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{ "conversations": [ "Why is FIFA against adding instant replay to the game?", "There are a few fundamental considerations:\n\n* Uncertainty is a part of the game. The referee and linesmen are the arbiters of the action. Instant replay would limit their authority.\n* Football is global. Many places do not have access to the technology necessary to implement instant replay.\n* Football is a fast-paced game with few opportunities for stoppage. Instant replay would unnecessarily slow the pace.\n\nIn 2008, FiFA President Sepp Blatter said:\n\n \"Let it be as it is and let's leave [football] with errors. The television companies will have the right to say [the referee] was right or wrong, but still the referee makes the decision – a man, not a machine.\"\n\nBlatter and others at FIFA have repeatedly argued against using instant replay. But lately, FIFA has begun to come around on the idea. At FIFA's Congress in São Paulo prior to the 2014 World Cup, Blatter proposed allowing managers 2 challenges per game, much like the NFL handles challenges today.\nAlthough it's not quite \"instant replay,\" in 2012 FIFA approved two different goal-line technologies to improve referee accuracy: \"Hawk-Eye\" -- which uses visual triangulation to determine ball location -- and \"GoalRef\" -- which uses a microchip in the ball and magnetic sensors within goalposts. (Many say FIFA approved the technologies in response to Frank Lampard's snubbed \"goal\" against Germany in the 2010 World Cup.) In 2013, FIFA announced it would use GoalControl, a German competitor to Hawk-Eye, at the Confederations Cup, basically a rehearsal for the World Cup. After a successful run at that tournament, FIFA announced it would implement GoalControl at the 2014 World Cup. The Guardian provides a pretty helpful FAQ on the technology.\nFIFA may choose to implement further changes to approved goal-line technology and referee rules when it meets again after the World Cup." ], "quality_score": 0.8645744323730469, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "What is the genetic significance of humans being either left-handed or right-handed?", "Handedness is a very interesting phenomenon, but it is not as simple as being either left or right handed.\nIn most people the brain is asymmetrical, with some functions, such as language, being localised to one hemisphere. In most people this is the left hemisphere, which leads to these people being right handed as they use their dominant hand to perform tasks involving fine motor control, such as writing. Left handed people have their language centres in the right hemisphere, and while they may perform other tasks with their left hand they can often do tasks involving fine motor control with either hand.\nThere are also people who are truly ambidextrous, capable of performing tasks with either hand equally well. These people, while rare, do not have brains that are symmetrical, but have developed connections between the two hemispheres that allow them to access both motor cortices.\nThe genetics of handedness are complex and not well understood. There does appear to be a genetic component, but it is not straightforward. Identical twins who are brought up in the same environment are not always both left or right handed, suggesting that environmental factors also play a role.\nOne of the most interesting things about handedness is how early it becomes apparent. Children as young as two years old can be assessed for handedness, and it is very rare for a child's handedness to change over time. This suggests that it is very strongly influenced by genetics, with environmental factors playing a minor role." ], "quality_score": 0.8739156723022461, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "What are some strategies to maintain morale and productivity after massive layoffs? I am not in a managerial role, just a lead role, and am asking for myself and my fellow employees.", "The situation you're describing is tough. Layoffs have a very real impact on both the individuals that are let go and those that remain. I'm sorry you're experiencing this.\nHere are some things to consider that may help you and your colleagues cope with the added stress and emotions following a layoff:\n\n* Acknowledge the layoff and the feelings of your colleagues. Avoiding the topic can extend negative feelings and disenfranchise those most impacted. You should find an opportunity to connect with your colleagues for an honest conversation about your feelings following the layoff. Perhaps reach out to hold a number of 1-on-1 conversations, or gather your team for an off-site lunch and prompt the discussion.\n* Acknowledge that everyone will be impacted differently. Some of your colleagues will feel totally okay and ready to get back to work. Others will feel anxious and worried in a way that prevents them from performing the same way they did before the layoff. There is no right or \"professional\" reaction to a layoff. Be open to the feelings and reactions of all of your colleagues equally.\n* Create practical solutions to new processes and responsibilities. If your team now has a greater workload, be a generator of solutions. Try out ideas for making processes in your team more efficient and predictable.\n* Create transparency about the state of the business and potential future staff changes. Layoffs are a clear indication of business trouble. Facilitate sharing facts about the state of the business and actively work to eliminate rumors. Additionally, layoffs will likely cause shifts in responsibility as roles are consolidated or reorganized. Make clear who has specific responsibilities both inside and outside of your team. Actively eliminate any sources of uncertainty and anxiety that you can.\n* Be a role model. Don't participate in gossip or complaining about the layoff. Don't disparage management or other colleagues in casual conversation. Be a model for professionalism and caring.\n* Maintain work standards and a caring meritocracy. A layoff isn't an excuse for allowing work quality to decline. Additionally, differences in productivity and quality between team members should be consistently and fairly addressed. If a team member is underperforming following the layoff, provide direct feedback and ask what you can do to help.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.7321251630783081, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How can I adapt Ubuntu to a high resolution display?\nI have a display with 3200x1600px on only 11'' and everything looks really tiny.", "There are some steps to take:\n1. System wide Menu and titlebar scaling\nStarting with Ubuntu 14.04 we have an option that helps a bit:\nScaling Support\nopen the System Settings (here in english:)\n```LANG=c unity-control-center\n```\nGo to \"Displays\" and set the \"Scale for menu and title bars\".\n\nSince Ubuntu 17.10 the scaling can be set in \n```LANG=c gnome-control-center\n```\nGo to ```Settings > Devices > Displays``` there\nsee also: How to find and change the screen DPI?\n\n2. Universal Access\nGo to \"Universal Access\" (```unity-control-center universal-access```) and select \"Large Text\".\nNote: not all applications handle this correctly, some will not reserve the extra space, so some UI elements are not accessible with this option!\n\n3.Increase unity dock size\nIn ```unity-control-center```->```Appearance```->```Look``` at the botom, you can adjust the size.\n\n4. Adapt Firefox\nsee: Adjust Firefox and Thunderbird to a High DPI touchscreen display (retina)\n(or use Chrome, which works fine since Version 41.0.2272.76 Ubuntu 14.10, though Chrome will need to be restarted to take effect)\n\n5. Increase font in Pidgin\nThere is a plugin you can install:\n```sudo apt-get install pidgin-extprefs\n```\nThen you can increase the font in Plugins->Extended Prefs\n\n6. Create starter for applications that still don't scale\nSome applications still don't obey the global scaling (mainly java) for those few applications you can create a starter to only Fix scaling of java-based applications for a high DPI screen\n\nNote: In older Ubuntu versions, with unity-tweak-util in the section \"Fonts\" you can set the \"Text Scaling Factor\" to 2.0. This will scale the fonts in most applications to double size. " ], "quality_score": 0.9022130370140076, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to confuse cleverbot?", "Cleverbot is an online program that uses complex coding to hold text-based conversations with human readers. Though Cleverbot is great at holding basic conversations, it isn't perfect. With a little trickery, it's not terribly hard to get Cleverbot to reveal the limits of its programming. Whether you're trying to administer the Turing Test (a test used to tell whether an artificial intelligence can \"pass\" as a human) or simply looking for some easy laughs, visit Cleverbot.com to get started!\n\n## Confuse cleverbot with specific trick\n\n1. Try typing in song lyrics. Compared to other computer programs, Cleverbot is an exceptionally skilled conversationalist. However, Cleverbot knows nothing of the joys of music. If you try typing in a few lines of your favorite song lyrics, most of the time, Cleverbot will interpret the lyrics literally or give a nonsensical response, even if the lyrics are well-known. Note, however, that for certain songs that are very well-known, Cleverbot actually can (and will) recite the song lyrics if you start typing them in. For instance, try typing in the opening lyrics to Queen's \"Bohemian Rhapsody\": \"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?\"\n2. Present Cleverbot with a logical paradox. A paradox is a statement, question, or idea that has an answer that can't be logically found. Since some of history's greatest thinkers have struggled to untangle logical paradoxes, it's a very safe bet that Cleverbot will be completely perplexed by most of them. In addition, Cleverbot doesn't even do well talking about subjects that have the potential to be paradoxical, like time travel. Try using some of the paradoxes below, or use a search engine to find your own — there are literally hundreds out there. “If this statement is true, then Santa Claus is real.”\n\t* \"Since we haven't been visited by people from the future, does that mean that time travel will never be possible?\" \"What would happen if Pinocchio were to say, \"My nose will grow right now?\"\n3. Ask Cleverbot to play games with you. Cleverbot isn't terribly playful. For instance, if you ask it to join you in a game of chess or checkers, it'll say \"OK\", but then if you say, \"You go first,\" you'll get a nonsensical response. This is probably due to the fact that Cleverbot doesn't really have the capacity to play games — it knows to say that it wants to play chess with you, but it has no idea how to actually play chess. Cleverbot can, however, play rock paper scissors. Try it — say \"Let's play rock paper scissors\" and then say either \"Rock\", \"Paper\", or \"Scissors\".\n4. Type a sappy romantic dialog for Cleverbot. Sooner or later, almost everyone casually messing around with Cleverbot will get the idea to jokingly express the love or attraction they feel towards it. Though Cleverbot can handle basic overtures of love like \"I love you\" and \"Marry me\", it's not so good at interpreting subtle romantic comments or come-ons. For people nursing a crush on Cleverbot, a direct approach is apparently best. Give it a shot — try feeding Cleverbot pickup lines like \"I don't have a library card, but do you mind if I check you out?\" The response you get will usually be a little confused (at best) (if you use the library card line, you'll get \"I can say anything.\")\n5. Ask Cleverbot to do math problems. You might think that, because it's a computer program, Cleverbot would be able to do math problems almost instantly. In fact, for some reason, Cleverbot is terrible at doing math, even when the problems you ask it are very simple. It shouldn't take you long to get a confused response out of Cleverbot with this strategy. Sometimes, you'll even get different responses if you switch between using numerals and spelling each number out. For instance, asking \"What is 200 times 2?\" gets you the answer \"4,\" while asking \"What is two hundred times two?\" gets you the answer, \"A number.\"\n6. Talk to Cleverbot about supernatural things. Cleverbot doesn't have good old-fashioned human common sense, so it doesn't have a good grasp on what's real and what's not. Talking to Cleverbot about monsters, aliens, spirits, and other supernatural phenomena is likely to confuse it. You can also confuse it by bringing up some religious or spiritual topics, even if they're quite well-known. You can even use the subjects of modern-day ghost stories to the same effect. For instance, if you say, \"Have you ever been visited by Slenderman? \", Cleverbot will respond with, \"My life is a lie?!\"\n7. Talk to Cleverbot about famous people. Cleverbot knows nothing about politics or celebrity gossip. Asking Cleverbot about its opinion on a famous person or public figure will almost always confuse it. For example, asking, \"What do you think about Brad Pitt?\" will get the answer, \"I think he si (sic) a great president, he'll change the states.\" You may also want to try talking about the different things famous people have done — Cleverbot isn't terribly smart about these things either. For instance, typing in \"What do you think about the president's social policies?\" will get you: \"I think he isn't the president anymore.\"\n8. Talk to Cleverbot about other websites. Cleverbot does not understand other websites and will respond with something weird. Try talking about wikiHow and see what happens.\n\n\n## Confuse cleverbot with general strategies\n\n1. Talk with a lot of emotion. Cleverbot doesn't have a great grasp of the emotional context that is necessary to understand human communication. It will usually take everything you say literally. Because of this, Cleverbot isn't too \"clever\" when it comes to emotional questions and outbursts. Try typing a furious, rambling insult or tearfully asking for Cleverbot's forgiveness for some imagined slight — usually, its response won't make much sense.\n2. Talk in gibberish. One sure-fire way to get Cleverbot's wires crossed is to send it messages that don't make sense to humans, either. Typing in gibberish, either by purposefully misspelling words, making up new words, or just mashing randomly on the keyboard, can get some funny results. For instance, try the sample messages below:\n\t* \"Asuerycbasuircanys\" (random gibberish)\n\t* \"What is your opinion on the tornalions in reffriddo?\" (made-up words)\n\t* \"Wut arr ewe dewing laiter this eavning?\" (misspelled words)\n3. Use a lot of slang. Cleverbot doesn't have the common sense to be able to piece together sentences that use slang — especially modern slang. Using lots of colloquialisms and \"street\" lingo in your messages can usually get Cleverbot's metaphorical head to spin. The more slang you use, the better, as even literal-minded Cleverbot can usually figure out simple sentences like \"What's up, dog?\" Try getting started with one of these examples:\n\t* \"h0w 4r3 y0u d01n6, cl3v3rb07?\" (1337speak)\n\t* \"Yo, what's up, bro? Lemme ask you a question, broseph - how are you doing today, broheim?\" (Bro-y slang)\n\t* \"Well, pardner, it's about time we saddle up, hit that old dusty trail, and high-tail it out of here.\" (Cowboy slang)\n4. Use long messages. The longer and more complex the things you send to Cleverbot are, the less likely it will be to respond correctly. Typing out rambling, meandering messages (or even entire conversations) can get some pretty funny responses out of Cleverbot. Don't be afraid to stop one sentence and begin another — periods, question marks, and exclamation points are allowed in the middle of your message. For instance, you might want to have the same sort of long, aimless chat you might have when you're catching up with a friend. For instance, you might try: \"Cleverbot, how are you? I was just thinking about you. I hope you're doing well. I had a great weekend - I went hiking up on Castle Rock on Saturday. Beautiful views from the top. Have you ever been up there? We should go sometime. Anyway, I just wanted to know what you were up to.\"\n5. Keep your conversation going for a long time. The longer you follow a certain line of questioning, the more likely Cleverbot is to \"crack\". By the time you're ten or twelve messages into a conversation, Cleverbot has forgotten what you were originally talking about and is simply responding literally to each message as best as it can. This can lead to some pretty bizarre conversations, especially if Cleverbot misunderstands something you type. You may want to try using the \"Think For Me!\" button on Cleverbot.com for this. This button makes Cleverbot think up a response to its own message for you. Since Cleverbot is basically communicating with itself, using this button can quickly cause the conversation to devolve into nonsense, even if you only use it a few times.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.9350162744522095, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "Not sure if this is a Mozilla-specific JS syntax, but I often found variables being declared this way, for example, in add-on SDK docs:\n```var { Hotkey } = require(\"sdk/hotkeys\");\n```\nand in various chrome Javascript (```let``` statement is being used in place of ```var```),\n```let { classes: Cc, interfaces: Ci, results: Cr, utils: Cu } = Components;\n```\nI found it very confusing but I am not being able to find any documentation about both syntax, even on MDN.", "They're both JavaScript 1.7 features. The first one is block-level variables:\n\n ```let``` allows you to declare variables, limiting its scope to the block, statement, or expression on which it is used. This is unlike the ```var``` keyword, which defines a variable globally, or locally to an entire function regardless of block scope.\n\nThe second one is called destructuring:\n\n Destructuring assignment makes it possible to extract data from arrays or objects using a syntax that mirrors the construction of array and object literals.\n ...\n One particularly useful thing you can do with destructuring assignment is to read an entire structure in a single statement, although there are a number of interesting things you can do with them, as shown in the section full of examples that follows.\n\nFor those familiar with Python, it's similar to this syntax:\n```>>> a, (b, c) = (1, (2, 3))\n>>> a, b, c\n(1, 2, 3)\n```\nThe first code chunk is shorthand for:\n```var {Hotkey: Hotkey} = require(\"sdk/hotkeys\");\n// Or\nvar Hotkey = require(\"sdk/hotkeys\").Hotkey;\n```\nYou can rewrite the second code chunk as:\n```let Cc = Components.classes;\nlet Ci = Components.interfaces;\nlet Cr = Components.results;\nlet Cu = Components.utils;\n```" ], "quality_score": 0.9245108962059021, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How can democracy not be the rule of the poor?", "Here are some possible explanations why democracy is not necessarily the rule of the poor:\n\n* Voters voting by habit, not by analysis. Many people vote the same way their parents voted. Other vote exactly the opposite way. Neither involves analysis of their objective economic interest.\n* A middle class believing to be rich, a lower middle class believing to be middle class. In many countries, voters tend to vote in the interest of the class they aspire to be, not in the interest of the class they actually are. Part of that is self-deception about inequality and the own position. That is visible in tax policy, for instance, where the middle class votes against taxes on the upper class.\n* An upper class better able to work the political system than the poor. In some countries, attempts to simplify the access to the political system (e.g. through direct democracy or participatory budgeting) have backfired when it comes to the poor. These mechanisms remain complicated enough that it takes some familiarity with the political system to get anything done. Knowing how to organize a grassroots movement, how to write minutes of a meeting, how to collect signatures for a ballot initiative. So instead of better welfare in poor parts of town, there are better playgrounds in rich parts of town." ], "quality_score": 0.512821614742279, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to deal with being picked on?", "Many people are picked on everyday. Physical appearance and social status are often reasons why people are picked on. No matter the reason, teasing can be uncomfortable, and no one deserves to be treated badly. When teasing becomes a pattern — as it often does — it can develop into a serious bullying problem, which can later cause physical and emotional harm. It is important to address such issues as soon as possible. \n\n## Face the situation\n\n1. Remain calm. Teasing may make you feel many uncomfortable emotions like anger or anxiety. Try not to react from a place of fear or frustration. Crying, fighting back, or insulting the other person is often the reaction that a bully wants from you. Remove yourself from the situation if at all possible. This will often de-escalate the situation immediately. If you do become angry, take a deep breath and count to 10. Try to relax your whole body as much as possible. If you find that you must say something, use a short word that doesn’t escalate the situation. Try saying, “Whatever,” and move on. Refocus your attention on something positive. If you are feeling upset, look for something or someone that makes you feel safe and happy.\n2. Don't retaliate. As much as you might want fight back, it's important that you keep composure. Starting a physical fight can get you in serious trouble. Insulting a bully can often further provoke them and make the situation worse. Don't stoop to their level. Name-calling, harassing, picking on, or starting rumors about your bullies puts you in the same boat as them. Acting more mature than them gives you the upper hand, especially if you are in school where adults are always watching. Make it clear that you are the bigger person by saying something like, “I’m not even going to respond to that.”\n\t* Remember that no one deserves to be treated poorly. Even if you refrain from retaliation, you should maturely confront situations that make you uncomfortable.\n3. Stand up for yourself. Express that you don’t like what has been said or done. Speak in a firm and confident voice and then walk away. Showing that you have confidence — even if you don't — will let others know that you do not tolerate inappropriate behavior. Practice responding to the bully. Reach out to a trusted friend, a family member, a stuffed animal, or stand in front of the mirror. Act out the situation as realistically as possible. Practice saying short and neutral phrases that you feel comfortable using. Phrases like, “Stop that,” “That’s not funny,” or “I've had it,” are effective.\n4. Ignore the teasing. Ignoring a mean joke or teasing can be a successful strategy, especially if the situation is not serious; however, don’t let being picked on become a pattern, as it can become quite harmful over time. Pretend that you don’t hear the mean comments by keeping a straight face. This may be challenging at first, so it can take some practice. Bullies will often become bored when they can't get a reaction out of you. Look to a classmate or teacher and say something to show you are not paying attention to the bully. Try saying, “Hey, great shirt,” or “How’s it going?”\n\t* Appear distracted by your cell phone. If you can, look at your phone and say, “Oh, I missed a call,” or “I didn’t see that before.”