If oxygen is important mostly during the lag phase why not pre-oxygenate the yeast pitch prior to inoculation?

Question: I feel that this question could potentially have more specific and direct sub questions but for now I would like to simply pose it as "why not oxygenate active yeast prior to pitching instead of oxygenating the entire batch?"
Answer: Strictly speaking, as long as you can ensure adequate and even oxygen contact with all of the yeast cells (a hard task, given the viscosity of yeast slurry), and provided the oxygenation comes directly before pitching, oxygenating the yeast/slurry itself is completely sufficient to provide for adequate growth in the following phase. Even more strictly speaking, it is, in fact, beneficial since it largely precludes the possibility of oxidizing wort components, which could lead to staling flavors and haze instability over time.
This exact question has been posed in serious brewing literature before, e.g.:

"Oxygen to yeast or to wort?
Oxygen is added to the wort as a nutrient for the yeast. There is some reaction of oxygen with wort constituents and some believe that this is not only wasteful but also detrimental to the flavor stability of beer. Accordingly, it has been argued that it makes more sense to oxygenate the yeast immediately before pitching per se, rather than the wort. Provided the physical challenges inherent in trying to get oxygen to all of the cells in a thick slurry are overcome, it is certainly the case that improved fermentation control can be achieved by pitching defined quantities of oxygenated yeast."

Pulled from this book.
However, I don't know of any commercial breweries using this practice. I've only ever seen direct wort oxygenation/aeration, even on the most modern and technologically well-equipped plants. This means that, while it's completely possible and biochemically sound, it's probably way harder to do practically than is worthwhile, especially given how easy it is to properly oxygenate wort. It's just one of those odd cases where it may technically be better, but the difficulties in doing it simply outweigh the benefits.
Answer: There's only so much oxygen that the N-hundred billion cells that you pitch can "hold". As well, there's only so much oxygen that can be diffused into the liquid containing those cells. And not only will those pitched cells need more oxygen, but their offspring cells will need oxygen, as well. As such, we oxygenate the wort, not just the pitch.
Comment: There is some evidence that simply aerating the starter is all that is necessary and that if you do that you don't need to aerate the wort.  However, as homebrewers our procedures aren't perfect so it's safer to aerate the wort also.  Also, there isn't really a separate lag phase.  According to the Crabtree Effect, fermentation begins immediately in the presence of a >.5% glucose solution, which wort certainly is.  So fermentation and yeast growth happens simultaneously.
Comment: @Denny Conn, I think your comment should be answer.
Comment: I absolutely agree @DennyConn with your view on yeast phases. I am a student of the White and Zainasheff book and thats where the question come from. Rereading today for the zillionth time, page 66 paragraph 5 refers to cells needing oxygen in the lag phase to create sterols (amongst other things) which is critical for cell membrane permeability. So my thought is oxygenate the the yeast prior to pitch = safer more protected yeast... but the simple fact that all the cells aren't on the same "phase" at the same time answers the question.
Comment: Ryan, you're overthinking this.  It really doesn't matter what "phase" the yeast are in.


Triple Channel/DDR3

Question: Is all DDR3 considered triple channel? The reason I ask is as part of seeing the dev release of Windows 8 and it's utilization of UEFI I started researching motherboards for a potential upgrade near the end of the year. The board I am on now has DDR3 and it has six slots but it seems like almost all new boards only have four slots, yet are asking for DDR3. That doesn't make sense to me.
Answer: DDR3 is a memory standard that is twice as fast as DDR2.
Dual and triple channel memory is not a feature of memory per se, but it is a feature that requires a compatible motherboard and processor.
Dual/Triple channel in its simplest form is breaking up the data the memory needs to use in to two or three chunks instead of one so that each part can be done at the same time - increasing speed.... If you want to know more in detail, read the Wikipedia entry.
In addition, you usually require memory modules to be the same as having different specifications can degrade performance/have undesirable effects.
Comment: OK, makes sense. So dual channel and triple channel are architectural implementations of the DDR3 standard itself and in theory triple channel is probably faster, but dual channel isn't bad. Thanks for the detail! A friend and I were quite confused.
Answer: "Triple channel" is a feature of the memory controller and system configuration, not the memory sticks themselves. Most motherboards that have six slots support triple channel, with up to two memory sticks on each channel. Triple channel mode will typically only work if each channel has the same amount of memory on it.
If a board has four slots, it is most likely dual-channel. That means the memory controller has two channels and can interleave requests across them for greater performance. Dual-channel memory controllers have existed with pretty much every memory technology, not just DDR3.
The 3 in DDR3 just means it's the third generation of DDR memory. It has nothing to do with the number of channels the memory controller supports.
Comment: Ah, OK. I had only seen DDR3 as existing in triple channel previously so I naively assumed that it was related. Thanks!

Triple Channel/DDR3


Translating "machines" and "people"

Question: What are the Latin words for machines and people?
I want to use them as names of wireless networks.
I am not sure how accurate Google translate is, but it suggests machinae and populo.
Are those even close?
Comment: Welcome to the site! Can you tell a little where you would like to use these words? The context makes a difference, especially for choosing the most suitable forms. Do you want to use the two words separately (if so, how?) or together somehow?
Comment: Separately, as two wireless network names.
Comment: Thank you for the extra details. I gave an answer and edited your question a bit. Feel free to re-edit.
Comment: It depends what you mean by "machines". It's a word with a lot of meanings, and they are not translated the same way in neo-Latin IT vocabulary.
Answer: Machina is indeed a good translation for "machine".
In plural it is machinae, so this translation is correct.
You have to be careful with the English word "people".
If you refer to a people (where "people" is singular), the Latin word is populus.
(The word populo is the singular dative or ablative of this word. Such inflected forms are not a good choice here in my opinion.)
If you refer to to humans (where "people" is plural), the Latin word is homines.
A single human is homo, and the plural is homines.
In the context you give homines would be a better choice.
If one network is for humans and the other for machines, then populus would be too grandiose.
In general, Google Translate is very unreliable with Latin.
If you want to translate single words, I suggest using any of several online Latin dictionaries.
After finding a list possible translations of your English word, I suggest also looking at the translations from Latin to English for each option; this can provide good insight to choosing the most suitable translation.
If you have trouble finding the correct form, you can ask for help here.
We also have a guide for asking translation questions at our meta.
Added from comments:
If you want to say "for people/humans", then it is hominibus, and similarly "for machines" is machinis. In Latin one uses the dative case instead of a preposition here. But when it's used as a name, the context makes the intention clear, so I would say homines and hominibus work equally well. Just use machinae/homines or machinis/hominibus without mixing the two options, for consistency.
Comment: @AdamF, you can say *omnibus*, but that means both "for everyone" and "for everything". I think using the word *homo* is a good choice. If you want to say "**for** people/humans", then it is *hominibus*, and similarly "**for** machines" is *machinis*. In Latin one uses the dative case instead of a preposition here. But when it's used as a name, the context makes the intention clear, so I would say *homines* and *hominibus* work equally fine. Just use *machinae/homines* or *machinis/hominibus* without mixing the two options, for consistency.
Comment: For the people translation, I mean to say "for everyone" or "for everyone who isn't a machine." Would I still use *homines"?
Comment: How about _machinis_ (for machines) and _hominibus_ (for people)?
Comment: @Rafael, I suggested the datives in my comment. I'll edit to add the option to my answer, too.
Answer: A suggestion : that instead of choosing a plural noun, perhaps a group noun would work well.
There is only one machine that forms anything like a network in classical Rome and that is the War Machine. There are several well-known units in the army; maniple ("a handful" platoon), ala (a wing, flank). But more machine-like are--

Testudo (literally 'tortoise') a manoeuvre against arrows and slingstones when shields were interlocked above the heads of the
  soldiers. And they might be using Aries (plural Arietes) a battering ram.

or, if you could borrow a term from Greek, which Romans often did (machina is a Greek word):

Phalanx  a mass of men in heavy armour advancing in a solid block

... then your 'Men' would be a group name from civilian life.

