Question of the day

[safrane]

The number referred to the recipe or solution make up before they were happy with its make up.

 

[Caldy999]

Water dispersant?
I now use XCP - much more effective and modern, not a 70 years old formulation.

 

[spkennyuk]

Close enough via a group effort.

Water displacement is the WD
40 is because it was the 40th attempt /formula tried before the inventors were happy with it.

Safrane you got the number part correct so over to you for the next question.

 

[spkennyuk]

Youe question Safrane.

 

[safrane]

Ok.

The Elizabeth Tower is often seen with green lights. Who had them installed and why?

 

[spkennyuk]

I think they may only be lit if parliment is still sitting at night time / gone dark. Could be myth its something i must have heard at some point.

No idea who had them fitted so i'm out on this one.

 

[JonW]

I think they may only be lit if parliment is still sitting at night time / gone dark. Could be myth its something i must have heard at some point.

No idea who had them fitted so i'm out on this one.

I had heard that this was linked to parliament still being in sitting as well. By the way, I work just down the road from Big Ben, and it looks great with the green lights on top

 

[safrane]

Half way there guys....

 

[2b1ask1]

is it parliament still being in sitting and more than two MP's are awake?

 

[zagatoes30]

is it parliament still being in sitting and more than two MP's are awake?

Two awake, like when has that ever happened ?

 

[safrane]

So the lights were fitted at the bequest of Queen Victoria so she could check when her Government were sitting from her rooms in Buckingham Palace.

Apparently they were seen as slackers even in Victorian times... and little has changed.

 

[zagatoes30]

It's called the Ayrton light and I assume it can be seen from Buckingham Place so was it Queen Victoria ? Based on the fact she was in charge when electricity came into regular use.

 

[spkennyuk]

So the lights were fitted at the bequest of Queen Victoria so she could check when her Government were sitting from her rooms in Buckingham Palace.

Apparently they were seen as slackers even in Victorian times... and little has changed.

That would explain the phrase:

The lights are on but nobody is in !

 

[spkennyuk]

Im gathering they are named Ayrton after the person that had them fitted. Thats a bit of a punt as i have no idea who the Ayrton in question might have been.

 

[spkennyuk]

I think you have us stumped Safrane.

 

[safrane]

It is named after Acton Smee Ayrton, a Liberal politician who was First Commissioner of Works between 1869 and 1873.

 

[safrane]

OK.

What animal was originally named a camelopard?

 

[allandwf]

Hmmmm.. I don't know, but would assume it had spots, large, humps?

 

[zagatoes30]

Spots and large are correct but no humps to speak of - I think its the Giraffe

 

[safrane]

It is the Giraffe , its name from Roman times, as the spotted camel.

As they were nit seen by most in Europe many camels were painted with spots and sold as giraffes.