I read about and heard an experiment about acoustic resonance. A guy made a tape in a room of his voice, then made many generations of recordings of the original recording. At the end all that was left on tape were the fundamental frequencies of the room. I can't find it anywhere. Ring any bells?
posted to Ask Metafilter by TheCoug at 3:17 AM on October 5, 2008 (13 comments)

Is there any sort of modern translation of Song of Solomon that actually makes this literary work culturally accessible?
posted to Ask Metafilter by jluce50 at 8:57 AM on September 26, 2008 (13 comments)

What exactly does it mean when someone holds their finger under their nose as if making a fake mustache? Details inside..
posted to Ask Metafilter by hammerthyme at 9:15 PM on September 17, 2008 (36 comments)

I seem to have a form of ... rules rage. I get truly angry over things that, afterward, seem insignificant. Help me find out why, or how to get past it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 6:53 AM on August 29, 2008 (29 comments)

Why do even olympic level swimmers (especially women) appear to have a "thin layer of fat over muscle" look rather than having the extreme muscle definition of say, sprinters?
posted to Ask Metafilter by true at 7:00 PM on July 4, 2008 (13 comments)

Polyhedral Maps is a website that explores unconventional methods of mapping the surface of the earth. The most famous of these unusual maps was Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion map, which used the net of an icosahedron. Da Vinci had experimented with this technique in his “Octant” map of 1514, which used Reuleaux triangles as map elements. This process is now being used by photographers and artists in manipulating panoramic images. A good example is Tom Lechner’s The Wild Highways of the Elongated Pentagonal Orthobicupola.
posted to MetaFilter by Tube at 10:33 AM on June 1, 2008 (23 comments)

Help me use these giant sacks of dried chiles.
posted to Ask Metafilter by zennoshinjou at 6:01 AM on May 13, 2008 (15 comments)

In the Cimitero Monumentale in Milan lies a crypt of the Galimberti family. Cuboid in shape, it bears numerous engravings which appear scientific in nature. I can make out what appears to be smashing particles, parabolas, lenses, and spirals. Is there a hidden meaning to all of this? A message? Code?
posted to Ask Metafilter by lorbus at 1:28 AM on May 9, 2008 (8 comments)

What does MetaFilter look like to moderators?
posted to MetaTalk by HotPatatta at 7:58 PM on May 4, 2008 (56 comments)

So, is anyone else out there a frustrated wannabe Croissant Chef?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Mutant at 2:29 AM on April 13, 2008 (17 comments)

Why does Chinese writing, when including a few English words, always seem to use the same font?
posted to Ask Metafilter by tomwheeler at 10:06 PM on March 27, 2008 (10 comments)

You'll rarely see it staged, so might as well enjoy Bartók's lone opera, Duke Bluebeard's Castle in a beautifully filmed version on YouTube. Libretto in Hungarian, English. And a little introduction and analysis, with a particular eye toward the cryptic prologue.
posted to MetaFilter by Wolfdog at 5:37 AM on March 25, 2008 (10 comments)

Uncle Dirty is a fascinating photo essay about a photographer's strange uncle who has lived 86 years obsessed with bodybuilding, penises, and thongs. Not safe for work, but not too crazy, the photos really humanize someone you'd probably cross the street to avoid in real life. (via mjj/blort)
posted to MetaFilter by mathowie at 11:13 AM on March 8, 2008 (130 comments)

DMCA takedown for the Grateful Dead? I recently received a pseudo-DMCA notice about a website hosting exclusively Grateful Dead music. I have a few questions about how to proceed.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 6:24 AM on March 8, 2008 (4 comments)

My 18 month old baby loves to pound on the computer keyboard in imitation of her mom and dad. Does anyone have any experience with programs that would both prevent her from deleting all of our files while providing an entertaining experience?
posted to Ask Metafilter by blahblahblah at 12:52 PM on February 26, 2008 (26 comments)

