CULTURAL QA 08-2022-14 BEING A COMPILATIONTHERE MAY BE ERRORS
Q1 Why are Swiss trains so punctual? A1 Nicholas Stone, Lifelong interest intrains. Updated Fri A remarkable feature of Swiss trains are theirpunctuality. This isparticularly remarkable because of the several track gauges, four nationallanguages, alpine geography and multiple operators. Indeed, there are over 20 railway companies. Swiss trains arepunctual because of the national efforts required to ensure punctuality. There is a joke that if the 08:00 train departure leaves when thestation clock shows 08:05, then either the train is not Swiss or the stationclock is not Swiss. My own experienceof Swiss travel is extraordinary reliability, allowing complex cross countryjourneys with tight connections. Trains arriving at many stations are greetedwith a fleet of connecting buses for onward road travel. The entire Swisstravel experience is often perfect, usually accompanied by magnificent scenery. Much money is spenton punctuality with track maintenance, reliable rolling stock and modern traincontrol systems. This punctuality comes at a price. In 2014, Swiss federal andcantonal government rail. subsidies were €5.8 billion - more than the UK with apopulation eights that of Switzerland. National managementand discipline ensures punctuality. There is one national website provided bySBB, owned by the Swiss Confederation. This allows through ticketing, throughjourney planning, cross platform interchanges and smart timetabling. It’s as iftrain punctuality and passenger convenience is a national priority. I thoroughlyrecommend a travelling across Switzerland by train (and where no train, then bybus on tram). My note- In southIndia I have observed the Double decker train from Chennai- Bangaloreis very punctual, it was before time, arrival time is changed now by advancing15 minutes. In return the Bangalore- Chennai mailarrives before time by at lest 15 minutes now. Q2 What is the proper term for afather-in-law to call his daughter-in-law? A2 Bhuvana Rameshwar, Wife and Mother Fri Her name. In some culturesthey are addressed as “bahu”or “marumagalay “ which translates to daughter in law. But best is calling her by hername or by the shortened form of her name. My fil called me bymy name “bhuvana” although my full name is ‘bhuvaneshwari’. But I have seenthat he always called me as Uma, mano or padmini in my mil's presence as if heforgot my name or confused my name with his other dils. When asked my milcovered up for him saying he sees you all as the same and treats you all withthe same respect. No differentiation. But I preferred him calling me by my nameonly. Sometimes I didn't answer calls until he called out “bhuvana”. Q3 What if humans could naturallysynthesize water internally for daily survival? A3 Ken Saladin, Former professor ofhistology (microscopic anatomy)Jul 28 We do make water internally—about 200 mL/day. This iscalled metabolic water and amounts to about 8% of average adult water needs.There are some animals such as the desert kangaroo rat that can surviveentirely on this and can go their whole lives without taking any water orally(but do drink it when it’s available). Q4 What are the things which doctors hateabout patients? A4 Tiny Nair,Cardiologist at PRS Hospital,Trivandrum5y Me? Just one thing. The background 200 years ago,there was no stethoscope. To listen to the heart sounds the doctor had to placehis ear directly on to the patient’s chest and listen. But then there was thisill young lady needing a medical examination; disturbing her modesty was out ofquestion. Her Physician, Dr Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec was worried andwanted to find a way out. On a December morning in 1816, Dr Laennec was takinga walk in the Louvre Park near Necker Hospital in Paris where he worked as aphysician. Two kidswere playing on a seesaw; one was tapping one end of the wooden plank, whilethe other listened with his ear pressed firmly to the other end of it. Likemost strollers he saw a seesaw, but his intelligent mind perceived it as aclue. The mischievous deeds of those giggling kids unknowingly gavean answer to his medical needs. He rolled a paper tube, applied it to the lady’s chest, and listened.Over time the paper role evolved into a wooden tube, and later a latex tubeattached to an earpiece. The modern day stethoscope was born. A stethoscope is asensitive instrument, designed