RESEARCH TOOLS

National Library Week
Stump the Librarian

Questions and Answers

Q: Why is infared light used to read barcodes?
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 4:49 PM

A: Actually, it's not infrared light that is used to read barcodes. Infrared light is beyond the visible spectrum.

Lasers are used to read barcodes. A laser produces a high intensity single frequency of visible light. The reason that lasers are used is:

" The product gets passed over the red, laser light scanner. Why laser light? Because it's a clean, pure, intense light source and no other light will interfere with its reading of the barcode. "
http://www.sfgate.com/hypertek/9702/5.shtml - [Web site no longer available - 7/29/04]

"Laser light is important because it consists of a single color, and because it is coherent -- meaning it does not scatter, like the light from a flashlight. That makes it extremely useful, which is why lasers are now used for communications, surgery, making CDs and DVDs, scanning barcodes and more. "
http://www.tecsoc.org/pubs/history/2001/jul11.htm

The most common sources of lasers are HeNe based, which produces light with a wavelength of 632.8 nm and appears orange-red, or diode laser based, which produces light with a wavelength of 670 nm and appears deep red.
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserlia.htm

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 10:39 AM

Q: What is the Latin phrase for "I don't want a toaster"?
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 4:45 PM

A: According to the Oxford Latin Dictionary, there is no Latin word for toaster.

As such, there is no way to translate a phrase into Latin using the word toaster. As Latin is a dead language, no new words are being added to it. As such, any modern attempts to make up a Latin word for toaster would not be proper Latin.

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 10:48 AM

Q: Why are hot dogs most often sold in packages of ten while hot dog buns are most often sold in packages of eight?
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 4:39 PM

A: The most plausible explanation we have found regarding hot dog and hot dog bun packaging decisions is that "meat packers like things that come in pounds and bakers hate things that come in tens."

For a complete explanation see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_350.html

Answered by: Rob Faleer, Reference Librarian and Media Librarian
Date & Time: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 1:18 PM

Q: What is the world's largest freshwater delta and where is it located?
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 3:55 PM

A: The Lake St. Clair Delta located where the St. Clair River empties into Lake St. Clair is the largest freshwater delta in the world.

Sources:
EPA - http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/solec/94/habitat/ - [Web page no longer available - 04/18/05]
SU GEO 333 - http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/St.Clair-delta.html

That being said, there are some other deltas that also make the claim of being the largest:

1) Peace-Athabasca delta
From: http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/info/pubs/primer/e_prim08.htm

2) Okavango Delta
From: http://www.irn.org/pubs/wrr/9712/okavango.html

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 3:41 PM
and
Answered by: Krista Graham, Electronic Service Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Date & Time: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 3:41 PM

Q: In the bible, what is the name of the town where Jesus raised the deceased son of a woman, who no longer had a husband, from the dead?
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 3:45 PM

A: The name of the town is Nain. It is 25 miles SW of Capernaum.

From: Luke 7:11-17

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Thu 4/10/2003 5:59 PM

Q: As of 1996, how many houses were sold in Mt. Pleasant and what was their average cost?
Date & Time: Thu 4/10/2003 1:39 PM

A: In 1996, the number of sales was 859 and average price was $72,220
From: http://www.mirealtors.com
Archives, pg 4
Gratiot-Isabella Board of Realtors

According to the Mount Pleaseant city Assessors office, they switched computer programs in 1996 and don't have data for full year. They also only have approximations, and do not keep documents so this is the closest we are able to come for a number for "Mount Pleasant".

Answered by: Judy O'Dell, Reference Librarian and Business/Law Bibliographer
Date & Time: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 11:13 AM

Q: What is the site of the earliest mounds in Michigan and where is it located?
Date & Time: Thu 4/10/2003 1:36 PM

A: The Norton Mound Group in Grand Rapids is one of the best preserved Hopewell Indian burial centers in the U.S. and dates from 500 B.C. to 300 B.C.

See Michigan Dept. of History, Arts and Libraries web site:
http://www.michigan.gov/hal/

Click on "Preservationists and then "National Historic Landmarks in Michigan" for an alphabetical list historic sites.

