h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Earlier today a colleage mentioned that he had learned about a vacancy in 'the company that makes Tomb Raider'.

'O', said I, 'Eidos.'

'Yeah, them', replied he.

'Founded by Ian Livingston', I continue, 'Him and Steve Jackson used to write those Deathtrap Dungeon books. And Steve Jackson went on to create Games Workshop, too.'

'Really? Coo. I never knew that.'

Which started me thinking about the possible general usage is disemination of geek knowledge.

And so I ask the community this: Is there some piece of geekish information locked in your cerebal cortex that is of actual interest to normal people when it is unleashed?


Geggs

dunno, i don't usually bother with 'normal' people.

If it interests 'normal' people, can it then be defined as 'geekish'?

as long as you don't go into too much detail

Oh, I think so. Most normal people have a general appreciation of social trends. But geeks have an in-depth knowledge of a particular trend, and so may be able to deepen the average person knowledge.

But now I'm worried. I've found an entry on the Fighting Fanasty, which is what the actual series was called, rather than Deathtrap Dungeon (though that was the name of one of the books in the series). The fellow's name is really Ian Livingstone, whereas I had previously neglected the 'e' on the end. Now I'm waiting for someone truly geekish to show up and tell me that I'm totally wrong.

That would serve me right for trying to be interesting.


Geggs

Gravity is a trillion trillion trillion times weaker than electricity. This number is a 1 with 36 noughts after it.

Does that count as interesting, fascinating or unrepeatable?

That's fascinating.

No, honestly, it really is.

Of course, I'd hardly qualify as normal.

Noggin

Weaker in what way?

No, wait. Now I think about it, its speed in m/s isn't it? So it's slower, rather than weaker.

That would be worrying if they swapped over. Nothing electrical would work, and we'd all be little spots on the ground. Or in the ground.


Geggs

I meant weaker as in their attraction. Gravity attracts things and particles can be held together with their mutual electromagnetic force stronger than by gravity.

Gotcha.

Still worrying if they ever swapped, though.


Geggs

It isn't likely that they'll swap... at least not for another ten billion years or so when the universe starts contracting and all the forces reverse themselves.

Have you spotted the obvious deliberate mistake? I didn't mean to say electricity! I meant to say the strong nuclear force carried by gluons! How silly of me!

But electricity is still millions of times stronger than gravity, and the strong force is millions of times stronger than that (a trillion trillion trillion times stronger than gravity). There is also a force called the weak force, and even that's stronger than gravity.

Strong force isn't that much bigger than electroweak is it? I guess all those powers of 10s start to add up. Of course, if you put enough energy in then they unify anyway. Of course .

There was a statistic about the number of people how use handcuffs that some normal people found quite interesting...

When I point out many of the links between Buffy and classical literature, especially Shakespeare and cultural mythology, people seem to be interested
HonestIago, Buffy

The strong force is the strongest. Electroweak is slightly weaker. Gravity is weakest.

*desperately tries to remember sub-atomic particles and interactions from A-level physics*

Well why not take a look at my entry at A2271205 to refresh your memory?

Your PC runs faster if you tilt it forward, because all the electricity runs to the front where your processor is.

B

But what happens when you've a tower system... should you immerse it in water up to the level of the processor to ensure the electrons don't sink to the bottom

I think I've just worked out what Jim Lynn does with his servers.

B

Core Design, the company responsible for the graphics and modelling of Lara Croft, is based in the building next to where I work.