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π Tamagotchi Connection
The Tamagotchi Connection, known as Tamagotchi Plus in Japan and Tamagotchi Connexion in the UK, is a virtual pet in the Tamagotchi line of digital toys from Bandai. The Tamagotchi Connection is unique from prior models in that it uses infrared technology to connect and interact with other devices and was first released in 2004, 8 years after the first Tamagotchi toy. Using the device's infrared port, the virtual pet (referred to as a Tamagotchi) can make friends with other Tamagotchis, in addition to playing games, giving and receiving presents and having a baby.
Versions 1 to 4 of Tamagotchi Connection have 6 levels of friendship that can be viewed in the Friends List:
- Acquaintance (one smiley-face)
- Buddy (two smiley-faces)
- Friend (three smiley-faces)
- Good friend (four smiley-faces)
- Best friend (two love-hearts, two smiley-faces, during connection they may kiss)
- Partner (four love-hearts, during connection they will kiss and may have babies)
Versions 5 and 6 have different levels.
If the Tamagotchi cannot find a partner from another device to have babies with, a matchmaker will come, allowing the Tamagotchi to have a baby with a computer-controlled Tamagotchi character. This applies to versions 1 to 4 and 6 only. Version 5 introduces a Dating Show game in which the user must play to gain a CPU partner.
Discussed on
- "Tamagotchi Connection" | 2023-09-06 | 110 Upvotes 76 Comments
π Boirault Machine
The Boirault machine (French: Appareil Boirault), was an early French experimental landship, designed in 1914 and built in early 1915. It has been considered as "another interesting ancestor of the tank", and described as a "rhomboid-shaped skeleton tank without armour, with single overhead track". Ultimately, the machine was deemed impractical and was nicknamed Diplodocus militaris. It preceded the design and development of the English Little Willie tank by six months.
Discussed on
- "Boirault Machine" | 2021-04-25 | 40 Upvotes 3 Comments
π Wikipedia policies on what editors should do in the case of impending apocalypse
The Terminal Event Management Policy (TEMP) is a Wikipedia policy detailing the procedures to be followed to safeguard the content of the encyclopedia in the event of a non-localized event that would render the continuation of Wikipedia in its current form untenable.
The policy is designed to facilitate the preservation of the encyclopedia by a transition to non-electronic media in an orderly, time-sensitive manner or, if events dictate otherwise, the preservation of the encyclopedia by other means. Editors are asked to familiarize themselves with the procedures and in the unlikely event that the implementation of these procedures proves necessary, act in accordance with the procedural guidelines, inasmuch as circumstances allow.
Discussed on
- "Wikipedia policies on what editors should do in the case of impending apocalypse" | 2019-06-28 | 25 Upvotes 15 Comments
- "Wikipedia: Terminal Event Management Policy" | 2019-05-26 | 18 Upvotes 3 Comments
π Sonic Hedgehog Protein (encoded by the SHH gene)
Sonic hedgehog protein (SHH) is encoded for by the SHH gene. The protein is named after the character Sonic the Hedgehog.
This signaling molecule is key in regulating embryonic morphogenesis in all animals. SHH controls organogenesis and the organization of the central nervous system, limbs, digits and many other parts of the body. Sonic hedgehog is a morphogen that patterns the developing embryo using a concentration gradient characterized by the French flag model. This model has a non-uniform distribution of SHH molecules which governs different cell fates according to concentration. Mutations in this gene can cause holoprosencephaly, a failure of splitting in the cerebral hemispheres, as demonstrated in an experiment using SHH knock-out mice in which the forebrain midline failed to develop and instead only a single fused telencephalic vesicle resulted.
Sonic hedgehog still plays a role in differentiation, proliferation, and maintenance of adult tissues. Abnormal activation of SHH signaling in adult tissues has been implicated in various types of cancers including breast, skin, brain, liver, gallbladder and many more.
Discussed on
- "Sonic Hedgehog Protein (encoded by the SHH gene)" | 2023-01-26 | 58 Upvotes 43 Comments
π Capability Immaturity Model
Capability Immaturity Model (CIMM) in software engineering is a parody acronym, a semi-serious effort to provide a contrast to the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). The Capability Maturity Model is a five point scale of capability in an organization, ranging from random processes at level 1 to fully defined, managed and optimized processes at level 5. The ability of an organization to carry out its mission on time and within budget is claimed to improve as the CMM level increases.
The "Capability Im-Maturity Model" asserts that organizations can and do occupy levels below CMM level 1. An original article by Capt. Tom Schorsch USAF as part of a graduate project at the Air Force Institute of Technology provides the definitions for CIMM. He cites Prof. Anthony Finkelstein's ACM paper as an inspiration. The article describes situations that arise in dysfunctional organizations. Such situations are reportedly common in organizations of all kinds undertaking software development, i.e. they are really characterizations of the management of specific projects, since they can occur even in organizations with positive CMM levels.
Kik Piney, citing the original authors, later adapted the model to a somewhat satirical version that attracted a number of followers who felt that it was quite true to their experience.
Discussed on
- "Capability Immaturity Model" | 2020-03-02 | 124 Upvotes 19 Comments
π Slopsquatting
Slopsquatting is a type of cybersquatting. It is the practice of registering a non-existent software package name that a large language model (LLM) may hallucinate in its output, whereby someone unknowingly may copy-paste and install the software package without realizing it is fake. Attempting to install a non-existent package should result in an error, but some have exploited this for their gain in the form of typosquatting.
The name is a portmanteau of "slop" and "typosquatting".
Discussed on
- "Slopsquatting" | 2025-08-06 | 105 Upvotes 49 Comments
π Unsolved Problems in Economics
This is a list of some of the major unsolved problems, puzzles, or questions in economics. Some of these are theoretical in origin and some of them concern the inability of orthodox economic theory to explain an empirical observation.
Discussed on
- "Unsolved Problems in Economics" | 2022-05-17 | 157 Upvotes 237 Comments
π Waffle House Index
The Waffle House Index is an informal metric named after the Waffle House restaurant chain and is used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to determine the effect of a storm and the likely scale of assistance required for disaster recovery.
Discussed on
- "The Waffle House Index" | 2022-09-11 | 52 Upvotes 13 Comments
- "Waffle House Index" | 2020-03-25 | 15 Upvotes 5 Comments
π Pi Day
Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant Ο (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of Ο. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day. UNESCO's 40th General Conference decided Pi Day as the International Day of Mathematics in November 2019.
Pi Approximation Day is observed on July 22 (22/7 in the day/month format), since the fraction β22β7 is a common approximation of Ο, which is accurate to two decimal places and dates from Archimedes.
Two Pi Day, also known as Tau Day for the mathematical constant Tau, is observed on June 28 (6/28 in the month/day format).
Discussed on
- "March 14 (3/14): Pi Day" | 2024-03-14 | 143 Upvotes 94 Comments
- "Pi Day" | 2018-03-14 | 10 Upvotes 4 Comments
- "Pi Day" | 2015-03-14 | 67 Upvotes 30 Comments
- "Pi Day" | 2013-03-14 | 118 Upvotes 49 Comments
- "Happy Pi Day" | 2009-03-14 | 30 Upvotes 11 Comments
π Background of .plan files: the 1977 Finger Protocol
In computer networking, the Name/Finger protocol and the Finger user information protocol are simple network protocols for the exchange of human-oriented status and user information.
Discussed on
- "Background of .plan files: the 1977 Finger Protocol" | 2011-12-18 | 19 Upvotes 7 Comments