Pointless
Questions With Aaron Mucciolo
It
figures that the week after a reader complimented this column as
informative, written well and frankly, not pointless,
I find myself finishing said column at 2:30 in the morning. Ah well,
thats what editors are for
Which countries have aircraft carriers? Yoav Taal, college
junior
As per usual, theres no simple answer to this pointless question.
There are three types of aircraft carriers defined by the types
of aircraft they can carry. Some can only handle Vertical Take-Off
and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, namely helicopters. Others have a slightly
slanted deck that allows them to launch Short Take-Off and Landing
(STOL) aircraft, like the Harrier jet (an explanation of how Short
Take-Off aircraft become airborne using less runway space than normal
airplanes will have to wait until next week). STOL ships can obviously
also support VTOL units. The largest ships with the longest, broadest
decks can handle the whole range of fighter planes, plus V/STOL
units, and are referred to as multi-role carriers. It
is this type of ship that is normally associated with the term aircraft
carrier.
The United States and France each have several multi-role carriers.
Russia began construction on two multi-role ships in the mid-80s
and finally completed one of its version in 1995 (Prior to that
point, the Soviet navy had relied primarily on helicopters). The
Ukraine came into possession of the second, partially built ship
after the breakup of the Soviet Union, but scrapped it in 2000 when
they were unable to pay for completion.
The United Kingdom scrapped or sold its multi-role carriers due
to cost concerns and political considerations and now uses V/STOL
carriers. Brazil, Italy, India, Spain and Thailand each have at
least one V/STOL ship. As an interesting side note, Thailands
carrier has quarters onboard for the entire royal family. Hmmm,
and all we have is Air Force One. Someone should look into this
apparent luxury-rooms-onboard-militray-equipment gap. I smell a
good excuse to spend a few billion...
Japan, Chile and China all have VTOL carriers, and China is planning
a V/STOL carrier or possibly a multi-role carrier. Peru decomissioned
its only carrier, a VTOL unit, in March of 2000. Argentina finally
scrapped a rusted ex-British multi-role ship in 1997. South Korea
has plans to build a V/STOL carrier in the next fifteen years.
Yeah, Im sick of acronymns too...
Why
were participants at the D.C. protests advised not to carry, among
other things, tampons? Barb Distler, OC 85
For the same reason you should wear clean underwear: If youre
arrested at a protest and jailed you may not have a chance to change
it. The longer the tampon stays in, many people argue, the higher
your risk of toxic shock syndrome.
Ive also been hearing something about tampons reacting with
tear gas, but I cant back that one up. Any protestors out
there care to weigh in?
Why
are there so many ladybugs around? And what happened to all the
normal ladybugs? Robert Grim, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy
This is going to be one of those questions the kind with
the phrase first off at the start.
First off, ladybugs is an inaccurate description
at least in the eyes of entymologists. Bugs refers
colloquially to insects. Beetles, on the other hand, are just one
kind a specific kind of insect, says Professor
of Biology Yolanda Cruz. All ladybeetles belong to the family Coccinellidae
and virtually all are colored yellow, orange, red, or some mix of
these colors, Cruz added. Normal ladybeetles (the red
ones) are the seven spotted ladybeetle (Coccinella septempunctata).
What were seeing around now are Asian ladybeetles (Harmonia axyridis).
The Asian species was released in the 80s, primarily in the southeast
but here in Ohio as well, to control crop-destroying insects. The
program was actually discontinued when it appeared the bugs werent
surviving. Obviously they did survive and have been slowly making
their way north. Their huge numbers this year are due in part to
their continued migration, in part to the warmer weather (they dislike
the cold, which is why theyll sneak inside buildings if given
the chance), and in part to the sudden increase in aphids on soybean
plants in the area. The aphids, swarming in fields across the state,
have become a favorite food source of the ladybeetles.
As for the normal ladybugs, they, like their Asian cousins,
have likely gone into hibernation for the winter. Yes, thats
right, ladybugs hibernate. How? Well, that would be another pointless
question, wouldnt it?
Questions?
E-mail aaron.mucciolo@oberlin.edu or write to Mooch, c/o The Oberlin
Review, Wilder Box 90.
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