Things you've always wondered about but couldn't be bothered to find out

[Swarlos]

Is the correct (full) answer. I remember a question we did in physics many moons ago. If you are standing on a moving train holding a ball, and throw the ball up in the air then that movement plotted on a graph vs time is a vertical line. If however, you are observing it from the platform as the train goes past, that movement would be shown as a sine wave as you need to take into account the horizontal motion of the train as well.

 

Which leads me nicely on to a riddle: How is it possible for a fly to stop a train?

Fly into the drivers eye causing him to accidentally hit the stop button?

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Fly into the drivers eye causing him to accidentally hit the stop button?

The fly could dislodge enough leaves from trackside trees to land on the line and we know the rest!

[¼½¾]

Is the correct (full) answer. I remember a question we did in physics many moons ago. If you are standing on a moving train holding a ball, and throw the ball up in the air then that movement plotted on a graph vs time is a vertical line. If however, you are observing it from the platform as the train goes past, that movement would be shown as a sine wave as you need to take into account the horizontal motion of the train as well.

 

Which leads me nicely on to a riddle: How is it possible for a fly to stop a train?

If enough flies,(a crazy unfathomable amount),hit the front of the train it will eventually stop.The very last fly to hit the train before it stops can be said to have stopped the train.

[Tazio]

Based on momentum if the train was barely moving and the fly hitting it head on was going at an unfeasible speed then it should stop it. Obviously it would help if it was quite a big fly, a bluebottle maybe. 

[Pino Grigio]

No matter how they are made, they contribute to the perfect piece

 

 

 

 

Amen to that!

[jamboz]

Why is is that lots of chippies are run by Italian families but when I visited Italy I could not get a fish supper for the life of me?

[OmiyaHearts]

Is the correct (full) answer. I remember a question we did in physics many moons ago. If you are standing on a moving train holding a ball, and throw the ball up in the air then that movement plotted on a graph vs time is a vertical line. If however, you are observing it from the platform as the train goes past, that movement would be shown as a sine wave as you need to take into account the horizontal motion of the train as well. 

 

Which leads me nicely on to a riddle: How is it possible for a fly to stop a train?

Is it something to do with the speed of the fly at the point of impact? Just before the fly changes direction (to go the same direction as the train) there is a miniscule point in time where the speed of the fly is 0mph. No sure how the train can be considered stopped though.

 

That may be completely made up by the way but I think I'd read / seen something like this before.

[Tazio]

I think I've just got, and it is nothing to do with physics. 

 

The fly is in the train and lands on the drivers face and he tries to swat it, so he takes his hand of the dead mans handle to do so and the train stops.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Tazio

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Why is is that lots of chippies are run by Italian families but when I visited Italy I could not get a fish supper for the life of me?

I think it is to do with the first families settling in seaside locations and grabbing the opportunity that arose as the British public were sceptical of Italian dishes at that time so they chose something local in there cafes. Ice cream in its many flavours was something introduced also from Italy firstly again in seaside towns and then the cities.

[GforGallo]

Is this riddle to do with the time I pulled my fly down on the train and a woman panicked and hit the emergency stop?

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Why is is that lots of chippies are run by Italian families but when I visited Italy I could not get a fish supper for the life of me?

I wonder if you'd get salt n sauce over there?

[Swarlos]

Is it something to do with the speed of the fly at the point of impact? Just before the fly changes direction (to go the same direction as the train) there is a miniscule point in time where the speed of the fly is 0mph. No sure how the train can be considered stopped though.

 

That may be completely made up by the way but I think I'd read / seen something like this before.

Yeah that is the idea of it. It's nonsense obviously.

 

You're talking about an point in time not an amount of time. Nothing can move any distance in a single instant of time.

[rudolfskai]

If it takes a man one week to walk a fortnight , how many oranges are in a barrell of grapes?

[Unknown user]

If it takes a man one week to walk a fortnight , how many oranges are in a barrell of grapes?

Auchtermuchty

[PsychocAndy]

Why is is that lots of chippies are run by Italian families but when I visited Italy I could not get a fish supper for the life of me?

