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Long held misconceptions

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  • MedopineMedopine __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2009
    in elementary school some high school kids came in to teach us about science or something

    and they said "you know if you fill a pot with cold water it will boil faster than if you fill it with hot! it's just like when you come in from playing in the snow and you feel really hot when you get in the house!"

    now that makes absolutely no sense right, I think they were just fucking with us

    to this day I will sometimes turn on the cold water instead of the hot when I go to fill up a pot to boil water...

    Medopine on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Medopine wrote: »
    in elementary school some high school kids came in to teach us about science or something

    and they said "you know if you fill a pot with cold water it will boil faster than if you fill it with hot! it's just like when you come in from playing in the snow and you feel really hot when you get in the house!"

    now that makes absolutely no sense right, I think they were just fucking with us

    to this day I will sometimes turn on the cold water instead of the hot when I go to fill up a pot to boil water...

    I think I remember hearing about that on Bill Nye... damned if I can remember the reasoning though.

    KalTorak on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Couscous on
  • MedopineMedopine __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2009
    interesting. not sure it works the other way though

    Medopine on
  • Suicide SlydeSuicide Slyde Haunts your dreams of mountains sunk below the seaRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    to be honest, I thought the reasoning behind it was that cold water contained fewer impurities than warm water, but as I type this I don't know how that makes any sense either.

    Suicide Slyde on
  • NeadenNeaden Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    to be honest, I thought the reasoning behind it was that cold water contained fewer impurities than warm water, but as I type this I don't know how that makes any sense either.

    Hot water sits in the water heater for awhile. I always heard that you were not supposed to drink hot water from the tap but that may have had to do more with my specific water heater.

    Neaden on
  • CervetusCervetus Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    We have an insta-hot tap (190 degrees F) and I can tell you that it boils a lot faster than water from the normal tap.

    Cervetus on
  • AsiinaAsiina ... WaterlooRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I will also fill a pot with cold water. I will also put a bottle of hot water in the freezer. I believed this was the thing to do because when the zamboni came out to clear the ice it would put down hot water (it'd always steam up) and I either believed or was told that hot water froze faster than cold water.

    The pot of cold water is generally a good idea though while cooking. You want to start with cold water so it takes longer to boil. It depends what you're cooking, but it's generally a better idea to start with cold water.

    Asiina on
  • MedopineMedopine __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2009
    Asiina wrote: »
    I will also fill a pot with cold water. I will also put a bottle of hot water in the freezer. I believed this was the thing to do because when the zamboni came out to clear the ice it would put down hot water (it'd always steam up) and I either believed or was told that hot water froze faster than cold water.

    The pot of cold water is generally a good idea though while cooking. You want to start with cold water so it takes longer to boil. It depends what you're cooking, but it's generally a better idea to start with cold water.

    why do you want it to take longer to boil?

    Medopine on
  • CokebotleCokebotle 穴掘りの 電車内Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I think I did some thermodynamics stuff in college on cold water vs hot water. Something like the amount of energy to raise 1 mL of water by 1 *C is much lower than the energy of trying to raise the temperature of 1 mL of warm/hot water 1 *C.

    Can't remember much else though... And I could be wrong. *shrug*

    Cokebotle on
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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Asiina wrote: »
    I will also fill a pot with cold water. I will also put a bottle of hot water in the freezer. I believed this was the thing to do because when the zamboni came out to clear the ice it would put down hot water (it'd always steam up) and I either believed or was told that hot water froze faster than cold water.

    The pot of cold water is generally a good idea though while cooking. You want to start with cold water so it takes longer to boil. It depends what you're cooking, but it's generally a better idea to start with cold water.

    I thought the hot Zamboni water was so that the heat would melt the hard edges and sharp parts, and everything would freeze smoother.

    KalTorak on
  • AsiinaAsiina ... WaterlooRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    If you're timing. Eggs and pasta especially.

    Better to start at a consistent temperature. I don't know about your house, but hot water can either be scalding or just warm depending on a variety of factors, but cold tends to be the same cold no matter what.

    Asiina on
  • AsiinaAsiina ... WaterlooRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    KalTorak wrote: »
    Asiina wrote: »
    I will also fill a pot with cold water. I will also put a bottle of hot water in the freezer. I believed this was the thing to do because when the zamboni came out to clear the ice it would put down hot water (it'd always steam up) and I either believed or was told that hot water froze faster than cold water.

    The pot of cold water is generally a good idea though while cooking. You want to start with cold water so it takes longer to boil. It depends what you're cooking, but it's generally a better idea to start with cold water.

    I thought the hot Zamboni water was so that the heat would melt the hard edges and sharp parts, and everything would freeze smoother.

