Curiosity Killed the Cat...er...or Rather...Efficiency

Most people who know me will tell you that I'm extremely curious and that I ask a lot of questions. It's true, when I find something that intrigues me, I want to find out all I can about it. So...if I just met you, and all of a sudden I become "the Inquisitor", don't worry, that just means you're interesting.

Anyway, that's not the point of this entry. I think I embrace my curiosity most of the time. It's a good thing to find many things fascinating. I don't mean this as if I'm someone who hasn't really seen the world, like..."oo a spooon....sooo shiny!" I think I've seen and experienced plenty, but I am curious about many things. Some recent things I've wondered about:

• How fighter jets on aircraft carriers take off/land
• Why/How people get acne
• Who is "cat woman" and wtf has she done to her face
• How they build underwater tunnels
• What makes Nick/Starr and Victor/Tammy so effective as teams on The Amazing Race
• What mammal has the longest average lifespan
• and the list goes on...
  

While most of the time, this keeps my life interesting, it can definitely be a hamper to productivity. For one, because I find many things so intriguing, it's hard not to be distracted by them. Recently I've been going to the bookstore a lot, to do research on a certain topic. But I have to say, each time I go there, it takes me at least 30 minutes, if not more, to settle down and do my research. I feel like I can't walk 2 steps without finding a book/puzzle/magazine/game/etc. that catches my eye. And while yes, I'll be entertained (and being entertained is always fun), I'm not sure it's good that I can't focus on my work without being distracted every few minutes. I actually think this might be a serious problem...

It's like one of those diseases where people can't believe that it's actually a disease! Like...persistent sexual arousal syndrome, where you're constantly on the brink of having an orgasm. Most people, when they hear that, think, "wow, awesome! I wish I had that!" Um, no. Even though I'm not one of the sufferers, I don't think it'd actually be fun to have it.

On the other hand, I don't think it's a good idea to suppress my curiosity either.
Yes, it killed the cat
but...
satisfaction brought it back!
OH SNAP!

Incidentally, in case you were wondering what the answers to the above ponderings are:

• How fighter jets on aircraft carriers take off/land

The length of an aircraft carrier is not long enough for airplanes to build up enough speed to take off or to slow down and stop when they land.

take-off -- Catapults on the aircraft carrier are used to basically generate enough force so that the fighter jet bound to it can get enough speed to take off


landing (recovery) -- The pilot of an incoming jet has to attach his tailhook (a hook on the rear of his plane) to one of the 4 arresting wires on the carrier. This is extremely difficult and requires the plane to come in at an exact angle. The actual procedure for this is quite complicated but basically there are these signal lights on the carrier that the crew on deck directs at the pilot. And depending on where he is with respect to the carrier, he'll see different light patterns. If he sees an amber light in line with a bunch of green lights, he's right on target. If he sees the amber light above the green light, he coming in too high; if he sees the amber light below the green light, he's coming in too low. If he's way too low, he'll see red lights.

• Why/How people get acne

There's some debate as to what really is the cause. Some people say it's diet, some say it's genetics, some think it's a combination of both. But no conclusive evidence has come of any of these claims. It's important to note that acne happens when your pores are clogged. And your pores are clogged whenever there's an excessive build-up of sebum (or the oil that your skin produces). So if you can make sure that your pores are unclogged and your face is clean, then it'll lessen it from occuring. There are other causes too, like the p. acne bacteria.

• Who is "cat woman" and wtf has she done to her face

"Cat woman"'s real name is Jocelyn Wildenstein. She's a rich socialite who, when her husband started cheating on her, thought "oo, if I just looked like a cat, I'm sure he'll come back to me!" and spent $4 million dollars on plastic surgery to transform her face to resemble a cat.

...

Moving on!

• How they build underwater tunnels

By using tunnel-boring-machines (TBMs), which has circular disk-shaped cutters that chisel the rock as it rotates. The pieces are then carried out by a conveyor on the TBM. TBMs also provide support for the space they create until something can be put in place.

Another method is the cut-and-cover method, whereby trenches are created on the ocean bed and prefabricated tunnel sections, airtight, are lowered into place. The sections are then connected and the seals between the sections (to keep the water out) are opened by divers and then they are filled with backfill...

I don't understand this fully but the TBMs sound really awesome. (Fact: 11 TBMs were used to build the tunnel connecting France and England)

• What makes Nick/Starr and Victor/Tammy so effective as teams on The Amazing Race

In my opinion, a combination of

1. following directions precisely
2. not making mistakes
3. working extremely well with each other and
4. staying positive
   

• What mammal has the longest average lifespan

I wasn't able to find conclusively what the answer to this is. To my knowledge, I think a bowhead whale was known to live up to 211 years old. Not sure what the average for it is though. Probably still pretty long.