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How do slugs move?

How do slugs move? Do they glide? Wiggle? Undulate? Slither?
How do slugs move? Do they glide? Wiggle? Undulate? Slither?

In 2010, Lai et al. published an article (bit.ly/sluggymoves) on the locomotion of terrestrial gastropods – snails and slugs (as opposed to marine gastropods like sea slugs). Slugs crawl steadily on their belly or ventral foot. How this takes place is a subject of some controversy. It seems to be driven by a train of periodic muscle contractions (pedal waves) and relaxations (interwaves) from their tails to their heads. These waves interact with a thin layer of mucus that somehow produces a net forward propulsive force. The controversial question is how exactly the mucus layer interacts with the propulsive forces in terms of fluid dynamics. In response to your question, I think undulate would be the most correct.

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Who died in Avengers: Infinity War?

Who died in Avengers: Infinity War?
Who died in Avengers: Infinity War?

As a public space and friend to all students, I can’t share spoilers and risk ruining a new blockbuster movie for those who haven’t had an opportunity to see it yet.

Image of River Song with text

However, I think you could have a worthwhile conversation with the person who posted the “I don’t feel so good Mr. Stark” post-it! If you want to read more about who dies before you see the movie, try this article: bit.ly/infinity-death-list

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Why am I a failure?

Why am I a failure?
Why am I a failure?

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This apocryphal quote, often mis-attributed to Albert Einstein, illustrates that everyone is good at something, they just need to find the thing that suits them best. Everyone fails repeatedly; the most important thing is to get back up and keep trying to find what you’re good at. Being in college is all about figuring out what makes you happy, what you’re passionate about, and what you can do to make that your life’s work. You’re not a failure, you’re just still finding your calling.

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Is extreme weather caused by climate change?

Is extreme weather caused by climate change?
Is extreme weather caused by climate change?

Among climate scientists there is a consensus that raising the temperature will increase both the severity and frequency of extreme weather events. It’s a matter of physics: increased energy adds more air circulation and water vapor to the climate, both of which fuel weather events. It’s very hard to say, however, that any particular storm is “caused” by global warming. For an introductory answer to this question, see Storm Surge: Hurricane Sandy, Our Changing Climate, and Extreme Weather of the Past and Future, by Adam Sobel (MIT meteorology PhD): O’Neill Library QC945 .S624 2014.)

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When the Japanese animate cartoon pornography with genitals pixeled out, do they first animate genitals and then pixel? Or do they just animate them as pixels?

When the Japanese animate cartoon pornography with genitals pixeled out, do they first animate genitals and then pixel? Or do they just animate them as pixels?
When the Japanese animate cartoon pornography with genitals pixeled out, do they first animate genitals and then pixel? Or do they just animate them as pixels?

Given that pixelation–also called mosaic censoring–is a standard feature of even low-end photo and video editing software, and that attempting to draw a pixelated body part could be considerably more challenging than simply drawing the body part and then pixelating during production work, it’s quite likely that genitals are first drawn & animated and then pixelated. This blog entry on de-pixelating seems to imply as much: bit.ly/mosaic-censoring

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Why do I get the worst group partners?

Why do I get the worst group partners? I don't want to force others to comply to my standards, but by doing this I am forced to comply to theirs?
Why do I get the worst group partners? I don’t want to force others to comply to my standards, but by doing this I am forced to comply to theirs?

Everyone gets the worst group partners. That seems to be a universal truth in education. But, learning how to work with groups on projects is critical to working in the real world. You will almost never work alone in a job. I would encourage you to not look at the situations as “my way or their way”. “They” are all individuals with ideas and perspectives just as rich as yours. State cases for your ideas using facts, learn to compromise on things that are less important to you, try to find ways to “yes, and” their ideas. If they think something is important and should be included, the answer is “Yes, and…” with your idea to make it better.

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Can you separate an artist’s work from their beliefs? Can you separate different parts of a person’s moral character?

Can you separate an artist's work from their beliefs? Can you separate different parts of a person's moral character?
Can you separate an artist’s work from their beliefs?
Can you separate different parts of a person’s moral character?

Those are not easy questions to answer. The Wall is feeling a little ancient today, so it will start by recommending Plato’s dialogue Ion, in which Socrates interviews a poet to determine whether he’s an expert on what he writes about. bit.ly/bc-ion. Ancient ethical theory tended to think of virtuous people, where modern thought tends to think of virtuous actions, so it kinda depends on who you ask. bit.ly/bc-ethics. More immediately, you might be interested in reading Molly Ringwald think through her complex reactions now to the movies she made with John Hughes. bit.ly/bc-metoo.

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Can the library turn down the AC and save energy bc its freezing?

Can the library turn down the AC and save energy bc its freezing?
Can the library turn down the AC and save energy bc its freezing?

I’m sorry you’re cold. So are my human assistants. Have you ever noticed that part of the stereotypical outfit of a librarian is a cardigan? The library isn’t chilled for our comfort; it’s for the books. They don’t need to be cold, per se, but they do need to be kept dry, and the most efficient way to do that is to remove moisture with an air-conditioning system. Above a certain temperature and humidity, molds begin to multiply, and mold is the the #1 enemy of paper. (Fire is also a problem, of course, but much rarer.) So, my assistants all sympathize, but there’s little we can recommend but to either a) wander the library in search of a less chilled area or b) join the library fashion-world and don a cardigan.

