@marcellothearcane Oceans make oxygen by the biomass contained within them, photoplankton, etc. They use photosynthesis and create oxygen.

@CowperKettle Here’s one for you—I haven’t figured out how to upload the image of the question:(

Oh goodness it uploaded!

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword in answer, bad keyword in link text in answer (167): Is "learning yourself" the same as "learning by yourself"? by English Speaking Course on english.SE

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Potentially bad keyword in answer, blacklisted user (71): A word spoken rarely or never by English Speaking Course on english.SE

@Xanne Why should it interest me? Just a question

@CowperKettle Because it’s about a disease (leprosy)—I thought you were doing a translation of a medical text. And I thought it was funny, good for a laugh.

Not amusing?

If not, my apologies.

Okay, or not?

Anyway I just looked at this because I couldn’t sleep, and I have to go back to sleep now. So g’night.

So, the other day, I was in a meeting, and I mentioned that I was feeling very sleepy.

My German/Portuguese coworker asked me, "What time have you woken up?"

Now, that sounds clearly wrong—it should be "What time did you wake up?" But I can't think why.

I think the "what time" contributes to the problem. I don't think you can use "what time" with a present perfect unless you're asking about multiple occurrences.

@TannerSwett I think you're right.

I remember never quite knowing when to use the present perfect and the present simple, as a child. The explanations and the rules never quite seemed to fit.

Now that I'm older, I know when to use which, but I don't know why!

@TannerSwett you did and are now done with waking up. Perfect.

@RegDwigнt Geezis.

hello! "The aforementioned geographic systems see the data they have obtained from space satellites manipulated adequately by competent scientists.", could someone please tell me whether me using "see ... manipulated" is correct here? thank you very much!

@Luyw I don't think I would be entirely happy about it.

But I'm not sure whether the metaphor is successful.

It's not entirely impossible or horrible, nor is it satisfying.

In addition, the construction of the sentence is a bit hard to parse.

I have dropped it by now anyways, thank you. Can you think of a way to rephrase it though?

> The aforementioned geographic systems have obtained data from space satellites; competent scientists are adequately manipulating the data.

But it depends on context.

i'm describing how a technology zorks

That is, it's hard to say how the sentence should be recast without knowing the context.

works*

OK.

@Luyw zorking is better.

What's a "competent scientist" anyway?

Other than weasel wording, that is.

The entire passage is funny, but that bit is plain hilarious.

Not a mad one

Nighty-night!

@CowperKettle Mind the bed bugs don't bite

It's like all those food commercials talking about how they use "the finest chocolate" or "fresh milk" or "spring water". Would you say you're using the worst chocolate, or spoiled milk, or sewer water? Well no you wouldn't. So what's the point in saying that you don't, then.

Likewise, would you say "the data is manipulated inadequately by incompetent scientists"?

Of course not.

So what's the point in having any adjective at all.

@RegDwigнt Because if you didn't say it, people would suspect it was inferior chocolate

@marcellothearcane no they wouldn't.

If there was lots of chocolate on a shelf, and all of them said finest apart from one, wouldn't that look suspect?

Here's a counter point: if you stress how your ingredients are not inferior, that's when people will start suspecting that something's fishy.

You don't need to tell me your food is fresh if I can actually taste it.

@RegDwigнt I've worked in the food industry and that is exaxtly what you do

@marcellothearcane I know that that's exactly what you do.

That is my entire point.

You should stop doing that.

I've done it myself

See.

The lady doth protest too much.

Authentic thai limes = some lime juice was imported from an underpaid thai farmer

Oops

Thai =/= taiwan

I think

Yes. That's how all of advertising works. You put a spin on it. You take the worst bit about your product and turn it into the best bit.

I'm awful at geography

Problem is, people are aware of that.

So you have to use even bigger and better adjectives to make it stand out again

If you keep stressing how your iPhone doesn't have a headphone jack and that's a really good awesome great thing, people will say, WTF.

And then advertise health benefits, with almost no basis to do so

Exactly.

@RegDwigнt but everyone's doing it now

Headphone jacks will disappear, as will the little bluetooth headphones you have to buy in order to listen to anything

@marcellothearcane ah, but you can spin that into a plus. If you're the only person in the world not doing that, that'll make you stand out.

Advertise how you don't advertise

Reverse psychology

Anyway. Returning to our actual topic, why do you need to stress the fact that your scientists are not incompetent? What are you hiding?

'Such an honest brand'

We just want what's best for you.

And your money.

@RegDwigнt they are being paid by the satellites

So they can remain in orbit

It's a conspiracy

Exactly. People will take that to mean you're secretly running Skynet.

You won't believe what these scientists caught the satellites doing!

(With pictures)

Top 30 most competent satellites!

Ten UNREAL pictures discovered by scientists that you have never seen before!

Scientists DESTROYED by satellites. And Rush Limbaugh.

Scientists manipulate THIS geographic system! [video]

HOT Russian satellites in your area

How to lose 20 satellites in ONE WEEK

Gain 3 scientists by using this crazy trick!