Canadian Geopub Quiz

[+2happy2gether]

What does Chomolangma mean in Tibetanese?

Is this a trick question? Chomolangma is a Tibetan word... So I'd have to assume Chomolangma means Chomolangma in Tibetan!

Semantics!!! Do you know what it means in English?

It's the Tibetan name for Mount Everest and translates to something along the lines of "Mother of the Universe".

 

TOMTEC

 

Thanks, I did not know that.

[Stroover]

yup that's right...your turn to ask a question Stroover...~s~

 

Okie dokie,

 

Who is the New Brunswick geocacher who has a travel bug tatoo'ed on his shoulder, and when you meet/find him, you can log him in as a find?

 

His name wouldn't be Stroover by any chance, might it?

 

If this question is too difficult, I can find something more general (?). But for now, how about a clue: His geocaching name is taken from a long-time running kids' cartoon, from which the show's name and the main character's name are the same. A goofy kind of investigator, to say the least...

Edited May 9, 2007 by Stroover

[+greywynd]

yup that's right...your turn to ask a question Stroover...~s~

 

Okie dokie,

 

Who is the New Brunswick geocacher who has a travel bug tatoo'ed on his shoulder, and when you meet/find him, you can log him in as a find?

 

His name wouldn't be Stroover by any chance, might it?

 

If this question is too difficult, I can find something more general (?). But for now, how about a clue: His geocaching name is taken from a long-time running kids' cartoon, from which the show's name and the main character's name are the same. A goofy kind of investigator, to say the least...

 

Inspector Gadget? having a 6 yo in the house helps keep us up to date.

[Stroover]

GreyWynd gets it! He goes by Insp Gadget, and he's a die-hard cacher! Real nice guy, too.

[+greywynd]

Isn't it great what kids TV does for a person?

 

What 'legal vehicle' without wheels could be used to go geocaching?

[+2happy2gether]

Isn't it great what kids TV does for a person?

 

What 'legal vehicle' without wheels could be used to go geocaching?

 

Snowmobile.

[+greywynd]

Isn't it great what kids TV does for a person?

 

What 'legal vehicle' without wheels could be used to go geocaching?

 

Snowmobile.

 

Dang...hadn't thought of that one.....but was thinking of an 'on-road' vehicle. Just realized I should have said 'legal on-road vehicle'.....doh!!

[+Juicepig]

What 'legal vehicle' without wheels could be used to go geocaching?

Hovercraft?

Horse?

Pig with Stirrups? (how I do 90% of my caching!)

Edited May 9, 2007 by Juicepig

[+Landsharkz]

A horse?

[+Landsharkz]

JINX JP!

[+greywynd]

Horse is the answer I was looking for. Bit of trivia here, did you realize that in (at least some towns/cities) that your employer is, by law, required to provide drinking water for the horses? Often hitching posts are also required by law, though neither is enforced, obviously. Though if gas prices continue.......

 

JP and Landsharkz can duel it out.....both posted at the same time.

 

Greywynd

[+Landsharkz]

Got a question ready, hope that's ok JP!

 

What colour is used on a topographic map to designate contour lines?

[Stroover]

brown?

[+2happy2gether]

Horse is the answer I was looking for. Bit of trivia here, did you realize that in (at least some towns/cities) that your employer is, by law, required to provide drinking water for the horses? Often hitching posts are also required by law, though neither is enforced, obviously. Though if gas prices continue.......

 

JP and Landsharkz can duel it out.....both posted at the same time.

 

Greywynd

 

How did I know it was going to be a horse answer...sigh.

[+2happy2gether]

Got a question ready, hope that's ok JP!

 

What colour is used on a topographic map to designate contour lines?

 

That depends, on the maps we use here the lines are a reddish brown, but I've also seen them green on maps.

[+Landsharkz]

Well done Stroover! Brown it is... Take it away!

 

better luck next time 2H2G...

[Stroover]

Well done Stroover! Brown it is... Take it away!

 

better luck next time 2H2G...

 

Okie dokie, then! The term "knots" has popped-up a few times on this thread, so I think I'll ask a nautical question: What is the origins of "knots" as we know it, as in sailing terms to measure speed on the water? In other words, why do we call it "knots"? How did that get started?

[+2happy2gether]

I believe it's just naval slang for "nautical miles." It should really be spelled, "nauts."

 

The navy has some pretty weird terms, like galley, head, and sailor (never did understand that one)...

