What is the difference between, and the correct usage of, the words "toward" and "towards"?
They are completely interchangeable and have both been used since they first appeared in English in the 9th century. In North America, people are more likely to use toward, while everywhere else towards is more common. Both forms, however, are used everywhere and both are completely correct. There have been some suggestions about different usages (e.g., one is the adjective, one the adverb or preposition), but they are not widely accepted, and are at variance with the fact that both forms have always been used interchangeably.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/toward-towards-usage
(It's a bit like grey vs gray.)
(looney_tunes)
1 answer
Jun 20 25 by RedRobin7
How many named seas are recognized in the English language?
Since there are a number of regions which are named as seas by locals, and there is no official designation of exact areas defined by specific names, there cannot be a definitive answer to this question. This page lists a large number of seas, but excludes any that are not part of the World Ocean (the major named oceans and their branches as bays, etc.) - so there are more places called a sea, but the exact number is indeterminate. Given those provisos, I cannot be bothered counting the entries, and checking to make sure that any listed under more than one category have only been counted once. Others may have the necessary energy for the task.
[quote]Sea has several definitions:
*A division of an ocean, delineated by landforms, currents (e.g., Sargasso Sea), or specific latitude or longitude boundaries. This includes but is not limited to marginal seas, and this is the definition used for inclusion in this list.
*A marginal sea is a division of an ocean, partially enclosed by islands, archipelagos, or peninsulas, adjacent to or widely open to the open ocean at the surface, and/or bounded by submarine ridges on the sea floor.
*The World Ocean. For example, the Law of the Sea states that all of the World Ocean is "sea", and this is also common usage for "the sea".
*Any large body of water with "Sea" in the name, including lakes.
...
Entities called "seas" which are not divisions of the World Ocean are not included in this list. Excluded are:
Lakes, ponds, etc.: Salt lakes with "Sea" in the name: Aral Sea, Dead Sea, Caspian Sea, Salton Sea; Freshwater lakes with "Sea" in the name: Sea of Galilee
...
(Note) There is no accepted technical definition of sea among oceanographers. A rather weak definition is that a sea is a subdivision of an ocean, which means that it must have oceanic basin crust on its floor. This definition, for example, accepts the Caspian Sea, which was once part of an ancient ocean, as a sea. The Introduction to Marine Biology defines a sea as a "landlocked" body of water, adding that the term "sea" is only one of convenience, but the book is written by marine biologists, not oceanographers. The Glossary of Mapping Sciences similarly states that the boundaries between seas and other bodies of water are arbitrary.[/quote]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_seas_on_Earth (looney_tunes)
2 answers
Jun 20 25 by RedRobin7
2 answers
Jun 20 25 by RedRobin7
What was the first area code in the USA to have a middle digit other than 0 or 1?
In 1947, the USA was divided into 86 different telephone area codes, which were defined as having three digits, with the middle digit being 0 or 1, as these numbers were not used in the previous assignment of two-digit area codes. At first, area codes with the middle digit 0 were assigned to a plan area that comprised an entire state, but states with multiple numbering plan areas received area codes having 1 as the second digit. Eg Oregon was assigned 503, but California received 213, 415, and 916.
After valid area codes were used up by expansion, there was a need to allow the digits 2 through 8 to be used as a middle digit in new area code assignments (with 9 being reserved for even more future expansion). "The first area codes without a 1 or 0 as the middle digit were area code 334 in Alabama and area code 360 in Washington, which both began service on January 15, 1995. This was followed quickly by area code 520 serving Arizona on March 19, 1995'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_North_American_area_codes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Numbering_Plan (1nn1)
1 answer
Jun 19 25 by serpa
Did any chess player have a positive score against Bobby Fisher or Mikhail Tal?
Efim Geller had a record of 5 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws against Bobby Fischer
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=15712
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?yearcomp=exactly&year=&playercomp=either&pid=19233&player=&pid2=15712&player2=&movescomp=exactly&moves=&opening=&eco=&result=
Boris Spassky was 9 wins, 6 losses and 27 draws against Mikhail Tal
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?yearcomp=exactly&year=&playercomp=either&pid=14380&player=&pid2=21136&player2=&movescomp=exactly&moves=&opening=&eco=&result=
Lev Polugaevsky was 8 wins, 2 losses and 23 draws against Mikhail Tal
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?yearcomp=exactly&year=&playercomp=either&pid=14380&player=&pid2=&player2=Polugaevsky&movescomp=exactly&moves=&opening=&eco=&result= (elburcher)
2 answers
Jun 18 25 by chabenao1
1 answer
Jun 17 25 by pehinhota
2 answers
Jun 17 25 by Thesuperyoshi
What superhero has had the most adaptations made of him/her in movies and TV?
