The "This Might Be A Stupid Question, But...." Thread

[jpcher]

RE: Passing security without a ticket.

Thanks for the info, everybody. I will definitely look into this further.

I know it was about 6 years ago my mother and I received passes to the arrival gate to pick up my nieces' and newphew. But they were minors and my sister made arrangements ahead of time. My mother even had a notarized letter from my sister.

I'm pretty sure it's just one long haul to Europe, no layover in the states.

I think I would first check the TSA website, or if there's a specific page of TSA requirements on the airport website.  You (and DD2) should get familiar with this information so she knows what she can pack, what can be carried on, plus how and when to check in for an international flight (even if she has a leg within the U.S.).  DD2 will also have to know what to do at customs in France.

Great advice, gui. Thank you.

[emwithme]

Now this is a *really* stupid question

Do you floss BEFORE or AFTER brushing your teeth? 

[blueyzca01]

I do it after.  Brushing loosens and digs out most of the surface gunk.  Flossing after enables you to get to the gunk brushing missed.

[Betelnut]

Now this is a *really* stupid question

Do you floss BEFORE or AFTER brushing your teeth?

I floss before so that the brushing washes away the gunk that might have dropped out from the flossing.

[Luci45]

Before, because the toothpaste has stuff in it that is supposed to protect the teeth and flossing would just wipe it off again.

[Tea Drinker]

After, and I took that for granted until two minutes ago. But now that I think about it, the reasoning seems to have nothing to do with what would work best. It's just that people say "brush and floss your teeth," which implies that brushing goes first.

[lady_disdain]

Before, as recommended by my dentist.

[KenveeB]

Brush to get the major stuff. Then floss to get the bits your brush couldn't reach. Then rinse with mouthwash to flush it all away.

[Elfmama]

After, and I took that for granted until two minutes ago. But now that I think about it, the reasoning seems to have nothing to do with what would work best. It's just that people say "brush and floss your teeth," which implies that brushing goes first.

And does anyone here put on their shoes and socks in that order? 

[WillyNilly]

I floss first, as recommended by my dentist and hygienist.  You floss first to remove and loosen bigger bits, then when you brush the toothpaste can get in between the teeth better to further clean.

Think of it like scrubbing and washing something - first you scrub off the big bits, then you use the soap and water to really clean it. Or like first you sweep or vacuum then you wash the floors. Or fist you kick the chunks of snow/mud off your boots, then you wipe them to get any remaining bits.

[Mental Magpie]

After, and I took that for granted until two minutes ago. But now that I think about it, the reasoning seems to have nothing to do with what would work best. It's just that people say "brush and floss your teeth," which implies that brushing goes first.

And does anyone here put on their shoes and socks in that order? 

I've never heard that order...I've always heard, "Put on your socks and shoes."

[jpcher]

Before, as recommended by my dentist.

Hmmm, interesting. I always brush first and then floss because that's the order that my dentist does it . . . after the cleaning, they do the polishing (brushing) then the final step is flossing.

But it makes sense to do it the other way around.

[hobish]

hobhish wrote:

"Oh, please please do you have the source for that? Not that i doubt you; i definitely don't. Gish always says he is a better driver than most people on the road, and i always say Everyone thinks that. I would love to have actual numbers from a qualified source."

The problem is that this study is just apocryphal, as no such study was ever done so nobody can cite it.  I just tell them it comes from the Institute where they figured out (in a different study, of course) that 84.7% of Internet statistics are made up on the spot.

Virg

The 97% (or 93% as I've heard it) statistic seems to be apocryphal, but the phenomenon is real. The cognitive bias in which the vast majority of people tend to rate themselves as above average in any number of domains is called illusory superiority, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, or the Lake Woebegone Effect. Some studies have looked specifically at driving and found that anywhere from 60-90% of people consider themselves above average drivers, either in certain ways (e.g., speed, number of violations) or overall. Here are a few references:

Svenson, O. (1981). Are we all less risky and more skillful than our fellow drivers?. Acta Psychologica, 47(2), 143–148.

McCormick, I. A., Walkey, F. H., & Green, D. E. (1986). Comparative perceptions of driver ability— A confirmation and expansion. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 18(3), 205–208.

Delhomme, P. (1991). Comparing one's driving with others': Assessment of ability and frequency of offenses. Evidence for a superior conformity of self-bias? Accident Analysis & Prevention, 23(6), 493-508.

Bathurst, J., & Walton, D. (1998). An Exploration of the Perceptions of the Average Driver’s Speed Compared to Perceived Driver Safety and Driving Skill. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 30, 821-830.

It seems like counting people who consider themselves above average only in "certain ways" in that statistic kind of makes it worthless. While I have no idea what the actual percentage would be, it seems quite possible for the majority of a population to be above average in at least one aspect of a complex task. Say you have a task that can be divided into parts A, B, and C. If 30% of the population are really good at A (but poor at B and/or C), 30% are really good at B (but poor at A and/or C), and 30% are really good at C (but poor at A and/or B), then you could legitimately have 90% of the population who are above average "in certain ways," even if those 90% are lousy at the overall, combined task. Consistently appropriate use of your headlights doesn't make you an above average driver overall, but it might legitimately make you above average in safe headlight operation. Lumping the two statistics together (above average driver overall vs. above average driver in "certain ways" seems absurd).

I was trying to be succint while not implying that all the research actually asked about overall driving skill. Different studies ask different questions. The overall trend is that people rate themselves above average on any driving skill they're asked to rate, whether it's headlight use, adherence to the speed limit, or whatever -- not only general ability.

I'm a little late chiming in here, but thanks. You are THE WOMAN. There is some really interesting stuff here.

[Iris]

Before, as recommended by my dentist.

Funny, because my answer was going to be "After, as recommended by my dentist". It wasn't my dentist though, but my periodontist, so maybe one is better for teeth and the other better for gums (?)

[Tea Drinker]

After, and I took that for granted until two minutes ago. But now that I think about it, the reasoning seems to have nothing to do with what would work best. It's just that people say "brush and floss your teeth," which implies that brushing goes first.

And does anyone here put on their shoes and socks in that order? 

Yes, I was mostly noticing that my "reasoning" wasn't.