Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2015 February 20

= February 20 =

Gas mask and exercise
While going home from work, I passed by a guy who was exercising in a park. He has strapped some sort of elastic contraption to a lamppost and pull it within certain intervals. I usually just ignore such people but this one has some sort of gas mask on. The mask only covers the bottom part of his face. The mask caused me to hear his breathing which seems to need some exertion to do so.

So what is he doing? Some sort of intense breathing exercise or does he want to become Bane?

Sorry in advance for not providing an image, it was dark and I thought it was a bad idea to take a pic of a musclebound guy without his consent. -- Lenticel ( talk ) 03:09, 20 February 2015 (UTC)


 * The most obvious answer (to my mind) is that he was wearing an Elevated Training Mask. You see these in coastal and low-lying areas where genuine altitude training isn't practically possible. I seem to recall them being popular in the Netherlands for cyclists training for Alps and mountain events, for example. They have a range of purposes and our article altitude training has more details. Of course, he could genuinely be a super-villain or an actor practising for a movie role.  St ★ lwart 1 1 1 05:21, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
 * That might be it. The mask kind of looks like that. My area is a bit closer to sea level too. Thanks!-- Lenticel ( talk ) 07:57, 20 February 2015 (UTC)


 * Interesting. I understand simulated altitude training via "mask-based hypoxicator system where the barometric pressure is kept the same, but the oxygen content is reduced which also reduces the partial pressure of oxygen" (per our altitude training article), but the Elevated Training Mask you linked to is simply a restricted flow device with different resistance valves to simulate different altitudes.  Would that make this is a form of hypoventilation training?  I don't see this style of mask discussed in either article. -- ToE 13:13, 20 February 2015 (UTC)


 * That company was a common sponsor on UFC fighter shorts. Some UFC fighters have excellent cardio. Therefore, it might work. Even if it doesn't, it's going to influence whether people want to wear it. InedibleHulk (talk) 06:42, 21 February 2015 (UTC)


 * He could also have a severe pollen/mold/etc. allergy and need that mask to breathe properly. StuRat (talk) 06:30, 20 February 2015 (UTC)


 * Down on the ground. It's a gerbil. It's a sloth. It's Allergy Man, a founding member of the Legion of Less-than-super Heroes. (Aquaman is an honorary member.) Clarityfiend (talk) 07:34, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
 * "He's the allergy that the wiki deserves, but not the one it needs right now" -- Lenticel ( talk ) 07:57, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

Even more likely is a Cold Weather Breathing Mask - see Running in Cold Weather & Breathing Masks. According to our news, it's rather chilly in America at the moment. Alansplodge (talk) 09:18, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
 * Correction: it's rather chilly in a large part of the US at the moment. (For those used to Celsius and wanting to read the temperature scale: &minus;20&deg;C = &minus;4&deg;F, &minus;10&deg;C = 14&deg;F, 0&deg;C = 32&deg;F, 10&deg;C = 50&deg;F, 20&deg;C = 68&deg;F.) --70.49.169.244 (talk) 16:56, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
 * I'd actually considered that... but muscle-bound guy in a park in the dark... dounded like he was having trouble breathing (one of the key features of the high altitude masks). Seemed unlikely that it was cold enough for the guy to need such a mask but warm enough to be exercising in the park in clothing revealing enough to know he was muscle-bound (in the dark). But still more likely than "it was Bane".  St ★ lwart 1 1 1 12:40, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
 * Apologies - it seems that User:Lenticel may be writing from the Philippines (at least, he went to university there according to his user page) and it's probably not snowing there. It was the picture of the American policeman that made me bark up the wrong tree. Alansplodge (talk) 14:00, 20 February 2015 (UTC)'
 * Could it be the person is particularly worried about haze or air pollution? (I don't think the Philippines is as affected as much as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia or Brunei, supported by Southeast Asian haze and I don't think there's currently major problems but if you're in a major metropolitian city, particularly Manila, I would guess air quality may be suspect at times.) Many people simply wear surgical or simple dust masks which aren't particularly effective. Disposable N95 masks are recommended and are possibly somewhat effective    . even I supposed for sterenous activity when the air pollution is only mild. But I guess a person particularly worried may use a catridge respirator, not concerned about the increased effort for breathing required or perhaps considering it an advantage for reasons mentioned above and I guess not concerned about how they look or the discomfort of wearing such a device. I could suggest it's User:Count Iblis, but their previous comment suggests they're not living in the Philippines (if that's where you live), even if they are concerned about air pollution while exercising. Nil Einne (talk) 14:44, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the additional comments. Yes, I'm from the Philippines. The air pollution might be a non-issue since the area that I went to is rarely visited by vehicles and is a bit covered by trees. -- Lenticel ( talk ) 05:51, 21 February 2015 (UTC)
 * But unless this is way outside populated areas, there will be some air pollution. It's not anything close to what's normal for, say, Beijing, but if you examine the lungs of deceased persons who have lived most of their lives in cities, you'll see that their lungs are much darker than people who have lived in rural areas. Count Iblis (talk) 00:17, 25 February 2015 (UTC)

World heritage cities
The City of Bath is in total a world heritage site. I understand that there is only one other city in the world which is in total a world heritage site. Can you tell me which city it is please? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.237.83.176 (talk) 12:15, 20 February 2015 (UTC)


 * Isn't it Vatican City?  St ★ lwart 1 1 1 12:36, 20 February 2015 (UTC)


 * That's one but it's not the only one. Here's the official list of World Heritage Sites, sorted alphabetically.  If you scroll down to "City of", as well as Bath you will see Cuzco (Peru), Potosí (Bolivia), Quito (Ecuador), Safranbolu (Turkey), Valletta (Malta), and Verona (Italy).  Still other cities are listed without the initial words "City of", such as Vatican City.  One that I noticed was Brasília (Brazil), and quite likely there are more. --70.49.169.244 (talk) 17:07, 20 February 2015 (UTC)


 * I see the OP locates to the UK so they may be thinking of Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City. CambridgeBayWeather, Uqaqtuq (talk), Sunasuttuq 01:09, 21 February 2015 (UTC)


 * But that refers only to six specific areas, not the whole city of Liverpool. --70.49.169.244 (talk) 20:05, 21 February 2015 (UTC)


 * True but it's the only other one in the UK that uses the word "city". CambridgeBayWeather, Uqaqtuq (talk), Sunasuttuq 00:45, 22 February 2015 (UTC)