4 (Computers & Internet)

why doesn't an optical mouse work on a glass table?

or even on some surfaces?

Optical mice use an LED and a camera to rapidly capture images of the surface beneath the mouse. The infomation from the camera is analyzed by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and used to detect imperfections in the underlying surface and determine motion. Some materials, such as glass, mirrors or other very shiny, uniform surfaces interfere with the ability of the DSP to accurately analyze the surface beneath the mouse. \nSince glass is transparent and very uniform, the mouse is unable to pick up enough imperfections in the underlying surface to determine motion. Mirrored surfaces are also a problem, since they constantly reflect back the same image, causing the DSP not to recognize motion properly. When the system is unable to see surface changes associated with movement, the mouse will not work properly.

5 (Sports)

What is the best off-road motorcycle trail ?

long-distance trail throughout CA

i hear that the mojave road is amazing!<br />\nsearch for it online.

2 (Health)

What is Trans Fat? How to reduce that?

I heard that tras fat is bad for the body. Why is that? Where can we find it in our daily food?

Trans fats occur in manufactured foods during the process of partial hydrogenation, when hydrogen gas is bubbled through vegetable oil to increase shelf life and stabilize the original polyunsatured oil. The resulting fat is similar to saturated fat, which raises "bad" LDL cholesterol and can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease. \nUntil very recently, food labels were not required to list trans fats, and this health risk remained hidden to consumers. In early July, FDA regulations changed, and food labels will soon begin identifying trans fat content in processed foods.

6 (Business & Finance)

How many planes Fedex has?

I heard that it is the largest airline in the world

according to the www.fedex.com web site:\nAir Fleet<br />\n <br />\n670 aircraft, including: <br />\n47 Airbus A300-600s 17 Boeing DC10-30s <br />\n62 Airbus A310-200/300s 36 Boeing MD10-10s <br />\n2 ATR 72s 5 Boeing MD10-30s <br />\n29 ATR 42s 57 Boeing MD11s <br />\n18 Boeing 727-100s 10 Cessna 208As <br />\n94 Boeing 727-200s 246 Cessna 208Bs <br />\n30 Boeing DC10-10s 17 Fokker F-27s

6 (Business & Finance)

In the san francisco bay area, does it make sense to rent or buy ?

the prices of rent and the price of buying does not make sense to me, mostly the rent will not cover the mortgage . Is it better to rent a house or to buy?

renting vs buying depends on your goals. <br />\ngenerally thinking is that buying is better b/c the payments that would go into the rent start building equity in your home. the govt also incentivizes you to buy by making your property tax payments and mortgage interest payments tax deductible.\nhaving said that current housing status in the bay area is such that housing cost to purchase is relatively high and rental prices (compared to ownership cost) are relatively low (relative to the rest of the country). it makes lese sense to buy vs. other places.\nbottom line you should base your decision on whether you think the market will keep going up or not. the other numbers tend to even out, the main gain or loss in buying comes from appreciation/depreciation.

4 (Computers & Internet)

What's the best way to clean a keyboard?

I have very small stuff stuck under my keyboard and it prevents it to from working. What will be the be\nst way to clean it?

There are commercial kits available, but a can of compressed air, a lint-free cloth or wipes, mild dishwashing liquid, and a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush are all you really need for a basic cleaning. \nAfter turning off your computer and unplugging your keyboard, gently shake the keyboard upside down over some newspaper to dislodge loose crumbs and particles. \nUse the can of compressed air to blow a stream of air between the keys. \nDampen a lint-free cloth with a diluted solution of dishwashing liquid and water to wipe down the keys. \nUse the vacuum cleaner brush attachment to suck away any remaining dirt or debris. <br />\nIf you have a membrane-type keyboard (it doesn't have a spring under each key) and the keys are truly grungy, you can remove the keys with a small screwdriver and use cotton swabs and 90% isopropyl alcohol to get it sparkling clean. If you are still feeling industrious, next you can tackle cleaning your mouse. \nOf course, if cleaning your keyboard seems a truly undesirable task, you can always buy a new one for around $20.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why do people blush when they are embarrassed?

Why do people blush when they are embarrassed?

from ask yahoo...\nhttp://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20040113.html\n<<Blushing is a unique blend of evolutionary and social behavior. It's an involuntary reaction of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for our "fight or flight" response, but blushing is solely triggered by social cues. <br />\nPeople generally blush when they're feeling embarrassed, scared, or stressed. As a result of the "fight or flight" response, the capillaries that carry blood to the skin widen, and the increased blood flow lends the face, as well as sometimes the chest, neck, or even the body or legs, a reddened color. \nExcessive facial blushing, or erythrophobia, is caused by overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. The condition can cause a lot of psychological duress and has engendered several support groups. \nIt's common knowledge that animals don't blush. So while there are some evolutionary cues behind blushing, it's also linked to something uniquely human -- moral consciousness.>>

7 (Entertainment & Music)

Is Lin Qingxia (aka Brigitte Lin) "the most beautiful woman in Chinese cinema?"

This is according to Stephen Chow (http://www.hkentreview.com/2005/features/kfh/kfhprem.html). Is it true? Who is the best-looking male star? Did they make any movies together?

Well. Everyone has different definition on what 'beauty' is. I like Lin Qingxia, but I think many girls are prettier than she was. (She is more than 40 years old now). \nIf "Lin Qingxia" is the most beautiful woman in the Chinese cinema, the most handsome man in Chinese cinema should be "Chin Han" because they always made movies together.\nHowever, A male movie star once was asked his girlfriend in real life or the girlfriend in movie is more beautiful. He gave a very good answer: "I think my mother is the most beautiful woman in the world." :)

4 (Computers & Internet)

What is the origin of "foobar"?

I want to know the meaning of the word and how to explain to my friends.

Not sure if this is the origin, but I think it was popularized in the 1989 film "Tango & Cash". After Tango, played by Sylvester Stallone, and Cash, portrayed by Kurt Russell, were thrown into jail and setup in a failed jailbreak attempt, the bad guy Yves Perret (Jack Pallance) locked them in the boiler room with a bunch of felons Tango & Cash had put in jail. Prior to unleashing a can of whoop-ass, their conversation was as follows:\nGabriel Cash: I don't know about you, but I have an aversion to getting F.U.B.A.R...\nRay Tango: What's F.U.B.A.R.?\nGabriel Cash: Fucked-Up Beyond All Recognition.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

How the human species evolved?

How the human species evolved?

A tough question as it overlaps science and theology. Since you asked "how the human species evolved?" I'll assume you're interested in the scientific approach to the answer.\nThe current theory holds that Homo sapiens evolved from Hominid ancestors over the course of millions of years through a process called natural selection. Natural selection is the weeding and advancement of species variants over time based on the fit in that species' then current environments. The pressures for "fit" are competitive (with each other, with other tribes, and with other animals) and environmental (weather, terrain, availability of food, etc.). These factors all contributed to the development of our higher brain, which we now use to evolve as a global collective through communication & technology.

3 (Education & Reference)

Who said the statement below and what does it mean?

