How do I respond to an email from a potential PhD supervisor who was positive but short?

Question: I recently contacted a potential PhD supervisor expressing my interest in working with him. I attached all application materials (personal statement, CV, etc), as he requested on his website. I received a prompt reply that he is accepting graduate students for the upcoming semester and to let him know if I have any questions. How should I follow up with him, and what sort of questions are appropriate to ask at this stage? I submitted my formal application to the program soon after receiving his reply.
Comment: Not all PhD supervisors can be tall.
Comment: It sounds like you've made it past the "scanning my email to discard junk" phase, which is a great first step. Perhaps a more direct approach this time asking something to the effect of: "given our similar research interests, would you be interested in being my advisor?"
Comment: Just to check: does the graduate department's website suggest contacting supervisors? i.e. is your application going to be evaluated by the department, or by the individual supervisor? In a department where students are only admitted to one PI's group, you need to talk with them most of all, but in departments where students get admitted at the department level, PIs may be less interested in talking with you until after you're already admitted.
Answer: Ask for a phone/skype call to discuss research interests, and to see if the two of you would be a good fit.

Hi Prof X., Would you be available for a phone/skype call next week to discuss research projects and to see if I would be a good fit to be your advisee? Thank you!
Comment: @KTK - I like Austin's idea.  Have you looked at some of this person's papers, and maybe a description of his current research interests?  Use this reading to prepare some conversation-starter questions for your phone conference.
Answer: As suggested by @Austin Henley, take a personal approach (phone/Skype is best). PIs want people who are passionate and who fit well. Plus, a bit of ego stroking never hurts. The candidate who takes initiative to call/Skype demonstrates interest and initiative, and a little bit of ego-stroking that can pay dividends. At that point, you become a person, not a piece of paper.


Does 3 W vs 5 W TX power make a huge difference in QRP CW operation?

Question: I've bought the QCX+ 40 m band radio. I will be powering this off a 12 V battery. I read on the manual the RF power at 12 V is just 3 W whereas on 15 V it is 5 W. Should I buy a boost converter for the battery to up the voltage to 15 V?
Answer: It makes a difference of:
$$ 10 \times \log_{10}\left(3 \over 5\right) = 2.2 \:\mathrm{dB} $$
How big is 2.2 dB? See How big is a decibel?
It's also relevant to note: if the 12V battery is lead acid, the charged voltage can be as high as 13.7.
Furthermore, while a boost converter might further increase your transmit power, it's likely to make noise which will degrade your receive performance.
Comment: I didn't think about the noise issue, that's a good point.  I'd think the efficiency of a DC-to-DC converter would be terrible during receive, which would kill the battery faster.  If it were me, I'd think about rigging a switch to bypass the boost converter during receive for both of those reasons.
Answer: If you haven't done much QRP operating, QRP is a funny thing.  Sometimes propagation is great, and you wonder why anyone would bother with 100 W or more.  I'll never forget my first DX QSO, from Oregon to Estonia, running 11 W to a vertical, by gray-line propagation at the bottom of the sunspot cycle in 2006.  Other times it seems like a complete waste of time, calling station after station that boom into your headphones but can't hear you at all.
The difference between 3 W and 5 W is 2.2 dB, which is about a third of an S-unit.  (An S-unit is 6 dB.)  The question is, how much does that mean to you?  That depends on what kind of operating you do, or want to do, with your QRP rig.

If you're a QRP contester, then 2 dB can make quite a difference, because every decibel matters to contesters.  Contesters generally have very good ears, and serious ones are willing to work hard to decode signals just above the noise floor to get the contact.  Losing 2 dB means potentially losing a few contacts in your next major contest.

If you're a casual QRPer who makes contacts on the QRP calling frequency, then you'll potentially lose a fraction of potential contacts.  QRPers are also generally willing to work at pulling in your weak signal, so every decibel helps.  You can always spot yourself on qrpspots.com, which encourages other operators to listen for you.

If you're a Morse ragchewer, then lots of hams either won't be able to hear you at all, or won't tune slowly enough to hear your CQ, or won't be willing to work at pulling in a very weak signal on a noisy band, so you're generally limited to stations that are exactly one skip away.  To those stations you might be S-5 on their meters.  For those stations, there usually isn't much difference between S-5 and S-4.6.  I'd think you wouldn't notice much difference between 3 W and 5 W when ragchewing with random hams.

My advice would be to try the radio at 3 W, and see how you like QRP.  If you like it enough, it might be worth buying that battery booster.  The battery booster will drain your battery faster though, because the radio would consume more power and the booster itself consumes power, since it's not 100% efficient.
Answer: Generally QRP is considered to be 10 watts or less. A small RF amp could get your 3 watts up to 9 which would be a more powerful signal but this is something you would have to homebrew. You can get the power needed to drive this transceiver and amp by wiring the batteries to increase the voltage to the level required, (series vs. parallel wiring).
This all depends on how hardy the radio circuitry is. If it can take the power - no problems - if it can't, then you have a short duration heating unit.
I understand the thinking of less is more when it comes to using CW and QRP, and a different radio would be an expense you may not want to go for, but all of this depends on how you intend to approach the hobby.
I am not into QRP as a discipline of the practice of amateur radio operations, however I can understand the appeal. If it were me, on the other hand, I would get a 10 watt radio that I could adjust the output power level on for times when I wanted to transmit at a reduced power level.
Of course, that might mean more of an investment in equipment which may or may not be what you are after in the amateur radio hobby.
73!
Comment: Most of the QRP clubs I know of talk about QRP as 5 W or less, but there's no official definition and it's just a hobby, so perhaps I shouldn't be splitting hairs ;)
Answer: For any transmitter, if you double the power, this might seem a lot, but at the other end at a receiver the signal  will increase by only 3 dB which is half an S point.
So an increase of 3W to 5W is 2.2 dB which is a bit less than half an S point.
This change is negligible and you won't notice much difference.
However if the level of your transmitted signal is down in the noise at a receiver, it could make the difference between being able to hear it or not.
To answer your question, it is probably not worth the effort to try and increase the supply because no one will notice. Having said that every bit counts and increasing the supply will help a little bit.
Personally i would only make the supply 15 V if it was easy to do.
Answer: You can test the value of this difference.  Emit a WSPR beacon, vary every other one in transmit power by 2.2 dB, and gather statistics over multiple cycles of the number of spots at each power level.  Then turn down the WSPR power util you get about the same number or distance of WSPR spots as contacts you expect to make in you desired mode, and rerun the A/B trial to see how much difference 2.2 dB makes in actual contact potential from your location and antenna.


Math PHD program with no GRE scores

Question: I'm a fresh graduate from a B.S. in mathematics program and am looking to go to graduate school. I have a strong cumulative GPA of 3.7 and have secured 3 letters of recommendation for the future.  Despite this however, a mandatory 1 year military service program prevents me taking any GRE exams before most application deadlines. I was planning to apply during my service and start the following fall (2019). But I'm afraid that not having GRE scores will significantly hurt my chances. Should I just take all my GRE exams during my service and apply for the fall 2020 term?
Comment: Short answer: yes. Many schools require the GRE and will not waive it.
Comment: Why does military service prevent you from taking the GRE?
Comment: This depends what country (and sometimes even the subject area and institute) you plan on applying in. For instance, for mathematics in Canada the GRE is not usually required and most students don't write it.  Which country are you planning on applying to graduate school in?
Comment: I'm thinking US, Canada, UK, and maybe France or Germany. Outside the US though, I'll need a masters degree to apply for a PHD. That's what I've heard.
Comment: As for Glen' s question, during this mandatory service, you pretty much have no freedom. So I'd be forced to wait.
Answer: GRE is more or less compulsory for graduate admission in the US. You will need better reason than 1-year military service for not taking it in your application.
Please take the exams and apply for the fall 2020 term.
Answer: Take the GRE now. Scores are valid for 3-5 years after taking it.

Math PHD program with no GRE scores


Submitting the same research to multiple conferences

Question: I'm aware that it's a violation of terms for most publishers to submit the same article to more than one journal, but I frequently see authors whose papers seem very similar, particularly papers released in a single year. In my field, neuroscience, this is particularly true about conference papers; one researcher will often have numerous posters/conference papers about seemingly the same topic. What are the guidelines for acceptability regarding this type of behavior?
Comment: "Same topic" does not imply "exactly the same results". This depends largely on which fields you're referring to: many journal papers in computer science would be redundant since they are journal versions of works published in the proceedings of an earlier conference. In mathematics, it's more common to talk about already published work at a conference, whereas in computer science we usually present new work. I'm sure other fields abound with their share of examples.
Answer:
According to the Committee on Publication Ethics Guidelines on Good Publication Practice, the term "redundant publication" is defined this way:

"Redundant publication occurs when two or more papers, without full cross reference, share the same hypothesis, data, discussion points, or conclusions."  In addition, it states:  "(1) Published studies do not need to be repeated unless further confirmation is required.  (2) Previous publication of an abstract during the proceedings of meetings does not preclude subsequent submission for publication, but full disclosure should be made at the time of submission.  (3) Re-publication of a paper in another language is acceptable, provided that there is full and prominent disclosure of its original source at the time of submission.  (4) At the time of submission, authors should disclose details of related papers, even if in a different language, and similar papers in press."  Note that (2) states that it is generally acceptable to present a paper in a conference and then later publish exactly the same paper in a journal, as long
  as you mention to the editor that the paper has been publicly presented.

