Transposing. It’s called transposing. What's transposing?In the music world, transposing is writing or playing the music in a different key from the original. wait, but if most of the instruments in a band played in different keys, wouldn't It sound awful?You would think so, but that’s not the case. See, transposing instruments are playing the same note, but it's written differently. Huh?Yeah, it's pretty confusing. Let’s look at some examples. The flute, for example, is a concert pitch instrument, meaning it doesn’t transpose. This means that, when a flute plays a C, a C comes out. When an alto saxophone plays a C, however, an E♭comes out. When a typical (B♭) clarinet plays a C, a B♭ comes out. So, each instrument has a Different C?Sort of. It's better to think of there being different names for the same note. So, to play C, a flautist fingers a C, an alto saxophonist fingers an A, and a clarinetist fingers a D. The note would sound the same on all of the instruments, but the note has a different name in each instrumentalist's mind. Doesn't that get confusing?Yes, it does. It helps that there are general rules for transpositions (alto saxophones transpose down a Major 6th, and clarinets transpose down a Major 2nd), but it’s still really confusing for everyone involved. So, why do we still have transposing instruments? Can't we change them so they're all in the same key?We can, and we have. The C clarinet is a thing, and it's C is a C (as opposed the B♭ clarinet we’ve been discussing, whose C is a B♭). Then why do people still use the B♭ clarinet?Well, one of the main reasons is because it keeps the fingering the same within the clarinet family, allowing a clarinetist to easily pick up the contrabass clarinet and play it pretty much perfectly since they play the same notes. But couldn't you just make all instruments C instruments and keep the fingerings Similar?You could, but some instruments impossible to read sheet music for. The piccolo, which transposes a Major 8th (octave) lower, would have no notes on the actual staff. This is the same reason why the contrabass clarinet transposes up a Major 8th (octave) from the B♭clarinet: it's easier to read. It also makes both of these instruments read like their more typical counterparts, allowing for flautists (like me!) to play piccolo and clarinetists to play contrabass. I mean, that makes sense, but why are flutes, Saxophones, and clarinets all in differenT keys? They aren't similar.Well, transposing also makes it easier for woodwind players to switch between instruments as the fingerings remain fairly similar between these instruments. The same goes for brass instruments, as many of them also share fingerings, such as the trumpet and the tuba. While a C on the two instruments won’t sound the same because of their transpositions, it will have the same fingering, making reading the music one less challenge to tackle when switching instruments. So, why don't most instruments cAll notes what they actually are?Most instruments don’t call notes what they actually are because they are transposing instruments, making their sheet look a little nicer and making it easier to switch between instruments in the same family. Curious? Here's some more information!
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Because whoever invented it made it short. Who invented February?The Ancient Romans. Really?Yes, really. The word “February” comes from the Latin februare (meaning “to purify”) as February was the last month on the Roman calendar and contained the Roman feast of purification, Februa. So, the calendar started in march?Exactly. In fact, the names for September, October, November, and December are rooted in the Latin numbers septem (seven), octō (eight), novem (nine), and decem (ten) as they were the last of the ten months. Wait, what two months are missing?January and February. I thought february was a month.It is, but it wasn’t originally. See, the first Roman calendar had ten months loosely based on the lunar cycle, with six months of 30 days and four of 31. This worked for early Rome since the civilization was largely agrarian, with March beginning the planting season and December ending the harvesting season. The time in between was unimportant to the Roman farmer, so they didn’t bother naming it. So, where did february come from?A long process of calendar revisions. Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, created the months January and February to fill the winter, but there was a problem with the numbers. See, the Romans had a fear of even numbers. To remedy this, March, May, July, and October kept their 31 days, while January, April, June, August, September, and December went down to 29. February remained 28 to ensure there were an odd number of days in the year and became a month of purification. What happened to the 29-day months?Well, the calendar our friend Numa Pompilius came up with was still based on lunar months and only had 355 days, 10.25 days short of our solar calendar. These days started adding up, and eventually the calendar started not syncing up with growing seasons. Julius Caesar himself decided to fix this, creating a solar calendar comprised of January (31 days), February (28 days), March (31 days), April (30 days), May (31 days), June (30 days), July (31 days), August (31 days), September (30 days), October (31 days), November (30 days), and December (31 days). So, why is feBruary so short?February is short because it is traditionally the time of the Roman festival of purity, which was created because of a superstition of even numbers. Curious? Here's some more information!
