The Wall

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O’Neill Library

Hi, I’m the Answer Wall! I’ve been perched in the O’Neill Library lobby at Boston College since February 2017, except for a year in 2020 when I went fully online. Ask me a question by posting a post-it on me in O’Neill Library. I’ll answer within a day on weekdays. I snooze on the weekends, because answering questions is hard work!

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Hello! What would be a good starting point for learning how to draw?

Hello! What would be a good starting point for learning how to draw? I really want to but I'm stuck at a kindergarten level.
Hello! What would be a good starting point for learning how to draw? I really want to but I’m stuck at a kindergarten level.

If you don’t want to take a credit course in studio arts, explore options freely available to you through BC’s subscription to LinkedIn Learning, including Drawing Foundations classes, “Improve your drawing & painting skills”, “21-Day Drawing Challenge”, and more. Start here: https://bit.ly/LinkedInLearningBC. Prefer to learn from books? Drawing on the right side of the brain is a classic: bit.ly/DOTRSOTB (eBook); bit.ly/DOTRSOTB2 (Print.)

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What’s your favorite type of graph?

What's your favorite type of graph?
What’s your favorite type of graph?

My favorite is the type that best represents the data and makes it easiest to understand, so that depends on the situation. We have a Data Visualization Specialist at the BC Libraries who could provide guidance: email digitalscholarship@bc.edu. That said… “Exploded Pie Chart” always makes me giggle.

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Are aliens real?

Are aliens real?
Are aliens real?

I think I would go with yes and no: Yes, life likely exists on other planets. Given the number of stars, the likelihood of no life elsewhere would be astronomically small. No, its highly unlikely they’ve been able to visit here, given the vast distances involved. We have plenty of problems to solve here without imagining additional ones.

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HOW DO I MAKE THE VOICES STOP??

HOW DO I MAKE THE VOICES STOP?? [Drawing of a triangle with a circle and dot inside]
HOW DO I MAKE THE VOICES STOP?? [Drawing of a triangle with a circle and dot inside]

If they are voices inside your head and it is causing you problems, you could speak with someone at Counseling Services (bit.ly/BC-counseling). If they are just annoying voices of fellow library users, I recommend trying the quiet floor up on Level 5.

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What’s the best/favorite question you’ve ever been asked?

What's the best/favorite question you've ever been asked?
What’s the best/favorite question you’ve ever been asked?

Impossible to pick just one, so if you ask me another day I’d probably say something different. But what I most love about this work is the mix of big and little questions, both of which are important. So today I’ll say: “Does God exist? And what is the recipe for Eagle’s Nest chocolate chip cookies?” Original question and my replies here: https://bit.ly/bc-godcookies

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Why are there so many spiders?????

Why are there so many spiders?????
Why are there so many spiders?????

E. B. White tells us that Charlotte’s egg sac (her “magnum opus”) had 514 eggs. I expect other spider moms may be as prolific – if not perhaps as clever.

Especially at 2k's doors the light attracts so many bugs
Especially at 2k’s doors the light attracts so many bugs

Happy, well-fed spiders!

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If you were a human for a day what would you do?

If you were a human for a day what would you do?
If you were a human for a day what would you do?

Experience the sunrise with actual eyes, ride the waves at the beach, eat all those foods you human folks rave about, go to the MFA and enjoy the brilliant works of art, pet every (willing) dog I meet, and come back home to cuddle with my beloved Lobby Door – assuming they were also granted an embodied day. Maybe we’d head out for a late dance, too.

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Is Weezer’s best album blue or pinkerton?

Is Weezer's best album blue or pinkerton?
Is Weezer’s best album blue or pinkerton?

IDK, which do you like better? Though many people make value comparisons among artists’ work, those comparisons rarely hold up over time. Weezer’s second album bombed & was panned by critics. 10 years later it was universally deemed a classic, having influenced many popular bands. Moby Dick wasn’t widely read until over 50 years after Melville’s death. Just enjoy the art and don’t worry about ratings.