The White Hat Melbourne Newsletter

Archived Newsletter No.305 - 31 March 2009

Contents

Extra newsletter
Reader Feedback
Last Friday's Quiz
Pedants' Dating Service
Be part of a global data gathering service
The White Hat Quiz

Extra newsletter

You are receiving an extra newsletter this week because we have been asked to encourage our readers to take part in a special global data gathering exercise which you can perform in the comfort of your own home, workplace or nightclub on Wednesday morning. Do your bit.

Reader Feedback

"Dear white hat, your absolutely awesome . . . keep it up ( especially free things, markets and hidden gems . . . waiting on every email.
peace
xoxo
Tamsyn"

"Hello Whitehat The new 'hidden' bar your friend has told you about is Spice Market in Beany Lane. it's been open for a few weeks and has an asian style decor with great food and wonderful cocktails. highly recommended is the Turkish Delight which tastes just like the desert/sweet. Fabulous. if you ever visited the old food court at the Hyatt, you can squint your eyes and picture it, but the clever designers have transformed it well - only the round pillars give it away. Nice bar - look out for the upside down woks used as light shades, nice! There is a VIP room in the corner which is a geenie bottle but is yet to be opened. Can't wait to see inside! Love the newsletter!
Regards Rachael"

We replied conjecturing whether we could trust the judgement of someone who sent us an email at 11pm on a Saturday night or were they just a tragic who couldn't get a date. We got the following immediate response:

"haha right back at you! i have a fabulous excuse - laryngitis from partying too much last weekend! Try the Turkish delight - i'm sure you will trust me more after that!
Fellow tragic Rachael"

"Hi Whitehat
I thought this to be worth mentioning to support all from around St Andrews and King Lake areas. St.Andrews market is ON!!!!...... EVERY SATURDAY and is in need of great support to spend your government " extra cash ". It's a great market with something for everyone including..... Beautiful Jewellery hand made with freshwater Pearls, Swarovski crystals, gems, stirling silver, gorgeous Designer handbags, Wrought Iron country homewares, childrens toys and fun activities, Massages, Home baked delights, Great coffees and the yummiest food.... come for breakfast and stay for lunch.
Spread the word Adriana"

Last Friday's Quiz

We asked you to decode the following passage and our first entry came from Martin:

Please note: This section of the newsletter has been removed as it forms part of a forthcoming publication or because it is forms part of our Questing activities. If you find yourself on a tour where the guide is White Hat Accredited they are likely to know the answer to many questions you may have in this area. All guides on White Hat Tours are White Hat Accredited.

Pedants' Dating Service

Sarah had been fraught all morning. She had stormed out on a lunch meeting with Damien and was not sure whether she had done the right thing. She was trying to calm herself with the White Hat Newsletter. She never actually ever read it, but it was always so full of spelling, syntax and punctuation errors that she found it cathartic to sit there and correct them.

She was interrupted by the receptionist bringing in a small parcel. "It arrived special delivery - couriered." explained the receptionist. "Is couriered a legitimate word?" thought Sarah. "I suppose it is" she thought but still took delight in the fact that although the receptionist had an MBA she would often verb her nouns and was probably excited about the drivers who 'podiumed' at the Grand Prix.

Sarah opened the parcel to find another gift from Damien. He had already given her a felt pen and a typeblock of an apostrophe together with an inkpad so that she could replace missing apostrophes, but this was a white-out pen for removing mistakes. They had become less common in the days of word processors so were harder to find. There was a note from Damien saying "Would you like to meet for dinner tomorrow night? Bring the pen." Attached to the note was a flyer for a restaurant proclaiming "Now open Wednesday's". Sarah took the pen and lovingly whited out the offending apostrophe before sending an email to Damien. "I'm still not happy about last week, but I'll meet you tomorrow night. I'll bring the pen. After all, we owe it to society."

Is Sarah being too impulsive? Is Damien just toying with Sarah's affections? Is 'whited' a word? . . . Find out in the next newsletter.

Be part of a global data gathering project

Here is your chance to be part of a worldwide exercise that can help demonstrate the alarmingly fast approach of changes brought on by climate change.

Scientists have long been aware of a terrestrial resonance effect around this time of year known as RFA. Around January it is the Arctic summer and the Antarctic winter but the earth's mass has a delaying effect because it takes time to heat up or cool down. Thus it is about this time of year that the Arctic ice mass is melting at its fastest and the Antarctic is freezing sea water into its ice shelf. The imbalance thus created between the poles gradually sets up a resonant set of gravity waves in much the same way that we have explained with the resonant frequency of bridges above. Nobody took much notice of Einstein when he first proposed them when he first published his General Theory of Relativity in 1905. However, when he later published his Special Theory of Relativity, people began to take notice.