My immediate thoughts were Batman and Superman with 16 FILM listings for Superman and 25 for Batman, Batman would seem to win out on films:
1 Superman (1948)
2 Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
3 Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
4 Superman (1978)
5 Superman II (1980)
6 Superman III (1983)
7 Supergirl (1984)
8 Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
9 Superman Returns (2006)
10 Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)
11 Man of Steel (2013)
12 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
13 Justice League (2017)
14 Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
15 Black Adam (2022)
16 The Flash (2023)
17 Superman (Due 2025)
1 Batman (1943)
2 Batman and Robin (1949)
3 Batman (1966)
4 Batman (1989)
5 Batman Returns (1992)
6 Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (Animated) (1993)
7 Batman Forever (1995)
8 Batman & Robin (1997)
9 Catwoman (2004)
10 Batman Begins (2005)
11 The Dark Knight (2008)
12 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
13 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
14 Suicide Squad (2016)
15 The Lego Batman Movie (Animated) (2017)
16 Justice League (2017)
17 Joker (2019)
18 Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
19 The Batman (2022)
20 DC League of Super-Pets (2022)
21 The Flash (2023)
22 Batgirl (sadly unreleased)
23 Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
24 The Batman - Part II (announced for 2027)
25 The Brave and the Bold (To Be Announced)
However, when adding in the TV appearances:
1 Batman (1966-68)
2 Birds of Prey (2002-2003)
3 Gotham (2014-2019)
4 Titans (2018-2023)
5 Batwoman (2019-2022)
6 Gotham Knights (2023)
and Animated series:
1 The Batman/Superman Hour (1968-69)
2 The Adventures of Batman (1968-69)
3 The New Adventures of Batman (1977)
4 Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
5 The New Batman/Superman Adventures (1997-2000)
6 Batman Beyond (1999-2002)
7 The Batman (2004-08)
8 Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-11)
9 Beware the Batman (2013-14)
10 Batwheels (2022-ongoing)
11 Batman: Caped Crusader (2024-ongoing)
versus the following for Superman:
1 Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)
2 Superboy (1988-1992)
3 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
4 Smallville (2001-2011)
5 Supergirl (2016-2021)
6 Krypton (2018-2019)
7 Superman & Lois (2021-2024)
It looks to me that Batman does have the edge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(franchise)
(GoodwinPD)
2 answers
Jun 16 25 by pennie1478
What superhero has had the most adaptations made of him/her in movies and TV?
I'm having a hard time finding a definitive list that includes both tv and film adaptations. Several sites (and even the Guinness Book of World Records) list Batman as having the most but there are lots of qualifiers such as what defines a superhero, what types of films/tv (i.e. whether they count animated) are counted. This particular reference has Batman (14 films as of 06/30/2024) at number one specifically counting the number of live-action films the superhero has appeared in.
https://movieweb.com/comic-book-superheroes-most-movie-appearances/
(Triviaballer)
2 answers
Jun 16 25 by pennie1478
Which emperor's illegitimate son suffered the same fate as his father, being executed in 1917 (the father in 1867)?
The Emperor, Maxmillian I of Mexico, the illegitimate son, Julián Sedano y Leguísamo
[quote]On October19, 1917, the Mexican Julián Sedano y Leguísamo was shot for being a spy for the Germans, as it was published in European newspapers. Weeks later, in December, several Mexican newspapers reported it succinctly.[/quote]
[quote]Julio Sedano was the bastard son of Maximilian of Habsburg with Concepción Sedano, the "pretty India".[/quote]
https://www.diariodemorelos.com/noticias/historias-y-relatos-del-supuesto-hijo-de-maximiliano-con-la-india-bonita-y-su-relaci-n-con-la-famosa
https://www.milenio.com/opinion/varios-autores/re-incidente/julio-sedano-y-leguisamo (elburcher)
1 answer
Jun 12 25 by pehinhota
When was the dwarf planet Gonggong discovered?
Gonggong is a dwarf plant beyond Neptune. It has a diameter of approximately 1200km an an eccentric orbit ranging from 34 to 101 Astronomical Units. It was discovered in 2007 and announced in 2009.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonggong_(dwarf_planet) (1nn1)
1 answer
Jun 12 25 by serpa
1 answer
Jun 12 25 by pehinhota
In 2003, who was the first non-white South African to receive a official state funeral?
Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu. He was an Anti-Apartheid Activist
[quote]Sisulu lived his last years in the same Soweto house that his family had taken in the 1940s. On May 5, 2003, only 13 days before his 91st birthday, Walter Sisulu died following a long period of ill health with Parkinson's Disease. He received a state funeral in Soweto on May 17, 2003.[/quote]
https://www.thoughtco.com/walter-max-ulyate-sisulu-4069431 (elburcher)
1 answer
Jun 12 25 by pehinhota
3 answers
Jun 07 25 by pehinhota
In the 15th century, who was the first king in late medieval Europe to turn away from the Roman Church and adopt another denomination?
The question asks about a 15th century monarch, but before 1517 there was no Protestant alternative, not even an incipient one, so the answer must be a 16th century monarch. Prior to that, the various forerunners of the Reformation were dissenting Roman Catholics.
Here's a reference about the person referred to above. Frederik III's support for Martin Luther did not lead to abandonment of the Roman Catholic church during his life, but he is considered by some to have converted to Lutheranism on his deathbed.
[quote]Frederick III was a lifelong Roman Catholic, but he might have converted to Lutheranism on his deathbed in 1525 depending on how his receiving of a Protestant communion is viewed.
The elector leaned heavily towards Lutheranism throughout his later years, guaranteeing safety for his subject and Protestant reformer Martin Luther, so that he would not receive the same fate as of Jan Huss and other pre-reformers, after he was tried for heresy and excommunicated by the Pope.[/quote]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_III,_Elector_of_Saxony (looney_tunes)
3 answers
Jun 07 25 by pehinhota
1 answer
Jun 08 25 by serpa
Was the flat white, a coffee drink, invented in Australia or New Zealand?
It appears that the origins of the flat white are not totally agreed upon. Both Australia and New Zealand cite evidence that their country is the origin of the drink back in the 1980s. Interestingly, a coffee historian named Ian Bersten actually cites England as the origin of the flat white dating all the way back to the 1950s. Whatever the origin, drink up!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_white (Triviaballer)
1 answer
Jun 08 25 by Thesuperyoshi
3 answers
Jun 07 25 by pehinhota
2 answers
Jun 02 25 by gmackematix
What is the shortest lap time ever in a Formula 1 race and where was it? Is it around the shortest track, or does the amount of turning required to get around a shorter track slow the cars down?
Valtteri Bottas with a time of 1:02.939 in the Austrian GP on 4th July 2020 (during qualifying).
https://motorsporttickets.com/blog/lap-records-in-formula-1-list-fastest-lap-times-at-every-circuit/
It's not the shortest circuit. Monaco is the shortest, but has 19 turns: [quote]Circuit de Monaco is the shortest track on the current Formula 1 calendar, at 3.337km. Such is the short length of the track, it is the only race on the calendar which does not cover the 305km distance stipulated in the regulations. Races in Monaco instead run to just 260km.
Perhaps the most famous of all races on the F1 calendar, plenty of challenges are packed into a lap of the 19-turn track, which passes by the iconic Casino Square, through the tunnel and around the famous Rascasse cafe. [/quote] https://www.lightsoutblog.com/longest-and-shortest-f1-circuits
(gtho4)
2 answers
Jun 02 25 by gmackematix
What is the most number of pitches thrown by both teams in one inning of a Major League Baseball game?
This might be it, as it was the longest-ever MLB inning. There were 112 pitches in the 5th inning in the Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers game on 9th May 2004. [quote] The longest MLB inning occurred on May 8, 2004, when the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers combined for 18 runs in a 5th inning that lasted 68 minutes.[/quote] https://sports.yahoo.com/article/longest-baseball-game-ever-mlb-220137799.html
This webpage says there were 100 pitches in the 5th: [quote]The Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers combined for 18 runs in the fifth inning -- one short of the major league record for an inning -- and Alfonso Soriano went six for six in the Rangers' 16-15, 10-inning victory Saturday night in Arlington, Texas. Michael Young hit an RBI single off Ugueth Urbina (1-1) in the 10th to win it for the Rangers, who won after trailing by 10 runs -- the first time in club history they accomplished that feat.
