Category Archives: From the News

What’s happening in the offline world out there.

Year in review: Q&A from the news.

What a year for news – iPads, volcanoes, an oil spill, and more. The Answers.com community was busy answering as quickly as the questions came in. So here we are at year’s end to share some of the Q&As from the most popular news events of the year. If you’ve got your own fond memories of a question on the site, please share in the comments below!

One of the top three questions on Answers.com in January 2010 was “Where is Haiti located?” Searches for the Caribbean nation exploded after a deadly 7.0-magnitude quake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on January 12, killing approximately 230,000 people.

After only seven months on air, Conan O’Brien hosted his Tonight Show on January 22. NBC forced the quirky redhead out of his spot after Jay Leno’s ratings plummeted at the 10 p.m. spot. The debacle only emboldened Conan’s admirers who dubbed themselves Team Coco. He eventually moved his act to TBS.

Apple announced their anticipated tablet computer in January, calling it the iPad. Female hygiene jokes abounded on Twitter, but eventually the world came to love the touchscreen gadget.

Quarterback Drew Brees led the New Orleans Saints to their first Super bowl win in the franchise’s history. The victory revitalized a city downtrodden from Hurricane Katrina five years earlier.

Much of Washington, DC, was buried under snow during February 2010. Dubbed “Snowmageddon” or “Snowpocalypse” the series of blizzards dropped more than 55 inches of snow in the DC/Baltimore areas, an all-time record.

During the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, Beyonce Knowles became the first woman to win six awards in one night, including Song of the Year for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”

President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a sweeping health care overhaul, into law on March 23.

Twitter starts selling advertising on its site for the first time since its 2006 (?) founding. “Promoted tweets” bought by advertisers appear above other content.

Eruptions from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano created an ash cloud so huge, it grounded European flights for six days in April.

Lady Gaga reigned on YouTube in April 2010. With more than one billion views, the pop star broke the record for views from a single channel.

A BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded on April 20, killing 11 men and eventually leaking an estimated 185 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean ecosystem. The leak wasn’t completely capped until mid-September.

David Cameron became the youngest British Prime Minister in 200 years. He was elected on May 6.

And on the other end of the age spectrum, octogenarian actress Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live on May 9. Proving the power of social media, the Facebook page “Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!” gained several hundred thousand followers and campaigned to get the actress on the show.

The 2010 World Cup kicked off on June 11 in South Africa and football fans worldwide endured monthlong Vuvuzela-induced headaches.

What a year of Q&A! Stay tuned for 2011 – we wonder what will make the news then!

Way or no way: blufr’s new bonus category is WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks, the rogue media organization that works to publish confidential diplomatic and classified documents and videos, is itself the center of the media’s attention in the last week after it unleashed hundreds of thousands of confidential cables from U.S. records.

Well, at least that’s all ‘way.’

But what else do you know? blufr just posted the latest bonus category – WikiLeaks – so it’s time to find out.

Way or no way:

Keep up with current events – and play blufr to figure out fact from fiction…

New Apple iPad, new Q&A category.

Extra, extra!

As Steve Jobs and Apple turn the speculation into reality, releasing their latest and, arguably, greatest product into the technological wild, the questions are quickly being answered…

…on Answers.com, of course.

The iPad Q&A category has been set up and is being filled with questions that are being complimented with answers – as I type this.

Visit the category or start here:

So… Are you going to rush to buy one? Or ride out the wave and wait for 2.0?

Helping Haiti.

With more and more details coming out of Haiti after the massive earthquake there on Tuesday, it’s crystal clear how much the people of Haiti need the international community’s support and aid.

There are ways we can help even from far away; the following are some examples (thanks Chris Sacca) – and some more information.

In the meantime, hoping for the healing and restoration of Haiti.

It’s Sunday – save four trees!

Did you know? Just by recycling your Sunday paper every week for a year, you can save four trees!

Today is America Recycles Day, “the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and buy recycled products,” as highlighted on Today’s Highlights.

More on the topic:

How does recycling help to prevent global warming? When solid waste is recycled, there is a vastly reduced release of  into the air. Concern for the environment has created a greater demand for recycling. With more garbage created than ever before, landfills are growing and there is increased pressure on our natural resources. Each day, Americans throw away enough office paper to build a wall of paper twelve feet high from New York to Seattle.

Check out the complete edition of Today’s Highlights for more fun facts.

Oh, that annual elections thing.

Hello American citizens! Hope you have voted/will vote/are standing in the elections booth right now on this fine Election Day.

