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The All New All New Groundspeak UK Pub Quiz


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No looking this up online (I looked up Colin, but only after I'd posted my answer, and only to check my memory was ok. It was. Hooray :( ) but who can tell me the reason why NTSC video now runs at nearly 29.97 frames per second when it was originally designed to show 30 frames per second? As technical as possible please :shocked:

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Well yes, but so is PAL. 60Hz for NTSC, 50Hz for PAL. But that doesn't explain the missing frames in NTSC. For techheads, it's not quite 29.97fps, it's 30/1.001 - which is 29.970029, or two dropped frames (00 and 01) from the first second of every minute, except for every tenth minute. But why, dammit?!

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... but who can tell me the reason why NTSC video now runs at nearly 29.97 frames per second when it was originally designed to show 30 frames per second? As technical as possible please :unsure:

 

In America the mains frequency is 60 Hz and here it is 50 Hz, hence the frame rate of 30 in America and 25 here. It makes it much easier if the frame rate and mains rate are harmonics. The only reason I can see for changing it slightly would be that there was another portion of the signal at a harmonic of 30 Hz and there would have been interference?

 

Helen

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It was so the new (new when it came out in the early 50's) NTSC 1 color (note American spelling...) transmission could still be received by people who still had black and white sets and were using the original transmissions (NTSC was overlayed onto this). The 29.97 frame rate allowed compatability between the two standards, even through the planned frame rate for NTSC was designed as 30.

 

By the way, when NTSC 1 was replaced by NTSC 2 it affectionatly became called "Never The Same Color -Twice".... because the correct color on the TV screen was difficult to achieve!

 

Chris

Edited by The Blorenges
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A big juicy vibrant DING! to Chris for knowing it was the introduction of color (sic) TV to the US that required some weird tampering to their system. Even though they have nearly 30fps to our 25, they do only have 525 vertical lines to our 625. So while moving objects show less blur, they also show less detail - it's why 720i HD is a bigger deal in the US than here too. I hope that's brought you all up to speed :unsure::blink:

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There is an anniversary this year, may be considered controversial... so, for the DING I want to know the original date of the event, what the event was. As a bonus (but not needed for the DING), what was/is Valiant's number? Here is the clue...

 

HUBBARD GRAPPLE MALDEN

 

Have fun

 

Chris

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There is an anniversary this year, may be considered controversial... so, for the DING I want to know the original date of the event, what the event was. As a bonus (but not needed for the DING), what was/is Valiant's number? Here is the clue...

 

HUBBARD GRAPPLE MALDEN

 

Have fun

 

Chris

 

Well it's the 300th anniversay of the Act of Union linking Scotland and England - quite contraversial, especially with the elctions yesterday!

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Anything to do with the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia - the first English settlement in the US?

 

Lisa

 

EDIT: just noticed you said more recent than 300 years - doh!

 

No - nothing to with the good ole USA (well, not directly..).

Chris

 

It's the 50th anniversary of Great Britain becoming a nuclear power - but not sure if that fits the clues

 

Britain became a nuclear power in 1952 with the exploding of a nuclear bomb in the Monte Bello islands - so not the 50th anniversary of that.... but you are on the right lines!

Chris

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Grapple 1, May 15th 1957 over Malden Island, pilot Hubbard in a Vickers Valliant, XD818.

 

I'll go and get my coat..........

 

Oh and it made an awful lot of noise

 

xd818.jpg

 

I think I can give a Hydrogen Bomb sized DING for that so make sure you have sunglasses on!! :laughing:

Well done - also for the excellent picture of XD818 (not XB818 as written in some news articles!!). The actual aircraft is preserved at the RAF museum in Hendon. The bomb itself isn't.....

 

Chris

Edited by The Blorenges
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guessing 0.35 might be maximum legal limit for some gas in hte atmosphere in parts per million, although a lot of cities exceed such regulations so might explain why you might be experiencing higher. I'm going to guess at nitric oxide?

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None of the above.

Its for England and Wales (tougher in Scotland 0.30, poorer in NI 0.45, but then they have always been behind the times) , other standards exist (or dont exist) in other parts of the world.

 

Believe me, you will all have to become very aware of these standards, and the one quoted, 0.35, is set to become tougher! (around 0.28) in the next couple of years.

Edited by 2202
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Anything to do with energy loss in homes? :(

 

Someone is getting warm at last!

Is it insulation regulations?

 

A DING for Nediam

 

Public Service Announcement

 

0.35 is the figure in W/m2K that is the minimum standard of thermal insulation for a wall in a new building.

If you are adding an extension it is 0.30W/m2K

 

This figure is basically a rule of thumb. Building Regulation Approval requires Minimum Energy Performance calculations, (known as a Thermal Model) measured in the form of target CO2 emission rates along with pressure testing of the building (for air leakage). These figures form only a small part of the calculations now required. This will keep Environmental Services Engineers in employment for eons.

 

Floor and roofs are generally 0.25W/m2K with windows at 2.2W/m2K

 

The other figures quoted in the question are for uninsulated cavity wall construction (1.55) and solid brickwall construction (2.09, i.e. a Victorian terrace house)

I am currently specifying Argon filled double glazed units that are 1.1W/m2K which compared to the two previous, you really could have had a glass house and used less fuel.

 

The problem with all this insulation, and especially for large buildings, although it does apply to houses, is in keeping them cool!

 

The heat transfer coefficient (U- value) is the amount of heat in watts per unit of time, which is transferred through 1 sq.m of wall surface per degree Kelvin difference between internal and external temperature.

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...

If you are adding an extension it is 0.30W/m2K

 

We've not long finished our house extension and we've got insulation everywhere!!! The design of the floor insulation is rather extreme and seems a little over the top - especially as heat rises!

 

Next question coming soon... :(

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OK, next question...

What did Peter Minuit purchase for 60 guilders ($24) in 1626?

 

I'll have a random guess at the land that New York now stands on?

I'll give you a Ding!!! for that although it was actually the whole of Manhattan Island ;)

 

Quite Interestingly that $24 dollars is equivalent to around $600 dollars today - bit of a bargain! However, if that original $24 had been invested in a high interest account it would be worth around $250billion which is $50billion more than Manhattan Island is currently estimated at being worth :(

source

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