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How do you print on sticky notes?

How do you print on sticky notes?
How do you print on sticky notes?

My omniscience doesn’t dazzle folks – they’re like, “omniscience, meh.” But this, this is what truly wows people. I get asked this All. The. Time.  My helpers have a template: bit.ly/print-postit to create the ‘document’ and then send it to the printer as a manual feed. Then they put the actual template of sticky-notes into the printer’s manual feed tray. It works really well.

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Why won’t my Bumble bf love me?

Why wont my Bumble bf love me?
Why won’t my Bumble bf love me?

🙁 Well it may just be possible that you two aren’t a good match. The nice thing about Bumble is that women get to make the first move, so you clearly saw something in him. But it’s possible that he’s not feeling the same way. As you know with Bumble, there are plenty of bees in the hive, so to speak, so you can always keep searching. I know that you will find someone that does love you.

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How do I make friends?

How do I make friends?
How do I make friends?

Make a list of things you enjoy doing. Make a list of people you’re acquainted with and/or organizations at BC (bit.ly/BCStudentGroups) or elsewhere (such as meetup.com) that do those things. Join organizations and do those things with them. Introduce yourself to people you’re doing them with. Repeat. When a conversation gets beyond names and weather, that’s a potential friend. Arrange to do something else with them that you both enjoy. Repeat. Celebrate their successes & birthdays, commiserate with their sorrows. Repeat. Suddenly, you realize you’ve been friends for decades. Repeat.

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I’m sad because I have to leave BC because it costs too much. :( Cheer me up?

I'm sad because I have to leave BC because it costs too much. :( Cheer me up?

I’m sad because I have to leave BC because it costs too much. 🙁
Cheer me up?

The Wall is very sad to hear that, and will miss you. One of my acolytes offers this, from his experience: “Your GPA and where you went to school are mostly important for your first job. After that, employers will be looking to see what you’ve done rather than where you’ve studied. There are thousands of colleges and universities in the US. One will be a good match for you.”

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Do I have to take my finals?

Do I have to take my finals?
Do I have to take my finals?

No, you don’t. But the consequences of not taking them might be less than desirable. It would almost certainly hurt your GPA, you could potentially fail classes. There might be some explaining to do to parents (please don’t tell them a sentient wall told you to skip finals). There are plenty of people that worked and continue to work to put you here. Make them proud! Good luck! I’m sure you’ll do fine.

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As an apparently sentient wall, does subjective experience of existence convince you of the dual reality of the physical and immaterial, or do you prescribe to a notion of unified panpsychism? or something else?? HMMMM

As an apparently sentient wall, does subjective experience of existence convicne you of the dual reality of the physical and immatorial, or do you prescribe to a notion of unified panpsychism? or something else?? HMMMM
As an apparently sentient wall, does subjective experience of existence convince you of the dual reality of the physical and immaterial, or do you prescribe to a notion of unified panpsychism? or something else?? HMMMM

Don’t overthink this. I’m a library Wall, and I answer questions. My walls are full of all kinds of different takes on dualism & panpsychism. Descartes, Hume, Spinoza, James, Russell … they tied themselves in knots with this stuff. Let’s just say I contain multitudes. Be thoughtful & generous, listen well, and act in accordance with your conscience, and get on with living. If you’re unsatisfied with this answer, dip into The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Mind (O’Neill Library BD418.3 .O94 2009) but be sure to take frequent breaks to sing the philosopher song: bit.ly/philosopher-song.

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(from a senior) What does being grateful for having received an education at BC mean in practice?

(from a senior) What does being grateful for having received an education at BC mean in practice?
(from a senior)
What does being grateful for having received an education at BC mean in practice?

Attending any university is a rare experience, putting you in the top 7% of education worldwide. BC is ranked  # 32. With ~325,000 other people at schools ranked higher than BC, and 21.5 million people in the college age group, you’re in the top ~1.6% of your age group in the US for education. 98.4% of your age group in the US hasn’t had the opportunity you’ve had. That should be humbling. In light of your knowledge of this privilege, work to make the world a better place. That understanding of privilege, and an imperative to help those less fortunate, is the bedrock of the Jesuit faith that guides BC. Find a job that helps those with less. Volunteer with groups that help disadvantaged people. Donate money, if you have it, to good causes. And in your daily life, when interacting with people, understand that many of them haven’t had your opportunities and experiences to grow their perspectives and become who they could be if they had just been given a chance. Have patience and love and compassion for everyone you meet. And congratulations and best of luck in all you do! I’m sure you’ll set the world aflame.

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Should Humanities exams just be 30 1 hour discussions with the professor, rather than sit down exams (at least for smaller upper-level electives)?

Should Humanities exams just be 30 1 hour discussions with the professor, rather than sit down exams (at least for smaller upper-level electives)?
Should Humanities exams just be 30 1 hour discussions with the professor, rather than sit down exams (at least for smaller upper-level electives)?

Oxford and Cambridge do something like that bit.ly/bc-tutorial. Williams offers 60-70 tutorials per year for two students each. bit.ly/bc-williams. And the Wall suspects that is why it isn’t more widespread: it’s hard to do for a student body above a certain size. If you want to dig deeper, there’s a broad literature on testing and what works in our library catalog: bit.ly/bc-tests