Answered by: Dave Shirely, Reference and Government Documents Librarian
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 5:36 PM

Q: Bie or metis, which one is more important in war?
Date & Time: Thu 4/10/2003 1:06 PM

A: Bie = violence; forceful power (aka might)
Metis = cunning (Odysseus) (aka intelligence)

From: http://www.webwinds.com/thalassa/terminology.htm

The two terms seem only related Greek warfare rather than to modern military principles. On page 1212 of Encyclopedia of the American Military, the list of U.S. Army principles of war includes both terms.

The two terms can only be related to Greek warfare and applied to that context.

The history of the word goes back more than 28 centuries to the time of Homer around, 850BC. To the ancient Greeks, metis represented a particular type of cunning intelligence used if success was to be won in the most diverse fields of action. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, Odysseus is the hero most commonly associated with metis. The most famous stratagem (metis) is the Trojan Horse, by which the Greeks finally managed to conquer Troy. This is a good example of metis for it represents a solution to a problem not resolvable by conventional means.

Metis is often contrasted with the word, bie, which means brute force. All through the Iliad, the big question is, will Troy fall by metis or bie - by wiliness or brute strength? The answer is by metis.
From: http://www.csiro.au/metis/metis_concept.htm

Answered by: Krista Graham, Electronic Service Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Date & Time: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 1:03 PM
and
Answered by: Rui Wang, Reference Librarian and Social Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 1:03 PM

Q: Who is the founder and what are the official rules of kabadi?
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 12:06 PM

A: Kabaddi is an ancient Indian game and its origin and founder are not known. But it is still being played and there it appears that the official rules are those set forth by the "Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India".

Rules:
The Kabaddi Federation of India (KFI) was founded in 1950, and it compiled a standard set of rules. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) was founded in 1973. The AKFI has given new shape to the rules, and it has also the rights of modification in the rules. The Asian Kabaddi Federation was founded under the chairmanship of Mr. Sharad Pawar (Maharashtra).
From: http://www.goindiago.com/sports/kabaddi/kabaddi1.htm

Copy of rules at:
http://www.mit.edu/afs/athena/activity/k/kabaddi/www/kab.pdf

Founder Information:
"The origin of Kabaddi can be traced to pre-historic times when man learned how to defend in groups against animals or attack weaker animals individually or in groups for survival and food. Though kabaddi is primarily an Indian game, not much is known about the origin of this game. There is, however, concrete evidence, that the game is 4,000 year old."
From: http://www.geocities.com/kabbadimalaysia/page4.html

Answered by: Aparna Zambare, Reference Librarian and English Bibliographer
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 4:57 PM

Q: Who was the only Shoe Maker by trade to sign the Declaration of Independence?
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 9:26 AM

A: Roger Sherman of Connecticut signed the Declaration of Independence and he was by trade a shoemaker.

http://www.birdsnest.com/declaration_of_independance.htm

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 10:45 AM

Q: What was the name of the pizza place that Tupac worked at before he became famous?
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 9:22 AM

A: Roundtable Pizza

"I only had two jobs ever in my life. One was at Roundtable Pizza, I used to make the pizza but it was good, it was the perfect job, Tabitha, 'cause I was hungry and I got to like eat all the toppings of peoples pizza. That's where I ate 'cause everything is right there. If you imagine I was making pizzas on the side, bringing pizzas home, I'm calling in my own deliveries."

From Hitemup.com - The Official Unofficial Tupac Site
http://www.hitemup.com/tupac/interviews/mtv0995.html
[Web page no longer available - 04/18/05]

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 10:30 AM

Q: This sports star recently showed a private collection of art work in a house which was once owned by one of the big four of the railroand empire. The exhibit was/is open to the public.
Date & Time: Thursday, April 10, 2003 9:04 AM

A: The Chris Webber Collection was shown at the Crocker Art Museum from January 24 - March 9, 2003

From:
http://www.crockerartmuseum.org/exhibitions/exhib_pages/Webber03.htm

Answered by: Krista Graham, Electronic Service Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 7:18 PM

Q: When read aloud, the following computer coding resembles a well known literary phrase. What is that phrase, what literary piece is the phrase from, and who is the author of that piece.

/(bb|[^b]{2})/

Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 11:08 PM

A: This expression is "To Be or Not To Be."