Can someone help me with understanding someone else's wisdom, please?&#xd;<br><br>" It is very easy in the world to live by the opinion of the world. It is very easy in solitude to be self-centered. But the finished man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. "

That is kind of a tricky little quote. Sometimes placing it in context can help. This is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self Reliance," which discourages basing one's opinions and actions on common opinion in favor of self-trust (see the full essay at http://www.emersoncentral.com/selfreliance.htm). \nI think the point of this quote is that it's very desireable to have one's own original thoughts and opinions, and to live by them. It's easier to live by one's own convictions and not be persuaded by others when in isolation (that's the "independence of solitude"). However, not so special to isolate oneself from others in order to attain this ideal. Because it's difficult to live by one's own thoughts and opinions while being a part of society, it's something only a "finished man" can truly do. Also, in the essay, Emerson refers to being childlike - unselfish, non-judgmental, open-minded, uncynical, unhesitant - as something to admire. So I think that's where the seemingly misplaced "perfect sweetness" comes in. When a man can remain pure of heart while living in the harsh world and also keeping and living by his own ideals. \nWhat do you think?

3 (Education & Reference)

How do I find an out of print book?

When I was a kid I remember seeing a book that was like an yearbook of all newspapers published by the Times during WW II. Each of the years is compiled into a different book. &#xd;<br>It gave one a very uniqie perspecitev into the UK druing the war, and even had advertisements from thaat time.&#xd;<br>Anybody out there know how to track such books?

There are several websites that you can find rare or out of print books. A couple would be alibris.com or abebooks.com. These sites list books by booksellers all over the country and some internationally.

6 (Business & Finance)

What are some tips on finding a good mortgage broker?

What are some tips on finding a good mortgage broker?

the most basic thing is to have someone you have a decent amount of trust for. someone recommended by a friend etc.\nthe things you have to look for are:<br />\n1. top priority is seeing that the broker can actually get your loan on time. many deals fall through b/c the broker cannot get the deal through on time and has less control than the original lender<br />\n2. secondary priority is to see that they have access to competitive rates. not all brokers have access to all sources and rates, although most of them will be similar.<br />\n3. you need to see that the broker is someone you trust to get you the best rate regardless of how much money they make off the transaction.

4 (Computers & Internet)

what's the best way to create a bootable windos/dos CD?

i don't use floppies any more and need to boot from something other than my hard disk

Well, the best way is to look at whatever program you have for burning CDs and see if it has an option to create a bootable CD. If you can't find it, or use Windows itself to burn CDs, then it's a little more complicated.\nNote: If you find that booting from CD doesn't work, you may have to adjust your BIOS setting to allow your machine to boot from CD.\nIf you want to boot to windows: the easiest way is probably to go here: http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/ and download a utility that will do it for you. There are instructions there depending on what type of boot you want.\nIf you don't trust using a third party utility, Microsoft has some instructions here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/167685/EN-US/ . This process is not very straightforward though.\nIf you just need to get into your filesystem and poke around, you might consider booting a different OS. For example, http://www.freedos.org/ (FreeDOS) and http://www.knoppix.net/ (Knoppix Linux) may do what you want. For these, you can download ISO images and burn bootable CDs.

8 (Family & Relationships)

what is the reason for the increasing divorce percentage in the western world?

what is the most common parameter that causing couples to separate

IMO... our lives are much more complex than our equivalents from 50 years ago and thus it's more likely for married people to grow in different directions over time (values, needs, etc.). Add to that how easy and acceptable it is to get a divorce, and how quick we are to dispose of things that we no longer want, and you get an increasing percentage.\nI wouldn't be surprised if in the not too distant future the average length of a marriage drops to ~5 years and the average number of marriages per person increases to 2+.\nA parallel to consider: how many different circles of friends do you have and how often have you joined new ones and left others behind over your life? (grade school, high school, college, jobs, etc.). We are a nomadic species. :)

1 (Science & Mathematics)

What is an "imaginary number"?

What is an "imaginary number", and how is it treated in algebra equations?

Imaginary numbers are numbers than when squared equal a negative number, as in i^2 = -1, where i is the imaginary number. You'll also often see them represented as i = √-1 (that's the square root of -1).\nDon't be confused by the poorly chosen name - imaginary numbers do indeed exist and are used in advanced math, such as in the physics of electromagnetic fields. The analogy that Wikipedia uses is a good one - just like you don't need the concept of fractions to count stones, it doesn't mean that fractions don't exist. :)

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Faxing a pizza

would we be able to fax a pizza in the future? How far are we from creating a machine that can beam people from one place to another?

We're pretty far away from being able to beam anything in the way that you are describing. There are some experiments where splitting entangled electrons allows us to observe some interesting 'action at a distance' effects, but the amount of data that would need to be stored to transmit something with as many atoms as a pizza is incredible. Also, such an operation would require nano-assemblers that could interpret such data an reassemble the pizza from the info provided.

7 (Entertainment & Music)

What are good sources to find out about new gospel artists?

Is there a site that focuses primarily on gospel?

CCM Magazine or their online website will give you information on up and coming artists in the Christian Music field.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

space missions

Why are we spending so much money on space when we do not have a decent health insurance to all the public?

You also need to consider the economic effects of funding basic research. The moon missions of the 60's inspired an entire generation and helped to move many kids toward careers in science and engineering. As a result, the US was well poised to take advantage of the huge boom in information technology in the last few decades. The net effect of these engineers in the workforce could be see has a pretty impressive return on investment for the cost of those missions.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

How a black hole is formed?

I would like to know how a black hole can possibly be formed. Are there any experimental evidence of such creation?

The current scientific theory holds that black holes are formed when stars of sufficient mass (about 3x the mass of our Sun) reach the end of their life and collapse down into a singularity, which is, in essence, an infinitely small point with a huge amount of gravity - gravity so powerful that not even light can escape it's pull if it gets too close. It is also thought that black holes can be formed from smaller masses if external energy/pressure is exerted to squeeze the mass into a singularity.\nNot sure if there's any direct experimental evidence of creation, but there is evidence that they exist. Cosmologists use several different methods to detect blacks holes, such as by looking for light being bent and/or disappearing as it travels from remote stars towards us, and also by looking for bursts of x-rays that are given off as matter is sucked into the back hole and destroyed.\nFun fact: current evidence and theory suggests that the center of the Milky Way is a giant black hole that was formed as the densly packed stars in the center collapsed and sucked each other in.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Heavy water

what is the role that heavy water plays in the nuclear explosion process?

Heavy water is like regular water except that instead of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom (H20) it has two deuterium atoms and an oxygen atom (D20). Deuterium is a hydrogen atom with an extra neutron.\nWater is used in nuclear reactors to moderate the reaction speed, and to absorb heat. Nuclear fission starts by giving off neutrons that create a chain reaction. Any water around it absorbs those neutrons (becoming heavy water) and slows the reaction. If heavy water is used instead of regular hydrogen water, the neutrons are not absorbed. This means that less pure nuclear material can be used to sustain a reaction. For example unrefined uranium, which is much less expensive, can be used instead of enriched uranium.

