how ignorant are you?

[BigV]

Originally Posted by smoothmoniker

Kind of

When two waves of pressure occupy the same space, they combine additively. If you drop a small stone with a 1 inch wave, and then a large stone with a 2 foot wave, when the two of them occupy the same space, the wave will be 2'1" high. The same thing with sound frequencies in a space. When a large wave and a small wave occupy the same space, they combine additively.

The reason they don't all get mashed up is that our ears are very, very good at reversing the process. They can listen to an complex waveform and pick out the composing simple waves.

sm, perhaps and explanation of frequency versus amplitude would help here. Strictly speaking, two waves of equal frequency, each having an amplitued of 2'1", but one is from a pair of rocks like you described and the other from a single rock that makes that same wave would be indistinguishable from each other.

regarding the record player example, it's just like the speaker/microphone example. the physical movement of the needle in the wavy groove moves back and forth as it follows the sides of the groove on the record. As it swings left and right, it moves inside a coil of wire. This movement inside a coil of wire induces a current in the wire, which is then amplified, just like the other examples.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by smoothmoniker

Kind of

When two waves of pressure occupy the same space, they combine additively. If you drop a small stone with a 1 inch wave, and then a large stone with a 2 foot wave, when the two of them occupy the same space, the wave will be 2'1" high. The same thing with sound frequencies in a space. When a large wave and a small wave occupy the same space, they combine additively.

The reason they don't all get mashed up is that our ears are very, very good at reversing the process. They can listen to an complex waveform and pick out the composing simple waves.

sm, perhaps and explanation of frequency versus amplitude would help here. Strictly speaking, two waves of equal frequency, each having an amplitude of 2'1", but one is from a pair of rocks like you described and the other from a single rock that makes that same wave would be indistinguishable from each other.

regarding the record player example, it's just like the speaker/microphone example. the physical movement of the needle in the wavy groove moves back and forth as it follows the sides of the groove on the record. As it swings left and right, it moves inside a coil of wire. This movement inside a coil of wire induces a current in the wire, which is then amplified, just like the other examples.

[lookout123]

thought it was that important of point, didja/

[cowhead]

I know a little about alot of things.. but... then again.. yeah I'm with you on the microwaves, cars,simple math.. oh geez everything! funny thing that I've run across is that most people I've met online and actually get along with are all in the same boat. overactive underachivers... over read and undereducated (or the reverse a few times)

and you really ought to order a gyro, they're damn yummy! (uh, not just because I work in a greek resturaunt... for real greeks!)

[Clodfobble]

Ulysses is nothing compared to Finnegan's Wake.

[BrianR]

Here are a few links that will help you understand VCRs, Tape players and such work. HowStuffWorks is a marvel!

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/vcr.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/tv.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cassette.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/video-format.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cd.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dvd.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/speaker.htm


That should get you started in the right direction.

Brian

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Ulysses is nothing compared to Finnegan's Wake.

Never really read either (I had Joyce's Ulysses out of the library once when I was in high school, paged through it a bit and decided it was uninteresting), but I did make a half hearted attempt at Gravity's Rainbow once. I haven't made that mistake again in a while though. But it still lurks there in the unread pile.

[wolf]

Just a thought, but maybe a separate thread for dispelling the darkness of ignorance would be appropriate?

[Tonchi]

Originally Posted by wolf

Just a thought, but maybe a separate thread for dispelling the darkness of ignorance would be appropriate?

You can find that on the Harry Potter forum

As for Ulysses the novel, I suppose you have to be drunk or Irish or both to get through it. Not because you will understand it better but rather because you won't CARE.

[Catwoman]

Thanks to all that have posted answers to the CD/tape thing.

I am now (yawn) going to take a week off to try and sort through this vast wealth of knowledge and really try to understand it.

You must appreciate this is as easy for me to understand as... the international statutes surrounding pharmacy law. It may take some time...

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Catwoman

You must appreciate this is as easy for me to understand as... the international statutes surrounding pharmacy law. It may take some time...

Hell, that's easy. If it makes more money for the drug company and cost you more for drugs, then that's the law.

[staceyv]

I am completely ingnorant about all sports. I couldn't tell you how many players are in a baseball game, basketball game, or football.

I have no idea what a linebacker is, or any of those other names they give themselves.

The only sports people I know are : Larry Bird, Kevin Mckale (sp?) (My uncle liked them when I was little), Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods (From TV commercials, I guess.)

I don't know how they make points or how many points they need to win.
I don't understand why a minute in sports is actually 3-10 minutes in real time, either.

I don't get any of it. If I am forced to sit in front of it, I space out and look at the guys' butts or wonder how much money they make, or I'll look at the fans and wonder why they are so excited and why they even care.

Then I'll get mad when people all start yelling at the TV, because it scares me. I'll just be sitting there calmly, deep in my own thoughts, and all of a sudden- "WAAAAAHHH, YEAAAAAH, NIIICE! WOOOH HOOO!". It makes me jump like I'm gonna have a heart attack. What the hell is the big deal?

By the way, I also don't get why everybody puts all these spaces in their posts, and I only do it because someone asked me to, and it's easy to do, so if it makes you happy, fine.

But, what do you do if you're reading a book? They don't have double spaces between each new thought. Neither do business letters or other standard formats for writing. They have indented paragraphs, but they don't separate different ideas within the paragraph.
My post about sports should technically be all in one paragraph, at least if I remember correctly from school.

[mrnoodle]

Originally Posted by staceyv

My post about sports should technically be all in one paragraph, at least if I remember correctly from school.

You don't

[staceyv]

Well, this IS the ignorance thread, so I'm doing a good job.

[wolf]

You turn the key, something magical happens, and the car goes when you push the long skinny pedal, the one next to the brake.

We really don't need to know much more than that, although I am heartened by this quest for knowledge.