From: William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Answered by: Rob Faleer, Reference Librarian and Media Librarian
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 11:08 AM

Q: A turntable brings a record from rest to a final angular velocity of 33.3 rpm in one-half revolution with a unifrom angular acceleration. If the record plus the platter on which the record rotates have a combined moment of inertia of 0.05 kg m^2, the net torque applied by the turntable motor would be?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 10:15 PM

A: To answer this question you would use the following formulas:

Torque = (Moment of inertia)(angular acceleration)

velocity = initial velocity + (angular acceleration)(time)

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 4:00 PM

Q: What does "Kalkaska" mean?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 9:45 PM

A: "This word was a Henry Schoolcraft creation, originally spelled Calcasca. One suggestion is that this is a play on words. Schoolcraft's family name formerly was Calcraft. The Ks may have been added to make the name appear more like a Native American word."

From: >http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_20826_20829-54126--,00.html

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 10:27 AM

Q: What is the full name of the lead singer from Brave Saint Saturn (first, last, middle)?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 9:25 PM

A: Michael Reese Roper.

And he adds:

If you call me "Mike", "Michael", or "Mikey", or any variant of the above, I will be forced to pull your underwear up over your head until the elastic rips and you have a cute little headband like that one lady in Flashdance. My name is not MIKE. My name is REESE. No, it is not a STAGE NAME, my parents have never wanted me to be called MIKE, and REESE is working just fine. Lots of people go by their middle names, it's going to be okay."

From: http://www.fiveironfrenzy.com/reesebio.cfm
[Web site no longer available - 7/29/04]

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 10:31 AM

Q: The movie Macaulay Culkin watches in "Home Alone" is titled "Angels with Filthy Souls". What is the total running length of the movie and what are the actors names from the scene shown in "Home Alone"?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 9:01 PM

A: "Angels With Filthy Souls" is not an actual motion picture, so there is no running time. The two actors in the television clip (created for "Home Alone") are as follows:

Ralph Foody as "Gangster Johnny"
Michael Guido as "Gangster Snakes"

From: http://www.riverblue.com/hughes/trivia5.html
and http://us.imdb.com/Credits?0099785

Answered by: Rob Faleer, Reference Librarian and Media Librarian
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 10:51 AM

Q: Where did the carpet in the Mary Dow Reading Room come from and what shapes are on it?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 8:32 PM

A: According to Gerry Edgar, Library Business Manager:
"The carpet is from a company by the name of Mannington (http://www.mannington.com/). As far as the shapes, I think that's sort of up to the eyes of the beholder. I know it's just a design and is not intended to portray anything specific."

From Alison Grodzinski's point of view:
"The shapes are leaves, diamonds, circles, (within circles), lines... but with that carpet, your guess is as good as mine!"

Answered by: Gerry Edgar, Library Business Services Manager
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 6:46 PM
and
Answered by: Alison Grodzinski, Reference Librarian and Health Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 6:46 PM

Q: What is the average air-speed velocity of an unladen European swallow?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 8:20 PM

A: The European swallow or barn swallow (hirundo rustica) flies at an estimated speed of 8 m/s (18 miles/hr)

From: Brown, C.R., and M.B.Brown. 1999. Barn Swallow (hirundo rustica). In: The Birds of North America, no. 452 (A.Poole and F.Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia PA.
[REF QL681 .B57]

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 11:57 AM

Q: According to Eric Ender's book, "Ballparks Then and Now," the Kansas City Cowboys played at Assoication Park in the 1880's. According to reports, there was a sign on the outfield fence that had an unusal message regarding the umpire. What was that message?
Date & Time: Wed 4/9/2003 5:56 PM

A: The outfield sign read:

"Please don't shoot the umpire. He is doing the best he can."

