Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2011 July 17

= July 17 =

What is this insect?
I found this blog post while searching on Google. What is the insect in the first picture? J I P &#124; Talk 12:49, 17 July 2011 (UTC)
 * It is probably a katydid.--Cam (talk) 13:26, 17 July 2011 (UTC)
 * (after edit conflict) Could it be from the family of katydids, perhaps a pterophylla? ---Sluzzelin talk  13:30, 17 July 2011 (UTC)

change in patent law
I have been informed that at some time there was a change in the USA law: patents would exist from the date of the invention, no longer from the date of filing. Is this so, and if so, when did the change occur? thank you for your time. Boris — Preceding unsigned comment added by BronxBoris (talk • contribs) 15:07, 17 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Actually the law has not yet changed. Bills have recently passed the House and Senate, but they were not identical, and the process of reconciliation is being delayed by the debt ceiling fray.  You can find more information in this article. Looie496 (talk) 17:23, 17 July 2011 (UTC)


 * See also First to file and first to invent. Currently the US has been first-to-invent, and has been since the 18th century (it seems to have been codified by 1791). Most of the world is first-to-file. The US is considering changing to first-to-file because it saves on bureaucratic procedure, reduces lawsuits, and encourages more rapid disclosures. (The argument against first-to-file is that it encourages people to rush to the office before they've really worked out the bugs, and that it is philosophically less satisfying to reward someone for just having filed paperwork, rather than being the true "inventor." But arguably the point of a patent system is to encourage inventors to disseminate their ideas, so rewarding secrecy isn't very satisfying either.) For an in-depth discussion of the history of the US's first-to-invent policy and efforts to change it, see this article. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:06, 18 July 2011 (UTC)

France/Gaul borders


In Asterix and the Banquet, Asterix draws an outline of Gaul on the ground. The outline looks very much like present-day France. How similar are the borders of present-day France and Gaul in the 1st century BC (where Asterix takes place)? Can anyone who has read the album comment on whether the outline is actually of France or of Gaul? J I P &#124; Talk 19:05, 17 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Did the map at the top of the article Gaul not answer your question? The caption indicates that the map represents Gaul during the Gallic Wars which were smack dab in the middle of the 1st century BC.  -- Jayron  32  19:18, 17 July 2011 (UTC)


 * (ec):As the map shows, they were pretty similar: Gaul consisted of the provinces labeled Belgica, Celtica, Aquitania, Narbonensis, and Gallia Cisalpina. The main differences are that Gaul included what is now Belgium as well as a major part of what is now northern Italy (Cisalpine Gaul). Looie496 (talk) 19:21, 17 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Also, it included most of present-day Switzerland, and areas that are now western Germany. 15:06, 18 July 2011 (UTC)

Equipment for Iceland
On the first week of August, I and my father are going on our first-ever trip to Iceland. We have a hotel booked in the centre of Reykjavík, but we intend to spend the most of our time on hiking trips around Iceland, only coming back to Reykjavík to sleep. What sort of equipment will we need? What is the terrain like in Iceland around the coastline? What would we have to expect in terms of temperature and rain conditions? We don't intend to go fishing because fishing in Iceland is too expensive for foreigners. We may have to spend a couple of nights outside of Reykjavík with no prior booking. We will probably be bringing sleeping bags but not a tent. How easy is it to find accommodations in Iceland outside Reykjavíjk at an immediate notice, providing we are content with sleeping in our sleeping bags on the floor? J I P &#124; Talk 20:00, 17 July 2011 (UTC)
 * This looks like a good site for what you want. --TammyMoet (talk) 20:26, 17 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Hiking trails listed by The Icelandic Touring Association and a local tour company (Lenka can probably tell you more by e-mail or phone). Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:36, 17 July 2011 (UTC)


 * And of course Wikitravel.--Shantavira|feed me 07:27, 18 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Hiking in Iceland is no easy business, strong walking boots which support your ankles are recommended as the terrain is usually craggy lava rock or springy moss with hidden holes! Glacier hiking is one of Iceland´s most popular tourist things to do with the area of Skaftafell in the SE being the center of activity. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:14, 18 July 2011 (UTC) Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:14, 18 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Weather in Iceland in August should be quite pleasant. Near the coast, the presence of the ocean moderates temperatures year-round, so it tends to get neither extremely cold (in winter) nor extremely hot (in summer).  This page has average high and low temperatures for Reykjavik (average August highs of 14 and lows of 9&deg;C); the record high Reykjavik was about 25&deg;C.  Moving inland, it tends to be a few degrees warmer in the summer months because of the extremely long days.  The absolute highest temperatures recorded have touched 30&deg;C.  While the sun technically sets every night (nearly all of Iceland is below the Arctic circle), it never dips far below the horizon in summer, so particularly in early August it's never going to get fully dark; if you're sleeping in a tent (or even indoors with thin curtains) you may want to have a sleep mask with you.
 * If you're planning on basing out of Reykjavik, you may not want to go all the way to Skaftafell; it's on the other side of the country, and will probably take you four hours to drive one way (and that's if you ignore all of the sights along the way). Besides, if it's your first visit there are lots of things to do closer to Reykjavik.  Close in to town is Esja, the low mountain that overlooks Reykjavik.  About 20 km east of the city you'll find the Hengill geothermal area.  The area is dotted with geothermal power plant facilities, and there are a number of interesting hikes of varying lengths and difficulty levels.  (You can reach Hengill from the south side on Route 1 – the 'Ring Road', or Hringvegur – or from Route 435 on the north side.  Maps are available from Reykjavik Energy online or from the visitor centre at the Hellisheiði Power Station.  Parking for some of the trailheads is also at and around the power plant.)
 * If this is your first visit, you might also consider seeing the traditional sights of the Golden Circle. There are short hikes around the hot springs and geysers at Geysir, along with short walks around and down to the falls at Gullfoss and the crater lake at Kerið.  There is ample hiking available in and around the national park at Þingvellir (Thingvellir) and the adjacent lake, Þingvallavatn.  The rift valley marks the divide between the Eurasian and North American plates.  Since you'll have a rental car, you won't be feeling quite so surrounded by the tourists from the buses which make regular stops at these attractions.  (That said, Iceland's sights are never really crowded in the same way as those in other, more-accessible, more-populated areas.)
 * In any event, be aware that the less-well-travelled trails can be quite rough, and that the volcanic rock making up much of the country is sometimes crumbly. Take care near edges and on heights, as dangerous drops and slippery slopes are seldom marked and even more rarely fenced.  (Iceland has not yet imported the lawsuit-paranoid culture of some of the world's less rugged places.)  Trekking poles or a suitable walking stick are often a good idea (and collapsible ones will fit snugly into your checked luggage).
 * For the extensive area around Reykjavik (and most of the south coast, and a good ways into the interior, and including all of the destinations I've listed, and some distance beyond), I found the Ferðakort Southwest Iceland map to be a useful reference; ordered online, it was delivered to me in North America in five days. For Reykjavik itself, I made do with any one of the free tourist maps provided at the airport or at the tourist information office in the city.  In general, I found the Rough Guide to Iceland quite satisfactory for providing an overview of activities available.  I haven't done the backpacking/camping/sleeping bag thing, but I get the impression that facilities for sleeping bag accommodation are readily available throughout the country.  (As a bit of background, I'll mention that I've been to Iceland a couple of times in the late spring for three or four well-packed days each time; I've got a week-long visit booked for later this autumn.  Feel free to fire more questions at me here or on my talk page.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 19:09, 19 July 2011 (UTC)


