Things you see people do and laugh (because it makes no sense)

[Rubycon]

On the fanning you guys don't get it and let all the physics get in the way. It's simply psychological, pure and simple. If you feel it makes you cooler then go right ahead and knock yourself out! :biggrin: Why do you think the important people had their own person whose job was to fan them with a palm spread? Oh the days before air conditioning in the tropics.

And on lightbulbs I will tell you that just as many - if not more - good ones rattle than bad ones.

Oh and for sickness what happens when some sicko decides it would be funny to put anthrax in netflix sleeves?

 

[Ns1]

turning down the volume to look at addresses on curbs

pray

 

[Rubycon]

turning down the volume to look at addresses on curbs

With the "music" that some of these kids listen to I can see that actually working so the few brain cells they have that are functioning - can actually do some useful work. :biggrin:

 

[shortylickens]

turning down the volume to look at addresses on curbs

Sound is a mental distraction which really no one needs while driving but we allow anyway.

 

[Howard]

On the fanning you guys don't get it and let all the physics get in the way. It's simply psychological, pure and simple. If you feel it makes you cooler then go right ahead and knock yourself out! :biggrin: Why do you think the important people had their own person whose job was to fan them with a palm spread? Oh the days before air conditioning in the tropics.

Because it's a nice way to show off your status and wealth?

Where's the proof that the generated heat whilst fanning oneself is greater than the heat transfer due to increased evaporative cooling?

 

[Ns1]

er n/m

 

[Rubycon]

Because it's a nice way to show off your status and wealth?

Where's the proof that the generated heat whilst fanning oneself is greater than the heat transfer due to increased evaporative cooling?

Again it's psychological.

Just as people go outdoors and wave their hand in front of their nose despite the wind blowing at 20m/h and the smell in the air for miles. :biggrin:

Also there is no constant here as "comfort index" shows. If the temperature is 88 degrees F and relative humidity is 84% (very uncomfortable!) fanning will provide very little relief as say a 114 degrees at 18% humidity which may be encountered frequently in the southwestern United States.

This is why you don't have swamp coolers installed in Florida.

 

[Ichinisan]

People wearing dust masks in smoggy cities as if molecules will be stopped by basically a paper towel. This is very popular in Asia. Apparently they don't teach chemistry with all that math they take.

Similarly people sitting in Doctors office putting their shirt over their orifices as protection against other sick people in waiting room with them.

Housewives walking around the track with their girlfriend and water bottles thinking they are doing something. Years later still blaming genes.

It might be SOME help if someone sneezes on your face. I think the idea is to block flying droplets.

...also: A virus / bacterium / microbe is much larger than a molecule.

 

[IronWing]

Sound is a mental distraction which really no one needs while driving but we allow anyway.

This. I play music most of the time I'm driving but if I'm four wheeling over nasty sections, I turn the music off so I can concentrate on not dying (or wrecking the truck).

 

[AstroManLuca]

Buying headsets for gaming.

They always suck and are overpriced. Just get a decent set of headphones and a desk microphone for $10 and you're set.

 

[Ichinisan]

On the fanning you guys don't get it and let all the physics get in the way. It's simply psychological, pure and simple.

I dispute this.

Would you tell mother nature that panting doesn't help dogs cool off because they expend *some* amount of energy to do it? I understand the laws of thermodynamics, and I understand why it works.

Think of a hot cup of coffee: The air around the coffee mug gets hot, especially above the mug. As the air immediately around it becomes hot, the transfer of heat is slowed. Continuously replace the heated air with cooler air and it will reach equilibrium much more quickly.

And on lightbulbs I will tell you that just as many - if not more - good ones rattle than bad ones.

I also dispute this.

In my experience, good bulbs don't rattle audibly like a bad one.

I really think your list in the OP was pretty weak.

 

[xanis]

People wearing dust masks in smoggy cities as if molecules will be stopped by basically a paper towel. This is very popular in Asia. Apparently they don't teach chemistry with all that math they take.

I read somewhere that the reason isn't to keep bad stuff out, but keep bad stuff in... that is, they wear masks when they're sick so that they don't spread germs to others when they cough or sneeze. It's a cultural thing (so I've heard, could be wrong).

 

[Crono]

I read somewhere that the reason isn't to keep bad stuff out, but keep bad stuff in... that is, they wear masks when they're sick so that they don't spread germs to others when they cough or sneeze. It's a cultural thing (so I've heard, could be wrong).

The masks do keep a fair amount of mucous from flying everywhere from sneezes and coughs. That's the reason they are used in hospitals and other hyper clean environments.

 

[pookguy88]

Not so much a doing but remember back in the day there was that myth busters type of question about the airplane and the treadmill? I never understood the people who insist that it wouldn't take off, its such a simple concept. You can explain it a million times to them and they will never believe you.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Continuously flick a light switch on and off when the power is out.