From:
Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebration of All 271 Major League and Negro League Ballparks Past and Present by Philip J. Lowry

Answered by: Monica Fox, Reference Librarian CRDL
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 8:28 PM

Q: This church was bombed over-seas during a world war. Now it stands reconstructed in the United States, right next to a piece of the Berlin Wall.
Date & Time: Wed 4/9/2003 4:44 PM

A: The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury

"Twice destroyed by fire, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, is part of the Winston Churchill Memorial. The Church, which dates from the12th century, was redesigned by Sir Christopher Wren in 1677, after the Great Fire of London. Nearly three centuries later a German incendiary bomb left it in ruin. Slated for demolition, Wren's graceful masterpiece was saved by a bold idea. The structure would be rebuilt on the campus of Westminster College as a permanent reminder of Churchill's visit to the college and his prophetic speech. Stone by stone, architects and craftsmen dismantled the Church and painstakingly reconstructed it again at its present site. Today visitors from around the world may enter Wren's beautiful, light-filled sanctuary."

from the Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri web site
http://www.westminster-mo.edu/cm/history/index.asp

This page describes the Berlin Wall project on that campus.
http://www.westminster-mo.edu/cm/history/dedication.asp

Answered by: Monica Fox, Reference Librarian CRDL
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 7:54 PM

Q: Stuart Weitzman (well known Hollywood shoe designer) is the organizer of the Celebrity Shoe Auction for Breast Cancer Research. Which Russian celebrity is also part of that project?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 2:15 PM

A: Alla Pugacheva

Although Pugacheva is mentioned as a shoe designer in this article about the Weitzman shoe auction, I don't believe she is actually affiliated with the auction.

From: http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/09/27/37388.html

Answered by: Krista Graham, Electronic Service Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 2:14 PM

Q: What is the thickest amount of wood that a round from an M16A2 can pass through from a distance of approx 150 yds.?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 2:09 PM

A: The answer depends on:

1. What type of ammo? There are several possibilities. The most common type of ammo is 5.56-mm rounds. However, armor piercing ammo has more impact. Penetration rates differ depending on type of ammo used.

2. What type of wood? As you can imagine, penetration rates vary depending on nature of the wood. Soft wood allows for more penetration than does a harder wood.

Using http://www.mega.nu:8080/somans/mcwp3-35.3/appb.pdf [Note: web page no longer available - 4/18/05] as a guide, the following can be discerned about this gun and wood:

1. Thin wood (such as building partitions and furniture) can not stop the rounds.

2. Wooden buildings can not stop the rounds. Friendly fire deaths are likely when combat occurs in wood buildings as soldiers outside of a building can be hit inadvertently.

3. 5.56-mm rounds can penetrate a 16 inch tree trunk from 100 meters. However, it may take up to three rounds.

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 1:39 PM

Q: Bryan Genesse and Frank Zagarino were the co-stars in the movie "Terminal Impact". Can you name the city in which this low-budget movie was filmed?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 1:48 PM

A: Terminal Impact was filmed at Johannesburg, South Africa.

From: http://www.hollywood.com/movies/detail/movie/173347

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 2:14 PM

Q: What historic place was pictured on the Bulgarian 1 lev currency edition from 1962 to 1989?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 11:52 AM

A: "The face of the 1 lev banknote depicts the coat-of-arms of the People's Republic of Bulgaria and the text "People's Republic of Bulgaria". The back of the banknote depicts the Shipka monument, erected at the site of intense fighting between Bulgarian paramilitary units against Turkish troops in the war for independence in 1878."

Bulgarian Currency 1974-1991
http://www.kirildouhalov.net/republic/currency74.html
[Web site no longer available - 04/18/05]

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:56 PM

Q: Is the astroid 2001 WNS outside or inside the earth orbit?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 11:12 AM

A: There is no asteroid with the name WNS in the Asteroid Orbital Elements database at:

http://arnold.usno.navy.mil/murison/Asteroids/OrbitalElements.htm

This database includes "All known non-cometary, non-planetary bodies are in this database, including near-Earth objects (NEOs), main-belt asteroids, Jupiter Trojans, Centaur objects, and trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)."

The name of asteroid number 2001 is Einstein. It's orbit is outside that of earth.

If you mean 2001 WN5, part of its orbit is within the earth's orbit and part is not.

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:49 PM

Q: Who is in charge of the copy machines at this library?
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 10:23 PM

A: The library contracts copy services to a company called Commercial Equipment Company (CEC). They are responsible for ensuring that the system is functioning, repairing broken machines, refilling coin machines, etc.

