Interesting Wikipedia articles for killing time and expanding your mind!! - Page 141 - Other Topics Forum - Discuss Pop Culture, Arts and Entertainment

I saw a TV show on this giant artificial lightning generator in Russia, there doesn't seem to be a wiki entry. One of the craziest looking things I've ever seen. https://www.rt.com/news/170704-tesla...htning-russia/

Quote:

The facility is absolutely unique; nothing like it exists anywhere in the world, primarily because of its outstanding charge capacity. At its peak operating capacity the giant Marx generator, when lightning is discharged onto an isolated platform, has power equal to all power generation facilities in Russia – including thermoelectric, hydroelectric, nuclear, solar, and wind power stations combined. But only for about 100 microseconds, Rossiya-1 TV reported.

rt.com doesn't go into it. But in the show they said the Russians hoped it could zap a missile before it could detonate. Which doesn't really make a lot of sense now that I think about it - because don't they detonate nukes well above ground?

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08-07-2017 , 09:00 PM

#3502

ChrisV

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 40,336

Yeah. Even the Hiroshima and Nagasaki weapons were detonated like 2000 feet off the ground. Modern weapons much higher (6,500 feet or more). Seems like nonsense that that's what it was for.

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08-07-2017 , 11:54 PM

#3503

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 99,984

Well one of the things was trying to create an EMP that would knock out the missile's guidance or something. That could work.

But the lightning thing is just ****ing cool. Like - let's create artificial lightning then see if it has any military applications. I've seen a giant tesla coil at Burning Man that was 1/100th the size of that thing and it was incredible to be around (the shrooms hadn't even kicked in yet). You can feel the air ionizing.

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08-08-2017 , 06:28 AM

#3504

RichGangi

Laughable false & highly douchey

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 9,546

Seems like something Tesla would've created. Very cool.

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08-08-2017 , 01:29 PM

#3505

GMLAW

veteran

Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 2,642

Quote:

Las Salinas is notable for having a number of children in the village with a rare 5-alpha-reductase deficiency. Although having a Y-chromosome and male internal organs, at birth they tend to appear externally female and are raised as girls. Around puberty, the onset of male hormones causes virilization and their actual sex becomes apparent. At this point, they switch genders and are raised as boys. This is a common enough occurrence that it does not cause much concern among the townspeople, who are accustomed to it. These boys are called "guevedoces" from a combined slang form meaning "eggs (testes) at twelve".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Salinas

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08-10-2017 , 08:31 AM

#3506

Europa

adept

Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 727

https://www.google.de/amp/s/mobile.n...urder.amp.html

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08-10-2017 , 08:55 AM

#3507

the orange crush

adept

Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 997

Quote:

Originally Posted by Europa

https://www.google.de/amp/s/mobile.n...urder.amp.html

wikipedia and sample paragraphs imo

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08-10-2017 , 12:02 PM

#3508

W0X0F

sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight

Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5,830

I second that. I'm too lazy to click on bare links. Entice me.

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08-10-2017 , 12:10 PM

#3509

Europa

adept

Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 727

Apologies; I meant to quote Suzzer's recent post about the Jarawas people but seems the quote got lost.
The link is a New York Times story about them killing an, ahem, half-blood baby as it's their custom as well as their general situation and so on, thought it was interesting further reading after the wiki article.

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08-10-2017 , 12:58 PM

#3510

robert_utk

Not From the UK

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,822

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudgeHoldem

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phanto...ation_syndrome

This happens to me several times a week, in the exact spot I carry my cell phone.

At least I now know others share in this weirdness...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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08-11-2017 , 02:48 PM

#3511

the orange crush

adept

Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 997

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagal_dune_field

very interesting and suspicious formations of sand on Mars

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08-11-2017 , 02:53 PM

#3512

robert_utk

Not From the UK

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,822

Quote:

Originally Posted by the orange crush

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagal_dune_field

very interesting and suspicious formations of sand on Mars

Reminiscent of the "moving rocks" in the desert. On a planet with almost not atmosphere and absent of the normal wear and tear of weather, some real weird looking dunes are bound to happen. Either that, or its the written secret code history of the martian civilization.

Interesting Wikipedia articles for killing time and expanding your mind!!

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08-12-2017 , 02:01 AM

#3513

EADGBE

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Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 15,841

2010 Toyota recalls for sudden uncontrollable acceleration cases:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009%E...ehicle_recalls

Cliffs: A lot of people apparently pushed down on the accelerator thinking it was the brake, panicked because the car wouldn't slow down, pressed down harder to compensate and kept it floored until the car crashed/they were killed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiki

On March 10, 2010, the New York Times ran a piece by Richard Schmidt, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at University of California Los Angeles and sudden acceleration researcher, suspecting driver error as the primary cause of unexplained Toyota sudden acceleration reports.[224] Schmidt pointed to several factors that make driver error more likely: elderly driver age, lack of experience with the car, and short stature.[224] In addition, unexplained sudden acceleration events were most frequently reported as occurring from low speed or fully stopped.[224] Typically, the driver was intending to press the brake, and did not consciously confuse the pedals; however, because of advanced age and neuromuscular irregularities, short stature and difficulty reaching the pedals, a slight misalignment in seating position, or unfamiliarity with the car model, the driver's foot contacted the accelerator by mistake.[224] The resulting unexpected sudden acceleration would lead to panic, with the driver thinking that the acceleration system had failed.[224] The immediate response would be to brake hard, but not knowing that their foot was on the accelerator, pressing down caused greater acceleration.[224] In such panic situations, the driver would think that the brakes were not responding, and continue pressing on the accelerator pedal until they crashed.[224] Switching to neutral or turning off the ignition was typically not contemplated.[224] Incidents occurred exclusively in automatic transmission-equipped cars [224] with driver complaints involving rental cars being far more frequent. All factors point to reduced driver familiarity and sophistication.

