Messages

1

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: Yesterday at 14:48 »

^Am I the only one that thinks this thread should be a little less poetic? These initial questions are just so opaque. I get it ~ we're all adventure gamers ~ but the initial 'three-cryptic-hints-before-an-actual-hint' approach is getting old very quickly. Anyone else in favour of a 'this American was the first Catholic president' sort of thread? I mean, just ask the damn question!

Interesting. I, personally, find it more fun that way. Couldn't really explain why. I think it's because it's not just pointing to the answer.  You have to interpret the clues.  I suppose it should be left to the discretion of the one posting the question? Unless a lot of people find it annoying too.

2

The Rumpus Room / Re: *Guess the Movie Title*

« on: 20 Oct 2017, 16:23 »

Critters 2, starring those cute & cuddly little hedgehogs 

Not a patch on the first one! 

Agreed!

3

The Rumpus Room / Re: *Guess the Movie Title*

« on: 20 Oct 2017, 14:15 »

I knew I recognized it and I like the misdirection from the second shot (thinking it's a girl). The third shot was too memorable for me 'cause I imagined myself having to roll my own son up in a carpet under such circumstances... damn near made me vomit.

That was an emotionally draining movie. I don't know if I have the endurance to ever watch it again.

Here's a vastly underrated movie from the distant past...

4

AGS Games in Production / Re: Tardigrades

« on: 20 Oct 2017, 13:59 »

Some of the early scripts/drafts for Rogue One A Star Wars Story were a direct rip-off of my early AGS game attempt Rebel Spy: A Prelude to Hope. Even the planet name was the same. The final version wasn't such a close match but still.

So I think it can and does happen and it certainly appears to have happened here.

There's probably nothing you can do about it, sadly, except maybe toss some shade on CBS (which they deserve).

5

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 20 Oct 2017, 13:51 »

You have the right person (even if only by first name) so I'm inclined to award you the victory!

Vera Rubin (July 23, 1928 – December 25, 2016) was an American astronomer who pioneered work on galaxy rotation rates. Rubin spent her life advocating for women in science and was known for her mentorship of aspiring women astronomers. She was honored throughout her career for her achievements, and received the Bruce Medal, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, and the National Medal of Science, among others.

Vera Rubin (pictured w/ John Glenn)

6

The Rumpus Room / Re: *Guess the Movie Title*

« on: 19 Oct 2017, 20:47 »

Ahhh ..... Room?

7

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 19 Oct 2017, 20:15 »

Than it must be Vera...Damn! Vera Something or the other.. damn am i a painful retard..

Yes.......

8

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 19 Oct 2017, 16:17 »

manifest class - negative!

dayowlron - It is not Hubble or Chandrasekhar.

LameNick - Fritz Zwicky, and no However this is a very good guess (related).

Here's another clue!

Fritz Zwicky theorized the existence of dark matter in the 1930s. This person's data/work showed the first evidence of the existence of dark matter (strengthening Zwicky's theory) some years later.

9

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 19 Oct 2017, 12:42 »

I humbly accept...

This astronomer pioneered the study of the rotation rates of galaxies by uncovering the discrepancy between the predicted angular motion of galaxies and the observed motion by studying galactic rotation curves.

10

The Rumpus Room / Re: *Guess the Movie Title*

« on: 18 Oct 2017, 13:38 »

Gone Girl?

11

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 18 Oct 2017, 13:36 »

Hilarious. That was a total shot in the dark.

In the interest of full-disclosure after my last guess I did some googling (as I really didn't know the answer) and discovered how close I'd actually come.

So if anybody else is able to get it from my hail-mary provided clue I'm happy to give it to them!

12

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 18 Oct 2017, 12:40 »

@Darth: Its not Francis Bacon, but lets just say that they shared more than just their passion for science.

Do they share a last name?

I do remember another famous (not Kevin) Bacon, in scientific circles, but I'll be damned if I can remember the first name... Robert Bacon?

Honestly, though, at this point I'm just guessing.

13

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 18 Oct 2017, 00:37 »

My first thought was Francis Bacon but he was a bit later than the high middle ages if I'm remembering correctly.

14

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 17 Oct 2017, 19:59 »

So could it be Newtons friend Haley as in Haley's comet?

Edmond Halley is the correct answer!

This legendary figure received very little acknowledgement for his myriad accomplishments. The one thing, for which he is almost entirely known for, is something he didn't actually do.

