The one I haven’t yet been asked! To see what I’ve been asked: answerwall.domain.bc.edu.
What is one question you wish you were asked more often?
Will artificial intelligence improve the world, or make the world unbearable?
Both? Continuing the superhero theme, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Any new technology solves some problems and creates others. Cars were much faster than horses, but people died a lot more often while driving them. Facebook makes communication much easier than mailing a letter, but also can be a platform for user manipulation. AI will probably solve a lot of problems and allow us to focus less on mundane tasks. But it will almost certainly lead to its own problems; potentially mass unemployment and/or even more structural racism. For more potential problems, checkout I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (PS3551.S5 I2 1950b).
PS4 or Xbox
This is one of those questions that won’t ever have a right answer and that people will argue about forever. Generally speaking, PS4 has more exclusives titles than XBOX. XBOX Live and Playstation Network are basically the same. However, XBOX live Gold allows users to keep the games they got for free even if their subscription lapses, which is pretty nice, but costs extra. XBOX also has interoperability with Microsoft Windows, allowing you to play some games on your laptop wherever you are, which I think is pretty clutch. And the XBOX controller just feels more comfortable than playstation. So I say XBOX.
Who’s mans?
If you mean “mans” as in “Mans Not Hot,” the satirical song released last September, the performer is the British comedian Michael Dapaah, who performs as fictional rapper “Big Shaq.” Here is an entertaining video of him describing the song & lyrics: bit.ly/neverhot
How would you define lifelong friends?
Someone that you connect with, who you think you will be friends with forever. Not necessarily someone you see or talk to every day; often someone you may not see all the time, but you just pick up where you left off. Someone who knows you and whom you know and you just accept each other for who you are and make time for each other when you need to. You may have lots of good friends throughout your life but will probably have very few lifelong friends. They are a true gift!
Favorite Avenger?
I like Emma Peel a lot, but suppose you probably mean the Marvel movies. I admire the steadiness and good cheer of Captain America. You should also read Matt Fraction’s run of Hawkeye if you haven’t: great small-scale stories and fantastic art, with lots of purple. bit.ly/bc-avenger
Is there such thing as too much milk?
It’s possible to have too much milk from both the supply and consumption angles. For the former, I found this recent open access review article on PubMed: bit.ly/MilkOversupply; and while this systematic review of “Daily milk consumption and all-cause mortality” (bit.ly/MilkRisk) found no clear evidence of increased risk, there are certainly individuals for whom excess consumption of milk is a hazard.
Hi Wall, Why is it so cold on the 4th floor near the windows??
Why is it so cold on the 4th floor near the windows??
I’m sorry you were uncomfortably cold! Heating a big building like this has its challenges, and great big windows, which let in a lot of cold along with the light, is one of them. I’ll alert my human assistants about the cold, and see if anything can be done about it.
Will I ever find someone?
Yes. Yes, you will. Be patient. And persistent. And resilient.
Do we have free will?
You always know you’ve got a good question when you ask one philosophers have been debating for a few thousand years. This is one of those questions. For a really great summary of approaches to answering it, you can’t beat this entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: bit.ly/SEP-free-will
How do I check out books from O’Neill?
If you’re facing me, turn around. The smiling folks behind the desk across the lobby can do that for you, as well as check out technology, course reserves, and lots of other things.
How does love look like?
Love is more a feeling than a look. I would say that love differs from attraction because it creates a deep concern for the other person’s happiness over any concern for your own happiness. Attraction can be sudden, but love usually takes time to grow. As to what love looks like, it could be sad when the other is hurting, pride when the other succeeds, and joy when the other cares the same way about you.
Why do you call Italian espresso “espresso shot”?!
A “shot” refers to the amount of liquid you can drink at once. In this context “shot” of expresso means approximately one ounce of espresso (according to the Italian standards, a volume of 25 ml plus or minus ten percent.)
In search of a Netflix show, what do you recommend? (comedy, action, drama)
Are we talking specifically shows produced by Netflix? Comedy: Bojack, Friends From College, Master of None, and Grace & Frankie. Action: Marvel’s Luke Cage and Marvel’s Jessica Jones (don’t let the Marvel tag fool you, these are great shows in their own right). Drama: Stranger Things (of course), The Crown (of course), Narcos, and The Get Down. I’ll also plug Chef’s Table as a wonderful Docu-series on some of the world’s most influential chefs.
What do I do if I don’t know if I’m in love in LDR anymore?
Be honest and direct with your partner about how you’re feeling. If you don’t see each other frequently you’ll be tempted to put off the unpleasant conversation. That’s normal, but it doesn’t actually spare you or your partner the discomfort…and can sometimes make it worse.
Why are off campus landlords allowed to overcharge fro poor living conditions and stand by as we are robbed? It’s like they are robbing us in two different ways.
It’s unconscionable, but it’s what the market will bear. However, you do have rights, and you should fight for what you need. The Mass Attorney General’s Office has some useful info for student renters: bit.ly/StudentRenterHelp. Also, check the BC help: offcampushousing.bc.edu/resource.
How do you figure out the right way to study? I am dying to get a 4.0 this semester and need your help wall!
There are many right ways to study, and some of it depends on your personality. But why not set up an appointment for academic coaching at the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors), and discuss your learning (and grade) goals with them?
How do we request books for the library to buy? (Not interloan)
Email the relevant subject librarian with your recommendation (libguides.bc.edu/ask-a-librarian/contact). If you need it quickly, do place an interlibrary loan request (illiad.bc.edu/illiad/bxm/logon.html) and check “yes” for “Should BC purchase this item”.
Why don’t we get more snow days? -Student
As a primarily residential campus, BC never closes completely. So, those who make the snow day call try to keep all services available as much as possible. Unfortunately for many, that also means classes are also rarely cancelled. But when there are snow days, check out the library hours page- O’Neill is almost always open.
Do you know the vending machines never work downstairs?
I know the soda and coffee machines aren’t the most reliable ever. They’re much more mechanically complex than vending machines, which means they break more. While we do try to report issues, it is ultimately up to the companies (Coca Cola and A&B Vending) to fix them. But, ANYONE can call or email them whenever they’re broken, so feel free to contact them yourself. You can also use your One Card at the vending machines across the atrium on floor 2 next to the Center for Teaching Excellence.