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Interesting Stuff Thread

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  • Options
    #5132
    postitnote
    Registered Users Posts: 413 ✭✭postitnote


    And generally only to about 3 cities in America at that.


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    #5133
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,560 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    postitnote wrote: »
    And generally only to about 3 cities in America at that.
    I find it reassuring that in those movies where aliens attack continents and you see major capital cities, you never see Dublin. We are neutral, they must have read the memo. Similar for asteroid inflicted tidal waves.


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    #5134
    Sulla Felix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,442 ✭✭✭Sulla Felix


    CramCycle wrote: »
    I find it reassuring that in those movies where aliens attack continents and you see major capital cities, you never see Dublin. We are neutral, they must have read the memo. Similar for asteroid inflicted tidal waves.

    We got fairly fscked in Day After Tomorrow from the looks of some of the leo shots. :p


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    #5135
    Hotblack Desiato
    Registered Users Posts: 34,258 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    We did grand in 'The Day After'. Shannon Airport got H-bombed (due to high charges and inflexible workforce no doubt) but the rest of the country was probably OK :p The Whestern Rhail Chorridor was saved.

    Fingal County Council are certainly not competent to be making decisions about the most important piece of infrastructure on the island. They need to stick to badly designed cycle lanes and deciding on whether Mrs Murphy can have her kitchen extension.



  • Options
    #5136
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,560 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Sulla Felix wrote: »
    We got fairly fscked in Day After Tomorrow from the looks of some of the leo shots. :p

    Was that the one where the world flooded, and we all dug holes in the bog to survive?


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    #5137
    Sulla Felix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,442 ✭✭✭Sulla Felix


    CramCycle wrote: »
    Was that the one where the world flooded, and we all dug holes in the bog to survive?

    No, it was space cyclones and the US emmigrating to Mexico.


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    #5138
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,560 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Sulla Felix wrote: »
    No, it was space cyclones and the US emmigrating to Mexico.

    Ah, now I remember, it was 2012 or something where we dug holes in the bog to live


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    #5139
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,252 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    CramCycle wrote: »
    Ah, now I remember, it was 2012 or something where we dug holes in the bog to live

    I dug mine in 2008. You can't be too prepared!


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    #5140
    Brian Shanahan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,232 ✭✭✭Brian Shanahan


    CramCycle wrote: »
    Ah, now I remember, it was 2012 or something where we dug holes in the bog to live
    Sulla Felix wrote: »
    No, it was space cyclones and the US emmigrating to Mexico.

    So many Roland Emmerich movies, so little time in which to avoid watching them.

    Aah, bliss is wonderful.


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    #5141
    Turtwig
    Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    Correlation doesn't imply causation. Some people apparently struggle to grasp that simple statement so here is a website with a program dedicated to finding spurious correlations.

    http://www.tylervigen.com/

    Some of my favs:
    xqOt9mP.png

    OfQYQW8.png

    PRJk5Ql.png


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    #5142
    Bellatori
    Registered Users Posts: 276 ✭✭Bellatori


    My favourite one for spurious correlation that I use in teaching is death by drowning on a hot day and ice cream sales.


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    #5143
    MrPudding
    Registered Users Posts: 9,788 ✭✭✭MrPudding


    Bellatori wrote: »
    My favourite one for spurious correlation that I use in teaching is death by drowning on a hot day and ice cream sales.
    But how can you be ure the people are not drowning on melted icecream? You can answer that.

    MrP


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    #5144
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,252 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    MrPudding wrote: »
    But how can you be ure the people are not drowning on melted icecream? You can answer that.

    MrP

    Because melted ice cream in the quantity required to drown that many people would act as a non Newtonian fluid. Once that many people were flapping about in it, it would take on the properties of a rubbery solid, they'd all bounce around quite happily, and everybody would be safe.

    Prove me wrong. I really want to see that YouTube clip!

    :pac:


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    #5145
    Sulla Felix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,442 ✭✭✭Sulla Felix


    endacl wrote: »
    Because melted ice cream in the quantity required to drown that many people would act as a non Newtonian fluid. Once that many people were flapping about in it, it would take on the properties of a rubbery solid, they'd all bounce around quite happily, and everybody would be safe.

    Prove me wrong. I really want to see that YouTube clip!

    :pac:

    Isn't quicksand a non-newtonian fluid? You're trying to kill him!


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    #5146
    Brian Shanahan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,232 ✭✭✭Brian Shanahan


    Sulla Felix wrote: »
    Isn't quicksand a non-newtonian fluid? You're trying to kill him!

    I'm pretty sure the Mythbusters proved that you can't actually drown in quicksand.


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    #5147
    redfacedbear
    Registered Users Posts: 891 ✭✭✭redfacedbear


    800 people died by becoming tangled in their bedsheets in 2008 :eek:

    Who knew going to bed could be so dangerous? Well that's not the danger I would have thought about if asked about risks in the bedroom!


