Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with curious

Tell me about a time when you were on the receiving end of a truly romantic act.

stuboo — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:34:43 -0800

I'm looking for stories from folks, especially ladyfolks, who have been on the receiving end of random acts of romance. Tell me, when were you surprised by a romantic act? What was it? What were the circumstances? I'll take just about any story, but I'm most interested in every day, random, spur of the moment romantic acts.

Birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentine's are great too, but stories that start along the lines of "It was a Thursday at 5:13pm..." are what I hope to see the most.

Ever eaten a marshmallow bait?

finnb — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:33:37 -0800

Has anyone ever eaten those marshmallow baits that you see in bait shops? If so, how were they?

I like turtles, too, but where'd this one come from?

redsparkler — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:07:08 -0800

Where did this large turtlish head come from? Which movie, television series, or commercial spawned this wise old creature? My local video store has an extensive collection of movie memorabilia, including a fairly large reptilian head. It was purportedly from Jurassic Park, but after close viewings of the movie, they're pretty darn sure that's not the case. So, then, where's it from? I'm hoping it's something Henson-crafted, but my knowledge of turtle media is weak. Perhaps someone out there recognizes this kindly, craggy soul?

Here's another angle, for scale.

Convex wheels keep on turnin'!

Mr. Anthropomorphism — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:03:34 -0800

Why do most large trucks and other heavy vehicles have wheels with hubs that protrude outward in front?

Curious assortment of objects

nthdegx — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 02:37:49 -0800

Can you cast any light on the meaning or purpose of this arrangement of objects I came across under a rail bridge? The words in chalk read "In the end no one lives".

How quickly can the computer check me?

Brandon Blatcher — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:29:51 -0800

How fast can a computer check to see if a key has bee pressed? Curious: Say I got a mac mini 1.4ghz and I type at 30 words a minute. How often can the computer check to see if a key has been pressed in between typing, any two letters as I typed this sentence.

Would it matter if it was a simple application or something coded into the OS (i.e. would one be faster than the other?) Would this constant checking slow down the computer? Would getting a faster computer enable the it to check faster and/or better?

Take a picture, if you can.

anonpeon — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 17:58:04 -0800

Does an actual photos of small things like atoms, molecules or DNA? Google didn't show anything for photo, just lots of models. I am looking for real bona fide made from reality image captures. Is it even possible to do photograph these things? If not, are we moving to a point where we weill be able to take such photos or even movies?

Hotdog vendor confidential

reformedjerk — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:05:37 -0800

Where do hotdog vendors go to relieve themselves? Here in Toronto, hotdog vendors are on almost every major downtown intersection. Often they set up shop for a good part of the day. I assume they are as human as everyone else and must find some way to relieve themselves throughout the day, but where do they go to do this? I've not seen a single one within walking distance of a portapotty. Anyone out there sell hotdogs?

I can't help but wonder somedays...

adampsyche — Sun, 09 Oct 2005 17:09:25 -0800

How much of a person's body could be surgically amputated while making sure the person remains alive?

Freckle monitoring techniques

altolinguistic — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 08:08:02 -0800

FreckleFilter: Just curious, really - I am a fair English lass, and therefore after a day in the sun I notice lots of freckles on my shoulders that have presumably appeared during the day. I am always amazed that they appear so quickly. My question is, if I constantly looked at my shoulders, would I see them popping up or do they appear gradually? And why little patches of pigment like that, anyway?

What's the box above the urinal?

ShawnString — Tue, 24 May 2005 07:14:35 -0800

MensRoomFilter: Guys, your standing at the urinal. on the wall in front of you is a box with a hose that runs down to the urinal. What is is it and how does it work? is it some sort of deodorizer? i am assuming it is but how? i never see anything come out of that hose