Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2014 July 21

= July 21 =

Decimal fractions in Welsh
Welsh numerals contains information about numbers in Welsh, but doesn't mention anything about fractions (decimal or vulgar). What would be the Welsh for one point two three four (for example)? &mdash; An  optimist  on the run! (logged on as Pek the Penguin) 12:31, 21 July 2014 (UTC)


 * Until a genuine Welsh speaker answers, Google Translate says that "decimal point" in Welsh is "pwynt degol". Alansplodge (talk) 12:58, 21 July 2014 (UTC)


 * There's a little bit about fractions here (it's a powerpoint) but only really that "un haner" (one half) is "2 chwarter" (two quarters). Haven't found anything else.--ColinFine (talk) 17:21, 21 July 2014 (UTC)


 * I am not a genuine Welsh speaker, but if you look here for example, it is clear that 1.234 is un pwynt dau tri pedwar (or possibly the corresponding feminine adjectives for a feminine noun). Ehrenkater (talk) 17:31, 21 July 2014 (UTC)
 * While you are probably right, it is certainly not clear from the evidence there. The page gives us only a single digit after the point, and these are section numbers not decimals. In English 1.11 is read "one point one one" if it is a decimal, but "one point eleven" if it is a section number, so there is no necessary reason why the two uses need read the same way, --ColinFine (talk) 21:32, 22 July 2014 (UTC)
 * And for non-decimal fractions, for example one eighty-seventh is un rhan o wyth deg saith (from para 4.211 of Gramadeg y Gymraeg by Peter Wynn Thomas, 1996 edition)Ehrenkater (talk) 17:48, 21 July 2014 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the info. I realised belatedly there's a separate desk for langauge questions - should have looked first. Sorry :-) &mdash; An  optimist  on the run! (logged on as Pek the Penguin) 14:17, 24 July 2014 (UTC)

How long does a Bumblebee live?
It's only July and they seem to be dying everywhere. KägeTorä - ( 影 虎 ) ( Chin Wag )  18:28, 21 July 2014 (UTC)


 * Click me. -- Jayron  32  19:41, 21 July 2014 (UTC)


 * It shouldn't be a case of colony collapse disorder, since that affects the European Honey Bee, not the Bumblebee. StuRat (talk) 20:43, 21 July 2014 (UTC)


 * Bumblebee discusses plenty of stressors on Bumblebee population that could explain KageTora's observations. But it may be that now that you've "noticed" a problem, finding a dead bee is more significant to you than it would otherwise be - a case of observer bias perhaps. SteveBaker (talk) 03:01, 22 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Another factor not mentioned in your link would be Neonicotinoid use in the area. The article mentions effects on honey bees, but pretty much any pollinator can be affected. SemanticMantis (talk) 17:13, 22 July 2014 (UTC) P.S. Unless you think KageTora's observations are killing bees, that's not observer bias (according to our article). Confirmation bias is closer. I was taught the term salience bias to cover this case, but apparently that is not terribly standard nomenclature.
 * My apologies, yes - of course I meant "confirmation bias"...a small slip of the brain! 03:17, 23 July 2014 (UTC)
 * The fact that some species of lime/linden trees are toxic to bumblebees (and bees) was recently a main story in Aftenposten, a major Norwegian newspaper (link). According to the article, the problem has been known since the 1960's. In Norway, the main culprit is Tilia cordata x platyphyllos, which is often planted in parks. It is not unusual to find dead bumblebees scattered under these trees. Since it is a hybrid and cannot reproduce, the risk of its use in parks has not been evaluated. The predominant lime/linden species native to Norway is Tilia cordata, which is not toxic to bumblebees. Another link which may be of interest is http://bumblebeeconservation.org/get-involved/gardening-for-bees. --NorwegianBluetalk 23:25, 25 July 2014 (UTC)