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May 19 25 by pehinhota
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May 20 25 by chabenao1
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May 18 25 by chabenao1
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Apr 30 25 by pehinhota
How many chess variants are recognised?
There is no single, authoritative number of officially "recognised" chess variants because they are often defined, promoted and played in different communities and not governed by a unified global body.
David Pritchard's "Encyclopedia of Chess Variants" (1994) documented over 1,400 variants. The more recent and expanded "Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants" (2022, by Pritchard and John Beasley) describes more than 2,000 variants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Pritchard_(chess_player)
Online databases like chessvariants.com list well over 2,000 distinct variants, including user-submitted games.
https://www.chessvariants.com
(wellenbrecher)
3 answers
Apr 22 25 by RedRobin7
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May 18 25 by chabenao1
1 answer
May 17 25 by chabenao1
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May 17 25 by Thesuperyoshi
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May 17 25 by pehinhota
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May 14 25 by gmackematix
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May 14 25 by gmackematix
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Feb 05 04 by supermary345
I see the current pope's real middle name is the previous pope's papal name. Has this ever happened before?
Small addendum (not really an answer): While it is actually rather common for Europeans to have multiple (often way more than 2) given names, it's unusual to actually use more than the first - that "middle name" convention is mostly an American thing.
King Charles III for example has four given names - Charles Philip Arthur George, All but the first would be "middle" and he could actually have chosen to reign under any of the four, but he is rarely referred to as anything but Charles.
It is thus possible (although not particularly likely) that a pope may have had a second, third or further given name that matched the regnal name of a prior pope or even his direct predecessor. We'd just not know - for many pre-20th century popes, their additional given names may not be recorded at all. Leo XIV is the first pope for whom this name coincidence it is definitely known. (WesleyCrusher)
2 answers
May 14 25 by gmackematix
On the 4 clocks of Elizabeth Tower, London, why have the X (for 10) been replaced by F?
It was the preferred font of the clock's designer Augustus Pugin. As a gothic revivalist, Pugin believed the aesthetic of the shape was better suited to the gothic style than the more traditional roman X. However, the shape is an X, just one that happens to look more like an "F" shape. This font is not just found on the Elizabeth tower but on the clocks inside the Palace of Westminster as well.
https://virtualtour.parliament.uk/bigben
https://luc.devroye.org/AWNPugin-Alphabet-1844.png (Snowman)
1 answer
May 15 25 by chabenao1
I see the current pope's real middle name is the previous pope's papal name. Has this ever happened before?
It does not appear so. Popes until the late tenth century used their birth name. The first appearance of a middle name for a pope occurred in the fourteenth century, although middles names didn't occur with great frequency until the 1500s. Another limiting factor was that most of the common names chosen by popes were not commonly used by people. Pius, Innocent, Boniface are examples.
Although this was not asked by the original question, the birth name of Pope Paul VI was Giovanni, the name of his predessor Pope John XXIII.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_popes (SixShutouts66)
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May 14 25 by gmackematix
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May 14 25 by gmackematix
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May 14 25 by gmackematix
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May 14 25 by gmackematix
Poker: why is the WSOP main event held sometimes in July and sometimes in November?
It is not as random as the question makes it sound. The Main Event is a series of games that culminates in a final table of nine players which determines the tournament winner. In 2008 that final table was moved from June/July (when the preliminary contests were still held) to November, when it was held for several years before the managers decided to revert to July. The reason for both changes was television.
[quote]Prior to 2008, the entire Main Event was played without interruption. Starting in 2008, in an effort to build excitement in the WSOP and to increase ratings for the tape-delayed televised shows, Harrah's Entertainment and ESPN decided to delay the final table until shortly before its scheduled broadcast. The delay would allow ESPN to cover the rest of the tournament leading up to the final table without viewers knowing the winner in advance. Due to the timing of U.S. presidential elections, the final tables for the 2012 and 2016 Main Events were held in October.