It's not going to make it come back faster, and there's no more juice left in the wire and you can't pump it out by doing that.

 

[shortylickens]

Continuously flick a light switch on and off when the power is out.

It's not going to make it come back faster, and there's no more juice left in the wire and you can't pump it out by doing that.

It used to work with old cheap fluorescent fixtures. Cheap starters could fuck up a lot and sometimes flicking power would light them off.

 

[DrPizza]

This winter, when it's really cold outside, I'm going to warm myself up by fanning the cold air over myself.

I'm amused by people who spend an extra 5 minutes driving around looking for a closer parking place. They'll drive around in a big circle because 2 rows over, there's a parking place a whopping one space closer to the entrance.

 

[dud]

Let's get a list going!

I'll start with:

• Shaking a light bulb furiously while holding it up to the ear to see if it's any good.
• Doing the same with flashlight batteries!
• Pushing elevator buttons repeatedly despite the call button being illuminated as if it's going to make the car get to the landing faster!
• Turning the thermostat down to 55F when it's 85 and it was set at 75. The cooling system is running and it's not going to cool any faster!
• When a light does not work, pull out the plug, blow across the prongs and plug it back in to see if it fixed the problem!
• Fan one's self with a piece of paper to "cool off"
• Blow across a spoon of super hot soup for exactly one second before shoveling it in their mouth and screaming about it being hot!
• Walking around where it smells bad and waving their hand near their face like it's going to magically make it go away!

Literally ...

Posting within this forum and expecting to be taken seriously ...

 

[HeXen]

people who talk with their hands. it often doesnt seem to communicate anything, usually many just wave their hands around occasionally spreading their fingers about. i always chuckle when i see those who do it excessively, mostly women it seems

People who put too much thought, time and energy into a single post about basically nothing. cause really, that makes no sense to do so.

people who correct others speech or typing. again it really serves no real purpose and rarely changes how someone types/talks. typically it just serves to annoy them.

People who set their car alarm to fill up with gas.

People who fake using their Cell phones during awkward moments in places with strangers. like elevators. c'mon, i can tell your just now flipping that phone and mindlessly staring at it so you feel your busy when were just standing in a fuking elevator.

 

[CFP]

I read somewhere that the reason isn't to keep bad stuff out, but keep bad stuff in... that is, they wear masks when they're sick so that they don't spread germs to others when they cough or sneeze. It's a cultural thing (so I've heard, could be wrong).

Yup, that's true. In most developed cities in the East, sick people will wear masks. It's almost a common courtesy thing now in some places, such as Hong Kong or Tokyo etc. So when the American tourist comes and thinks its cute and stupid that people do it, thinking they are using masks to keep everything out, and then proceeds to cough into crowded areas because he caught a bug on the plane... and still can't draw the connect. Well, at that point everybody just laughs at them.

 

[CFP]

Not so much a doing but remember back in the day there was that myth busters type of question about the airplane and the treadmill? I never understood the people who insist that it wouldn't take off, its such a simple concept. You can explain it a million times to them and they will never believe you.

Oh don't go there, girlfriend!

 

[Rubycon]

i dispute this.

Would you tell mother nature that panting doesn't help dogs cool off because they expend *some* amount of energy to do it? I understand the laws of thermodynamics, and i understand why it works.

Think of a hot cup of coffee: The air around the coffee mug gets hot, especially above the mug. As the air immediately around it becomes hot, the transfer of heat is slowed. Continuously replace the heated air with cooler air and it will reach equilibrium much more quickly.

again you're thinking too hard about this.
Also dogs cannot perspire so they pant.

i also dispute this.

In my experience, good bulbs don't rattle audibly like a bad one.

I really think your list in the op was pretty weak.

how many lightbulbs have you changed? I'm willing to be in my nearly 30 years experience around theatre and stage work i've handled more lightbulbs than everyone on atot combined. Experience rules.

°ø

This winter, when it's really cold outside, I'm going to warm myself up by fanning the cold air over myself.

Try coming down to the tropics and fanning yourself and you will see.
I base my observations upon experience here.
Years ago when I was in school they said the same thing.
It's kind of hard to prove it with discrete science since there are too many variables involved. Present this to Congress, you might be awarded a few million dollars for a study. Take some of that money and buy a boat. That's the American way.

 

[Rubycon]

Oh let's add folks that hit send/receive in Outlook when they are connected to an Exchange Server. :biggrin:

 

[shortylickens]

Outlook?
Whats that? It sounds familiar.

 

[IronWing]

Oh let's add folks that hit send/receive in Outlook when they are connected to an Exchange Server. :biggrin:

We're not supposed to do that? How about Refresh Headers? My workplace just completed the transitioning process from Lotus to Outlook.