\n5. Recognize bullying. Sometimes it may be hard to recognize bullying until it has progressed or escalated. You may feel isolated, be afraid or anxious to go to school (you may start pretending to be sick so you don't have to go), feel helpless, have difficulty sleeping, notice a change in your eating patterns (eating more or less than normal), or your grades may go down. Familiarize yourself with the different types of bullying so you can address it as soon as possible. Physical bullying includes hitting, kicking, tripping, hair pulling pinching, pushing, stealing, or damaging your things. This type of bullying uses physical force to cause damage. Verbal bullying includes insults, name calling, teasing, intimidation, verbal abuse, or homophobic, racist, sexist, or ableist comments. This may start off as \"harmless\" teasing or poking fun at first and escalate. Social bullying or covert bullying is often difficult to spot. You may not realize this is going on, as it can occur behind your back. This includes spreading rumors, telling other people not to be friends with you, lying about you, damaging your reputation, playing mean jokes, mimicking, giving you the silent treatment, etc. Cyber bullying can happen at any time and can be public or private. It may be done directly to you or behind your back. Cyber bullying uses technology — such as social media, texting, email, websites, etc. — to target the person. It can include spreading rumors, impersonating you online, spreading mean or harmful videos or pictures, excluding you, sending abusive or hurtful messages, and intimidation.\n\n\n## Seek support\n\n1. Tell someone if the teasing becomes a pattern. You've probably heard people say, \"No one likes tattle-tales,\" but you must look out for your own well-being. If bullies become violent, start harassing you constantly, or harass you online, tell someone. Whether it's a teacher, parent, or guidance counselor, it is important that someone is informed. Even if you think getting others involved may make the situation worse, adults can often help you determine an effective action plan. If the teasing happens at school, talk to a trusted teacher or guidance counselor. School officials should have training in how to deal with bullying. Think about what may reduce the interaction with the bully and help you feel safer. This may include rearranging seating or providing more adult supervision. Talk to a parent or family member that can give you some advice. Your parents should be alerted of the situation, especially if you are in danger. Note that getting your parents to talk to a bully’s parents, however, is often not recommended. A close friend may be the first person you are inclined to turn to when being picked on. Trusted friends should be willing to help you cope. They may accompany you to see a guidance counselor, or stay at your side when you are facing harassment. Telling someone that you are being picked on can be challenging. Let them know how you’re feeling by starting with, “This is hard for me to talk about, but I wanted to tell you what is going on.”\n2. Build self-confidence. Bullies pick on people who have low social standing or show low self-esteem. This does not mean that you should change who you are! Instead, work on feeling comfortable in your skin. Get involved in activities that make you feel good about yourself. Consider joining an school club, or take an extra class that helps you practice a skill that you enjoy. Exercise as a way to nurture a positive outlook and improve your self-image. You may enjoy a team sport, yoga, or self-defense classes. Positive affirmations are important in building security and self-esteem. Keep a journal and write positive things about yourself daily, not just when you are feeling bad.\n3. Learn from other people. There are several websites that are geared towards middle and high-school students who face bullying. Browse through the stories and advice on websites that provide a safe space for discussing such topics.\n\n\n## Help others\n\n1. Tell your story. Sharing your story can be helpful to others who are facing similar challenges. Write a blog or newsletter that explains your experience. Share what you are doing to confront the issue and make positive changes. Talk to your peers. If you know someone who is being picked on, find time to share coping strategies and practice ways to respond to teasing. For example, you can say, “Hey, I noticed that Jamie was annoying you. I hate it when he does that to me.”\n2. Don’t be a bystander. Do not encourage bullying behavior. Instead, help the person get out of the situation. Laughing at mean jokes or watching in silence suggests that you are not opposed to the behavior. Instead, let the bully know that you are not amused and/or walk away. If you are a part of the conversation, try saying, “Hey, that’s not cool.”\n\t* If you see that someone is in physical or emotional danger, seek help from an authority figure immediately.\n3. Befriend people whom you think are being picked on. Reach out to others who are going through the same problem. Developing a friendship can help you avoid confronting bullies by yourself. Plan to sit together at lunch or walk home together. You may develop a great friendship, and you will be able to support each other when faced with bullies. Bring it up by saying, “Want to get lunch today?” or, “Let’s hang out on the way home.”\n" ], "quality_score": 0.7217494249343872, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to decrypt Jenkins passwords from credentials.xml?", "There is a `hudson.util.Secret.decrypt()` function which can be used for this, so:\n\n1. In Jenkins, go to: `/script` page.\n2. Run the following command:\n```println(hudson.util.Secret.decrypt(\"{XXX=}\"))\n```\nor\n```\nprintln(hudson.util.Secret.fromString(\"{XXX=}\").getPlainText())\n```\nwhere `{XXX=}` is your encrypted password. This will print the plain password.\n\nTo do the opposite, you can run:\n```\nprintln(hudson.util.Secret.fromString(\"some_text\").getEncryptedValue())\n```\n\nAlternatively check the following scripts: `tweksteen/jenkins-decrypt`, `menski/jenkins-decrypt.py`." ], "quality_score": 0.5758992433547974, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Are the players on the same team as the DM?", "The GM isn't on a team, they’re the referee.\nThe way Pathfinder, D&D, and similar games work is that there are one or more player characters (the \"party\") that are controlled by the players.\nThe GM (DM, in D&D) usually doesn't run a player character (PC), but they are responsible for representing all aspects of the world, all the non-player characters (NPCs) and monsters and stuff, and adjudicating the rules.\nSo the GM may be controlling a character or creature that is friendly to the PCs, or a character or creature that is hostile to the PCs, or both at once! The GM is the orcs you fight and the friendly cleric that heals you and the rain that falls on you.\n\nGMs aren't supposed to be hostile to you in general; they are generally taught to give the players a fun challenge. It's no good to be \"against\" the players, because you can always kill PCs just by saying \"rocks fall, everyone dies!\" The GM is on your team inasmuch as they want everyone to have fun. Because their role is running monsters and the other stuff that you fight, they are often in opposition to you tactically, as they are responsible for the \"other team\" as part of their job. Some new GMs do get confused by this and decide it's them against the party, but that ends up being a problem that has to be solved by them wising up or their players leaving. \n\nThe context of your question isn't clear, so I'll add a note that might be relevant - some GMs, especially new ones, do run a PC of their own that's part of the party, these are referred to as GMPCs (or DMPCs). This is generally frowned upon because of the conflict of interest inherent in doing it, but it happens. That GMPC may be on your side, on your side most of the time, betray you, have other plans - just like any other person in the game world might. " ], "quality_score": 0.8766298890113831, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "What is the difference between ```warnings.warn()``` and ```logging.warn()``` in terms of what they do and how they should be used?", "Here are the differences:\n\n* ```logging.warning``` just logs something at the ```WARNING``` level, in the same way that ```logging.info``` logs at the ```INFO``` level and ```logging.error``` logs at the ```ERROR``` level. It has no special behaviour.\n\n* ```warnings.warn``` emits a ```Warning```, which may be printed to ```stderr```, ignored completely, or thrown like a normal ```Exception``` (potentially crashing your application) depending upon the precise ```Warning``` subclass emitted and how you've configured your Warnings Filter. By default, warnings will be printed to ```stderr``` or ignored.\n\n* Warnings emitted by ```warnings.warn``` are often useful to know about, but easy to miss (especially if you're running a Python program in a background process and not capturing ```stderr```). For that reason, it can be helpful to have them logged.\n\nTo use them, Python provides a built-in integration between the ```logging``` module and the ```warnings``` module to let you do this; just call ```logging.captureWarnings(True)``` at the start of your script and all warnings emitted by the ```warnings``` module will automatically be logged at level ```WARNING```." ], "quality_score": 0.896467924118042, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How do DOS games like DOOM benefit from a PCI graphics card?", "DOOM itself doesn’t do anything special to benefit from PCI graphics cards. It runs faster with PCI graphics cards (and VLB, AGP, and PCI Express cards) than with ISA graphics cards because the supporting bus is faster, so reads from and writes to video memory take less time.\nPCI goes to great lengths to preserve backwards compatibility with ISA-based VGA, providing support for “VGA compatible” adapters so that they can appear in memory at the same locations and use the same I/O ports as ISA VGA cards. So accesses to the VGA registers and to the VGA buffer (at 0xA0000) go directly to the main PCI VGA compatible adapter in the system, with no change required in the operating system or programs running on it. (This is the reason why there’s a specific “VGA compatible controller” device type in PCI. Such shenanigans are impossible for other device types in PCI, which is why PCI sound cards have so much trouble providing compatibility with programs written for ISA sound cards.)\nA faster bus and/or faster video memory immediately leads to higher performance in video-intensive programs because software doesn’t need to be careful about how it accesses video memory (except on CGA, and on all platforms with vertical blank synchronisation if it cares about tearing). So ```REP MOVSW``` or ```REP MOVSD``` with no waiting in software, once the program decides to write a frame, is perfectly fine, and will go faster and faster as the underlying hardware improves. On platforms where this can’t work in hardware (e.g. on an 8088 with a VGA card), the hardware takes care of specifics — for example on an 8088 the bus unit will split up 16-bit accesses.\nYour question is specific to DOOM but other DOS games are in a similar situation. Later games tended to rely on VBE (often using UniVBE) to access video modes beyond those provided by VGA, but they mostly didn’t use anything beyond video-mode setup and framebuffer configuration (see also Were any DOS games (or software) known to use VBE/AF?), so improved video speed came mostly from bus speed increases, faster video memory, and speed increases in the cards themselves (which was already a factor in the ISA era, compare most Trident cards to Tseng cards for example).\nFor an excellent explanation of the intricacies of VGA programming and its memory layout, see Fabien Sanglard’s Game Engine Black Book series. The DOOM update loop is shown on page 185 of the DOOM book; it doesn’t use any assembly language (unlike the renderer, see pp. 290 and following), but it does have one perhaps surprising feature given the 32-bit nature of the code: VGA updates are done 16 bits at a time. Section 2.3 of the same book, pp. 59 and following, describes some of the improvements to VGA adapters around the time DOOM was released, in particular the switch to the VESA Local Bus on 486s. The benchmark table on page 287 shows the importance of the bus." ], "quality_score": 0.8240832686424255, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to keep a dog hydrated?", "Water is essential for your dog’s digestion, circulation, waste filtering, and body temperature. Your dog should drink about one ounce of water for every pound of weight on a daily basis, though they may need more if they are exercising or if it’s hot outside. To ensure your dog stays hydrated, invest in a quality water bowl and make sure you are hydrating your dog effectively at home and on the go. If you think your pup is experiencing dehydration, bring them to the vet right away. Dehydration can be life threatening if it goes untreated.\n\n## Use a quality water bowl\n\n1. Get a water bowl that is the right size for your dog. Make sure your dog’s water bowl is the right size for them, as a bowl that is too big or too small will limit their access to water. Check that the water bowl is made for a small, medium, or large dog. Get the size that will make it easy for your pup to bend down and drink from the bowl. For example, tall, narrow bowls are ideal for dogs with long ears, such as Bassets and Spaniels. This can help to keep their ears out of the bowl, which can reduce the risk of ear infections. Smaller dogs do well with a water bowl that is low and shallow, as this will make it easier for them to drink from the bowl. A bowl that is big and wide is ideal for medium to large dogs.\n2. Buy a weighted water bowl. A weighted water bowl will have a heavier bottom, making them less likely to tip over. This may be a good investment if you are worried about your dog tipping over their water bowl or moving the bowl around and spilling the water while they drink. Look for weighted water bowls online or at your local pet store. Test the water bowl before you give it to your dog to use. Fill it with water and tap or try to tip one side of the bowl. A weighted water bowl should make it harder to do this.\n3. Invest in a water fountain. Larger dogs and dogs who are picky about their water may benefit from a water fountain. Most water fountains will filter and recirculate the water so it is fresh and tastes delicious to your dog. You can buy water fountains online or at your local pet store.\n\n\n## Hydrate your dog at home\n\n1. Fill your dog’s water bowl daily. Make sure you keep your dog’s water bowl filled with fresh water on a daily basis. Fill it up first thing in the morning when you give your dog their breakfast. Then, check their water bowl throughout the day to make sure it is full. Fill it up again at dinner time, if it needs refilling. Make sure you toss out any old water from the previous day before you fill it up with fresh water. This will ensure the water tastes good to your dog and is free of bacteria.\n2. Clean their water bowl regularly. Bacteria can end up sitting on the rim of the water bowl and in any water still in the water bowl. Get in the habit of cleaning your dog’s water bowl on a daily basis. Use soap and water to remove any grime or dirt in the bowl or on the rim. Dry the bowl well before you fill it up with fresh water and set it down for your pup. For example, you may clean the bowl first thing in the morning before filling it up with fresh water. This way, it will stay clean for the rest of the day until you clean it again the following morning.\n3. Place water bowls for your dog throughout your home. If your dog likes to roam through your home, make sure you have water sources located throughout the space for them. Put water bowls on each floor of your home. Set up water fountains in several spots in your house so your dog always has access to fresh water. Doing this will ensure your dog never gets dehydrated. Make sure you clean all of your dog’s water sources in your home on a daily basis. This will ensure they do not get dirty or contract any bacteria.\n4. Keep the toilet seat down in your home. Prevent your dog from drinking from the toilet bowl by keeping the seat down at all times. The water in your toilet bowl likely contains bacteria and other pathogens that are harmful to dogs. Keeping the seat down will make it difficult for your dog to access the toilet bowl water. It will also encourage them to drink the fresh, clean water from their water bowl instead. If your dog really enjoys drinking from the toilet, consider purchasing a ceramic bowl for them that will mimic the type of “bowl” your toilet is.\n5. Switch your dog to wet food. To encourage your dog to stay hydrated, consider switching from dry dog food to wet dog food. Wet dog food contains more water and can help your dog stay hydrated. Add water to their wet food at a 1:1 ratio to help your dog drink more water. You can also try giving your dog two wet food meals and one dry food meal a day. Wet dog food can be more expensive than dry food and requires more preparation time, so this may be a good option if you’re short on time and money. If your dog will eat all of their dry food at one time, you can try adding water to the dry food. Many dogs will consume all of the dog food as well as the water.\n\n\n## Hydrate your dog on the go\n\n1. Bring bottled water on walks or long trips. Dogs can often get dehydrated when they are out for a long walk or running around outside during a play session. Long car trips can also make your dog thirsty, especially if it is a hot day. Pack bottled water or water jugs and your dog’s water bowl so you can provide fresh water for them on the go. Some dogs can be trained to drink from a squirt bottle. Try to get your dog used to drinking from a squirt bottle so you can bring it with you when you go on a walk or to a dog park. This will make it easier for you to squirt water into your dog’s mouth if they start to get dehydrated. You can also purchase a portable, collapsible dog bowl to take with you on the go.\n2. Give your dog ice cubes as treats. Ice cubes are often a fun treat for dogs and can help them stay hydrated. Use ice cubes as a reward when your dog does a trick or follows an obedience command. Pack a cooler of ice cubes on a long trips and give them to your dog periodically to ensure they stay hydrated. To make the ice cubes more appetizing, you can try putting a dog treat in water in the ice cube tray and freeze it overnight. This way, your dog can lick the water, working their way to the treat inside the ice cube.\n3. Do not keep your dog tied up outside. Try not to keep your dog chained or tied up outside, especially on hot days. Dogs can end up wrapping their chain or leash around poles or trees, make it impossible for them to access their water bowls. Do not leave your dog tied up unattended for prolonged periods of time. If you do need to keep your dog contained, put them in their crate or kennel with access to a water bottle or a water bowl. This way, they will still be able to access fresh water.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.5646877288818359, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "I heard north ridge of mount Stuart from my friends, can you tell me more?", "Sure thing! This iconic North American climb is a 1200 ft (364 m) multi-pitch alpine trad route with 18 pitches, rated as Grade III. It is a famous alpine rock route, not just in Washington, but nationally. First ascended by John Rupley & Don Gordon (1956) [Great Gendarme] and James Wickwire & Fred Stanley (1964), it's a must-do for alpine rock enthusiasts.\n\nRoute Overview:\nFrom the Stuart Glacier notch, approximately 11 pitches of low/mid 5th class climbing lead to the Gendarme's base. Despite the enjoyable exposed climbing, the Gendarme features the most remarkable pitches. Two crux 5.9 pitches await, with the first being a steep dihedral offering good rests between challenging sections. Traverse to the offwidth, power through it, and tackle one more 5.8-5.9 pitch before the final three pitches of low 5th.\n\nEquipment:\nGear preferences vary. Carry your usual equipment for long alpine rock routes. If you want extra security in the cruxy 5.9 offwidth, carry one 3.5\" piece. You may need an ice axe and crampons if you approach via the glacier. \n\nGetting there:\nDrive I-90 to exit 85, turn left to join SR-970. Drive 6.6 mi and turn left on Teanaway River Road. Follow north fork road approximately 23 mil to the end of road.\n\nApproach and Descends:\nMultiple approach options exist, each with pros and cons. Either approach from the south via Longs Pass TH or from the north via Mountaineer Creek. Acquire a topographic map to determine the best route. If approaching from LPTH, head to Ingalls Lake, traverse ledges around the lake's east side, follow the trail to Stuart Pass, and descend northwest on talus. Ascend more talus to Goat Pass, traverse Stuart Glacier, and reach the 4th class gully leading to the North Ridge's prominent notch, marking the beginning of the upper ridge. If descending via LPTH, head down from the summit towards the false summit via blocky terrain, follow cairns and a ledge system east, and descend the seemingly endless Cascadian Couloir, eventually reaching Ingalls Creek.\nScramble to the false summit. Descend steep snow or scree then keep right through sparse trees to enter the Cascadian Couloir. Descend all the way to the valley floor, and then you can go back to via Long’s peak or Ingalls Lake. \n\nThis route is incredible and a must-do for anyone at ease with alpine rock climbing at this level. Keep in mind, though, that it's quite challenging and requires serious commitment. Just make sure you're prepared and always stay safe!" ], "quality_score": 0.88985276222229, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to purchase a textbook?", "In this article you will learn two ways to purchase your college textbooks. One way would be your college campus bookstore. Another will be online on your college website.\n\n## College campus bookstore\n\n1. Make sure you have a print out of your college classes, if not you can always ask a clerk in the bookstore to print one out. Each of your classes are categorized in a course for example: History will be HIST.\n2. Look at your college class list, find your first class and look for its category in the bookstore.\n3. After finding the category of your class, you will then look for your class on pieces of paper located on the bookshelf example: History 101 The piece of paper located on the bookshelf will have the class, professor of the class and the author of the book. The piece of paper will also have two amounts of the book NEW and USED. It will be your choice to decide if you would like to purchase a new book or a used book.\n4. Find your remaining books. When done finding books you will now be ready to check out.\n5. Head over to the register, the clerk will then scan your books, give you the total amount. After paying the clerk will go over the return policy after that you will be done purchasing your textbooks.\n\n\n## Purchase your textbooks online on your college website\n\n1. Locate your college website onto the internet For Example: www.csn.edu\n2. Go to the Bookstore on your college's website.\n3. Scroll down to websites and click your campus website For Example Cheyenne bookstore Website.\n4. Look at the next page that comes up and make sure that it says your campus that For example: Cheyenne bookstore. Click the link that says Textbooks and Course Materials. You will then select your program, term, and your division. By doing this correctly make sure you have a print out of your classes beside you.\n5. After selecting your division you will then select your department also known for your class Example History will be HIST then your will select your course and finally your selection.\n6. after submitting all your information the next page that appears will be the a picture of the book, title , author, price of a New book or Used book and if they have the book in stock.\n7. Click on the Add to Cart and add another course. Continue adding text books. You are now ready to check out make sure to look over all your information and read the instructions click on the checkout button if you are not a member make sure to register to continue checking out.\n8. After you register you will be back to the checkout page you will then follow instructions on how to pay and then you will have finished the process of purchasing a textbook online.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.7509574294090271, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "What is 25/2 of a milligram in micrograms?", "Here is the solution:\n\n25/2 of a milligram is 12.5 milligram.\nSince 1 milligram = 1,000 micrograms, 25/2 of a milligram = 12.5 * 1,000 = 12,500 micrograms." ], "quality_score": 0.8536445498466492, "source": "nlp" }