Civitas a city-state populated by "cives".
Gens a clan.

But if you prefer to use plural nouns, my suggestions would be:

Viri ( plural of vir ) grown men, not children.
Molae (plural of mola ) mills.

Translating "machines" and "people"


Trichloride ion (c.f. triiodide ion)

Question: While triiodide ion is commonly known, why is that trichloride ion (and its salts) almost unheard of? While it does exist according to literature, why is the stability of trichloride ion in aqueous environment much worse than its bromine and iodine counterparts? Aren't elements down the group bulkier and hence forming weaker covalent bonds with longer bond lengths?
Comment: http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/27920/why-is-nacl3-possible
Answer: As @nilay points out, we can make "polychlorides" with "nonclassical" stoichiometries. But for more typical laboratory conditions it is true that heavier halogens are more favorable for forming polyatomic ions.
This is because polyhalide ions involve two competing forces. On the one hand, the delocalized covalent bonding gives more stability to a polyatomic ion than we would have with the separate monoatomic ions and diatomic molecules. On the other hand, surrounding counterions or dipoles are more strongly attracted to compact, spherical monoatomic anions than to bulky polyatomic ones. With lighter halogens forming the most compact monoatomic anions, the electrostatic effect wins out and we need severe conditions to overcome it. Heavier halogens, with larger atoms and more polarizable electrons, make the polyatomic ions more competitive, as in $\ce{C_5H_6N+Br_3−}$ (http://www.organic-chemistry.org/chemicals/oxidations/pyridiniumhydrobromideperbromide.shtm).
Comment: Does it also have to do with the "softness" of iodide ion in a sense that it mingles better with typically "soft" diatomic halogen molecule? Also, have you heard of things like dichloroiodide ion?
Comment: With multihalogen species things are more complex; the neutral diatomic species (in this case $ICl$) is polar and has an ion-dipole attraction with more anions (such as $Cl^-$).  This favors association even with smaller "outer" atoms.  Note that you still need a larger halogen ion in the middle to set up the dipole.

Trichloride ion (c.f. triiodide ion)


Details on Ocean floor

Question: Taking for example the attached image, when looking at the ocean floor, there appears to be areas (strips, some of which I have drawn red lines by) of greater detail. Is this accurate detail? From ships that have passed over the area?
Comment: Yes, from ships that passed above the area. An interesting thing that will come out of the search for flight MH370 is an extremely detailed topographic map of the [area marked blue here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370#/media/File:Reunion_debris_compared_to_MH370_flight_paths_and_underwater_search_area.png). They are discovering some amazing stuff in there that we had no idea existed: volcanos, faults, mountain ranges, huge ridges, and so much more.
Answer: Those are bathymetric survey tracks.
The survey artifacts are very straight and regular in character, compared to geological features. What you're seeing is an increased level of detail along the survey line, which contrasts with the relatively smooth background model.
I labeled some of the features in this answer to a related question:

NOAA Reference: Did I find the lost underwater civilization of Atlantis?
Comment: Cool, thanks. Does this data exist for more of the ocean floor (and it is not represented in Google Earth)? Or is that all of it?
Comment: @Al The same sort of data is used all over the world. It tends to be denser around the coast and near major ports, as you'd expect.

Details on Ocean floor


What is the history of Brahma's birth?

Question: I am looking for details about Brahma's birth, his parents etc. I have never heard about it. can any one explain real detail about it,.
Comment: Have you seen Padmanabha swamy , a Vishnu's form from which Brahma is born of his navel?
Answer: As mentioned in What are the different names of Brahma as per scriptures? post, Lord Brahma is known as Hiranyagarbha, Aja and Svayambhu:

Because the word garbha means womb and since Brahma originated from inside a golden (hiranya) egg, he is known as Hiranyagarbha.
He had no birth (janana) in the real sense of the term. He is therefore also referred to as Aja (without birth).
It is also true that he created (bhuva) himself (svayam), It is because of this that Brahma is known as Svayambhu.

So, in the very beginning Brahma originated from the cosmic egg.

As per chapter 9 of Kurma Purana,
At the end of a Kalpa (which is just a day of Brahma), lord Vishnu entered the body of Brahma and

He became surprised on seeing this entire set of the three worlds, including Devas, Asuras and human beings in the abdomen of that god ( Brahma ) .

Thereafter Vishnu, the deity with the Lord of serpents, Sesha as his abode, came out of his mouth and spoke to Pitamaha (god Brahma, the grand-sire of the world).

O excellent Purusha, in this manner you too enter my eternal abdomen and see all these wonderful worlds.

But when, Lord Brahma entered in Lord Vishnu's abdomen, Lord Vishnu closed all openings. Later, Lord Brahma found a lotus emerging from Vishnu's navel and came out from this lotus and asked Lord Vishnu why he closed all the openings.

[Lord Vishnu to Brahma:]

It was only for fun. It was not with a desire to harass you. Who would wish to trouble the grandfather, the Lord of Devas?

O Brahma, you are not harassed. In every respect you are worthy of being honoured. O auspicious one, please forgive me the offence committed against you (i.e. if I have offended you). [v.l. whatever has been done by me to you is int he interest of your progeny.]

O Brahma, for this very same reason be a son unto me. O deity in the form of the universe, be famous by the name Padmayoni (having lotus as the source of origin) for the sake of my love.

Then that Lord [Brahma] conferred the boon to the crowned one (i.e. Vishnu).

The same chapter explains that Brahma also asked a boon from Shiva to born as his son. And later on Shiva was born as Brahma's son Rudra.

It's out of a boon that Hiranyagarbha Brahma appeared as Vishnu's son i.e Padmayoni Brahma. This is same as how Shiva appeared as Brahma's son i.e. Rudra. Due to these boons, it's believed that Vishnu's son is Brahma and Brahma's son is Rudra.
But as explained in What is the Life span of Hindu gods post, Brahma, and even Vasudeva and Sankara are created by Brahman (the Ultimate Reality). He alone devours them again, and their remanifestation also take place. Brahman (the Ultimate Reality) can be related with AdiNarayana, Mahākāla, SadaShiva and AdiShakti as per different sects' belief.
Answer: Brahma was born from the lotus that emanated from the navel of Lord Vishnu. So, Lord Vishnu is the father of Brahma and naturally, Goddess Lakshmi, wife of Vishnu, is the mother of Brahma. The details of birth of Brahma can be found in Bhagavatha purana Canto 3, Chapter 8.
Comment: there is a catch...Lord Brahma was emerged from Lord Vishnu's navel when he was almost completed half of his age..in the beginning he emerged from golden egg hence known as Hriyangarbha or Svyambhu..

What is the history of Brahma's birth?


Member of different class instances referring to the same object via argument default value in method definition

Question: The Python documentation says about keyword arguments (glossary):

...The variable name designates the local name in the function to which the value is assigned...

