Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2015 April 25

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April 25

The Little Man in My Fridge

For some reason the door on my refrigerator no longer turns out the light when it is closed. To help it out, I've had a paperclip taped to the switch to lengthen the switch which assures that the door will turn the light off. Due to the cold and moisture and such, tape wears out every so often. Would Superglue work to hold the paperclip? I'd rather not buy some to find it's not going to work and I'd like to find a more permanent solution. Thanks, Dismas|^(talk) 12:18, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

I'd be more inclined to use Epoxy adhesive than superglue. The latter does not like smooth surfaces nor shear, both of which I anticipate would be factors in fixing the Homunculus Fridgidus. The former is expressely a structural adhesive, and you are creating a structure. It will not be affected by the cold & damp. --Tagishsimon (talk) 12:28, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

The obvious question is how you know the light is still on when the door is closed. If you are judging based on when it's almost closed, that's not really good enough. I suggest you put a video camera in there, turn it on, and close the door. StuRat (talk) 15:25, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

Unless the fridge is rather new and has LED lighting, you can tell if there is a problem by shutting the door, waiting an hour then opening it and immediately touching the bulb to see if it's hot. But as StuRat says, setting your cellphone to record video and placing it inside the fridge when you close the door may just be easier. If you really have a problem, then unscrewing the bulb might be a good idea until you can get it fixed...you don't want the heat from the bulb warming up your food (that's potentially dangerous!) and you'd be pushing your electricity bill up - because the bulb uses energy - but much more importantly, the fridge uses MUCH more energy to remove that heat.

If this is a more modern fridge with LED lighting - you may not need to do anything - just let them stay on. LED's don't consume much energy because they are so efficient - and that's because they generate very little waste heat.

The obvious fix is to replace the switch - but if extending the lever on it is a viable work-around then perhaps the only problem is that the screws that hold it in place have worked loose...or perhaps the part of the door that's supposed to push on it is worn or damaged.

If you're quite sure that you just want to lengthen the arm, then I'd recommend a fast-cure two-part epoxy glue - but realize that you'll have to leave the door open for quite some time to give it time to set.

SteveBaker (talk) 16:01, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

Rather than lengthening the switch, it might be easier to enlarge the cam(?) on the door that pushes it in. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 2.218.13.204 (talk) 15:43, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

Thank you for all the answers. As far as telling if it's on, it's easy to see at night when all the other lights in the house are out. The door seal has a tendency to glow. And there is a small gap (Maybe 1/32") near the top of the door where I can see the light come through at other times in the day. Dismas|^(talk) 16:11, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

That gap sounds like a problem. I'd expect moisture to form on the gasket and to see a black mold growth there. StuRat (talk) 16:18, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

I haven't noticed any grime that is out of the ordinary. We've been in this house 9 years and it's been here since we moved in, so the gasket is dirty but not moldy. Dismas|^(talk) 16:21, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

StuRat is right though - that seal is supposed to snap magnetically onto the frame of the fridge to produce an almost airtight seal...if there is an actual gap, then it's REALLY not a good thing - you may not have visible mold there yet (maybe you clean it often enough to remove any superficial buildup) - but you eventually will. Also, if your fridge has a freezer section, the humidity getting inside will cause ice to build up (possibly in places you can't see) - and that reduces the efficiency of your fridge and may also cause it to go into more frequent auto-defrost cycles - which is bad for energy consumption AND for the safety of your food.

However, the plastic that the door seal is made from may be somewhat translucent so it may be that you can see the light without there being an actual gap.

SteveBaker (talk) 16:35, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

(Oh, and the reason the magnetic strip isn't sealing tight is probably that the soft, rubbery plastic of the seal has hardened with age and isn't bending to conform with the door frame very well...so replacing the seals would be a very good idea.) SteveBaker (talk) 16:37, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

Sounds like the door isn't fitting properly, a shrunken seal wouldn't normally cause a problem with the light switch. Check the hinges aren't loose first. Because fridge doors are designed to be reversable the hinges should be fairly easy to tighten although you may have to lay it on its side to get to the bottom one.--Ykraps (talk) 20:54, 26 April 2015 (UTC)

I understand that the door seal isn't affecting whether the switch works or not - but if it's not sealing right, our OP should consider replacing it. I like the idea of the hinges being loose because that explains both problems - but I think they'd have to be INCREDIBLY loose to affect the operation of the light switch. SteveBaker (talk) 16:05, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

Taking a step back, it might be economical to invest in a more modern, energy efficient fridge. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 16:12, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

• Is it possible the little man in your fridge will be more cooperative if you leave small offerings of caviar, asparagus, sushi, and dark chocolate? μηδείς (talk) 22:21, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

Underclass

My economic activity is currently zero. I don't even receive income support. My bank balance says zero. Does this mean i'm below the underclass? 84.13.149.202 (talk) 19:14, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

No. All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 19:50, 25 April 2015 (UTC).