According to the paper Science journal editors' views on publication ethics:
Results of an international survey,

"Breaches of publication ethics such as plagiarism, data fabrication and redundant publication are recognised as forms of research misconduct that can undermine the scientific literature."  It also stated that redundant publication is an unethical practice.  Of 16 ethical issues studied, redundant publication had the highest severity (that is, it caused editors the most concern---more than plagiarism or data fabrication).
Answer: Rather than asking what's acceptable, I think it's worthwhile to step back and think about the purpose of scientific publication.  Your goal in publishing should be to disseminate useful ideas, not to create a publication record.  If you have ten papers that are all very similar, it's hard for people to learn about your ideas because they won't have time to read all those papers.  Just write one good one.
Comment: While I fully agree with you, you clearly are not at a university whose administration is full of bean counters.
Comment: True.  [My university](http://www.kaust.edu.sa) really values quality over quantity.  The Provost recently advised us that it's better not to publish mediocre papers, even if the alternative is publishing less.
Comment: Alas, if only academia leaned toward quality, and not quantity!
Answer: Personally, I have no qualms with submitting the same talk to multiple conferences; however, in my field (Chemical Engineering), we don't really do conference proceedings. Therefore, it's not such a big deal to present a work more than once; it's being given to different audiences that might not otherwise see the work, and it's not going into the publication record multiple times, so there really aren't any ethical violations going on.
However, in a field where conference papers are required to give a talk, then ethical rules demand that you disclose if a paper has been accepted previously. If you've changed the material enough, or introduced enough new material, then it's a little bit more of a grey area. But it's still better to err on the side of caution than to get caught out.
Comment: Essentially the same here (chemist). Conference proceedings papers don't earn you anything in chemistry (they often take about everything, and some even try to force you to submit a proceedings paper instead of having peer review and accepting only good papers). Things are different if there's a special issue about a conference in a proper journal and has normal peer review. Consequently, that's where the field moves.
Answer: There are a few things to keep in mind:

Submitted talks vs. invited talks. Many researchers will have given many talks on a subject, but if most of them are invited talks, the reason they're duplicates is because conference organizers have essentially asked for duplicates.
I'd argue it isn't ethical to submit the same presentation, but a topic is a wide ranging thing. Heck, even a single study has a lot of aspects to it, and many conference presentations have less content than a single paper. For example, you might have a presentation at one conference that's highly technical, another for a different audience that's more practical/applied, etc. Those are different talks.
Consider what you want to get out of it. Unless your field is one of those where presentations trump papers or themselves generate papers (CS comes to mind), presentations aren't that big of a deal on a CV such that an extra one or two will really put you over the edge. In my field for example, everyone knows there's certain conferences that will essentially accept as many talks as they have spaces to fill (and they have many spaces to fill), so as long as your science isn't egregiously wrong, you're probably going to get in. What you do get out of that is good contacts, and good advice. If you keep repeating the same thing over and over, your return on "investment" starts to dive.
If your talk is going to be spun into a paper via conference proceedings or the like, be doubly cautious, and make sure if you are double-dipping in an experiment or the like that the resulting papers are clearly different as well. I don't know anyone who doesn't frown on duplicated papers, and more than one venue that will smack you down hard for trying to play a game like that.
Comment: Presentations do *not* trump papers in computer science; conference papers trump journal papers.


Can someone stop the cause of death after someone writes the details in the Death Note?

Question: Let's say I had a Death Note. If I wrote someone's name in the book and then wrote details of the death, can an individual stop the cause of death and the actual death entirely or will the death still take action, but in a different way?
Comment: What do you mean by can an individual the stop the death? How would they do that?
Answer: The Rules of the Death Note are pretty clear:

How to Use: XI
[…]
As you see above, the time and conditions of death can be changed, but once the victim's name has been written, the individual's death can never be avoided.

This is, of course, as long as you thought of the victim's face while writing the name. In case you now assume that you can just alter the details of death to something impossible, well sorry:

How to Use: LV
[…]
In the occasion where the cause of death is possible but the situation is not, only the cause of death will take effect for that victim. If both the cause and the situation are impossible, that victim will die of heart attack. [emphasis mine].

So again, all you get is a heart attack. The victim will die.
Tl;dr: Think before you write.
Comment: If you can change time and conditions, couldn't you do strikeout what you wrote before and replace it with *In t+50years, dies of heart attack.*
Answer: Rule XV states that

When the same name is written on more than two Death Notes, the note which was first filled in will take effect, regardless of the time of death.
If writing the same name on more than two Death Notes is completed within 0.06 seconds, it is regarded as simultaneous; the Death Note will not take effect and the individual written will not die.

So, if an individual is very, very fast he can save another from being killed by the Death Note (if you have two other Death Notes); this can happen as a very unlikely coincidence. But this rule states that "writing the same name (...) is completed within 0.06 seconds", so to save another life you need to write the name in the other two (or more) Death Notes soon after the name was written, and so before the causes of death.
So it's a task for The Flash... or maybe for Cyborg 009 since this is the Anime & Manga Stack Exchange.
Answer: Its not possible to stop the person dying from the written cause.
The Death Note has no provision for avoiding death until and unless the writer doesn't have the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name.
Reference: http://deathnote.wikia.com/wiki/Rules_of_the_Death_Note
Answer:
In the occasion where the cause of death is possible but the situation is not, only the cause of death will take effect for that victim. If both the cause and the situation are impossible, that victim will die of heart attack. (Rules of the DeathNote. How to Use: LV)

So, hypothetically speaking, if an individual's name was written in the DeathNote and they were able to bring about events that would render the situation of their death impossible, they will still be susceptible to the cause of death.
However, there are no rules that specify what would happen to the victim of they were able to prevent the cause of death (be that if the cause was "shot through the heart" and the victim locked themself in solitary confinement for example). Though, knowing how the DeathNote rules go normally, the victim would probably just die of a heart attack.
The wikia contains a full list of all the rules regarding the use of a DeathNote.
Comment: Re your second paragraph: Yes there are. It's in that same rule. If the situation and cause are impossible, the Death Note defaults to a heart attack. Save heartless robots, a heart attack is never impossible.
Comment: @Jan I saw that the result of both the cause and the situation being impossible was a heart attack, but I didn't see anything in regards to if only the cause was impossible, such as if you wrote shot as the cause but they were surrounded by metal walls.


How does chromosome number get halved in meiosis I?

Question: In meiosis 1, it is said that chromosome numbers become halved in the two daughter cells. For example, in a 2n human cell there are 46 chromosomes. During meiosis 1, the cell will undergo interphase and probably the S-phase, where chromosome number becomes duplicated. Now the cell is 4n (i.e. 92 chromosomes). During anaphase 1, 46 chromosome out of 92 would go towards one pole and 46 would go opposite. Thus the resulting two cells will have 46 chromosomes in each. So why should we say that, in meiosis 1, the chromosome number is reduced? I say that S phase shouldn't occur in meiosis 1 but rather it should occur in meiosis 2. Is my reasoning incorrect?
Answer: If you consider sister chromatids to each be a chromosome, meiosis I, rather than halving the chromosome count, separates the homologous chromosomes, which result from sexual reproduction, from one another. Meiosis II then separates the sister chromatids from one another resulting in the final halving of chromosomes.
On the other hand, many if not most biologists don't consider the sister chromatids to be individual chromosomes until they are segregated during meiosis II. In this sense, meiosis I does reduce the chromosome count to half.


Retrieve raw data from Smart Plug?

Question: I want to monitor the energy/power consumption of household appliances (for example an oven) by using a smart plug. The problem is that I cannot get the raw data to my computer. The measurements are usually plotted in a graph on a phone app, but what I need is the raw data in my computer (power, energy, time stamps..etc.). Does anyone have any idea on how to do this? Or which products allow this?
Comment: maybe is the best we can say. You would have to reverse-engineer the plugs's communication. It might be trivial, like a rest API, or it might be a nightmare of custom protocols, auth, and un-intuitive organisation. There are open-source plugs that you could use instead.
Comment: are you certain that your smart plug is able to provide the data?
Comment: @jsotola yes, it can provide energy consumption data and the time stamps
Comment: @dandavis do you know which open-source plugs can be useful ? or how i can start with this? the matter is time-sensitve
Comment: I've seen a few on instructables, iirc. They are based around the arduino and the ESP8266 MCU, which is only a few dollars, leaving plenty of budget to add a (<$3) hall-effect current sensor and a high-res ADC (<$2), compared to a commercial pod or something way overkill like a PC/pi. If you have the parts, it's an afternoon project rolling example sketches together.
Comment: which phone app are you using (android version if there is one)?
Answer: I have seen systems like this built using the TP-Link sockets with a raspberry pi that polls the sockets regularly enough to determine what mode a product was in (the product draws different amounts of current for different modes).
The problem will be monitoring an oven as these tend to be wired directly to high current supplies with no where to put a monitoring socket (They probably wouldn't be safe either).
You should be able to get a current clamp monitoring device to use for hard wired devices, but you would need to be able to clamp round the live line, not both the live and neutral
Answer: One solution would be with the help of Rasberry Pi.
Make raspberry Pi as an access point and bridge the internet via the ethernet port.
Make Rasberry Pi as your wifi connection to the smart plug.
Now install Wireshark and collect all network data from the wireless interface in the form of pcap file.
You can use SCAPY or Zeek(BRO) IDS for packet inspections or electric data reading.
Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvOyafQeOoY&t=33s
https://www.wireshark.org/
Command to install wireshark: sudo apt-get install wireshark.
https://scapy.net/
https://www.zeek.org/

Retrieve raw data from Smart Plug?


how to read csv file without knowing header using java?