Thus I thought different instances of a class are truly different unless stated
explicitly. Yet the following code refers one member variable of both instances
of the class to the /same/ object, apparently via the given default value (as if the
keyword dictionary of the method was a class variable ("static")). Once one modifies the
member everything's fine, but if for some reason that doesn't happen:

I wonder if there is a good reason for the code to behave like it does,
because it's not what I would expect at all (see markings in code and output) and
Whether there is a good solution to the problem (apart from using 'copy').
Thanks.
class C:
    def setParams(self):
        self.e = []
    def setParamsKw(self, kw=['default list']): # <----- kw arg.
        self.eKw = kw                           # <--- that member should
                                                #      default to the
                                                #      default argument
                                                #      (use 'kw.copy()'?)

def outputMember():
    print " c1.e=", c1.e
    print " c2.e=", c2.e
    print " type(c1.e)=", type(c1.e)
    print " type(c2.e)=", type(c2.e)
    print " c1.e == c2.e:", c1.e == c2.e
    print " c1.e is c2.e:", c1.e is c2.e

def outputMemberKw():
    print " c1.eKw=", c1.eKw
    print " c2.eKw=", c2.eKw
    print " type(c1.eKw)=", type(c1.eKw)
    print " type(c2.eKw)=", type(c2.eKw)
    print " c1.eKw == c2.eKw:", c1.eKw == c2.eKw
    print " c1.eKw is c2.eKw:", c1.eKw is c2.eKw # <----- this result
                                                 #      is unexpected

c1 = C()
c2 = C()

print " c1 == c2:",  c1 == c2
print " c1 is c2:",  c1 is c2

print "Calling setParams for both instances:"
c1.setParams()
c2.setParams()
outputMember()

print "Calling setParamsKw for both instances:"
c1.setParamsKw()
c2.setParamsKw()
outputMemberKw()

print "Now manually modifying members of c1:"
c1.e = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
c1.eKw = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print "e:"
outputMember()
print "eKw:"
outputMemberKw()

Output:
c1 == c2: False
 c1 is c2: False
Calling setParams for both instances:
 c1.e= []
 c2.e= []
 type(c1.e)= <type 'list'>
 type(c2.e)= <type 'list'>
 c1.e == c2.e: True
 c1.e is c2.e: False
Calling setParamsKw for both instances:
 c1.eKw= ['default list']
 c2.eKw= ['default list']
 type(c1.eKw)= <type 'list'>
 type(c2.eKw)= <type 'list'>
 c1.eKw == c2.eKw: True
 c1.eKw is c2.eKw: True
Now manually modifying members of c1:
e:
 c1.e= [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
 c2.e= []
 type(c1.e)= <type 'list'>
 type(c2.e)= <type 'list'>
 c1.e == c2.e: False
 c1.e is c2.e: False
eKw:
 c1.eKw= [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
 c2.eKw= ['default list']
 type(c1.eKw)= <type 'list'>
 type(c2.eKw)= <type 'list'>
 c1.eKw == c2.eKw: False
 c1.eKw is c2.eKw: False

Answer: def setParamsKw(self, kw=None): # <----- kw arg.
            self.eKw = kw  if kw == None else ['default list']

should work
Comment: This will set `kw` to `['default list']` if you pass in an empty list.


How major pentatonic scale is built?

Question: I would like to use this scale to start improvising on an acoustic guitar. I understand the shape on the neck, but I want to increase my knowledge and ask you how is it constructed. Thank you for help!
Answer: Well, you can think of it in one of two ways.
Interpretation 1: Relation to popular music: Popular music tends to be based on the major scale, which you've probably encountered. The major scale has a whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half structure. I'll provide two examples because music theory books always use C major and I think that stunts learning:
C major: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
D major: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D
The pentatonic scale is like the major scale but with the fourth and seventh note removed. This produces a much more consonant scale with no half-steps:
C pentatonic major: C, D, E, G, A, C
D pentatonic major: D, E, F#, A, B, D
Interpretation 2: an endless cycle of fifths: You may have learned a bit about intervals which is just a word for any distance between any two notes. Intervals are actually pretty important in understanding scales and chords. Without getting too technical, the most consant interval (besides an octave, which is just the same note repeated, but higher) is the perfect fifth. Experience will prove it. The perfect fifth is in almost every chord, almost every scale, and even can be heard as a harmonic note. Whenever any note is played, its perfect fifth rings vaguely in the background. The pentatonic scale can also be generated by building a series of perfect fifths and then putting them in order of lowest to highest. Let's try C:
Series of perfect fifths from C: C, G, D, A, E
Or D:
Series of perfect fifths from D: D, A, E, B, F#
Put them back in order from lowest to highest and you have the same two pentatonic scales as above.
Now, as for how to use the scales: in the most simple way, you can use the scale whenever you're in the corresponding key. You can use a C major pentatonic scale to improvise whenever you're in a C major key. But you can also use it to improvise in some other keys that have the same notes. For instance, since neither the key of G nor the key of F has a note conflicting with the C major pentatonic (i.e., all of the notes of the C major pentatonic can be found in those keys as well), you can use it to improvise in those keys too. But the effect may a bit weirder.
And just to give you a little bit of scale-jutsu: the fact that the pentatonic scale has only 5 notes means that some more advanced improvisers like to use it to devise creative and interesting ways to play over complicated harmony. But figuring out how to do that is more like doing homework than playing music, at least at first.
Happy improvising!
Comment: Interesting about the cycle of 5ths, although I'm not sure this helps when making tunes using pents.Also G pent has B and F pent has F. The very two notes missing from C pent, although admittedly contained within C full major. Certainly not knocking your excellent answer, which gets +1.
Answer: The scale has five unique pitches (hence the name) and they are separated by the intervals: W–W–m3–W–m3 where W is a whole step and m3 is a minor third (3 frets). The last m3 takes you to the starting pitch an octave higher. Example:
C–D–E–G–A–C
Answer: It's taken from the full major scale. Two notes are omitted - the 4th and 7th. So in C, for instance, the notes C,D,E,G and A are used. F and B are not.Those notes are quite likely to clash with chords played in that key, unless the player knows what to do.The simple reason being, no two notes are very close to each other (at least two frets(a tone)). Yes, sometimes a note you'll play won't sound brilliant over a chord, but nothing will sound horrific.
The same notes are also used to solo over A minor, as they are relatives to each other.
There are several shapes that work well on guitar, 5 at the last count, so have a try at finding the others, as it somehow makes you play differently - using only one position means that slides up and down can only be between certain notes (on the same string!), so knowing the shapes either side of the one you already have will greatly increase your propensity to do great solos.

How major pentatonic scale is built?


Amount of milk in a macchiato beverage

Question: What is the correct amount of milk to put into a macchiato? Does it depend on the amount of espresso?
Answer: The Italian word macchiato literally means "marked" or "stained" (related to the word "immaculate" [1]), so really it is an indication to add a small quantity of the "staining" liquid, be it espresso or milk.
A caffe macchiato (also called espresso macchiato) is a shot of espresso (or two) with a "stain" of steamed milk and sometimes a little foam to indicate there is milk hiding under the espresso's crema.
A latte macchiato is the opposite concept, where steamed milk is "stained" by a shot of espresso.
As with any of these drinks, the variations are endless, so recipes and even ratios would be specific to a particular cafe.
Answer: This question will largely be based off of the individual tastes of the person consuming the drink.
From my experience as a barista, typically for every ~2 ounces (Double Shot) of espresso, you'll want about 2-3 spoonfuls of milk froth.
Of course, some people enjoy more or less.
Comment: I think a lot of coffee questions might be based on individual tastes, but perhaps the question should be re-worded to ask how much milk a barista is typically trained to put into a macchiato?

Amount of milk in a macchiato beverage


Program to quicly remove specks from images

Question: I need a program to quicly remove speckes (dust) from images (manually). At the moment I use XnView: I open an image (standard ones: jpg,tiff, and png), select a speck and press the delete button. To go to another picture I press right key. I'd like to have a freeprogram on Windows 7 which allows me to remove a speck by using a brush or by selecting a speck (without pressing del button).
Comment: Did you ever get a solution? If so, please let us know, as it would help others, juts like we try to help you. Did you try Stephen's suggestion?
Answer: I would recommend The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). Specifically, you might try the GIMP Despeckle plugin.


Why do membrane proteins at lower temperatures contain more alpha helices than beta sheets?