What is the super easy way to create a cool online picture Gallery (flash)? Without a hassle.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ollsen at 1:12 AM on February 21, 2008 (11 comments)

Flirting with the Forbidden, for centuries, Romans and French have enjoyed the pleasures of a unique songbird. Once caught, this tiny bunting is kept in a small cage, where its eyes are poked out. It is then force fed oats, millet, and figs until it's plumped up to four times its size. It is subsequently drowned alive in cognac, roasted at high heat, then served as an exquisite - and illegal - meal. Traditionally the diner enjoys this delicacy - approximately the size of a human thumb - underneath an embroidered napkin. The head is bitten off, the entire body eaten in one crunchy bite. Said to embody the "soul of France," it was, reportedly, the last meal of Francois Mitterrand. Writer Michael Paterniti recreates the experience of dining on l'ortolan, superbly told in an episode of "This American Life."
posted to MetaFilter by Dr. Zira at 7:04 PM on February 20, 2008 (141 comments)

Prince Rupert’s Drops are quickly cooled teardrop shaped glass pieces that have amazing physical properties. While tough on the big end, they will explosively shatter if broken on the small end.
posted to MetaFilter by Tube at 12:33 PM on February 17, 2008 (49 comments)

Why are St. Lawrence River/Great Lakes fish from upstate New York unavailable in New York City?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ROTFL at 9:16 AM on February 14, 2008 (10 comments)

"It was now dark and here I was in this spruce thicket without food or fire, naked, and miles from a camp." It was 1913, and Joseph Knowles had with cooperation of the Boston Post, decided to prove that man could survive in the wilds. Pictures and courtesy of Google Books, Knowle's own account, Alone in the Wilderness.
posted to MetaFilter by Atreides at 5:36 PM on February 10, 2008 (16 comments)

This week I've been perseverating on Chuck Berry's great 1964 song "You Never Can Tell", so now you get to too! Unless you're over 50, you probably know it from the Thurman/Travolta dance in Pulp Fiction, but here are some other versions worthy of your attention:
posted to MetaFilter by ubiquity at 1:47 PM on February 10, 2008 (14 comments)

This is an ironic tale of the consequences of inept application of cryptographic tools. Or is it? Dan Egerstad, a Swedish hacker, gained access to hundreds of computer network accounts around the world, belonging to various embassies, corporations and other organizations. How did he do it? Very easily: by sniffing exit traffic on his Tor nodes.
posted to MetaFilter by Anything at 6:04 PM on December 4, 2007 (27 comments)

How can I get revenge on telemarketers, legally & safely?
posted to Ask Metafilter by tastybrains at 10:52 AM on November 3, 2006 (62 comments)

An exceptionally simple theory of everything has been released by a snow and surfboarding physicist. String theorists are grumpy feeling it doesn't have enough dimensions to be a proper theory. Others question and discuss. In it's favour - it's pretty! 10 Mb Quicktime
posted to MetaFilter by Sparx at 6:42 AM on November 15, 2007 (113 comments)

Where can I read about the techniques and crimes of modern professional armed robbers and thieves?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Bookhouse at 1:23 PM on November 15, 2007 (12 comments)

My sister is seven months pregnant and has gained a healthy amount of baby weight (maybe slightly more than average - 30 to 40 pounds) ... problem is, a number of people - particularly coworkers - have come up to her and either asked if she's having twins or commented that she "looks a lot further along" than she is. I'm amazed by this rudeness, and it's really making my sister feel negative and self-conscious about her weight gain. I'd like to arm her with a good response or two to deflect the nosy/impolite questions and observations. Your very best comebacks (both snarky and polite but effective) are much appreciated!
posted to Ask Metafilter by roundrock at 7:32 AM on November 9, 2007 (55 comments)

How long after giving birth before sex becomes enjoyable again?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 9:11 PM on October 21, 2007 (17 comments)