Question: i have to read CSV file in java, I googled it but i got the way to read using the headers; but  i have no information of the column headers and number of columns available in file.
In this case How can i read CSV file.
Thanks
Comment: Read it into what? If you don't know what the fields mean or how many there are, what are you reading the CSV for?
Comment: or http://opencsv.sourceforge.net/
Answer: You can assume every row to be of class String and read everything into an 2 dimensional array. Afterwards you could try to parse the strings into their appropriate Formats.
But if you do not know the row data type this is only a guess.
Answer: If you don't know what the columns represent you can only read it as text with something like:
final BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(file));
String line = null;
while ((line = br.readLine()) != null) {

    final String[] lineValues = line.split(COLUMN_DELIMITER);
}

This way all your column values will be in these lineValues arrays (column1 will be lineValues[0] etc.).
Answer: Casper datasets can do this is a few lines and will return a CDataRowSet which works in a similar way to a ResultSet. It can read the header from the file and return all Strings, eg:
CBuilder builder = new CBuildFromFile(new File("people.csv"));
CDataCacheContainer container = new CDataCacheContainer(builder);
CDataRowSet cdrs = container.getAll();

or it can also narrow the returned results to the smallest possible data type without losing fidelity. In doing so it can also handle missing integers and doubles (otherwise the resulting data type will remain as String), eg:
CBuilder builder = new CBuildNarrowedFile(new File("people.csv")).setConvertMissing(true);
CDataCacheContainer container = new CDataCacheContainer(builder);
CDataRowSet cdrs = container.getAll();


Urgency of resuming relations after niddah

Question: What is the urgency of a husband and wife resuming relations after the niddah period? Where is the line drawn between conflicts that warrant pushing off relations, and those that do not warrant it? Some might be fatigue, illness, business activities that might or might not jeopardize one's livelihood, other schedule conflicts (performing arts rehearsals, chavrusos).
Comment: As always, CYLOR.
Answer: As Seth commented, Consulting Your Local Orthodox Rabbi is always an appropriate first step because your particular facts could result in a totally different answer than the generalized citations to authorities that are offered here.
As I have reviewed the sources, the rules of appropriate sexual behavior are not very well defined for every situation, and some proscriptions in the Talmud and the Codes are viewed as binding by some and as advice by others.  Again, a reason to CYLOR.  Rambam, in the Mishna Torah, Chapters 14 and 15 of Ishus, goes into some detail about the obligations of husband and wife to have relations with their spouse. I believe that these sources assume that both husband and wife are healthy and each have a healthy interest in sex.  Accordingly, these would suggest that the couple does all that is possible to get to the mikvah at the appointed time and have relations that night.  But there is no obligation to have relations that night, and there is even concern that the pressure on either partner will result in a loss of shalom bayis.  On that point, I think that Rabbi Frand's tape on Shalom Bayis is helpful.
Poor health, fatigue, business conflicts, even Daf Yomi classes, are common conflicts with shalom bayis in the bedroom.  Nevertheless, the Halacha recognizes that both husband and wife have conjugal obligations to make time for intimacy, Mishna Torah, Ishus 14:7-8; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 240:1, and most authorities will urge the couple to make allowances.  If the wife is too fatigued when the husband comes home regularly from work or Daf classes, they will encourage him to make changes in his schedule.  If the wife is fatigued, for example from mikvah night preparations, she might be encouraged to take a nap in the afternoon, and the husband will be encouraged to do what he can to facilitate that (like taking the kids out for an outing without Mom).  Compromise, consideration and compassion will go far.
Answer: There will be no cut-and-dry answer on this one.
I have heard Rabbi Barry Freundel say publicly that he tells young men before their weddings: "mikvah night, you have the responsibility to make the night special for her." He mentioned a fellow who decided to forgo an important business dinner so he could be home with his wife, even though that meant missing a promotion. (My impression was this was meritorious, not obligatory.) Of course, if the couple is stressed because of a tight financial situation and that promotion would honestly help ... again, every situation is different.
Yoatzot.org has reprinted several questions from women who are too anxious on mikvah night; if it really, really works better for the couple to wait, then that's probably the right thing to do.
Once again, ask your rabbi. And your rabbi will ask how your spouse feels, so make sure you know that too.


What's the cheapest way to fly to Cuba?

Question: I supposed that getting to Cuba by flying from neighboring countries will be much cheaper than the same from Europe, but I have realized that fly prices from Cancun or Miami are very expensive (about $500, that's a 20-30% less than from Europe). And even from other islands there is a high fee to pay. Now I'm looking for alternatives, other cities where I can fly cheaper or, even, ferries, cargo or cruisers which could me take to Cuba for less money. What's the cheapest (and legal) way to get to Cuba from other country?
Comment: I don't know if it's still true, but in the cold war days, maybe even the 1990s, Cuba was where you'd transfer for the cheapest flights between Europe and Latin America.
Comment: Where are you starting from? Obviously flying from somewhere nearby will be cheaper than Europe, but if you then have to get to that somewhere from Europe the cost adds up.
Answer: Since you mention that you are open to getting to Cuba not necessarily directly from Europe but through a intermediate destination, my recommendation would be to consider one of two Canadian travel hubs: Montreal and Toronto.
I recommend these because destinations in and around where Cuba are the main tourist places for Canadians for a big chunk of the year.
You will occasionally find some ridiculously cheap fares through one or more of these methods:

Air Canada Vacations: they have regular deals as well as last minute deals. If you have the patience to look around their site, you are going to find some good packages. The caveat is that these tend to be vacation packages rather than just air fares but none the less, it is worth looking in to.
WestJet: Air Canada and WestJet prices tend to go hand in hand a lot of the time. If one drops prices, the other one usually does as well. However, both airlines have partnerships with different hotels, etc. which gives you some more variety.
SunWing: This is a budget airline where you will be able to find both cheap flights and vacation packages- in most cases, cheaper that both of the above airlines
YDeals Toronto and YDeals Montreal: This site has a great collection of great deals picked out by Chris Myden where by you can get deals from all Canadian airports to other destinations. For example, on October 1st he discovered this which is in turn a deal from Air Canada Vacations.

All of the above methods usually require patience to be able to find the cheapest fares but then again, it is something to get started with :)
Comment: Just adding two more items to your list: Air-transat (cheap, but with **extremely** bad customer service), and "Cubana de Aviación", which is also very cheap.
Comment: One more for the list: recently Air China started flying from Beijing to Montreal then to Havana.
Answer: Recently I checked flights from Europe and have noted:

Thomson Airways - flights from London Gatwick to Varadero. Cheapest deals starting from 299 GBP. 60 GBP for a luggage. Food and drinks included.
Eurowings - flights from Germany. For example, Cologne to Varadero starts from 360 EUR without luggage and food.
Rainbow tours / Bilety czarterowe - sometimes has good last minute deals from Poland. 20 kg luggage included.

It is possible to find cheaper ones but usually it is trip for 1 week, in low season or last minute flight which are not very convenient.

What's the cheapest way to fly to Cuba?


Can I still collect unemployment benefits from an EU country if I move to another EU country?

Question: Let's assume I'm working in Austria and I get fired. If I move to another european country, will I continue to perceive my unemployment money?
Comment: There is a mechanism to somehow transfer unemployment benefits to another country for a limited period of time to look for work elsewhere in the EU but I don't know the details. The [EU provides some information](http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/finding-job-abroad/transferring-unemployment-benefits/index_en.htm).
Answer: It is the Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 that is relevant here.
In principle the workland principle applies. These means that social security from the country where you work is relevant. When you are unemployed it is the social security of the homeland that applies. As @gael already mentioned there is an allowed period where you can live abroad to seek work:

An unemployed person may move to another Member State in order to seek work while retaining entitlement to benefits for three months.
  The competent services or institutions may extend this period up to a
  maximum of six months. If the unemployed person does not return on or
  before the expiry of this period he/she loses all entitlement to
  benefits.

The distinction between workland and home land might seem to be nonsensical at first sight, but it makes sense if you consider that in the EU many cross borders on a daily base to work. I my self live in one country and work in the other. For all the social security, while I am working I need to consult the social security in my working country. If however I become unemployed, I need to consult the social security of the country where I reside.
Answer: Generally speaking, you are getting your unemployment benefits from your country of residence. To be eligible, however, you must usually stay in that country (they send you job offers, check on you etc.). This is not transferable to another EU country, i.e., you can't just move to a different country and start getting the support there. Nevertheless, as Gaël Laurans points out in his comment it is possible to have that money sent also to another country. Just keep in mind to follow the procedure in the link - it is still important that you can be reached by the corresponding national employment authorities.
Comment: On the contrary, generally speaking in the EU it is not true that you are getting the unemployment benefits from the country where your paid your social insurance. It is the country where you live that sets the standard in case of unemployment
Comment: @Andra I stand corrected. The answer has been edited accordingly.


Is it possible there were multiple origins of life? And, if so, why did the one which became the common ancestor between all organisms prevail?

Question: I have learned that all currently-living organisms come from a common ancestor, which I theoretically understand. However, my professor in a class mentioned that there is a chance that there were multiple origins of life, but that all the creatures living today all came from the same one and the others died. How can we be sure that before the other origins of life died, they didn't somewhat evolve, and the species from that origin didn't just evolve in convergence with those of this one since through natural selection both would need similar characteristics to survive on Earth?
Comment: That is an interesting idea. Are you sure that your professor was saying that all life today descends from several ancestral cells, or that ancestral life was eradicated many times before our ancestral cell came into being?
Comment: Closely related: http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/14175/why-did-abiogenesis-only-happen-once
Answer: It is interesting that all forms of life use the same genetic code. The nucleotides composing DNA and RNA are universal. Eric Lander, geneticist from Harvard/MIT cites this as evidence for evolution from a single ancestor. I think your instructor may be saying that it's possible alternative adaptations for initiation of life may have occured and perhaps not worked out. They become just another of nature's experiments that ended in extinction. I seem to recall reading somewhere all but 2% of species have ended in extinction.
Answer: I believe that the answer to this question would be that we cannot tell for certain that there were multiple origins of life.
In order to determine that there were multiple origins of life, we would almost certainly need to look into the molecular biology side of these organisms, since convergent evolution makes it extremely likely that these differently originated organisms would be very close to each other in outward appearance. However, the basic molecular machinery would have much less of such selection pressures, allowing them to be maintained.
However, this would be impossible if the organisms have already gone extinct, as fossilisation generally does not preserve the structures of the proteins and DNA (or equivalent information storage molecules) that are used by the variant organisms.
If such an animal was alive, however, it would then be possible to determine the animals' variant origins by detecting a specific biochemical trait that they alone possess. For example, an animal which used D-amino acids for its proteins would certainly be determined to have originated from a different common ancestor.