7 (Entertainment & Music)

When will Her Majesty be released in Dvd format?

Her Majesty was a movie in limited release early in 2005. I am interested in getting a copy of it in dvd format upon release.

It's already available in Australia, if your DVD player can handle PAL:

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Is a transponder required to fly in class C airspace?

I've heard that it may not be for some aircraft. What are the rules?

the answer is that you must have a transponder in order to fly in a class C airspace.

3 (Education & Reference)

How to get rid of a beehive?

Who can tell me how to get rid of a beehive with out getting stung?

Call an area apiarist. They should be able to help you and would most likely remove them at no charge in exchange for the hive. The bees have value and they now belong to you.

6 (Business & Finance)

Nice apartment building near SBC Park?

Any recommendations for a nice apartment building in SF generally in the SBC Park area?

I can't tell you which of the many are best, but I can tell you about one I lived in briefly.\nI lived for a month in the Avalon at 4th and King. I was put up there as a corporate apartment. While it was fine, it was relatively expensive, and the rooms were small. It also had one of those rooms that served as kitchen, dining room and living room all in one. I'm not fond of these kinds of rooms, which are particularly American. The smell of cooking, people watching TV, people eating -- these all seem like activities that should be separated from one another. Call me old fashioned. \nThe Avalon had a big gym, however, which was very good, and concierge service, which was very convenient. Most of them were very friendly. One concierge even hugged me when we left and said she was going to miss me! Also convenient was its proximity to the Caltrain, the Safeway across the street and the Starbucks. But if you crave culture, this ain't it: everything is a chain store nearby.\nSo depending on your budget, your need for convenience and culture, and your tolerance for small rooms and/or omnirooms, it may suit you.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

What are world's 3 smallest nations?

i.e.&#xd;<br>which is the smallest nation?&#xd;<br>which is the next one in size?&#xd;<br>and then the next one?&#xd;<br><br>How did they manage to become countries?

1. The Vatican City in central Rome ranks as the smallest nation of the world. It measures 0.17 square miles.<br />\n2. Monaco. <br />\n3. San Marino.\nHow did they manage to become countries?<br />\n1. The political freedom of the Vatican is guaranteed and protected by Italy. It concordat between the Holy See and the kingdom of Italy signed in 1929 in the Lateran Palace, Rome, by Cardinal Gasparri for Pius XI and by Benito Mussolini for Victor Emmanuel III.<br />\n2. Monaco came under French protection in 1861. However from 1911, when the first constitution was promulgated, the prince of Monaco was an absolute ruler.<br />\n3. According to tradition, Marino, a Christian stonecutter from Dalmatia, took refuge (4th cent) on Mt. Titano, the chief geographical feature of present-day San Marino. By the mid-5th cent., a community was formed; because of its relatively inaccessible location and its poverty, it has succeeded, with a few brief interruptions, in maintaining its independence. In 1631 its independence was recognized by the papacy.

6 (Business & Finance)

What is the best riddle that you know?

I'm trying to have a library of the best riddles that people encountered. So a good riddle would be a riddle that has no ugly tricks in it- pure logic answer – no tricks, no funky solutions.

If you were standing in front of a door, one leading to heaven and one leading to hell, neither of which are labeled, and guarding that door is a guard, one who always lies and one who always tells the truth, but you don't know who's who, what question would you ask to definitively know which one is the door to heaven versus hell.\nanswer: "what would the other guard say that you would say is the door to heaven (hell)?" then you know the opposite door is the door to heaven (hell)

6 (Business & Finance)

Economics of running a restaurant?

Running a restaurant looks like hard work and long hours. &#xd;<br><br>What percentage of restaurants are profitable? And what is the average revenue and net income of a small restaurant?

90% of restaurants fail in their first year of existence. A 10% profit level for a restaurant is considered a success. The average revenue and net income is hard to define without knowing the food concept and what type of liquor license the establishment will have: just beer and wine license or full bar license? Will the restaurant depend heavily on take out food orders or mostly dining within? The hours are very long 12 to 15 hours a day if yo will be serving lunch and dinner.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why do gas stations mix ethanol into gas?

Why do gas stations mix ethanol into gas?

Right. Fuel additives are helpful for reduction of emissions, although they are not always economical. For the most part, the US congress has subsidized the creation of ethanol, which tends to be a net cost unless created from waste agricultural products.\nAnother substance that has the same anti-emissions properties as ethanol is MTBE. There has been a lot of press about MTBE recently due to its tendency to pollute groundwater.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why we are not using the sea waves to generate electricity?

Giving that it is a clean and safe energy, and that almost all the time there are waves, why we are not using that to generate power

Same reason solar power isn't more popular despite lots of sunshine: with current technology the cost per kwh is still much higher than for power generated with fossil fuels. As fossil fuel prices rise and technology improves so-called "alternative" energy sources become more cost effective, but the crossover point still appears to be several years in the future.\nForcing expensive alternative technologies on the market before they are economically viable simply raises electricity prices for homeowners--this is part of the reason CA electric rates were so far above the national average in the 1990's, opening the door for Enron and like to make their ill-fated arbitrage plays...

5 (Sports)

Why doesn't the NBA implement a minor leagues?

I don't want to see any more High School kids on the court, shooting airballs and missing defensive assignments.

The NBA does have minor leagues - they're called the CBA, and the International leagues. :)\nSeriously - because viewers seem to value explosiveness over efficiency, I think we're seeing a major shift in the average age of NBA players towards young athletes that are quicker, high-flying and more resilient to injury. I wouldn't be surprised at all if by the end of this decade the average age of the league allstars is well under 25.

3 (Education & Reference)

What's the longest english word without a vowel in it?

and what does that word mean if it's not a common word.

The longest word without a vowel is Rhythm.\nIt is referenced on below web site where you can find more fun facts.

5 (Sports)

Formula1 car

What makes a Formula1 car a fast car?

Let me break it down-\nEngine- 3 liter V10. Approximately 900+ hp, 19,000 rpm. The engine weighs about 200 lbs. It spins so fast that metal valve springs can't keep, the springs are pneumatic.\nBrakes- The better your brakes, the later you can brake and thus you can spend more time going fast. These are carbon fiber and take 3 months to make. They heat up to around 1500 F in use and can be seen glowing. The wheels are limited to 13 inches in order to limit braking capability. As they are, the driver experiences 4 G's of decelerating load under heavy braking. An average person would black out in an F1 car.\nAerodynamics- Surprisingly, drag is not the critical factor, downforce is. These cars have very high coefficients of drag, due to the open wheels and spoilers. The downforce is created by aero devices which are basically inverted aeroplane wings, which push the car to the ground under speed. It is because of the dependence on these devices that F1 cars have a difficult time passing, once the cars enter the dirty air behind another racer, downforce drops dramatically and so does the car's ability to corner quickly.\nTraction control- the cars generate so much power that the throttle is computer controlled to keep the tires from spinning. The governing body (the FIA) wants to make this illegal but right now it is not feasible because it is merely software in the engine management systems, and it is not feasible to decompile these systems to find illegal code.\nTransmisison- The cars utilize computer controlled sequential manual transmissions. The computers manage the throttle and clutch to pull off perfect shifts in one tenth of a second. All the driver does is pull a lever. The clutch is only used from a standstill and is engaged from a lever on the steering wheel. \nWhat doesn't make the cars fast-\nTires- The tires are grooved to limit traction. If the drivers were allowed to run slicks, the traction and G loading would be so high that drivers would black out and possibly crash. Starting in 2005, they also must last the entire race.\nWheels- Size limited to prevent the installation of overlarge brakes which would also push the drivers beyond the limits of human physiology\nBrakes- As stated earlier, size limited. Also, no ABS at all (outlawed in 1994).