How does autotune work?
posted to Ask Metafilter by phrontist at 1:48 PM on October 22, 2007 (7 comments)

What can I do about my roommates that f**k with me? Is there some legal way to deal with this? Is there some sort of Jedi mind trick I can put on them to make them stop? It is really getting bad and it may turn violent. Please help find a way to deal with this.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Botunda at 11:11 AM on October 23, 2007 (60 comments)

How to write a spelling corrector in twenty lines of Python.
posted to MetaFilter by alms at 6:45 PM on April 10, 2007 (45 comments)

I am looking for essays on the subject of choosing a new pair of glasses at the optican.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ilike at 3:57 AM on April 10, 2007 (6 comments)

If you have learned to be able to fall asleep on command where you once couldn't before, how did you do it?
posted to Ask Metafilter by who else at 4:23 PM on February 19, 2007 (20 comments)

Written last year for the sole purpose of having an easy, super-poppy song to learn to play the crappy used drum kit I had just bought in Kensington Market. This song wanted to go in a Beatle-y direction, but sadly I think it came out sounding more like The Oneders. It is what it is.
posted to MeFi Music by chococat at 2:16 PM on July 7, 2006 (22 comments)

Some stuff that happened. A mild case of OCD. A neighbourhood mom played the violin.
posted to MeFi Music by chococat at 9:33 PM on July 10, 2006 (57 comments)

I think this'll be my last music post for a while, until I get my shit together, as it were. Thought I'd round it off at a nice even 10. And, I thought it fitting to post this super-old song, ('98 or '99), which was my first attempt at "multitrack hard disk recording," with one Sure SM58 mic, some crappy Mac software on an old biege G3, handclaps and a LittleTikes™ toy piano. I used what I had. Way back when, I posted it on sites like the old mp3.com and it got some nice feedback which felt awesome and immediate and kind of weird and new. After a while I got sort of jaded with all the online music site stuff because it was clearly becoming the "So You Think You Can Dance" of the Internet, at the time. Posting stuff recently to music.metafilter has rekindled a lot of that fun, immediate kind of vibe for me, so I thought this was a good way to complete the circle. At the time I called this "a happy song about sad people," which I guess it is. It was written after leaving a shitty job. It sounds kind of corny and twee now, and the recording quality is pretty shite, but it was sincere at the time. Cheers everyone. In preview this seems like way too much information. Oh well.
posted to MeFi Music by chococat at 7:24 PM on August 2, 2006 (17 comments)

I'm traveling to New York City in September. Is is possible to find a hotel that is clean, quiet, and safe without spending a fortune?
posted to Ask Metafilter by 4midori at 4:02 PM on August 15, 2006 (22 comments)

"The sound was not of this world, it hovered in space like some celestial blessing".
He could play the piano ”before he had learned to smile”, his mother said, and he gave his first concert at the age of six. He studied under Alfred Cortot, Charles Munch, Paul Dukas, and Nadia Boulanger. He was an esteemed teacher and critic at 19, an international phenomenon at 24. He escaped from his native Rumania to Switzerland in 1943 with his fiancée, a joint capital of five Swiss francs in their pockets. After the war, just as he had arrived in the pantheon of great performing artists, Dinu Lipatti was diagnosed with leukemia. In September 1950, near death, despite the urgings of his doctors Lipatti insisted upon one last recital at Besançon. As his wife recalled, this was the only way Lipatti could bear to take his leave of the world. Lipatti was so weak he could barely walk to the piano. But once he began playing, he became transformed. After performing 13 waltzes, he could no longer muster the strength necessary to perform the final selection. So he substituted Myra Hess's piano arrangement of Bach's 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring".(page with sound). Three months later, Lipatti died at the age of 33. After Lipatti's funeral, his old mentor Cortot wrote: "There was nothing to teach you. One could, in fact, only learn from you."
posted to MetaFilter by matteo at 11:14 AM on May 20, 2006 (15 comments)