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Posted Wed, 11/26/2008 - 15:43 — Brigitte Dale
Happy Thanksgiving! Be prepared for Thanksgiving dinner with conversation topics far, far away from subjects you want to avoid. For instance, try talking about invisibility cloaks.
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I just felt like leaving a comment since everyone else is.
Joe
I hate it when my invisibility cloak wears off and people at the table catch me rolling my eyes while they're saying something stupid, like, "Why are you still single?" or "Are you a crustacean or a mollusk?" Which is weird, because I was invisible a second ago, how could they be asking me questions?
ES
I'd like to see a snail roll his/her eyes - that would be something to remember, I'll bet.
WE
Wind Energy
I'd like to see a snail roll too, WE. Perhaps with some herbs from the garden for the sauce we could clean up the patio area in "one fell swoop". [Straightdope dot com] (Thanks, Farukahmet!)
C.R.
Aren't snail's eyes on stalks? or is it just regular stalks on their stalks? If so, then a snail rolling its eyes would be something to see. Maybe the sign of total exasperation by a snail would be to hit itself on the head with its own eyes...something to think about anyway. or not.
also if any abc webmasters are reading(do they still get to be called webmasters?) Indenting or somehow otherwise differentiating replies to comments from just regular comments would be a good thing. Colors maybe, or avatars on the right or something. As it stands, if you start reading the comments from the bottom up, where the first comments are, then you end up reading replies to comments that you haven't read yet because new comments stack up and replies stack down and there is no way to tell them apart.
AGREED, COLE... . . .
What was the subject again?
Oh, yes. A small style sheet change should show more difference between regular posts and replies in a thread. I like the indent idea as some colors and contrasts are lost on me. ...Perhaps more indent for replies to replies. We need more clarity if we are going to save the world here.
Then we'll all kick back and watch ABCFamily. What is that? Like TV or something? ☛☺☚
C.R.
Don't replies to comments appear in a lighter shade of pink already? I'm not saying that it's pretty or different enough to easily distinguish the two kind, but there is a difference. Indenting would be better though.
And i wish they wouldn't erase our harmless links to other sites.
Absolutely, Farukahmet! BD fans seem a generally "well-heeled" group (though not, Juan hopes, carrying revolvers nor aficionados of cockfighting) except for Patrick RIP. Perhaps we're even gasp genteel; we do not post links to trash but post as you said harmless links to other relevant, interesting areas. Disney have a rather control-freakly reputation, but they must needs come to grips with BD's being perilously close to a gen-yoo-wine intellectual with a hip-smart audience though that be unheard of mostly in the spheres of ABC and TV in general. Bonus: we don't really need the Link Police, as we live in mortal fear of BD's caustic wit. Would I risk annoying John Cleese? Not.
WE
Wind Energy
happy belated thanksgiving! Definitely asking for invisible cloak for xmas, but the whole seeing outside the cloak really ruined my plans. i could cut out holes for eyes, but then there would just be floating eyes which would creep myself out.
Feelin' a little bit swayze
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Here is a link to a wonderful little video clip by Dr. Quantum illuminating the dual-slit experiment and light's particle-wave duality. The strangest part of all is at the end.
**link removed for violation of Terms of Use**
Jeeze, I love that information like this is available to Juan and all, at the click of a mousse. It was YouTube that inspired me to figure out how to open a bottle of champagne with a machete.
WE
Wind Energy
I didn't know about "Dr. Quantum" before, thanks for the link.
But i must make a warning. Although Dr. Quantum makes it sound like a proven and agreed-upon fact, it is not. This is called "the observer effect" in physics, which is famously debated via the "Schrödinger's Cat" experiment. You see, quantum mechanics is a really young branch of physics, so most propositons are still on the table. Most physicists nowadays say that "the observer effect" does not actually exist and that it is only a sign of our shortcomings when it comes to understanding the insanely complex sub-atomic world (remember: these things apply only to sub-atomic particles, not big things like molecules or something), so they say, when we figure out the working mechanisms behind these little guys, the deterministic fabric of the universe will be restored. And there are those who oppose these scientists, who claim that the outcome of an event (a sub-atomic event, that is) is indeed affected by the existence of an observer, an observer which doesn't even have to be a conscious one, a single atom would suffice... this is called "the Copenhagen Interpretation". There are many other "interpretation"s of the experiments shown in the video you've shared.