Geoserver layer from the ArcGIS image mosaic

Question: I've received a number of GeoTiff files most likely created in the ArcGIS in the EPSG:32641. Here are *.tif files itself, *.aux.xml, *.tfw, *.ovr.
I want to put them to the GeoServer as image mosaic data source and serve the applications with the layer through WMS. So I've just added the image mosaic data source and pointed the files directory.
Here is an issue with creating of the ImageMosaic layer in the GeoServer: when trying to preview it in OpenLayers I can only see picture/colors only for several zoom levels and only some tiles and only after clicking. But most of the image is white. However if click to the any white point of the image its possible to observe valid RGB band values below the image:

The actual data size covers the city. However data looks fine in the ArcGIS Explorer Desktop.
Could it be possible that provided data is invalid or wrongly formed and inappropriate for GeoServer? Or am I doing something wrong?
I've also tried to join the .tif and all other related stuff (.tfw and so on) and add the result tiffs as single GeoTiff images as well as warp to the EPSG:4326 but the result is same.
Probably it is same issue as described at link but I'm not sure.
UPD: I've tried to add my geoserver WMS layers as a source GIS server into ArcGIS Explorer Desktop. The result is following:

So looks like on the different zoom levels the color data is visible for some areas. For other areas on the same zoom only contours are visible.
UPD2: Merged to one big (120mb) GeoTiff the output looks better but on the closest zoom the problem still exsits.
Answer: Looks like the problem is similar to this one: 16Bit Tif In Geoserver.
The re-transforming the source images from 16-bit to 8-bit solves the problem (gdal_translate ... -ot "Byte"...).
See also http://osgeo-org.1560.x6.nabble.com/Why-is-16-bit-geotiff-converted-to-8-bit-geotiff-by-geoserver-td5165528.html.


Can I use continuous shooting (burst mode) while on self timer with a Canon 5D Mk II?

Question: Are you able to be on burst mode while shooting in self timer mode with the 5dii? I'd like to be able to take more than one shot at a time while being on self timer.
Answer: No, it is not possible. That is because to use the self timer you must select one of the two Self-timer drive modes. To shoot bursts you must select the Continuous drive mode. You may only select one drive mode at a time, so you must choose one or the other. The same is true with a wireless remote, since that also requires using one of the Self-timer drive modes.
One workaround you have is to use a wired remote with a built in intervalometer such as the Canon TC-80N3 or generic equivalent. Plugging a wired remote into the N3 port allows you to use the camera in any drive mode, since the wired remote functions exactly as pressing the physical shutter button. You could set the timer in the wired remote to have a 10 second (or 10 minute, or whatever time you choose) delay before activating the shutter. If the camera is set to Continuous drive mode and set to a specific shutter speed, semiautomatic, or auto mode you can set the set the timer to hold the shutter open for whatever time you desire and the camera will fire in burst mode as long as the timer is sending the full button press signal to the camera, just as if you were physically holding down the camera's shutter button.
I've been using the generic model linked above for over four years and it has held up fine.
Another option is to shoot tethered to a computer via EOS Utility.
Answer: There is a way to fire off 3 exposures in self timer but it is a bit of a "work around'.
If you use Auto Exposure Bracketing along with the Self Timer, the camera will fire off 3 exposures in quick succession. Using 1/3 stop bracketing won't vary the exposure by much.
Answer: I think the answer I put into the link below may help with this question as well.
How to programme EOS utility to take n number of shots?

I am unsure about EOS Utilities working for the number of shots in a row but an Android App Called DSLR Controller (Beta) works really well with my T4i and when i had a T2i. I havent tested it for the 7D mark ii yet. If you can get a micro usb to micro usb or an android tablet with a USB Port for the standard cord. the app lets you program lots of settings like number of pictures, at how many seconds apart, aperture, shutter speed, iso, change settings by brightness after each photo, etc.
I used it for a time laps of completing the patio in my backyard a few years back and it worked pretty well, to make a time laps of my buddies wedding head table, to get self photos where 10 seconds isn't enough time to get behind the camera, review my RAW images while I'm on the road some where and want to see it on a larger screen.
I would really recommend looking into it and see if it might work for your Canon Camera.
DSLR Controller (BETA) - it costs about $7.99 (CAD or USD, i forget)
Remote Release - A Test app before purchasing the DSLR Controller


Help with flats

Question: I have recently increased my commute from 1 mile each way to 16. It's a mix of city riding, country roads(an area I call no man's land where it's a two lane road with a 55mph speed limit, chip sealed road, all kinds of debris, rolling hills, and for some reason always a strong head wind), and some mixed use tails. This week alone I have suffered 3 flats(one slow leak that I couldn't determine the source, one from a piece of a steel radial tire, and one total blowout). I'm running 700x28 tires, but can go up to 32's. I'm thinking of running a multi tiered flat defense, starting with a good puncture resistant tire( Conti Gatorskins or similar), adding a liner, using sealant in my tubes, carrying a flat kit and a spare tube. Is there some piece of the flat puzzle I'm missing? This is getting to be more expensive than driving. Please help.
Comment: Don't forget to check your tire pressure daily if you're doing that long of a commute.
Comment: @Criggie the problem with that is that the worse stretch of road is unincorporated, and the county doesn't have sweepers. I've looked into this.
Comment: Yeah. It's outside of the city limits for both cities that it stretches between. I can try getting the local clubs involved. By winter there is supposed to be a trail that runs parallel which would be a godsend, but until then I'll see what action can be taken
Comment: @Criggie - In the US "unincorporated" refers to areas outside any "city" or other incorporated area.  Generally there is a county or "township" board responsible for maintaining roads, but that's run by three old farmers who want their own roads maintained but otherwise want to keep taxes down.
Comment: I have an old fashioned hand pump and if I make sure the tyres are as hard as I can get them I don't have a problem with punctures.  Most of my punctures come from running over a stone  or some other bump with slightly softer tyres which pinch a hole in the tube against the rim.
Comment: I keep my tires at around 100psi. Sidewall says 85-105. I check in the morning and at the end of the day.
Comment: Not an answer, but consider asking your local council or local road authority  to sweep the **sides** of the road with their big broom road sweeper vehicles.
Comment: Good quality puncture-resistant tires will cut punctures by at least a factor of ten.
Comment: I'm unfamiliar with "unincorporated"  Does that mean noone owns it?   Perhaps its time for a working bee with the local cycling groups ?
Comment: Support that trailbuilding effort if you can.  Sounds like a good solution, leave the road to the cars.
Comment: The county government might not _own_ a sweeper, but it can _hire_ a contractor with a sweeper.
Answer: I think that you should only take such drastic measures if you really required them. What tires are you currently using that are getting so many punctures?
I would try for something like GatorSkins or Schwalbe Marathons by themselves to see if that fixes the issue.  Only once you determine that a good tire by itself isn't sufficient should you go further and add tire liners. Sealant should be a last resort just because it's messy to deal with if you get a larger puncture that the sealant can't fill.
Make sure your tires are always filled to the correct pressure in order to prevent pinch flats.  A good track pump makes it easy to top up your tires a couple times a week.
Comment: The difference between a truly puncture resistant tire (Like Gatorskin Hardshells) and a race tire is amazing.  I have bought and ridden ultralight race tires than punctured 3 times on one ride around a loop.  Then switched to Gator Hardshells and ridden the same loop dozens of times with no issues.
Comment: I currently run Clement Stratta LLG's. They seem to be able to handle the occasional glass, but is the steel belt fragments that are killing me. I think the Gatorskin Hardshells will be the first step, plus a tube or two.
Comment: I wouldn't say Gatorskin is puncture-resistant. I have used UltraGatorSkin tires recently, and have suffered punctures whenever I ride in an environment that is prone to punctures. Marathon tires are probably better protected, but then again you lose much time in the form of higher rolling resistance. So, it's a tradeoff. A good portable pump, a tube, a puncture repair kit and a lot of experience dealing with punctures is my solution.
Comment: If you believe www.bicyclerollingresistance.com, at comparable pressures Marathons have similar or lower rolling resistance than Gatorskins. The big penalty is weight, standard Marathons are only available with a wire bead, and the extra material adds weight too.
Answer: Definitely carry a tube or 2. Flats seem to happen in the rain which makes patching harder. The roadside puncture kit should have a sealed tube of glue as it goes off once opened (unless you get on with glueless patches). Once I've opened a tube I patch any punctured tubes, which become my spares. With old-fashioned patches this works. Then your only consumable is patching supplies (and the rare blowout; I've had one in 25000 miles - overinflation).
I can vouch for marathon plus too, but I'm currently riding marathon supreme which should be a bit faster while still having a decent level of protection.
I run liners on another bike and they've caused one puncture but saved a few. On that bike it's broken glass I'm most worried about. I only use them on that bike because I was too cheap to do it properly. With good anti-puncture tyres, liners would probably do more harm than good.
Slime works well but can be a bit of a pain if you have to let the tube down (e.g. replacing a tyre, rim or spoke).
Suggestion: go for gatorskins or marathon plus/sumpreme. Add slime  only if that's not enough. Keep the pressure up.
Answer: Have a look at this other question, it has a lot of good information:
What is a good way to keep my tires from going flat easily?
FYI, the main prevention for flats is good tire pressure.  For 28mm tires try running close to 100 psi.  I run 23mm medium weight road tires at 120psi and get one flat a year on similar roads and distances to what you describe.
Comment: Not all 28mm tires are even rated for 100 psi. I've got fairly reputable (Michelin Pro4 Endurance) 28mm tires rated for 58-87 psi, and I've never gotten pinch flats running them around 65-70 psi.
Answer: Technique should not be discounted too - stop riding through roadside detritus and go around it.
Learn to unweight your bike if there's unavoidable potholes, or ideally learn to bunny hop.
Depending on your location you may be entitled to take the road lane (this is also a great speed motivator.)