In 2017, Poker Central announced a television and digital media rights agreement with the WSOP and ESPN which returned the final table to the tail end of the rest of the tournament.[/quote]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_Nine (looney_tunes)
1 answer
May 13 25 by chabenao1
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May 13 25 by Thesuperyoshi
In the American hymn "Battle Hymn of the Republic", to what does "the grapes of wrath" refer?
It comes from the Bible, Book of Revelation 14:18-19:
[quote]And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.[/quote]
This is generally thought to signify that the wicked will be destroyed and sent to Hell.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2014%3A17-20&version=NKJV (Sweeper11)
1 answer
May 13 25 by RedRobin7
Soldiers who joined the British military during the 18th and 19th centuries filled out enlistment papers. Did officers who bought their commissions also have to fill out enlistment forms?
No, they paid for the position they wanted to occupy...
[quote]From the birth of the regular army, in 1661, to 1871, two thirds of officers' commissions were obtained by purchase. The aspiring officer paid the government an agreed sum, often adding a non-regulation premium to the holder of the post he sought to occupy.[/quote]
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/wars_conflict/soldiers/soldier_trade_in_world_05.shtml
[quote]The purchase of officer commissions in the British Army was a common practice through most of its history. Commissions could only be purchased in cavalry and infantry regiments (and therefore up to the rank of colonel only). The Royal Navy never practiced the sale of commissions, with advancement in officer ranks being solely by merit and/or seniority.
There were several key reasons behind the sale of commissions:
- It preserved the social exclusivity of the officer class.
- It served as a form of collateral against abuse of authority or gross negligence or incompetence. Disgraced officers could be cashiered by the crown (that is, stripped of their commission without reimbursement).
- It ensured that the officer class was largely populated by persons having a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, thereby reducing the possibility of Army units taking part in a revolution or coup.
- It ensured that officers had private means and were unlikely to engage in looting or pillaging, or to cheat the soldiers under their command by engaging in profiteering using army supplies.
- It provided honorably retired officers with an immediate source of capital.
The official values of commissions varied by regiment, usually in line with the differing levels of social prestige of different regiments. (A farm laborer in 1800 would have earned around 30 to 40 pounds a year. These prices were not incremental. To purchase a promotion, an officer only had to pay the difference in price between his existing rank and the desired rank.)
[/quote]
https://byuprideandprejudice.wordpress.com/2014/01/19/the-purchase-of-a-military-commission/ (elburcher)
1 answer
May 12 25 by lordprescott
Wiki writes that the giraffe's tongue is blue "probably" to avoid sunburn. What does it mean?
According to the theory, there is an increased amount of melanin in the giraffe's tongue to protect the giraffe, since melanin absorbs more UV rays from the sun, protecting the giraffe from the sun's damage. Some biologists have raised doubts about the theory, but it seems this is the most widely accepted explanation. You can read more about giraffes and blue tongues here:
https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-giraffes-have-purple-tongues (TriviaFan22)
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May 12 25 by chabenao1
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May 11 25 by pehinhota
Christopher Columbus, during his first voyage to the Americas, probably used a world map created by which German cartographer?
Henricus Martellus was a German cartographer working in Florence in the 15th century. Little is known about his early life, and similarly the contemporary relevance of his work to cartography and exploration is difficult to establish.
There is indirect evidence that Columbus had studied one of his maps in particular, which has been studied at Yale. Columbus wrote about expecting to find Japan in the location and orientation Martellus had depicted it, which was different to all other surviving maps from that time. Furthermore, one of Columbus' crewmembers also described certain islands found in the new world in a way that corresponds to Martellus' map.
At the very least, it's thought that Martellus' maps or similar maps influenced Columbus' geographical perception of Asia's proximity to the west coasts of Africa and Europe that inspired his expedition.
https://news.yale.edu/2015/06/11/hidden-secrets-yale-s-1491-world-map-revealed-multispectral-imaging
https://www.wired.com/2014/09/martellus-map/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henricus_Martellus_Germanus (patrickk)
1 answer
May 09 25 by pehinhota
Is there a biopic about Al Jolson?