• See the page guidelines at the top. μηδείς (talk) 19:56, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

• As your link states, the underclass is the "lowest possible position in a class hierarchy". Therefore, there is nothing below it. However, also note that your class doesn't immediately change as your income changes. Indeed, many wealthy people may lose millions of dollars in a given year, or even lose all their wealth and go deep into debt. That doesn't automatically move them into the underclass, as friends, relatives, business associates, etc., may well "keep them in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed". One example of this is Kwame Kilpatrick, former criminal mayor of Detroit who pleaded poverty when he claimed he couldn't pay back the citizens of Detroit all the money he stole from them. The court agreed, but then he was found to be living in a mansion, supposedly on money he had borrowed from friends. Well, that was a violation of the settlement, as he was supposed to disclose all income, including that. (He is now in jail, for that and/or other crimes.) StuRat (talk) 20:05, 25 April 2015 (UTC)
• You class only partly has something to do with the amount of money you have. and far more with breeding and behaviour. The prototypical example of course being a chav that wins the lottery, they may have lots of money, but behaviourally they'll still be a chav. 82.21.7.184 (talk) 07:21, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

• How is it mathematically and logically possible for a given person (not necessarily the OP specifically) to have zero impact on the economy? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:31, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

I know bugsy! I'm well experienced! Lack of self control, not having enough to satisfy more than the basic needs, satisfication comes from spending the money regardless if it is every single penny...

In OP's case, I think their parents are supporting them... -- Mr. Prophet (talk) 19:40, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

There's no way to know that unless the OP comments. I just don't understand how anyone can have no economic impact. I don't think it's possible. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:41, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

O, the effect is drastic if no one's supporting you, things fall down like an avalanche upon the person with responsibilities. Mind is a non-stop mechanism beyond anyone's control, we all have that week side where we can't control certain thing(s) in our life, e.g., babies wear dippers because they don't have control over their 'wee wee'. Though we learn how to control it with age, we can't with some things using our mind... Some learn from their mistakes, some don't, and continue to fail to use their willpower... Don't forget, money buys everything (you have to have that frame of mind and of course the income and the will power). -- Mr. Prophet (talk) 23:01, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

Now who can argue with that? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:35, 28 April 2015 (UTC)

Lykov family. 96.233.17.241 (talk) 23:38, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

Interesting story. The only impact they had on the economy (other than their self-contained "economy") would be when they left their city and the rare occasions when one of them returned to a city. The article doesn't say whether they had internet access. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:35, 28 April 2015 (UTC)

Note that this is actually quite an important point. I'm fairly sure under many definitions, if your parents are providing you spending money even if not to your bank account, it's unlikely your economic activity will be considered zero. Even if you don't make any spending decisions yourself, I'm not sure whether your economic activity will be counted as zero if your parents are spending money e.g. your food or housing. This has already been touched on above somewhat, but even outside the UK your class only depends somewhat on how much money you earn. Notably if you are supported by someone else, that support will likely influence your class. Nil Einne (talk) 12:46, 28 April 2015 (UTC)

Google Destructive Scanning Work, Volume 120, Part 16

Is it that the people paid by Google to do the scanning object to the process? Or is this hacktivisim? Or both? All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 19:50, 25 April 2015 (UTC).

I suspect that "Destructive Scanning" refers to Book scanning#Destructive scanning. I don't know how that ended up in place of the actual title, but I seriously doubt it was done maliciously. -- BenRG (talk) 00:43, 26 April 2015 (UTC)

ASL

Does anyone know what the name of the place is in the United States where 1 in 25 people use ASL as their only form of communication?

Thank you,

Sandi — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.145.12.2 (talk) 23:05, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

Rochester, New York possibly. Dismas|^(talk) 23:27, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

Define "place". Besides the Deaf school noted by Dismas in Rochester, there are also places like Gallaudet University. --Jayron32 23:37, 26 April 2015 (UTC)