Random Articles (Page 4)
Have a deep view into what people are curious about.
π Reverse graffiti
Reverse graffiti is a method of creating temporary or semi-permanent images on walls or other surfaces by removing dirt from a surface. It can also be done by simply removing dirt with the fingertip from windows or other dirty surfaces, such as writing "wash me" on a dirty vehicle. Others, such as graffiti artist Moose, use a cloth or a high-power washer to remove dirt on a larger scale.
Reverse graffiti has been used as a form of advertising, although this usage has been controversial, as its legality varies depending on jurisdiction.
Discussed on
- "Reverse graffiti" | 2024-02-19 | 106 Upvotes 29 Comments
π Campanology
Campanology () is the scientific and musical study of bells. It encompasses the technology of bells β how they are founded, tuned and rung β as well as the history, methods, and traditions of bellringing as an art.
It is common to collect together a set of tuned bells and treat the whole as one musical instrument. Such collectionsΒ β such as a Flemish carillon, a Russian zvon, or an English "ring of bells" used for change ringingΒ β have their own practices and challenges; and campanology is likewise the study of perfecting such instruments and composing and performing music for them.
In this sense, however, the word campanology is most often used in reference to relatively large bells, often hung in a tower. It is not usually applied to assemblages of smaller bells, such as a glockenspiel, a collection of tubular bells, or an Indonesian gamelan.
Discussed on
- "Campanology" | 2023-04-04 | 52 Upvotes 35 Comments
π Silicon drift detector
Silicon drift detectors (SDDs) are X-ray radiation detectors used in x-ray spectrometry (XRF and EDS) and electron microscopy. Their chief characteristics compared with other X-ray detectors are:
- high count rates
- comparatively high energy resolution (e.g. 125 eV for Mn KΞ± wavelength)
- Peltier cooling
π Canal Defence Light
The Canal Defence Light (CDL) was a British "secret weapon" of the Second World War.
It was based upon the use of a powerful carbon-arc searchlight mounted on a tank. It was intended to be used during night-time attacks, when the light would allow enemy positions to be targeted. A secondary use of the light would be to dazzle and disorient enemy troops, making it harder for them to return fire accurately. The name Canal Defence Light was used to conceal the device's true purpose. For the same reason, in US service they were designated T10 Shop Tractor.
Discussed on
- "Canal Defence Light" | 2015-10-14 | 33 Upvotes 16 Comments
π Xsnow
Xsnow is a software application that was originally created as a virtual greeting card for Macintosh systems in 1984. In 1993, the concept was ported to the X Window System as Xsnow, and was included on a number of Linux distributions in the late 1990s.
Discussed on
- "Xsnow" | 2021-12-08 | 155 Upvotes 97 Comments
π Fosbury Flop
The Fosbury flop is a jumping style used in the track and field sport of high jump. It was popularized and perfected by American athlete Dick Fosbury, whose gold medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City brought it to the world's attention. The flop became the dominant style of the event; before Fosbury, most elite jumpers used the straddle technique, Western Roll, Eastern cut-off, or scissors jump to clear the bar. Though the backwards flop technique had been known for years before Fosbury, landing surfaces had been sandpits or low piles of matting and high jumpers had to land on their feet or at least land carefully to prevent injury. With the advent of deep foam matting, high jumpers were able to be more adventurous in their landing styles and hence more experimental with jumping styles.
Discussed on
- "Fosbury Flop" | 2024-03-07 | 20 Upvotes 14 Comments
π Category:Obsolete occupations
This is a category of jobs that have been rendered obsolete due to advances in technology and/or social conditions.
Discussed on
- "Category:Obsolete occupations" | 2019-12-11 | 300 Upvotes 247 Comments
π Mozart: Leck mich im Arsch
Leck mich im Arsch ('Kiss my arse!', or literally 'Lick me in the arse') is a canon in B-flat major composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, K.Β 231 (K.Β 382c), with lyrics in German. It was one of a set of at least six canons probably written in Vienna in 1782. Sung by six voices as a three-part round, it is thought to be a party piece for his friends. The main theme is derived from the final movement of Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 3 in G-Major.
Discussed on
- "Mozart: Leck mich im Arsch" | 2020-12-04 | 107 Upvotes 39 Comments
π Alcohol Belts of Europe
The alcohol belts of Europe divide Europe by their traditional alcoholic beverages: beer, wine, or spirits. They do not necessarily correspond with current drinking habits, as beer has become the most popular alcoholic drink world-wide. The definitions of these belts are not completely objective.
Discussed on
- "Alcohol Belts of Europe" | 2019-08-31 | 166 Upvotes 130 Comments
π Potemkin Village
In politics and economics, a Potemkin village is any construction (literal or figurative) whose sole purpose is to provide an external faΓ§ade to a country which is faring poorly, making people believe that the country is faring better, although statistics and charts would state otherwise. The term comes from stories of a fake portable village built solely to impress Empress Catherine II by her former lover Grigory Potemkin, during her journey to Crimea in 1787. While modern historians claim accounts of this portable village are exaggerated, the original story was that Potemkin erected phony portable settlements along the banks of the Dnieper River in order to impress the Russian Empress; the structures would be disassembled after she passed, and re-assembled farther along her route to be viewed again as if another example. The term is a translation of the Russian: ΠΏΠΎΡΡΠΌΠΊΠΈΠ½ΡΠΊΠΈΠ΅ Π΄Π΅ΡΠ΅Π²Π½ΠΈ (IPA: /pΙΛtΚ²Ι΅mkΚ²ΙͺnskΚ²ΙͺΙͺ dΚ²ΙͺΛrΚ²ΙvnΚ²Ιͺ/; romanization: potyΓ³mkinskiye derΓ©vni).
Discussed on
- "Potemkin Village" | 2019-09-21 | 56 Upvotes 9 Comments