Just because it hasn’t been preceded by a heated and sometimes ridiculous and always lengthy presidential campaign four years in advance doesn’t mean it’s not important!

If you need the details (for any state), you know where to turn: What time do the election day polls close in 2009?

And of course, check out the Elections Q&A category for questions related to the candidates and polls.

Be heard!

Healthcare reform: What is the answer?

Lately it seems the biggest question on Americans’ minds is: What should America do to reform its health care?

Since Barack Obama made it a key issue and the healthcare reform bill is being outlined, everyone’s been discussing it: pros, cons, how-to’s. Most people on either side of the healthcare reform argument do agree that something needs to be done to improve the current health care system in the United States. The main question seems to be: But what?

WikiAnswerers have also been asking questions and offering answers. Check out what’s being said in the following healthcare reform Q&A’s:

As it seems to be in Congress, there are also a lot of unanswered questions about health care reform. Care to take a stab?

May the best plan go forward… Here’s to a healthy decision!

Happy Birthday President Obama!

So the President of the United States is a Leo, eh?

President Barack Obama turns 48 today. He was born on August 4, 1961, making Leo his astrological sign.

So what is his horoscope today? According to horoscope.com:

“Birthdays may only come once a year, but this year, every day may feel like your birthday as you are in a cycle of renewal and possibility. Doors may be opening for you now that have been closed for a long time. Your only job is to stay open and notice the opportunities that are available to you…”

I wonder if the President believes in the Zodiac…

In any case, wishing President Obama a very happy birthday – and for the sake of all of us – a successful 49th year!

Want to find out Today’s Birthdays every day? Sign up to recieve Today’s Highlights in your inbox or check out Today’s Highlights daily.

The Nitty Gritty of NookieRookie

NookieRookieOne of WikiAnswers.com’s greatest attributes is the wide range of user names that contributors select or more appropriately, ‘creatively pull out of the dark confines of their minds’. People often choose the names of their favorite pets; names that resonate with how they view themselves in the context of the world; and even the names of special places, hobbies or passions. Then there are those who simply like to wing it; you know, folks who choose names because they are fun, weird or simply, “sound cool when I made it up 10 years ago.” That last ‘top reasons for selecting a WikiAnswers.com user name’ describes our contributor of the week here on NSA. Although his given name is Mike, we know him as NookieRookie — who has a most interesting and colorful life story. On WikiAnswers.com he’s a Bronze Contributor and one of our great Supervisors or Stupervisor as he likes to fondly call himself (“until I master all the tools and how and when to use them”). Off WikiAnswers.com, he’s anything but ordinary.

In addition to being the proud pet parent of “One deaf dog, one neurotic dog, one three-legged dog and one dog that looks like a shark when it smiles,” NookieRookie is a Steelers fan (originally from Pennsylvania), bought $1,200 worth of drums last year (“I played them once and realized, just because you own an instrument, doesn’t mean you know how to use it.”), enjoys playing WWII first-person video games, collects New Age albums (and dust) and once sold cars for three months….until he crashed a customer’s trade-in. Here’s more on this fascinating individual known as NookieRookie:

What is your key area of knowledge or expertise?

I gravitate towards Astronomy (pun intended), Human Resources, Hiring and Retention, Medical Terminology and English Language. I’m a person who enjoys sharing what I know through knowledge and experience.

What do you like to do for recreation?

I use to be an avid volleyball player. Then I got a “real” job. Now my “recreation” is repairing the house. Are shots of rum considered recreation? I need a vacation.

Any educational information you’d like to share?

I graduated Magna Cum Lousy with a Bachelors degree in Management.

Please share some random facts about yourself, special thoughts, etc.

I’m a product of the 80′s. It was the absolute best decade of music, TV and clothing. I’m a published poet; of course, I had to pay $60 to get it published in a book of 1,000 other poems. I once tried out for the Weakest Link. I think what ended it for me was doing a rendition of Dr. Evil when they asked me to tell them a little about myself.

Do you have any special talents?

I have a very special talent for coming up with lots of ideas for new products, doing nothing about it and watching as someone else becomes wealthy several years later because they had the same idea and knew how to sell it.

Do you have any special goals or dreams?

To actually pursue one of my “inventions” and have it be available to the public. Oh yeah, and I make the best chicken corn soup and whoopie pies this side of the Atlantic.

What brought you to WikiAnswers.com?

I Googled a question to which I was looking for an answer and clicked on a link that took me to WA.

What keeps you coming back to WikiAnswers.com?