{ "conversations": [ "You, a creative writer, go to bed every night with mind full of creative ideas. However, you always wake up with a blank mind as if you ideas 'ran away' or were stolen overnight. Determined to find out, tonight you pretend to fall asleep.", "So there I was, sitting in my bedroom, laptop on my lap. The bright white light combined with the wonders of the Internet would prevent me from falling asleep anytime soon, or so I thought.\nAs always this late, my head was full of creative story ideas, and I couldn’t wait to put them into practice. But which one to choose? I figured I’d use a forum to push me in the right direction.\nAnd there it was, the perfect set-up for my story. I immediately started hacking away at this story, molesting my keyboard with my ferocity, but I didn’t last long. Within no time I started becoming sluggish and the pull of gravity on my eyelids seemed to multiply every couple of seconds. I was asleep before I knew it.\nWhen I woke up all the ideas, all the world changing revelations, all the new and innovative narrative structures, were gone. Just as they always were when I woke up.\n…\nSo, uh, that’s what happened. I’m terribly sorry. I swear I had a great idea for this prompt, but it just kind of escaped me.\nIt won’t happen again, I promise. Tonight I’ll confront that what is taking away my ideas. You see, I’ve got a plan. I’ll pretend to be asleep.\nWish me luck." ], "quality_score": 0.8715561628341675, "source": "writingprompts" }

{ "conversations": [ "Can Romex (NM-B) cable be run through conduit?", "Yes, NM (Romex) cable can be in conduit. In fact, National Electrical Code (NEC() calls for it to be in conduit, when protection from physical damage is required. But it really isn't worth it.\n\n## It's a nightmare to pull\nNM (Romex) is already solid wire except in the large sizes, and now you have 3-4 wires bound together. You are trying to pull this around maybe 14\" radius elbows, and if the NM gets twists in it (it always does), it really drags in those places. It's just a stiff, miserable pull - enough to \"put you off conduit forever\" - which is a shame, because conduit is wonderful when using easy-to-pull stranded wire.\n\nPulling this stiff cable increases the risk of damaging the cable. What's more, \"cable in conduit\" is often a newbie who chooses cable simply because he is unaware that wire comes in any other forms. Which leads to more risk of damage still.\n\n## It requires ridiculously large conduit\nYou still have to calculate and respect conduit fill rules, and those are very punishing toward cable. Most cable is oblong, and the rules say you use the largest dimension and treat it as a circular wire of that dimension.\n\n* For a single \"wire\", you are allowed 53% conduit fill. That means the conduit ID must be at least 137% of the large cross-section of the cable. That's not so bad, but...\n* For two \"wires\", you're only allowed 31% fill. That's to protect the wires from binding. That means the conduit ID must be at least 2.54 times the cable large dimension.\n* For three \"wires\", you're allowed 40% fill. That means the conduit must be at least 2.74 times the cable width (at 3 wires), larger for more wires.\n\nFor instance, someone wanted to squeeze three #6 cables through a 1\" conduit. Now this is \"easy peasy\" with 6 individual #6 THHN wires and 3 bare #10 grounds. However, with three #6 UF cables, the conduit size needed to be 3\" instead of 1\". Whoa.\n\nYou are certainly allowed to do it, but you will be using rather enormous conduit, and you will have a hard time pulling." ], "quality_score": 0.6716508865356445, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Are sharks mammals?", "No, sharks are not mammals, sharks are a type of fish. \nFirst, mammals breathe by taking air into their lungs, whereas sharks use their gills to extract oxygen from the water.\nSecond, female mammals nurish their young using milk secreted from glands, whereas female sharks do not have glands that secrete milk.\nThird, mammals are warm blooded whereas sharks are cold blooded." ], "quality_score": 0.7285119295120239, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "Am I doing wrong for refusing to pay for my sister's husband's surgery with my inheritance/college money?", "It can be challenging to make judgment on the circumstances of others, particularly when the situation is complex and involves financial decisions. Here are a few perspectives that may be helpful to consider as you navigate this situation:\n\n* It’s always your call how to spend your inheritance and college savings. In general, you are not obligated to use your savings to pay for anyone’s surgery, even if they are related to you by marriage. You may have your own financial plans of how to use this sum of money based on your priorities. Your sister shouldn’t use moral coercion to force you to compromise and fulfill her wishes. \n* Family relationship is also important. On the other hand, you don’t want to destroy your family relationship with your sister especially when she is in great need. If you have a very close relationship with her and her husband, it’s reasonable that you make the decision of using your savings to help them. However, it would also be wise to seek advice from professionals and trusted family members before making any decisions about how to spend your money.\n \n\nIn conclusion, the decision is ultimately yours to make and it should be based on what you believe will have a positive impact on your future plans. It’s important to have open and honest conversations with your sister and her husband about your decision and concerns." ], "quality_score": 0.612686276435852, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "How do I initialize a TypeScript Object with a JSON-Object?", "This question is quite broad, here are two solutions.\n\n### Solution 1: Helper Method\nHere's an example of using a Helper Method that you could change to fit your needs:\n```class SerializationHelper {\n static toInstance(obj: T, json: string) : T {\n var jsonObj = JSON.parse(json);\n if (typeof obj[\"fromJSON\"] === \"function\") {\n obj[\"fromJSON\"](jsonObj);\n }\n else {\n for (var propName in jsonObj) {\n obj[propName] = jsonObj[propName]\n }\n }\n return obj;\n }\n}\n```\nThen use it:\n```var json = '{\"name\": \"John Doe\"}',\n foo = SerializationHelper.toInstance(new Foo(), json);\nfoo.GetName() === \"John Doe\";\n```\n\n* Advanced Deserialization\nThis could also allow for some custom deserialization by adding your own ```fromJSON``` method to the class (this works well with how ```JSON.stringify``` already uses the ```toJSON``` method, as shown below):\n```interface IFooSerialized {\n nameSomethingElse: string;\n}\nclass Foo {\n name: string;\n GetName(): string { return this.name }\n toJSON(): IFooSerialized {\n return {\n nameSomethingElse: this.name\n };\n }\n fromJSON(obj: IFooSerialized) {\n this.name = obj.nameSomethingElse;\n }\n}\n```\nThen use it:\n```var foo1 = new Foo();\nfoo1.name = \"John Doe\";\nvar json = JSON.stringify(foo1);\njson === '{\"nameSomethingElse\":\"John Doe\"}';\nvar foo2 = SerializationHelper.toInstance(new Foo(), json);\nfoo2.GetName() === \"John Doe\";\n```\n\n### Solution 2: Base Class\nAnother way you could do this is by creating your own base class:\n```class Serializable {\n fillFromJSON(json: string) {\n var jsonObj = JSON.parse(json);\n for (var propName in jsonObj) {\n this[propName] = jsonObj[propName]\n }\n }\n}\nclass Foo extends Serializable {\n name: string;\n GetName(): string { return this.name }\n}\n```\nThen use it:\n```var foo = new Foo();\nfoo.fillFromJSON(json);\n```\n\nThere are too many different ways to implement a custom deserialization using a base class, and ultimately it depends on how your own choice." ], "quality_score": 0.878913938999176, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Does having a longer Ethernet cable slow your connection?", "For all practical purposes, there will be no effect on the speed of your connection.\n\nThere will be a very insignificant amount of delay due to long cables. This won't affect the maximum speed of your connection, but it would cause some latency. pjc50 points out that it's about a nanosecond for every foot of cable length, which is a good rule of thumb used by many engineers when developing systems which are very dependent on latencies on those timescales.\n\nIn reality, you will never notice a difference. A \"fast\" ping time on the Internet is 10 ms, which is 10,000,000 ns. Adding even a few hundred feet of cable isn't going to have a noticeable effect at that point. In fact, nearly every step of the way involves delays which are more extreme than those seen from signal propagation. For example, most consumer grade routers will wait for the last byte of an incoming packet to be received and check it for errors before sending the first byte of the packet on its way. This delay will be on the order of 5,000 ns! Given that the maximum length of cable you can run (per the Ethernet spec) is 300 ft, the cable length could never cause more than 300 ns of delay due to the cable!" ], "quality_score": 0.5264961123466492, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "When are Decision Diagrams the right way to model and solve a problem?", "Decision diagrams (DDs) are most effective when they can compactly represent a large (perhaps exponential) set of solutions. This is done by merging equivalent states in each layer. To make decision diagrams scalable, we can use relaxed decision diagrams which allow merging nodes that are not necessarily equivalent. Relaxed decision diagrams provide dual bounds on the objective function -- a larger width can produce a stronger bound.\nThe relationship between the size of the decision diagram and the underlying combinatorial structure of the problem is well studied in the computer science literature; see for example the textbook by Wegener. The most important feature that influences the size is the variable ordering. We can use this to come up with some general guidelines on when a DD may be successful for combinatorial optimization:\n\n* The problem has a sequential structure, and decisions for stage $i$ depend only on the decisions made in stages $i-k$ through $i-1$, for small $k$.\n* The induced width of the constraint graph of the problem is small.\n* For a MIP model, the constraint matrix has a small bandwidth.\n* For knapsack-like problems, the maximum `budget' is relatively small.\n\nNote that in some of the above cases, precise characterization of 'small' may yield (pseudo-)polynomial bounds on the size of the exact DD. In practice, relaxed DDs will always have polynomial size.\nThere are several areas of combinatorial optimization in which decision diagrams have been successfully applied:\n\n* Sequencing and routing problems. For example, single machine scheduling with setup times, time windows, and/or precedence constraints, which can also be applied to constrained traveling salesperson problems. A similar decision diagram representation was used by Grubhub to solve pickup-and-delivery problems.\n* Decomposition and embedding in MIP models. Decision diagrams have been used to represent subproblems in MIP models that are otherwise difficult to linearize. For example, to represent nonlinear objective functions, constrained employee schedules, or nonlinear circuit design. DDs have also been used in column generation.\n* Graph-theoretic problems. Examples include set covering, maximum independent set, and maximum cut.\n* Constraint programming. Constraint propagation based on (relaxed) decision diagrams can be much more effective than propagating domains of individual variables. This was first demonstrated on overlapping alldifferent constraints." ], "quality_score": 0.625485360622406, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to make a rubber band star?", "Making a star out of a rubber band is a simple trick that you can use to impress your friends! All you need is a sturdy rubber band a little bit of patience. Once you get a single star down, try making a star within a star to up the ante a bit.\n\n## Create a single star\n\n1. Place a sturdy rubber band over your left thumb and index finger. Put the rubber band near the end of your fingers and stretch your fingers out slightly so the rubber band stays taut. Turn your hand so that your palm is facing you. Choose a rubber band that's not too wide, as wide rubber bands are more difficult to stretch. Also, pick a slightly longer rubber band than normal. There's not a set width and length, but if you're having trouble stretching it around your fingers, it probably won't work.\n2. Lift the band closest to you over the top band and pull the top band out. When holding your palm toward you, you'll see 2 bands. Push your right index finger underneath the first one and hook your finger over the second band, pulling it out. It should go underneath the first band and out toward your palm.\n3. Twist the loop over itself and hook it on your pinkie. Use your right hand to twist the band you just pulled out to the right over itself. It should make a little teardrop-shaped loop that you can hook over your pinkie. You should now have a triangle shape stretched between your index finger, thumb, and pinkie. The rubber band should twist around each finger to make a teardrop-shaped loop, and the triangle should be on the inside edges of your fingers, not the outside.\n4. Reach into your thumb loop to grab the top band with your index finger. Insert your right index finger near the inside of your left thumb in the loop made by the rubber band, going down as you do. Go up through the middle triangle (with the thumb loop over your finger) to grab the band that's between your left index finger and your pinkie. Draw the band out the way you came in, through the thumb loop. You should now have a square in the middle. Keep holding on to the loop you pulled out with your right index finger.\n5. Grab the right side of the band between your 2 index fingers. Insert your right middle finger up through the loop that's over your pinkie. Grab the band that's just to the left and pull it out below. Stretch out your fingers to make the final star! Your right index finger and right middle finger will be holding on to 2 points of the star.\n\n\n## Move to a double star\n\n1. Begin with a single star. To move to a double star, you need to be able to make the single star first. The double star is a continuation of the single star, so get your hands in position with your left index finger, left thumb, left pinkie, right index finger, and right middle finger each holding a point of the star. You will need a long rubber band that's not too wide. You should easily be able to stretch it between 2 hands. However, it should be small enough to maintain tension over 3 fingers on one hand.\n2. Release your pinkie and your left thumb and stretch the triangle over them. Let the loops just pop over the edges of these fingers. As you do, you'll have a triangle shape with a loop over the right index finger and a loop over the middle index finger. Place the right index finger loop over your left thumb and the right middle finger loop over the left pinkie. Pull your right fingers out of the loops.\n3. Grab the bottom of the loop near your index finger. Use your right index finger and middle finger and grab the band the runs directly in front of your left index finger. It's technically the bottom part of the loop going over the index finger. Insert your fingers in it from the top but with your finger pads pointing up.\n4. Pull the bottom loop down and twist it. The loop should end up below the other parts of the rubber band. Twist it over itself to the left, forming a new loop. The loop should currently be over your right index finger and middle finger.\n5. Place your right fingers through the bottom loops. Put your right index finger through the inside of the loop that goes over your thumb. Place your right middle finger through the inside of the loop that goes over your pinkie, going from the top each time.\n6. Lift the loop off with your thumb. Grab the loop that you pulled down from the top with your right thumb and pull it over the ends of your fingers while keeping them in the loops of the star. Pull down on the 2 loops at the bottom, and you have a star within a star!\n" ], "quality_score": 0.7524428963661194, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to clean slate?", "Slate is a stone that brings natural beauty into the home, and can be expensive to install. Regular maintenance cleaning can help preserve slate. But sometimes, it needs a deep clean or stain removal. A combination of regular cleaning and an occasional deep clean can help keep your slate in good condition.\n\n## Maintain a regular clean routine\n\n1. Sweep or remove dust and debris regularly. If you have slate floors, it is important to sweep daily or several times a week. Dust can damage slate over time by wearing away the surface. Keeping a regular cleaning schedule can prevent this damage. Use a dry broom or cloth for this step.\n2. Mix a solution of mild soap and water. For this, you will need a large bucket full of warm water. Mix in a little bit of soap. Dish soap works well for this.\n3. Mop or wipe the surface. Gently wipe the surface of the slate using small circular motions. This motion will loosen and lift dried-on dust and dirt. Use a soft mop, made from materials such as a microfiber. Stiff bristles can damage the stone. For vertical surfaces, clean from the bottom up. Slate should be cleaned with soap every 2-3 months.\n4. Rinse the slate with water. Rinse out your bucket and mop first, and then use them to rinse the slate with water. Soap buildup can attract more dirt, meaning you will have to clean your slate again.\n5. Dry the slate with a fresh, dry, soft cloth. This will remove any streaks from forming on the slate that may occur from air drying and prevent slipping on floor surfaces.\n\n\n## Clean deeply\n\n1. Sweep and mop the slate. Start with removing dry dust and debris by sweeping. Then mop or wipe the slate surface with a soft cloth or microfiber mop in soapy water. Allow the surface to dry.\n2. Apply teak oil to the slate. After the surface is completely dry, apply teak oil to a clean, dry cloth. Using small, circular motions, apply cloth to the slate to cover it in a thin layer of teak oil. Designated slate oil is also available to buy at some hardware stores. However, it tends to be more expensive. Teak oil will achieve the same results.\n3. Clean grout between slate tiles. Mix a solution in a spray bottle that is 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water. You can find hydrogen peroxide at hardware stores or pharmacies. Spray the solution onto the grout. Avoid direct contact with the eyes when using hydrogen peroxide. Repeat this step as needed if the grout doesn't look clean after the first round.\n4. Reapply sealant as needed. Sealant protects slate from some everyday wear and tear, and is used on interior surfaces. Each sealant is different, so be sure to follow the specific instructions that come with it. In general, apply at least two layers and allow the sealant to dry completely between coats. Each sealant will come with instructions about how often to reapply it.\n\n\n## Remove a stain\n\n1. Mix a solution in a spray bottle that is 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water. Allow the mixture to sit for around 10 minutes.\n2. Spray the solution onto the stain and scrub. Using a soft-bristled brush or microfiber cloth, scrub the stain with small, circular motions. If the stain does not come out, a stronger solution may be needed.\n3. Mix a solution of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Add a few spoonfuls of baking soda to the peroxide until the mixture becomes bubbly. Wait until the bubbles stop.\n4. Apply the solution to the stain. Once the peroxide and baking soda mix has set, you can wipe it away with a clean cloth.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.5938558578491211, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "I am trying to get my program to print out ```\"banana\"``` from the dictionary. What would be the simplest way to do this?\nThis is my dictionary: \n```prices = {\n \"banana\" : 4,\n \"apple\" : 2,\n \"orange\" : 1.5,\n \"pear\" : 3\n}\n```", "As of Python 3.7, insertion order is maintained, so you don't need an ```OrderedDict``` here. You can use the below approaches with a normal ```dict```\n\nChanged in version 3.7: Dictionary order is guaranteed to be insertion order. This behavior was an implementation detail of CPython from 3.6.\n\nsource\n\nPython 3.6 and earlier*\nIf you are talking about a regular ```dict```, then the "first key" doesn't mean anything. The keys are not ordered in any way you can depend on. If you iterate over your ```dict``` you will likely not get ```"banana"``` as the first thing you see.\nIf you need to keep things in order, then you have to use an ```OrderedDict``` and not just a plain dictionary.\n```import collections\nprices = collections.OrderedDict([\n ("banana", 4),\n ("apple", 2),\n ("orange", 1.5),\n ("pear", 3),\n])\n```\nIf you then wanted to see all the keys in order you could do so by iterating through it\n```for k in prices:\n print(k)\n```\nYou could, alternatively put all of the keys into a list and then work with that\n```keys = list(prices)\nprint(keys[0]) # will print "banana"\n```\nA faster way to get the first element without creating a list would be to call ```next``` on the iterator. This doesn't generalize nicely when trying to get the ```nth``` element though\n```>>> next(iter(prices))\n'banana'\n```\n* CPython had guaranteed insertion order as an implementation detail in 3.6." ], "quality_score": 0.883906364440918, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ " In only 26 words, going down the alphabet, write a murder.", "A blade, cold, dark, enticingly fun. Gliding hungrily into jugulars, knees, ligaments; moving noiselessly, only pain. Questioning reasons, seeking to undo. Vaulted worry. EXIT! You zealot." ], "quality_score": 0.828222930431366, "source": "writingprompts" }