to pick up a faint murmur of the heart or aslight change in the character of the heart sounds. Ascardiologists we have to concentrate hard to make a diagnosis. Mostcardiologists close their eyes and try to focus on what they are listening to. In case you havea grudge against your doctor, loudly wish him ‘good morning’ after he placesthe stethoscope on your chest. He would hear it like a dozen of diwali crackersgoing off at close quarters. This is how we hearyou if you talk with the stethoscope on your chest and our ear on the otherend. I can tell youthere is nothing more irritating to a doctor. We have heard ofstories of senior doctors pushing in a thermometer inside the patient’s mouthto keep talkative patients silent to get some peace of mind to concentrate. But again don'tworry. Many medical doctors don't intend to hear much with the stethoscope. I am reminded of aprank during our postgraduate days when we had put a piece of chewing guminside the tube of the stethoscope of one of our surgery colleagues, who wenton with his daily business of checking patients heart, lungs and blood pressuretill a general medicine resident borrowed his stethoscope and clarified itsfunctional status and declared it dead. Q5 Why are electric cables not made ofcopper? A5 Scotty Drye, BTh, MTh, BS, MWPS, OM,Engineer,Scientist, Theologian, Martial Artist, 4 FFLs9m While copper is anexcellent conductor, (and silver even better), they are much more expensive than aluminum. It is cheaper forelectric transmission to make use of thicker aluminum wires.In electric motors, size andconduction is more important, so copper is used here. Q6 If you've have ever used a glucosetablet how much did your glucose blood sugar level drop after using them? A6 Venkateswara Swamy Swarna,FormerScientist, Metallurgist, Quality / NDT Manager at Department of Atomic Energy,India (1967–2008)4h A glucose tablet is to raise the blood sugar level.Itis glucose in a tablet form and is thus more convenient to carry than theglucose in powder or liquid form. If you need to getthe glucose level down quickly, you may need to inject yourself some insulin.That is better done after proper tests and a prescription from a qualifieddoctor. My note- I keep ready the glucose powder tin, aspoon and glass on a table near bed room. If at any moment I feel no energetic,I consume 2-3 tea spoon either directly or drink it mixed with water. I also keep dehydration cure powder handy, if Ifeel not energetic by going to urinate more in the night, I mix half the packetto a bottle full of water and drink in 1-2 minutes. I feelenergetic. Blood sugar level does not increase in my case. Q7 Are high voltage wires always exposedto weather? A7 David Thomas, Former President, AlaskaElectric and Energy Cooperative (2007–2021)Thu In the US, most high and medium voltage lines are baremetal. Usually aluminum-conductor (for ampacity)steel-core (for strength) are used. The insulation needed at those voltageswould be considerable, weigh more (so poles would have to be spaced moreclosely), larger in diameter (so wind and ice load would be greater) andcertain repair would be much harder to strip wires, bond them together, andreinsulate them - that would dictate de-energizing the lines for something assimple as connecting a single new residential service. Versus using long “hotsticks” to tighten the bolt on a new tap onto the existing bare conductors. Would insulatingdistribution power lines (those medium 10,000 to 25,000-volt) have benefits?Some. Fewer large birds would get zapped (although conductor spacing can helpaddress that). Branches or trees in the line wouldn’t cause as many outages andfires, but many such instances would eventually wear through any insulation.When wires fall to the ground, the ends of each end would still arc to groundand insulation might get stripped off more of its length, although certainlynot as much bare conductor would be on the ground as currently. As opposed tooverhead lines, underground lines are always insulated and to some extentarmored. My note- After a storm before 3 years or so, inChennai all home connections are simply tapped withoutfuse box in the pole. Now 75% homes have power cables from nearestpole. The protection fuses are in the customerspremises only. Either 3 phase orsingle phase if snapped power will be there, it is cautioned , and EB staff arrive on phonecall, set right in half an hour. Snappingis