Knowing the answers to some of the questions users are asking.

What is your favorite WikiAnswers.com activity?

It’s hard to say, as it depends on my mood and whether or not I’m traveling for business. I tend to be more involved when I’m on the road as it helps me wind down at the end of the day. Overall, I’d have to say I enjoy answering questions that don’t require research; hmm, maybe that’s an oxymoron.

How would you describe yourself or personality?

As a young lad, I was often labeled as “weird’ by my peers and I was always hurt by that. I now take pride in that label as I realized I was called that name because of my sense of creativity. I’m only serious when I need to be. I try to find humor in most things and am quite philosophical and inquisitive; like, it’s not whether the chicken or the egg came first, it’s about who was the first person to think cooking a chicken embryo would be tasty?

What is your favorite WikiAnswers.com feature?

I haven’t really learned all the ins and outs of the features yet; so, right now, it’s my backspace key when editing answers and questions.

What has been the funniest question you’ve seen or your funniest experience on WikiAnswers.com?

Funniest experience – Laughing at myself when I’m the oxymoron. This is a site where people often research answers, and I still ask questions in the forums about how features work, etc when I could find the answer myself in the  Help Center if I just…..researched the answer.

Three Cheers for the Catch-All King: Mezzra

SupervisorHip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray! There’s no denying that WikiAnswers.com’s has a lot of dedicated contributors. But sometimes there are those who shine so brightly, they could be mistaken for royalty! One person who really, honestly and truly deserves more than three cheers is our fantabulous Mezzra. On the site since only December 2008, this force to be reckoned with has already accomplished the impossible: just under 90,000 contributions, 50 hours as a Vandal Patrol Site Guardian and winning a 2008 Honorable Mention WAmmy. All this, while simultaneously volunteering as a mentor, WIT Adult Advisor and Wikiguide. And if that doesn’t keep him busy enough, he’s also an avid Category Supervisor – carefully watching over the dire and dangerous Catch-Alls.

What can I say? All hail Mezzra! Here’s more from the Wiki-King himself: How did you originally hear about WikiAnswers.com?

Hmm…Well, it’s nothing as exciting as I have seen others post on this blog. It’s not even very complicated. Basically, one day whilst Googling something (“what” totally evades my memory), I saw a WikiAnswers.com link. Upon opening the link, I was faced with two things; a good answer, but terrible grammar. So I got stuck right in and signed up! Checking grammar (my personal pet peeve) soon earned by around 1,000 Contribution Points in a period of a few days, and on Christmas Eve, I had the Super powers!

Explain your username.

My username is just something I saw one day on another site and nicked. Don’t know the origins or if it actually means anything, but thought it had a pretty awesome sound. :-)

What motivates you to volunteer your time to the WikiAnswers.com community?

Basically, helping others out. It really gives me a kick and brings me back here day-after-day. That and the fact there are tons of questions that are just…urgh. So I fix those up!

What are your areas of expertise?

Without wanting to sound big-headed, the Catch-alls. I spend 90 percent of my time in there, and it’s my true love on site. Without the category I would go absolutely mad!

What is your favorite WikiAnswers.com feature?

Reverting has always been of interest to me. I just love the fact that the system remembers all of the previous answers and with two clicks you can have an old, excellent answer that has been vandalized. I can’t wait until we get the batch-revert feature…

What has been the funniest question you’ve seen or your funniest experience on WikiAnswers.com?

The question “What is Governmentium?” made me totally LOL. Even a few days after I was still laughing at the thought :-P

Share a random fact (or two) about yourself.

Well, there isn’t much of interest about me. Other than the fact that I love English, both language and literature. As you may have known by reading this all, grammar is my absolute “thing.”

Happy Square Root Day!

It’s March 3rd, 2009 – you know what that means. Oh, you don’t? Then you must not have paid enough attention in your math classes.

Here’s a hint – the calendar date is 3.3.09. Still not seeing it?

It’s Square Root Day, a holiday celebrated by math enthusiasts, especially those tickled by division. Need a brush-up? Here’s the definition of a square root:

“A number that, when multiplied by itself, will result in a given number. The square root of four is two; the square root of one hundred is ten.”

Today is a date when the day and month are both the square root of the last two digits of the year. For instance, 3 x 3 = 9. Three is the square root of nine.

So make sure you do something square root-ish! Don’t miss out – the next Square Root Day is seven years away, on April 4, 2016.

Inauguration Day: Plenty of presidential Q&A!