Ok, i'm really bored now. Sorry all.
Well, gang, we have been left to entertain ourselves w/o a Fri. video with no jelly babies or peanut butter cups, First order of business, then, would be to go to the store to get some non-nutritional snacks.
Next, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we need to take stock of all the great videos readily available on Brigitte's blog, for which we can be thankful.
re: Farukahmet and Markmdb's illuminating comments -- (God, I sound like Katie Couric!)
Speaking of spirits, often synonymous with ghosts — which I don't believe in — it sounds like we are only a small scientific advancement away from blurring (sorry) the distinction between ghosts and non-ghosts with the invisibility cloak. My "reading" of the messages indicates to me that we need a portable step-up or -down transformer to change the visible wavelengths to invisible, possibly sound, wavelengths. Instead of some invisible stranger coming into a room, you might be invaded with heavy metal sounds (surrounding an invisible stranger). I think I would prefer ghosts.
(Bear in mind I only read every 3rd word of their comments, as I couldn't understand it as a whole.)
Ahem . . . The vids. Some of them have NO comments, while some have only one. (the comments were on the old blog.) One can be the first or only commenter!
My favorites are the Valentine's Day ep. (labeled Feb. 15) & the Shout Out (March 29). The "Behind the Scenes" "mocumentary" is also one of my favorites, but is not here at the moment. It and the well-done Penrod adoption ep. are available elsewhere. Perhaps someone can supply the reference dates.
Beyond enjoying the eps here, go to iTunes, as many do, to d/l all year 2008 eps. Write a review and rate the video blog! There are a couple from people who just don't get it. Most are very good. I have yet to write one myself, though I do write them for music there. You can later edit reviews in iTunes, just like ABCFamily.com.
Have a nice week end all! ☞☺☜
C.R.
Hi C.R.,
). Hope that was understandable; and don't hold it against me if i'm wrong about something, i'm no physicist.
if my English isn't failing me right now (which is not my native tongue, so forgive me if it is), you have a little misunderstanding there. Light, in short, is an electromagnetic radiation. There are many radiation types which are classified according to their wavelengths [wavelength is the length of their one oscillation; frequency is how many times they oscillate in a given time]; say, radiowaves, microwaves, infrared and so on...These are all types of light, actually. But the naked eye can only see a limited part of existent wavelength types, which we call "visible light"; just like how we can only hear a limited part of existing frequencies of sound. So, behaving like a wave, defines a thing's movement, not its inherent qualities. The similarity of soundwaves and lightwaves stops there; apart from the likeness of how they propagate through space (i.e. move), they have no correlation. In fact, there is a difference even there: soundwaves need a medium to travel through space (water, air, whatever...), while electromagnetic radiation can travel through vacuum (no medium. at least we know of). If a stranger could change the wavelength of his light, then, he would radiate infrared rays or another kind of invisible light, he would not suddenly become Metallica (which is a shame, really
Faruk, your English is great. Either you have a great talent for language or a great need in your field for it. (you have used a lot of scientific terms one does not learn in a language class
) ... Ever study medicine in the U.S, for example? (you may ignore, if you wish) You country has an interesting history (my major) and made a lot of contributions which many aren't aware of. I am, of course, NOT talking about the bird! "Turkey" was used for many birds, BTW, just as "corn" was used for many grains. (And pellet-like snow is referred to as corn snow, at least by cross-country skiers)
That would, of course, be your English lesson for the day.
Side note: My daughter-in-law is a non-native English speaker, and uses English better than most of us in the family who were born & raised here. (I initially said all of us, but my vanity made me change it.)
Thank you for your explanation regarding wavelengths and frequencies. It is something we should all learn more about as medical advances using various types of waves touch our lives.
I hope we can both agree that it would be better to hear Metallica step on Schrödinger's cat than to hear Celine Dion.
C.R.
Thanks, and i think it is better to hear anything than to hear Celine Dion.
Never been to USA. Actually, never been abroad --except for a few days in Qatar on a business trip. I guess i owe it to the countless hours of watching American TV shows - especially love "House". I'm an architect (will be in a year, to be accurate) but i can't say being one helped my English get better.