Question: Why do organisms found at low temperatures have membrane proteins with a higher percentage of alpha helices compare to beta sheets?
Comment: @WYSIWYG I once looked at the difference between the two and TMHs are far more common ([~13k proteins 90% redundant with a TMH in humans](https://goo.gl/L6f3Ju), and only around [~1k TM beta sheet containing proteins in Swissprot without selecting a specific taxonomy or redundancy](http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/?query=keyword:KW-1134) ). What I have not come across is something saying that the ratio shifts in organisms that are at lower temperatures.The annotation of beta sheet TMDs is nowhere near as high quality as TMHs, so I assumed that nobody had looked into this.
Comment: This is an interesting question that I've not really come across before. Is there a citation for this claim? I'd be interested to read more.
Comment: @James Porins are beta barrel but yeah many membrane proteins are alpha-helical, though I don't have an exact number.
Answer: The reason could be the greater motility of the alpha helix, compared with the more rigid beta sheet.
This allows the enzyme to remain functional at low temperature.
The proteins of such organisms tend also to have less hydrophobic regions and covalent bonds.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1692995/pdf/12171655.pdf
Molecular basis of cold adaptation
Salvino D'Amico, Paule Claverie, Tony Collins, Daphne´ Georlette,
Emmanuelle Gratia, Anne Hoyoux, Marie-Alice Meuwis, Georges Feller
and Charles Gerday*
This doesn't refer to alpha helix explicitly, however alpha helix are known to allow more flexibility than beta sheets, so it's reasonable to argue that the increase in alpha helix could be one of several strategies used to obtain more flexible enzymes, as well as other means cited in the paper.
This point is also made by Brock-Biology of microorganisms(2015) pag.161

Several cold-active enzymes whose structure is known show a
  greater content of α-helix and lesser content of β-sheet secondary
  structure ( Section 4.14) than do enzymes that show little
  or no activity in the cold. Because β-sheet secondary structures
  tend to be more rigid than α-helices, the greater α-helix content of cold-active enzymes allows these proteins greater flexibility
  for catalyzing their reactions at cold temperatures.

However unfortunately no reference is provided about this claim.
Comment: This is a great idea for a comment, but it's not an answer. It would be if it had sources, or calculations etc.


Where is Cryder's Outpost

Question: So some of the posts here show Cryder's Outpost being in Act III in the Battlefield.  I have run this like 40 times and it is the only dungeon I am missing from Act III.  Can anyone verify this?  Is it just one that does not spawn very often?
Answer: It is more common than rare—I got it a few times during my later runs. When it spawns, it's in the center of The Battlefields. Take the Bridge of Korsikk waypoint backwards (or go Basion's Keep => The Arreat Gate forward) to get to The Battlefields. If you don't see the center formation, quit out and "Resume Game" to try again. You'll need to open the door to enter. This is what the spawn will look like, coming from The Arreat Gate (with the Bridge of Korsikk WP in the distance):
Answer: I actually found Cryder's Outpost last night in the Battlefield part of Act III, so can verify that it does exist there
I'm not sure how rare it is, however it is probably frequently missed since it was behind a plain looking door, and didn't show up on my map until I broke down a door. I only noticed it because the door highlighted when I hovered my mouse over it.
It was below a hill which had a spiral path going to the top. At the bottom, there was a short path that went a bit lower than ground level and the door was down there.
I can't remember exactly where it was, but I want to say it was right outside of town, a short distance from the town's blockades
Edit: Sean's answer shows screenshots of what it looks like and where it's located :)
Comment: Thanks just knowing to look for the door I was able to find it after 2 runs.

Where is Cryder's Outpost


What is causing the bright flare on all of my images?

Question: My new camera Canon 6D show this lensflare (raw or jpeg) in all the photos with this lens (Canon 50mm 1.8) or with the Samyang 16mm 2.8 (which I returned for judging what was defective).
The lensflare is visible on the right side and less visible over to the center. Samyang 16mm had various circles, a true rainbow of color totally ruining the picture. In this landscape position my canon 600D took thousands of photos at night, no experiencing the problem.
I wonder if you could help me, considering that the camera is in warranty and represented a major investment for me. So:
- It is a problem of canon 6D? (sensor)
- It's a problem of the lens (my aps-c sigma lens 10/20mm it works in 6D, shows no lensflare in 6D)
- It will be a problem of focal length? (canon 1.8/samyang 2.8 / sigma 4.0)
- It will be some kind of interference with the sensor from Canon 6D? (I read that the top of the camera is made of plastic to protect the gps and wifi). I appreciate any help thanks.
Comment: The other picture you posted is almost identical and isn't really useful for ananlysis. Can you take a picture of a homogeneous grey wall or something similar and post it too? You could also try to snap a picture (very carefully in a dust free environment) without a lens mounted to help determine any sensor defects.
Comment: This really looks like a light leak rather than lens flare.
Comment: Both lenses are "budget". Pro and newer lenses are better at controlling flare but there will always be lens flare under certain situations. Any protective glass or filter will make this worse.  I suggest you try a new pro lens of a similar focal length and compare results.
Comment: Can you elaborate a bit? Maybe post a few images to let us compare them. Is it truly lens flare or does the effect also show when taking pictures in diffused light? Note that RAW/JPEG and the plastic parts of the housing does not affect lens flare at all.
Comment: I sent you a different picture taken two days ago with canon 50mm 1.8
Comment: Are you using a filter (UV or "protective") on your lenses when shooting in the dark like this? If so, that may be the culprit - just remove the filter and try again.
Comment: accumulated micro-fine dirt particles can do this
Answer: Are you shooting through glass, like a window?  That could be the cause of both the streak in the top right in the first two images, and the flare in the third.
I may not be looking hard enough, but I can't make out the flare you're referring to in the top two images, but I do see a dirty streak in the top right - if you are shooting through a window this could be on the window, perhaps.
The third image does show obvious flare.
One important thing about flare is that any time you put glass in front of the camera lens, particularly glass that doesn't have multiple anti-reflective coatings on both sides, you introduce significant flare.  Light reflects off the front of the camera or its lens, hits the glass, and reflects back towards the lens.  The reason this doesn't happen with all the glass in the lens itself is that every glass to air surface of this glass is multi-coated: it has multi-layered anti-reflective coatings that cut reflections from, say, 3% down to, say, 0.2%.  The cumulative effect of cutting reflections by this much all but elinimates the visible effect of flare in all but the most extreme lighting conditions.
However, add just a single pane of glass in front, and you go right back to up to a significant amount of flare.
That said, even if you don't have glass in front of the camera, it's still a situation that is relatively likely to result in flare, where you are pointing the camera at a very strong light that is much stronger than the rest of the scene, and due to the exposure you're using, the sheer brightness of light relative to the exposure chosen is magnifying what would normally be undetectable levels of flare to become visible.
Answer: If you have a problem with several lenses, and the camera is still under warranty, I'd get the sample pictures on an SD card (also adding pics of a neutral grey/whitish wall at varying apertures for reference) to take with you to the shop, and get it serviced there.
Answer: I recognized it right away.....take off that cheap lens filter the cameras store sold you(they're useless rip-offs) and replace it with a lens hood(will reduce lens flare AND protect lens). Hoods for pros, filters for amateurs.
Bad lens filters tend to be flare prone. Since you went from full frame, my guess is the cheap lens filter effect is much more visible since your using the entire lens versus a small cropped section.
Get a lens hood, remove the filter, and see if problem still exist.
It's maybe possible you got over zealous cleaning both and destroyed the lens coatings...unlikely unless you scrub the lens very HARD and use some weird, dissolving cleaning solution. Got any scratches on the lens? Usually harmless but can induce flaring.
Could also be a light leak problem on the body....rare but it happens.


Copper/Bronze Frying Pans?