It’s January 20th, which means there are plenty of questions (and answers) regarding the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. Luckily, WikiAnswers contributors have been speedily whipping up answers to some of the most popular questions:

…And even some history trivia for some inaugurations of the past:

Check out more Inauguration Q&A.

In celebration of MLK Day.

This very busy week for the United States kicks off tomorrow with Martin Luther King Day. Have you read up on MLK, his dream and what is new in the civil rights world?

You can start here, and you can always contribute in your own way, by asking or answering on WikiAnswers.

It’s National Trivia Day.

Haven’t had enough of the holidays yet?

January 4th is National Trivia Day! The origins of the day are unknown, however, many would claim it is a marketing ploy of the makers of Trivial Pursuit. There is a tradition to play the famous game, or other knowledge-based games, in honor of today.

Of course, there is also a tradition to call or email friends and family and share a little-known fact… What if I propose sharing that little-known trivia fact on WikiAnswers, spreading your knowledge to an entire Q&A community spanning the globe?

Go for it! Find an unanswered question that can be answered with a piece of trivia, or create your own question and answer it. Comment on this blog post with the URL of your question and answer so we can all learn something trivial – but interesting! – today.

…Or, if you’re looking for trivia instead of sharing it, check out the Spotlight on today’s Answers.com homepage.

Ask.com is seeking answers.

Everyone was talking about it yesterday, and everyone had a different take -

NYTimes: Ask.com Revamps Search Engine

eWeek: Ask.com Sails into Semantic Search to Differentiate from Google

Mashable: Ask.com Now Actually Delivers Answers

Search Engine Land: Ask.com Goes Back To 1996 With New Release

AdAge: Ask.com Returns to Answers

Well, however it’s reported, the point is that the Q&A trend is growing strong. Ask.com‘s new search bar boasts options like ‘web’, ‘images’, ‘news’ and… ‘lots of answers’. The Q&A search option seems to have the safety net of the Beta tag, but the truth is I think it works out pretty well. It takes your search term and scans the major Q&A sites for relevant pages.

Look up Chicago Cubs, for instance, and you get a wonderful selection from one major Q&A site that I happen to be particularly fond of… Even if it’s not a baseball team I care for.

Get WikiAnswers in your language

Google has added 11 new languages to its translation tool, so now, with a little G-help, we can get answers in even more languages.

Redeeming the cow

Consider the cow of Mrs. O’Leary, famous for starting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 by kicking over a lantern and setting her barn – and one third of the city – ablaze. That rumor was put to rest in English long ago, but what of the cow’s reputation in, say, Tagalog? Ito ay tunay na Mrs Oleary ng baka na nagsimula ang Chicago Fire? WikiAnswers rises bravely to the occasion:

Ang isang peminista Dyaryo na tinatawag na “Ang Rebolusyon” na nakasulat sa ilang sandali lamang matapos ang Chicago Fire of 1871, basahin ang mga sumusunod: “Mrs Leary denies na ang kanyang baka kicked sa paglipas ng ilaw na set ng apoy sa dayami na masunog ang kwadra na sanhi ng pagkawasak ng kalahati ng Chicago. Alin ang nai-render sa pamamagitan ng lubha maaaring mangyari ang mga kilalang katotohanan na Chicago cows hindi sipa, at Chicago gas ay isang non-sunugin likido, at Chicago hay ay natipon mula sa marshes at sa gayon ay puspos na may asin na ito ay hindi matupok, at na Mrs Leary’s kubol ay binuo ng sunog-patunay na materyales, at ang pagkasira ng Chicago ay sa parusa ng kasalanan, at, saka, ay isang magandang grasya na para sa mga taong hindi masunog out ay lubha tumatanaw ng utang na loob. Ang baka ay dapat exonerated.”

Bean sprouters of the world, unite!

Many folks like to grow beans, but one could say that some foreign-language speakers have been at a disadvantage because of the dearth of bean-sprouting methods in languages other than English. At last, translations are as easy to come by as peas in a pod. Here is how to grow green beans in Catalan:

En primer lloc fins al lloc on plantar.
Quan estigui llest per posar la seva planta dels fesols en remull amb aigua durant uns 15 a 30 minuts per suavitzar l’exterior perquè sigui més fàcil per al fesol de brollar.
Fer una rasa en el sòl no més d’una polzada de profunditat i, a continuació, posar el fesol a la trinxera amb voltant d’un 6-polzades d’espai entre ells.
Després, cobrir lleugerament el fesol, no el paquet de sòl.
Lleugerament l’aigua cada dos dies i en una setmana et comencen a veure els brots a través d’Chasque.