You will get a fish supper in this town in Italy

[jamboz]

If it takes a man one week to walk a fortnight , how many oranges are in a barrell of grapes?

A big banana this colour

[GlasgoJambo]

.

Edited March 31, 2015 by GlasgoJambo

[GlasgoJambo]

Why is is that lots of chippies are run by Italian families but when I visited Italy I could not get a fish supper for the life of me?

Similarly, I had no luck trying to get 20 Mayfair and a copy of Knave last time I was in Islamabad.

[jamboz]

Similarly, I had no luck trying to get 20 Mayfair and a copy of Knave last time I was in Islamabad.

 

Is Knave still going?

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Why is is that lots of chippies are run by Italian families but when I visited Italy I could not get a fish supper for the life of me?

To add to my earlier answer you would be hard pressed to find the cold water fish, Cod and Haddock, in the waters of the Med where Italy gets most of its fish from. Tuna supper just doesn't do it for me!

[3fingersreid]

Who exactly is Barry Scott the guy that shouts a lot about Cillit Bang ?

 

A part from being a knob obviously

[jamboz]

He is just an actor for the ad apparently.

 

"UK advertisements are presented by "Barry Scott", a brashly enthusiastic character played by Neil Burgess, who claims that Cillit Bang can remove limescale, rust and ground-in dirt"

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

He is just an actor for the ad apparently.

 

"UK advertisements are presented by "Barry Scott", a brashly enthusiastic character played by Neil Burgess, who claims that Cillit Bang can remove limescale, rust and ground-in dirt"

I thought a lot of these cleaning ads were dubbed over from the original US or German versions. The lips don't always seem to move with the sound.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

I know we are into the 2nd now but when did April fools day jokes start, for what reason and why this date in particular?

[aussieh]

If it takes a man one week to walk a fortnight , how many oranges are in a barrell of grapes?

How many peas in a barrell of grapes?

[3fingersreid]

This could possibly have gone into the where's this thread but

 

In the Sky sports break where the guy has been doing his football skills/tricks he's looking out over a city , question is which city is it ?*

 

I'm guessing Madrid but probably miles out

[aussieh]

If it takes a man one week to walk a fortnight , how many oranges are in a barrell of grapes?

Tell us, ffs.

[peter_hmfc]

If there was to be a king of the UK, what would happen to the song "God Save The Queen"? Would it still be the national anthem but with different lyrics?

[Carl Fredrickson]

If there was to be a king of the UK, what would happen to the song "God Save The Queen"? Would it still be the national anthem but with different lyrics?

 

Yip

 

John Wesley Harding wrote the lyrics

God save our gracious king

Long live our noble king

God save the king

 

Send him victorious

Happy and glorious

Long to reign over us

God save the king

 

O Lord, our God arise

Scatter his enemies

And make them fall

 

Confound their politics

Frustrate their knavish tricks

On Thee our hopes we fix

God save the king

 

Thy choicest gifts in store

On him be pleased to pour

Long may he reign

 

May he defend our laws

And ever give us cause

To sing with heart and voice

God save the king

 

Not in this land alone

But be God's mercies known

From shore to shore

 

Lord make the nations see

That men should brothers be

And form one family

The wide world o'er

 

From every latent foe

From the assassins blow

God save the king

 

O'er him Thine arm extend

For Britain's sake defend

Our father, prince and friend

God save the king

 

Edited April 19, 2015 by Carl Fredrickson

[Tazio]

Yip

 

John Wesley Harding wrote the lyrics

 

 

Really? The American gunfighter? 

[peter_hmfc]

Thanks .

 

Edited April 19, 2015 by peter_hmfc

[RudiHMFC]

This could possibly have gone into the where's this thread but

In the Sky sports break where the guy has been doing his football skills/tricks he's looking out over a city , question is which city is it ?*

I'm guessing Madrid but probably miles out

I think it is Barcelona.

[Carl Fredrickson]

Really? The American gunfighter? 