Question: What are the downsides of using a copper or bronze frying pan as opposed to stainless steel or cast iron?
Answer: Downsides:

Copper is toxic. You have to get the inside lined with tin. Tin has a very low melting point and can melt during cooking. Even if it doesn't, it wears off with usage and the pan has to be lined again. I don't know how easy it is to find somebody who lines, but nowadays, it is not so common. Alternatively, you can buy a copper pan with a thin internal stainless steel shell, which doesn't need re-lining. You have to buy it from a good brand to be sure that what you get is mostly copper (as opposed to mostly stainless steel) and you lose the advantage of copper's great heat diffusivity.
Copper is a reactive metal, you can't put it in the dishwasher (although, it shouldn't need more maintenance than cast iron - it is just more problematic than stainless steel).
Copper is an expensive metal. Due to the low demand for copper pans, they are a niche product for people who want them very much, and this increases their price even more. Expect to pay €200 to 300 for a copper pan.
you can't use a copper pan on induction. You can use it on gas, but it will likely discolor/blacken.
copper is heavy. It has even higher density than cast iron (although the difference isn't that big).

Upsides:

Copper has some great heating qualities. In fact, it is the best metal for cooking (maybe silver is better, but I haven't heard of silver pans and don't have the numbers for it). It has five times the thermal conductivity of iron. The problem is, after you have taken all the relevant variables into account, you arrive at about the same specific heat per cubic centimeter as iron. So, when heated at a constant temperature, a pan of copper will give you the same heating evenness as an iron pan of the same thickness. If the heat changes, the copper pan will react much quicker, which is a good thing. The catch: I don't think anybody makes copper pans the same thickness as iron pans, and a thin copper pan will heat nowhere as well as a thick iron pan.

Example: look at this pan. This is a €220 copper pan, 2 mm thick. (Don't ever buy "copper" pans which don't tell you the thickness, they are mostly stainless stell with a thin copper coating on the outside). My €15 cast iron pan is 5 mm thick. It doesn't have the quick response of copper, but it should beat the thin copper pan in slow, even heating and heat retention.
The bottom line: I haven't tried a copper pan, but wouldn't do it because of the price, even though they might heat better than iron. If you want to invest the money, you are welcome to try them and tell us how it went. I have never heard of bronze pans outside of historical contexts, but I guess they will share the downsides of copper (except maybe being cheaper), and I would have to see the numbers for the heating qualities.
Comment: Copper isn't toxic, it is widely used in alcohol beverage industry (like distilation columns), hot water, steam pipes etc. The only downside of using copper cookware is that it works as oxidant and keeps all acids and nasty stuff so it needs extra time to clean it. Bronze/Brass is toxic because it's alloy of copper and few other metals like aluminum and zinc.
Comment: @Peter there is a whole wikipeida article called "copper toxicity" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_toxicity and the first sentence there asserts that a common cause is eating from unlined copper pans.

Copper/Bronze Frying Pans?


What's the best way to show a foreign language in a manuscript?

Question: What's the best way to show a character speaking a foreign language in a fiction manuscript? Should the foreign words be italicized and include a translation? Should it just be included in the sentence and try and make sure the reader can guess at the meaning by using the surrounding sentences and words? Is there another way that's not coming to mind?
Answer: You have two options depending on context:
1) If it's a quick exchange and can be figured out in context, put the foreign language in italics.
"As-tu le  livre?"
"Yes, I have the book here."
or inline:
"You filthy p'taQ!" B'Elanna snarled.
2) If it's a quick exchange without context, put the translation afterwards and italicize that.
"Pour ma peine, ma punition, je tourne en rond," he sighed. For my pain, for my punishment, I pace in circles. Now Picard understood.
inline:
"Qa'pla!" Success! the Klingon shouted.
In any case, I would not have more than one or two exchanges in a foreign language. Either use a tag like "she said in French" so the reader realizes the characters aren't speaking English, or note in narration "they discussed the matter in French for some time, but as Malcolm didn't speak the language, he had to wait for a translation."
Answer: The way I see it, if the foreign language usage is important to the story, then use it in italics.
If not, just avoid putting it explicitly in the text.
For example, assume you write a fantasy novel in which Elves always add the word Ur-Sook when addressing little children.
Compare:

"Not now, Ur-Sook!" the Elf waved the child away.
"Not now!" the Elf waved the child away.
The Elf barked something in Elvish and waved the child away.

If you just wanted to make sure the reader understand that the Elf is busy, the second and third examples will do.
However, usage of the the first example can help you develop your story.
The reader will probably wonder what Ur-Sook means, and maybe guess this is the child's Elvish name.
But then you can twist it around by having a mature Elf use that word when addressing another mature Elf, which will lead to a fight among the two...
In this case. the usage of the word and its inclusion in the text is important, so the first example is more appropriate.
Comment: +1 Excellent point about using the lack of context for plot advancement!
Answer: Try to avoid using another foreign language as a stand-in for the language you're wanting to portray (like, say, using Swedish as a stand-in for Romani, as was done in Thinner). I'd treat that as the most absolute requirement.
Try to avoid long passages in another language. If you're finding yourself using much longer sections than "a sentence", it will probably be too intrusive.
For single sentences or shorter, provide something along the lines of a translation. This should probably be to the level of understanding of the scene's viewpoint character.

"Ruttna som en banan!", shouted Gunnar.
Elyse could tell that he was agitated, he only ever spoke Swedish when at the
limits of patience. She didn't know if she wanted to know what he was actually
saying, it was probably obscene and perverse, as stressed as he was.

FWIW, he's shouting "rot like a banana", pretty silly as an interjection, but at least not very offensive.
Answer: It is possible to use multiple languages even if you actually don't by flagging them in dialogue tags. This is good when who speaks what language(s) is important in the narrative. You can put the inter-language confusion in the dialogue and the speakers' actions. You can also use this to play with mis-translation, either deliberate or incidental.
If you know what you're doing, you can also use idioms differently to subtly indicate a different langauge. For example, in one of my fantasy worlds, I characterise one of my languages by limiting contractions and by repeating verbs in a way that is not usually done in casual English.
This technique as also a good out if the languages are fictional, or if you, the author, don't actually speak one of them.
Answer: I prefer the following:
"Je ne comprends pas," she said. I don't understand.
It's not the only way to do it, as Lauren mentioned, but I find it the most elegant, and least disruptive to the flow of the text.
Answer: I have often wondered the same thing. Recently I read a few books online that incorporate different languages into their stories, usually with dialogue.
There are two simple techniques that I learned to solve this issue of having the reader confused with what the character is saying:

After the main dialogue in another language, write the translation in brackets and italics.
Example:
 My mother scolded me once I dropped the precious Vase which was so valuable. She yelled,
"Neeku emaina piccha? [Are you crazy?]"
Another way to incorporate some sort of translation would be for a character in the story to translate the words in another dialogue.
Example:
 My mother knew that my boyfriend didn't know Telugu, but it was the only language she knew. So without hesitating, she greeted him saying,
"Bagunnava abbayi?" Karan tapped my shoulder and whispered to me,
"What did she say?" I whispered back,
"She asked 'are you fine, boy?' in Telugu."
"Oh," he then faced my mother, "I am good Auntie." Then my mom asked me what he told her and I translated,
"'Nenu bagunnanu Auntie.'"
Answer: Foreign languages can add a lot of flavor to a story if used in moderation.  Don't put entire dialogues in foreign languages and consider the purpose and function of having those languages there.
Foreign languages are very present in the fiction I write.  Some of my fiction is about American ex-pats abroad, another work of fiction is set in New York, which is a polyglot city.  In both of these situations, I see language as a flavor of the landscape, and it's not important that the reader understand them.  (Bonus points if you do.) The main rule I use is to never put essential dialogue in another language.  If you are dealing with a code-switching culture such as Spanglish or the way Lebanese switch between Arabic, English, and French—often mid-sentence, it works especially well.