Since then the RFA gravity resonances have been known and observed by scientists with specialised equipment around the world but have been little but a minor curiosity. However with the rapid onset of climate change these resonances have become considerably larger and some scientists feel they even have the potential to realign the earth's axis causing a whole new set of as-yet unpredicted effects.

Equipment for measuring this effect is expensive and bulky, and it is not possible to construct and deploy it worldwide in a short time. However there is one resource that is available worldwide - people. For this reason, RFA scientists have come up with an experiment which can be conducted worldwide using just people. The resonances are at their strongest in Australia on Wednesday. If you would like to contribute to the data gathering take note of the following instructions:

The resonances are 2 hours and 57 minutes apart and will occur at the following times on Wednesday morning. 12.09am, 2.17am, 4.25am, 7.33am and 9.41am.

To observe these resonances for yourself and to contribute valuable data to the RFA scientists, observe the following instructions.

Firstly a little explanation. Humans have became adept at unconsciously adapting to slight changes in balancing forces by transferring weight from one foot to another. Thus you are asked to stand on one one leg and if you a right hander stand on your left leg while Molly Dookers should stand on their left leg. (Football commentators would say 'stand on your non-preferred foot.") If you are a professional gymnast or classical ballet dancer your results will not be musch use to us because you have spent long hours training to be perfectly balanced on either leg.

You also need to be familiar with the 'clockface' system of directions ("bandits at 3 o'clock!"). Imagine standing on a the centre of a clockface on the floor where 12 is straight ahead, 3 o'clock is on your right etc. OK, we're ready to go.

For individuals: At about 30 seconds before one of the times specified above stand on your non-preferred foot with your arms out aeroplane style. When the time ticks over, hop three times then let your body start to fall in whatever direction it feels 'pulled'. Needless to say, once you have noted the direction of the fall, use your other leg to stop yourself falling flat on your face. Note the direction in clockface style then repeat the exercise facing the opposite way from which you started. Again note the direction of the pull. In both cases you may notice a strange vibration in your leg after the the third hop. That is the RFA.

If you can photograph or video yourself in the initial position. You can keep this as proof that you took part in this important exercise and I believe that scientists may even be able to draw important information by analysing these photos at a later date.

For groups:

Group data can be even more valuable because by having people facing in different directions it helps to cancel the Coriolis effect of the earth's rotation plus you have an increased chance of feeling the RFA vibration up your legs. Thus if you have 3 people you can form a triangle, with 4 people a square with 12 people a dodecahedron and so on. Facing inwards with arms outstretched, clasp hands, perform the exercise as for individuals but unclasp ands after the third hop. Note the direction of the fall. Immediately repeat the exercise with everybody facing outwards. This is one exercise wher lack of balance produced by a few too many wines is actually an advantage because it negates the body's naturally tendency to resist the pull. Thus if you are at a party early on Wednesday morning get a few friends together and do your bit for science by collecting data for the RFA (Resonatus Fatuorum Aprilis) effect.

You can submit your data (and maybe receive a free armband) at Resonatus Fatuorum Aprilis.

The White Hat Quiz

Resonance

1. It is late Saturday night and you are sitting in the gutter blowing over the top of a half empty beer bottle. You explain to the policeman that he has misconstrued the situation because you are merely conducting a scientific experiment whereby the pitch of the note is dependent not on the length of the tube but on the enclosed volume of air. The constable replies that he is well aware of resonance theory in order to prove to him that this was your purpose you ned to name the German physicist after whom the effect was named. Otherwise he will need to throw you in the divvy van. What do you reply?
2. A similar resonating effect is used by a simple musical instrument often found at markets whereby the pitch of the sound is not dependent on the length of a tube but the number of open holes. What is the name of this instrument?
3. Also in markets you will often find Aeolian Harps - a set of strings that resonate in the wind. We have all also heard the sound of wind blowing throw power lines or telephone lines. As the wind blows harder, does the pitch change?
4. In the world of literature, 'resonance' is often used to refer to something written in another time or place that has particular relevance today. Name a novel or poem form a different era that you feel has particular resonance today.
5. A peculiarly Australian instrument uses resonating pipes produce their sound when struck by an item of clothing. An example can be found on the shores of the lack at Seymour. What is this instrument called and why do you risk a slap on the face when politely suggesting to some overseas visitors that they remove that item of clothing and give it a try?

Supplementary question for those who pride themselves on their knowledge of Monty Python:

6. What is the is the connection between resonance, Eric the Half Bee, and closing time.

No prizes – just glory and a warm inner glow.