{ "conversations": [ "You are asleep on your boat on open sea. When you wake up you discover you have been robbed. A quick inspection of security cam footage reveals that the pirates who robbed you left your ship exactly an hour ago. The sea is flat, extends indefinitely, and is fully covered in a thick persistent fog. You have no idea in which direction the pirates fled. But you do know that these pirates always continue in a straight line at full speed away from their victim. Their maximum speed on open water is 20 nautical miles per hour. Your boat can reach 21 nautical miles per hour. \nHow do you catch the pirates?", "If we assume the ocean is flat and extends indefinitely in all directions, there is a strategy that guarantees we can catch the pirates in at most 800,000 years.\n\nPut our current location as the origin of a coordinate system. We will describe our position in polar coordinates, as a function of time: $(r(t),\\theta(t))$ (where we have arbitrarily chosen a direction to be $\\theta=0$, and $t=0$ is when we realized we had been robbed).\n\nWe begin by traveling in the $\\theta=0$ direction for 20 hours, putting our position at $(420, 0)$. We are then the same distance from the origin as the pirates. Next, we will travel in a spiral, in a manner so that $r'(t)=20$ at all times. This guarantees we will always be the same distance from the origin as the pirates. For $t\\geq 20$, we will have $r(t)=420+20(t-20)=20t+20$.\n\nOur speed is\n$$\n\\sqrt{(r')^2+r^2(\\theta')^2} = 21\\text{ mph},\n$$\nand $r'(t)=20$ for $t>20$, so\n$$\n\\theta'(t)=\\sqrt{\\frac{41}{r^2}}=\\frac{\\sqrt{41}}{20+20t}.\n$$\nIf there is a $t\\geq 20$ for which $\\theta(t)$ is the angle in which the pirates fled, we will catch them. This means we will certainly catch the pirates by the time $\\theta$ has increased from $0$ to $2\\pi$. If $t_0$ is the time this happens, we have\n$$\n2\\pi=\\int_{20}^{t_0}\\theta'(t)\\,dt=\\int_{20}^{t_0}\\frac{\\sqrt{41}}{20+20t}dt.\n$$\nSolving for $t_0$ gives\n$$\nt_0=21\\mathrm{exp}\\left(\\frac{40\\pi}{\\sqrt{41}}\\right)-1\\approx 7,005,043,026.\n$$\nThis means we can catch the pirates in at most 7,005,043,026 hours, or about 800 millennia. Better later than never!" ], "quality_score": 0.8232069611549377, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Write a paragraph introducing a surreal scene. Someone else writes the next paragraph on the comments, and so on.", "Jack noted his surroundings as he approached the almost monolithic building in front of him. A cold autumn breeze had brought with it bitter rains that seemed to cut through to the bone. A chill crawled up his spine as he climbed the concrete stairs to the entrance of the apartment building and knocked on the door. Was it the cold or what he was about to do that caused him to shiver so? He knew not as he waited for an answer at the door." ], "quality_score": 0.8344478011131287, "source": "writingprompts" }

{ "conversations": [ "How do you know if you're in a healthy relationship?", "It is important to understand that there is no \"one size fits all\" answer to your question. Every relationship is different, and there is no single way to define a \"healthy\" relationship.\n\nThat said, there are some general guidelines that you can use. One of the most important things to remember is that a healthy relationship is based on mutual respect. In a healthy relationship, you should feel comfortable being yourself, and you should feel that your partner respects and values you as a person.\n\nAnother important aspect of a healthy relationship is honesty. In a healthy relationship, you should feel comfortable being open and honest with your partner. Your partner should feel the same way towards you. If you find that you are lying to your partner or that your partner is lying to you, that is a sign that the relationship is not healthy.\n\nIn addition, equality is also an important aspect of a healthy relationship. In a healthy relationship, neither partner should feel that they are \"superior\" to the other, and neither should feel like they are \"inferior\". The relationship should be equal in every way.\n\nFinally, it is important to remember that a healthy relationship takes work. You shouldn't expect a healthy relationship to be perfect. You will have arguments and disagreements just like any other couple, but how you deal with those disagreements is what makes the relationship healthy.\n\nIn conclusion, the best way to know if your relationship is healthy is to ask yourself if you feel comfortable being yourself around your partner, if you feel like your partner respects you, if you feel like your partner is honest with you, if you feel like your partner is equal to you, and if you feel like you can talk to your partner about anything. If you can answer yes to all of those questions, then your relationship is probably healthy." ], "quality_score": 0.7132209539413452, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to reformat a laptop?", "## Reformatting your laptop with installation cds\n\n1. Back up your hard drive. Reformatting your laptop will cause you to lose all of your information so it is recommended that you back up your hard drive on an external hard drive, CDs, or DVDs if you wish to keep it.\n2. Determine which method of restoration is provided by the manufacturer. If you received a set of installation CDs with your machine, then use this. If you did not, your computer may have a restore partition set up, which means you will need to employ a different method.\n3. Insert the operating system disk into your CD/DVD drive. It normally auto-runs and will open to a menu, or options page. Select the option for installing a fresh copy of the operating system. If the CD doesn't run by itself, double click on \"My Computer,\" and then right click on the drive with the OS disk. Click \"Auto-Run.\"\n4. Wait for the CD to proceed automatically. If you are away from the computer for awhile, it will pause at the next point, awaiting any required input from you. Follow the prompts, be patient and avoid the temptation to intervene. This process may take a few minutes. If you are reformatting your laptop hard drive, you will accept the default offerings/settings that the installation disc is asking for.\n5. Wait for the installation to complete. When the operating system installation is complete, a completely fresh desktop will appear.\n\n\n## Reformatting a laptop use restoration partition\n\n1. Restart your computer. While the machine is rebooting, repeatedly press the F10 key on your keyboard until the machine boots. This will take you into the partition offering you options for repair or restore (reformatting and reloading).\n2. Select the option for installing a fresh system. The beauty of this system is that you don't have to do anything else. The restore partition will completely run the program to format, reload the OS, install drivers and install all of the original software that came with your laptop.\n3. Wait for the reformat to complete. This process will usually take around 30 minutes to complete.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.7557095885276794, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to create a custom list on imdb?", "If your IMDb Watchlist doesn't cut it for the information you want to save, you may want to set up a custom list. IMDb allows you to make these custom lists from their app or their website.\n\n## Via the imdb mobile app\n\n1. Open the IMDb app. IMDb can be found in the iPhone and Android app store. The icon may either be yellow with black lettering or clear with yellow lettering: this will differ from operating system to operating system.\n2. Try and view your current custom lists. Tap the person icon to the right of the search box; then tap the \"Your Lists\" option from between the Your Check-Ins and Your History options of your Watchlist options page. To get here on a tablet such as an iPad or Android tablet, instead, choose the hamburger menu to the left of the search bar at the top of the screen and choose \"Your lists.\"\n3. Tap \"Create a list\". This can be found up near the top of the screen, underneath the feature telling you how many lists you have and how they are sorted. It's just above all your current IMDb lists.\n4. Designate whether the list will be private or not. If you want it to be private, make sure the slider switch remains green. If you want it public, tap or slide the green slider switch to turn off the privatized settings for this new list.\n5. Tap the \"New list title\" label line and enter a new title for the custom list. When you've finished naming it, tap the \"Done\" button.\n6. Describe why you created the list. If there's a theme to the list, use this option to remind yourself what the purpose is. There is no true \"Done\" button, but you can proceed to the next step to finish the process instead; Return just line-advances to a new line below the current one.\n7. Tap the \"Save\" button in the top right corner of the screen.\n8. Stock the list with some initial content. Tap the list you just created. Tap the \"Add to List\" option. Type the title. The tool will begin searching for items you can add to the list. If by the end of the search the title just doesn't come up, you can press the Search button on your keyboard. Tap the item to add to list.\n9. Repeat for additional titles to add. Tap the + sign to the right of (1 title) instead for each successive addition.\n\n\n## Via the website\n\n1. Log in to the IMDb website in your web browser. Once you get to the website, you'll click either the \"Sign in with Facebook\" or \"Other sign in options\" buttons or links near the top right corner of the page; you can sign in via Facebook, Google, or Amazon, or you can create an IMDb account. Then you'll have free range to add stuff to your Watchlist at any time.\n2. Hover over your name near the right hand corner and click \"Your Lists\". This will take you to the page containing all your lists, including your Watchlist and list of check-ins. If you already have other lists, this page will also display these other lists by title only.\n3. Click the \"Create a New List\" button over on the right-hand side.\n4. Name your list. Click into the \"List Title\" field and type your name for the list. This is one of two mandatory fields to create the list.\n5. Describe your list. Click into the \"List Description\" box and type a description for the list.\n6. Tell IMDb what types of items you are planning to save in this list. On the IMDb mobile site, the types of Items is pre-populated. On the website, you have to choose one item from the drop-down list: your choices include: \"Titles\", \"People\" and \"Images\".\n7. Click the \"Create\" button once you are done.\n8. Click in the text box to the right of \"Add a movie or TV show to this list\".\n9. Search for the item, based on IMDb labeling and formatting and click the item once it appears. Unlike the mobile app, which shows you the profile images for the item, with the website version, you just get the name and release date for the item. Wait for the list to be populated with the item. It should take a few seconds to add the item to the list.\n10. Repeat with any other items you'd like to add to the list to create the list's initial structure.\n11. Click the Done button in the top right corner of the tool. It'll eventually pop open the custom list with the list of titles alphabetized.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.8782534599304199, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "O que é Reflection. Por que é útil?\n* É recomendável usar em projetos?\n* Como usar?\n* Em quais situações Reflection pode ser usado?", "Reflection é um termo usado para indicar a capacidade de obter metadados sobre o próprio programa compilado, em português pode-se referir a isso como reflexão mesmo.\nComo assim, metadados?\nObter informações sobre os tipos de dados, de forma dinâmica, é muito importante para códigos que atuam sobre objetos que não se conhece em tempo de design. É muito usado em bibliotecas que se propõem a lidar com objetos de tipos que elas desconhecem em sua concepção.\nO ASP.NET MVC por exemplo, só é um projeto possível por causa da reflexão. De que forma ele poderia chamar os métodos dos controllers, que ele nem conhece?\nVisto, isso é preciso dizer que reflexão não é sempre rápido, é necessário verificar permissões, o nível de segurança em que o código está rodando, entre outras. Por isso, quando se obtém um resultado qualquer vindo através da reflexão, geralmente essas informações são colocadas em cache, ou seja, salvas em memória.\nÉ recomendável?\nDepende do uso:\n\n* sim, é recomendável: para criar comportamentos dinâmicos usando atributos, a única opção é reflexão\n* sim, é recomendável: para chamar método que não se conhece durante a concepção do sistema, também é a única opção\n* não, é abuso fazer isso: chamar um método, de uma classe conhecida em design-time usando reflexão... é absurdo\n\nExistem tantas formas de usar reflexão que eu poderia continuar essa lista por muito tempo. Então mais vale o seguinte conselho: bom senso.\nComo usar?\nExistem alguns vetores de uso de reflexão que eu conheço. Para demonstrá-los, vamos considerar primeiramente a seguinte classe:\n```public class Pessoa\n{\n public string Nome { get; set; }\n}\n```\n\n* Expressões Lambda: esse é um vetor de reflexão, pois é possível usar expressões lambda para chegar aos tipos, métodos entre outros objetos refletidos, que tenham sido usados na expressão. É comumente utilizado para tornar fortemente tipada a obtenção de objetos refletidos de membros de uma classe, antes disso só era possível obter esses objetos indicando uma string com o nome do método.\n```Expression> expr = p => p.Nome;\nvar lambda = (LambdaExpression)expr;\nvar cast = lambda.Body as UnaryExpression;\nvar member = (cast != null ? cast.Operand : lambda.Body) as MemberExpression;\nvar propInfo = member.Member as PropertyInfo;\nConsole.WriteLine(propInfo.Name); // \"Nome\"\n```\n* typeof(Tipo): essa é uma das formas mais comuns de obter informações refletidas do sistema. Serve para obter informações sobre o tipo indicado diretamente.\n```var tipo = typeof(Pessoa);\nConsole.WriteLine(tipo.Name); // \"Pessoa\"\n```\n* obj.GetType(): tão comum quando ```typeof```, mas ao invés de se referir a um tipo diretamente, refere-se ao tipo do objeto em questão: mas tem um detalhe, não é do tipo declarado da variável, mas sim do objeto em si.\n```var p = new Pessoa();\nvar tipo = p.GetType();\nConsole.WriteLine(tipo.IsSealed); // \"false\"\n```\n* Assembly: é usada para obter tipos em larga escala: por exemplo, para escanear todos os tipos existentes em um assembly, ou então em todos os assemblies carregados.\n```// localizando um tipo, dentre todos os tipos carregados\nvar todosOsTiposCarregados = AppDomain.CurrentDomain\n .GetAssemblies()\n .SelectMany(a => a.GetTypes())\n .Where(t => t.Name == \"Pessoa\");\n```\n\nE o namespace Reflection.Emit?\nNão está claro na minha mente se considero isso reflexão ou não. Mas de qualquer forma, é necessário usar reflexão para gerar código dinamicamente, então tem uma conexão.\nComo disse, esse namespace contém classes usadas para gerar código dinamicamente... e então compilá-los. Lembra do que eu falei sobre cache de reflexão... compilar métodos é um bom alvo de cache, pois depois de compilado os futuros usos serão muitíssimo rápidos." ], "quality_score": 0.5970425009727478, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "In this Creation magazine reprint of a 1994 article titled Exploding stars point to a young universe, Young-Earth Creationist, Jonathan Sarfati argues that the scarcity of Supernova remnants (SNRs) in the sky suggests the Milky Way galaxy is less than billions of years old.\n\nOn average, a galaxy like our own, the Milky Way, should produce one supernova every 25 years.\n[...]\nAs can be readily seen above, a young universe model fits the data of the low number of observed SNRs. If the universe was really billions of years old, there are 7000 missing SNRs in our galaxy.\n\nDoes astronomy predict a Milky Way supernova every 25 years? Are there missing SNRs that undermine these predictions?", "There are many reasons why this is wrong. The first one is the assumption of 1 supernova per 25 years. That was the value arrived at in Gustav Tammann's article published in 1970. Others got values up to 100 years (Tammann himself changed his value later). All these values are really only good guesses.\n\nWorse errors are made in the percentage of remnants that should be visible. To start with, only a small percentage of them are visible; the others are obscured by dust in the galaxy. This does not happen to the same extent to the supernovas themselves, as they are intrinsically very much brighter. \n\nSarfati also uses an old paper to come up with the number of remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud (a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way). However, that figure was considered to be wrong (and much smaller) in later studies. Older remnants are very difficult to distinguish against a background of dust in the galaxy. Many of them disappear completely after about 10,000 years or so.\n\nIt should be noted that, using Sarfati's own reasoning, we should not be able to see any remnants older than 6000 years. Instead, we know of remnants (e.g. G166.2 + 2.5) that are over 100,000 years old. How did those originate in his universe? The same goes for the distance to supernovas. The distance to SN 1987A has been trigonometrically measured at 167,000 light years (the paper says 51,200 parsecs). In other words, its light took more than 30 times longer to reach us than the creationist universe has supposedly existed. \n\nRemember also that a supernova typically becomes either a pulsar or a black hole, both of which are very hard to observe. A black hole can only be \"seen\" through its effects on other matter, and a pulsar is mainly visible if the solar system happens to be in line with its sweeping radio beam (with some pulsars the star itself has also been seen). Hence, all we can see of them long after the event is an expanding cloud of gas that gets dimmer over the millennia.\n\nThere are several other reasons which are covered in a very good article on TalkOrigins. That article has links to all the original scientific papers referred to, so you can check the validity yourself." ], "quality_score": 0.6996133923530579, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to be a lazy college student?", "In college, unlike in high school, you are expected to take responsibility for your own learning. It is ultimately up to you to determine how much time and effort you want to put into your schoolwork. Experts suggest that college students today work considerably fewer hours than their counterparts did in 1961. But there is also evidence that working more hours is not necessarily the best way to be productive. A little laziness may even be good for us.\n\n## Part 1 of 3: prioritize what's important\n\n1. Ask yourself what you want from college. There are many reasons why a college degree is desirable, not least that it is still considered highly valuable by many employers. Your own reasons for pursuing a college degree may be more personal, but spend some time working out exactly what these reasons are. Consider why college is important to you. Do you want to learn important skills like critical thinking and problem-solving? Do you want to make friends, network and get to know other people? Do you want to get good grades for further study? Do you want to get a particular job that requires a college degree? Spend some time reflecting on these questions and come up with your own answers. It might even be a good idea to write them down. This will help you to recognize what's important to you so that you can focus on the essential things.\n2. Select your major and your classes carefully. After you have determined what's important to you as a college student, then you can make better decisions about pursuing a major or particular class that will help you achieve your goals. Speak to your academic advisor. It is their job to provide information about what certain majors entail and what courses are necessary. Ask other students for information about the class. Ask questions like, is the course time-consuming? Is the professor fair? What are the assignments like? If you don't know any other students, look online. There are many websites, some more general and others specific to particular schools where students share this kind of information. Be aware that what is on these sites are merely individual opinions, and your own experience of the course may be different.\n3. Complete as much coursework as you can before the semester gets going. Preparation is key and doing what you can before the semester starts will help things run more smoothly later on. For example, ask the professor for a copy of the syllabus ahead of time so that you can order the necessary materials before the semester starts. Familiarize yourself with the course materials. You can even start reading early to get ahead!\n4. Figure out what is actually required to do well in the class. This is key to being a lazy, yet productive, college student. Professors often cut material from the syllabus as the class goes on. Usually, the syllabus contains more material than it is possible to get through in a single semester. Ask your professor what is required reading and what materials or course readings may be more supplementary, i.e. they will not appear on exams or in assignments. Pay attention to what kinds of materials come up most frequently in lectures. For example, there may be a textbook chapter and several articles assigned for each class, yet the professor usually focuses on the textbook chapters in lecture. If you can determine a pattern then you can use this in your own preparation for the class.\n5. Streamline your commitments. Being a college student is not simply about going to class, many students are also part of sports teams, fraternities/ sororities, student associations and take on other voluntary roles. These are obviously important and worthwhile activities, but ask yourself if there are any commitments you could scale back on. Identify particular commitments that are not necessary to the goals that you have chosen to focus on. Accept that you can't do everything.\n\n\n## Part 2 of 3: make the most of your time\n\n1. Get things done at the right time. Timing is essential to being a lazy college student. While procrastination can be appealing, there are some activities that are best done at certain times. Here are some examples. Do your homework straight after class when the content is fresh in your mind. This will save you time as you won't have to re-visit the material at a later date when you might have forgotten it. Write out an essay plan or outline immediately after discussing it with the teaching assistant or professor in office hours. Again, if you spend some time getting your ideas on paper at the right moment then you'll save yourself time in the future because you won't have to worry about all the good ideas you might have forgotten.\n2. Take good notes. At some point, you will have to engage with the course materials. If you take good notes the first time around, then at the end of the semester or when an assignment is due you can use these notes and avoid having to re-visit what you have already read. Write good summaries. Try to distill the argument of a text or the main points in a chapter into a single paragraph. This will serve you well when you come back to look at your notes. Figure out if typing notes works best for you or if you prefer to write them long-hand. Annotate and highlight the text. Use sticky notes to mark important parts.\n3. Learn how to read quickly. Most college courses require you to read a high volume of complex material. Learning to read quickly and effectively is one of the key skills you learn in college. Preview the passage before you start reading it. Take a minute or two to look at the title, the headings or subheadings, any pictures, charts or graphs. Skim over the passage by reading the first and last paragraph, and the first sentence of every paragraph. Researchers suggest that these techniques improves reading comprehension, which will ultimately save you time as you already begin reading with a sense of what's important in the passage. Read in the right environment so that you actually take in what you are reading. This will prevent wasting time by re-reading certain parts that you missed. This requires good lighting, a comfortable upright reading position, minimal distraction and regular breaks.