I don't know about your daughter-in-law, but what saddens me most is that i generally can construct pretty complex sentences with minimum grammatical mistakes, but when it comes to speaking simple daily language, i freeze and don't know what to say. Whenever a tourist asks me the whereabouts of a place, for instance, i stutter. I guess i need practice, maybe a trip to the States would solve that.
I knew about the bird and the corn. StraightDope is a great place to learn things like that:
**link removed for violation of Terms of Use**
Take care.
@Faruk It's amazing how easy it is to agree on something to dislike. The list of dislikes seems to get longer as one gets older, but I am not going to look for others.
I used to hang out with the "archies" my senior year in college (room-mate in Arch.). An "interesting" bunch, when they weren't collapsed on their drawing boards. Now, with AutoCad, it must be much less comfortable when the coffee wears off. The daughter-in-law I mentioned before is an architect. Had to take 9 state exams to get licensed in Ohio only! My bro.-in-law is an architect in NY. Special people with special talents, in my opinion.
I have only seen "House" once, but it looked like a decent show. I like NCIS best, at the moment (just the right amount of blood and humor) but have vision problems right now, so "watch" very little. (Soon to be fixed)
You, too, Take care.
C.R.
C.R.
Why would you want a normal boyfriend?
Everyone knows that strange and unusual is far superior to mundane and ordinary; at least that's what the bumper stickers tell me. What's also awesome is using direct synonyms in descriptive sequence as though they added something more to the sentence than merely redundant repetition.
I too love the smell of fires, and have a habit(compulsion) of building them whenever combustibles and a reasonable excuse to build a fire are present(I prefer pyrophilic to pyromanic). Unfortunately the "smell" of smoke actually is smoke, which is highly carcinogenic as well as probably generically pathogenic. Pretty much anytime you burn anything it's like playing the molecular equivalent of russian roulette, then pointing the revolver straight at your DNA. Not to bring down all the fans of cozy warm hypnotic fires, or barbecue blackened ribs, or unfiltered malboro reds for that matter, but it's better to be healthy than happy. Or, well. Is it?
Brigitte - -
What?? You really DON'T have a normal boyfriend??? (Well, you may not FIND one in California, anyway... at least not very easily... invisibility cloak not withstanding.)
Thanksgiving conversation at OUR house consisted of each and every member of the family addressing each and every OTHER member of the family around the table and saying at least three things that they were thankful for about them. This is positive on three fronts at least:
1. It's a loving thing to do.
2. It gets them encouraging each other by accentuating the positive.
3. It develops public speaking skills.
...oh, and 4. No one ends up feeling like they need to wear an invisibility cloak.
As far as being invisible making a person evil or causing them to descend morally, Kevin Bacon's winning line in Hollow Man was "You'd be surprised what you can allow yourself to get away with when you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror every morning."
113 Days since the Great Ankle Injury.
We trust your dog is not chewing on the remains of an old boyfriend. I mean, I know dog food can be expensive, and times are tough, but zheesh! ...that's a little extreme.
Happy Thanksgiving Belated!
- - Jim Murphy
Um what is the dog chewing on?
Just her toy stuffed monkey. Why? Hopefully it doesn't look like a dead animal or something.
Kinda looks like an under garment....must be the angle.
B- Since I know how much you like cupcakes I thought I'd send you this picture of turkey cupcakes I found. As an extra bonus the flikr user has the same name as you (but a different spelling).
**link removed for violation of Terms of Use**
That's awesome -- thank you!!!
She's representing the Brigitte name well.
Watching all these thanksgiving-related videos coming from the States, i'm thankful that we don't have a thanksgiving day in Turkey (the country, of course, no-pun). Maybe we should have a "thank-god-we-dont-have-a-thanksgivingday" thanksgiving day.
That aside, Brigitte, i hope you are aware that when you wear a stealth cloak, you are not "surrounded with bended light" but you bend the light hitting at your back so the lightrays continue their way like you weren't there at the beginning. So, no, you don't get blindfolded when you wear it. I know, i have one.