See: http://www.thereedgroup.com/cec/

Answered by: Krista Graham, Electronic Service Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Date & Time: Wed, 09 Apr 2003 8:08 PM

Q: Do dolphins or any other underwater mammal pass gas? And if so, is there a difference between those in captivity and those in the wild?
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 10:22 PM

A: Yes, dolphins pass gas. Other marine mammals including manatees, and whales also pass gas. Although we found no one source that stated outright that flatulence was different between marine mammals and captivity and those in the wild, we did find articles that suggested that due to the different diet of these animals in captivity they experienced high levels of flatulence.

Sources:

1) Dolphins
"The sounds the dolphins use in their exchanges are difficult to categorize. They are all difficult to describe in words. In my laboratory, we use the following nine large classes to describe the sounds in a somewhat arbitrary fashion: ... ( 8 ) various non-vocalizing sounds including sneezes, respiration sounds (slow and fast), borborygmi, flatulence, tail slaps, the water noises of swimming at the surface, jumping,etc. ...

at: http://eccosys.jp/lilly/dolphinMind03.html

This passage comes from: The Mind Of The Dolphin: A Nonhuman Intelligence - chapter 3 by John Cunningham Lilly.

2) Manatees
"One side effect the manatees experience from eating so much lettuce, however, is flatulence, which produces lots of bubbles in the tank."

From: FOUR MANATEES NOW CALL THE COLUMBUS ZOO HOME A CLOSER LOOK AT
MANATEE COAST in The Columbus Dispatch, July 28, 1999, Wednesday Pg. 6E

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:57 PM
and
Answered by: Krista Graham, Electronic Service Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Date & Time: Wed, 09 Apr 2003 7:45 PM

Q: What does the main character in Chuck Palahniuk's fourth novel swallow while being questioned at the police department?
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 10:32 PM

A: In Palahniuk's fourth novel, "Choke", the main character Victor Mancini swallows 1) a dime, 2) a paper clip, and 3) the cap from a bottle of ketchup which gets caught in his throat.

From: Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, pages 280-281

Answered by: Monica Fox, Reference Librarian CRDL
Date & Time: Wed, 09 Apr 2003 7:14 PM

Q: What has been the increase in base military pay since WWII? (probably as a function of E5)
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 10:52 PM

A: The base pay for enlisted personnel in 1945 was $1,587 per year. (Historical Statistics of the United States Colonial Times to the present Series D 913-926).

After WW II the enlisted grade was divided. In 1949 there were seven grades with differential amounts for years of service etc. Lowest pay for an E5 grade was $139.65 per month. (Military Science Dept.-CMU)

The current pay scale includes 9 enlisted grades, with multiple differentials. Lowest E5 pay is $1,625.40 per month, as of Jan.1, 2003. (Military Science Dept.-CMU)

For more information on recent pay grades and various allowances go to
http://www.dod.mil/comptroller/fmr/07a/index.html

Answered by: Judy O'Dell, Reference Librarian and Business/Law Bibliographer
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 4:56 PM

Q: This peaceful leader cannot teach in Vietnam, his native country, because of government restrictions. He influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and has now established a community in France. Who is this person?
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 10:51 PM

A: Thich Nhat Hanh first came to the United States in 1966 to advocate for peace during the Vietnam war. Upon his return home, he was denied re-entry to his native Vietnam. Exiled since that time, he now lives in Plum Village, the monastery he founded in France, where he continues to teach the message with which he first arrived in the west, that both peace and violence come from within and it is up to each person to decide between the two. In 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize, calling him "an apostle of peace and non-violence."

From: http://www.activistsandiego.org/what/deerpark.html
[Web site no longer available - 7/29/04]

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 10:39 AM

Q: Who is the founder of e-mail?
Date & Time: Tue 4/8/2003 6:35 PM

A: Ray Tomlinson

"After graduating from MIT in 1965 and working for two years on a graduate degree, he created the first e-mail program in 1972 while working at Bolt Beranek and Newman, the company that built the ARPANET. Tomlinson was the person who invented the use of the @ sign in e-mail addresses."
From: Who's Who in Internet and Computer Technology
at Weboepedia.com -- http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/bios/t.asp

Answered by: Krista Graham, Electronic Service Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Date & Time: Wed, 09 Apr 2003 2:32 PM
and
Answered by: Rui Wang, Reference Librarian and Social Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 10:31 PM

Q: Don Juan de Onate, Army Lt. J.H. Simpson, and artist R.H. Kern all preformed a similar specific act at the same geographic location (at different times of course). What was the act? Where is the location?
Date & Time: Wed 4/9/2003 12:52 PM

A: Each left an engraved inscription on the sandstone bluff at what is now El Morro National Monument in New Mexico.