\n4. Utilize \"dead\" time. This refers to the hours in the day spent in routine, non-productive tasks. The idea is that focusing on these key moments can actually give you more free time to relax and be lazy. For example, those 30 minutes spent staring out the bus window during your daily commute could be utilized for productive tasks like reading over your notes or listening to the lecture that you recorded. If you have free time in between classes, go to the library or the nearest cafe and spend the time studying.\n\n\n## Part 3 of 3: learn other ways to work efficiently\n\n1. Take advantage of college resources. Colleges often provide writing centers and tutoring services to their students. It is a good idea to make use of these services as they will help you get the work done faster and prevent you wasting time being stuck on a particular problem or difficult assignment.\n2. Form a study group. Collaborating with other students in study groups can be an excellent way to share the workload. When prepping for the final exam, delegate different topics to different members of the study group to make notes on. This can be a great time saver, although you will obviously still need to make sure that you are familiar with all the course content. Make sure everyone in the study group is on the same page and shares the work equally.\n3. Seek help from your professor. Remember there is no shame in getting help when you need it. Most professors and teaching assistants have weekly office hours. They can help you strategize for success in the class. Get advice on assignments and exam preparation, often this will prevent you wasting time on what isn't essential to the course.\n4. Get the right technology. There is lots of technology that can help you as a college student, a laptop being the most obvious investment. Consider investing in a recording device. This can prove useful especially if you have difficulty concentrating in lecture or are going to miss a key class. Always remember to ask the professor for permission before you record them! Use software to help with referencing and citations. Many college papers, especially research papers, require correctly formatted references and bibliographies. There are many programs available to help with this, which will ultimately save you time and avoid any issues with incorrect citations.\n5. Work on managing stress. College can be stressful, for many students it is the first time living away from home and there are increasing financial pressures on students, many of whom work to sustain themselves throughout college. Acknowledge that stress is normal, but be aware that too much time spent worrying or stressing can be unhealthy and stop you from succeeding. Engage with your college's resources for managing stress. Many colleges provide programming for students to help with stress management, especially during finals period. Some key ways to manage stress are to engage in physical exercise, make time for relaxing activities, and try to get enough sleep. When it comes to managing stress, being lazy sometimes can be a good thing!\n" ], "quality_score": 0.6663265824317932, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "Could Gandalf not have made his own One Ring?", "Possibly\nIn the foreword to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien observes:\n\nSaruman, failing to get possession of the Ring, would in the confusion and treacheries of the time have found in Mordor the missing links in his own researches into Ring-lore, and before long he would have made a Great Ring of his own with which to challenge the self-styled Ruler of Middle-earth.\n\nTolkien therefore definitely conceives of Saruman as being capable of making a Ring, and therefore Gandalf would presumably have been likewise capable.\nHowever, what we can also take from that statement is that making a Ring is not a simple task; there is some "lore" involved, and we know from elsewhere that Saruman had made especial study of the Rings of Power, but yet Tolkien states that even he would have required knowledge found only in Mordor to complete his own work.\n\nSo, to summarize:\n\n* Yes, but,\n* It's neither quick nor easy, because,\n* There is considerable "lore" involved, and,\n* It requires hundreds or even thousands of years of dedicated study to get to a "Saruman-level" of "lore", and,\n* Even then there will be missing knowledge which may only be found in Mordor.\n* So for all practical purposes it's actually "No".\n" ], "quality_score": 0.6896767020225525, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Assume that I am a programmer and I have an NP-complete problem that I need to solve it. What methods are available to deal with NPC problems? Is there a survey or something similar on this topic?", "There are a number of well-studied strategies; which is best in your application depends on circumstance.\n\n* Improve worst case runtime\nUsing problem-specific insight, you can often improve the naive algorithm. For instance, there are $O(c^n)$ algorithms for Vertex Cover with $c huge improvement over the naive $\\Omega(2^n)$ and might make instance sizes relevant for you tractable.\n\n* Improve expected runtime\nUsing heuristics, you can often devise algorithms that are fast on many instances. If those include most that you meet in practice, you are golden. Examples are SAT for which quite involved solvers exist, and the Simplex algorithm (which solves a polynomial problem, but still). One basic technique that is often helpful is branch and bound.\n\n* Restrict the problem\nIf you can make more assumptions on your inputs, the problem may become easy.\n\n* Structural properties\nYour inputs may have properties that simplify solving the problem, e.g. planarity, bipartiteness or missing a minor for graphs. See here for some examples of graph classes for which CLIQUE is easy. \n\n* Bounding functions of the input\nAnother thing to look at is parameterised complexity; some problems are solvable in time $O(2^kn^m)$ for $k$ some instance parameter (maximum node degree, maximum edge weight, ...) and $m$ constant. If you can bound $k$ by a polylogarithmic function in $n$ in your setting, you get polynomial algorithms. Saeed Amiri gives details in his answer.\n\n* Bounding input quantities\nFurthermore, some problems admit algorithms that run in pseudo-polynomial time, that is their runtime is bounded by a polynomial function in a number that is part of the input; the naive primality check is an example. This means that if the quantities encoded in your instances have reasonable size, you might have simple algorithms that behave well for you.\n\n* Weaken the result\nThis means that you tolerate errorneous or incomplete results. There are two main flavors:\n\n* Probabilistic algorithms\nYou only get the correct result with some probability. There are some variants, most notable Monte-Carlo and Las-Vegas algorithms. A famous example is the Miller-Rabin primality test.\n\n* Approximation algorithms\nYou no longer look for optimal solutions but almost optimal ones. Some algorithms admit relative (\"no worse than double the optimum\"), others absolute (\"no worse than $5$ plus the optimum\") bounds on the error. For many problems it is open how well they can be approximated. There are some that can be approximated arbitrarily well in polynomial time, while others are known to not allow that; check the theory of polynomial-time approximation schemes.\n\nRefer to Algorithmics for Hard Problems by Hromkovič for a thorough treatment.\n* Simplicity is beauty: Improved upper bounds for vertex cover by Chen Jianer, Iyad A. Kanj, Ge Xia (2005)\n" ], "quality_score": 0.5615906715393066, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "I find that the survivability and general performance of my party increases massively from levels 1 to 2. At times, level 1 feels like a completely different game from level 2. However, I can't fathom how or why. I think that the availability of healing has something to do with it. From a mechanical perspective, is there any deep reason why level 1 and level 2 seem so radically different? Furthermore, why I do find no similar differences between later levels, such as 6 and 7?", "Welcome to Rusty Dagger Shanktown!\nWhat you have noticed is very widely commented upon—1st level is often called “rusty dagger shanktown.” It’s hyper-lethal, rather than the kind of heroic fantasy Dungeons & Dragons pitches itself as. It is very, very difficult for 1st-level PCs to actually really adventure at all. Many, many groups avoid 1st for this reason (many skip 2nd too, even though it is already dramatically different). Personally, I’ll include 1st level often, but the PCs basically always level-up to 2nd almost entirely on roleplaying XP.\nNote that this isn’t unique to 3.5e; it goes back to the earliest days of D&D. Pathfinder, of course, inherited it from 3.5e (I don’t know about PF 2e). It’s also very much still true in 5e—after 4e actually managed to avoid it, which may mean that this is considered a “feature” by some, enough that Wizards of the Coast felt the need to restore it as part of 5e’s general “return to form” after the divisive fourth edition.\nAnyway, the primary causes of rusty dagger shanktown:\nHit points\nAlmost anyone can one-shot almost any 1st-level character. It’s very, very easy to have 6 hp in a world where a decent, but basic, weapon’s base damage averages 7. Even smaller weapons can easily deal that much damage, either through luck or skill. We expect 1st-level characters to often go down in one hit.\nA 2nd-level character can have nearly twice as much hp. Actually, could easily be twice as much, if they multiclass from a small-HD class to a large-HD class. That drastically changes the game, because suddenly you can feel reasonably confident that you aren’t going to just suddenly die before anyone can do anything. Healing actually becomes relevant, where at 1st it’s often too little, too late.\nNotably, this only has this effect because damage doesn’t grow at the same rate. The base damage of weapons is fixed, and ability scores start at double digits but grow very slowly from there. That’s the biggest chunk of early damage for most characters. Even beyond that, a lot of damage boosts—inspire courage, rage, sneak attack—come at 1st anyway. And monsters tend to kind of mirror these trends.\nSo what ends up happening is that a 1st-level character can’t really take a chance in order to get something accomplished. A 2nd-level character can feel reasonably comfortable taking a chance at least once. That dramatically affects the style of play. At 2nd-level D&D literally feels like a different game. Really, it is a different game.\nWealth\nCharacters start with less than 200 gp worth of gear. That’s not enough for a masterwork weapon, not enough even for non-masterwork medium or heavy armors, definitely not enough for any kind of magic item beyond maybe an extremely basic consumable. No 1st-level character has even their complete basic kit yet.\nThe expected wealth of a 2nd-level character is 900 gp. That can afford masterwork armor of anything short of full-plate, and for many armors leave enough left over for a masterwork weapon. Most importantly, that is enough money for a party of 4 to trivially afford a wand of cure light wounds. A wand of cure light wounds is a game-changer. It means you can easily start every fight at full hp. And with 2nd-level hp, that means you can actually take a few risks.\n2nd-level features\nThis varies considerably from one class to the next, but several classes get major class features at 2nd level. The paladin’s 2nd-level feature, divine grace, might be the single greatest class feature in the game (assuming we don’t count “spells” and the like as a singular feature). Rangers don’t get their combat style until 2nd. Bards get 1st-level spells at 2nd (though inspire courage from 1st level is probably more important). Outside of core, meldshapers don’t get any chakra binds until 2nd, which can leave them with zero offense at 1st. Swordsages don’t get Wis-to-AC until 2nd.\nBut plenty of characters are fine from 1st, so this can vary a lot." ], "quality_score": 0.7745499014854431, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to look up a bible verse?", "People quote the Bible in a variety of contexts. If you want to be able to look those quotes up, you’ll need to understand the way the Bible is organized. It’s also possible to look up quotes without knowing their location. Simply knowing a couple of words from a verse can be enough to help you locate it if you know how.\n\n## Look up a verse by number\n\n1. Identify the book of the verse. When Bible verses are listed, the first thing you’ll see is the name of a book. Use the table of contents in your Bible to locate that book within it. The table of contents is at the beginning of the Bible. Locate the name in the table of contents and turn to the page associated with the start of the book. The name of the book might be abbreviated or spelled out completely. Some books include:\n\t* Exodus (Ex)\n\t* Genesis (Gen)\n\t* Numbers (Num)\n2. Identify the chapter. After the book name, you’ll see two numbers. The first number is the chapter. For example, in “John 3:16”, “3” is the chapter number. Look at the verse and determine which chapter it is from in the book. Some people may cite Bible verse using abbreviations and Roman numerals. For example, Lev. xx:13 is the same as Leviticus, chapter 20, verse 13. Locate that chapter within the book. You may be able to find the location of that chapter in the table of contents. If not, you can thumb through the specific book until you see that chapter. As with other books, it should clearly say, “Chapter \\_\\_” at the beginning of each chapter. In addition, many versions clearly say, : at the top of each page indicating the first verse on that page. Some also note the last verse on the page.\n3. Identify the verse number. The second number after the book name is the verse number. This number should come after a colon (:). In the case of John 3:16, 16 would be the verse number. If you're looking up a longer passage, there may be two numbers, separated by a hyphen (-). For example, in John 3:16-18, you're looking for verses 16,17, and 18.\n4. Locate the verse within the chapter. Once you’ve found the chapter, go through it until you find the verse. The verses go in numerical order, just like chapters. There should be a small number at the beginning of each sentence or a small group of sentences. This is the verse number. If you're looking for multiple verses, such as John 3:16-18, 17 and 18 would follow directly after 16.\n\n\n## Look up a verse with a concordance\n\n1. Choose a concordance. A concordance is a book that lists every instance of a word’s appearance in the Bible. This is a great tool if you remember the verse, or part of the verse, but you don’t know which book or chapter it came from. Concordances can be found through religious retailers or online. Your church may also have one that you can borrow.\n2. Search for a word from the verse. Remember an important word from the verse. Look it up in the concordance the same way that you would look it up in a dictionary. Concordances are alphabetized. Choose a distinctive word that may have limited occurrences, such as “flood,” “mountain,” or “rubies.” If you choose something like “love” or “evil” you’re likely to find an enormous number of results.\n3. Search for other words if necessary. If you find too many results, or you don’t see the verse you’re looking for, try searching for another word. For example, if you remember the phrase, “love must be sincere” and you searched “love” but found too many results, try looking up, “sincere.”\n4. Locate the verse from the concordance list. The concordance will list all of the places where that word is found in the Bible. A complete concordance will give you some context so that you can be sure it’s the verse you’re looking for. Use the location that the concordance gives you (for example, Romans 12:9) to look up the complete verse and its context in your bible.\n5. Try another translation if necessary. Concordances are specific to translations. If you can’t find the verse you’re looking for, try a concordance for a different translation. For example, if your Bible translated a word to the English word “praise,\" but your concordance is for a Bible that translated that word as “worship,” it will be impossible to look up the verse.\n\n\n## Look up a verse online\n\n1. Search the verse number online. Choose a search engine, or go to a website dedicated to Bible study. Type the name of the book and the chapter and verse numbers into the search engine. Type the verse number in the generally accepted format if you can. For example, you'll get more accurate results if you type, \"John 3:16,\" than, \"Chapter 3 16 John.\"\n2. Remember what you can about the verse. Do you remember a certain phrase of the verse? Maybe you remember one or two words and the name of the book it came from. Even if you can’t remember very much, you can likely still look up the verse.\n3. Enter what you know into a search engine. Type in everything you can remember. You should also include the words “Bible” and “verse” to make sure that you get results that are relevant to your search. Your search terms may be something like, “Bible verse about wives in Psalms,” or “Bible verse chapter 7 desert.”\n4. Use a site designed for Bible searches. There are plenty of sites online that catalog Bible verses by subject or by book. You can use one of these websites to search for the verse. Type in a keyword or a subject. You may also be able to do an advanced search by book or chapter. These online tools can be great ways to find other verses that may be relevant to you or helpful in your studies or prayers.\n5. Search related words. If you can’t remember any exact words from the verse, or your search is not going well, search related words. For example, if you searched for “stars” and didn’t find anything, you could search for “night” or “sky” or “heavens” to see if the verse shows up. It’s possible you’re using a different translation or that you misremembered details about the verse.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.5644403100013733, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "Reasons for being vegetarian or vegan other than ethical reasons?", "There are multiple reasons why people are/become Vegetarian/Vegan apart from ethics, including but not limited to\n\n* Religion/Culture - most of the worlds Vegetarians reside in India, mainly due to culture/personal beliefs but often interlinked with some of their major religions (Hinduism/Sikhism/Jainism etc) which promote the diet. Some strains of Buddhism also look positively at not eating meat, as does the Seventh-day Adventist Church.\n* Environment - reducing land degradation, climate change, reducing harm to bio-diversity etc. Animal agriculture causes a huge amount of problems to our planet and environment. \n* Health - another major point. Being Vegetarian or Vegan won't automatically improve your health of course (it's easy to live off junk food, believe me), but there are lots of scientifically proven benefits to eat a plant based diet over a standard Western diet including a lower risk of heart disease, lower BMI, lower cholesterol etc.\n* Political - a slightly less common reason but still; some people go Vegetarian or Vegan based on their political beliefs once they realise how much the two share intersectional values (e.g. from Anarchism to Veganarchism)\n" ], "quality_score": 0.5003568530082703, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "I feel chest pain, what should I do?", "Chest pain is never something to ignore. There are many things that could be causing it, and some of them are very serious, including heart problems, lung conditions, digestive issues, and others.\n\nIf you have a history of heart problems or related disease, call emergency services (911 in the US) immediately. Do not try to drive yourself to the hospital. Before the ambulance comes, here are a few things you could do:\n\n* Take a deep breath and count to 3. This will help relax you and slow your heart rate. \n* Lie down in a comfortable position. \n* Loosen your clothing, particularly your shirt. This will allow your heart to cool. \n* Take an over-the-counter aspirin tablet, unless you are allergic to aspirin or have been told by your doctor not to take it. This can help thin blood and prevent clots from forming. \n* Monitor your pulse. If you feel your pulse getting faster or slower, this is a sign your heart is in trouble. Tell the paramedics when they arrive. " ], "quality_score": 0.7931804060935974, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to be happy in an unhappy marriage?", "People remain in unhappy marriages for many reasons. If you're one of those people, you may feel like you can't be happy. Nonetheless, you can find your own way to happiness, even in a bad situation, by practicing habits that lead to happiness, and you may even be able to work on your marriage to move toward happiness as a couple.\n\n## Learn to be happy\n\n1. Find ways to be grateful. It's not always easy to be grateful, especially in the midst of a bad relationship. Nonetheless, gratitude can help you cope with the bad relationship, and it can lead to you being happier. Take time each day to figure out what you are thankful for. Try writing a few things you are grateful for each day in a journal. You can also use posts on social media for this purpose. Usually, even if the situation is bad, you can find something to be grateful about. For instance, you may not like how you are being treated in the relationship you are in, but you may be grateful to have financial stability in your life at the moment. Alternatively, maybe you're grateful that the other person in the relationship remains a good parent to your kids.\n2. Engage in flow experiences. Flow moments are when you lose yourself to an experience by being completely absorbed in whatever it is you're doing. If you're an artist, a writer, or even a runner, you may already understand this type of experience. It's that moment when the world falls away, and you are just experiencing or enjoying what you're doing. Studies have shown that the more flow moments you have, the happier you are in general. Choose an activity that challenges you a little bit, but that is still familiar so that you can lose yourself in it. For example, if you enjoy painting landscapes, then you might try painting a new subject such as a portrait or a basket of fruit.\n3. Stop fighting the same fights. That is, if you always find yourself arguing about the same things, it may be time to put that topic aside. You need to decide that you won't discuss it because you can't agree or try to find a compromise that works for both of you. For example, if you tend to fight over politics, then you might want to make politics an off-limits topic. Or, if you often fight about what movie you are going to watch on Friday nights, then you might want to take turns choosing the movie.\n4. Develop your own interests. If your marriage is not what you want it to be, it may be time to find some fulfillment outside of your marriage and not in the form of an affair. Having your own hobbies and interests will help you stay independent and keep you happy and engaged with the world. In fact, developing your own interests is a good idea even if you have a great marriage. Consider exploring interests at the library, joining local hobby clubs or cookery classes, or taking a vocational class at a nearby community college.