    Indeed it is, but that's what I believed when I was younger and it stuck with me.

    Asiina on
  • TamTam Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    KalTorak wrote: »
    Xaev wrote: »
    Daxon wrote: »
    KalTorak wrote: »
    Nobody says "warrick," you freak.

    It's War-wick. Warwick, Rhode Island.

    I was talking about the original Warwick, in England.

    Yea, you freak, who gives about some silly America-Copy town.

    New York is so much better than plain old York.
    Pfft, they only changed it because "New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam" took too long to say.

    Why they changed it, I can't say,
    People just liked it better that wayyyyyyy...:whistle:

    <3<3<3

    Tam on
  • CervetusCervetus Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Asiina wrote: »
    If you're timing. Eggs and pasta especially.

    Better to start at a consistent temperature. I don't know about your house, but hot water can either be scalding or just warm depending on a variety of factors, but cold tends to be the same cold no matter what.

    Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I only put eggs and pasta in the water once it's already hot enough for cooking.

    Cervetus on
  • MidshipmanMidshipman Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Cokebotle wrote: »
    I think I did some thermodynamics stuff in college on cold water vs hot water. Something like the amount of energy to raise 1 mL of water by 1 *C is much lower than the energy of trying to raise the temperature of 1 mL of warm/hot water 1 *C.

    Can't remember much else though... And I could be wrong. *shrug*

    It takes the same amount of energy to raise water from 1 to 2 Celsius as it does to raise water from 98-99 Celsius (at sea level).

    Midshipman on
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  • ArkanArkan Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I used to think "Errand" was spelled "Aren" because of how my parents pronounced it. It took me years of reading the actual correct spelling and knowing the definition before I made the connection.

    "Man, why are there two words that sound alike that mean the same th- wait a second..."

    Arkan on
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  • Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Arkan wrote: »
    I used to think "Errand" was spelled "Aren" because of how my parents pronounced it. It took me years of reading the actual correct spelling and knowing the definition before I made the connection.

    "Man, why are there two words that sound alike that mean the same th- wait a second..."
    That happened to me, except with "camaraderie". I thought it was spelled "comradery", which would make vast amounts of more sense.

    Hi I'm Vee! on
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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Arkan wrote: »
    I used to think "Errand" was spelled "Aren" because of how my parents pronounced it. It took me years of reading the actual correct spelling and knowing the definition before I made the connection.

    "Man, why are there two words that sound alike that mean the same th- wait a second..."
    That happened to me, except with "camaraderie". I thought it was spelled "comradery", which would make vast amounts of more sense.

    I thought the same thing. I think the first time I heard it was in Baldur's Gate, one of Minsc's little random soundbytes.

    KalTorak on
  • matthias00matthias00 Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Waaaaaaaaaay back around 1st or 2nd grade, I remember being at my grandparents' house and playing the original Oregon Trail. At some point, I name one of my people "Matt", but I'm confused when the first person I meet (General store guy) is also named Matt. I figure I must have accidentally named him Matt at some point without realizing it.

    Then, the next time I play, his name is Matt again. Somewhat worried, I figure I named him last time and now that was his name forever, and I hoped my grandparents didn't mind that I named the general store owner myself.

    A few years later, I start playing Oregon Trail at school.

    I am filled with horror when I see that I have somehow named every general store owner on every computer ever, all the result of some mistake I made years ago in my Grandparents' house. I worry that people will get angry at my name selection, and I wonder how I could possibly have done it, considering my grandparents didn't have the internet at that time.

    It took me years after that to figure out that the dude just started out named Matt, and my guy's name also being Matt was just a coincidence.

    matthias00 on
  • cooljammer00cooljammer00 Hey Small Christmas-Man!Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    That whole thing about accents...You pronounce it in some local dialect, and yet I'M the one that looks dumb when I read it as it is spelled.

    cooljammer00 on
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  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Cervetus wrote: »
    Asiina wrote: »
    If you're timing. Eggs and pasta especially.

    Better to start at a consistent temperature. I don't know about your house, but hot water can either be scalding or just warm depending on a variety of factors, but cold tends to be the same cold no matter what.

    Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I only put eggs and pasta in the water once it's already hot enough for cooking.

    For pasta, boil the water and THEN add the pasta.

    For hard-boiled eggs, start the eggs in cold water, then boil it, turn off the heat, cover it and wait 15-20 min.

    Hot water definitely boils faster than cold.

    tsmvengy on
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  • DaxonDaxon Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Cervetus wrote: »
    Asiina wrote: »
    If you're timing. Eggs and pasta especially.

    Better to start at a consistent temperature. I don't know about your house, but hot water can either be scalding or just warm depending on a variety of factors, but cold tends to be the same cold no matter what.

    Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I only put eggs and pasta in the water once it's already hot enough for cooking.

    For pasta, boil the water and THEN add the pasta.

    For hard-boiled eggs, start the eggs in cold water, then boil it, turn off the heat, cover it and wait 15-20 min.

    Hot water definitely boils faster than cold.

    I boil eggs in hot water for about 8 minutes instead... Differences I guess.

    Daxon on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Daxon wrote: »
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Cervetus wrote: »
    Asiina wrote: »
    If you're timing. Eggs and pasta especially.

    Better to start at a consistent temperature. I don't know about your house, but hot water can either be scalding or just warm depending on a variety of factors, but cold tends to be the same cold no matter what.

    Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I only put eggs and pasta in the water once it's already hot enough for cooking.

    For pasta, boil the water and THEN add the pasta.

    For hard-boiled eggs, start the eggs in cold water, then boil it, turn off the heat, cover it and wait 15-20 min.

    Hot water definitely boils faster than cold.

    I boil eggs in hot water for about 8 minutes instead... Differences I guess.

    I've tried both methods - generally it seems like the fast boiling will make the yolk that hard, pale yellow/brownish color, while the boil-then-turn-off-and-wait method keeps the yolk bright yellow.

    KalTorak on
  • DaxonDaxon Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    KalTorak wrote: »
    Daxon wrote: »
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Cervetus wrote: »
    Asiina wrote: »
    If you're timing. Eggs and pasta especially.

    Better to start at a consistent temperature. I don't know about your house, but hot water can either be scalding or just warm depending on a variety of factors, but cold tends to be the same cold no matter what.

    Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I only put eggs and pasta in the water once it's already hot enough for cooking.

    For pasta, boil the water and THEN add the pasta.

    For hard-boiled eggs, start the eggs in cold water, then boil it, turn off the heat, cover it and wait 15-20 min.

    Hot water definitely boils faster than cold.

    I boil eggs in hot water for about 8 minutes instead... Differences I guess.

    I've tried both methods - generally it seems like the fast boiling will make the yolk that hard, pale yellow/brownish color, while the boil-then-turn-off-and-wait method keeps the yolk bright yellow.

    Never had trouble with that... maybe you just have bad eggs?

    Daxon on
  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Daxon wrote: »
    KalTorak wrote: »
    Daxon wrote: »
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Cervetus wrote: »
    Asiina wrote: »
    If you're timing. Eggs and pasta especially.

    Better to start at a consistent temperature. I don't know about your house, but hot water can either be scalding or just warm depending on a variety of factors, but cold tends to be the same cold no matter what.

    Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I only put eggs and pasta in the water once it's already hot enough for cooking.

    For pasta, boil the water and THEN add the pasta.

    For hard-boiled eggs, start the eggs in cold water, then boil it, turn off the heat, cover it and wait 15-20 min.

    Hot water definitely boils faster than cold.

    I boil eggs in hot water for about 8 minutes instead... Differences I guess.

    I've tried both methods - generally it seems like the fast boiling will make the yolk that hard, pale yellow/brownish color, while the boil-then-turn-off-and-wait method keeps the yolk bright yellow.

    Never had trouble with that... maybe you just have bad eggs?

    His description is pretty much exactly what the Joy of Cooking says about the two methods (color difference). The cold water also helps keep the eggs from cracking, since they are heated more slowly.

    tsmvengy on
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  • DaxonDaxon Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Daxon wrote: »
    KalTorak wrote: »
    Daxon wrote: »
    tsmvengy wrote: »
    Cervetus wrote: »
    Asiina wrote: »
    If you're timing. Eggs and pasta especially.

    Better to start at a consistent temperature. I don't know about your house, but hot water can either be scalding or just warm depending on a variety of factors, but cold tends to be the same cold no matter what.

    Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I only put eggs and pasta in the water once it's already hot enough for cooking.

    For pasta, boil the water and THEN add the pasta.

    For hard-boiled eggs, start the eggs in cold water, then boil it, turn off the heat, cover it and wait 15-20 min.

    Hot water definitely boils faster than cold.

    I boil eggs in hot water for about 8 minutes instead... Differences I guess.

    I've tried both methods - generally it seems like the fast boiling will make the yolk that hard, pale yellow/brownish color, while the boil-then-turn-off-and-wait method keeps the yolk bright yellow.

    Never had trouble with that... maybe you just have bad eggs?

    His description is pretty much exactly what the Joy of Cooking says about the two methods (color difference). The cold water also helps keep the eggs from cracking, since they are heated more slowly.