There have been a couple of stage shows one being the 1999's "Jolson & Co." by Stephen Mo Hanan and Jay Berkow.
[quote]...Jolson & Co. by Stephen Mo Hanan and Jay Berkow, which calls itself a "new musical play" and is the life story of Al Jolson told in monologue, dialogue, and a goodly number of songs from Jolson's ragbag. It does a pretty fair job of giving you the man, warts and all, and generally avoids sappiness. Directed by Berkow, it is aptly accompanied by Peter Larson and two associates on a variety of instruments.[/quote]
https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/theater/reviews/1798/ (elburcher)
3 answers
May 07 25 by chabenao1
Is there a biopic about Al Jolson?
There is a sequel to "The Al Jolson Story", 1949's "Jolson Sings Again". Reportedly Al Jolson failed the screen test to portray himself, presumably due to his age, he was 63 at the time.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041530/?ref_=nmbio_trv
(elburcher)
3 answers
May 07 25 by chabenao1
Why does the band The Neighbourhood use the British spelling "Neighbourhood" rather than the American "Neighborhood"?
According to the wikipedia page on the advice of their manager:
The Neighbourhood was formed in August 2011 by the singer Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Zachary Abels and Jeremiah Freedman, bass guitarist Michael Margott and drummer Bryan "Olivver" Sammis. The members of The Neighbourhood chose the British spelling of "neighbourhood" on the advice of their manager, in order to distinguish themselves from a band already using the American spelling; hence, their song names also use the British spelling.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Neighbourhood
But if you read closely, there was already another group using the American version, so they likely also did it to avoid any legal hangups of groups using the same moniker. (maripp2002)
1 answer
May 08 25 by Thesuperyoshi
Is there a biopic about Al Jolson?
Indeed there is. Larry Parks played Al Jolson in the 1946 film 'The Jolson Story'. But it is considered more fiction than fact, so more a glorification than a biography.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038661/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jolson_Story (looney_tunes)
3 answers
May 07 25 by chabenao1
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May 07 25 by chabenao1
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May 05 25 by chabenao1
Who reportedly uttered, "Such is life", shortly before being executed?
The correct answer is nobody.
It is a common belief that Ned Kelly's last words before execution were "Such is life". Monash University Academic Dr. Stuart E. Dawson reports in the peer reviewed journal, " "Eras" reported:
"This is a key part of a prevalent Kelly mythology that has been subject to little serious critique. Yet the attribution of the phrase 'Such is life' to Kelly is pure fiction. Analysis of the reportage of the day reveals Kelly's actual last words, and
explains how they were transmuted by one journalist into the catchy expression quoted as fact by many historians. It shows that the image of Kelly standing tall and defiant, saying 'Such is life' as the rope was placed around his neck, is nothing but a highly romanticised myth. In fact, Kelly came to an ignominious, mumbling end on the scaffold, a far cry from
popular legend."
Ned Kelly's Last Words were "Ah, Well, I Suppose" .
https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1669214/eras181_dawson.pdf (1nn1)
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May 04 25 by RedRobin7
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May 03 25 by serpa
Who reportedly uttered, "Such is life", shortly before being executed?
As the executioner was slipping the noose around his neck, Australian bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly remarked his final words: "Such is life." Imagine the defiance, the utmost acceptance of the cruel uncertainty of life that it takes to say this upon death.
https://www.ndsmcobserver.com/article/2024/04/such-is-life (pehinhota)
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May 04 25 by RedRobin7
1 answer
May 02 25 by chabenao1
Are Serbian and Montenegrin basically the same language? What are the most notable differences?
Serbian, Montenegrin, and Croatian are distinct languages with their own unique characteristics. However, they share many similarities and are considered mutually intelligible. Speakers of Serbian can communicate with people from Montenegro without any obstacles. The main differences between the languages are in pronunciation and melody of speech.
https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-faq/do-serbia-and-montenegro-speak-the-same-language
(pehinhota)
1 answer
May 03 25 by Thesuperyoshi
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May 03 25 by serpa
Who was the first artist recorded by Motown records?