Each team used seven pitchers in the game, with Francisco Cordero (1-0) pitching a scoreless 10th. Eric Young walked leading off the bottom half, was sacrificed to second and scored on Young's hit after an intentional walk to Brad Fullmer. After Detroit took a 14-4 lead with eight runs in the top of the fifth, the Rangers tied it in the bottom half. Ivan Rodriguez put the Tigers back ahead with an RBI single in the sixth, but Hank Blalock tripled leading off the seventh and scored on a double by Soriano, who raised his average from .302 to .336. There were 100 pitches in the fifth, which lasted 1 hour 8 minutes and became the highest-scoring fifth inning in major league history. The bottom half lasted 36 minutes.[/quote] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-may-09-sp-al9-story.html
However, the box score at baseball reference.com shows 54 pitches top of the 5th and 58 pitches bottom of the 5th (total 112), if I'm reading Play by Pay correctly:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX200405080.shtml
(gtho4)
1 answer
Jun 02 25 by serpa
2 answers
May 31 25 by pehinhota
2 answers
May 31 25 by Thesuperyoshi
When John Hume said, “You can’t eat a flag”, what was he talking about?
That there are more important things than national identity. John Hume was a nationalist politician trying to solve the issues in Northern Ireland. People on either side were very strong in terms of their identity, so things like flags were important to them. There are more important things than that to get on in life. Eating a flag won't keep you alive. (Flukey)
2 answers
May 31 25 by Thesuperyoshi
2 answers
May 31 25 by pehinhota
2 answers
May 25 25 by chabenao1
What is unusual about the Ayam Cemani chicken?
Here's a reference for the previous post. The cost of around $9000 for an adult chicken and $16 for an egg is also rather unusual.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayam_Cemani (looney_tunes)
2 answers
May 28 25 by Thesuperyoshi
2 answers
May 28 25 by Thesuperyoshi
How is it possible that Jonathan Rea crashed in, but still won, the Suzuka 8 Hour Race in 2019?
It was a red flag finish. He crashed on the final lap. [quote] The #21 Yamaha Factory Racing Team has taken a surprise victory at the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours after Jonathan Rea crashed out while leading inside the final minute of the race which triggered a red flag finish. Rea had been set to charge to Kawasaki's first Suzuka 8 Hours win since 1993 after surviving late scares from a crashing backmarker and rain which hit the track in the final 30 minutes.
But the drama unfolded when the #2 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team suffered a terminal engine issue with five minutes to go, fighting for the Endurance World Championship title against the #11 Team SRC Kawasaki, forcing Etienne Masson to retire in tears at the side of the track. With suspected oil down across the first sector of the track from the #2 Suzuki, Rea crashed out while leading by 20 seconds which triggered an early red flag stoppage. With the #10 Kawasaki failing to finish the leading team were not in the final classification which hands defending Suzuka 8 Hours champions #21 Yamaha of Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark and Katsuyuki Nakasuga victory.[/quote] https://www.crash.net/wsbk/news/926033/1/yamaha-takes-shock-suzuka-8-hours-win-after-late-rea-crash
(gtho4)
1 answer
May 28 25 by Thesuperyoshi
1 answer
May 23 25 by Bright_Star
The son of which German emperor was a prisoner of the Italian city of Bologna for almost 23 years in the 13th century?
Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
[quote]King Enzio of Sardinia spent the last 23 years of his life as a prisoner of Bologna from 1249 to 1272.
Enzio (from the German name Heinrich, sometimes rendered as Enzo) was an illegitimate son of Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen and by all accounts his favorite. They shared a love for falconry and poetry among others, and Frederick II valued his son as a capable leader and commander.
Enzio was 24 when he was captured at the Battle of Fossalta during a battle with the Guelphs, a powerful faction in northern Italy opposed to the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Frederick II repeatedly demanded the release of his son, but to no avail.[/quote]
https://malvevonhassell.com/falconello-prisoner-in-bologna/?doing_wp_cron=1693152297.5683588981628417968750 (elburcher)
1 answer
May 26 25 by pehinhota
For what courageous expression of opinion did Alexander Altmann, the communal Rabbi in Manchester, become known in the fifties?
His support was instrumental in Bert Trautmann - a former Nazi sergeant and British prisoner of war - being accepted into the squad of Manchester City as a goalkeeper.
This was in spite of him being Jewish (and a fugitive from Nazi Germany) as well as in spite of the substantial Jewish fan following of the club at the time - so Trautmann was certainly not the most obvious prospect for him to endorse.
Trautmann's spell at the club was initially met by resistance from the fans, but he quickly became a mainstay of the team and was among those responsible for the club's good results in the 1950s.