Another technique to revise is how to fit your tubes/tyres.  A mistake in fitting can contribute to later punctures, so never use screwdrivers as levers only plastic tools if you need one at all.
You should also practice putting the tyre's logo at the valve stem.  This way when you find the puncture in the tube you can lay it out on the tyre, and identify a 50mm area of the tyre to inspect closely.  Makes finding the cause a lot easier.
Punctures are a part of riding sadly, so don't be put off by the odd flat.
Comment: I would take the lane, but the combination of little daylight, inattentive drivers at 55+mph and rolling hills has me worried about that. I do my best to avoid the glass. In town I can easily maneuver or hop the potholes. Unweghting is something I will have to learn.
Comment: Is bunny hopping a good idea on a road bike?  I loved to jump curbs or obstacles on my mountain bike, but since obtaining a road bike, I've avoided it. I've been afraid of putting too much stress on the skinny wheels and breaking a spoke or putting the wheel out of true.  Are my fears unfounded?  I'm a heavy man... does that change things?
Comment: @CRoberts unweighting is like a jump but its more about timing and reducing your weight on the saddle at the right instant.
Comment: @gilly3 I'd rather bunny hop than smash through a pothole. A quick wrist/leg lift of the bike might be all it takes to save you from a sudden obstacle. I've successfully cleared 7 out of 8 cattle stops while moving at speed. (the last one I was moving too slow and flatted by landing the back wheel on the irons.) Road wheels may be skinny, but they're still as strong as your frame. If you're trying to land sideways, that's a taco recipe no matter what. Bunny hopping on a road bike is totally fine, and much easier if you have clips or clipless over flat pedals.
Answer: 32 mm puncture resistant with slime is good prevention.
I don't like a liner as it abrades the tube.
I don't carry slime as the spare as they take up a lot more space.
I took the Schwalbe Marathons off my bike as they are heavy and harsh.  But they are about the most ballistic.
Inspect your tires on a regular basis and clear debris!  You often have small glass that will work its way into a puncture.  Keep the tires at recommended pressure.
Answer: In contrast to Criggie's answer
I use Marathon Plus (size 700x32) and don't get punctures.
I started using them because I used to get occasional punctures and didn't like that.
I even found they're faster, too, if only because I'm more confident, that potholes and whatnot have no effect on them.
You say you had 3 flats in 1 week (where "1 week" is presumably 160 miles). I have no flats in 1000s and 1000s of km.
I found they have to be newish, after 5 years the tires lost their magic i.e. became vulnerable to slow leaks, partly from wear but maybe because the rubber dries out or something even if they're not too worn (I replaced them, and the new tires are magic again).
Comment: I'm really leaning towards the idea of tougher tires that are slightly wider and carrying extra tubes. I know that my speed well suffer, but that just means I have to push harder.
Comment: 5 years is an awesome run for any serious rider's tyres.  I get 2-3 years and that's with several different bikes sharing the work.
Comment: My tires weren't really too worn down even (similar to [this](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/40571/1097) rather than [this](https://www.schwalbetires.com/tech_info/tire_wear)) ... so I guess (and [this answer](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/40545/1097) claims) it's age (possibly weather), not just how much they're used.
Answer: If you are getting flats very frequently, you probably have some glass embedded in the tire and when you hit a bump at the right place, it pierces the tube.  I had tires that looked like they were in good shape but I was getting flats on every ride.  When I got two flats on a 50 mile ride I decided to switch to gatorskins.  I then suffered a catastrophic blowout with that tire where the bead separated but the manufacturer replaced it at no cost.  I also went to larger tires on the recommendation of the bike shop.  According to the dude, the larger tires are actually 'faster' because there is less contact with the road.  I'm not sure about this 'fact' but I haven't had a flat since, it's more comfortable and I don't really notice much difference in performance.
Comment: @NoahSutherland I'm also struggling with this statement in the article: "Higher pressure *decreases* the energy required to flex the tire."  I'm quite certain it's the opposite or I'm misunderstanding the statement.
Comment: I think "less contact" is incorrect. But wider tires can actually be faster because they're a lower pressure and conform to all the tiny imperfections in the road better. It does depend on the quality of the tire though. Here's one article that gets into it a bit: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/tire-pressure-take-home/
Comment: @NoahSutherland So that's a little counter-intuitive.  The flatter the tires, the more contact, the more friction means more resistance.  Consider a drag-racing tire.  Wide, soft, and no tread.  But the are not round, they are flat.  This is because they are trying to maximize friction.  Also, I pump my bigger tires to the same pressure as the smaller ones so, I'm not sure I follow your logic on this.
Comment: Hmm...I'm not sure about that last statement. It does seem opposite, but I don't know the science incredibly well. The basic idea though is that with lower pressure (and especially with a high quality supple tire) the tire conforms and absorbs vibration better and allows the bike and rider to keep momentum more efficiently. There are a lot of other articles out there with some pretty in depth studies to back it up. As far as your comparison of big and small tires, you should be able to get away with lower pressure on the wider tires because the larger volume of air can support the weight.
Comment: @NoahSutherland Interestingly the [article](https://janheine.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/tire_pressure.jpg) that page links to has a section at the end titled: *Wider Tires are Faster*.  The terminology is a little hard to parse but maybe that's what my dude read.
Comment: I just read that too. It's all incredibly interesting. I don't claim to understand it all, but it seems to be the accepted wisdom at this point.
Comment: +1 for carefully inspecting insides of the tire. Some nasty things might be stuck there, automatically puncturing any new tubes. I had this happened once, that's a lesson for life.
Comment: I think "Higher pressure decreases the energy required to flex the tire" means: higher pressure decreases the amount that the tire flexes (and therefore decreases the energy lost to tire flexing).
Answer: No one has yet mentioned checking the condition of your rim tape yet but if the parts of the rim where the spokes are attached are showing through that may be contributing to your flats
If you are riding on the extreme shoulder of the road consistently that may be more of a cause

Help with flats


How do I separate egg white?

Question: What are ways of getting only the egg white from an egg? Can it be done after the yolk is broken?
Answer: The traditional method is as Rumtscho describes.
I got tired of this method for several reasons:

Egg shells are dirty.
Shells get in the egg (especially with home collected eggs which have MUCH thicker shells than store purchased eggs)
Egg shells are sharp and it's hard to keep yolks whole.
That method just takes too long if you need more than 2 eggs.

Now I just crack the egg into my hand (which has been thoroughly washed -- cleaner than an eggshell). I hold my fingers a little apart and let the white slip through, leaving the yolk in my hand.
Quick and simple.
Regardless of the method that you use you should use three bowls: one for the collected whites, one for the white you are working on, and one for the yolks.
Remember: only dump the current white into the collected whites after verifying that the yolk is whole. That way you don't spoil all your whites with one broken yolk.
Comment: This is the method I've seen used by pastry cook, sous chef, and kitchen manager where I work.  It's fast and effective, if slightly messier.  You should have gloves or REALLY clean hands though.
Comment: Yes, I do this too.
Comment: @msh210- It's faster, of course, if you can crack it with one hand. If you can't do that then crack the egg as you would normally but hold it vertically when you open the shell so the egg stays in half the shell. Then tip it into your hand.
Comment: @ThiagoChaves No. First, this is done with *very* clean hands. Secondly a tiny, tiny amount of oil doesn't matter: [Serious Eats](http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/10/is-it-true-not-to-get-yolk-in-egg-whites.html). Oil is a big deal, but I'm guessing that we all know how to clean our hands.
Comment: yep - i used to use the shell-to-shell method, but now i do like my grandmother, and just use my hands. it works so much better.
Comment: So you just squeeze the egg in one hand (thereby breaking the shell) and let the white drip out? Or you crack it open as you would if separating it the way rumtscho and ElendilTheTall described (on the edge of a bowl, say), and then drop it into your hand? Or what?
Comment: @msh210 Note that you do NOT crack the egg by squeezing it so hard the shell shatters. This will result in bits of shell EVERYWHERE.
Comment: @Yamikuronue I'd think you're right, but I think Sobachatina does just that.
Comment: @msh210- I tap it on the counter to introduce a weak spot then use my thumb and middle finger to press on the sides of the weak spot and my index and ring fingers to pull the two halves of the shell apart from each other. Basically the same pressure I would apply with two thumbs I apply with the fingers of one. Maybe there is a better way- I settled on this method through trial and error.
Comment: The natural oil in our hands wouldn't get in the way of beating egg whites? Isn't it the same as allowing a bit of yolk to mix with them?
Answer: It can't be done after the yolk is broken/pierced. But, of course, separating white from yolk requires that you break the egg shell to separate them.

Break egg roughly in halves along its "equator".
Hold both halves broken side up, like cups. One of them contains egg white and the yolk, and the other only egg white.
Empty the egg whites from the half-shell without yolk into a receptacle (e.g. bowl)
Slide the yolk from the other half-shell into the empty shell, taking with it as small an amount of egg white as possible. Pay attention to the yolk; you must not pierce it at the jagged shell edges.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there is no longer separable egg white remaining.

