What did you learn in School today? | Esse Sapientes | Page 19

2016-04-06 (Onsdag)

Posted on April 6, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Idag lärde jag mig, att:

Har man tillräckligt med pengar så gör man vad man vill. Det har blivit uppenbart när Panamadokumenten nu avslöjas. I morse redogjorde SRs utrikeskorrespondent Staffan Sonning för hur det fungerar att trolla bort skatt på de surt förvärvade pengarna, lyssna på krönikan i referens nummer 1 nedan.

Men allt är inte bara elände i världen. Häromdagen fick jag ännu ett nummer av Chalmers magasin i min brevlåda. Förutom de som alltid interessanta artiklarna om vad forskarna har kommit på nu, så var det två notiser på sidorna 4 och 5 som drog till sig mitt intresse:

För fjärde året i rad toppar Chalmers TNS Sifos anseendemätning över svenska universitet, med betyget 89 på den 100-gradiga skalan, vilket uttyds som “utomordentligt anseende”.

Ansökningar från internationella studenter att börja höstterminen 2016 på Chalmers är rekordstort, 10 822 ansökningar, en ökning med 63 % i förhållande till fjolåret. Det totala antalet ansökningar från utlandet till alla högre utbildningar i Sverige ökade samtidigt med 46 %, så även här stärker Chalmers sin position i Sverige.

Läs hela utgåvan i referens nummer 2 nedan.

… Tack för idag, slut för idag!

(This post in Swedish deals with how easy it is to vanish with your money, and also about how my alma mater, Chalmers, is strengthening its position, both in Sweden and abroad.)

Refs.:

1: Staffan Sonning: Om Panamadokumenten

2: Chalmers magasin nr. 1 2016

+: What did you learn in school today ?

2016-04-05 (Tuesday)

Posted on April 5, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Today, I learned that:

In a world with so much violence, crimes and frauds, one could expect that at least sport competitions would give us some time to recover our senses and enjoy them.

But unfortunately, there is so much mischief going on also in sports, that it further adds on to all the other stress items we have to endure.

This morning, I read in Folha de S. Paulo, see reference #1 below, that the government of the State of São Paulo, for safety reasons, will not permit that the supporters of the away team in the matches among the teams from the capital, the so-called “classical matches”, be present in the stadium. The drop that made the bottle flow over was the violence last Sunday, in connection with the match between Palmeiras and Corinthians. A person waiting for his bus home at a bus stop was shot and died. He had nothing to do with the fighting supporters, just happened to be “at the wrong place at the wrong time”.

In Sweden, the premium football league, named “Allsvenskan” started the 2016 season last Sunday. The public attendence was good, even higher than the icehockey games of Swedish Hockey League, but there is one thing that I find most distressing in relation to the so-called “supporters” who find more pleasure in lighting artifical fires, “Bengal fires” on the grandstands, instead of concentrating themselves on the game. How about arranging separate competitions between Bengal supporters instead, who can create the finest, multi-coloured, smoky fires, so that real football fans can watch their game without the incendiary disturbance? If you are literate in Swedish, listen also to the interview in reference # 2, where the police give their negative opinion about this practice.

bengal

Supporters from IFK Göteborg “enjoying” their Bengal fires, in an earlier game against IF Elfsborg. Photo by Björn Larsson Rosvall / TT

… That’s what I learned in school !

Refs.:

1: Governo impõe torcida única para clássicos em São Paulo

2: Polisen ser ingen lösning på bengalerna

+: What did you learn in school today ?

2016-04-04 (Monday)

Posted on April 4, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Today, I learned that:

If you like salt in your food but know that you have to take very much care in order to not overdose the salt contents, since too much sodium will raise your blood pressure, could there be a different way of feeling the same food sensation without putting your life in danger?

Researchers at the University of Tokyo’s Rekimoto Lab have come up with an interesting alternative, sort of best of both worlds. They have built a prototype of an electric fork, which uses electrical stimulation to simulate the taste of salty or sour ingredients.

The battery-powered fork features a conductive handle that completes a circuit when the tines make contact with a diner’s tongue, electrically stimulating their taste buds. It has has adjustable levels of stimulation, to adapt to individual tastes. However, before thinking about making it available to the public, they have to overcome a problem, because if pushed too far, the fork can produce an unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth.

E-Fork

Bon (and healthy) appétit !

… That’s what I learned in school !

Refs.:

1: This Electric Fork Simulates a Salty Flavour By Shocking Your Tongue

+: What did you learn in school today ?

2016-04-03 (Söndag)

Posted on April 3, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Idag lärde jag mig, att:

Vår värld är verkligen varierad, även om det finns likheter mellan Norr och Syd. Till exempel är det som så att fler och fler politiker av olika färg och nationaliteter börjar ertappas med att först ta vara på sig själva och skicka “sina” pengar till något skatteparadis.