1 (Science & Mathematics)

how was Einstein's General Relativity theory proven ?

When was it, where was it and by whom?

First, I would never say that a theory has been proven. There may be a lot of evidence that supports a theory, and as a result it may no longer be on the list of theories that are being challenged, but theories are always theories and should always be open to adjustment by new evidence. A good theory is just a collection of hypothesis, experiments and deductions that survives repeated challenge and can therefore be used to predict untested outcomes.\nNow to your question (sorry for the tangent)... I think that most physicists consider Arthur Eddington's observations of the bending of light during the 1919 solar eclipse as the first solid evidence to support Einstein's theory of General Relativity. Einstein's theory predicted that gravitational fields would bend light, and Eddington's measurements supported that prediction, thus making it the first empirical data to support the theory.

7 (Entertainment & Music)

Can someone tell me what happened in Buffy's series finale?

I had to work and missed the ending.

The gang makes an attack on the First's army, aided by Willow, who performs a powerful spell to imbue all of the Potentials with Slayer powers. Meanwhile, wearing the amulet that Angel brought, Spike becomes the decisive factor in the victory, and Sunnydale is eradicated. Buffy and the gang look back on what's left of Sunnydale, deciding what to do next...\n--but more importantly, there will no longer be any slaying in Sunnydale, or is that Sunnyvale....

1 (Science & Mathematics)

How does a person live his whole life with the notion of impending death

Just a philosophical question, nothing more.

It's called denial...

1 (Science & Mathematics)

how does a helicopter fly

this is a miracle- I always wanted to learn to fly one of those. Can someone explain how can it get airborne?

A helicopter gets its power from rotors or blades. When its rotors are spinning, a helicopter doesn't look much like an airplane. But the rotor blades have an airfoil shape like the wings of an airplane. So as the rotors turn, air flows more quickly over the tops of the blades than it does below. This creates enough lift for flight.

3 (Education & Reference)

Why would Big Ten keep its name inspite of adding a 11th school?

[colleges & univs]&#xd;<br><br>Upto 1980s and early 90s, Big Ten conference had only 10 schools. But then somehow it was decided to add PSU as the 11th Big-Ten school.&#xd;<br><br>Any thoughts/insight on why the name of the conference not changed?

i would think to keep the "brand" recognition and the history of the Big Ten. the conference has invested a lot in building the Big Ten name as well as any merchandising and corporate sponsorship.

2 (Health)

How effective is massage in relieving stress?

How effective is massage in relieving stress?

Massage is good for relieving stress if you find the right kind of you. \nOne of the most popular massages is Swedish massage. Light to medium pressure is applied with long, soothing strokes. Sometimes stress can cause muscle pain. Deep tissue massage can be tailored to the person's need. Aromatherapy massage makes use of the therapeutic effect of essential oil combined with a relaxing massage. Warm stone massage has become very popular in the past few years. Reflexology is a special form of foot massage.\nIt may take a few trials to find the right kind of massage for you. Once you find it, it can help maintain good physical health and stress reduction.

9 (Politics & Government)

Is there a good reference for California Landlord-Tenant Law?

I want to know what is required of landlords and tenants in California.

Check out "California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landloards' Rights and Responsibilities" (listed as a reference below) from the department of Consumer Affairs.

4 (Computers & Internet)

Triangular distribution random function

How can I calculate a random number in a Triangular distribution random function? Is there a java packa\nged somewhere which does it?

check out this site:\nhttp://mathworld.wolfram.com/TriangularDistribution.html

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Capturing light in a container

Can we capture light in a container? Will it run and shine forever? What kind of internal material we should use in order to do that?

So the answer to your specific question is 'no'. The problem is that if the container shines, it means that light and energy is being lost and will eventually run out. There are materials that will glow for a long time due to radioactive decay or via chemical processes, but all of these are using up their 'fuel' in the process and will eventually run out.\nSome radioactive substances have a pretty long half-life and will appear to glow steadily without much decay over the scale of a human lifetime.\nNow, to get more generalized... it is possible to trap light in a container that doesn't shine. Scientists have been able to free light in its place using supercooled clouds of sodium which are naturally opaque, but can temporarily transmit light when altered via a laser beam. If the laser is shut off, a light beam that is passing through the cloud will be temporarily frozen in place. Australian scientists have recently been able to extend this interaction to be nearly as long as a second.\nOnce the laser is reintroduced the beam is recovered and continues on its way. Now all this is a little debatable, since the photons actually get temporarily swallowed up by the material. The photons that come out afterwards have the same configuration and quantum state as what went in, but whether they are exactly the same photons is more of a question for philosophy than for physics.

6 (Business & Finance)

When will Google buy Yahoo?

The two businesses are very complementary in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Do we want to beat ourselves up competing with each other for resources and market share, or unite to beat MSFT?

Their respective market caps are too close for this to ever happen.\nInterestingly, many reporters, analysts and tech pundits that I talk to think that the supposed competition between Google and Yahoo is fallacious, and that they are very different companies with very different strategies. Google's true competitor is often seen as being Microsoft, not Yahoo. This would support your claim that they are complementary.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Do animals have feelings?

can an animal feel regrets , compassion, sad, fear etc?

It's clear that humans and animals (especially those close to us in the evolutionary tree), share similar chemical responses in their brain when faced with highly emotional situations. Whether it be fear, contentment, mating urges, we have a lot of analogous mechanisms going on. On this basis alone, there is a pretty strong argument that animals have feelings.\nOne possible counter-argument, however, is based on the definition that for certain chemical responses to be called feelings, that the being in question needs to have a conscious awareness of their state. With this defition, it becomes much harder to say whether animals experience feelings in the same conscious manner even though the neurochemical signatures are similar.\nMy opinion is that this definition based on conscious understanding is a little specious, as it's based on an ongoing desire by some to try to define humans out of the context of the natural world... and to claim that we are categorically better than the other animals. \nIf the neurochemical basis for consciousness is ever discovered we'll be able to quickly check which animals have this, and I suspect we'll find that many are conscious. If this is so, then their feelings will be as real as human ones in all senses.

3 (Education & Reference)

Is Trigonometry considered high school or college level math?

I never took trig. Is it the level after calculus?