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    #5148
    postitnote
    Registered Users Posts: 413 ✭✭postitnote


    Perhaps 'tangled in the bedsheets' might be to the coroner's reporting of a mastychoke taken too far.

    Y'know, save the family some embarrassment.


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    #5149
    Brian Shanahan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,232 ✭✭✭Brian Shanahan


    redfacedbear wrote: »
    800 people died by becoming tangled in their bedsheets in 2008 :eek:

    Who knew going to bed could be so dangerous? Well that's not the danger I would have thought about if asked about risks in the bedroom!

    The inventor of leaded petrol died via a contraption he built to get him out of bed.


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    #5150
    Hotblack Desiato
    Registered Users Posts: 34,258 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    redfacedbear wrote: »
    800 people died by becoming tangled in their bedsheets in 2008

    inventive way of not recording a suicide as such.

    Fingal County Council are certainly not competent to be making decisions about the most important piece of infrastructure on the island. They need to stick to badly designed cycle lanes and deciding on whether Mrs Murphy can have her kitchen extension.



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    #5151
    redfacedbear
    Registered Users Posts: 891 ✭✭✭redfacedbear


    Brian Shanahan wrote: »
    The inventor of leaded petrol died via a contraption he built to get him out of bed.

    I remember him being discussed on QI - the inventor of both leaded petrol and CFC's. The collosal damage he's done to the atmosphere is astonishing.


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    #5152
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,252 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    redfacedbear wrote: »
    I remember him being discussed on QI - the inventor of both leaded petrol and CFC's. The collosal damage he's done to the atmosphere is astonishing.

    An environmental Mikhail Kalashnikov, if you will...


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    #5153
    recedite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,993 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    This might help to explain the bedsheets statistics?
    Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death, is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently well baby....vulnerability may be due to being born prematurely or to low birth weight, or other reasons not yet identified. Environmental stresses could include tobacco smoke, getting tangled in bedding, minor illness or having a breathing obstruction.
    Babies who die of SIDS are thought to have problems in the way they respond to these stresses and how they regulate their heart rate, breathing and temperature
    http://www.absolutepharmacy.co.uk/index.php?option=com_mccontent&view=nhsarticle&id=312&Itemid=481


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    #5154
    sponsoredwalk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭sponsoredwalk


    Measure for Measure: Debate of Current Theories in Quantum Mechanics

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g0aGEdcH64

    At Measure for Measure, physicist and World Science Festival co-founder Brian Greene moderates a debate of the current theories of quantum physics. David Z. Albert, Sean Carroll, Sheldon Goldstein, and Ruedlger Schack join the conversation and explain the different approaches to understanding quantum mechanics.

    Full thing: http://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2014/05/29/quantum-mechanics-smackdown/


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    #5155
    8mv
    Registered Users Posts: 398 ✭✭8mv


    redfacedbear wrote: »
    I remember him being discussed on QI - the inventor of both leaded petrol and CFC's. The collosal damage he's done to the atmosphere is astonishing.
    endacl wrote: »
    An environmental Mikhail Kalashnikov, if you will...

    He is also acknowledged in one of Bill Bryson's science books ( can't remember if it's A Short History... or At Home) as the single most destructive human ever.


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    #5156
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    8mv wrote: »
    He is also acknowledged in one of Bill Bryson's science books ( can't remember if it's A Short History... or At Home) as the single most destructive human ever.

    I always feel sorry for the guy, he just wanted to help.


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    #5157
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,470 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    8mv wrote: »
    He is also acknowledged in one of Bill Bryson's science books ( can't remember if it's A Short History... or At Home) as the single most destructive human ever.

    Brief history I believe, its not At Home anyway as I've listened to the Audiobook during the past two days


  • Options
    #5158
    freyners
    Registered Users Posts: 4,300 ✭✭✭freyners


    8mv wrote: »
    He is also acknowledged in one of Bill Bryson's science books ( can't remember if it's A Short History... or At Home) as the single most destructive human ever.

    Havent read at home but I remember that line and I've read a short history


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    #5159
    Sulla Felix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,442 ✭✭✭Sulla Felix


    It's a Brief History, the audiobook is semi-permanently on my sansa. :o


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    #5160
    James74
    Registered Users Posts: 960 ✭✭✭James74


    This was the first audiobook I ever listened to. William Roberts does a brilliant job narrating, I was so disappointed when I actually heard Bill Bryson read one of his other books. Has to be the dullest voice ever.


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    #5161
    Calibos
    Registered Users Posts: 7,806 ✭✭✭Calibos


    8mv wrote: »
    He is also acknowledged in one of Bill Bryson's science books ( can't remember if it's A Short History... or At Home) as the single most destructive human ever.

    I actually think it was 'Life Form' not human


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