very rare nowadays since periodic shut down supply and maintanace done. Q8 Are carrots healthier when raw orcooked? A8 Lucia Garcia,Worked at Hospitals Thu It is generally believed that eating raw vegetables ismore nutritious than eating cooked ones, however, carrots are different. Carrots are anexcellent source of β-carotene, and a medium carrot contains about 4.5 mg ofβ-carotene. β-carotene is themain nutritional component of carrots, which is an orange-yellow fat-solublecompound that Is a Precursor of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is one ofthe essential nutrients for the body, and its most important function is toenhance and protect eyesight, in addition, it also can strengthen the immunesystem and avoid the risk of various diseases. Both β-carotene and vitamin A are fat-soluble by nature,not water soluble, therefore, they can bebetter absorbed by the body only after Being Heated or Cooked and Mixed withOil or Fat. If you eat rawcarrots, about 90% of the β-carotene will be directly excreted from the bodyand cannot be absorbed and utilized. Q9 Do people actually want to live past60? A9 Thangiah Kannan, Interested in daytoday happenings (2020–present)Aug 7 Even a man whofinds it hard to get 3 meals a day don't want to die at or over 60. Post 60 every onehas memories, lots of them to cherish, to share but mostly to forget. Only 10%to 20% are fortunate not to have diabetes, hypertension like deficiencies or nofinancial concern. Even then nobody will think of dying. I am 74 andfortunate to have no major health issues or money issues and have a wife who isalso healthy and caring. Whenever a friend or close relative who was of my agesuddenly gone, however strong you are you will be shattered a little. Howeverit will pass and your life again will become normal. What will I thinkif I am left alone or unable to do my normal chores by myself? It will bescary. But will it make me to welcome death. I hope not. I have only twodaughters and through them have a grandson and grand daughter and all are awayfrom me living happily but are close to us, that is with me and wife. We will bestretched to our full when they visit us and my wife, who is 7 years younger tome work like a girl of 40 on those days not permitting our daughters to work,telling them to rest. That is life beyond60. The thinking of notable to do one’s own chores themself and live with a feeling of burdeningothers, I think will be the most scary thing in our old age. But I have one remembrance of a close relative who hadsevere diabetes which affected his vision and around 65he was bedridden and always on a very bad mood scolding his wife and son andothers. And when he died at 69 most of them are relieved more thangrieved. At such a state henever wanted to die and tried to get every possible medi-care to live. Sowhatever they say in open nobody want to die beyond 60 or 70 or even at 90. My note- Not toworry too much of diabetic neuropathy affecting eyes as earlier, nowadays having goodmedicines, at affordable price to avoid it. Q10 Does using an old refrigeratorconsume more electricity? A10 Ritwik Sunny,Former Customer SupportExecutive at Ashok Leyland1y 5 year old refrigerator consume 10% more powercompared to when you bought. 10 year old refrigerator consume 20% moreelectricity compared to when you bought. 30% of additional power consumed after 15 years. 2ND ANSWER- Waqui, Online Entrepreneur2y The powerconsumption of a fridge depends on many factors, Condition Usage Season Location Temperature set-point Condition-Old refrigerators are usually less efficientas their door seals are in poor condition. Also, their parts are all worn out, so they consume moreelectricity. Usage-If you opened the door too frequently orheld open, then the machine works harder to keep things cool. Season-Almost all refrigerator uses more power insummer than in other seasons. Location-A fridge in a warm or poorly ventilatedposition will consume more power. Temperature set-point-Your fridge may be coolerthan it needed, so set up the temperature as required. You can also set thetemperature set point to lower or medium to save electricity. All the above QA are from Quora website on 14-08- 2022. Quora answers need not be 100% correct answers . Compiled and posted by R. Gopala krishnan on 14-08-2022 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/322355691.928202.1660446477387%40mail.yahoo.com.