In the US, Trig is normally considered as a high school level course, however, it is not a required course to graduate. I believe Algebra is the highest of the high school math courses that are required for graduation, although some schools may still only require Geometry.\nIn the US the typical sequence for math courses is Pre-Algebra, Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry and then Calculus (which is usually taken at the high school level as Pre-Calculus, but may also be taken as full "AP" Calculus, where the "AP" stands for "Advanced Placement" and means that the student can get University-level credit for that course when they go to College).

6 (Business & Finance)

Why is there often a mirror in an elevator?

What is the history behind it?

The purpose is functional, but it's psychological rather than mechanical.\n\nHere's an explanation, from: http://www.slyasafox.com/book/book_33.html\n\n"In the early industrial age, buildings began to spring up all over the east coast. Many of these new buildings were taller than anything ever built before and most had elevators. As buildings got taller and taller, more people began to use elevators. Elevators in those days were pretty darn slow. People were constantly complaining about how slow the elevators were. \n\nElevator companies were challenged with this problem and came up with the typical problem statement elevators move too slow. So they went off to design elevators that were faster and safer, but at the time it was very expensive to do so. Several companies went off and running to build a safer and faster elevator, and one elevator company proposed a different problem statement. They may have had a different name for the approach, but they were using the fundamentals of the �est problem statement tool. One engineer said, I think our elevator speeds are just fine, people are crazy. \n\nThen an engineer proposed that they work on a different problem statement. He proposed that the problem was people think elevators move to slow. He inserted two words people think into the problem statement which allowed the design team to approach the problem from a completely different angle and thus a whole new set of ideas. Instead of concentrating on larger motors, slicker pulley designs and such, they concentrated on the passenger in the elevator.\n\nWhen they looked at the problem from this angle, the ideas started to snowball. Is it really too slow? Why do they think it is slow? How can we distract them? How can we make it more comfortable? Are customers scared of heights?\n\nThis lead to some first hand customer research. They found that a lot of people thought the elevators were a lot slower then they actually were. \n\n\nThey also discovered that people had an exaggerated sense of time because they had nothing to do but stare at the wall and think about the safety of the elevator being suspended in the air, and preoccupied with the fear of falling. \n\nt room for additional equipment of any sort, so they brainstormed on that. This lead to the idea of mirrors in elevators so people would think about something else besides danger. Was their hair combed properly? Did her makeup look okay?\n\nBy installing mirrors in the elevators, people became distracted and were no longer preoccupied with the fear of falling. On a follow up survey, customers commented how much faster the new elevators were even though the speed was exactly the same. The elevator design itself had not changed at all." \n\n

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Can someone explain the theory of e=mc2?

I have forgotten what this means.

In general it means that in a very high speed (also apply for low speed but hard to measure) , a Mass turns into Energy and vise versa. The conversion rate is C2 (C square).

9 (Politics & Government)

Why can Bush get away with misinforming us about intelligence, then use that as reason for war?

Why can Bush get away with misinforming us about intelligence and then using that as reason for war?

Because the American public is more willing to forgive presidents that don't project themselves as smarter then them. Its similar to how Oliver North and the Irancontra scandal in the 80's did not affect Reagan's popularity, but how Clinton's "lies" about Monica almost resulted in impeachment. In a way, this may be Bush's genius, that he understands what lies Americans are willing to accept, and not accept.

3 (Education & Reference)

where did term "tie the knot" come from?

what's the origin of the notion of marriage as "tying the knot?"

Bed frames used to be sprung with rope. To make a marriage bed you needed to 'tie the knot'

5 (Sports)

How can the Chicago Cubs break their curse?

The lovable Cubs need to win the big one!

Do what the Red Sox did. Fire the coach from last year, trade your best player, and get a long haired guy to bat 1st.

7 (Entertainment & Music)

What's the cheapest source for ordering DVDs from Asia?

What's the cheapest source for ordering DVDs from Asia?

I don't know if this is the cheapest option, but I use the site YesAsia<br />\nhttp://us.yesasia.com/en/index.aspx<br />\nfor my Asian DVD & CD needs. You often have a choice of region format, and its cheaper than buying it in some store.

5 (Sports)

Why are there 5 rings in the Olympics symbol?

What does it represent? I heard few theories about it but not sure what is the correct one

The 5 rings were introduced at the the 1920 games in antwerp games. The rings included at least one color from the flag of every participating country.

5 (Sports)

What is the over/under for wins by the 49ers this season?

How many wins do you guys think the 49ers will get this year? What is a good number?

At Tradesports.com the contract has been set at the 49ers getting more than 4.5 wins, and it's trading at slightly less than even odds for that. 4-12 seems a good guess.

3 (Education & Reference)

What was James Bond's wife's name?

I seem to be having my temporary memory lapse and can't seem to be recollecting my deceased wife's name. Can someone help?&#xd;<br><br>-- 007

In the movies, James Bond gets Married at the end of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", but unfortunately his wife dies very soon thereafter when the bad guys shoot her while trying to gun down James. Her name was "Contessa Teresa 'Tracy' Di Vicenzo Bond", she was played by Diana Rigg.\nI've never read the books, so I don't know if he every married in the books.

6 (Business & Finance)

How do I take my money out of 401k without penalty?

If I change a job, and roll my 401k into an IRA, can I then take money out of the IRA to fund my childrens education without the penalty?

You can withdraw the money for childrens higher education. Details:<br />\nHigher education expenses. Even if you are under age 59½, if you paid expenses for higher education during the year, part (or all) of any distribution may not be subject to the 10% additional tax. The part not subject to the tax is generally the amount that is not more than the qualified higher education expenses (defined later) for the year for education furnished at an eligible educational institution (defined later). The education must be for you, your spouse, or the children or grandchildren of you or your spouse.

5 (Sports)

What are the rules around who can throw the ball in football?

Usually it is the quarterback, but during an option play it can be someone else. Can anyone throw the ball if they are behind the line of scrimmage? Or are there just a few players who are allowed to?

As long as a player is behind the line of scrimmage , they can throw the ball. So to answer your question, anyone can throw the ball.

3 (Education & Reference)

What is the history of seeing eye dogs?

What is the history of seeing eye dogs?

here is an article that I've found:"Long before there was ever an established guide dog program was developed, dogs have been aiding the blind. A wooden plaque from the Middle Ages portrays a dog leading a blind man with a leash. The first actual attempt to train dogs to aid the blind was made in 1780 at Les Quinze-Vingts hospital for the blind, in Paris. In 1788, Josef Riesinger of Vienna was able to train a dog so well that people often doubted that he was blind!..."

6 (Business & Finance)

If I lose lots of money in stock in one year, can I carry the negative capital gain forward?

How does that work and how many years can I carry forward?

You can keep dumping every year upto a net loss of $3,000.00

6 (Business & Finance)

What are the steps required to edit, publish and distribute a book?

I have a book that Ive being writing for sometime now, and I think that I would like to try and publish it

Publishing a book is a lot of hardwork. It takes 2 years sometimes for first timers. See URL below for broad steps. Steps differ based on what kind of books one would try publishing.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

When can a common man fly to moon?

My realtor wants to list the craters on the MLS listings.