There is such a thing as particle-wave duality wherein photons are said to behave as both particles and waves. The photon is a quantum of the electromagnetic field and thus the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Since visual perception is actually frequency vibrations of these photons, the light we see from external objects can essentially be seen as disturbances in the electromagnetic field. So if an object does not block or deflect any photons then that object has escaped our visible spectrum and perhaps any other. Brigitte is right in the sense that you do need to be surrounded by some sort of bending light, because the electromagnetic radiation actually behaves like this. Photons bend around objects while passing through them and depending on how much is deflected while in this electromagnetic field determines the overall visibility. Another words if the cloak is not fully enveloping the object then the light will be disturbed and it can be seen. It needs to be whole. Not just front or just back, but the whole. So if this "cloaking" electromagnetic field or material was somehow absorbing all light without disturbing its original placement, then anything inside the field wouldn't be able to see any of the light that is basically attempting to reflect from it. If the light can't see you then you can't see the light.
Reality is Bliss.
I love where this comment thread went. I love a good physics debate (and I'm serious!)
I wasn't thinking about the cloak covering the face, which is a mistake on my part, you're totally right about that. But a little correction, if i may:
Photons bend around objects while passing through them and depending on how much is deflected while in this electromagnetic field determines the overall visibility.
I'm no expert, but, although it is true that light behave both like waves and particles (which is, to be honest, not so much an explanation, but a simplification, since modern science do not have much of a clue as to what exactly is a particle or a wave, or "matter" itself for that matter. One of the famous CERN experiment's aims is to find something about this "god particle" as far as i know)...where were we? Ah, the bending. My objection is, the bending does not determine the visibility, the reflection does. The amount of bending of a light-ray by a mass this small (say, our bodies) is very insignificant. It only shows itself in astronomical observations, where there are big enough masses like planets and galaxies, that can bend the light. This concept is one of the most important discoveries of modern science actually, which we owe to Einstein... but my objection does not change the fact that, if your whole body is covered with the cloak, you would be blindfolded. I'm sure Japs will come up with a solution though.
There is a documentary on the quantum universe that describes everything as a string of vibrating energy. It's called "string theory" and Im pretty sure it has been mathematically proven in an attempt to discover how many dimensions there really are.. which is 11 I think. Everything is energy is a better simplification haha. I think its more complicated than just bending light or some kind of reflection. It has to do with the electromagnetic disturbance objects create. So if you could mask the object with some kind of electromagnetic energy that acted just like light, then the object would be invisible. pretty cool
Reality is Bliss.
11? Nobody knows; the debate still goes on. Garrett Lisi, for instance, says it's 8:
**link removed for violation of Terms of Use**
You could say "everything is energy", but since E=mc2, matter and energy are essentially the same thing, no? Just different phases of "existence", whatever that is. So the real question is still "what is energy/matter?", i guess.
There were about 12 people at my dad's house for Thanksgiving this year, including one newborn baby. The mealtime conversation among the moms eventually turned to diapers, potty training, etc. (bleh).
There's a good (non-technical) book out now called "Physics of the Impossible" by Michio Kaku. The author talks about the possibility of invisibility cloaks (quite possible, it turns out), as well as time machines, telepathy, Star-Trek-style phasers, transporters, and warp drive, etc. A really good book, and written by a well-respected physicist.
I'm not angry. My handwriting proves this so.
I'm sensing a nation is eating pie. You lucky blighters!
Nice hair model...
Have a nice day Brigitte...
PeaCe..!
Yusuf Alioglu
"Of course I can keep a boyfriend...just look in the freezer."
I have discovered that an effective invisibility cloak is a high-visibility vest. I have on occasion walked into an upscale mall or store still wearing the fluorescent-yellow vest with 3M reflective tape we all wear on wind energy construction sites. A magic thing happens: clerks don't see me, assuming I'm one of the lower-paid help. The security guards don't see me, assuming I'm part of the parking lot detail. And certainly the folks shopping at Nordstrom, Saks or Van Cleef and Arpels don't see me. The only thing that could make me more invisible is to carry a mop and bucket.
I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, especially the many of us whom are not with fambly today for reasons unavoidable if not unassailable. I am thankful for many things today, including Scotch Bonnet peppers, Cajun music and these hilarious, thought-provoking video blogs.
WE
Wind Energy
The same line that Joe commented on is the same that caught my attention: "Who knew so many people were so angry?" You have probably had to deal with a few of trolls in your time on the internet, which reminds me of the quote: "When you have a place where people can anonymously say anything they want, some one will. The whole action without consequences thing. Perhaps, as Tom suggested -- though he didn't put it in these terms, when relatives asking personal questions concerning lack of relationships, lack of new grandchildren/new nephews/new nieces, job promotions, or other "none of their business" quires those relatives actions should be met with consequences.