[+knitter]

Long rope, knots tied approx every 47 feet, with a weight on the end. You throw the rope overboard, time the rope paying out for a set amount of time (I think half a minute), and count the number of knots that pay out in that time. Supposed to be roughly equivalent to your speed.

 

Having 2 brothers, a sister, and a brother-in-law in the Navy (a daughter in the Army and a brother-in-law who oversees building big tugboats) you learn a few things by osmosis. Nothing that really matters, though

[QuigleyJones]

You know, I never asked myself that.

 

My guess would be that its because the "logline" has knots or other markers at marked points along the line. So if 3 knots were to real out over said time you'd have traveled 3 knots.

 

Was about to post the above when I was called away

And upon reloading the page I see its already answered

[Stroover]

Long rope, knots tied approx every 47 feet, with a weight on the end. You throw the rope overboard, time the rope paying out for a set amount of time (I think half a minute), and count the number of knots that pay out in that time. Supposed to be roughly equivalent to your speed.

 

Having 2 brothers, a sister, and a brother-in-law in the Navy (a daughter in the Army and a brother-in-law who oversees building big tugboats) you learn a few things by osmosis. Nothing that really matters, though

 

Yep, that's pretty much it. over a set time (say, 1 minute), a fella would count how many knots would pass by his fingers while loosely holding the rope to determing his speed.

[+knitter]

If you hold your arms straight out to your sides, it is considered to be about six feet from fingertip to fingertip. What measurement term is traditionally measured this way?

[Stroover]

If you hold your arms straight out to your sides, it is considered to be about six feet from fingertip to fingertip. What measurement term is traditionally measured this way?

 

a fathom.

Sailors used to tie knots every six feet in this way, then drop and anchor to see how deep the water was.

[+knitter]

Fathom it is. Take it away!

[QuigleyJones]

Keep the nautical questions coming, I may actually get one

[Stroover]

Keep the nautical questions coming, I may actually get one

 

Ok then. Another nautical one: What is the origin of the verb "to embark"?

[QuigleyJones]

Dont know but it might have something to do with there having been lots of ships classified as a "bark".

[Stroover]

Dont know but it might have something to do with there having been lots of ships classified as a "bark".

 

It does, and you're verry hot! Can you elaborate just a little more, using a foreign language in the equation?

[+ve1bvd]

Dont know but it might have something to do with there having been lots of ships classified as a "bark".

 

It does, and you're verry hot! Can you elaborate just a little more, using a foreign language in the equation?

 

Well in French, the verb is 'embarquer'. Will that do?

[Stroover]

Dont know but it might have something to do with there having been lots of ships classified as a "bark".

 

It does, and you're verry hot! Can you elaborate just a little more, using a foreign language in the equation?

 

Well in French, the verb is 'embarquer'. Will that do?

 

That'll do. For anybody interested, the French verb "embarquer" means to get in or on a mode of transportation, i.e. a bus, a car, a plane, a boat. The verb actually got its beginnings in relation to getting onto a barque, which was a big three masted ship, commonly used to cross the Atlantic. Take it away, Ve1bvd!

[+ve1bvd]

OK, here ya go...

 

Everyone knows that a kilometre [or kilometer if you prefer, but let's not go there...] is one thousand metres. My question is this: in terms of geo-measurement, what is a metre?

[+greywynd]

OK, here ya go...

 

Everyone knows that a kilometre [or kilometer if you prefer, but let's not go there...] is one thousand metres. My question is this: in terms of geo-measurement, what is a metre?

 

Not 100% sure what you mean by 'geo-measurement' but originally the metre was based on being a fraction of the distance between the equator and the north pole. It was supposed to have been 1/10000 of the distance, though it was actually farther than that. A metal (silver?) bar was made that was supposed to be the standard to compare everything else to, but eventually it was also discovered to have changed length over time due to temperature and 'creeping' of the metal.

 

Greywynd

[+Couparangus]

Methinks you are right! I actually Googled on it and learned something, which saved me the embarrassment of claiming a metre is equal to the distance a cesium atom travels at 0C in a vacuum. Glad I avoided that red-faced moment!

[+greywynd]

Methinks you are right! I actually Googled on it and learned something, which saved me the embarrassment of claiming a metre is equal to the distance a cesium atom travels at 0C in a vacuum. Glad I avoided that red-faced moment!