First, you need to understand how batteries work. Ok, how do batTeries work?Batteries are composed of three parts: the anode, the cathode, and the electrolyte. What do each of those do?Let's start with the anode, better known as the negative end of the battery. All it is is a piece of metal with a chemical that makes it act as a negative terminal, or have a buildup of electrons. The cathode is the same thing, but positive, meaning it lacks electrons. However, there needs to be something separating the anode from the cathode, since electrons are attracted to positive areas in an attempt to balance the charges. That’s where the electrolyte comes in. It’s a typically a liquid, and it separates the anode and cathode. So, how does all that make electricity?Well, electricity is the flow of electrons. Think back to the battery and lightbulb circuit experiment you did in elementary school (or click here for those of you who missed out). The wire serves as a conductor, attracting electrons. Electrons flow from the anode (called oxidation) through the wire and whatever else is connected to the circuit (like a lightbulb) until they reach the cathode and flow into the electrolyte (called reduction). When does the battery run out?When there are no more electrons to leave the anode. So, how Do you recharge it?By reversing this process. The application of electricity from an external source, such as an outlet or another battery, can generate enough energy to reverse the flow of electrons back to the anode. then why do RECHARGEABLE batteries eventUally die?There's only so much recharging one battery can take. Eventually, irregularities occur in the anode, reducing the amount of electrons it can hold, limiting the life of the battery slowly but surely. Irregularities can even ruin the flow of electrons entirely, killing the battery. Either way, no battery will last forever. So, how do RECHARGEABLE batteries work?Rechargeable batteries work by reversing the flow of electrons from anode to cathode to electrolyte in order to provide an electron buildup in the anode, once more giving the battery its electricity generating potential. Curious? Here's some more information!
Well, you’re going to need more than just you to qualify. Some land might be a good starting point. Ok, then how does a country become a country?It has to be recognized as a country by other countries. So each country gets to choose what counTries exist?Basically. According to the US State Department website, the United States formally recognizes 195 independent states. However, this number differs from country to country and source to source, generally landing somewhere between 191 and 206. Wait, how many countries are there really?Again, this depends on what your country recognizes, but we can look at the United Nations for an idea of what countries are generally considered to be countries. There are currently 193 member states and 2 non-member observer states, giving us a grand total of 195 countries in the UN. Of those 195, 191 are undisputed, meaning everyone accepts their statehood. Statehood? I thought we Were talking about countries.Yes. The word “state” can be applied to countries just like the word “nation”. However, these two words have different meanings. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, a state is “a territory considered as an organized political community under one government,” while a nation is “a large aggregate of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.” To put it more simply, a unified government is a state, a unified peoples is a nation, and a country is the merging of the two. Therefore, undisputed statehood is when nobody argues against your right to govern. so, how might one reach this “undisputed statehood”?Well, there are some things that, according to history, it definitely helps to have: some land, a government, a good amount of people, an economic system, and an efficient military. For a good, safe example, let's look to the formation of none other than the great United States of America. Now, unless you slept through history class for the first fifteen years of your life, you are probably familiar with the story of the colonists who fought against the great English Empire to gain their freedom and become a sovereign state. And how did the united states reach this status?Politics. France was the first country to recognize the US in 1778, and it was mostly because the French hated the British and the colonists seemed to have a fighting chance. The French then helped with the revolution, followed by the Netherlands with their recognition of the US in 1782. Britain recognized the loss of its colonies to the new nation in 1783, quickly followed by Spain, who waited to recognize American independence to avoid the wrath of the British. but that's only four countries.And, at the time, those were the only four countries that mattered. So, it's all just a game of politics?Yes, but there are a few theories in international law about what a country should be. The two most common ones are the constitutive and declaratory theories of state creation. Care to elaborate?Certainly. The constitutive theory of state creation was the nineteenth-century standard for statehood. It states that the existence of a state is constituted by recognition by other states. However, it is unclear whether recognition is diplomatic recognition, or merely a recognition of existence. Because of these and a few other shortcomings, the declaratory theory of statehood was developed in the twentieth-century. The idea is that a state exists once it reaches a certain criteria (a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and a capacity to enter into relations with other states); any statement of recognition, therefore, is purely declaratory. So, which one do we use?Both and neither. International politics is messy. Only allowing statehood by recognition is ridiculous, especially since the definition of recognition is debatable. It would be absurd if anyone could start their own nation just by standing on a piece of land, claiming independence, and having an already-recognized state say something (see Sealand). The list of criteria offered by the declaratory theory is also vague (what constitutes as a government?). Yet, too much regulation could leave many countries worthy of statehood out of the picture. The line is fine and blurry. So, how do you qualify as a counTry?While there's no real method, generally the goal is to be recognized by other states, specifically the more powerful ones, by having a somewhat-defined territory, a population, a government, and the ability to deal with international affairs. (A good military/nuclear weapons don’t hurt, either!) CurIous? Here's some more information!