Generally, it is OK to have a tiny amount of whites with the yolks, so you don't have to separate perfectly.
It can happen that yolk gets pierced. If you need the egg whites (e.g. for meringue), don't use the ones into which yolk has bled, even if it is a tiny amount. Dump both yolk and contaminated whites into the yolk bowl (or trash).
If your yolk is pierced and you need the yolks (e.g. for hollandaise) and there is still lots of egg whites with the yolk, you have to continue separating. But if you suspect that you might need the whites pure, just put the contaminated whites from this egg in a separate receptacle (e.g. a teacup) and add them to something which uses whole eggs.
This YouTube video by updowngroupfood illustrates the method nicely, only they crack the egg into two different-sized "halves." For me, it works better when the halves are of equal size.
Comment: That's what I said ;)
Comment: @ElendilTheTall When I started typing, you hadn't said it yet. I must have missed the "new answer posted". But yes, it is practically the same.
Comment: I'll forgive you :) Yours is better laid out anyhoo.
Comment: Thank you rumtscho for the detailed steps and the video.
Comment: I prefer to crack the egg into my hand with the fingers loosely open. The whites slide through, leaving a lovely golden orb in the palm of my hand.
Answer: If by the egg being broken you mean the shell, then yes, of course! If you mean the yolk, it's very tricky. And if you mean after you've dumped the whole egg into a bowl, possibly, but you have to very careful not to break the yolk.
There are probably various ways of separating an egg, but I do it by carefully tapping it on the side of a bowl. Then, I break the egg in half while holding it vertically so that the yolk remains in one half of the shell, letting the white in the non-yolk half fall into the bowl. Then I gently tip the yolk into the empty half, while leaving the white behind (and letting any dribbly bits fall into the bowl as I transfer the yolk). Repeat until most of the white is in the bowl.
Remember, if you are separating the egg to get the yolks, a little bit of egg white is fine. If you are separating the egg to get whites, you can't get any yolk in there.
You can buy egg separators, which are like measuring spoons with a small hole in the bottom. You crack the egg into the spoon and the white runs out through the hole. But why shell out (no pun intended. Ok, maybe a little...) for that when you can do it in 5 seconds without it?
Comment: :) I actually only realised I'd said shell out afterwards :)
Comment: Update to this answer: if you crack your egg carefully into a bowl, then take a small empty plastic water bottle, squeeze it a little, place it gently on the yolk and let the bottle relax, the negative pressure will suck the yolk into the bottle. You can then squeeze it out over another bowl. Works a treat.
Comment: @Elendil- the bottle idea is really interesting but doesn't the suction rupture the yolk?
Comment: Nope. The only thing you have to be careful of is releasing the pressure when the bottle is still vertical - once the yolk is past the neck, you just need to make sure you tilt the bottle horizontal. I've been using this method for months and haven't had a broken yolk yet.
Comment: Cool. I'll have to try it out.
Answer: All you need is a small empty plastic water bottle. Break an egg on a plate, then squeeze the bottle lightly and bring it to touch the egg yolk. Let go, and watch the yolk slide into the bottle! Check out a video of this method in action.
Comment: Here's a video of it - takes only seconds per yolk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4E_9iAU3RI
Answer: The simplest way would be to put a small hole in the narrow edge of the egg (using small narrow object like tine of fork) and tilt the egg slowly. The white will come out of the small hole and yolk will remain in the shell.
Once the yolk is broken, it starts mixing with the white, so its almost impossible to separate them.
Comment: You need to punch 2 holes, small one at the bottom, bigger one at the top. It works just like the egg separator tools :)
Comment: My eggs are too fresh for this approach. The whites are thick enough that they will not flow through any hole smaller than a nickel.
Comment: You'd need to wait a *really long time* for the white to dribble out through a single small hole. As in, the egg would be quite stinky before you succeeded. Plus there's the danger of poking a hole in the yolk when you pierce the shell. A small hole *plus suction* is a good way to empty out an eggshell after it has been dyed, but that's about it.
Comment: This method *sounds* great, but does it actually work?
Answer: The method rumtscho describes works well with practice. But if you're lazy like me, consider picking up an egg separator tool - it catches the yolk and lets the whites fall through.
Answer: Crack the egg into a saucer, put an egg cup over the yoke, tilt the saucer and the white falls off. Whaddya mean you don't have an egg cup, you have eggs!
Comment: I think the idea is you let it flow out under the egg cup, using the cup to hold the egg back :-)
Comment: This sounds like it'll tend to keep a decent amount of white with the yolk, unless the sizes match up really well.
Answer: Place a slotted spoon over a cup or jar.  Break the egg into the spoon and let the whites slip through the spoon's slots.  The yolk will remain in the spoon.
Comment: This works, but I still prefer to do the same thing with my hand.  Tupperware used to sell a funny little spoon like device just for this purpose...
Answer: I make egg white omelettes nearly every day. I have tried a number of ways to separate the eggs. Being sensitive to how easily the yolk can be pierced led me to this process. Here's the simplest way I've found yet:

Break eggs on a flat surface with only as much force as necessary to
open the egg quickly.
Open into a wide mouth bowl.
Bring yolks up with your fingers.
Let the whites pull away from the yolks, adding intermittent pressure
between the fingers if necessary.
This process allows you to identify if a yolk broke prematurely - you
can then scoop it quickly and try to save as much of the white as you
can.
Answer: A pair of suction-separators have recently hit the market that promise to make it easy to separate yolk from white.
The Pluck ($12.99):

And the Yolkr (£18.00):

Separating eggs will never be the same.
Comment: Note that if you don't want to spend $10-20 for this, [Felissa's suggestion of a water bottle](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/30290/1672) is basically the same thing, just not as stylish.
Answer: Crack open the egg and gently dump the entire egg into a bowl - you don't want the yolk to break . Make certain your hands are freshly washed, and then just scoop your fingers around each yolk, and lift out. Hopefully you don't have long, jagged fingernails that would pierce the yolk and contaminate the whites. I use this method when I have to separate 2 or more eggs.

How do I separate egg white?


Probability integral transforms of risk-neutral densities

Question: I've backed out a time series of risk-neutral densities of GBP/USD options using a non-parametric approach in Matlab and would like to assess their forecast ability by applying the unconditional test in section 2.3 (page 11) of Christoffersen and Mazzotta "The Accuracy of Density Forecasts from Foreign Exchange Options", JFinEmetr (2005). However, I am not sure how to go about obtaining a series of probability transforms from truncated RNDs. I am also very new to Matlab so any guidance regarding the implementation of Christoffersen and Mazzotta (2005) would be greatly appreciated.
Comment: This is wierd,, the public (SSRN) version of Christoffen and Mazzotta does not have a section 5b. What kinds of "probability transforms" does it use?
Comment: Sorry, it should be section 2.3 (page 11) in the SSRN version. I have edited my question to make the correction and have also provided a link to the paper.
Answer: Calculate the cumulative RNDs - these form a bijection from the observed returns through to (0,1). Reverse the map so that a random uniform samples a return from the distribution. Non-parametric sampling that recovers the estimated terminal density goven by vanilla option prices.
Comment: Thanks for your answer James, I think it cleared up a lot. I am not sure I understand how the 'uniform' probability transform is related to the cdf, I saw this expression in a paper: $U_{t, h} \equiv \int_{-\infty}^{S_{t+h}}f_{t, h}(u)du\equiv F_{t, h}(S_{t+h})$. The right-hand side makes sense but I don't quite know how that is equivalent to the uniform probability transform, $U_{t, h}$.
Comment: I was able to calculate the cdfs and have applied the inverse of the standard normal cdf to them to obtain a series of normal transform variables, would the next step be just applying the GMM to test whether their central moments are equal to those of the normal distribution?


How to permit multiple Project Managers to update a shared project

Question: I have searched and not found an answer for this (nor did Google help).  We are on Project Server 2007.  I am running a large program with multiple project managers handling different parts of the program.  I would like to allow one of my project managers to get into the master plan to update it.  I cannot for the life of me figure out how to allow this in Project Server for this particular project.
Answer: Use the Subproject or Link Projects features which ever is present on your version.
Comment: Can you add some details? For example, how to use each of those features to solve this problem?
Answer: This question is quite old. I'm adding an answer so it could help someone looking for the same solution.
In Project Server 2007 you can do the following:

Create a security category and include that project in the category.
Create a security group and apply the security template corresponding
to the "Portfolio Managers" group (that is, permissions should be the
same). However, this group should belong only to the "My Projects"
and "My Tasks" categories. Also, add the new category you created.
Finally, include the project managers to this group.

This way, those project managers will have Portfolio Managers privileges but only over this particular project.
If it doesn't work, you can try adding the project managers to the new category and see if it works.
On later Project Server versions, this method only works if security is configured as "Project Server Security". In Sharepoint security it's easier: just search for the security groups created for that project; one of these groups is related to Project Managers, you only have to add the users to that group.
Hope this helps.


What was Finland's position in World War Two?

Question: What was Finland's position in World War Two? Apparently, they were fighting against the Soviet Union, but not as Nazi Germany's ally. Are there reasons for this, and were they actually on Germany's side?
Comment: Please check google before asking.
Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participants_in_World_War_II#Finland
Comment: incredibly broad, vote to close
Answer: The USSR attacked Finland in 1939, which ended in a stalemate (1940). This was an embarrassment to the USSR, but the treaty gave the USSR 10% of Finnish territory.
Finland sought to bolster its military strength with treaties and alliances. Great Britain and the USA were allied with the USSR against Hitler at the time and therefore would not help. Finland turned to Germany (the enemy of my enemy is my friend...), which sent troops to Finland.
In June of 1941 the USSR launched air-raids against Finland, which in turn declared war on the USSR and allowed German troops stationed within Finland to take offensive action. In the south the Finns and Germans re-took their territory. When they started going beyond reclaiming land, the UK demonstrated its support of the USSR with its Raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo. In December 1941 Finland took up defensive positions, which resulted in relative calm for several years.