 

Now it has some official definition of some miniscule portion of a lightwave given off by some element or another...would have to google it to recall beyond that though. Beyond that, I actually remembered it from learning the metric system in school. Now, being a toolmaker, you should see me convert imperial to metric on the fly in my head.....starting with a fraction of an inch, and finishing with metric in decimal form (though I always double check before getting into grinding the metal!!!!)....hehehe

 

Greywynd

[Stroover]

Methinks you are right! I actually Googled on it and learned something, which saved me the embarrassment of claiming a metre is equal to the distance a cesium atom travels at 0C in a vacuum. Glad I avoided that red-faced moment!

 

Now it has some official definition of some miniscule portion of a lightwave given off by some element or another...would have to google it to recall beyond that though. Beyond that, I actually remembered it from learning the metric system in school. Now, being a toolmaker, you should see me convert imperial to metric on the fly in my head.....starting with a fraction of an inch, and finishing with metric in decimal form (though I always double check before getting into grinding the metal!!!!)....hehehe

 

Greywynd

 

And I thought it was some Greek scientist in the days of Archimedes (might even be him for all I know) who did some calculating and what not, and came to the conclusion that if you were to to divide the circumference of the world, you would come up with 1 million segments the lenght of, well you guessed it, a metre. Guess I don't know everything.

[+ve1bvd]

OK, here ya go...

 

Everyone knows that a kilometre [or kilometer if you prefer, but let's not go there...] is one thousand metres. My question is this: in terms of geo-measurement, what is a metre?

 

Not 100% sure what you mean by 'geo-measurement' but originally the metre was based on being a fraction of the distance between the equator and the north pole. It was supposed to have been 1/10000 of the distance, though it was actually farther than that. A metal (silver?) bar was made that was supposed to be the standard to compare everything else to, but eventually it was also discovered to have changed length over time due to temperature and 'creeping' of the metal.

 

Greywynd

 

Greywynd, you're close, but by YOUR definition, it's only 10 km from the Equator to the pole...Anyone else want to try?

 

BTW, by geo-measurement, I meant with relation to the earth, as opposed to scientifically correct, but practically difficult standards, such as the distance travelled by light while a certain atom vibrates x number of times

 

ve1bvd

Edited May 14, 2007 by ve1bvd

[+greywynd]

Oops, should have had some more zeroes on that, should have been 1/10 000 000 of the way from the pole to the equator. Thinking more about it, and since it started with the King of France, I believe it was also supposed to be the line running from the pole to the equator through Paris. (Though any line from the pole to the equator should, in theory, be the same length.)

 

As far as practicality goes, I don't think I'd want to be the guy trying to measure from the equator to the pole either.

[+ve1bvd]

OK, Greywynd gets the cigar. I think that is was in Napoleonic times that the metric system was introduced. they had really weird things like a decimal year, too.

 

Take it away, Greywynd...

[+greywynd]

I think I'll stick to the metric system for the next one. There is a common compound that has a convenient 'overlap' feature with distance, mass, and volume, what compound is it, and how does it tie the three forms of measure together?

 

Greywynd

[+Landsharkz]

What do you mean by 'compound'? A chemical compound?

[+greywynd]

chemical compound, correct.

[QuigleyJones]

Well I of course must say good old Water.

[+Landsharkz]

A cube of fresh water 10cm x 10cm x 10cm has a volume of 1L and weighs 1kg.

[+greywynd]

A cube of fresh water 10cm x 10cm x 10cm has a volume of 1L and weighs 1kg.

 

Bingo!! Also, a cubic metre of water, (1m x1m x1m) weighs one metric tonne, or 1000kgs. (Thought I'd throw that in there for some of our 'metric challenged' friends.)

 

Your turn Landsharkz!!

[+Landsharkz]

Here is the next question...

 

Where is Wrangellia?

[QuigleyJones]

North America?

[+TOMTEC]

Where is Wrangellia?

Is that the new "hip" name the kids these days are calling the town of Wrangell, Alaska?

You know, similar to how they like to call Scarborough Scarberia?

 

TOMTEC

[+Landsharkz]

QJ... too vague, sorry. TOMTEC - very hip idea, but no.

[+2happy2gether]

Here is the next question...

 

Where is Wrangellia?

 

I'm going to take a shot in the dark here and say, "I don't know."

 

Am I close?

[+shearzone]

Here is the next question...

 

Where is Wrangellia?

 

Wrangellia is a geological terrane that includes Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands of the geomorphologic Insular Belt of the Canadian Cordillera.