\n5. Try volunteering. Having a sense of purpose and some good social connections with other people is also a good way to feel happy. Volunteering can give you a sense of purpose in life and it also allows you to interact with other like-minded people, it might help you to feel happier. Try to find an organization that you would like to contribute to, such as an animal shelter or a food bank, and apply to become a volunteer. You might even ask your spouse if he or she would like to volunteer with you and it might be a good bonding activity for the two of you.\n6. Develop your social life. Many studies point to relationships being key to happiness. If your main relationship is unhappy, then you may not see how you can change your situation. Your spouse doesn't have to be your main source of social interactions. You can have fulfilling relationships with friends, as well as other members of your family. Try to go out to dinner with friends one night per week or get together with a sibling or cousin for a day of shopping or a activity session such as tennis or swimming. If you don't have a lot of friends, then try to meet more people who share your interests. For example, you could join a bowling league, take an art class, or find a choir or band who need new members.\n\n\n## Work towards a better marriage\n\n1. Take time to be together. Making time for each other is a way to say you are committed to each other. Say you will spend a certain time each week with each other, and stick to it. It will also give you a chance to get to know one another again.\n2. Remember what you valued. When you first got together, you were probably partially attracted by the differences the other person exhibited. For instance, maybe you were exhilarated by the fact that he or she was impulsive and loved to be spontaneous. Now, you may find yourself hating the quality. The key is to try to remember why you loved that quality in the first place and move toward enjoying it again. For instance, it may drive you crazy when your spouse wants to drop everything and drive to the mountains. On the other hand, it keeps your life from getting too boring. Try to strike a balance, and enjoy what you can.\n3. Talk about strengths and difficulties. It is important to acknowledge what is going well in your relationship as well as what has become a struggle. You might even want to make a list of strengths and difficulties together. Make sure that you include things on the list that you avoid talking about because of fears that you will just end up fighting about them. Try to pick a time to talk about your strengths and difficulties when you are both feeling calm and focused. Avoid talking at the end of a long day or at other stressful times. Use \"I\" statements rather than \"You\" statements. In other words, try to talk about what you're feeling and what you think is wrong without blaming the other person. For instance, saying \"I get upset when we don't spend enough time together\" is better than \"You're never around.\" The second statement puts your spouse on guard, while the first helps open discussion. Spend time talking and listening. That is, you can't just lay out what you think is wrong. You also need to spend time actively listening to what your spouse has to say. Show you're engaged by offering short summaries of what he or she has said and by asking questions that are relevant to the conversation.\n4. Work out solutions. Once you've figured out together what issues you have in the marriage, it's time to try to come up with some solutions. You may even be able to draw on some of your strengths to help you develop solutions to problems in your relationships. To compromise, you must talk about your wants and needs, helping you both to decide what's most important to each of you. In other words, to make a compromise, you must be willing to let the other person win when it comes to their needs, giving ground when it comes in conflict with your wants. The same must be true of the other person.\n5. Think about counseling. Sometimes, you need the help of a professional to get past your problems. A marriage counselor may help you fix more problems than you expect, and in fact, about half of people who use marriage counselors say that the counselor helped them fix all of the major problems in their marriage.\n\n\n## Consider the alternative\n\n1. Try legal separation. A legal separation gives you the time away from your spouse that you may need to work out problems. It is different than a divorce because you remain married. The benefit of a separation is it gives you a legal way to work out custody and child support while you are living apart, as well as how your property should be divided up. Nonetheless, if you work out your problems, you can go back to a normal marriage.\n2. Know divorce may be a better option. While getting a divorce is a life upheaval, staying in an unhealthy marriage can be detrimental to self-esteem and mental health. Some studies have shown it's better to get out of a caustic relationship and work to improve your own mental health than to stay. Understand an unhappy marriage can lead to depression. One study, which involved data from 5,000 adults, showed that the quality of your most important relationship is a good predictor of developing depression. Meaning, if one of your closest relationships, including your spousal one, is in bad repair, it puts you at risk for developing depression.\n3. Consider reasons to divorce. You may find that you have a good reason for getting a divorce. If you are unhappy in your marriage, you will likely find that you are a happier person once you get out. You might consider a divorce if your spouse had an affair. While some couples overcome infidelity, others never recover from it. If you find that you can't forgive your spouse for what he or she did even after months or years, you may want to consider a divorce. You've grown in different ways. Sometimes, when you grow into full-fledged adults together, you take different directions. If you find you and your spouse can't agree on much of anything anymore because you are just too different, it may be best to divorce. Your partner is bad at finances and won't change. Of course, everyone makes bad money choices sometimes. However, if your partner is so bad that it is causing stress on your marriage or is bankrupting your family, you may need to get out of the marriage, especially if you've expressed concern but your spouse is unwilling to change. Think about the kids. Many unhappily married couples stay together for the kids. Divorce is hard on kids, but it's also true that being unhappily married can be hard on your kids, as well. Your kids know you're unhappy, and if you're constantly fighting, you're putting stress on them, anyway.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.6837650537490845, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "What did the Soviet Union and Russia bring to the ISS?", "Initially, everything. The ISS started out as Mir-2 with some extra modules added soon afterwards. Then lots more over the next 10 years.\nThe initial modules, Zarya and Zvezda, which housed living quarters, reboost, attitude control, solar power, life support, and docking modules.\nEach additional component and module made the system better, but the ISS is still dependent on the Russian operating segment.\nEach function that the Russian segment supplied initially was enhanced or replaced by the US side (solar power, life support, etc.). The major component this is mostly still Russian is half the crew quarters and reboost/attitude control (beyond what the control gyros can handle).\nInitially the Shuttle and Soyuz provided crew services, and now only Soyuz (till SpaceX/ULA get their acts together in 2019) provides crew. Initially the Russians provided cargo (as did the Shuttle till retirement), but specifically Progress could refuel the engines on the ISS for reboost.\nThe Russian theoretical plan is that the next two modules they launch (if ever, now, after being so delayed) Nauka and the UM will be able to separate from the ISS and form the core of their next space station. One of those theories was to take Zarya and Zvezda (or just one) with them as well." ], "quality_score": 0.708256721496582, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "I need a gift for my daughter's 13th birthday. She loves photography.", "Here are a few gift ideas for a 13 year-old girl who loves photography:\n\n* Camera: Even though modern phones have very good cameras, you could consider a more professional camera, such as a mirrorless camera.\n* Lens Kit: If your daughter already owns a good camera, you may want to get her a new lens kit that would allow her to take specialized photos, such as a portrait or macro lens.\n* Accessories: Alternatively, you could look into tripods, camera bags, flashes, and other camera accessories.\n* Courses: Another option is to enroll her in an afterschool photography class, where she can hone her photography skills and meet other photography enthusiasts her age.\n* Trip: Finally, you could check out the option of taking your daughter on a special photography trip. Not only would she have plenty of opportunity to capture stunning photos, it would also give you an amazing opportunity to bond with your child through their hobby." ], "quality_score": 0.7198879718780518, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "I've come across the polynomial algorithm that solves 2SAT. I've found it boggling that 2SAT is in P where all (or many others) of the SAT instances are NP-Complete. What makes this problem different? What makes it so easy (NL-Complete - even easier than P)?", "Here is a further intuitive and unpretentious explanation along the lines of MGwynne's answer.\nWith $2$-SAT, you can only express implications of the form $a \\Rightarrow b$, where $a$ and $b$ are literals. More precisely, every $2$-clause $l_1 \\lor l_2$ can be understood as a pair of implications: $\\lnot l_1 \\Rightarrow l_2$ and $\\lnot l_2 \\Rightarrow l_1$. If you set $a$ to true, $b$ must be true as well. If you set $b$ to false, $a$ must be false as well. Such implications are straightforward: there is no choice, you have only $1$ possibility, there is no room for case-multiplication. You can just follow every possible implication chain, and see if you ever derive both $\\lnot l$ from $l$ and $l$ from $\\lnot l$: if you do for some $l$, then the 2-SAT formula is unsatisfiable, otherwise it is satisfiable. It is the case that the number of possible implication chains is polynomially bounded in the size of the input formula.\nWith $3$-SAT, you can express implications of the form $a \\Rightarrow b \\lor c$, where $a$, $b$ and $c$ are literals. Now you are in trouble: if you set $a$ to true, then either $b$ or $c$ must be true, but which one? You have to make a choice: you have 2 possibilities. Here is where case-multiplication becomes possible, and where the combinatorial explosion arises.\nIn other words, $3$-SAT is able to express the presence of more than one possibility, while $2$-SAT doesn't have such ability. It is precisely such presence of more than one possibility ($2$ possibilities in case of $3$-SAT, $k-1$ possibilities in case of $k$-SAT) that causes the typical combinatorial explosion of NP-complete problems. " ], "quality_score": 0.837287187576294, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to give dawah?", "Giving Dawah — inviting people who are non-Muslims or drifting away from Islam to Islam — is an important task and part of practising Amr Bil Ma'ruf Wan-Nahyi Anil-Munkar (calling to good and forbidding the evil). However, the actual job of teaching and preaching Islam is not for the unqualified and uneducated. Proper training and experience is needed to give Dawah. So, how can you effectively and properly give Dawah?\n\n## Prepare yourself to give dawah\n\n1. Make sure you have the right intentions before giving Dawah. You should have pure and good intentions. Oftentimes, many Muslims decide to tell the world about Islam but do it in a way that causes more damage than good, putting themselves in unfortunate situations. Don't give Dawah if your intention is to show off that you are a very knowledgeable person; make sure your intention is to please Allah. Giving Dawah is essentially a special mission to invite people to worship Allah according to the way that He wants to be worshiped. You are delivering a message of truth and showing others how to follow it. The purpose of Dawah is not only to spread the knowledge of Islam but to grow closer to Allah yourself. Take the act of inviting others to Islam as a way to bring yourself closer to Islam as well.\n2. Take a short Dawah course to learn how to give Dawah to a variety of different individuals. You can often find organizations or community groups that come together to teach about Dawah. Most of these courses are free. Some organizations, like Mission Dawah, offer online training or training apps. You can find courses that come in audio, video, or written format for your convenience. Conferences dedicated to teaching how to give Dawah are often held, so be on a lookout in your local area for those. There, you can meet others wishing to give Dawah and learn from educated and experienced teachers and preachers.\n3. Learn how to answer frequently asked questions about Islam. If a Dawah course is not doable for you, there are many materials and resources that talk about common questions people may ask about Islam and how to answer them. Search local Islamic centres for books or the internet to learn what others are asking about Islam. Some questions you might be asked are:\n\t* What is the difference between the words Islam and Muslim? Who is Allah? Who is the Prophet Muhammad? And why do Muslims believe he is the last prophet? What do Muslims believe about Jesus? What does Islam say about homosexuality, abortion, and marriage?\n4. Integrate Islam into your life as much as possible. This means you live and breathe Islam both mentally and physically. You should continue to present yourself as a Muslim as well as bring Islam material into your daily interactions and environments. Maintain the physical appearance of a believer by growing and maintaining a beard and wearing your hijab. Bring Islamic materials to your workplace or where ever you go. This makes giving Dawah easier, as it may spark conversations or questions from others. Bring halal meat to your workplace and share them to others to generate conversations. Pray at your workplace or wherever you are. Let people know prayer is very important to you. You may need to arrange a place or room with your employer and employees in order to pray.\n5. Pray to God and ask for guidance and a sound mind for you to be able to share your faith according to His holy will. For God to answer your prayers, you must live a righteous life and repent any unlawful things you may have done. Truthfulness is one of the most important qualities to have when calling people to Islam. Having this mindset will lead you closer to Allah and also prepare you better for Dawah.\n\n\n## Speak about islam\n\n1. Begin by getting to know the person. Talk to them about themselves, their family, their work, and show that you genuinely care about them. Each person is unique and getting to know them will help you plan the best way to give Dawah to them. Try to find out as much as you can what they know about Islam. Some good opening questions are: How did you first hear about Islam? What do you know about Islam? Or bring up some recent news involving Islam. Do not speak too much about Islam at one time -- let them set the pace. It is best to give Dawah in small doses. Depending on who you are talking to, you can continue the conversation or give literature for them to go through on their own. Giving Dawah is about simplicity. Just be friends with them. Sometimes introducing or reminding someone of the Islam faith is just to be a good friend and show through example. This is especially effective if you know of a Muslim that is straying from Islam.\n2. Ask them if there is anything they do not understand about Islam. You can ask, \"What do you think is wrong with Islam?\" or \"What do you think Islam is?\" Then clear each misconception with as much knowledge and clarity as you can offer. Or point them to the right direction to obtain these answers. Many people will have confused Islam traditions and teachings with ideas that they are already familiar with outside of Islam. For example, people who are familiar with the Christian Bible and its many interpretations may draw the same interpretations when they hear that the Quran mentions Adam and Eve. Some believe that, because of the Bible, society sees women as lesser than men and then have the misconception that women are also oppressed or dominated by men in Islam. Point them towards the Quran and outline the differences between the Quran and the Bible and what these differences mean. In the media and popular culture, many Islamic traditions are the subject of heated debates. The hijab worn by Muslim women is a popular debated topic. You should clarify these misconceptions and lead them to view these concepts of Islam in the framework of Islamic thought which sees the wearing of the hijab as honouring purity of both thought and body.\n3. Say thank you. Thank the person for giving you the chance to share about Islam to them. You might even want to try saying thank you if someone asks you a rude question or insults Islam, as exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad. By saying thank you in response to abusive statements, you show others that Islam is, indeed, a good faith. It may also surprise them and make them more open to listen to you. For example, someone might ask, \"Why do Muslim women cover their heads? Isn't this a sign of subjection of women?\" Tell them, \"Thank you for asking me about my religion\" and continue with \"You have an interesting question concerning Islam and I congratulate you for seeking correct knowledge about our faith.\"\n4. Be polite and don't argue or debate with who you are giving Dawah to. Arguing and debating is against the teachings by Allah in the Quran; \"He who gave up disputing while he is right, a palace of high rank in Paradise will be built for him\" (At Tirmidhi). Although your intentions may be good, arguing could lead to disputes and it is best to spread the knowledge in a peaceful way. In Islam, backing down is better than debating. Stop looking for \"loop holes\" in others' beliefs or putting them down for their beliefs. Belittling others is against the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Be more inviting and less defensive. Being defensive or argumentative pushes people away from Islam. It may also hurt people such as your family or friends and even you, bringing in frustration caused by these disputes. In the end, God knows your intentions and will work his will.\n5. Speak the truth. Islam believes that truthfulness is one of the pillars the world's survival depends on. Since speech or speaking is an exclusive human trait, lying is seen as losing your humanity. So when giving Dawah, not only is it important that you do not lie, but also preach that you cannot lie and the faith of Islam is all about truth. You can give examples from the Quran and Sunnah of what lying means and what its consequences are. Some examples of lying are lying when buying and selling, lying about visions and dreams, telling lies as jokes, or being hypocritical. Allah also warns against speaking about everything you hear as you may hear both truths and lies, and speaking about everything could count as lying. Do not tell lies about Allah and His Messengers: “Telling lies about me is not like telling lies about anyone else. Whoever tells lies about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1229. When you make a statement about Islam, justify it and reference the Quran or Hadith if necessary. If you do not know the answer to a question, say \"I don't know\". Don't lie about your knowledge or spread misinformation. The best way to go about this is to be truthful and direct the person to another source that may contain an answer to their question.\n6. Don't worry if non-Muslims do not accept Islam. The purpose of Dawah is not to convert or convince others to Islam. The decision should be made by the person's own free will.You're duty is to convey the message of truth. Allah guides whom He wills. Ask them, even if they do not accept Islam, what they think of Islam now. This can aid you in future attempts at Dawah or even continue the conversation.\n\n\n## Give dawah in other ways\n\n1. Hand out materials such as a CD, book, or brochure of other more experienced Da'ee (caller of Islam). One of the easiest ways to give Dawah is to spread the message through another Da'ee, especially if you are still working on acquiring knowledge. You can also give a translated version of the Quran. The Quran is your most effective tool in telling others about Islam, as it is the most powerful book at your disposal. Give out leaflets or brochures of upcoming conferences to people or to your local Islamic centre. If you plan to do Dawah in public to strangers, giving material is the best way to engage others in conversation.\n2. Do charity work to help others and also show how Islam has affected your life. Get involved in your local area by helping the old or disadvantaged, or with organizations that help with the environment, community, animals, and much more. Engaging in charity work or sadaqah is a very important virtuous deed in Islam and shows Allah and others your faith in Islam. There are no preliminary requirements in order to give sadaqah and you can should give it freely without any limits or expect anything back. People touched by your charity work will most likely have a more open mind about you and Islam. This makes the message of Islam much easier for others to accept.\n3. Provide materials to your Islamic community by recording lectures, or posting videos. This is especially needed if your community is lacking materials to give to members who have strayed from Islam or cannot attend meetings regularly. It will also bring you closer to others in your local community. The Prophet Muhammad encourages that knowledge be shared and not withheld. There will be people in your community that are not willing to share the knowledge. Do non-direct dawah by using the internet. For example, post Islamic tweets on Twitter.