Virgin Galactic is offering this "as soon as 2008" for the low price of 100 million USD. Realistically, it will probably take more than a few years to ramp up tourist missions to the moon, especially if no one is signing up...

6 (Business & Finance)

Condo/townhouse pricing in San Jose, CA

What is the average price for a condo/townhouse in San Jose

I recently came across a site that offers some pricing information for the silicon valley:

0 (Society & Culture)

How does the Pope get his name?

<br>There are many different names. Who decide what will be the next Pope's name?

He selects it himself.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

How long does take a space craft to get from the Earth to the Moon?

astronomy. I would like to know how many days hours, or weeks it would take to get to the Moon from Earth.

It depends on what you are sending. The Apollo missions were the last set of *manned* missions to the moon, and here is the travel time:\nLaunched: 16 July 1969 UT 13:32:00 (09:32:00 a.m. EDT)<br />\nLanded on Moon: 20 July 1969 UT 20:17:40 (04:17:40 p.m. EDT)\nIt took about 4 days to get there. Rocket technology has not change too much since then so you can expect that getting people to the moon at this point would take about the same amount of time.\nIf you are dealing with a non-human payload, you may be able to cut down time, both because it is likely lighter, and because you don't need to worry as much about damaging G-forces.\nI've included a link that has the history of all missions to the moon, manned and unmanned.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

At what level are math olympiads held for Kids?

Do math olympiads begin at Elementary level or at Middle or at High school?

The official math olympiad competition is really more for high school students and the organization (math assocn of america) hosts a number of competitions that determine whether students will qualify to take the math olympaid tests.\nThe org also hosts a number of other competition for other students from jr. high and below but those are separate.

0 (Society & Culture)

Can anyone list the short name of the common names?

For examples, &#xd;<br><br>Bill = William,&#xd;<br>Dick = Ricard

Al - Albert, Alfred, Alan<br />\nBob - Robert <br />\nBeth - Elizabeth <br />\nBill(y) - William <br />\nCathy - Catherine <br />\nChris - Christopher<br />\nDeb(bie) - Deborah, Debra <br />\nDick(y)(ie) - Richard <br />\nDon(nie)(y) - Donald<br />\nDom - Domenic, Dominic <br />\nEd(die)(dy) - Edward<br />\nFred(dy)(die) - Frederick<br />\nJim(my)(mie) - James <br />\nJoe(y) - Joseph <br />\nKate - Katherine <br />\nKim - Kimberl(e)y <br />\nLarry - Lawrence <br />\nLiz - Elizabeth <br />\nMaggie(y) - Margaret <br />\nMargy(ie) - Margaret<br />\nMatt(y)(ie) - Matthew <br />\nMike - Michael <br />\nNick - Nicholas <br />\nPeggy - Margaret <br />\nPhil - Phillip/Philip <br />\nPete - Peter <br />\nRick(y) - Richard<br />\nRay - Raymond <br />\nRon(ny)(ie) - Ronald, Veronica <br />\nSteve - Steven, Stephen <br />\nTina - Christina<br />\nTim(my) - Timothy <br />\nTom(my) - Thomas<br />\nTory(ie) - Victoria <br />\nWill(ie)(y) - William<br />\nVic - Victor <br />\nVin(nie)(ny) - Vincent<br />\nVal - Valerie

5 (Sports)

Do all professional athletes do steroids now?

What is the common thought here?

I would say a good majority are, but the question is whether the steroid is considered a performance enhancing steroid or not. Andro was legal while Mark McGuire was using it, but subsequently banned. BALCO was reported to manufacture steroids that are desgined to avoid being detected during testing.

0 (Society & Culture)

Why is Dick a shortened version of the name Richard?

There doesn't seem to be a consensus on this. \nFrom http://www.searchforancestors.com/surnames/origin/d/dick.php: <br />\n"It may come from the Dutch Dyck, a bank or dike, a bulwark thrown up in the Low Countries against the sea or rivers to prevent inundation."\nAccording to http://www.mybirthcare.com/favorites/M/English/meaning.asp?name=Dick<br />\n"Rhyming nickname from medieval times. Richard 'strong ruler' was shortened to Rick then rhymed to Dick."\nI trust "The Straight Dope" in all things, and according to them, over the years "Dick" has meant "a riding whip, an apron, abbreviation for "dictionary," a policeman, a declaration, and (of course), the penis." <br />\nhttp://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mspotteddick.html

8 (Family & Relationships)

How do you know if you're in love?

Is it possible to know for sure?

In my experience you just know. It's a long term feeling of always wanting to share each new experience with the other person in order to make them happy, to laugh or to know what they think about it. It's jonesing to call even though you just got off an hour long phone call with them. It's knowing that being with them makes you a better person. It's all of the above and much more.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

what is the cause for headaches

i have a really bad one now so wondering

There are several possible causes for headaches. According to a Chiropractor friend of mine, dehydration is a major cause. For example, too many Margaritas one night can leave you seriously dehydrated, hung over and with a headache the next day.\nOther causes are stress, allergies, etc. Dr. Hoffman's reference below explains some of these in detail.

9 (Politics & Government)

Why didn't anyone send more buses to the Superdome earlier?

The whole Katrina/New Orleans thing has been bungled on so many different levels it boggles the mind. But one issue, in particular, simply blows me away every time I think about it:&#xd;<br><br>Why did it take so long to send buses to get folks out of the Superdome and Convention Center?!&#xd;<br><br>We move 50-60,000 people out of stadiums literally every day in America. And given the road to the Superdome remained open, at least as I understand it, I simply can't comprehend why 2000 buses weren't sent to New Orleans within 1-2 days. &#xd;<br><br>While that may seem like a lot of buses, it's not much more than the number of school buses and public buses in most major cities. So why weren't all buses in cities commandered and sent into action as "rescue vehicles".&#xd;<br><br>Does anyone have a cite to an article that specifically addresses that issue?

I don't have an article, but I was listening to NPR last night, and the commentator was saying the evacuation was really bungled due to an organization and communication problem. No one took charge and said, hey I'm running the show, get 2000 buses and send them down, because no one felt they were in charge. FEMA, State & local police, National Guard, all were not sure what the other guys were doing and so waited for overall direction, which never really came.

7 (Entertainment & Music)

What is the best YMU-compatible mp3 player out there?

I have an iPod photo 30GB but am considering selling it to switch to Yahoo! Music Unlimited. Any recommendations on the best players that are compatible with the subscription service YMU? Looking for similar 30GB capacity. Color and ability to capture / show digital photos like the iPod photo would be desirable features.

You should definitely check out Creative's new Zen Vision. I don't have that model (it's new), but I have the Creative Zen Micro and like it a lot.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

what are gamma ray bursts?

i heard about those, but have just a vague understanding about them.

The source of Gamma Ray bursts is currently unknown. They are a surprising phenomenon because gamma rays are so powerful that very few events could cause them. They have also only been recently discovered by projects like the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, and appear to be coming from all directions, not just in the galactic plane.\nThis would indicate a phenomenon that has extra-galactic origins... for example, activity inside of an active galactic nuclei, or quasars.\nBecause they happen at random intervals, abd are ephemeral (often just a few seconds), and the "scopes" used to capture them are not tightly directional, we don't have any instruments currently that can figure out exactly what they are. For now that means, the best we can do is hypothesize based on what cosmic events we believe are of the appropriate magnitude to tigger gamma rays.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why's watching Television so addictive?

