If you read my post a month or two ago about the Hipster PDA (here) then you'll remember that I have a dedicated "inbox" card which is where all thoughts from my head or all todos go, then I later sort the things on this card to various other cards for processing.

If you didn't remember that or didn't read the post, I just told you so 😜

One of the cards I have is titled "questions". On this card I put all questions that survived the move from the inbox card. By that I mean dumb questions or questions I'm not longer interested in are simply marked out when I process that inbox card. But questions that still are both interesting and seem reasonable to me get moved to this "questions" card.

I think it's generally a good idea to maintain a curiosity about the world. It could be scientific—what is the nature of string theory and is it still considered a valid theory?—or historic—Who was the general in the battle of so and so?—or even pop culture—Who wrote the TV theme of this show I remember from my childhood?. I think all of us have these random questions throughout our days, but most of us ignore them or tell ourselves we'll look it up later and then forget. I like to write them down because I think there is some value in encouraging our mind to keep being curious.

So... I thought today we'd look at a few of the questions on my questions notecard and at some answers I've found.

1. Why did old-timey doctors wear reflectors on their foreheads?
2. What instrument makes those twinkle sounds in Back to the Future that indicate something strange or mysterious?
3. What fighting style did Zotoichi use and what is that style of sword called?

Now in the old days we could look up science questions in an encyclopedia and history questions in any of the more specific history books most libraries had, but pop culture questions were much harder to find. Ask a friend and he'd either shrug and you'd both forget it or he'd give you some BS answer à la Cliff from Cheers.

A little later and we'd use a few keywords and Google. But now we have an even better option, and that is ChatGPT.

So I did a few things here. First, I asked ChatGPT. Then I looked on Wikipedia. If I wanted more info or wanted to confirm it more, I looked elsewhere on the net. So let's look at what I found for these three questions.

Why did old-timey doctors wear reflectors on their foreheads?

ChatGPT:

The reflector you're referring to is called a head mirror, and it was used by doctors during medical examinations in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The head mirror was made of a concave mirror attached to a band that the doctor would wear around his or her forehead. When the mirror was properly adjusted, it would reflect light onto the area of the patient's body being examined. This was especially useful for examining the eyes, nose, ears, and throat. The head mirror allowed doctors to have both of their hands free to examine the patient, and it was also a cheap and effective tool at the time. The use of head mirrors declined in the mid-20th century with advances in technology and the development of more modern medical equipment.

Not much to add to that. Sounds plausible, but with ChatGPT—at least with the free slightly dumber 3.5 version—it's always good to confirm. Off to Wikipedia where I did indeed confirm what ChatGPT had told me. (Wikipedia article) Wikipedia notes that the main drawback to head mirrors was that they required skill to use well. That seems basically true of all tools to me, but there we go. It also notes that they are still sometimes used.

My stereotypical image of doctors was shaped my the Marx Brothers, I suppose.

What instrument makes those twinkle sounds in Back to the Future that indicate something strange or mysterious?

ChatGPT:

The twinkle effect that you're referring to is actually a musical cue created by Alan Silvestri, who composed the score for the Back to the Future trilogy. The cue is played on a synthesizer and consists of a descending pattern of eight notes, which give a sense of mystery and anticipation. The exact sound of the twinkle has been debated among fans but it is generally believed that it was created by a combination of bells and a synthesizer.

Again, seems reasonable. It sound kind of like bells, but a synthesizer would certainly make it much easier to do. I couldn't find any answers here even after Googling for far too long. I did, however, find some isolated recordings of it for use in making ring tones or message notification sounds. Here (1) you (2) go (3).

What fighting style did Zotoichi use and what is that style of sword called?

I should explain who Zatoichi is (or, more properly, Zatōichi with a long oh) is a popular swordsman in a long running film series and TV series. He is blind and so appears helpless, but he is actually a master swordsman and can beat anyone. He often rights wrongs, kills bad guys, saves the girl, that kind of thing. If you've never seen any of the films, you should. They are fantastic!

This one would probably be easiest to just go to the Wikipedia article for Zatoichi and read there. But I was curious how ChatGPT would answer so I tried there first.

ChatGPT:

Zatoichi, the blind swordsman from Japanese cinema, was portrayed to be a master of the Shimmeiryu style of sword fighting. Shimmeiryu is a style of Iaido, a martial art that emphasizes the drawing and sheathing of the sword, and it is known for its quick and precise movements. The Shimmeiryu style was created by Yoshio Sugino, who also served as the fight choreographer for many Zatoichi films.

As for the type of sword used in Shimmeiryu, it is called a "Shikomizue," which literally means "prepared cane" in Japanese. A shikomizue is a type of sword that is disguised as a cane or walking stick, which was useful for Zatoichi as he disguised his sword and walked around undetected. This style of sword was also used by other fictional characters in Japanese media such as Rurouni Kenshin and one of the main characters of the anime series Samurai Seven. While the shikomizue is not a traditional form of sword it has become well-known in pop media thanks to these stories.

The shikomizue, or sword cane, has been around for a long time and has a history that dates back to the samurai era in Japan. However, it was not a common form of sword and was typically only used by spies and other covert operatives who needed to conceal their weapons.

It wasn't until the 20th century, particularly through the popularity of Japanese cinema, that the shikomizue became well-known as a weapon. Zatoichi, in particular, was a crucial figure in popularizing the shikomizue sword. The sword has become a popular element in fictional narratives and action-based movies due to its unique design and the element of surprise it brings to combat scenes.

Geez, ChatGPT 3.5 is wordy, isn't it? That's one of the flaws they corrected in version 4.

I actually know some here and can confirm what it gave me is correct, I was just curious for the names as I had forgotten them. A shikomizue (仕込み杖) sword and It is a popular form of sword and fighting style in cinema, I suppose because it looks cool and adds an element of surprise when the staff is suddenly pulled apart to reveal a sword. Goemon of Lupin III (which I wrote about here) also uses these styles. .

Typically these swords had a blunt tip and the back edge was sharp, making it a bit different from a katana. Many people will hold it in a reverse grip as well, which I imagine makes it really hard for opponents to know how to counter it. According to this article a reverse grip is useful for fighting in tight spaces and close distances, things you might have to deal with in a dual as opposed to a battlefield where normal grip styles are far more practical.

Now Shimmeiryu as the name of the fighting style, I can't find anywhere. Did ChatGPT make it up? Everywhere that mentions it that I can find similar says he uses for form of Iaido. Iaido is pretty wild. I've watched these guys practice in person. They roll up tatami mats and slice them in half. That's not easy! Those things are thick. I'm told you have to hit at just the right angle or not only will it not slice thru, but it will hurt your arms and shoulders. Even more impressive, the real masters will have their sword sheathed (they might even be sitting on their knees on the ground), so they will unsheathe it and slice in an action that is so smooth it's almost unbelievable. I've seen some shows where they also resheathe it and return to the original position in the same range of motion.

It's a very very impressive art to watch. Here's a video

and another

Ok that's enough. It's exciting to watch. You can search for more if you want to see more.

Anyway, looks like either ChapGPT was making up this specific form of Iaido or my searching skills just aren't good enough to find it.

Hope you enjoyed following me alone in answering these random questions that popped into my head over the past week or two. I'd encourage you also to keep your mind curious by also writing down random questions you have and looking them up later when you have time.

Annnddd this has turned into a much longer post than I intended. Oh well, it was fun to write. If you have any thoughts, let me know in the comments.

(title graphic made from this image by Jim Semonik from Pixabay)

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David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku.