Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2016 March 7

= March 7 =

Will Oculus VR disrupt business jets?
Since business jets exist because high level people wish to meet face to face, is Oculus VR able to simulate a face to face meeting realistically enough to end much of the demand for business jets? Muzzleflash (talk) 18:48, 7 March 2016 (UTC)


 * I'm afraid we cannot answer that question at this desk. The instructions at the top specifically state that this desk is not a place to speculate about things or give opinions.  -- Jayron 32 19:02, 7 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Yes, we cannot predict the future; we have no WP:CRYSTAL. However we can, if we choose, share relevant scholarly research. People have been talking about and researching disruption to business air travel by communication technologies since at least the early 1980s, and most likely prior to that as well. Here is an empirical report from UC on teleconferencing and travel from 1988. Here's someone from MIT checking in on the topic in 1994, and here's some work  from Purdue, 2009. Here  is the most recent relevant scholarly article I see, from 2014. SemanticMantis (talk) 19:19, 7 March 2016 (UTC)


 * It seems far more annoying to have to wear one of those than use teleconferencing, so I don't see it catching on with the business community. They would either teleconference or continue to travel, perhaps with an exception for game developers. StuRat (talk) 19:41, 7 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Maybe - but you need to widen the question to telepresence in general. For example, if I'm planning to visit to talk to someone, then I can already use a telephone.  If I'm travelling to see someone and learn something deep about them from their facial expressions and body language, then a videoconference may suffice.  If I need to take a tour of a factory - then maybe a robot with stereo vision and a VR headset of some kind would allow someone to avoid needing to fly.  If you also need to pick up objects that interest you and turn them around to look at them more clearly, then you need remote manipulation capabilities.  If you want to feel these objects - then maybe haptics can be of help.  Tasting and smelling and using other senses to experience the distant location gets harder and harder and beyond current practical technologies.  Feeling the breeze from the airconditioning in your new factory - knowing whether it's going to be too humid for your workers - whether the sound levels are comfortable...these things require physical presence.


 * Each one of those technologies, from the invention of writing and a decent postal service onwards, has incrementally reduced the need to physically travel. Is the VR headset the "tipping point" at which the majority of people won't need to travel?  It's hard to prove - but I very much doubt it.


 * You have to understand the horrible limitations of current VR headsets like the Oculus. The incredible hype about these things doesn't come close to the reality.  They don't have a wide enough field of view.  Depth perception only works well over a certain range of distances using Stereopsis - but at other distances, we use Accommodation (eye) to judge distance and shape - and these headsets not only fail to deliver that information - but actually confuse the brain by giving false information.  In a significant percentage of people suffer from nausea in varying degrees when these and other distance cues conflict.  The actual percentage quoted ranges from 10% to 60% depending on whether the person you're talking to works for a VR company or not!  Technologies that make a third to two thirds of people want to up-chuck aren't going to be very popular!   Many people have been utterly "wowed" by demonstrations of the tech in which they are carefully allowed to view the 3D scene for only a minute or two - which is generally short enough to avoid most of the symptoms.   Having spent a couple of years working with VR headsets (some MUCH nicer than Oculus and costing more than a Ferrari!) - I can tell you that I, along with a clear majority of my co-workers were in the "nausea" category after about 5 to 10 minutes wearing a headset...and once you get nauseous for the first time, the second and subsequent times it happens more quickly.  The Oculus wraps around your head and can be sweaty to wear, coming out of longer sessions with them, people are disoriented for a while.  There are conditions like Simulator sickness to consider.  The US Navy will not allow their pilots to fly real aircraft within 24 hours of flying virtual aircraft...and even driving cars after a time in the virtual world is discouraged.


 * So it's my opinion (yeah "opinion") that VR has a long way to go before it's widely accepted - and I don't see people giving up on travel because of it. SteveBaker (talk) 20:00, 7 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Thanks for illustrating what I meant when I said they were annoying. As for feeling humidity and temperature with VR, I would just report the numbers rather than doing it that way. StuRat (talk) 04:13, 9 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Yeah - but that's kinda the problem. Is 80% humidity and 78 degF going to be too uncomfortable?  Maybe you needed to be there?  I think there are always going to be situations where you absolutely need to travel.  So I'm sure there will always be business trips.  On the other hand, telephones, skype, internet chat and email have all reduced our need to travel - so clearly there must be some kind of reduction as the technology improves.  It's all just a matter of degree.  SteveBaker (talk) 19:44, 10 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Yes, that would be uncomfortable. There are all sorts of charts showing what temps and humidity levels are comfortable. StuRat (talk) 23:00, 12 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Great answer. These small masterpieces need to be compiled into a top 100 answers of the Wikipedia reference desk book. Muzzleflash (talk) 05:37, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

Bald Eagle measure your wingspan chart
I want to purchase a Bald Eagle "measure your wingspan chart" I found one on the internet. I don't know how to download the picture so you can view it and there is no where on the internet that I can purchase one. Thanks Forrest Tree  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Forrest pine (talk • contribs) 21:49, 7 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Bald eagle warwick2.jpg
 * So, you're looking for something like THIS? (You shouldn't load such things here because it would almost certainly be a violation of someone's copyright.) Bald Eagles have adult wingspans between 1.8 and 2.3 m (5.9 and 7.5 ft) - so what you really need is a picture of one with wings outstretched.  The image at right here should suffice - and it's on WikiCommons with a very generous free license.  Then you need to get it printed out at a size of about 8 feet wide.  You could probably take it to a local print shop and have them print it out at that size - but it won't be cheap.  These guys can do it - but it's gonna cost you $120 to $300 depending on what you want it printed out on! SteveBaker (talk) 22:01, 7 March 2016 (UTC)
 * FlightSilhouettes.svg that is free to use and edit, it could be adapted to a "measure your wingspan" wall poster. ]]User:SteveBaker I get 404 on your first link, probably some typo? Or did they remove it since you posted? Anyway, I found this on commons that OP might like. Printing can still be expensive though. SemanticMantis (talk) 00:05, 8 March 2016 (UTC)
 * The link still works for me...it's a picture of a lady with her arms outstretched standing in front of a life-sized plan view of a bald eagle with outstretched wings. SteveBaker (talk) 01:21, 8 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Link works for me. FYI. Matt Deres (talk) 14:58, 8 March 2016 (UTC)

Eurovision Enquiry
After a recent enquiry wth the BBC, I found that SMS voting isn't possible because of "the relatively short periods in which the vote is open and during which the result needs to be provided and verified. There is the risk of potential delays within the mobile networks at busy times which could result in text votes not being received within the period the vote is open." If that is the case, then how do other countries manage to utilise the SMS voting system? I know the other countries can, And as a telecom buff, I am under the impression that the UK network is in no way inferior to any other country. Pablothepenguin (talk) 22:59, 7 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Some use SMS voting as a money earning scheme. They use premium numbers so the sender is billed extra. But they leave voting open for a long time, eg 23 hours or a week, so that the result is announced on the next episode of the show. They want as many votes as possible, including repeat votes to boost revenue. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 01:59, 8 March 2016 (UTC)

If it's relating specifically to the Eurovision Song Contest,then that wouldn't come into play,as there isn't a 'next episode' Lemon martini (talk) 23:17, 11 March 2016 (UTC)

There was the phone voting scandal not so long ago which is the real reason I guess. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6905095.stm  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6463901.stm   Hotclaws (talk) 23:55, 11 March 2016 (UTC)