That "gay" suggestion in a conservative family was a good one that could deflect conversation (awkwardly) and end follow-up or repeat. Or maybe a long reply that reveals too much information (TMI) might just shut them up. Tell your relative:
"Well... I was out on Hollywood and Vine trying to find a date last week
and everyone I asked kept wanting to know 'How much?' and 'Are you a cop?'
I don't get it, the whole family says thats how you found your spouse."
Or
"I've been to a specialist to try to figure out why I'm not getting pregnant
but all he says is that my excessive drug and alcohol use should preclude me
from being a parent. But, I told him thet that didn't stop you."
And finally
"I'm in the same dead end work situation as you, they require that a person
actually do some work -- AND do it right -- before they even consider
promoting them. I guess neither of us is going anywhere"
If you wanted to really silence some relative, and no one else actually heard the relative speaking to you then just raise you voice and say "WHAT?!! YOU WANT SEE ME NAKED?!!! WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?!!
If the relatives get shocked (or burned) enough times they become "gun shy" and eventually will know better than to ask probing questions (or any questions for that matter).
But, remember, be careful. If any of you uses these suggestions just be aware that whenever we do something it has known consequences and unknown consequences. While you may shut them up, you wouldn't want to be surprised by a family participation drug intervention pulled on you because of a whopper you told a relative just to shut them up. So choose wisely.
Happy Turkey Day!
Marty Net
Some great suggestions, MartyNet!
All I might add is the quiet mention of "STD's being such a problem that..." and that is about as far as the conversation will go before someone changes the subject. We hope.
I agree that there is a danger that your life could turn into a very bad sit-com plot if you are taken too seriously. .. But maybe it already is, so what the heck.
[REST OF POST REMOVED BY ANNOYED USER]
C.R.
There are ways to be invisible without a magic cloak.When people ask questions you don't want to answer, just over-stuff your mouth with yams, then look at them and shrug. Then ignore them for the rest of the afternoon.. they'll get the point... or better yet, just smile, grab your plate, and adjourn to the kids table. The worst thing you have to worry about there is an over-indulgence in tasty jam...
Brigitte, I hope your Thanksgiving is a happy one, despite the fact that you're not with your family..As it happens, I shall be alone this Thanksgiving as well, but I plan on watching the entire dvd collection of Firefly, and topping it off with the movie "Serenity"...
Looks like someone's dog wanted his belly rubbed at the end of that video.
I had to watch the video a second time after laughing so hard when Briggitte said "Who knew so many people were so angry" Best line ever.
I'm going to try the invisibility cloak conversation changer thing tomorrow. I'll let you know how it works.
Joe
Brigitte, you rule. Just sayin'...
I can't have a link to my own website in my signature? Come on, ABC!
My personal response to that question is usually…
“Ummm…I don’t really swing that way…not that there’s anything wrong with it”
Probably wouldn’t work so well for you though…
Then again…that might not be a bad tip…
Ladies, if you have a conservative-ish family (in the old school values way not the political bent) try telling them you’re a lesbian. They’ll never ask you why you don’t have a boyfriend again and they’ll be too freaked out to ever ask you if you have a girlfriend. Boom! Problem solved forever.
If it goes bad (aka they threaten to kick you out of the family or something) just tell them some crazy guy on the Internet told you to say it and point them here. That’ll serve as a nice, non-confrontational way of telling them you wish they’d stay out of your business and just leave you alone. Either way, problem solved.
Well…this comment took a weird turn and I think I’m going to bail out now before I embarrass myself any further. But Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Tom
P.S. Maybe the invisibility cloak conversation isn’t the best idea. I suspect if you do try it you might end up wishing you had an invisibility cloak for the rest of that particular meal.
That's actually a nice idea : )
Wouldn't work with my family though, they would instantly die from heart attack
Hey BD. So if one of my elderly Aunts ask, “How are you still single?” Is it appropriate to respond, “how are you still alive?”
I'm thinking no. But only you know your aunt, so...
Is that a gas fire or a real one? Very cosy. Great for after walking in torrential rain!
It does both, but I'm burning wood - love the smell!
Okay.
