Easy Questions?

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Perhaps your right hemisphere isn't convinced/thrilled to take the pill?

[Sibling DavidH]

Or maybe when you try to drink left-handed, the coffee spills down your dress?   

[Griffin NoName]

If I had a dress on

[Griffin NoName]

What are the collection nouns, respectively, for roads, streets, lanes, motorways ?  Bonus question ::  what is the collective noun for all of them?

[Swatopluk]

I'd say 'ways' or 'man-made ways'
----

Maybe a question For Lindorm
What function do these 'fingers' on both sides of the isolator serve? I have seen the same with 'fingers' only on one side.

http://static-p4.fotolia.com/jpg/00/11/62/19/400_F_11621902_HF8eAHAonnsUY1dHsIaDZQOrZbBaaWZh.jpg

And there is another (seemingly new) type. I did not find a picture, so I changed one of a normal isolator to show what I mean.
What function do these 'bristles have? The are all attached in a circle round the center and seem to be metal.

http://toadfishmonastery.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=293.0;attach=1311

[Lindorm]

Sorry, Swato, I have no idea. I have never seen anything like that on catenary isolators here in Sweden.

A few possibilities:

- Some equipment used close to high-tension wires etc is deliberately "user-unfriendly" as a means of increasing awareness and preventing people from doing a possibly dangerous handling error out of habit or by mistake. For example, the gripping device used when changing high-tension fuses on board a locomotive deliberately has some very sharp teeth along it's length, to prevent you from holding it anywhere but in the insulated handgrips. Perhaps this is some sort of analogue, especially the things depicted on the upper picture?

- Birds are normally not a threat to the catenary, since they are not grounded when they sit on the electrified wires. However, they can under some circumstances (i e when spreading their wings) come dangerously close to othe rparts of the catenary system, and then provide a path for the current. This usually results in a loud bang, a puff of smoke, some feathers and a terrible smell, but nothing more. But sometimes the avian vapourization is accompanied by a major flashover, that can crack isolators or burn off the catenary wires. So, perhaps those spiky things are something to keep birds away?

[Swatopluk]

The fried bird has more than once been the reason for interruption of train service around here.
The extra elements seem to be installed mostly near stations, not on the stretches in-between. But it's in no way universal.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

May be a dumb/useless attempt to avoid birds? It wouldn't be the first time.

[Griffin NoName]

But will it work for dinasaurs too?

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Birds are dinosaurs.

Take a look at this oviraptor:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LOpbWIPseDg/S65cEHmqvGI/AAAAAAAAAXI/VonGw2mhvW8/s400/oviraptor.jpg

[Griffin NoName]

Oops sorry, I omitted

[Swatopluk]

Totally unrelated: Where does the phrase 'don't try this at home' come from originally?

[Opsa]

I am guessing it started in the United States as a disclaimer on a daredevil stunt.

[Griffin NoName]

Why are some beaches made of sand and some of pebbles?

[Swatopluk]

I think that is just a matter of time and material (some stuff grinds down faster). If you wait long enough, the pebbles will turn to sand unless there is a large geological event taking the beach away completely. Some material (like coral) does not go through the pebble phase though.
This is not the answer of an expert in coastology though