"Ma shifto bl after-party; think he went to go akel wa7ed with his boyfriend.  Kan akho manyukeh! That Iranian DJ from Off On played a set at the hotel. Fady got some K kteer awiyyeh."

My favorite example of using foreign language to flavor a novel is the underrated classic Kaputt Goes Europe by Curzio Malaparte.  As the Germans occupy Europe, we find snippets of Ukrainian, Russian, French, German, etc.  Amazing prose too.
Comment: Without the italics, I'm afraid your example sentence looks like a string of gibberish or a misrendered font. I like the idea of code-switching, but as a reader, I can't follow what you've written. I don't know what's a word and what's a mistake.
Answer: "A Clockwork Orange", though making up a language that is hybrid of English and Russian --- has a glossary at the end of the book. I'm tinkering with that idea. An e-book would allow the reader to link back and forth between the language spoken and it's translation.
Answer: Haitian Creole to English:
They said, "Jodia nou pral beyen. Eske ou vle vini tou?" ["Today we are going to take a bath. Would you love to come too?"] Anticipation oozed from their eyes.
OR
They said, "Jodia nou pral beyen. Eske ou vle vini tou?" (Today we are going to take a bath. Would you love to come too?) Anticipation oozed from their eyes.
This is what my two editors came up with for my manuscript.
Answer: You can use a different font, as in Discworld; look up 'use of fonts as literary device'.
Comment: I looked up 'use of font as literary device' and I couldn't see anything. Perhaps it would be helpful to give examples in your answer rather, then letting people try to find it themselves.
Comment: Tanja, can you include an example from *Discworld* in your answer?
Answer: I have been wondering about this too. What I have done is make sure that the reader can deduce the meaning from the surrounding sentence, that's the best way I can think to do it since the different language is relevant to the story.
Comment: @Lew While I'm not sure how practical this method is, I think it *does* answer the question asked. I would like to see the answer expanded, though.
Comment: Could you say more about how you do that?  Maybe an example would help.
Comment: This does not really answer the question. If you have a different question, you can ask it by clicking [Ask Question](https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/ask). You can also [add a bounty](https://writers.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/set-bounties) to draw more attention to this question once you have enough [reputation](https://writers.stackexchange.com/help/whats-reputation). - [From Review](/review/low-quality-posts/12162)
Comment: I agree that expanding the answer would be great. It does provide an answer to the question, albeit a somewhat vague one.


How do you determine a chemical formula given the molecule's crystal structure?

Question: How do you determine the chemical formula of a compound given its crystal structure?
Comment: Presumably, if you know the crystal structure, you know the unit cell? Count all the atoms in the unit cell taking into account fractional atoms (that is account for shared atoms) and adjust so the ratios are integers and you have the answer.
Comment: Presumably we have some other information as well? I mean, if I gave you a sample and told you it's a CsCl crystal structure, you can't really say much, since a good number of compounds assume the CsCl structure.
Comment: If you mean something more like "given its X-Ray diffraction pattern", you might want to edit the question to reflect that.
Answer: Knowledge of the crystal structure implies that you are also able to describe the unit cell of the compound. To determine its formula, count all sorts of atoms inside the unit cell, also considering fractional atoms which belong to more than one unit cell. For example, an atom at the corner of the unit cell counts as $\frac{1}{8}$ atom because it is shared between 8 adjacent unit cells. Likewise, an atom at the edge of the unit cell counts as $\frac{1}{4}$ as it belongs to 4 unit cells etc. When you obtain fractional values for the atom numbers, multiply the values of all atoms with a certain number so that all values are integers.
Let us take sodium chloride ($\ce{NaCl}$) as a simple example. Its unit cell, which is shown below, contains $\ce{Na+}$ (violet) and $\ce{Cl-}$ ions (green).

Counting the number of chloride ions in the unit cell gives
$$12 \cdot \frac{1}{4}+1=4 \ \ce{Cl-}$$
because there are 12 $\ce{Cl-}$ on the edges and 1 $\ce{Cl-}$ in the center of the unit cell. For the sodium ions, which are situated at the corners and on the faces (count as $\frac{1}{2}$ because they are shared between 2 cells) of the unit cell, we obtain
$$8 \cdot \frac{1}{8}+6 \cdot \frac{1}{2}=4 \ \ce{Na+}$$
The composition of the unit cell is therefore $\ce{Na4Cl4}$. Since the number of formula units per unit cell is 4, the formula of the compound is $\ce{NaCl}$.
For compounds in which the building blocks of the crystal structure are molecules, the procedure is essentially the same.


Tips to give the UI more of a professional and polished look?

Question: Currently developing a WPF application with a completely customised UI. Just wondering if anyone has any tips to allow the UI to be unique, but still look professional and polished.
Comment: This is very subjective and difficult to do without a URL of the site in question...
Comment: @Sniffer - it's a desktop application, but your comment is still valid.
Comment: Why is this Community Wiki?
Comment: @Jourke - Probably because on StackOverflow, people just automatically put questions that are subjective and should be closed as Community Wiki because they then hope it will not be closed.
Answer: Consistency is a big pointer to something being professional and polished.

Make sure all your icons are a the same size and properly lined up.
Use a consistent font and text size throughout.
Make sure that if there are options to change font sizes that they affect all text items.
Make sure that changing the colour scheme affects all items consistently.

I know it doesn't make your application unique, but the UI is the first thing your users see and what they have to interact with every time they use it.
Comment: And since this is WPF, create all your icons in xaml so they can scale well.
Comment: @Jouke van der Maas - All-XAML icons are not without their tradeoffs. They are slower & harder to render, esp. on lower-end systems. Also, for small icons you lose a lot of the pixel precision offered by bitmap icons.
Answer: As a rule of thumb, professional means clean and simple.
Regarding Animation - it really depends on the application. Animation often implies applications that are more casual, so it would work great for games or consumer applications. If we're talking about enterprise software, it might not be appropriate.
I think http://soluto.com/ is a great desktop application to use as a reference. You can download if for free and install on any PC.
Answer: As has already been pointed out, consistency is important - not just in terms of appearance, but in terms of behaviour.
There are times though, when deliberate breaking of consistency is not just a good idea, but necessary.
Part of achieving a "Professional and Polished" look is knowing when to do this.
Examples:
On StackExchange sites, the "Ask a Question" link at the top of every screen isn't apart of the sequence of other buttons - it's right aligned, giving some visual isolation.

In Microsoft Outlook 2007, the Send button isn't included in the Ribbon along with everything else, it's kept separate and always accessible.
Comment: Ugh. The "Send" button is actually a very distracting option to me. I always click in the "Paste" button when I use the mouse. Glad Ctrl-Enter still works...
Answer: Animation effects make a big difference. This is a huge part of what makes the iPhone look so slick.
Every transition should appear to move or grow from somewhere. Nothing should ever just appear or dissapear.
Comment: Ah, but does the iPhone look "professional"? Judicious use of animation is good, but overuse or slow/distracting animations, while prefect for kiosks or games, can potentially be problematic. For example, I'd argue OSX's genie effect, while admittedly quite awesome, does not convey "professional".
Comment: It'll have to be very quick and simple transitions, no huge animations.
Comment: @Robert, yes I would say the iPhone looks professional. A slick look doesnt just belong with toys, it also provides for a more productive user experience as it gives the user more clues as to what is going on. The OSX genie effect shows the user where on the task bar the window has minimized to so you know where to go when you want to restore the window. The animation does have to be done correctly for it to work, obviously animation that is too slow is just animation done wrong, but that doesnt mean it should be used at all!
Answer: Study, study, study.
Observe the competition or similar products.
One of the best things about UI is that you don't, and IMHO shouldn't, reinvent things.  I know your question involves a desktop application, but even still a run through Google Images (based on appropriate keywords) ought to serve up many, many examples of how your general situation has been designed to date.
And by all means, TEST your UI on candidate users. It's remarkable how few DEVs take the time to do this and the returns are typically very valuable.