(It should be noted that Trautmann, while a member of the Wehrmacht and Nazi party, was not directly involved in any crimes against Jews. Still, this was a tall order for someone who had to flee his home country due to persecution.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Trautmann
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Altmann
(WesleyCrusher)
1 answer
May 23 25 by pehinhota
1 answer
May 25 25 by chabenao1
2 answers
May 25 25 by chabenao1
1 answer
May 23 25 by chabenao1
When an airliner is flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet, the temperature of the air outside may be as low as -30 F. However, instead of heaters, air conditioners must be used in aircraft flying that high. Why?
[quote]Cabin pressurization is a process in which conditioned air is pumped into the cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft in order to create a safe and comfortable environment for humans flying at high altitudes. For aircraft, this air is usually bled off from the gas turbine engines at the compressor stage ... The air is cooled, humidified, and mixed with recirculated air by one or more environmental control systems before it is distributed to the cabin ... Certain aircraft have unusual pressurization needs. For example, the supersonic airliner Concorde had a particularly high pressure differential due to flying at unusually high altitude: up to 60,000 ft (18,288 m) while maintaining a cabin altitude of 6,000 ft (1,829 m). This increased airframe weight and saw the use of smaller cabin windows intended to slow the decompression rate if a depressurization event occurred ...
Pressurization becomes increasingly necessary at altitudes above 10,000 ft (3,048 m) above sea level to protect crew and passengers from the risk of a number of physiological problems caused by the low outside air pressure above that altitude. For private aircraft operating in the US, crew members are required to use oxygen masks if the cabin altitude (a representation of the air pressure, see below) stays above 12,500 ft (3,810 m) for more than 30 minutes, or if the cabin altitude reaches 14,000 ft (4,267 m) at any time. At altitudes above 15,000 ft (4,572 m), passengers are required to be provided oxygen masks as well. On commercial aircraft, the cabin altitude must be maintained at 8,000 ft (2,438 m) or less ... . This cabin altitude is maintained while the aircraft is cruising at its maximum altitude and then reduced gradually during descent until the cabin pressure matches the ambient air pressure at the destination. Keeping the cabin altitude below 8,000 ft (2,438 m) generally prevents significant hypoxia, altitude sickness, decompression sickness, and barotrauma. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations in the U.S. mandate that under normal operating conditions, the cabin altitude may not exceed this limit at the maximum operating altitude of the aircraft. [/quote] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_pressurization
(gtho4)
4 answers
Dec 06 02 by Nude Dude
How is the name Mandeville linked to the 2012 London Olympics? Any link with the Middle Age travel writer Mandeville?
Regarding any link with the Middle Ages travel writer Sir John Mandeville, I'd say yes and no. It is generally thought that the writings assigned to that name were collected from several sources, possibly added to some first-hand experiences, and there is much uncertainty as to who that author really was. As a pseudonym, the name de Mandeville had an aristocratic air due to Geoffrey de Mandeville acquiring English estates after the Norman Conquest. One of these estates included a village named Stoke, which then was relabelled Stoke Mandeville, much later to be the site of the hospital that pioneered the Paralympics. So, the famous Mandevilles who gave their name to the village of Stoke Mandeville (and subsequently its hospital) may have inspired the name used by the (possibly fictional) travelling knight Sir John Mandeville.
[quote] The village was originally recorded as Stoches in the Domesday Book of 1086, from the Old English word stoc meaning an outlying farm or hamlet. The suffix Mandeville was first recorded in 1284 when the manor was listed as being in the hands of the powerful Norman de Mandeville family. [/quote] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoke_Mandeville
[quote] Sir John Mandeville (flourished 14th century) was the purported author of a collection of travelers' tales from around the world, The Voyage and Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Knight, generally known as The Travels of Sir John Mandeville. The tales are selections from the narratives of genuine travelers, embellished with Mandeville's additions and described as his own adventures.
The actual author of the tales remains as uncertain as the existence of the English knight Sir John Mandeville himself. The book originated in French about 1356-57 and was soon translated into many languages, an English version appearing about 1375. The narrator Mandeville identifies himself as a knight of St. Albans. [/quote] https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Mandeville
See https://celtic2realms-medievalnews.blogspot.com/2018/01/origin-and-early-history-of-mandeville.html for more on the Mandeville families, many of whom confusingly were named Geoffrey. (sportsherald)
2 answers
May 20 25 by chabenao1
3 answers
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