Well, they have brains that control all of their bodily functions, just like us humans. I mEan, how do they camOuflage themselves?Actually, the purpose of changing skin color isn’t to camouflage; the skin cells respond to the chameleon's emotions. (Basically, their entire skin is a mood ring.) The skin also changes color in order to regulate the chameleon's body temperature and attract potential mates. Fine, then how do they change their skin color?They have a special layer of skin cells, called nanocrystals, that are adjusted to reflect different frequencies of sunlight. how does that work?Well, I’m glad you asked. So, chameleons have two layers of skin. The top layer contains two layers of nanocrystals, “iridescent cells that have pigment and reflect light”. When a chameleon is relaxed these nanocrystals reflect shorter wavelengths of light, like blue and green. However, when the chameleon is excited, the nanocrystals spread out, reflecting long wavelengths, such as red and orange. Then why aren't Chameleons blue all the time?Well, underneath all of these nanocrystals is a layer of yellow pigment, which mixes with the blue reflected light to create a green. This yellow pigment lies below the nanocrystals, as yellow as a color is particularly susceptible to UV rays. Also, only males are equipped with these nanocrystals. While females and juveniles have some color-changing capabilities, they pretty much remain brown, which is also a sort of camouflage when you think about it. SO IT THAT HOW OCTOPUSES And such work, too?Not really. Octopuses are among a number of cephalopods that can change their color instantly, including squids and cuttlefish. They use chromatophores, which are cells that contain what is essentially microscopic sacks of paint. Additionally, while chameleons' color changes are activated by heart rate and motion, octopuses' are controlled by “a complex array of nerves and muscles”. This allows octopuses to regulate their appearances more easily. As a result, not only can octopuses change their skin into different colors and patterns, but they can also change its texture, which a chameleon definitely can’t do. SHOULDN'T IT BE “octopi”?Nope. Only words with Latin roots end with an “i”. Therefore, since the word “octopus” has a Greek root, the correct term is “octopuses”. People just changed it to sound fancy (also, it’s fun to say), and now it’s considered correct by spell-check, when it’s technically not a real word. WHATEVER. Can we get back to chameLeons?Please. how do they do that eye thing?Now this is a different story. Their eyes rest not the sides of their head in cones, not sockets, allowing for free movement. To keep the eyes from falling out, chameleons have developed a muscular eyelid that protects it from dangers, as it is so exposed, and makes sure the eye itself doesn’t roll away. This gives the chameleon the ability to have practically a 360 degree view of its surroundings. What about when the eyes move in DIFFERENT directions?Two separate groups of nerves work the eyes, allowing them to move independently. This ability gives the chameleon a panoramic view while searching for prey. Once the prey is located, the chameleon will once again use its eyes together. It also gives chameleons crazy good reflexes, as they can see everything all the time. so, how do CHAMELEONS work?Chameleons change color involuntarily by raising their heart rate and feeling emotions, which changes the spacing of the nanocrystals in their skin (totally different from octopuses), and move their eyes in strange ways through the use of cone-like eye sockets and separate nerve bundles for each eye. curious? Here's some more reading!
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