 * It is not safe to assume the weather will be pleasant. At that latitude it is possible to get gales at any time of year, with howling wind and furious rain.  You might be lucky, but you have to be prepared for anything, especially if you are going to be sleeping outdoors. Looie496 (talk) 19:35, 19 July 2011 (UTC)
 * That's a good point, actually. I shouldn't have come across as quite so optimistic.  (That said, if the weather in one spot isn't very good, it's often possible to drive someplace where it is much improved.  The weather on the coast may also be rather different from the weather inland.)  I will mention the website of the Icelandic Meteorological Office, which has detailed six-day forecasts of temperature, wind, and precipitation&mdash;and which you may find quite handy in planning your trip.  My understanding was that JIP wasn't going to be tent camping, but was looking for indoor sleeping-bag/hostel accommodation; certainly anyone tenting in Iceland should be aware of the potential for strong winds, the general lack of sheltering trees, and the difficulty of pegging tents in thin-to-nonexistent soil over volcanic rock.  TenOfAllTrades(talk) 22:45, 19 July 2011 (UTC)
 * We probably won't be renting a car. My father had a look at Icelandic car rental websites and was utterly horrified that the prices for one week start at 100,000 Icelandic krónur (about 1000 €). That's more than we paid for the flight tickets, or for the hotel (but less than the tickets and the hotel together). We will probably have to use buses, a tourist guide I bought says Iceland has good bus services. J I P  &#124; Talk 19:03, 20 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Furthermore, the site http://www.hostel.is says that reservation should be made four weeks in advance. We don't even know yet which hostels we will be staying at, and when! Is there any sort of hostel-type accommodation available where one can get a room immediately without a prior reservation? J I P  &#124; Talk 19:23, 20 July 2011 (UTC)


 * You can do better than €1000 for a week's car rental. Geysir Car Rental has manual transmission vehicles starting at €470 for a week in high season, or automatics for €630. Carrentals.is shows automatics from a shade under €600.  (You may want to check your exchange rates; €1 is closer to 166 ISK than to the 100 ISK you're using in your calculation.)  In general, Icelandic agencies have somewhat better prices than the major international chains, though of course your mileage may vary.  If you want a four-wheel-drive vehicle that's permitted to drive on the so-called F-roads and in the highlands, you will still pay through the nose, however.  As an aside, I'll also note that Keflavík International Airport is about 50 km from Reykjavik, so if you don't pick up a car at the airport you'll have to pay for the shuttle to and from the city.  (Flybus, door-to-door airport to city hotel/hostel is 4500 kr return, per person&mdash;so count that 9000kr against the car rental for the two of you.)
 * Be aware that while regional bus service is certainly better in the summer than it is in winter, the improvement is only relative; for destinations further afield summer high season service might be one or two buses per day, rather than winter's two buses per week&mdash;you should not expect the frequent service that is the norm in continental Europe. I'll mention in passing that for longer-distance trips you may want to consider a flight with the domestic carrier Air Iceland.  Even the longest flights within Iceland are only about two hours, departures are from the airport within Reykjavik, and in principle you could do an overnight visit to a far-flung centre like Akureyri.
 * While it looks like the Hostelling International listed hostels are booked pretty solidly, you might check out some other sites. Hostels.com shows quite a few openings throughout August, as does Icelandic Farm Holidays (an umbrella organization for everything from private cottages and cabins to bed and breakfasts to sleeping-bag dorm accommodations).  August is high season, so accommodations will be somewhat harder to come by on short notice than they would be in late spring or early autumn.  Tour books may offer additional accommodation suggestions, and local tourist information offices may help you to find some of the less-well-advertised beds. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 04:22, 21 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Make sure you take warm clothing. Even north Scotland can be cold (and wet) in August, and that's not nearly as far up as Iceland. 2.97.219.177 (talk) 09:45, 21 July 2011 (UTC)