From the International Dictionary of Historic Places (retrieved from the Electric Library)

It was Oñate who carved the first known dated inscription at El Morro. It reads: "PASO POR AQUI EL ADELANTADO DON JUAN de Oñate DEL DESCUBRIMIENTO DE LA MAR DEL SUR A 16 DE ABRIL DE 1605" ("The governor Don Juan de Oñate passed by here from the discovery of the Sea of the South on April 16, 1605").

Lieutenant James H. Simpson of the U.S. Army Topographical Engineers and artist Richard Kern arrived at El Morro in September 1849. They were so impressed with what they saw that they stayed two extra days copying the inscriptions. Simpson also named the site "Inscription Rock" in his report. Like so many before them, they could not resist the temptation of adding their own mark there. They carved their names in neat, legible letters:

"Lt. JH Simpson USA & RH Kern Artist visited and copied these inscriptions, September 17th 18th 1849." (Ironically, they left the letter "R" out of the word "inscription" and had to caret it in afterwards.)

Answered by: Monica Fox, Reference Librarian CRDL
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 1:41 PM
and
Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 1:33 PM

Q: What is the name of the reptile found in New Zealand that has three eyes?
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 11:50 AM

A: Tuatara (Genus: Sphenodon)

"Another fascinating fact about this so-called relic of the past is that, the tuatara has a third eye on top of its head, between the "usual" eyes. This unusual feature however, is possessed not only among tuataras but also in many species of lizards. This fascinating eye comes complete with lens and retina but as the tuatara grows, the skin will also grow covering the extra eye.
From: http://www.animalfact.com/article1022.htm - [Web site no longer available - 4/14/06]

More information can be found at:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/sphenodon/s._punctatus
http://www.nz.com/NZ/Geography/TuataraFacts.html

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:04 PM
and
Answered by: Rui Wang, Reference Librarian and Social Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:21 PM

Q: What is Denver Colorado named for?
Date & Time: Wed 4/9/2003 12:04 PM

A: Named after James W. Denver:

"Denver, the capital of Colorado, was established by a party of prospectors on November 22, 1858, after a gold discovery at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. Town founders named the dusty crossroads for James W. Denver, Governor of Kansas Territory, of which eastern Colorado was then a part."
From: http://www.denvergov.org/aboutdenver/history_timeline_short.asp

See also: http://www.archives.state.co.us/arcbiog.html
[Web page no longer available - 04/18/05]

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:16 PM
and
Answered by: Rui Wang, Reference Librarian and Social Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:16 PM

Q: Name the city in which the only European bas-relief rock carving from the 8 century AD can be found.
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 9:43 PM

A: The Madara Horseman

From:
http://www.digsys.bg/books/cultural_heritage/madara/madara-intro.html

"One of the most difficult artistic tasks is to synthesize a great idea, a message to contemporary and future generations. Such was the task of the sculptor who created the rock relief known as the Madara Horseman. He performed his work splendidly. The sculptor carved a relief of a majestic horseman 23 m above ground level in an almost vertical hundred-metre high cliff. The horseman is thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse's feet. A dog runs after the horseman.

The Madara Horseman was carved at the very beginning of the 8 th Century, about three decades after the foundation of the Bulgarian State (681). The sculpture marks a triumph - the Byzantine Empire had recognized the new state. Furthermore, the Madara horseman marks a new epoch, the beginning of the new European world. Even today the horseman remains unique - nothing like it has ever been made."

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 9:36 AM

Q: Who is the architect of the Eiffel Tower?
Date & Time: Tue 4/8/2003 6:33 PM

A: Architect: Stephen Sauvestre

From: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/documentation/structure/page/chiffres.html

Answered by: Alison Grodzinski, Reference Librarian and Health Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 9:42 AM

Q: How often is the Eiffel tower repainted?
Date & Time: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 6:32 PM

A: Either 5 or 7 years.

The official web site of the Eiffel Tower contains conflicting information regarding how often they paint the tower.