Whereas reading books isn't in general (no doubt there are some avid readers but I am talking about the majority).

I'd say that TV is more popular than books because it is multimedia and much more closely matches how we normally take in information. TV is video and audio. You can see and hear it and thus more information can be squeezed into a short amount of time while also giving a much richer experience. Next time you're watching TV, consider how much you would have to write just to completely describe a single frame.\nLast, TV is also much easier because it's a passive medium. Reading requires your brain to work harder to both read the words and then interpret them into visuals. TV is already visual and can be watched with much less focus & energy.

5 (Sports)

What is the origin of the name 'Soccer'?

The rest of the world call this game 'football', which is self explanatory...

In the early days of this game, an association was set up in England to codify the rules. The game was sometimes referred to as "association football," probably to distinguish it from other variations. "association" was abbreviated to "assoc.," so the game was nicknamed "soccer."\nSince the term "football" was already used in the U.S. to describe a different game, the name "soccer" stuck here.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

What's the capital city of Bolivia?

Just catching up with the latest geography.&#xd;<br><br>[expecting an email notification when this question expires]

Sucre is the legal capital, though the government sits in La Paz

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why is it so foggy in San Francisco?

It isn't as foggy as you might think. Spring and Fall are quite temperate, and San Francisco is renowned for it's "Indian Summer" in September. However, Mark Twain had a point when he said "The coldest Winter I ever spent was Summer in San Francisco."\nThis is because the warm air from inland (where it gets quite hot in the Summer) clashes with the cold air from the surrounding Pacific Ocean and the SF Bay. When that happens, fog forms. Further explanation from http://kids.earth.nasa.gov: "At night, the ground surface cools by radiating heat to space. Air near the ground cools to the dew point temperature, causing water in the air to condense."\nSure it's cold, but fog can be quite beautiful and atmospheric. Just look at the pictures on http://www.goldengatephoto.com/sanfran/thefogrollsin.html Lovely!

2 (Health)

Why does it seem that most of the diets don't work on over weight people?

I think that the main reason is that obese people should be treated as drug addict. The main problem is that both obese and drug addicts have habits that causing them to either eat or do drug. Both of them also have physical addiction that needed to be treated accordingly. Only after facing those two major factors it will be the time for diets. <br />\nAnother major issue is that the society actually unknowingly supports obesity; let me give you an example- today in the US, an obese person can claim disability and get welfare. By that, the government actually encourages obesity. Why would someone even try to get better? <br />\nAuthorities should condition those allowances: if you lose weight over a specified period you will continue getting it. If you did not lose weight you lose the allowance.<br />\nWe should always keep in mind that obesity costs a lot more then just the allowance that the obese person gets. There is the health costs, taxes lost and so on.<br />\nI say- do what you can to leave healthy life, and don’t give up

6 (Business & Finance)

Which car and house insurance company is recommended in California?

And with which one you had a bad experience?

Costco gives some of the best rates. \nThe service is very good, too. There was this time when I couldn't start my car. Since it's a certain European car, it couldn't be jumpstarted by a friend's car. Only a tow truck had enough power to jumpstart it. I called the Costco auto assitance. Not only did they send a tow truck quickly, but they also called to follow up on whether the problem was fixed or not. Highly recommend it!

1 (Science & Mathematics)

how do Elephants communicate?

There make very low frequency sounds that we cannot hear. They also make sounds that we do hear and it is because they what other animals to hear it.

9 (Politics & Government)

How come the usage of alternate power generators is not more prevalent in a state like Californi

One would expect that it would be of an interest of states to have alternate resources.

California electricity is generated by several sources, including hydroelectric, wind, geothermal and nuclear (in addition to the more traditional natural gas). The question is why these other sources aren't used more, and the answer is that historically, they've either been more expensive or have environmental risks of their own (esp. for nuclear). As petroleum and natural gas sources start to get used up, and world demand for energy increases, the cost of electricity from natural gas will go up and the other sources will become more cost effective and more prevalent.\nIncidentally, solar power is another source used in California, but it's provided by individuals, not power companies. If your house has solar power and you have the right equipment, you can sell your surplus electricity to the power company and your electric meter will literally run backward.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why is water transparent?

Water is transparent cause it was meant to be like that.

3 (Education & Reference)

Why do all zippers have "YKK" on them?

ykk is a big manufacturer of zippers

0 (Society & Culture)

When do you use a semicolon instead of a colon?

While historically the use of the semicolon and colon were similar, modern usage seems to be diverging, with semicolons indicating breaks slightly stronger than commas and colons introducing lists and explanations. \nSemicolons have always been used in a manner very similar to commas, but with greater "weight." That is, the semicolon introduces greater breaks in the sentence, dividing clauses which are longer and more independent, while commas are reserved for short pauses and for separating lists of short items.\nContinuing up the continuum, colons are "weightier" than semicolons, but less so than periods. They introduce a break which is longer or more important than that introduced by semicolons, but not as final as periods. Colons separate clauses which can stand as independent sentences grammatically, while semicolons can also be used for non-sentential clauses.\nHowever, in modern writing the colon is rarely used in this role as glorified semicolon. The colon has developed a specific semantics as a break separating an introduction from an explanation. For example, the colon is used after the salutation in formal letters. It is used to introduce quotes, separating the source from the quoted text. A colon is used to introduce a list, included bulleted lists. A colon is used to separate the parts in a multipart title, such as "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" or "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't".

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why do people amputate dogs tail?

What is the reason that some types of dog are considered to be better off with out their tail?

There are a couple of reasons why this was done a few decades ago. Dogs with curved tails are known to be chasing flies and fleas that got on their tails. Owners of the dogs found this a nuisance that all of a sudden a dog would keep chasing its tail for several hours in a week. Due to this dogs forgot their "job" which was to guard sheep, or pull carts, etc.\nSecondly, certain dogs go very wild if we pull their tails, even if its done playfully. They simply get mad at you, bite you or even kill you, if you are small. Since little children always found it playful to pull the tails of the dogs and this meant a potential danger to their lives, the owners cut their tails short. \nEver thought of the word CUR-TAIL? :-)

1 (Science & Mathematics)

How come stars are generally round?

re there any square stars in the galaxy?

Largely because of the massive amounts of gravitational force involved. A sphere is the only sustainable shape when talking about forces of that magnitude. Stars are incredibly dense towards their core, and over billions of years the matter will coalesce in a sphere like shape.

4 (Computers & Internet)

What is the best relational database?

http://www.oracle.com/\n\nhttp://www.mysql.com\n\nwww.mysql.org

Define "best". Oracle is like a BMW. Expensive but has all the fixings. But not everyone needs a BMW. MySQL is like a VW Beetle (the old model). Its cheap, and gets you where you need to go. But you have to tweak it to suit your needs.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why do we yawn?

