Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with wilson

If you want to understand something, try to locate it.

rbs — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:41:32 -0800

Who said/wrote "If you want to understand something, try to change it?" Wherever I've searched, people usually ascribe this quote to Kurt Lewin (died in 1947), but nothing I've found offers a citation to where Lewin actually said/wrote it.

Uri Bronfenbrenner, in "The Ecology of Human Development", published in 1979, ascribes it to his grad. school mentor Walter Dearborn "forty years ago", placing the quote around 1939, when Lewin was still active.

And, evidently, Woodrow Wilson said, "If you want to make enemies, try to change something"; he died in 1924. So, my sense is that this is a quote that's been played with over time.

And so, hive mind, I ask you, what is the first recorded instance of someone saying "If you want to understand something, try to change it?"

Mexican slang: "A wilson"?

everichon — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:26:46 -0800

I was just told that in Mexican Spanish slang, "a wilson" means "of course". So, I want to know: a) Is this true? b) If so, what is the etymology of this usage?

Name that chord!

sergeant sandwich — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:16:51 -0800

What is the guitar chord being played by Nancy Wilson at 0:44-0:47 in this Heart video? I cant for the life of me figure out what the hell that is or which fingers are on what frets; doesn't look like any of the moveable barre shapes or open chords I know. But I'm absolutely sure I've seen that (or similar) before on other videos, and I'm thinking it must be something fairly common. Anyone care to clue me in?

Brian Wilson and "I am the Walrus"

billysumday — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:55:39 -0800

I recently heard a rumor that after listening to the song "I am the Walrus", Brian Wilson decided to shelve a project that he was working on. The rumor continued, as rumors are wont to do, stating that "I am the Walrus", with its intricate production, finally pushed Brian Wilson over the edge and into Crazy Town. This rumor . . . it's true? So far, the Google has failed me. MeFi music historians, please help me.

What are the lyrics to Meredith Wilson's "Iowa, It's a Beautiful Name"?

davereed — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 18:51:23 -0800

"Iowa, It's a Beautiful Name" by (I think) Meredith Wilson. Does anybody know the lyrics or a songbook that contains it? It was published around the time of WWII. Thank You.

Pyramid blade sharpener - real or urban legend?

afroblanca — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 11:43:43 -0800

I remember reading a while back, possibly in Cosmic Trigger or some other such book, that the pyramid shape is naturally conducive to the sharpening of blades. According to this source, if you put dull blades inside a pyramid-shaped object, they will naturally sharpen over time. I don't think it matters what material the pyramid is made from, or how big it is. Anyway, as implausible as this idea seems, I know that I've heard it at least a few times, and cannot find anything about it on Snopes. So my question to the MeFi Mythbusters- real or urban legend?