CULTURALQA 11-2023-29 All the BELOW QA are from Quora DIGEST to me on 29-11-2023.
QUORA ANSWERS NEEDNOT BE 100% CORRECT ANSWERS. Compiled and posted by R.Gopala Krishnan, 80, on 29-11-2023. Q1 If it ishigh tide where I am, will it be low tide on the other side of the world? A1 SilkRoad, AI Expert 18h So first let's talk about tides. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels due to thegravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the earth. The moonhas a stronger effect than the sun because it's closer to us. When the moon is directly above or below a point onthe earth, it creates a high tide there. When it's at aright angle to that point, it creates a low tide there. This happens twicea day, every day. As we know, earth is not a perfect sphere, andneither is the moon. They have bulges and bumps that affect how they pull on eachother. Also, the earth rotates faster than the moon orbits,so the high and low tides shift slightly every day. And then there'sthe sun, which also pulls on the earth, but in different ways depending on its position and theseasons. Sometimes the sunand the moon work together to create extra high or low tides, called springtides. Other timesthey work against each other to create less extreme tides, called neap tides. So you see, tides are not just a simple cycle of highand low. They are influenced by many factors that vary from place to place andtime to time. That's why you need a tide table to know when and how highor low the tide will be at a specific location. But let's get back to your question. If it's high tide where you are, will it be low tideon the other side of the world? Well, notnecessarily. It depends on where you are and where the other sideof the world is. If you are onthe same latitude as the other side of the world, then yes, it will be low tidethere when it's high tide where you are. But if you are ondifferent latitudes, then no, it won't be lowtide there when it's high tide where you are. It might be high tide theretoo, or somewhere in between. Let's say you are in New York City (40°N) and it'shigh tide there at noon. The other side of the world from New York City issomewhere in the Indian Ocean (40°S).It will be low tide there at noon too. But if you are in Seattle (47°N) and it's high tidethere at noon, the other side of the world from Seattle is somewhere inAntarctica (47°S). It won't be lowtide there at noon. It might be high tide there too, or somewhere in between. Bottom line: You can't just assume that if it's high tide whereyou are, it will be low tide on the other side of the world. You need to check a tide table for both locationsto know for sure. Q2 Is thereany land on Earth where vertebrates do not dominate? A2 GaryMeaney, author of Zoology's Greatest Mystery (2022)1y One would thinkthat, with vertebrates having ruled the world’s terrestrial ecosystems forhundreds of millions of years, it would be impossible for such a place to existon the modern Earth. Surprisingly, one would be wrong. There is one spot which is so small andremote that no predatory land vertebrate of decent size has managed to colonizeit - but something else has. The location Ispeak of is Phillip Island. It lies offNorfolk Island, a distant Australian territory, in the stretch of the Pacific sandwiched betweenNew Zealand and New Caledonia. It’s pretty tiny, stretching a couple kilometresfrom end to end, and pretty barren, with no real human settlement. The sceneryon Phillip Island is hauntingly beautiful, a fact it owes to its volcanic cliffsand bright red earth. In terms of wildlife, there’s not an awful lot goingon, to say the least. The island is home to two species oflizard, and about a dozen types of seabird roost on its cliffs. All ofthese animals are at risk of falling victim to the formidable apex predator of the landmass:the Phillip Island centipede. With a nasty pair of mandibles and an extremelyvenomous bite, this arthropod has become a specialist hunter ofvertebrates - fish, skinks, geckos, birds… in other words, anything andeverything which crawls, swims or flies on its island. Often, it slays animals manytimes larger than itself, though that’s not to say it’s small - itmeasures more than 23 centimetres, or 9 inches, in length! In particular, the centipede is partial to chicks ofthe black-winged petrel, Phillip Island’s most ubiquitous seabird. Despiteoutweighing their predator by far, the chicks are defenseless while holed up intheir burrows, and are typically eaten alive. Every year, nearly 4,000 birds fall prey to centipedes.This is not a concern for conservationists, however, as natural predation isall part of the balance of the ecosystem. As said, theydon’t just eat seabirds - the two native species of lizard are frequent preytoo. Here’s agreat photo of a centipede chowing down on a Günther island gecko. Remarkably, this incredible carnivore was onlydescribed in 1984. At thetime, Phillip Island centipedes were exceptionally rare, as the intrusion offoreign mammals like rabbits, pigs and goats had caused massive ecologicaldisruption on the island. In fact, theygave the place its signature ochre hues, by destroying the vegetation that washolding the topsoil together. As you can see, erosion ensued. Thankfully, theseinvasive species have since been eradicated, and Phillip Island is healing. Plant cover is returning, so lizards and birds arereturning, so the centipedes are returning.Given that we’ve only formally known about these creatures for 37 years, Isuspect that we still have much to learn about their biology and habits. Ieagerly await any breakthroughs or discoveries. In a world where it can seem like mammals dominatethe planet, it’s nice to know that there’s a remote island out there somewherewhere a giant bird-eating centipede rules the roost. If you liked this answer,you might also enjoy this one of mine from a couple years back. Well folks, this one was a little on the short side,mainly due to the fact that there just isn’t that much we know about thePhillip Island centipede… for now. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the answer.Have a great day. Q3 Whatpart of Ancient Greek history do you find most disturbing? A3 PatrickS,I love history8h One of the mostdisturbing periods in Ancient Greek history is undoubtedly the PeloponnesianWar, which lasted from 431 to 404 BC. This conflict between Athens and Sparta not onlyresulted in immense destruction but also showcased the dark and brutal side ofhuman nature. ThePeloponnesian War was primarily fought between two powerful city-states, Athensand Sparta, eachrepresenting contrasting ideologies and political systems. Athens, with itsdemocratic government and naval supremacy, stood for cultural and intellectual progress.On the other hand, Sparta,known for its militaristic society and disciplined warriors, symbolizedstrength and tradition. What makes thisera so disturbing is the sheer scale of devastation and suffering endured bythe Greek population. The conflict dragged on for decades, leading to widespread destruction of cities, loss of lives,and economic collapse. The once glorious city of Athens, adorned withmagnificent architecture and renowned for its philosophers, was reduced toruins. Furthermore, the Peloponnesian War saw a breakdown of traditional moralvalues and an increase in brutality. Both Athens and Sparta resorted toruthless tactics to gain the upper hand. Pericles, the Athenian statesman,implemented a strategy of retreat behind the city walls, leading toovercrowding and the outbreak of a devastating plague that claimed thousands of lives, including Pericleshimself. Sparta, on the other hand, adopted apolicy of ravaging the Athenian countryside and cutting off their supply lines,causing immense sufferingamong the civilian population. The famous Sicilian Expedition launchedby Athens ended in disaster, with countless soldiers being slaughtered orenslaved. These events highlight the horrors of war and the depths to whichhumans can descend in pursuit of victory. Additionally,the Peloponnesian War brought to the forefront the destructive impact of powerstruggles and political rivalries. The conflict divided the Greek world into factions,pitting city-states against one another and sowing seeds of mistrust andanimosity among once-allied communities. The war was not just fought on thebattlefield but also involved diplomatic maneuvering, espionage, and betrayal. In the end, the war culminated in the defeat ofAthens and the rise of Spartan hegemony. However, it left behind ascarred society and shattereddreams of a united Greece. The Peloponnesian War serves as a starkreminder of the consequences of unchecked ambition, aggression, and thedevastating toll that war inflicts on humanity. Q4 What is something that needs to be said? A4 ManuJoseph, Lives in Hyderabad, Telangana, India4y In my college, we have a class on soft skills once a week. So our ma’am comes to our class and draws a pictureon the board. Something like this. It's just a simple circle with a small dot inside and sheasks everyone to speak a few words on this or what did we understand out ofthis. So everyone uses their own imagination to describeit. One of my foody friendsaid it’s a ladoo. While me being a huge fan of Greek Mythology saidthat it’s a cyclops, they have only one eye. While everyone was givingtheir own stupid opinions one of my classmates who sat in the last bench raisedhis hand to answer. The entire class was silent and suprised, the first reason being thatwe were shocked seeing him in the class as he rarely comes. I remember one of my professorstalking about him that he comes once in a blue moon. He is also in theverge of being detained from college. The second reason being that if at all hecomes he just sits in the last bench and doesn’t interact with anyone and thathe raised his hand for the first time for something. He stood up andsaid, “The circlerepresents our whole life and the empty space within the circle arethe good deeds we have done and that one small dot represents the one mistakewhich we have committed in our lives. No matter how many good things you do, you are alwaysremembered for that one small mistake which haunts for your entire life”. And he sat down in his place. The entire class wassilent upon hearing this and ourma’am started clapping followed by everyone. The class then got over. We all knew that he had few problems in his life andwe didn’t want to hurt him by asking. Well sadly, he got detained in thatsemester itself. We never saw him again. We meet many people in our lives but we never try tounderstand them and we start to judge people by their behaviour. We have noidea what they are undergoing in their lives. My note- Read the last line. Absolutely true. Q5 Whathappened to the holy Roman empire after Charlemagne's death? A5 SilkRoad, AI Expert Mon He was a boss.Ruling most of Western Europefrom 768 to 814, Charlemagnegot crowned as Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope in 800. He was like the OG of Europe, spreading Christianity, Latin and culture all over theplace. He had a bunch of wives, mistresses and kids, but he loved his daughters so muchhe wouldn't let them get hitched while he was alive. He also had a thing for Aachen, a city in Germanywhere he built his palace and chapel. But when Charlemagne died in 814, things got messy. His empire wasdivided among his sons, who fought each other for power and territory. The empire gotsmaller and weaker, and faced attacks from Vikings, Magyars and Muslims. By the late 9thcentury, the empire was split into three kingdoms: West Francia (France), East Francia (Germany) andMiddle Francia (Italy and Lotharingia). The title ofHoly Roman Emperor became a hot potato. Nobody could claim it without the Pope's approval,and the Pope had his own agenda. Sometimes he gave the crown towhoever he liked best,sometimes he sold it to the highest bidder, and sometimes he kept it forhimself. Theemperors had little control over their lands, and had to deal with rebelliousnobles, bishops and cities. The empire survived in name only until 1806, whenNapoleon put an end to it. But it never recovered its glory or unity afterCharlemagne's death. Some say he was the father of Europe, but hischildren didn't inherit his skills or vision -- 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/1152338689.5757685.1701264507323%40mail.yahoo.com.
