Phineaz

I feel you. I know how many hits I can get in just stabbing at unexpected moments at long range with my sword, with a spear it would be plenty easier.

Have you ever fenced against a spear?

Debatable, considering that with relativity and all one might age slower, thus pushing into a lower age braked.

Disclaimer a: Great shower thought! Disclaimer b: I am really bad a physics, make me rip if needed.

Seemingly pointless tasks such as washing sand!

Toxicologists and medical scientists looking for data on humans suddenly having to learn Japanese (or German) ...

Tough luck, this might affect his grandkid, not the kid. Epigenetic imprinting (the semi-permanent kind) is done during oogenesis, which if I am right occurs during pregnancy.

I once read a fairly interesting take on this: Historical settings are often chosen to wrap the story in a certain context in order to allow the reader to picture the style and theme without having to establish and explain a new setting first, so basically you skip on world building. If you read an analogy to Zeus you will immediately have an image in mind as well as a bunch of characteristics, no need to establish that beforehand.

Now, considering this it makes sense to choose a setting people already know - the 16th centruy Ottoman Empire is certainly interesting, but the average reader might know next to nothing about it and you have to explain everything first.

Why are these three settings used so much? Well, it's positive feedback! Literature, Theatres and Video Games will select something well known and it receives popularity. In addition, a piece of media using a less-popular setting will have to a) compete with other media to become popular and b) provide plenty of worldbuilding in order to have the setting make sense. A piece of media that both establishes a "new" setting AND is very popular is going to be rare, making the entry of a new mythology/historical setting into mainstream difficult.

Blowing into an enclosed space is chaotic, the fan has to push against air currents being deflected. Blowing into an open space (aka sucking out of you dishwasher) is much more orderly, the fan can simply pull the air out and there are much fewer air currents running orthogonal.

This is as far as my very basic knowledge goes here. You can try this effect by exhaling and inhaling air through a barely open mouth or a straw.

EDIT: On a related note, never "blow" during fellatio.

Ah, I was wondering where all the Karens went.

At my job we recently had an old device that was used to produce the sound a phone makes when the line is busy, open, etc. . It's about arm length and 20 cm thick, you can distinguish the cogs producing the phase from the signal.

I mean, yes of course I would, but solely because I somehow voted for Trump.