Being entertained by translation

Some cool alphabets debuted, too, with Hebrew and Serbian. It seems, though, that the more a language differs structurally from English, the more twisted its translation on Google Translate. I can’t speak for all the languages, but at least a few are guaranteed to make you laugh. For example, in Hebrew, Google translates “dough” into “money” when talking about donut batter. Here are some translated answers to Why do donuts have holes? (Note: Some of these character sets may not display properly if your computer doesn’t support these languages. Just skip down to the next section.)

In Hebrew:

אחת הסיבות לכך היא לאפשר את הכסף כדי לבשל באופן שווה. בלי חור בסופו של דבר גם עם כדור כי הוא חסר נסיון במרכז או מבושל יותר מדי כלפי חוץ.Hansen תמיד לקח קרדיט על החור של סופגניה. סופגניה כמה היסטוריונים חושב שזה היה קצת Hansen של קמצן והיה רק מנסה לשמור על עלויות המזון. אחר אומר כי הוא נתן את סופגניה כאשר החור הראשון שלה, באמצע של סערה ואת נורא על מנת לקבל את שתי הידיים על ההגה ספינות, הוא crammed אחת האמהות שלו מטוגן תחושות עלה אחד של wooded spokes של הגלגל. עוד סיפור טוען כי הוא החליט, לאחר ביקור ממלאך, כי מרכז בצקי העוגות של פריד היה צריך ללכת.

In Serbian:

Један од разлога је допустити да се тијесто равномјерно кувате. Без рупа сте завршили са или лопта да је сировом у средини или прекухано на ван.Хансен увек узме кредит за рупу у уштипак. Неки повјесничари мисле да је крафна Хансен је мало од цхеапскате и био је само покушавате сачувати на трошкове хране. Други кажу да он даде свој први крафна рупа када, у средини страшна олуја и како би добили обе руке на бродовима точкова, он Цраммед један од његових мајки пржена сензација на једном од спокес у шумовитим звијерка. Још једна бајка тврди да је одлучио, након посете од Анђела, да је гњецав центра у пржени колача морали ићи.

In Vietnamese:

Là một lý do gì để cho phép các bột để nấu ăn như nhau. Mà không có một lỗ cuối cùng với bạn hoặc là một quả cầu đó là nguyên ở giữa hoặc overcooked trên bên ngoài.Hansen luôn luôn lấy tín dụng cho các lỗ trong doughnut. Một số doughnut historians nghĩ rằng Hansen là một chút của một cheapskate và đã được chỉ cần cố gắng để tiết kiệm chi phí thức ăn. Những ngườikhác nói rằng ông đã cho các doughnut đầu tiên, khi lỗ, ở giữa đáng sợ của một cơn bão và để có được cả hai tay trên tàu thủy, bánh xe, ông crammed một trong số các bà mẹ chiên cảm giác của mình lên một trong những wooded spokes của bánh xe. Tuy nhiên, một tale khiếu nại rằng ông quyết định, sau khi một truy cập từ một thiên sứ, doughy rằng các trung tâm của các chiên bánh đã phải đi.

How it’s done

Well now, I can’t tell you what I don’t know. But if you want more than cows, beans and donuts, I can showyou two ways to get your own translations from Google Translate.

  1. Translate text: Copy some text you want translated. Go to Google Translate and paste the text into the “Translate Text” section. Using the language buttons underneath, pick a language to translate from (that’s the original language of the text you copied) and a language to translate to, and click Translate. The translation will appear, magically and almost immediately, on the right.
  2. Translate a whole web site: Find a web site you want translated (perhaps a news site, where you can’t understand the headlines or the email settings). Copy the address of the web site from the address bar of your browser. Go to Google Translate and paste the address into the “Translate a Web Page” section, pick your languages, and click Translate. Voila! The site will appear in the language of your choice.

Site translation (option #2) is currently way more exciting. Everything on the page, from “Log In” to “About us” to “Lost Password” – and all the content in between – gets translated. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to edit the translation and make it better for generations to come (sometimes, though, this feature doesn’t work). To try it, hover your mouse over some mis-translated text. If the text turns blue, it’s editable and a popup should appear with the original language so you can see where the mistakes were made.

Be prepared for sites you translate to lose some functionality and design integrity (i.e. they might stop working properly and look really bad). If you need something translated but also need to keep working on a site, it may be better to use straight text translation (option #1).

Happy translating!