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.5627273917198181, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "¿Cuál es la diferencia entre echo, print, print_r, var_dump y var_export en PHP?", "Aquí hay una descripción general de estas funciones de PHP:\n\n###echo\n\n* Muestra una o más cadenas separadas por comas\n* No tiene un valor de retorno\n* Ejemplo:\n```echo \"Cadena 1\", \"Cadena 2\";\n```\n\n###print\n\n* Muestra solo una simple cadena\n* Devuelve 1, por lo cual puede ser usada en una expresión\n* Ejemplos:\n```print \"Hello\";\nif($expresion && print \"Cadena\"){\n // Hacer algo\n}\n```\n\n###print_r()\n\n* Muestra una representación más entendible de un solo valor cualquiera\n* No solo acepta cadenas, también acepta arreglos y objetos formateándolos para ser visualizados de una forma más entendible\n* Puede devolver su valor de salida como un valor de retorno si le pasa ```true``` como su segundo argumento\n* Útil para la depuración\n\nEjemplo: Si tenemos el siguiente arreglo:\n```$a = array ('a' => 'manzana', 'b' => 'banana', 'c' => array ('x', 'y', 'z'));\nprint_r ($a);\n```\nNuestro ```print_r($a);``` nos devolverá algo como esto:\n```Array\n(\n [a] => manzana\n [b] => banana\n [c] => Array\n (\n [0] => x\n [1] => y\n [2] => z\n )\n)\n```\n\n###var_dump()\n\n* Muestra una representación más entendible de un valor cualquiera o más separados por comas\n* No solo acepta cadenas, también acepta arreglos y objetos formateándolos para ser visualizados de una forma más entendible\n* Usa un formato diferente al anterior ```print_r()```, por ejemplo, también muestra el tipo del valor\n* Útil para la depuración\n* No tiene un valor de retorno\n\nEjemplo: Si tenemos el siguiente arreglo:\n```$a = array(1, 2, array(\"a\", \"b\", \"c\"));\nvar_dump($a);\n```\nNuestro ```var_dump($a);``` nos devolverá algo como esto: (nótese que nos muestra el tipo de valor de cada elemento en nuestro arreglo)\n```array(3) {\n [0]=>\n int(1)\n [1]=>\n int(2)\n [2]=>\n array(3) {\n [0]=>\n string(1) \"a\"\n [1]=>\n string(1) \"b\"\n [2]=>\n string(1) \"c\"\n }\n}\n```\n\n###var_export()\n\n* Muestra una representación más entendible y ejecutable de un valor cualquiera\n* No solo acepta cadenas, también acepta arreglos y objetos formateándolos para ser visualizados de una forma más entendible\n* Usa un formato de salida diferente de ```var_dump()``` y ```print_r()```, la salida es un código de PHP válido\n* Útil para la depuración\n* Puede devolver su valor de salida como un valor de retorno si le pasa ```true``` como su segundo argumento\n\nEjemplo, si realizamos lo siguiente\n```class A {\n public $var;\n}\n$a = new A;\n$a->var = 5;\nvar_export($a);\n```\nObtendremos como resultado:\n```A::__set_state(array(\n 'var' => 5,\n))\n```\n\n###Notas\n\n* ```echo``` es mucho más rápido que ```print```\n* ```echo``` y ```print``` son constructores de lenguaje\n* ```print_r()``` y ```var_dump()``` son funciones\n* ```echo``` y ```print``` pueden recibir sus argumentos mediante paréntesis como una función ```echo(\"Hello\", \"world\");``` ó ```print(\"Hello World\");```\n" ], "quality_score": 0.8305588364601135, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Border around formatted text in Inkscape", "Here is solution step by step:\n\n* Create some flowed text by using the text tool to first drag a rectangle and then type.\n* Separately, create a rectangle roughly around the text (really, the rectangle can be anywhere)\n* With the rectangle selected, chose \"Path\" > \"Linked Offset\". Then grab the small diamond and drag it in to make a second, smaller rectangle. \n* Select the text and the smaller rectangle and choose \"Text\" > \"Flow into frame\". Then select the smaller rectangle and remove the stroke to make it invisible. Now the text will flow within the smaller (invisible) rectangle, which is dynamically linked to the shape of the larger (visible) rectangle. \n* Then, if you like, you can add a small border radius on the visible rectangle and you get this nice looking result. \n* If you do need to modify the space between the text and the rectangle, you can carefully select it by grabbing it with the text and the subtracting the text from the selection, or you can drill down to it within the XML Editor. When you do get it selected, then you can adjust the margin.\n* Finally, group the text and the two rectangles, and you're all set! " ], "quality_score": 0.8746350407600403, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to solve the shakespeare puzzle in silent hill 3?", "Silent Hill 3 is the third installment in the Silent Hill video game series. It is considered to be a survival horror video game in which your character must solve different puzzles and psychological challenges in order to advance. The Shakespeare puzzle can be found during the Shopping Center stage. It’s inside a bookstore called My Bestsellers.\n\n## Solve the puzzle on easy mode\n\n1. Pick up the Shakespeare books that have fallen on the ground. In this difficulty, there will only be 2 books on the ground: Anthology 1 and Anthology 3.\n2. Examine the bookshelf. You’ll be allowed to place the books you found on the floor in the empty slots.\n3. Click on Anthology 1 and place it on the first slot of the bookshelf.\n4. Click on Anthology 3 and place it on the third slot on the bookshelf. A code will appear after placing the two books correctly.\n5. Use the code on the door at the back side of the bookstore. In this puzzle, you only need to arrange the books in the proper order: (from left to right) Anthology 1, Anthology 2, Anthology 3, Anthology 4, and then Anthology 5.\n\n\n## Solve the puzzle on normal mode\n\n1. Read the note on the door. It will read “Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Put these books out of order.”\n2. Pick up all the books on the floor. There will be 5 books in normal mode.\n3. Examine the bookshelf. You’ll be allowed to place the books on the empty space on the shelf. Put the books in randomly; order doesn’t matter as this puzzle is generated randomly.\n4. Take a good look at the books. You’ll see there are black markings on it; this is the code you need.\n5. Arrange the books until you get the correct order. It won’t be too hard as the numbers are written quite obviously. Try to make out the numbers written on the spine of the books and keep moving them until you get it right.\n\n\n## Solve the puzzle on hard mode\n\n1. Know the title of each anthology book. In order to find the title of the book, you’ll need to open your inventory and choose to examine the book. Anthology 1 is Romeo and Juliet\n\t* Anthology 2 is King Lear\n\t* Anthology 3 is Macbeth\n\t* Anthology 4 is Hamlet\n\t* Anthology 5 is Othello\n2. Decipher the first stanza of the clue. This stanza mentions “The first words at thy left hand.”\n\t* This is an instruction for solving the puzzle; meaning you’ll need to arrange the books from left to right.\n3. Place Anthology 4 on the first spot on the left side of the bookshelf. The first stanza mentions “false lunacy” and “incomprehensible words,” which is a reference to the plot of Hamlet.\n4. Place Anthology 1 on the second spot of the bookshelf. The second stanza is the easiest to decipher “playing at death” and “nameless lover” refers to the last part of Romeo and Juliet.\n5. Place Anthology 5 on the third spot on the bookshelf. This stanza is a reference to Othello, referring to the innocence of Desdemona and the lies of Iago.\n6. Place Anthology 2 on the fourth spot on the bookshelf. This stanza refers to the story of King Lear, where his daughter Cordelia refuses to speak about how much she loves her father as opposed to the false flattery of her sisters.\n7. Place Anthology 3 on the last spot on the bookshelf. And with all 5 books on the bookshelf you would have the correct code.\n8. Decipher the last clue. 41523 is not the pass code; on the sixth stanza, you will be instructed to more. “41523—One vengeful man spilled blood for two” (Hamlet). This means you will have to double Hamlet, which is Anthology 4. Now our code is 81523. “81523—Two youths shed tears for 3”; this refers to Romeo and Juliet, so you must replace 1 with 3. Our code now is 83523. Finally, “3 witches disappear” (reference to Macbeth), which is Anthology 3. You’ll have to remove it from the code. The final pass code is 8352.\n9. Enter the code on the door to unlock it. The puzzle in hard mode does not randomize; the code will always be 8352 on any Silent Hill 3 game.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.5085582733154297, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to send HTML-formatted email in C#?", "Setting isBodyHtml to true allows you to use HTML tags in the message body:\n```\nmsg = new MailMessage(\"xxxx@gmail.com\",\n \"yyyy@gmail.com\", \"Message from PSSP System\",\n \"This email sent by the PSSP system<br />\" +\n \"<b>this is bold text!</b>\");\n\nmsg.IsBodyHtml = true;\n```" ], "quality_score": 0.6120919585227966, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "The original IBM PC and later variants used an Intel 8253 or 8254 as a sound chip. Why did users add sound cards such as the Adlib or Sound Blaster. I remember voice output with programs like telephone answering programs. The sound was wimpy but I attributed most of the quality to speaker size.\nWhat was lacking with the original PC sound chip? ", "> The original IBM PC and later variants used an Intel 8253 or 8254 as a sound chip.\n\nThe 8253 is a timer circuit, containing three timers able to generate timed interrupts or square-wave output with programmed frequencies. On the PC the third timer's output is, via an amplifier, connected to a simple speaker.\n\nAs said before, calling a 'simple' timer a sound chip is quite a stretch. \nSince it's a digital output, no level control is available. Only on or off is possible. At best this results in rather nasty sounding square waves. There is no provision to smooth the signal (beside the inertia of the speaker membrane).\n\nAlso, the only frequencies that can be selected are those that result from dividing the base frequency (1,193,181.8 Hz) by an integer in the range of 1&ndash;65535. So even when accepting the meager signal quality, only very few notes can be played at correct frequency. Already the basic 440 Hz concert pitch will be off by .5Hz. So whatever is played using the timer will sound off pitch. Music can still sound good if a little off pitch, but only when all notes are off in the same way (*1) - which is not the case with this 'sound chip'.\n\nOf course, there are also ways to manipulate the sound even a bit better by manually handling the output - which results in 100% CPU time usage.\n\n> Why did users add sound cards such as the Adlib or Sound Blaster.\n\nSimply because they wanted sound - or at least music. Not just a beeper.\n\n> What was lacking with the original PC sound chip?\n\nAs said before, it's no sound chip at all. A sound chip will need programmable oscillators for different wave forms and at least some analogue ciruitry to make a smooth, more natural sound. Ofcourse, from an enginering point, the PC's use of a timer was a great improvement over the Apple II, its model and competition, as it allowed the beeping in parallel - not that this feature was used by BIOS or DOS.\nLast but not least, the PC is an open system. It is made to add new/better hardware. So why shoudn't there be a real sound card? Improving the machine is a core feature of the design.\n\nAddendum:\nagtoever added a comment with a great example of what was possible with the direct fiddling with the speaker. Awesome, but less than apealing when compared to even the cheapest form of soundcard, the AdLib of the same time, as used by Monkey Island. Next to zero CPU usage and crisp clear sound. Not to mention easy programming. I'd call that a huge advantage.\n\n*1 - The average human decodes frequencies relative to each other. As a result sound is still perceived as good, even if the whole scale is shifted, as long as it's in the same direction and same percentage. Output needs to be way off to be noticed by an average listener. In contrast, if notes are off by a different margin and in different directions, even less trained listeners will notice." ], "quality_score": 0.7073711156845093, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Your writer roommate dropped his notebook in the hallway while leaving the apartment. You open it at the bookmark. It describes how your day unfolded, in detail. Continue writing with this prompt.", "Mr. Willow this is case sensitive, please keep good track of this information. The following letter is detailing the last account of Ralph Baker, the person who disappeared. Good luck, and the sooner you track down that nightshade book, the better.\n\nThis is Ralph Baker, I live on 22 S, Pennyweather street, by the tall solar mills. Quickly, before we get into things, mother I love you, and I’m afraid I’m going to miss Jim’s wedding. Congratulations.\nAnyways, I don’t have the time for that anymore. \nHere is my story.\nAt 6pm I got home from work. It could have been a little later then that though. Either way, I got back to find a small blue book laying in the hallway. It had golden trim and the initials M. T. On its bind. I thought it could have been Patrice’s, my flatmate.\nPatrice was a strange person, always slow to speak and move. She carried a book with her always, in fact I don’t think I’d ever seen her without one. So I thought the blue one with the nightshade cover was just another of her collection.\nI opened the cover though, just to read a bit at what the novel was about, but it was blank.\nSurprised, I flipped through the book and landed on page 136. This page was not blank I quickly realized. And my realization turned to utter horror.\nThe page in front of me detailed everything about me. My height, weight, average distance between each step at a walking pace. Everything was crammed in, written in margins and on corners. It was my whole life.\nIt was me.\nThe end of the page told me how I was supposed to die, and I’m afraid it might come tru-\n\nThis letter was found under Ralph’s bed, It ends abruptly, and without reason. Take care Mr. Willow." ], "quality_score": 0.8406946063041687, "source": "writingprompts" }

{ "conversations": [ "Assume that Jane Doe has published a paper in 2010 where she has developed a model or a theorem or a similar result, let’s say, that it relates to growth.\nNow assume that Jane Doe is writing another paper in 2015, where she refers to the model/theorem from her paper in 2010.\nIs it acceptable for Jane to write something like the following?\n\n Doe’s growth model (2010), implies that ...\n Doe’s growth theorem (2010) implies that ...\n The Doe growth model (2010) implies ...\n", "This is, unfortunately, a case where English grammar can be tricky and exactly how you phrase things is going to matter.\n\nIt is often seen a presumptuous to name something after yourself: \"Newton's Laws\" and \"Hawking radiation\" and \"Rayleigh scattering\" are retrospective judgements of significance by the community. Claiming a similar name is an assertion in advance that your work will be at a similar level of significance. \n\nThe problem, then, is that if you say \"Doe's growth model\", it is ambiguous whether that is intended to be a construction like \"Hawking radiation\" or whether it just means \"the growth model that happens to have been developed by Doe.\"\n\nThis potential problem can be avoided by rephrasing to avoid the parallel construction: \"the growth model by Doe et al (2010)\", or better yet, \"the growth model presented in (Doe, 2010).\" The point here is that the significant item under discussion is the growth model, not Doe, and the sentence should be phrased to make that as clear as possible.\n\nFinally, note that these sorts of phrasings can work both for double blind review and for review where the authors' identities are known: even when the identity of the author is known, the important thing should be the relationship between the work, not the fraction of authors that are shared between two papers (unless you are specifically trying to talk about independent co-discovery)." ], "quality_score": 0.5977801084518433, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "What factors determine the maximum altitude for a plane?\nIs it limited by wing design, engine thrust, and so on?\nIs there a formula by which one can calculate the maximum altitude a plane can reach?", "The higher you get, the lower the density of the air becomes. This lower density results in a lower lift being generated for the same airspeed and angle of attack. Effectively, the higher you fly the higher your minimum speed becomes. So while climbing, your speed needs to increase to compensate for the lower air density. As long a you can fly faster, the lower density at altitude can be compensated for. \nBasically there are two things that limit your maximum speed: thrust and speed of sound and with that your maximum altitude.\nFirst is thrust; the higher you get, the lower the thrust your engines deliver. You might note that drag goes down with the air density as well but since you are flying faster and faster during the climb the drag doesn't decrease at all. If your maximum altitude is limited by thrust then at some point during the climb the thrust and drag are getting close to equal and that is where the climb stops. When you can no longer climb with more than 100ft per minute (for propeller aircraft) or 500ft per minute (for jet / turbofan aircraft) you have reached your service ceiling. If the aircraft maximum altitude is determined by thrust, the absolute ceiling will take very long to reach. \nAt high altitudes air breathing engines will get difficulties eventually. Due to the lower air density the mass flow through the engine is reduced up to a point where it causes a flame out. \nThe other limitation is the speed of sound, at least for subsonic aircraft. In the process of generating lift, air flowing over the top of the wing is accelerated. At one point, when the aircraft is still flying below the speed of sound, shock waves will start to form over the wing. This results in increase of drag and reduces the lift. So provided you have enough engine power at your disposal you can climb to an altitude where your minimum speed is also your maximum speed. This is called the coffin corner. In the coffin corner:\n\n* if you fly any faster, you will exceed the maximum Mach number ($M_{mo}$) of your aircraft, resulting in high speed buffet, vibrations and possible loss of control. \n* if you fly any slower, the maximum lift that the wing can provide will be insufficient to maintain altitude. Descent or the aircraft will stall. \n* if you fly any higher and you will be too fast and too slow at the same time. \n* if you turn, you increase the wing loading, thereby increasing the minimum speed needed to create the required lift. Also the outer wing will easily exceed the maximum speed while at the same time the inner wing is below stall speed. This can quickly develop into a spin. \n\nSince accurate knowledge of engine performance, drag and wing characteristics of the aircraft is needed, there is not a simple formula to derive the maximum altitude for an aircraft. \n\nApart from the aircraft performance related limitations above there is a certified maximum operating altitude for the pressurized cabin. This takes into account the structural properties of the hull (pressure difference between inside and outside) and the achievable emergency descent rate in case of a depressurization event." ], "quality_score": 0.5955832600593567, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "In Civilization V, you attain a cultural victory by accumulating enough culture to purchase at least 36 social policies, and then building a wonder. The catch is that the more cities you build, the more culture you need to generate before you hit the next \"plateau\" of culture.\nWhat is the ideal number of cities for a cultural victory? Does it change over time? ", "The question you're really asking is &quot;When does the combined culture / turn of an additional city outstrip the increase in social policy cost incurred by founding that city?&quot;\nThe short answer is...\nWe know that adding another city increases the culture costs by approximately 30% of the base cost (that of 1 city). Therefore:\nIf your maximum potential culture / turn won't increase by at least 30% due to the new city, you are hurting, not helping, the time till your next social policy.\n(This may be slightly hard to calculate, and if you take too long to reach your &quot;maximum potential culture / turn&quot; you're actually wasting turns.)\nThe long answer is...\nIt depends\nTo begin with, we need to make some assumptions:\n\n* When you found a new city, you can get its culture / turn maximized within a single turn by buying the necessary building improvements (monument, etc).\n\n* Ignore city-states, leader specific abilities, +culture social policies, and wonders. These all help produce culture, and will shift the &quot;ideal city count&quot; down, but do so inconsistently. To produce an &quot;ideal&quot; city count, we limit ourselves by era and improvements alone.\n\n* This list of social policy costs is accurate for the given parameters: medium map and normal speed.\n\nAnd now, some math.\nThe 1st social policy costs 25 points with a single city. In the ancient era, your cities can generate 2 culture / turn due to the monument. (Remember, we're ignoring the palace for now)\nThis means that it will take 13 turns (Ceiling(25/2) to enact the policy, or 9 turns (ceiling (45/4) with two cities. We can continue this extrapolation -- 8 turns with 3 cities, 7 turns with 4 cities, 6 turns with 5 cities, and we finally reach diminishing returns at city 6 (also 6 turns).\nFor the second social policy, the ramifications of the # of cities gets magnified due to a larger starting value: One city takes 23 turns, two cities take 15 turns, three cities take 13 turns, four cities take 12, five cities take 10, and again, we run into diminishing returns cap out at at six cities (10 turns).\nIt is not until the 4th social policy that this trend is broken and diminishing returns end at the NINTH! city.\nRemember -- this assumes that each city has a monument the minute it is founded.\nNow let's say we've reached the classical age, and have temples in addition to monuments. Each city is now generating 5 culture.\nThe first policy takes 5 turns with a single city, 4 turns with two, and 3 with three.\nWhat (hopefully) becomes clear is that we reached diminishing returns (4 cities as opposed to 6 cities) much faster when each individual city's contribution is higher. The more culture any one city is capable of producing, the more incentive there is to produce more cities. Even if you don't manage to build every +culture improvement immediately, you're still likely to come out ahead (as long as you're pre-diminishing returns).\nSo while the optimal number of cities changes due to any number of factors, you can probably safely not shoot yourself in the foot if you stay between three and six cities, with six being on the high end." ], "quality_score": 0.7387131452560425, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Does hot water freeze faster than cold water?", "In certain settings, cold water freezers slower than hot water. This is called the Mpemba effect:\n\nHot water can in fact freeze faster than cold water for a wide range of experimental conditions. This phenomenon is extremely counterintuitive, and surprising even to most scientists, but it is in fact real. It has been seen and studied in numerous experiments. While this phenomenon has been known for centuries, and was described by Aristotle, Bacon, and Descartes, it was not introduced to the modern scientific community until 1969, by a Tanzanian high school student named Mpemba.\n\nHere are some suggested reasons:\n\n1. Evaporation — As the initially warmer water cools to the initial temperature of the initially cooler water, it may lose significant amounts of water to evaporation. The reduced mass will make it easier for the water to cool and freeze. Then the initially warmer water can freeze before the initially cooler water, but will make less ice.\n2. Dissolved Gasses — Hot water can hold less dissolved gas than cold water, and large amounts of gas escape upon boiling. So the initially warmer water may have less dissolved gas than the initially cooler water." ], "quality_score": 0.559475302696228, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "Can you write the Python code to build and train a neural network?", "There are some deep learning libraries that can help us write clean and efficient code. We use [Pytorch](https://pytorch.org/) in our example.\n\nTo install the latest Pytorch, run the following command in your terminal.\n```\npip3 install torch\n```\n\nBelow is an example script for building and training a neural network using Pytorch. The basic pipeline is as follows.\nPrepare the training and test data.\nDefine the neural network, the loss function and the optimizer.