"The Tower is repainted every 5 years, necessitating 50 tons of paint."
From: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/documentation/structure/page/chiffres.html

"To this day, the Eiffel Tower has been completely repainted every 7 years."
From: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/pratique/faq/

Answered by: Rui Wang, Reference Librarian and Social Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 10:33 PM
and
Answered by: Alison Grodzinski, Reference Librarian and Health Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 9:42 AM

Q: This religious leader led an important revolt somewhere in North America. The revolt was significant for several reasons. Peoples who spoke six different languages were involved in the uprising. The intention was the ousting of unwanted oppressors. The revolt was planned partially using calendars carried by curriers which were fashioned from knotted rope. Each knot on the rope calendars signified a day leading up to the planned conflict; one knot was to be untied each day. Despite unprecedented cooperation among the groups involved, the revolt started early. Fierce fighting and destruction of property was documented. Although the ultimate goals of the revolutionary combatants were not realized over time, the revolt was partially successful. The oppressors were driven from large parts of the land at the time. Who was the religious leader credited with providing much of the inspirational leadership and organization for this uprising? What is one name for this revolt?
Date & Time: Tue 4/8/2003 5:05 PM

A: This is the Pueblo Revolt of 1860. The religious leader was Po'pay.

From: http://www.epcc.edu/ftp/Homes/monicaw/borderlands/17_pueblo_revolt.htm

"Because the Pueblos spoke different languages, historians conjecture that Popé used drawings on deerskin representing the method of attack against the Spanish. He sent to every village cords with knots in them representing the number of days left before the revolt. The plan was to go into effect August 11, 1680. However, the Indians moved up the date of the attack to August 10 and surprised the Spanish, killing many and driving the rest south and east, where they would be trapped by other Pueblos."

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 9:02 AM

Q: For various reasons a test administrator might cut an existing exam in half in order to create two alternate forms (form A and form B). When these shorter exams are given (to subjects or students) they are less reliable than the original longer exam. How can the test administrator estimate the reliability of the original longer exam, based on the known reliability of the shorter forms once they are administered? What is the name of the formula?
Date & Time: Monday, April 07, 2003 10:36 PM

A: The formula is called the Spearman-Brown Formula.

An explanation of how it works is provided at: http://schatz.sju.edu/multivar/reliab/splithalf.html

Answered by: Rui Wang, Reference Librarian and Social Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 10:31 AM

Q: What is the speed limit on the Alaskan highway through the city of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory?
Date & Time: Monday, April 07, 2003 3:04 PM

A: 90 km at the outer edges of the city, 70km at airport and 60km at main intersection.

From: Whitehorse Public Library, Telephone: (867) 668-8727

Answered by: Judy O'Dell, Reference Librarian and Business/Law Bibliographer
Date & Time: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 2:26 PM

Q: One of the contributors to the original Oxford English Dictionary seemed unwilling to participate in gatherings which other contributors attended. He was invited often, over a 20 year period, yet he repeatedly declined. Often he offered his regrets with no explaination. Who was this person and why did he decline these numerous invitations?
Date & Time: Mon 4/7/2003 3:11 PM

A: William Chester Minor

Minor "was a wealthy American surgeon-soldier who went mad when he was forced to brand a deserter during the Civil War. He came to England, uncured and incurable, and during a fit of madness shot a man dead. He was sentenced to be confined without parole in the newly-built Broadmoor Asylum for Criminal Lunatics in Crowthorne, Berkshire.

It was while he was in his cell that Minor came across James Murray's famous Call for Volunteers, and decided, probably as a means of personal redemption, to begin work as a reader for the OED."
From: OED Newsletter Jully 1998 [http://www.oed.com/public/news/9806.htm].

See also: http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues98/sep98/oed.html
and
"The professor and the madman : a tale of murder, insanity, and the making of the Oxford English dictionary by Simon Winchester.
CALL # PE1617.O94 W56 1998.