That's a much harder question than you might think, because Berry Gordy originally started Tamla Records (and Rayber Records) before Motown, and he also originally only distributed records locally on Tamla and Motown, while licensing the records to larger labels (such as Chess) for national distribution. Gordy had been working with numerous artists, so we need to determine which of those artists ended up on a Gordy-owned label. Many of those artists had already had records on other labels (such as the Miracles' "Got a Job" on End Records, which came out in early 1958 and for which Gordy received less than $4 despite it reaching the top 10 on the R&B charts).
But the first artist recorded by Gordy and released on a Berry Gordy-owned label is uncertain. It's generally accepted that the first Motown record was Tamla 101, "Come to Me" by Marv Johnson, released in early (perhaps January) 1959, which was then nationally distributed by United Artists and became a hit.
BUT it's not really possible to know if Tamla 101 actually was recorded before Rayber 1001, "I Can't Concentrate" by Wade Jones (with its B-side, "Insane", written by Gordy and a young Smokey Robinson), which both seemed to have been recorded in January 1959. And, since this was the only single on Rayber, it's not possible to know if Gordy even considered this song or artist to be in the Tamla/Motown lineage (perhaps he just forgot about it). (NOTE: "Rayber" got its name from Gordy's wife Raynoma, known as "Miss Ray", and "Ber"ry Gordy himself. Maybe he wiped it because of his divorce from Miss Ray shortly thereafter.)
So the "official" answer is Marv Johnson (on Tamla), and the "official" date is January 1959.
The first single on Motown proper was "Bad Girl" by the Miracles in September of that year (Motown G1), after their other contracts had lapsed; it had been released by Chess in August and became a hit (the first Miracles record to reach the Billboard Top 100), but Chess failed to pay royalties promptly, leading to Robinson pushing Gordy to stop licensing records. And Gordy did exactly that, starting a new numbering sequence for Motown (M-1000) and using that label for the records he was distributing himself, while moving the Miracles over to Tamla with their next single.
The entire structure became increasingly complicated, but when Barrett Strong's recording of Gordy's "Money (That's What I Want)" (originally issued as Tamla 54027, which meant that it was supposed to be the 7th record issued on Tamla in the revised sequence (but was actually the 8th due to a numbering error), in August 1959) was then licensed by Gordy to his older sister Gwen's "Anna" label (also distributed by Chess) and became a huge hit (reaching the top 25 on Billboard and eventually being covered by just about everyone, including the Beatles), Gordy had the money to distribute that new Motown sequence. And everything is much clearer after that.
But to reiterate, if your question is taken to mean Berry Gordy's labels, the answer is Marv Johnson; if your question is taken to mean just Motown proper, the answer is The Miracles.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motown_singles_discography
https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2009/10/05/o/
https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2009/10/05/00/
https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2009/10/05/1/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_to_Me_(Marv_Johnson_song)
https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2009/10/06/15/
https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2009/10/06/19/ (AyatollahK)
2 answers
May 02 25 by elvislennon
Who was the first artist recorded by Motown records?
Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown (which was originally known as Tamla Records) on January 12, 1959 and was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. "Come To Me" by Marv Johnson was first single released on the Tamla label. "Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes became the first Motown song to reach number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in 1961.
https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/liner-notes/50-motown-records-facts/ (1nn1)
2 answers
May 02 25 by elvislennon
How do touchscreens work?
Two main ways:
1. They detect changes in electrical fields or by
2. Measuring pressure on the screen's surface.
Capacitive screens use a coating that is conductive with electrostatic fields which can detect touch.
Resistive screens use two metallic layers with spacers between them that when touched, make contact.
https://www.iop.org/explore-physics/physics-around-you/technology-our-lives/touchscreen (1nn1)
1 answer
May 01 25 by ozzz2002
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