Google Translate

Remembering 9/11 on WikiAnswers.

Today is seven years since the September 11th attacks shocked us all on a sunny Tuesday morning.

What can we do after all these years to make sure the day and its victims are never forgotten?

Try giving the September 11th attacks category a shot: there are over two hundred questions to be answered, edited and improved.

Let’s make sure the history goes down correctly… Here are some questions for starters:

Rest in peace, mother*&%#$!

I was shocked out of my &%#$ mind to find out that George Carlin, 71, passed away last night from heart failure after being taken to the hospital in Santa Monica, California.

Of course, George Carlin is the comedian known for his “seven words you can never use on television” bit among countless other funnies revolving around language, society and more.

George Carlin, RIP

Paying our respects to one of the funniest potty mouths of all time, here are some George Carlin Q&As to make you smile:

Check out more of George Carlin’s biography.

Rest in peace, funny man.


Did you hear about…

I admit it. I’m obsessed with celebrity gossip. I read The Superficial every morning before I start my day and am constantly checking the headlines throughout the day to see what kind of coffee Britney Spears has ordered today or who Paris Hilton is dating. I want to know what countries Brad and Angelina are adopting from next and I have to be the first to know when Beyonce finally ties the knot with Jay-Z. Yes…I do.

I thought I’d take a quick look at the WikiAnswers Celebrity topic…just to see what everyone else is buzzing about. A little bit of Hannah Montana, er, Miley Cyrus…some Hillary Duff…a dash of Zac Efron. It’s amazing to see the rumors that fly around. Good thing there’s a public forum to discuss and dispel!

Check out some of these classic Celebrity gossip questions:

Got some inside scoop on YOUR favorite celebs? Ask and answer questions about Celebrities on WikiAnswers now!

Total eclipse of the…crab!?

Did you, by chance, catch the full lunar eclipse on Wednesday night? Talk about an AMAZING natural phenomenon. It is so cool to me how planets and stars can align and just like that…you get an eclipse. Isn’t nature so cool!?

It’s also cool to think about how the sun and moon affect life here on earth. They say that a full moon brings out the werewolves and makes some people go a little crazy. High and low tides come in and out according to the gravitational pull of the moon and life, in general, is only possible with a little help from the sun.

One curious Contributor was interested to know how a lunar eclipse might affect not werewolves, but fiddler crabs. Luckily Jim was around to share his expertise. His knowledge is just so varied! We’re lucky we have him around!

To answer this question I did some on site research. I visited the Astronomy Marine Science Center in Chesapeake Bay, France. Dr. Francois Gerard gave me a fascinating tour of the facilities. I saw the zero gravity center where scientists put endangered marine life in a zero gravity oxygen-less, waterless environment to see what happens. To date their success is extraordinary.

After the gravity center I saw the breeding on the moon simulator. They have recreated the exact conditions of the surface of the moon, and they try to cross breed endangered marine life. Dr. Gerard said the experiments were going particularly well.

Finally, he showed me the lunar eclipse wing of the facility. At that moment they had just received a shipment of fiddler crabs. For those of you who don’t know a fiddler crab is the one with the one huge claw. This oversized claw is used to better play coral and other natural marine instruments. Hence the name fiddler.

Dr. Gerard oversaw putting the crabs in the eclipse tank. He than blocked the moon from the crabs consciousness and observed what happened. At first nothing happened, but after a few minutes the crabs became agitated. They started attacking one another. They formed differed ethnic groups based on the color of their claws. Soon they have developed advance crab weapons and were arranging battle formations. One group of crabs started a bombardment of heavy artillery fire, while a second group of crabs advanced upon the enemy crabs. The enemy crabs used their superior air power to cripple the artillery fire, but were unprepared for the commando crabs.

The commando crabs attacked with their crab weapons and took out the enemy crabs almost to the last one. Having prepared every detail of the attack they even arranged with a deal with some of France’s top seafood restaurants. Within minutes some chefs showed up to pick up the dead crabs which be used for tonight’s assortment of crab dishes.

Dr. Gerard told me the experiment was a qualified success and he was excited to the do the next eclipse experiment with endangered dolphins. He said he had secured a lucrative deal with Japanese sushi restaurants.

My plea to you my fine WikiAnswers friends is to donate to the Astronomy Marine Science Center. Their work is crucial for future breakthroughs in space/marine research, which we all know deeply affects on a day to day basis. Let’s all make a point to think more about space and dolphins in the same sentence this year. We’ll make a better world through this.

Thanks for enlightening us, Jim!