's more secret than the nuclear launch codes, and certainly changes more often.

It also seems remarkably stupid sometimes.

The default suggestions I get for a-z at least don't seem too mysterious.

Maybe one day google's search suggestion algorithm will discover a theory of everything, and then we'll slowly figure it out over time as it unknowingly steers us in the right direction.

Or maybe if it discovers a theory of everything, it will just internally try to leverage it somehow to maximize advertising revenue.

 

[Tom.G]

@Jarvis323

...I was reading about quantum tunneling, and then I noticed google started suggesting I search "isolated tetrahedra".

If the suggestions and/or search results seem out-of-wack, remove the Google cookies from the browser.

My searches vary from 'everyday mundane' to rather technical. When the technical searches start returning grade school stuff, I clear the Google cookie crumbs and all of a sudden Google Scholar results start showing up.

Try it; you'll like it!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[sysprog]

@Tom.G, you can use a bookmarklet to remove cookies for a site, including google.com: https://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/zap.html#zap_cookies

 

[Tom.G]

Since I'm using Windows, the browsers have cookie removal capability built-in. On the toolbar (usually at the top) it typically appears under:
Tools
Preferences
Privacy
Show Cookies

You can also completely disable cookies (with an exception list if desired), or delete at end-of-session. (Often the deletion really occurs at the next browser start-up rather than upon closing)

 

[sysprog]

Since I'm using Windows, the browsers have cookie removal capability built-in. On the toolbar (usually at the top) it typically appears under:
Tools
Preferences
Privacy
Show Cookies

You can also completely disable cookies (with an exception list if desired), or delete at end-of-session. (Often the deletion really occurs at the next browser start-up rather than upon closing)

The bookmarklet is one click to remove the cookies for the site you're on. Now that many sites are popping up a cookies dialog bar at the footer, that says accept all cookies or manage cookie preferences, I usually hit accept all and then remove cookies.

 

[WWGD]

You can also use search engines like DuckDuckGo that don't track your previous searches. Google tries to match result to your previous searches.

 

[Klystron]

You can also use search engines like DuckDuckGo that don't track your previous searches. Google tries to match result to your previous searches.

Also run cleaning programs, free or 'professional' versions, at OS and browser startup a/o shutdown that eliminate cookies and other internet residue, as you prefer.

 

[WWGD]

Also run cleaning programs, free or 'professional' versions, at OS and browser startup a/o shutdown that eliminate cookies and other internet residue, as you prefer.

If I may say so, Google's strategy of returning results that match previous searches has helped promote radicalization in that ittends to keep people in their own bubbles by returning results/data within the range of one's experience, and not allowing new ones.

 

[Keith_McClary]

If I may say so, Google's strategy of returning results that match previous searches has helped promote radicalization in that ittends to keep people in their own bubbles by returning results/data within the range of one's experience, and not allowing new ones.

They now have algorithms to downrank sites that disagree with the mainstream media.

 

[Lupo]

Is this post just about technology or can we post stuff about people to? The thing I fail to understand is people who spends countless thousands of pounds to go on holiday to a hot country, stay in a hotel a hundred yards from the beach...and then go swimming in the hotel pool instead of the Sea!

It make zero sense to me, you could have swam in a pool in your own town...

Well where I come from it is logical. For 6 Month of the year you have Box Jellyfish, all year round you get your Sharks, and now Saltwater Crocodiles are speculating on Tourists for lunch or dinner.

 

[strangerep]

Google tries to match result to your previous searches.

Dear Google,
If my previous search results yielded what I wanted I wouldn't be searching AGAIN!

 

[OCR]

Google tries to match result to your previous searches.

Lol. . . there's no question about it. . . .

.

 

[Klystron]

Well where I come from it is logical. For 6 Month of the year you have Box Jellyfish, all year round you get your Sharks, and now Saltwater Crocodiles are speculating on Tourists for lunch or dinner.

Yes, one can add riptides, sharp rocks, 'rogue' waves, cold water, strong currents, kelp tangles, live and dead jellyfish, oil and sewer spills, stoned surfers and boogey boarders, and sociopathic yachtsmen firing guns near shore to the dangers of open ocean swimming. Growing up close to famous beaches in Northern California, I loved ocean swimming while always maintaining a sharp eye for hazards.

Saltwater improves buoyancy and allows chlorination via electrolysis. A heated properly maintained saltwater swimming pool provides the best of both environments IMO.

 

[Bystander]

People who say/use "diffuse" when they mean "defuse;" the words are NOT equivalent.