Så har det varit länge i Brasilien, även om det som nu håller på att avslöjas överstiger allt som vi har hört talas om tidigare. I dagens God morgon världen i SR P1 rapporterade SRs korrespondent i Latinamerika, Lotten Collin, om en brasiliansk satirsajt som verkligen har lyckats fånga situationen på ett kusligt sätt. Lyssna på reportaget i referens nummer 1 nedan.

Och i samma program fanns det också ett intressant inslag om hur man använder hundar i Kambodja för att tillaga deliciösa maträtter. Reporter där var Alex Kronholm. Hör inslaget i referens nummer 2 nedan.

BVI

(Skatte)Paradiset Brittiska Jungfruöarna. Foto AP

Så slutligen i Ekot kvart i sex fanns det också ett inslag från Island, där man har upptäckt att statsministerns fru föredrar att placera pengar på Brittiska Jungfruöarna. Reporter ännu en gång, den välbereste Alex Kronholm! Hör inslaget i referens nummer 3 nedan.

… Tack för idag, slut för idag!

(Today’s post deals with three different reports from around the world, all in Swedish, namely from Brazil, Cambodia and Iceland.)

Refs.:

1: Politisk satir i krisens Brasilien

2: Stulna hundar på matbordet i Kambodja

3: Islands regering skakas av en skatteskandal

+: What did you learn in school today ?

2016-04-02 (Saturday)

Posted on April 2, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Today, I learned that:

Last night, I took my son and his girl friend to an outdoor consert with Skank, one of Brazil’s leading rock band for a couple of decades, which you can see in full action in the photo below. The surprising venue was Arena Brasil, located in the outskirts of Paraná’s leading textile city, Cianorte. The evening was warm and pleasant. Skank presented a mixed program spanning from some of their all-time hits until the most recent tunes. The public interacted well with the band and sang together the lyrics of the well-known songs. And the whole arena exploded when Skank once again paid a tribute to the Brazilian pastime, football. Listen to “É Uma Partida De Futebol” (It is a Football game) in reference #1 below.

Skank

Show by Skank in Cianorte, PR, Brazil on 2016-04-01

Yesterday’s event came as a relaxing break from the distressing reality of the Brazilian everyday life. However, the rotten economy, the political scandals, the official corruption, etc., are still here. Radio Sweden’s Saturday program about Economics discussed all this in a way accessible to all its listeners. Listen to the program in reference #2 below (unfortunately only in Swedish) and stay on top of the current situation here.

… That’s what I learned in school !

Refs.:

1: É Uma Partida De Futebol

2: Brasiliens ekonomiska kris

+: What did you learn in school today ?

2016-04-01 (Fredag)

Posted on April 1, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Idag lärde jag mig, att:

Det är bäst att vara förvarnad för en lavin av aprilskämt, för det verkar som om kvantiteten ökar för varje år som går. Exempel på dagens skämt kan du se i referens nummer 1 nedan.

Men kvantitet är nödvändigtvis inte kvalitet, kanske det var bättre förr? Sveriges Radio sände igår ett minnesprogram om se- och hörvärda aprilskämt från anno dazumal. Naturligtvis satt TV-programmet från 1962, när Kjell Stensson fick hela svenska folket att beklä sina svartvita TV-mottagare med nylonstrumpor i hopp om att få se lite färg, i högsätet, men något som gladde mig särskilt mycket var när min hemort Herrljunga år 2014 bestämt sig för att bli helt emanciperat och byta namn till Henljunga. Missa inte programmet i referens nummer 2 nedan.

1962&2014

Aprilskämt från 1962 och 2014

Men varifrån kommer då aprilskämtet? Herman Lindqvist kunde berätta om det i ett frågeprogram för knappt två år sedan, se referens nummer 3 nedan.

… Slut för idag, tack för idag!

(The text above in Swedish is all about April Fool’s Day, in the past and the present.)

Refs.:

1: 2016 års bästa aprilskämt

2: Aprilskämt vi kanske glömt

3: Bästa minnet 2014-05-10

+: What did you learn in school today ?

2016-03-30 (Wednesday)

Posted on March 30, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Today, I learned that:

If you were surprised about the consequences which an interpretation of a comma in a contract can lead to, as I wrote about yesterday, today I will write about something which can directly affect the pockets of many people, if they do not weigh the possible outcome of a simple click of “like” in a Facebook page.

This case has been judged by a court in Piracicaba, located 160 km North West of the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. On 2013-12-04, the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo published an article, where the journalist Monica Bergamo reveals a case, which had just been decided in that court. The original text in Brazilian Portuguese is in reference #1 below, here comes a translation of it into English:

“A person that shares offensive comments or news on Facebook can be sentenced to pay an indemnity to the other person that feels affected by it. That decision was taken by the Court of Justice of the state of São Paulo. Judge José Roberto Neves Amorim, rapporteur of the case, says that the decision is new, and affirms that it will be recommended as jurisprudence, to be applied in similar cases which arrive at the court.