Answered by: Krista Graham, Electronic Service Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Date & Time: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 4:55 PM

Q: There was an individual who attended classes at Harvard University and completed all of the requirements which would normally lead to a PhD degree in psychology being granted by Harvard University. Strangely, this individual was offered a Radcliffe degree, not a Harvard degree. This individual's advisor considered this student to be among the brightest. This individual declined the Radcliffe PhD and went on to publish important research with no graduate degree. This person ultimately held an important position with the American Psychological Assoication, despite the absence of a doctorate. Who was this person? Why did Harvard not grant the degree which was earned?
Why was the Radcliffe degree declined by this person?
Date & Time: Mon 4/7/2003 2:03 PM

A: Mary Whiton Calkins

She was not awarded the PhD at Harvard because of her sex:

"In the spring of 1895, Calkins presented her thesis, An experimental research on the association of ideas. "At the examination, held May 28, 1895, before Professors Palmer, James, Royce, Munsterberg, Harris and Dr. Santayana, it was unanimously voted that Miss Calkins satisfied all customary requirements for the degree" (1980). In Harvard's records this communication was noted but not considered."
From: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/marycalkins.html

She declined the Radcliffe degree because:

"I sincerely admire the scholarship of the three women to whom it is to be given and I should be very glad to be classed with them. I furthermore think it highly probably that the Radcliffe degree will be regarded, generally, as the practical equivalent of the Harvard degree and finally, I should be glad to hold the Ph.D. degree for I occasionally find the lack of it an inconvenience; and now that the Radcliffe degree is offered, I doubt whether the Harvard degree will ever be open to women. On the other hand, I still believe that the best ideals of education would be better served if Radcliffe College refused to confer the doctoral degree. You will be quick to see that, holding this conviction, I cannot rightly take the easier course of accepting the degree" (1980).
From: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/marycalkins.html

See also: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Special/Women/variability.htm
See also: Encyclopedia of Psychology. American Psychological Association, 2000.
See also: Scarborough, E., & Furumoto, L. (1987). Untold lives: The first generation of American women psychologists. New York: Columbia University Press.
Call #: BOOKS BF 109.A1 S24 1987

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 2:12 PM
and
Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 2:18 PM

Q: What are the Kyrgyz hats for males called??
Date & Time: Mon 4/7/2003 11:09 AM

A: Kalpak
From the Peace Corps website (www.peacecorps.gov)

"The kalpak is the traditional Kyrgyz hat. It is made of felt and is usually white with a black rim. The dolpo is a square hat, often black, worn most frequently in the south."

Answered by: Alison Grodzinski, Reference Librarian and Health Sciences Bibliographer
Date & Time: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 3:48 PM

AND

A: From the : Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures

"CLOTHING

Traditional everyday clothes were made of wool, felt, and fur. Ornate silks were, and still are, used for special occasions and ceremonies. By the 1990s, cotton denim and other fabrics had become popular for everyday wear.

Headgear figures prominently in Kyrgyz culture. During the Soviet era, women were prohibited from wearing their large traditional hats, which were a symbol of Kyrgyz culture. There is also a traditional hat proudly worn by men as a symbol of Kyrgyz culture, the ak-kalpak (white hat)."

Answered by: Monica Fox, Reference Librarian CRDL
Date & Time: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 3:54 PM

Q: What is on the fifth CD of the series "Von der Sache des Dekens Reden und Gesprache?"
Date & Time: Mon 4/7/2003 10:18 AM

A: Martin Heidegger CD:5
Gleassenheit 30.10. 1955 58 mins
Der Feldweg 12. 12. 1952 15 mins.

From: http://www.lib.cmich.edu/bibliographers/danielferrer/HeideggerSpoken.html
[Web page no longer available - 04/18/05]

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 1:54 PM

Q: What does the newly created word blog mean according to a popularly published journal?
Date & Time: Mon 4/7/2003 9:38 AM

A: From Teacher Education, v. 30 no. 1 (October 2002) pg. 44:

blog,

n. Web site that is updated frequently, with items listed in date sequence (cf. weblog), blog, v.t. To create a weblog, to create a blog. blogger, n. One who blogs.

Answered by: Michael Lorenzen, Head of Reference Services
Date & Time: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 1:46 PM

AND

A: From Newsweek, March 10, 2003 "Marketing: Flogging on a Blog" by Steven Levy

" ..Weblogs--diarylike personal Web sites, also known as blogs.."

Answered by: David Ginsburg, Reference Librarian and Science Bibliographer
Date & Time: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 2:05 PM

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