While wandering through DC...
... I came across a most remarkable water fountain.
While there's no water running in the fountain now, it clearly used to be a fountain. But what an unusual form! How fantastically decorative!
As I walked around the fountain, I finally figured out what it was, and so when I looked at the inscription below, I started laughing out loud.
Today's Challenge is based on my laughter. I did a bit of research after seeing this fountain, and the story that goes along with it (and other fountains like it) is definitely worth knowing.
So...
1. What kind of fountain is this one shown above? (Yes, I know it's a water fountain... but there's much more to the story than that.) This kind of fountain has a specific name...
2. Why did looking at the inscription (below), make me laugh out loud?
3. Here's another fountain I found in Petaluma, CA (below). It's not nearly as fancy and decorative, but it's actually very similar to the fountain above. What's the story that connects these two fountains?
4. And finally, what does this soda fountain have to do with the above water fountains? (Not this one specifically, but this category of thing.)
As always, the Challenge is partly to figure out the story here (why that story led me to connect two fountains on different sides of the country... and why it made me laugh), but also to tell us HOW you figured it out. We'd like to learn how you solve your SearchResearch Challenge!
If you happen to be at the University of Washington (Seattle) on Wednesday, February 1, I'll be giving a talk at noon: Kane Hall, room 225 with the title of Search is not yet a solved problem for systems OR searchers.
Or if you find yourself in Stillwater, OK, I'll be giving another talk on Friday, February 3 at noon, somewhere on the Oklahoma State Campus (probably the library). My talk will be The Future of Learning: How will people learn the skills they need for academe, work, and life?
If you make it to one of these talks, be sure to come up and say hi. It's always great to talk with SearchResearchers!
As always...
Search on!
... I came across a most remarkable water fountain.
While there's no water running in the fountain now, it clearly used to be a fountain. But what an unusual form! How fantastically decorative!
As I walked around the fountain, I finally figured out what it was, and so when I looked at the inscription below, I started laughing out loud.
Today's Challenge is based on my laughter. I did a bit of research after seeing this fountain, and the story that goes along with it (and other fountains like it) is definitely worth knowing.
So...
1. What kind of fountain is this one shown above? (Yes, I know it's a water fountain... but there's much more to the story than that.) This kind of fountain has a specific name...
2. Why did looking at the inscription (below), make me laugh out loud?
3. Here's another fountain I found in Petaluma, CA (below). It's not nearly as fancy and decorative, but it's actually very similar to the fountain above. What's the story that connects these two fountains?
4. And finally, what does this soda fountain have to do with the above water fountains? (Not this one specifically, but this category of thing.)
As always, the Challenge is partly to figure out the story here (why that story led me to connect two fountains on different sides of the country... and why it made me laugh), but also to tell us HOW you figured it out. We'd like to learn how you solve your SearchResearch Challenge!
Upcoming Travel & Talks
This is a bit of an odd week for me--I'm traveling a fair bit, so I'm not sure I'll have the time to get to the Answer by Wednesday. I'll post the answer on either Wednesday or Friday. And then we'll be back on a more regular schedule for the middle two weeks of February.If you happen to be at the University of Washington (Seattle) on Wednesday, February 1, I'll be giving a talk at noon: Kane Hall, room 225 with the title of Search is not yet a solved problem for systems OR searchers.
Or if you find yourself in Stillwater, OK, I'll be giving another talk on Friday, February 3 at noon, somewhere on the Oklahoma State Campus (probably the library). My talk will be The Future of Learning: How will people learn the skills they need for academe, work, and life?
If you make it to one of these talks, be sure to come up and say hi. It's always great to talk with SearchResearchers!
As always...
Search on!