• Often credited with the discovery of the comet that now bears his name Halley didn't actually discover the comet (it had been seen for centuries before his birth). What Halley did do, through an incredible and mind-blowing use of mathematics (using Newton's new laws on gravitational effects), was determine the orbit and conclude that several comet sightings in the past were in fact the same comet that returns roughly every 74-79 years and was able to predict that it would show up again in 1758. He, sadly, died in 1742 so he didn't live to see it return on 25 December 1758 (ironically on what would have been Sir Isaac Newton's 115th birthday) proving his prediction accurate.

Despite being dead for over 250 years his influence can still be felt, if unknowingly, when watching a modern day weather report.

• Halley spent two years on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic to map the stars of the Southern Hemisphere. While on this expedition he also studied trade winds and monsoons and released a paper on the subject in 1686. The symbols he used to represent trailing winds are still used in most modern weather reports/charts.

He was a contemporary (and not a big fan) of Hooke's.

• Halley spent a lot of time with Sir Isaac Newton (who despised Robert Hooke).

15

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 17 Oct 2017, 19:03 »

Robert Hooke is an excellent guess!

It's not the correct answer but you're on the right track.

He was a contemporary (and not a big fan) of Hooke's.

16

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 17 Oct 2017, 15:38 »

agree, that is way too vague. For instance Christopher Columbus fills the bill as he did not discover a route to India like he thought. Could also fit a lot of criminals that were wrongly accused and convicted. Another example Abner Doubleday who is credited with creating baseball never did. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin did not actually invent the guillotin. Others include George Washington Carver and Betsy Ross.

It is none of those.

Since we are making Googling "illegal" I am intentionally constructing the clues to be more difficult to Google. You all are way more trusting than I am. It's the internet. Very few people are "honest" or "mature", they just want to be right.

Here's another hint:

Despite being dead for over 250 years his influence can still be felt, if unknowingly, when watching a modern day weather report.

17

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 17 Oct 2017, 12:49 »

I have a sort of obsession with ancient Greece. From Hero[n] of Alexandria, Galen of Pergamon, Archimedes of Syracuse, the Antikythera Mechanism, the list goes on and on. I find it a fascinating era of human history. So incredible to think how close they came (with so many things) to what we would call "modern" technology. There's a book by a fellow named Derek De Solla Price called Gears from the Greeks that really highlights how sophisticated their "ancient" technology really was. It's a very interesting read if you're into that kind of thing! Makes you wonder what we [humanity] might have accomplished if certain... things... hadn't gotten in the way.

Anyway; on to the next!

This legendary figure received very little acknowledgement for his myriad accomplishments. The one thing, for which he is almost entirely known for, is something he didn't actually do.

18

The Rumpus Room / Re: World history quiz thread

« on: 17 Oct 2017, 03:26 »

Hypatia (of Alexandria)

19

General Discussion / Re: Star Trek: Discovery (and the Orville, I guess)

« on: 16 Oct 2017, 16:02 »

Haha, yeah, it's great, innit?

Quite the opposite.

However, I really have no interest in one of our famous back 'n forth debates when it really just boils down to our individual tastes. If you're enjoying Star Trek Discovery I hope it lasts many seasons for your enjoyment!

Let's just agree to disagree and carry on.

The Expanse, on the other hand, is so good.

I have just started watching this. I am in complete agreement (so far). It is really quite excellent.

20

General Discussion / Re: Star Trek: Discovery (and the Orville, I guess)

« on: 16 Oct 2017, 12:31 »

Meanwhile I'm quite enjoying Discovery (it's not the greatest show in the world, but good clean spaceship fun), while I think The Orville is one of the most wretched things I've ever seen committed to screen. Like, I cannot comprehend how professional producers and a real honest-to-god TV network allowed such a boring, misconceived, and botched concept to make it to air. It actually makes me angry.

Star Trek Discovery (STD... fitting) is CBS's desperate attempt to capitalize on Game of Thrones' success. They tried, and failed miserably, to make Game of Thrones in Space. It feels nothing like Star Trek and shows how incredibly out of touch w/ the fan-base CBS truly is. First; they put the nix on Axanar (which in only a few short teasers looks infinitely better and more treky than STD), then they put in those draconian "rules" for fan-films (absolutely ridiculous), and then they change things (the Klingons appearances and ship designs, holographic coms that sit on tables in the other rooms? seriously?) just to name a few.

Then on top of all that they try to launch their pointless paid service by piggy-backing it on a cherished franchise they have ruined.

All around not Star Trek and shameful.

As for the Orville and your... colorful... feelings about it. I thinks that's a tad harsh but if that's how you feel so be it.

I mean it's Seth MacFarlane ... I'm not sure what you were expecting from the guy known for fart-jokes and vomit humor?

I went in expecting silly and spoofy (a la Galaxy Quest) and was pleasantly surprised.

It's fun, doesn't take itself too seriously, and feels like Star Trek to me.

To each their own.