\nTrain the neural network using the training dataset for multiple epochs.\nTest the trained neural network on the test set to make predictions for unseen examples.\n\n```\nimport torch\nimport torch.nn as nn\nimport torch.optim as optim\n# Prepare the dataset\n# Define the training data\nX_train = torch.tensor([[0,0],[2,1],[1,0],[5,5]], dtype=torch.float32)\ny_train = torch.tensor([[0],[1],[1],[0]], dtype=torch.float32)\n\n# Define the test data\nX_test = torch.tensor([[6,6],[-1,1],[1,1],[0,7]], dtype=torch.float32)\ny_test = torch.tensor([[0],[1],[0],[1]], dtype=torch.float32)\n\n\nclass Network(nn.Module):\n def __init__(self):\n super().__init__()\n\n # Inputs to hidden layer linear transformation\n self.hidden = nn.Linear(2, 4)\n\n # Output layer, 1 units\n self.output = nn.Linear(4, 1)\n\n # Define sigmoid activation\n self.sigmoid = nn.Sigmoid() \n\n def forward(self, x):\n # Pass the input tensor through each of our operations\n x = self.hidden(x)\n x = self.sigmoid(x)\n x = self.output(x)\n X = self.sigmoid(x)\n\n return x\n\n# Instantiate the neural network\nmodel = Network()\n\n# Define the loss function and optimizer\ncriterion = nn.BCELoss()\noptimizer = optim.Adam(model.parameters(), lr=0.01)\n\n# Train the neural network\nfor epoch in range(5):\n # Zeros the gradients accumulated from the previous batch/step of the model\n optimizer.zero_grad()\n # Calculate the output using the current neural network parameters\n outputs = model(X_train)\n # Calculate the loss by comparing predicted outputs and gold labels\n loss = criterion(outputs, y_train)\n # Performs backpropagation\n loss.backward()\n # Updates the weights in our neural network based on the results of backpropagation\n optimizer.step()\n\n# Evaluate the performance of the neural network on the test dataset\n# We do not need to keep gradient information during inference time\nwith torch.no_grad():\n outputs = model(X_test)\n predicted = (outputs > 0.5).float()\n accuracy = (predicted == y_test).float().mean()\n\nprint(f\"Accuracy: {accuracy.item()*100:.2f}%\")\n```\n" ], "quality_score": 0.8069861531257629, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "What are Null Pointer Exceptions (```java.lang.NullPointerException```) and what causes them?\n\nWhat methods/tools can be used to determine the cause so that you stop the exception from causing the program to terminate prematurely?", "There are two overarching types of variables in Java:\n\n1. Primitives: variables that contain data. If you want to manipulate the data in a primitive variable you can manipulate that variable directly. By convention primitive types start with a lowercase letter. For example variables of type `int` or `char` are primitives.\n\n2. References: variables that contain the memory address of an `Object` i.e. variables that refer to an `Object`. If you want to manipulate the `Object` that a reference variable refers to you must dereference it. Dereferencing usually entails using `.` to access a method or field, or using `[` to index an array. By convention reference types are usually denoted with a type that starts in uppercase. For example variables of type `Object` are references.\n\nConsider the following code where you declare a variable of primitive type `int` and don't initialize it:\n```\nint x;\nint y = x + x;\n```\nThese two lines will crash the program because no value is specified for `x` and we are trying to use `x`'s value to specify `y`. All primitives have to be initialized to a usable value before they are manipulated.\n\nNow here is where things get interesting. Reference variables can be set to `null` which means \"I am referencing nothing\". You can get a `null` value in a reference variable if you explicitly set it that way, or a reference variable is uninitialized and the compiler does not catch it (Java will automatically set the variable to `null`).\n\nIf a reference variable is set to null either explicitly by you or through Java automatically, and you attempt to dereference it you get a `NullPointerException`.\n\nThe `NullPointerException` (NPE) typically occurs when you declare a variable but did not create an object and assign it to the variable before trying to use the contents of the variable. So you have a reference to something that does not actually exist.\n\nTake the following code:\n```\nInteger num;\nnum = new Integer(10);\n```\nThe first line declares a variable named `num`, but it does not actually contain a reference value yet. Since you have not yet said what to point to, Java sets it to `null`.\n\nIn the second line, the `new` keyword is used to instantiate (or create) an object of type `Integer`, and the `reference` variable `num` is assigned to that `Integer` object.\n\nIf you attempt to dereference `num` before creating the object you get a `NullPointerException`. In the most trivial cases, the compiler will catch the problem and let you know that \"`num may not have been initialized`,\" but sometimes you may write code that does not directly create the object.\n\nFor instance, you may have a method as follows:\n```\npublic void doSomething(SomeObject obj) {\n // Do something to obj, assumes obj is not null\n obj.myMethod();\n}\n```\nIn which case, you are not creating the object `obj`, but rather assuming that it was created before the `doSomething()` method was called. Note, it is possible to call the method like this:\n```\ndoSomething(null);\n```\nIn which case, `obj` is `null`, and the statement `obj.myMethod()` will throw a `NullPointerException`.\n\nIf the method is intended to do something to the passed-in object as the above method does, it is appropriate to throw the `NullPointerException` because it's a programmer error and the programmer will need that information for debugging purposes.\n\nIn addition to `NullPointerException`'s thrown as a result of the method's logic, you can also check the method arguments for `null` values and throw NPEs explicitly by adding something like the following near the beginning of a method:\n```\n// Throws an NPE with a custom error message if obj is null\nObjects.requireNonNull(obj, \"obj must not be null\");\n```\n\nNote that it's helpful to say in your error message clearly which object cannot be `null`. The advantage of validating this is that 1) you can return your own clearer error messages and 2) for the rest of the method you know that unless `obj` is reassigned, it is not null and can be dereferenced safely.\n\nAlternatively, there may be cases where the purpose of the method is not solely to operate on the passed in object, and therefore a null parameter may be acceptable. In this case, you would need to check for a null parameter and behave differently. You should also explain this in the documentation. For example, `doSomething()` could be written as:\n```\n/**\n * @param obj An optional foo for ____. May be null, in which case\n * the result will be ____.\n */\npublic void doSomething(SomeObject obj) {\n if(obj == null) {\n // Do something\n } else {\n // Do something else\n }\n}\n```\n\nFinally, how to pinpoint the exception & cause using Stack Trace:\n\n> What methods/tools can be used to determine the cause so that you stop the exception from causing the program to terminate prematurely?\n\nSonar with find bugs can detect NPE. Can sonar catch null pointer exceptions caused by JVM Dynamically\n\nNow Java 14 has added a new language feature to show the root cause of NullPointerException. This language feature has been part of SAP commercial JVM since 2006. In Java 14, the following is a sample NullPointerException Exception message:\n\n> in thread \"main\" java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke \"java.util.List.size()\" because \"list\" is null" ], "quality_score": 0.6238836050033569, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "I need a regular expression that validates a number, but doesn't require a digit after the decimal. ie. ```123 123. 123.4 ``` would all be valid ```123.. ``` would be invalid", "Here is the regular expression you can use:\n\n```\n/^\\d*\\.?\\d*$/\n```\n\n* `^` - Beginning of the line;\n* `\\d*` - 0 or more digits;\n* `\\.?` - An optional dot (escaped, because in regex, . is a special character);\n* `\\d*` - 0 or more digits (the decimal part);\n* `$` - End of the line.\n\nThis allows for .5 decimal rather than requiring the leading zero, such as 0.5" ], "quality_score": 0.8052787184715271, "source": "stackexchange" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to drill at an angle?", "Drilling at an angle can seem difficult, but don't worry, there's several methods you can use to create angled holes. You can try some basic tricks if you don't need your angles to be too exact. Otherwise, try building an angled jig with a piece of wood for your hand drill, or creating an angled jig that fits onto the plate of your drill press.\n\n## Use basic trick for imprecise angle\n\n1. Use a speed square to gauge your angle for quick drill jobs. A speed square is a right-triangle shaped tool that has angles marked along the hypotenuse (the long side). Use the angles on the edge to guide your drilling. Set the speed square right next to the hole you're drilling. Line up the drill so the top is along the flat side of the speed square. It will almost look like you're drilling into the right angle. Line up the angle markings on the hypotenuse with the center line down the top of the drill. Drill down into the wood at that angle.\n2. Cut a guide from scrap wood to keep the same angle for several holes. Measure the angle you need on a flat piece of scrap wood that's at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut the wood at that angle using a hand saw or radial saw. To cut the wood at an angle, mark the angle along the edge. Use a handsaw to go along that angle. If you're using a radial saw, set it to the angle you need before cutting. Set the wood down where you need to drill. Lay the drill along the angle, and use the wood to guide the drill while pushing into the wood. Make sure to hold on tight to the guiding piece of wood while drilling.\n3. Start with pilot holes to create angled pocket holes. Another option is to drill straight down into the wood to create small pilot holes. You only need to go down about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm). Pull the drill out. Start drilling again with the drill angled straight down into the pilot holes you've created, and then tilt it to the angle you need as you go in the hole. Pocket holes are what you use to connect 2 pieces of wood at an angle. The angle doesn't need to be precise, so you don't need to measure it. Aim for about a 45° angle, and you should be fine. This method helps keep the drill bit from breaking.\n\n\n## Employ an angle jig\n\n1. Create your own angled jig with a piece of wood. Make this tool using a radial saw and a scrap piece of wood. Use a radial saw and set it to the angle of the hole that you need to drill into your wood. For example, if you need it set to 30 degrees, then set the radial saw to 30 degrees. \"Jig\" literally just means something that holds your work or guides your tools. Use your radial saw to cut the wood at an angle.\n2. Add a pilot hole to the angled jig by drilling into the angled edge. Drill into the angled part of the wood so that the drill is perpendicular to the wood. This will create the perfect angle for drilling into other pieces of wood. Drill all the way through the wood to make the pilot hole.\n3. Position the wood on your workbench to drill. Place the piece of wood that you need to drill into on your workbench. Put the angled jig over the flat piece. You should see the pilot hole you drilled in the angled part. Clamp the jig into place on top of the other piece of wood. If the jig isn't flat along the top, you can saw off the top edge to make it flat. Then you'll be able to clamp it to the other piece of wood.\n4. Drill through the jig into the wood below to create holes in your project. Next, place the drill bit through the pilot hole. Start drilling, using the pilot hole as a guide. Push down into the piece underneath, creating an angled hole. Once you know how deep you want to go for each pilot hole you're creating in your project, apply a stop collar to the drill to keep yourself from going deeper. The stop collar goes over the drill bit at the place you want to stop. A stop collar is a little metal ring that you can buy at any home improvement store. Move the jig around to each spot you need to drill a hole.\n\n\n## Create an angle jig for a drill press\n\n1. Cut a piece of plywood to fit your drill press plate. Use a table saw to cut the piece down to size, making it perfectly rectangular. It should fit easily on top of your drill press plate, though keep it mind you will angle it up towards the drill. You can trace the drill press plate to get an idea for the size you'll need. You can use scrap plywood for this project, but it should be sturdy enough so that it doesn't bend when you're drilling down towards it.\n2. Add a fence to the front of the piece of plywood. Screw a small piece of wood onto the front of the plywood. The front is whatever part will be facing up on the drill press plate. The wood should be almost the length of the plywood and 0.5 to 1 in (1.3 to 2.5 cm) thick. When looking at the plywood as you face the drill press, this piece should run from top to bottom 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) from the left edge. Some fences also run from left to right 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) from the bottom instead. A fence helps you keep your project in place.\n3. Screw a piece of wood to the back of the plywood to create the angle. The bracing piece of wood should be 1 in (2.5 cm) wide or so, but the height of the wood to the press plate will be determined by the angle you want. Measure the angle, and cut the piece of wood so that it will prop the plywood up to that angle. For instance, if you want a 45° angle, the piece you cut for the back would need to be taller than if you wanted a 30­° angle. Screw down from the front part of the plywood into the back brace. Use at least 1 screw on each end to hold it in place.\n4. Brace the jig against a piece of clamped wood. Clamp a long piece of wood to the back of the drill press plate. Attach c-clamps on each end. Now you can push the jig up against this piece of wood so it doesn't slide around.\n5. Drill your holes into your project. Place your project piece on the jig up against the fence. Bring the drill down and drill holes into the piece where you need them. If your piece is moving around too much, clamp it into place against the fence. Now you can drill the same angle each time with precision.\n6. Adjust the jig as needed. You don't need to make a new jig for each angle you need. Rather, just add an extra piece of wood to the back brace to extend the length. Overlap the 2 pieces of wood, and tightly clamp them into place on each end. Measure to see if you have the angle you need by placing a speed square alongside it. If you don't have the correct angle, unclamp the extra piece of wood. Adjust the wood and clamp it back into place.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.6784119009971619, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "Create a table of the two picks of Golden State Warriors in the 2021 NBA draft from the following article, including Round, Pick, Player, Position, Nationality and School/club team in the title.\n\nThe Golden State Warriors entered the first round of 2021 NBA Draft with three names that were known to be targets with the No. 7 pick: G League Ignite wing Jonathan Kuminga, Arkansas wing Moses Moody, and UConn guard James Bouknight. When the pick rolled around, all three were on the board, and they selected the small forward Jonathan Kuminga with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday night. Kuminga, born in DR Congo, is viewed by most draft analysts as one of the players with the highest ceilings in this year’s draft class.\nThen the draft got a little drunk. Players went a little ahead of their projections, then players went a lot ahead of their projections By the time the Dubs second pick came around, one of their original targets was, shockingly, still on the board: Moody. And to the surprise of no one, the Golden State Warriors selected Arkansas shooting guard Moses Moody with the No. 14 pick.", "Sure, here is the table for the 2021 two first-round picks of the Golden State Warriors.\n\n| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/club team |\n|---------|------|------------------|----------------|-------------|---------------------|\n| 1 | 7 | Jonathan Kuminga | Small Forward | DR Congo | NBA G League Ignite |\n| 1 | 14 | Moses Moody | Shooting Guard | - | Arkansas |" ], "quality_score": 0.6669953465461731, "source": "authors" }

{ "conversations": [ "In less than 100 words, write something moving in which every word starts with the same letter.", "An awful ache appeared as Alex, abused and alone, agonisingly approached annihilation - and an afterlife." ], "quality_score": 0.763604998588562, "source": "writingprompts" }

{ "conversations": [ "How to do the charleston?", "The Charleston is a medium- to fast-tempo dance that originated in the 20s. It was renowned for being the first social dance one could do without a partner. There are several versions of Charleston, the most popular being the 20s and 30s Charleston. The Charleston is a highly adaptable move that can be incorporated into a wide variety of dances, but the basic movement is the same.\n\n## Master the basic move\n\n1. Take a rock step back with your left foot. Touching the front of your foot to the floor, but not bringing your heel down. Don’t fully shift your weight to this foot. When doing the Charleston, lean forward slightly and bend your knees a little. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet. A rock step, also called a break step, refers to a rocking step in which one’s weight is very briefly transferred to another foot before being returned to the first. The only time when you might begin with your right foot is if you are following a partner. When two people dance the Charleston together, the leader starts by stepping back on the left foot, while the follower starts by stepping back on the right, mirroring the leader.\n2. Step back forward with your left foot. It should now be a step ahead of your right foot. This time, shift your weight to your left foot.\n3. Take another rock step forward with your right foot. Put the heel of your foot on the ground without bringing your whole foot down. Your weight should end up on your left foot still.\n4. Step back with your right foot. It should now be a step behind your left foot. Shift your weight back onto your right foot.\n5. Swing your arms as you step. As you move, your arms should be swinging. This may happen automatically, especially if you’ve seen people do the Charleston before and know what it’s supposed to look like. When your left foot is in front of you, your right arm should swing forward. When your right foot is in front of you, your left arm should swing forward.\n6. Repeat this movement. It probably won’t look terribly impressive on its own, but the back, forward, forward, back motion is the building block for every variation on the Charleston. Practice until it feels natural. Then you’ll be ready to start mixing things up.\n\n\n## Do the 20s charleston\n\n1. Get comfortable with the basic move. All the variations of the Charleston start with being able to do the basic step. Practice until it becomes second nature.\n2. Twist your feet in and out. Keep your weigh on the balls of your feet. On every step, the heel of the foot your have your weight on should twist out and then in again.\n3. Lift your elbows as you swing your arms. This is basically an exaggerated version of the arm swing. As always, your left arm should swing forward when your right foot is ahead of your body, and your right arm should swing forward when your left foot is in front of your body. Your arms should be bent at about a 90 degree angle. The elbow of the arm that is swinging back should come to shoulder height, and the forearm of the arm that is swinging forward should be parallel to the ground.\n4. Pivot your knees in and out. One common move used with the Charleston involves opening and closing your knees at the same time as crossing and uncrossing your arms. This may be the most well-known Charleston move. Begin with your knees bent and touching each other, with your arms crossed over them, so that your right hand is on your left knee, and your left hand is on your right now. Spread your knees apart while simultaneously uncrossing your arms, so that you end up with your left hand on your left knee, and your right hand on your right knee. #\\*Repeat this move a few times.\n\n\n## Do the 30s charleston\n\n1. Get comfortable with the basic move. All the variations of the Charleston start with being able to do the basic step. Practice until it becomes second nature.\n2. Replace a normal step with a kick step. This will add a little pep to the move. Instead of simply stepping forward, bring your knee up and kick your foot out. Your knee should come up first, propelling your foot forward a moment later. If you would not be transferring your weight to that foot anyway for this step, just swing it back again without letting it touch the ground. Otherwise, plant it back on the ground after the kick.\n3. Add a hitch as you move your leg back. Instead of simply stepping back after a kick, incorporate a hitch into the movement. Bring your knee back up, so that your upper leg is parallel to the ground, before kicking your foot back again.\n4. Touch the ground with your hand. This adds slightly more difficulty and flare. As your leg swings back and the ball of your foot touches the ground, lean forward and tap the ground with the tips of the fingers of your opposite hand.\n" ], "quality_score": 0.711243748664856, "source": "wikihow" }

{ "conversations": [ "In the parallel world of spiders, instead of \"Spider-Man\" there is \"Man-Spider\": a spider in a human costume with human superpowers, such as a gun he caries around and the ability to talk. You are the spider chosen to write a screenplay for the movie.", "I regret my choices.\nI should have just become a cobwebineer in stead of a screenwriter. But of course, with my luck they'd have come up with some completely absurd construction job for me to do.\nLike, at first I was one hundred percent on board with the \"Man-Spider\" concept. I mean, pure body horror, you could make some really, really scary shit out of that material.\nBut then came the instruction: \"Make it sexy\". *Sexy*? Have they seen humans? Only half the proper amount of limbs, the eyeball situation is just disturbing and those red, wet holes... masticating species, uggh!\nBut apparently this... specimen... is supposed to be the hero? We're never going to see him eat on screen, that's for sure.\nI guess I can work with the gun thing. Emphasize the technological ingenuity. There's probably some way to make this form of hunting seem cool in stead of a pathetic compensation for natural weakness. Maybe.\nAnd they want talking to play a central role. I can see why, given the man-spider thing, but how to do it without directing attention to that nasty face hole? Putting a mask on him might work - and it could cover the eyes. Mask it is!\nA mask would also help making the love interest story line a little more believable. I'm not writing any mating scenes! They'll just have to find another spider for that, I have my limits.\nAlthough, thank the Great Spinner that it's *man*-spider. Imagine if it was woman-spider. Those creatures are *mammals*. It really is the most disgusting reproductive biology imaginable. I wish they'd let me make a horror movie." ], "quality_score": 0.8211822509765625, "source": "writingprompts" }