On 16 March 1944, the President of the United States, Franklin D.
  Roosevelt, called for Finland to disassociate itself from Nazi
  Germany.
On 9 June 1944, the Red Army launched a massive attack against
  Finland.

The USSR pushed the Finns back to where the previous truce had occurred (-10% land for Finland).

The dire situation in 1944 had led to Finnish president Risto Ryti
  giving Germany his personal guarantee that Finland would not negotiate
  peace with the Soviet Union for as long as he was the president. In
  exchange Germany delivered weapons to the Finns. After the Soviet
  invasion was halted; however, Ryti resigned.

The USSR was then in a race to Berlin and couldn't be bothered with Finland.
In Sept 1944, peace was made and the Moscow armistice signed, which bound Finland to drive German forces from Finland. Finland tried to drive the Germans in a friendly fashion; agreeing to let the Germans leave peaceably. The Soviets refused to accept that, and so Finnish troops attacked the Germans, who proceeded to burn most of the houses in the Northern half of Finland (1-2k casualties on each side, and 100,000 people lost their homes).
Note: Finland protected its Jews against the Nazi's antisemitism.
-Wikipedia
Comment: It is important to note that Finland was a democratic country with a [center-left government](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_parliamentary_election,_1939) at that time. It was certainly more inclined to ally with the Soviet Union than with Germany - hadn't the Soviets attacked them.
Comment: FWIW, I was told by a Finn that the Germans were the ones that stopped with the "nice" withdrawal.  No idea what he was using as sources, and it could just be one of those ideas floating around a country.
Comment: @DavidThornley I just summarized the Wikipdedia article. I have no clue which is correct.
Comment: Finn is spelled Finn, btw.
Comment: @Mahnax fixed =)
Comment: @JoeHobbit Kiitos.
Answer: Finland to an extent played both sides. This article pretty well covers things. The combination of difficult terrain and well trained, well equipped soldiers helped the Finns ensure their independence. They did lose a fair chunk of territory to the Soviets but succeeded in staying masters of their own affairs and allegiances.
Comment: Possibly fairer to say that the Finns were caught in the middle. Russia wanted the territory and there wasn't much else they could do.
Answer: Joe Hobbit summarises the bulk of the war, but it is important to note that during the Winter War (1940), the Soviets were collaborating with Germany, and not yet allies with UK or France.
In fact, UK and France tried to send military support to Finland, and many volunteers actually fought alongside the Finns.
Basically, Finland was caught in the middle of events much larger than themselves. They wanted to defend themselves, and allied with whoever was opposed to the Soviets at the time.
Comment: @Anixx: While there was no formal Military Alliance between Nazi Germany and the USSR, their was to all practical extents and purposes a working alliance. They invaded Poland in 1939 in concert and divided it up between them. The USSR supplied Germany with foodstuffs and war materials up the sneak attack on June 22, 1941. This is what a working alliance looks like.
Comment: @Anixx - how does the latter invalidate the former? Does the name "Molotov-Ribbentrop" mean anything to you?
Comment: Hmm, allied might be a bit too strong. What would you call their relationship, then? They certainly engaged in a joint military operation…
Comment: And, was USSR concerned about their security? Did they expect Finland to initiate hostilities? Seems to me that all the Soviets needed to do was to not be perceived as a threat to Finland to keep them out of the war.
Comment: Wow, would've thought the Soviets would love that: let the Germans fight their own Winter War against the Finns, then the Soviets could step in to 'save' them.
Comment: Previously Poland invaded Chechoslovakia and devided it in concert with Germany.
Comment: The Soviets were never allied with Germany (and Finland was not opposed to Germany either). But you are right that Finland allied with whoever opposed the USSR. This was a major concern of the USSR's security given the anticipated war with Germany.
Comment: Yes, they expected Finland could be used by a third power to assault Leningrad and claimed this as a justification for a proposed territory exchange. The third power here could only be Germany.
Comment: @Felix Goldberg in that case the USA and Sweden were also in alliance with Germany. Sweden supplied Germany with more armaments than any other country. I think the USSR did not ship armaments to Germany after 1939.
Comment: @Anixx [Molotov (USSR) and Ribbentrop (Germany) made a deal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov%E2%80%93Ribbentrop_Pact) to split Poland, and leave the Baltic states and Finland for USSR to annex. They jointly pulverized Poland. Soviets took over the Baltic states. Only Finland manage to put up a fight. Of course, the USSR had no real need/desire to annex Finland, but safety of Leningrad was a concern, and Stalin did not trust Finland to be able to stop Germany from bombing Leningrad from the Finnish side (only a few dozen kilometers to then Finnish border from Leningrad).
Answer: Finland had lost "11% of its territory and 30% of its economic power" (e.g. the Petsamo nickel mines to the Soviet Union in the "Winter War" of 1939-1940.
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Winter_War
The German invasion of the Soviet Union offered Finland a chance to get these back. Finnish troops advanced to the pre (Winter) war boundary, but no further.
Finland wasn't pro Nazi Germany. But "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Comment: Actually, the [East Karelian offensive of 1941](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_reconquest_of_Ladoga_Karelia_(1941)) extended considerably beyond the pre-Winter War borders.
Comment: Finns also joined SS units to fight outside that boundary against the USSR.
Comment: @Oldcat: That was the decision of individual Finns (and Norewegians, and Danes, etc.) not of the Finnish government.
Comment: The sources I see say that this is not true, that this had the support of the Finnish Government, kept quiet to avoid provocation.  Finns weren't Nazis, but they were Nazi Allies by all reasonable measures.
Answer: Finland had a military treaty with Germany and they commonly prepared operation Barbarossa (invasion in the USSR). German army prepared positions on Finnish territory and Finnish army started mobilization 15 June, a week before the invasion in the USSR had started.
10 July 1941 Finnish army together with German troops stationed in the Finnish territory began offensive in the USSR.
On the occupied territories Finnish administration created concentration camps for Slavic-speaking population and performed ethnic cleanings. On the other hand Permic and Ugic-speaking peoples were respected.
Jewish POWS and Soviet citizens were separated in special camps for Jews with moderate regime. They were planned to be transferred to Germany about which they were informed, although only a minority of POWs were actually transferred to Gestapo (mostly Communists irrespective of ethnicity).
In the Soviet territory Finnish troops also participated in the siege of Leningrad.
In 1944 after the armistice with the USSR Finland declared war on Germany and expelled German troops.
Comment: -1: Answer is misleading. There is no attempt of objectiveness. Historical facts are mentioned very selectively, vaguely, and without references.
Comment: I'm not sure how historical this answer actually is, but it is certainly a fascinating insight in how a Russian looks at the war.
Comment: -1, what @kubanczyk said. At the very least the Winter war of 1939-1940 during which the Soviet Union (which was at the time Nazi Germany's closest ally) tried to conquer Finland should have been mentioned. Otherwise, one gets the impression the Finns just attacked the Russians out of the blue sky in 1941.


How to make nice whooshes??

Question: Hi! I'd like to start thread to share some secrets on how to create nice whooshes, everyone has their own technics and methods so how do you make fresh, new whoshes???
Answer: I like to take some interesting ambiences and pass them through a short doppler effect.
You can generate a lot of varied material rather quickly and have precise control over the length.
It works great with natural elements such as wind but I've had some surprisingly good results with machinery, there is quite a large opportunity for experimentation with some of your tired out sound library.
Comment: Check this out...  I've used this technique with great success...  http://designingsound.org/2010/02/charles-deenen-special-100-whooshes-in-2-minutes/
Answer: The human voice is one of the most versatile synthesizers going and I've recorded many whooshes that can be used as base sounds and then layered with other sound textures.
Answer: Add a little more doppler effect by loading the sound into a sampler and then pitch bending.
Answer: Anyone familiar with this technique???
http://designingsound.org/2010/02/charles-deenen-special-100-whooshes-in-2-minutes/
Comment: its interesting, but isn't whether the woosh is  actually appropriate more of a concern? WHY vs HOW?
Comment: this is an amazing workflow that works everytime.
Answer: Still one of my standbys - I heard Frank Serafine mention something similar in an interview when I was just getting interested in film sound - Take any good percussive sound with a decent tail (say a metal hit), reverse it and then either add reverb for a new tail, or crossfade it with the original tail... Voila!
Answer: One very simple and very basic technique would be to take a transient sound with a long decay, duplicate it and reversing the duplicate and then combining the original and the reversed region in a way that their peaks meet. This is what I did for a few arrow whooshes on my last project and it worked pretty well for me..
Answer: I like a mic well shielded, and using different sizes of wooden chopping boards. Moving perpendicular to their large surface area.
Answer: I second the use of the breath. The way I do it is just take a dynamic mic (as it doesn't pick out ambient noises if you don't have an expensive studio) and breath in it in various intensities. On the audio track I have Native Instruments Absynth as effect processor and just by tweaking the presets you can get really crazy (and quality) swooshes, but obviously by studying the patches you notice it's just a matter of layering reverbs and delays and trying a variety of settings so you can do it very well without the software, just using whatever FX you have .
Answer: CDs are nice, and taping over the hole and changing the angle will create different whistling sounds.
Answer: Hello,
I'm really new here, also a newby sound designer (and really happy to find this place :)
I was experimenting with some techniques to make an auto generative whoosh patch weeks ago, using absynth and Usine. Not a great thing, without too much external samples, just some real time pitch variations.
Maybe could be useful for you,
http://az-rotator.com/?p=106
Thanks
Answer: A few years ago, I was working on a Kung Fu short that needed some quick swishes and whooshes (as Kung Fu movies will). Not wanting to go into a library, I ended up grabbing my cats' feather toy with a 3' plastic rod and whirled it around in front of a microphone. It worked great, and is a method I still use when I want quick swish/whoosh sounds.
Also, I suggest checking out this video posted on Designing Sound a few years back.
Answer: There are so many ways to make whooshes!  I like to use a sampler (Kontakt is my fave).  Use a nice long sound effect (wind works fairly well), and a filter, and set the knobs to midi learn.  Then you can "perform" the whoosh by playing with the knobs on your midi keyboard in real-time.  If your sampler has built-in fx you can get some pretty neat sounds.  In the case of Kontakt, it has many built-in fx including doppler, verb, delay, distortion, etc.
Alternatively, you can pop an explosion sound into kontakt, set it to play in reverse, turn on loop mode to play back-forth until release, and set your loop points to not play the transient of the explo.
Answer: We released a Reaktor Instrument on http://meltedsounds.com It is called Whoosh and enables you to design complex whoosh and pass by sound effects. But full version of Reaktor is needed. Cheers Tilman
Answer: Take a directional mic and record some interesting sound source by whipping it by quickly so that you get your own doppler effect/whoosh. Worked pretty well for Ben Burtt too ;)
Answer: Just two days ago Jean-Edouard Miclot posted this item in another forum:

Hey guys, I finally found some time to
  implement Charles's technique in Kyma.
  I made the tools available for
  download should you want to experiment
  with it and maybe expend its
  features...
Here's the link:
  http://jedsound.com/blog/?page_id=1020
Thank you, Jean-Edouard Miclot

Perhaps that'll give you some ideas of how to create whooshes.
Answer: New product for creating Swooshes...
http://meltedsounds.com

How to make nice whooshes??


What is the difference between DOES IT and DOES THAT?

Question: Please help.
What is the difference between 'How long does it take?'
and 'How long does that take?'
I'm really confused.
Thank you.
Answer: They are mostly used in the same way. A slight difference is that there is a little more emphasis involved with 'that'. Then for most cases, "it" is used to address a single object,

We watched the stars at night. It was fun. (watching the stars at night was fun)

whereas, "that" can be used to address multiple things (not necessarily), or a group of things.

We went to the observatory and watched the stars. That was wonderful. (The trip to the observatory and watching the stars were both wonderful)

There are sentences where you cannot use "that", for example,

It was great running into you today.

Coming to your sentence,

'How long does it take?'
'How long does that take?'

You could ask someone : 'How long would it take for you to drive all the way here?'
or'You'll have to drive all the way here. How long would that take?'.
Typically 'that' requires a point of reference. An event or an object, and that's mainly the reason why it is added to the second part of a sentence.
Answer: I go to office by bus. How long does it/that take?
I think there's no difference in meaning; you can use either it or that to refer to something that has already been mentioned.  However, the use of "that" is emphatic in this context.
Besides, you usually use "it" as an empty subject in a sentence as follows:
How long does it take to go to office by bus?
Answer: Use "that" when you are referring to something that has already been mentioned:

"I need to change the oil in my car. How long does that take?"

Use "it" in the other case:

"How long does it take to change the oil in my car?"

In some cases they can be used interchangeably, and they are certainly flexible with poetic license, but you should always be right if you think about it this way.


What is the argument and Biblical basis that it is possible to know God from nature?

Question: What is the Biblical basis for the argument that it is possible for someone to learn limited (non-salvific) information about God without learning about him from the Bible or another believer, such as from nature?
Comment: Many Christian denominations teach that "General Revelation" is available from nature, while "Special Revelation," necessary for salvation, is available only from scripture/the gospel. Here's a more detailed [*explanation*](http://carm.org/questions/about-bible/what-general-and-special-revelation).
Comment: Check out the transcendentalists: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendentalism
Comment: The words of J.B.S. Haldane provide an example: "God has an inordinate fondness for beetles."  (I am not sure what one can do on the basis of this insight, however.)
Answer: Well you have two questions here and there are opposite answers for each.
Can you know about God without the Bible or other believer? Yes according to the Bible you can.
Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Psalms 19:1-2

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
     the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
  2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
     night after night they reveal knowledge.

But then comes the title question. Is it possible to KNOW God from nature? The answer is no.   Just like you can learn some things about my intelligence by looking at the way I code programs, you could never KNOW me just by looking at my code. In fact you could get the wrong idea about me completely if you only look at the actual code and don't read the comments in it! You've got to come to where I am if you want to know me. That's just logic, but what does the Bible say about that? How would we 'come' to God?
John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

So you can know about God without help from the bible, but I don't think you can say you could KNOW God without either the Bible, or others who know Him, because in order to KNOW God you have to have faith in Jesus, and while the heavens openly and obviously declare the glory of God, they don't obviously announce the person of Jesus Christ.  However, that doesn't mean that if no Bible or christian is available you can't ever know Him, God said in several places those who seek Him will find Him.  For example:
Deuteronomy 4:29

But if from there you seek the LORD your God,
  you will find him if you look for him with all your heart
  and with all your soul.

But if there is scripture or other christians available and you don't consult them, how could you claim to be seeking God with all your heart and soul?
Comment: Nice pointing out the distinction between the title and the question.  It wasn't on purpose, but you still answered very nicely.
Comment: The question has changed. You might want to edit your answer, but shouldn't need to.
Answer: It is possible to envision the idea of God by looking to creation as you've said. It is written:

24How many are your works, LORD!
    In wisdom you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
25There is the sea, vast and spacious,
    teeming with creatures beyond number—
    living things both large and small.
26There the ships go to and fro,
    and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27All creatures look to you
    to give them their food at the proper time.
28When you give it to them,
    they gather it up;
  when you open your hand,
    they are satisfied with good things.
29When you hide your face,
    they are terrified;
    when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.
30When you send your Spirit,
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.
  (Psalms 104:24-30, NIV)

But if you want a non-biblical argument there are also philosophical arguments.
For example, Aristotle in his works metaphysics explains about the absolute substance, the "unmoved mover". He deduced this idea by observing the nature.

One of the substances he describes is that of an "unmoved mover"
  which, he argues, exists by necessity and is eternal. For something to
  be eternal, it is neither created nor destroyed, but always has and
  always will exist. For something to be a substance, it exists by
  virtue of itself ("kath'auton") in the sense that its existence is not
  dependent on anything else

Another philosopher, Descartes, by observing that in nature there are different degrees of perfection in the created beings, he deduced that there must be one perfect being.  If that being could not exist, then that being could not be perfect. This is known as Descartes ontological argument.
The argument goes like this (quotation from the article)

I have an idea of supremely perfect being, i.e. a being having all perfections.
Necessary existence is a perfection.
Therefore, a supremely perfect being exists.

This philosophical idea has received criticism during the 20th century. But my point was to show that during the centuries, men have found themselves so amazed by nature that they could rationally conceive that God is the creator and that he is perfect.
Although, by mere rational argumentation one cannot grasp important facts about our Lord such as his Love for mankind, or to experience his love embrace and his transforming power in our souls. I think of two reasons: the first is the imperfection of the human mind, as it is written:

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the
  weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25, NIV)

and the second, that there are clear limits to human understanding, and that most of it is vanity of vanities; as it is written.

16I said to myself, "Look, I have increased in wisdom more than
  anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much
  of wisdom and knowledge." 17Then I applied myself to the
  understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned
  that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
    the more knowledge, the more grief. (Ecclesiastes 1: 16-18, NIV)
Comment: To look at the natural world, see gaps, and therefore reason as to the nature of something *outside* of the natural world is by definition neither "reasoning" nor "rational" in the literal sense in which those two words are applied today.
Comment: The question has changed. You might want to edit your answer, but shouldn't need to.


Culinary uses for hops

Question: Hop flowers are primarily used to preserve and flavor beer. Now that hops are starting to ripen in the northern hemisphere, I'm wondering: are there any other uses for them in the kitchen?
Comment: Don't forget hopping for aroma. Mmm!
Answer: You can use them to flavor other foods. I've seen cakes and other sweets made with hop flowers. You will probably want a low alpha-acid variety(alpha acid makes the bitter flavor), but both could be interesting.
To use, you could dry the flowers and mill to a fine powder. This can then be incorporated directly into food. I think they could be used similarly to how matcha powder is incorporated into recipes once ground.
You can also use the 'sludge' left over from brewing (mix of hop flowers and yeast
and barley bits) as an ingredient in bread, which gives a very interesting flavor. Hops alone would probably add a similar flavor.
Answer: I've heard you can cook and serve the young shoots (just a few inches long) much as you would asparagus.
Has anyone actually done this?
Answer: Infuse into oil for salad dressings
Answer: Some answers already mention Bittering, Preserving, and Flavor, but don't forget:
AROMA!
To expound on this, if you're adding for aroma, you should add at the very end of the "heating/cooking" process. This is because the essential oils of the hop will not have enough time to significantly dissolve into whatever it is you are cooking if you add it at the end. (eg. last 5 minutes.) Thus the oil scent is free to be released into the air when you smell whatever it is you are making.
If you add hops to something that's simmering/boiling and the hops are in the mix for more than 15 or 20 minutes, those essential oils dissolve into the liquid and become more of a flavoring/bittering agent, rather than aromatic.
Why is Aroma important?
Well, what you smell is complimentary to what you taste. The two enhance each other in the eating experience.
You'll have to experiment with hops, but one of my favorite hops is Amarillo. It has a very floral fragrance.
Answer: Since Pork Loin goes great with rosemary (evergreen, woody) maybe a rosemary roasted pork loin with a citrus pan sauce then at the end add a chiffonade of some piny hops like northern to the sauce to help embellish the rosemary and maybe even add a little cascade hops to emphasizes the citrus in the sauce. There are tons of different ways hops could be used for cooking. In a Cheddar Ale soup? tie some of whatever hops are in the ale up in a cheese cloth with other fresh herbs and add at the last five or ten minutes of cooking to give it an AMAZING aroma

Culinary uses for hops