Also, even if your accelerator somehow IS stuck, actually slamming on the brakes will still stop your car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiki

On whether braking alone may fail to stop affected vehicles, a driver account in the Los Angeles Times claimed that the attempt to stop a 2005 Camry was unsuccessful with both the brake and emergency brake.[82] However, tests of the Camry by Car and Driver in 2009, attempting to use the brakes to stop acceleration of a purposely stuck throttle at 70, 100, and 120 mph, found that the test driver was able to reduce speed to 10 mph in all instances, and in the 70 and 100 mph tests, stop the car completely.[83][84] The Camry's braking distances with a purposely stuck accelerator were also shorter than that of the Ford Taurus' regular stopping distance.[83] Car and Driver concluded that, based on their emergency stopping tests, the Camry's brakes could overcome the accelerator in all cases even without a brake override, and that stopping distances with a wide-open throttle were largely indiscernible from regular braking.[83]
In 2010, Edmunds.com also tested the stopping distances of a Toyota Camry SE V6 with a purposely stuck wide-open throttle. Their tests found that the car's brakes could override a stuck accelerator and bring the car to a stop. Although the transmission downshifted and the engine continued to propel the car, stopping distance compared "favorably to a normal panic stop on wet asphalt."[85] Edmunds.com did note that switching to neutral was the best option, given that average drivers may not press the brakes as firmly, and lighter presses will simply wear the brakes down.[85] The German Commission on Technical Compliance (TÜV) of Rheinland also tested the stopping distance of Toyota iQ, Aygo, Yaris, Auris, Verso, Avensis and RAV4 models.[86] With the accelerator purposely jammed to 80% of maximum speed, each vehicle was able to brake safely to a halt.[86] The TÜV findings indicated that each model met the legal requirements for deceleration and stopping distances, and that all Toyota models tested had brakes which could override a stuck accelerator.[86]

Blows the mind what panic will do to someone.

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08-12-2017 , 02:44 AM

#3514

Bluegrassplayer

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Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 38,703

Quote:

The Camry's braking distances with a purposely stuck accelerator were also shorter than that of the Ford Taurus' regular stopping distance.

lolwat

I wonder why no tests were done with the accelerator at 100% though.

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08-12-2017 , 03:30 AM

#3515

kokiri

ffermwr moch

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 52,227

P j O Rouke has a good chapter about an incident like that (must be different because I read it in the early 00s).

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08-12-2017 , 07:49 PM

#3516

Onitsuka

adept

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 742

Malcolm Gladwell also did a podcast about it in season 1 of Revisionist History

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08-13-2017 , 09:51 AM

#3517

BigSoonerFan

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Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 11,214

Why would this only occur with Toyotas?

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08-13-2017 , 07:58 PM

#3518

daveT

S.A.G.E. Master

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 23,955

I remember when all of that went down. I'm not sure why it only happened with Toyota, but I suspect that one reason would be a slightly altered feel to the break / accelerator, or a massive social thing where people who owned a Toyota started to do the same thing.

I also recall this one, which happened during that time:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/busines...o-stop/1078579

The short story is that a Toyota Prius sped to 94 mph and was unable to stop. The driver claimed that he was pushing the break to the maximum. Via heroic maneuvers from the Highway Patrol, the car was brought to a stop and everyone was safe.

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08-13-2017 , 08:13 PM

#3519

ChrisV

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 40,336

It requires a critical mass of people before the delusion takes hold. One reason it's Toyota and not like BMW is that Toyota is the best selling car brand in the US.

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08-14-2017 , 03:51 AM

#3520

daveT

S.A.G.E. Master

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 23,955

Can you also explain why BMW is only bought by a-holes? (j/k, sort of)

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08-14-2017 , 04:50 AM

#3521

Yakmelk

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Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 14,109

Because we like to judge rich people out of jealousy and pretend like they are all a-holes (j/k, sort of)

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08-16-2017 , 05:07 PM

#3522

jalfrezi

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 12,351

But we don't make the same jokes about Audi owners.

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08-16-2017 , 05:32 PM

#3523

wannabealive

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2,216

Well we should!

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08-16-2017 , 07:02 PM

#3524

daveT

S.A.G.E. Master

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 23,955

I almost got completely creamed by a guy in a Rolls Royce while I was in Miami. I was hit, cut off, nearly squashed a few hundred times by every car brand one could imagine while in that city. This guy was the only one who got out of his car and showed grave concern over the situation, apologizing over and over although it was my fault.

Audi and Mercedes drivers seem like nice drivers.