The case involves a veterinarian who was accused of negligence when treating a bitch (i.e. a female dog), subject to be castrated. The unproven information was shared and received “likes” from two women, who were sentenced to pay R$ 20 000 (corresponding then to US$ 8 500 ). “Those who share messages and give their opinion in an offensive way are responsible for their acts”, says Amorim. To him, Facebook should be “viewed with a higher degree of seriousness and not by the informal character that the defendants applied”.”

Reference #2 shows the official records of this process, and according to it, the sentence may be overturned, because the defendants appealed against the decision.

… That’s what I learned in school !

Refs.:

1: Mulheres abrem jurisprudência a indenização por comentário ofensivo em rede social

2: Consulta de Processos do 2ºGrau

+: What did you learn in school today ?

2016-03-29 (Tuesday)

Posted on March 29, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Today, I learned that:

Almost one decade ago, there was a big dispute in Canada over how to interpret the meaning of a comma in one paragraph of a contract between two companies in the telecommunications industry. And it was not academic, the amount in dispute was as high as 2,13 million Canadian dollars. You might have heard about the so-called “tele-comma” case, if not here is the story:

In the Canadian province of New Brunswick, located on the South East coast, the local electricity company, NB Power, leased space on their outside poles to the telecommunications corporation Rogers Communication, so that they could distribute cable TV by means of those poles. A third party, Bell Aliant Regional Communication administered the poles on behalf of NB Power, so the lease contract was drawn up between Aliant and Rogers in year 2002, with an initial validity of five years, renewable in five-year periods, and with cancellation possible with a one-year prior notice. However, in 2005, Aliant gave the one-year notice that the contract was cancelled and furthermore the cost of leasing the pole almost triplicated, from $ 9,60 per pole to $ 28,05, which multiplied by 91 000 poles would lead to an extra cost for Rogers of almost $ 1,7 million.

Aliant said that this was all regulated in the following paragraph of the contract: “[…This Agreement] shall be effective from the date it is made and shall continue in force for a period of five (5) years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five (5) year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.” They alleged that the comma in “… terms, unless …” gave them that right, which was also confirmed by Canada’s Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission.

However, Rogers kept insisting that the cited comma did not have any real meaning, and eventually found also a French version of the same contract, where such a comma did not exist. And they were successful in their appeal with the Commission, that reversed their earlier decision due to the existence of the French contract.

NB Power poles and light house in Caissie Point, New Brunswick. Photo by Charles W. Bash

Below are three references that gives all the juicy content of this case, the two first ones being Canadian newspapers, and the third one is a British law site with a different angle to the story. Read and learn, and after that be very sure that the contracts you sign do not contain any such draconic comma.

… That’s what I learned in school !

Refs.:

1: A $2-million comma? Au contraire, Rogers tells Aliant

2: Rogers wins ‘comma’ contract dispute

3: The case of the million-dollar comma

+: What did you learn in school today ?

2016-03-28 (Monday)

Posted on March 29, 2016 by What did you learn in School today ?

Today, I learned that:

It seems that many readers appreciate when I deal with culinary treats, which of course makes us all feel good. But since my background is in technology, it is difficult to not mention how the technological development is present also there.

Today, I heard about a novel container for storing and serving wine with a twist. It is the American company Kuvée which is accepting pre-orders for their system which allegedly permits that the user can store an open bottle up to 30 days and give a higher flexibility to drinking something different than the others. Let us see what comes out of this at end of the year, when their first products are scheduled to launch. If you think that this sounds interesting, consult references #1 and #2 below.

Today’s second topic is about the continuing development in screens for mobile phones. The dominating technology has been LCD displays for quite a while, although the OLED devices are coming stronger, promising more vibrant colors than their opponent. And now production costs for OLED are estimated to be lower than for LED, so very probably, we will see more of those in our smartphones from now on. But as always, there is a product that is trying to counter attack. It is the Quantum Dot (QD) display that wants to be remembered as a viable option to OLED.

OLEDxQD

OLED and QD-LED displays side by side. Photo by Android Authority

Below are references (#3 … #5) to three articles from Android Authority, that I suggest that you read in the order I indicate, although it is inverse chronological order. It is heavy stuff, but if you want to go deep into the secrets of your cell phone display, it is all in there.

… That’s what I learned in school !

Refs.:

1: Kuvee’s smart bottle is like a Keurig, but for wine

2: Your perfect glass, anytime

3: Right on schedule, AMOLED displays are now cheaper to produce than LCD

4: AMOLED vs LCD: differences explained

5: Quantum Dot vs OLED, which is the better display?

+: What did you learn in school today ?