How is it contagious...

Found an interesting article on this...\nYawning is a unique breathing act, which is different from the usual practice of breathing. During yawning, the mouth involuntarily opens due to the spasm of mastoid muscles. These spasms, without your permission, force you to take a deep breath. It also involves many other muscles of your body, such as abdominal muscles. Lung ventilation increases, sending oxygen to the brain. Extra blood is pushed from the liver and spleen to the brain stem. During yawning, intellectual activity stops and for a moment we cannot think. We usually start yawning when we are very tired, before sleep, when we are too excited, or extremely serious. \nThere is a yawn center in our brain that makes this act a reflex like coughing or swallowing. The yawning reflex is very contagious, forcing people to imitate it. This phenomenon even has a fancy name: alolomimea. Yawning can be easily conditioned to become a bad habit. If you fight the urge to yawn, it will return in a similar situation. Yawning is what your body develops to get a “time out” to recharge for a brief moment. It is a signal that we are running out of gas, it is a signal to rest. \nThis is a great compensatory mechanism, without which we would drop into sleep suddenly without warning, as in patients with narcolepsy.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Which cat has the largest variety of prey?

In Africa, a pride of lions (male: ~400 lbs, female: ~280 lbs) pretty regularly hunt wildebeest (440-600 lbs), although they usually go after the sick or young ones. Occasionally, they can take down a giraffe (2420-4250 lbs), but this doesn't happen often. Elephants (11,000 lbs) and rhinos (2500 lbs) are just a little dangerous to be bothered.\nIn Asia, tigers can take down a water buffalo (1800-2600 lbs), although again, they usually go for the sick or young ones.\nThese are the cats with the largest prey.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why can I see myself in a mirror?

When a mirror is hit by particles of light called photons, it reflects the photons back to us. When photons hit a smooth surface like a mirror, they bounce back off of the mirror at roughly the same angle at which they hit the object, creating a reflection that looks the same.

5 (Sports)

Where is the best place to cycle in San Francisco?

Around the Embarcadero and into the Presidio, then aound Ocean Beach and back through GG Park.

8 (Family & Relationships)

where is the best place to look for love?

It might be easy to use the internet- there are many good matching web sites that can help

5 (Sports)

what is the number one formula one car?

The McLaren MP4-20 is considered to be the strongest car. When it doesn't break down it beats the Renault handily. The Renault is the best balance this year between performance and reliability. I think the vast majority of F1 journalists consider the McLaren to be the strongest car, even the Renault F1 team admits that McLaren's car is better.

5 (Sports)

Number one formula one driver?

Depends on your question.\nKimi Raikkonen won more races than FA in the 2005 season, and many, including myself, believe him to be the best.\nMichael Schumacher has won an unprecedented seven world driving championships and has shown no signs of losing the edge (his car this year was handicapped by tire rules and their supplier). He also has by far the most wins of any racing driver for all of time.\nFernando Alonso Diaz is the champion for 2005 but all signs pointed to a heated battle for 2006. But as the WDC, he does get to wear the #1 on his car for the 2006 season.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

Why do I Sound Different When I Hear My Own Voice?

Why do i sound different when I listen to my own voice on the answering machine or tape recorder?

Specifically, "when you speak you hear yourself not only through your ears, but also through the bones and tissues of your head (i.e., internally)".

0 (Society & Culture)

What type of fresh-cut Christmas tree lasts the longest?

Fir trees. Their more expensive but it's really worth because it lasts longer.

1 (Science & Mathematics)

what are the base colors?

Those few colors that you can create all the rest of the colors out of their mix

There are two kinds of primary colors: those you get by combining light (these are called "additive") and those you get by mixing pigments (these are called "subtractive"). As many computer users know, the additive colors are red, green, and blue. Traditionally, the subtractive colors were red, yellow, and blue. But more technically, they are magenta, yellow, and cyan (a kind of blue).

7 (Entertainment & Music)

Who is Earth-2 Superman and how is he different from regular Superman?

Why are there two Supermen and why is one older than the other?

It's relatively simple. Back in 1961, DC Comics revealed that all of their Golden Age (c. 1939-1945) characters had lived on a different Earth from their Silver Age (c. 1956-1970) characters. Some characters (Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman) were virtually the same on each Earth, while others (The Flash, Green Lantern, the Atom) were radically different. \nEarth 2's Superman was slightly less powerful than Earth 1's, mostly adhering to the classic "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound" description. Earth 1's Superman could travel faster than light, juggle planets, and had a host of super powers including super-breath, super-ventriloquism, and super-hypnotism. Earth 2's Superman eventually married Lois Lane and became the editor of the Daily Star before (temporarily) disappearing in 1985's "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Earth 1's Superman finished his adventures in Alan Moore's "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?," a two-parter than wrapped up and resolved some 30 years of continuity. Both Supermen were supplanted by John Byrne's 1985 reboot of the character, which was intended to simplify that continuity and start over from scratch.\nEarth 2's Superman has reappeared twice since "Crisis;" once in 1999's "Kingdom Come," and most recently in 2005's "Infinite Crisis." What his role is in this maxiseries is undetermined as of this writing. Earth 1's Superman has yet to reappear, but longtime fans can always hope.

9 (Politics & Government)

How do you become a judge on the Supreme Court?

What are the necessary qualifications and the process to get on the high court?

There are nine seats on the United States Supreme Court. You must be nominated by the President of the United States, and confirmed by a majority in the U.S. Senate. Justices are appointed for life (except in cases of retirement or impeachment).\nIt is not necessary for that person to have experience as a judge (George W. Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?ei=UTF-8&fl=0&fr=slv5-&p=harriet+miers+%22supreme+court%22<br />\nis not the first time a non-judge has been nominated), just a solid legal mind. Generally when a President chooses a nominee, he will look for someone whose ideals and worldview match his own. Gerald Ford famously did not make an idealogical choice when he appointed John Paul Stevens (http://www.supremecourthistory.org/04_library/subs_volumes/04_c11_f.html) <br />\nand in subsequent years was rather disappointed at some of Stevens' decisions. \nThere is a lot more information at the official Supreme Court site: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

1 (Science & Mathematics)

What is the oldest evidence of life?

Some evidence of photosynthesis was found on rocks in Greenland dating from 3.7 billion years ago. Danish researchers reached that conclusion analyzing the relative abundance of uranium and thorium in some rocks, and the high abundance of uranium in those suggests that there was oxygen present. Their conclusion was that microorganisms like present day cyanobacteria were converting sunlight to chemical energy through oxygen-producing photosynthesis.

7 (Entertainment & Music)

Where did the band, The Dismemberment Plan, get their name from?

Straight from Travis Morrison (singer and guitarist) himself:<br />\n"It’s from the movie Groundhog Day. There’s a guy who chases after Bill Murray and tries to keep selling him different types of insurance and 'the dismemberment plan' was one of them. It just stuck." In another interview, Morrison admits that when you're young, you think things are incredibly funny when, in reality, they're not THAT funny. Considering all the nicknames they earned, I think it was a rather witty, catchy band name. Best,<br />\n`k.