Is it safe to breastfeed an infant while being pregnant?

Question: If a mother gets pregnant within 2 months of a newborn, and wants to continue breastfeeding then what precautions she should take during the later trimesters? Will the newborn or the foetus be affected? And is it safe to breastfeed?
Answer: Typically it is not the later trimesters you are worried about but the first trimester to be sure her body has had enough time to recover from the first pregnancy to carry a new child. The risk for miscarriage drastically decrease after the first trimester but I have heard of a 20-week miscarriage and it was a woman whose pregnancies were close together.
For breastfeeding, the body is already used to the hormones if she was breastfeeding before getting pregnant (vs. started when she conceived new baby) so it is safe to breastfeed during a pregnancy. However, since the new pregnancy is so close to the prior, I would definitely consult with a medical professional for this.
Answer: I have breastfed through 2 pregnancies.
You do want to make sure you eat well & take your vitamins.  You can also ask for bloodwork to confirm you are getting adequate nutrition.  Your body will compromise you in order to maintain giving everything it needs to for your little ones & you don't want to end up nutrient deficient at the end of your pregnancy.
Typically there is no need to wean.  You should be made aware though that milk production for many women drops drastically, so exclusively breastfeeding may not be possible.  Your prolactin levels control your milk production & many women are unable to sustain high enough prolactin to have a full supply, some will dry up completely.  It is not possible to determine what will happen to a specific woman.  It varies greatly.  I have known women that did maintain a full supply.  That would be considered unusual though.  Most will see a drop, and for many it's significant.  For me I had almost no supply at all, both time.  My drops happened later, like midway, some see it sooner, some see it later, most will see supply return the last few weeks, I did not.  Mine didn't return until birth.
There are no galactogogues you can take for this drop.  The drop is hormonal.  There are foods of course that work as galactogogues that are safe, such as oatmeal, flax, malt, and I do find those are helpful, but they won't stop you from having a dip, they can just help however much they help.
If a mother has a history of preterm birth, she will likely also be asked to wean.  The data on this isn't conclusive, so it's a medical suggestion, but most Dr's will work with you if you do not desire to wean.
Comment: Really like your answers, Thorough and informed. +1
Answer: Breastfeeding while pregnant is safe as long as you're healthy and careful about having healthy diet and plenty of fluids. Most of the moms worry about whether they are eating enough to nourish the baby growing inside and for breastfeeding the nursling but our bodies are amazing they know how much to have. Have a healthy, well- balanced diet - eating when you're hungry and drinking when thirsty is all that you need to do.
Breastmilk will be nutritionally sound throughout pregnancy but the taste of the milk changes and the breastmilk production decreases as the pregnancy progresses. These factors may lead the nursing child to wean on his or her own.  Better to consult your doctor to provide guidance and will confirm you whether to continue breastfeeding or not. It all depends on your health.


[warning] 'Player' moved wrongly?

Question: I'm getting this warning from my server console (and just happens to be for the same player each time). I'm the only mod of the server so I know no one is using commands to teleport themselves and even if they did it would leave a log. What causes this warning?
Comment: Is this a vanilla or Bukkit server?
Comment: @OrigamiRobot Vanilla. The one you download from the main site
Answer: This warning is generated every time a player moved to a position or at a speed which the server thinks is impossible. This can happen spuriously, as the assumptions the server makes aren't quite the same as what you can actually do (the server doesn't analyze the player's exact inputs), or it can happen due to an attempted cheat, or due to the world changing as the player attempts to pass through it (e.g. player moves through a block the server knows about but the client hasn't seen yet due to latency).
Whenever this happens the server sends a message to the client resetting the player's position to the last valid one (this can be noticed from that player's perspective as a sudden shift).
Comment: Cheers, I discovered he was using a flying mod.
Comment: This happens to people in my server often when they walk near the corner of a chest. From the players perspective it looks like the player gets 'stuck' unable to move forward and unable to rotate the mouse (the view furiously jumps back to the last rotation 20 times per second). Only stopping to move forward and going sideways or back will get you unstuck.
Answer: It usually means the player in question is flying, as the server is not expecting the movements flying creates.
Answer: This means that a player moved faster or farther than possible without the use of mods.
Comment: If possible, please aim for answers that are longer than one or two one-liners. :)
Comment: Sometimes simple is better, but ok.
Comment: I appreciate the sentiment, and sometimes the one liner is, after all, all there is to say about a topic. I feel some of your answers could have been improved by adding a few extra details, and it seems the voting on your answers mostly reflects this. :) (by the way - welcome!)
Comment: Thanks! And sorry for the one-liners, I'll try to expound on my answers more in the future.
Answer: It means that, from the perspective of the server, someone did something that should be impossible.
This usually means flying or falling into the void.

[warning] 'Player' moved wrongly?


Duplicate Contacts

Question: I am new to using CIVI at my work place, and there are a ton of duplicate entries in the system (we did a merge from our previous system). Is there a quick and easy way to merge all duplicate contacts?
Comment: If you want to ask more detailed questions about duplicates and merging, make sure you include the version of CiviCRM that you are using.  This is an area that has seen significant changes between versions.
Answer: Yes.  One of the questions to consider is what you mean by a duplicate.  If two contacts have the same first and last names, same address, same email and same date of birth, then you're fairly safe in assuming they represent the same person.  But real data is far messier and incomplete so Civi lets you choose what characteristics to look for - those are described by a 'Dedupe Rule'.
If you have lots of duplicates you will need to repeat the process several times using different dedupe rules.  I tend to start with quite specific ones (eg first name, last name, postcode), deal with those, then broaden the criteria.
In brief:

go to Contacts > Find and Merge Duplicate Contacts
click Use Rule on one of the Individual Rules, or Add Rule for Individuals to set up a new rule
select a group - or leave it blank to search all contacts
review the duplicates and merge them

For much more detail, see https://docs.civicrm.org/user/en/stable/common-workflows/deduping-and-merging/
Answer: In addition to Aidan's answer, CiviCRM does come with a Batch Merge tool which can resolve the most straightforward of matches and leave you to just deal with the odd or complex ones manually.
This process is described in the section "Merging multiple contacts simultaneously" in https://docs.civicrm.org/user/en/4.7/common-workflows/deduping-and-merging/

Duplicate Contacts


How do I remove a black residue after seasoning cast iron waffle maker

Question: I just seasoned a cast iron waffle maker.  It now has a black residue that is flakey in the thinner spots and somewhat sticky where it is thicker.  Should I just bake it longer, start over again, or something else?
Answer: You might consider removing all that seasoning with oven cleaner and starting over to get a thin, even coating. Thick, gummy seasoning is not going to perform properly.
These are the best instructions for cast iron seasoning I know, using multiple very thin layers of flax seed oil:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoIO8YOpyN4


Dodge Ram 2500 gasoline won't run after key starts

Question: So my old keys start and run fine. I had a new key cut, it works fine in the door and starts ignition fine but the engine cuts out within seconds of starting. The old keys keep it running just fine. It seems there is a cut out for some reason, is there a way to bypass this? I have a regular key cut as well as a sure grip and the engine cuts out after starting on both. Any ideas?
Comment: What year is your Dodge Ram?
Comment: Door plate says manufactured in 4-04
Comment: .....and I found out its a chip key, DOH!
Comment: I kind of figured that, but needed the model year to figure out how to get it to be recognized. I take it you don't know if the new key is a unregistered chipped key or not?
Answer: For your edification in case you want to try this. Here are the procedures for getting the vehicle to learn the new key. There are some disclaimers/actions you need to pay attention to, so read the entire procedure before you try to do this. If your key is a completely metal key, it will not have a chip inside of it. If it looks like the image below, it probably is chipped. I completely pulled this procedure from the Dodgetalk.com forum:

Disclaimer: All of the "customer learn" procedures for programming new keys REQUIRE the vehicle to have at least two keys pre-programmed and on hand to use BEFORE programming new keys to the vehicle! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TWO KEYS ALREADY PROGRAMMED TO THE VEHICLE YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE THE DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY WITH THE FACTORY SCANTOOL(S) PROGRAM THE SECOND KEY.
2002/3-2005 The early third gen vehicle keys/fobs look like this...