 

Probably not. I was told that it was but having Googled it, he would appear to be a folk singer born in 1965! Moral of the story is dont believe everything folk tell you....

 

Wiki states that there is no definitive version of the lyrics due to it being changed over a number of monarchs reigns. I started to read a bit more about it but I was losing the will to live 

[3fingersreid]

I think it is Barcelona.

I've seen it again and it's definetly not Madrid as there's a sea in the background so unless Madrids moved !!!! Barcelona will do , cheers

[graygo]

You will get a fish supper in this town in Italy

No you won't, but you will get a can of Irn Bru and a Tunnocks teacake.

 

I had my honeymoon in Florence 18 months ago and drove up to Barga, beautiful place and the locals speak Italian with a Scottish accent, weird as feck.

 

Edited to say that they do fish suppers for a week every year.

Edited April 19, 2015 by graygo

[FWJ]

Why is it when you wash and hoover your car it seems to drive better and go faster?

[RudiHMFC]

Why is it when you wash and hoover your car it seems to drive better and go faster?

I've washed my car once in 4 years so I wouldn't know.

[Paolo]

What if an animal doesn't like the taste of its prey? Like, what if a shark hates fish? Or a lion hates the taste of zebra?

And do you get animal 'activists' who deplore eating other animals and go around shouting/squacking/roaring 'meat is murder'?

[PsychocAndy]

I just went past the Scottish War Blind place in Wilkieston and noticed that the signs outside. Louis Braille Avenue and Louis Braille place, wasn't in Braille. It got me wondering if Braille is "The" universal language. Like would a packet of Ham have the same impressions as a packet of Jambon?

I'm wonder because you have a different sign language in different continents and everyone talks different.

sent by my phone using an enhanced Stephen Hawking like voice

Edited April 24, 2015 by PsychocAndy

[WSTR]

Crisps are fried plain then tipped into a giant tumble drier where the flavourings are added.

Surely not all crisps? How to Pringles not break up?

[WSTR]

Is it something to do with the speed of the fly at the point of impact? Just before the fly changes direction (to go the same direction as the train) there is a miniscule point in time where the speed of the fly is 0mph. No sure how the train can be considered stopped though.

 

That may be completely made up by the way but I think I'd read / seen something like this before.

Correct, every action has an equal or opposite reaction. at some point the fly has to stop flying (when it hits the train) and change direction. There will be a nanosecond where that fly isn't moving. In theory, at that exact nanosecond the train is also stationary as it is an equal reaction. Something along those lines.

 

Isaac Newton was an idiot.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Bump interesting thread.

 

Why do we use an extra T when we describe something SCOTTISH. British has one T, Irish one S so why is an extra T required when we are Scots . Scottish sounds like it refers to something Walter Scott related ?

[highlandjambo3]

Lucky you are not old enough to have felt the mitre mouldmaster.

 

Is that the one when wet and you try to header it, it bends around your face and slaps you in the back of the head??

[highlandjambo3]

Well if you traveled away from earth at the speed of light for one year then looked back, you'd see earth how it was just after you left no? Since you traveled at the same speed as the light.

So to look back millions of years you'd need to travel at millions of times the speed of light.

I think.

so...................what if you travelled 1mph faster than the speed of light..........would you be going back in time??

[Eric Shin]

Is that the one when wet and you try to header it, it bends around your face and slaps you in the back of the head??

 

 

Is that not a fully

[JamboInSouthsea]

Why is it on tv's that when the screen turns to mainly white e.g. in an advert you get a loud buzzing noise, the more white there is the louder it gets?

[Gorgiewave]

That wee ring of coffee that is under a mug even though you'd swear blind you didn't spill a drop...how did it get there?

[Stuart McNeill]

Why do films and TV shows persist on having gun shots and music soo loud compared to the actors just talking?

[Norm]

Why do films and TV shows persist on having gun shots and music soo loud compared to the actors just talking?

Because gun shots are generally louder than people talking?

[deesidejambo]

How come you go to the lavvy, weight yourself, then have a dump, you still weigh the same after?    How is that?