Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2022 February 13

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February 13[edit]

Gardening / landscaping: what do you call this?[edit]

What do you call it where, you have a layer of walls, each with plants on it? Like these https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/714x657q90/923/WPNirL.jpg https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/960x643q90/924/HPW7mO.jpg Thanks. 67.165.185.178 (talk) 11:24, 13 February 2022 (UTC).[reply]

Terracing. Bazza (talk) 11:55, 13 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
See also terraced wall. Mikenorton (talk) 15:36, 13 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Blue reflection[edit]

I saw what I think was triply reflected sunlight. There was a double-pane window with a metal spacer. The rays entered through the outer pane, were reflected first on the inner side of the inner pane, then on the spacer, and then on the inner side of the outer pane, before exiting through the inner pane. The path was like the rune, but then upside down.
The reflected light had a vivid blue hue. What could be the cause of this colour? Moving my head in any direction, the hue did not change, but only the intensity.  --Lambiam 13:52, 13 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Wouldn't it be nice if it were caused by Lambertian reflectance, a type of nominative determinism. Mike Turnbull (talk) 23:20, 13 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Turn that into a load of bull, Mike. -2603:6081:1C00:1187:E88E:4C8A:1E3F:E1D3 (talk) 01:51, 14 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Measurement of spans of suspension bridges[edit]

Comparison of bridges

Wikipedia:Featured_picture_candidates/comparison_of_notable_bridges has a discussion of the measurement of spans of the longest suspension bridges.

Diagrams at [1] and [2] show that the spans are measured from the towers' centrelines. If one assumes that the span is measured from the inner part of the piers instead, the much wider base above water of the Akashi bridge makes it look like it has a significantly smaller span.

Can someone familiar with this topic please respond in the discussion?

Thanks,
cmɢʟeeτaʟκ 22:06, 13 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Cmglee the infoboxes at Çanakkale 1915 Bridge and Akashi Kaikyo Bridge list the "Total length" (pier to pier) and the "Longest span" (tower to tower), so I think all is clear in the articles. As far as your SVG file under discussion Here at FPC, after clearing up my misunderstandings, I think your SVG file matches your sources (linked to above) as well as google maps. Bammesk (talk) 04:16, 14 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, @Bammesk:. Discussion moved to Wikipedia:Featured_picture_candidates/comparison_of_notable_bridges. Cheers, cmɢʟeeτaʟκ 21:25, 14 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]