The vehicles that do not have remote keyless entry (RKE) still have a chip inside the key, this system is called the sentry key immobilizer system (SKIS). The key sends a signal to the sentry key immobilizer module (SKIM) which allows the ignition to start the vehicle.
The SKIM in every new vehicle is pre-programmed with 2 keys from the factory. The system allows up to 8 keys to be programmed to a single vehicle. If you have your two factory keys and would like to add more, below is the step by step instruction.
PROGRAMMING A SENTRY KEY

Insert one of the two programmed sentry keys into the ignition and turn it to the ON position.
After the ignition switch has been on ON for about 3 seconds, but no more than 15 seconds, turn the ignition OFF and remove the first key. Insert the second programmed sentry key and turn the ignition to ON for at least 3 seconds again, but no more than 15 seconds. Leave the second key in with the ignition on ON.

THE KEY SWAPPING STEPS MUST BE DONE WITHIN 15 SECONDS OF EACH OTHER.

In about 10 seconds the VTSS (single red anti-theft light on the cluster) will begin to flash, indicating it has entered "customer learn" mode.

Within 60 seconds of entering learn mode, turn the ignition OFF and remove the programmed key. Insert a blank sentry key and turn the ignition to ON. In about 10 seconds the VTSS light will stop flashing and stay on solid for about 3 seconds, then turn off indicating it has programmed the new key. The vehicle will now exit learn mode. Turn the key to OFF and leave the ignition off for 60 seconds.
Comment: Yeah, that's exactly they key AND fob that I have. I just bit the bullet and went and got another made and it works just fine now. Dealership wanted $179 for it but an auto parts store was $91 so I went with them. But it's all good in the hood now. Thanks for your attention!


Dell Inspiron 1300 hangup during boot

Question: I am trying to install Ubuntu 12.04 on this machine.  It has 256MB RAM. I have created a bootable CD but when booting, it stalls on the Ubuntu screen with 5 red spots. Is this the wrong version for this machine?
Any help would be appreciated.
Answer: Resolve that problem by hitting F6 and typing in b43.blacklist=yes before selecting to install.

Dell Inspiron 1300 hangup during boot


Oman Air - Batteries in carry-on luggage

Question: I bought a ticket for a flight from Munich to Sri Lanka via Muscat with Oman Air. I want to take a bunch of 1300mah LiPo batteries for my drone in my carry-on luggage. Does Oman Air have any special restrictions on batteries?
Comment: Usually, this kind of question is answered by looking at the airline's website. However, I was unable to find anything beyond a generic page listing [broad categories of prohibited items](http://www.omanair.com/sites/default/files/content/travel_info/pdf/DangerNotice.pdf) ("Explosives, flammable gas, flammable liquid, flammable solid, ..., corrosive, other dangerous goods" -- wow, helpful). Generally, high-capacity batteries are prohibited in checked baggage so you should probably take them in carry-on. Tweet or email the airline to ask them and let us know what they say.
Answer: Oman Air's restricted items include corrosives, which may not be in either checked or carry on baggage.

Your Baggage
For safety reasons dangerous articles such as Compressed gases, Corrosives, Etiologic agents, Explosives, Flammable liquids and solids, Radio-active materials, Oxidizing materials, Poisons and other articles such as mercury, magnetized material, Illegal Drugs and Narcotics, offensive and irritating material shall not be packed in Checked or Hand baggage. You may please check with Oman Air office if you need to clarify on any item that needs to be carried.
Click here to view restricted articles

It does not specifically list lithium polymer batteries, but it does not exclude them. Of note is that, since the Fall of 2016, Oman Air has restricted a similar item, power banks, limiting it to carry on baggage and to no more than two.
For those reasons, you may want to ask in advance:
Munich Contacts
Reservations / Ticketing: 0049 69 58300710
firstname.lastname@example.com
Administration: 0049 69 58300790
email@example.com
Also worth knowing is that, upon arrival in Oman, all baggage, both carry on and checked, is x-rayed.

Transferring passengers
You may be transferring in Oman, awaiting an onward flight to another destination. We would like to make your transfer as pleasant as possible.
The Transfer Area is to the left of the immigration hall and is well sign posted. All transferring passengers should proceed to the First Floor and should collect boarding cards if these were not issued at the point of origin. Lifts are available to the first floor Transfer Area.
All transferring passengers will be security screened, including x-rays of hand baggage.
Pursuant to Regulation (E C) 154/2006, some items may not be carried in as Unchecked Baggage or may be limited to an authorised quantity and subject to separate screening procedures. For more details, please consult us.
Answer: So, I recently took a flight to Manila from Paris  with my drone and batteries in my LiPo bag and card cases.  When I advised the ticket agent that I had the Mavic inside the bag I was about to check in, she was shocked.  Called her manager and advised me that it was not allowed through Muscat, Oman.  They made me take out my drone and hold it in the airport until I return.  BIG HEADACHE.
If my final destination is Manila, and only stopping over in Oman to change planes, why couldn't I have taken my mavic with me in my checked-luggage?
Now, I'm trying to get in contact with the Muscat airport security as well as OmanAir to clarify.


SSL/TLS belongs to which OSI layer

Question: Can someone please explain SSL/TLS belongs to which OSI layer. I have been looking through many sites and all of them have different options of Application, Presentation and Session.
Comment: Unfortunately, questions about protocols above OSI layer-4 are explicitly off-topic here. You could try to ask this question on [sf] for a business network, or on [su] for a personal network.
Answer: Layer 1 is responsible for transferring bits across a wire -- SSL/TLS does not fit in this category.
Layer 2 is responsible for hop-to-hop delivery -- SSL/TLS does not fit into this category.
Layer 3 is responsible for end-to-end delivery -- SSL/TLS does not fit into this category.
Layer 4 is responsible for service-to-service delivery -- SSL/TLS does not fit into this category.
Which leaves the ambiguous trifecta of the application -- SSL/TLS is an application layer protocol (L5-L7).
Each application (FTP, TFTP, DNS, HTTP, Telnet, etc...) does L5-L7 differently -- so trying to distinguish between what exactly happens at L5 vs L6 vs L7 is less productive. Hence, often, Network Engineers simply refer to L5+ as the application and we leave it at that.
Answer: I think SSL is an interesting one which is not exactly obvious, judging from your own research.  The most specific answer here (think certification exam) is available from recommendation X-200 from the ITU-T
ITU-T X-200 recommendation Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model
By looking at the behaviors of SSL, we have encryption/decryption and also an exchange of traffic between two endpoints for compatibility and key calculation.
Layer 6 is for encryption/decryption, and Layer 5 includes managing a communication session in the form of back and forth transmissions between two nodes.  The protocol using SSL would be something like HTTP which sits in Application layer, it is the thing SSL is encrypting/decrypting data for
Therefore, SSL is both layer 5 and 6 (but not 7).
Edit1 for more better words.
Comment: SSL was developed long after OSI was ratified and already replaced by TCP/IP.  While one can "fit it" into the model, SSL wasn't developed with the model in mind.
Comment: The OSI model has not been replaced, or supplanted.  There are competing point of views, i agree.  If you take a common Cisco cert exam, they still use it.  All the TCP/IP model does is simplify the upper 3 layers since this isn't relevant to a router in most cases.

SSL/TLS belongs to which OSI layer