    Do you guys use one of those little pin thingies to make a whole in the egg's shell first? I always do that and have never managed to crack an egg. Like even at 10+ minutes, though the egg was disgustingly hardboiled instead..

    Daxon on
  • SimpsoniaSimpsonia Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Also with the previous method if you shorten the wait time after you turn off the flame you can get the yoke to a desired degree of doneness from soft boiled to hard boiled. I prefer to shorten the time so that the yokes are sort of a jelly-like consistency, makes my egg salads much more delicious.

    Simpsonia on
  • DaxonDaxon Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    God, too much fucking hassle to boil a fucking egg. In water, turn on stove, come back in a bit. Eat.

    Daxon on
  • Cyd CycloneCyd Cyclone Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Daxon wrote: »
    God, too much fucking hassle to boil a fucking egg. In water, turn on stove, come back in a bit. Eat.

    This is a general misconception for all cooking or baking adventures. Cooking things isn't a hassle, it's fun, and potentially very satisfying.

    Cyd Cyclone on
  • InquisitorInquisitor Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I though fazed in the sentence "That did not faze me" was spelled phase. Apparently Mark Twain also made this mistake, so I feel a little better about myself, but still.

    Inquisitor on
  • DaxonDaxon Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Daxon wrote: »
    God, too much fucking hassle to boil a fucking egg. In water, turn on stove, come back in a bit. Eat.

    This is a general misconception for all cooking or baking adventures. Cooking things isn't a hassle, it's fun, and potentially very satisfying.

    Sure, but cooking really BASIC things isn't really an adventure. At all.

    Daxon on
  • Cyd CycloneCyd Cyclone Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Daxon wrote: »
    Daxon wrote: »
    God, too much fucking hassle to boil a fucking egg. In water, turn on stove, come back in a bit. Eat.

    This is a general misconception for all cooking or baking adventures. Cooking things isn't a hassle, it's fun, and potentially very satisfying.

    Sure, but cooking really BASIC things isn't really an adventure. At all.

    Deviled or poached eggs can be a very fun adventure. Breadmaking, arguably a most simple baking recipe, can have a million things go wrong that makes each loaf a totally different experience.

    Cyd Cyclone on
  • ScalfinScalfin __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2009
    Daxon wrote: »
    Daxon wrote: »
    God, too much fucking hassle to boil a fucking egg. In water, turn on stove, come back in a bit. Eat.

    This is a general misconception for all cooking or baking adventures. Cooking things isn't a hassle, it's fun, and potentially very satisfying.

    Sure, but cooking really BASIC things isn't really an adventure. At all.

    Deviled or poached eggs can be a very fun adventure. Breadmaking, arguably a most simple baking recipe, can have a million things go wrong that makes each loaf a totally different experience.

    Like treks across New Jersey!

    Scalfin on
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  • Gabriel_PittGabriel_Pitt (effective against Russian warships) Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Daxon wrote: »
    God, too much fucking hassle to boil a fucking egg. In water, turn on stove, come back in a bit. Eat.
    I at least use my watch so that I know nine minutes after the water starts boiling, the egg will be in the 'delicious to eat' state of being.

    Gabriel_Pitt on
  • DaxonDaxon Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Daxon wrote: »
    Daxon wrote: »
    God, too much fucking hassle to boil a fucking egg. In water, turn on stove, come back in a bit. Eat.

    This is a general misconception for all cooking or baking adventures. Cooking things isn't a hassle, it's fun, and potentially very satisfying.

    Sure, but cooking really BASIC things isn't really an adventure. At all.

    Deviled or poached eggs can be a very fun adventure. Breadmaking, arguably a most simple baking recipe, can have a million things go wrong that makes each loaf a totally different experience.

    But we're not talking about that are we? We're talking about cooking a fucking egg. It's only slightly higher on the complexity scale than "boiling water".

    @Gabriel: well yeah, obviously I keep track of the time as well. Though I set the delicious level at 8 minutes as opposed to 9 :P

    Daxon on
  • XaevXaev Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I just remembered a misconception - I used to think that large bodies of water were blue because they reflected the sky.

    Xaev on
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  • MetroidZoidMetroidZoid Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    All the talk about town names makes me want to start a petition to rename New York to "New and Improved York"

    Also "As Seen on TV New Jersey"

    MetroidZoid on
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  • DaxonDaxon Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Nah, American towns should totally take up fantasy-like names instead of rehashing all the old European ones. Like, New York should definitely be renamed to something in the style of Auroroth. It'll be brilliant! I swear!

    Daxon on
  • ScooterScooter Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    There was a guy a while back who wanted NYC to become it's own state.

    The name of the state would be "Gotham".

    I woulda voted for it.

    Scooter on
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