Interesting Wikipedia articles?

[glazbagun]

sealtt said:

Quite interesting stuff re usage in war

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

That is fascinating. Though it leaves the territory of my maths abilities fairly quickly!

[Rostfritt]

SpeckledJim said:

These people are fking bonkers. Just lunatics.

It doesn't even have to be obeying god's law that can cause some bonkers situations. Take this for example:

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

Because of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is held in some convoluted 6-way co-operative between different sects, any adjustment to the building needs to be agreed by representatives of each sect. Because of this nothing ever gets changed because any attempt becomes a riot (as in an actual brawl with men wearing traditional religious robes, seriously youtube it, it is hilarious) even over a chair being moved a bit. A workman once forgot to take his ladder away after working on a window so now it has to stay there.

It has been there for nearly 300 years.

[chryslerben]

sealtt said:

Quite interesting stuff re usage in war

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

On the subject of WW2 tanks

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart%27s_Funnies

Fascinating solutions to immovable obstacles.

[glazbagun]

I was looking for info on the use of statistics when bombing the Germans in WWII, but instead discovered the bombing of Frampol in Poland. One of the first "experimental" strategic bombings to test how effective it might be.

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

[Blown2CV]

Jakg said:

mrtwisty said:

The bizarre mental gymnastics that result in a HUGE single wire enclosure, in order to allow orthodox Jews to pick up a tissue to blow their nose on the sabbath (or God gets very cross).

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

If God were real and genuinely cared about us not picking things up on certain days, I think He might find a weird contrivance such as this to be just a little against the spirit of what he intended!

Vaguely related

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

religion is utterly fking stupid isn't it.

[0a]

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

"William Patrick "Willy" Stuart-Houston (né Hitler; 12 March 1911 – 14 July 1987) was a nephew of Adolf Hitler"

[Veeayt]

Modern flat Earth societies

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

I find the fact of this page's existence flattering

[mrtwisty]

Veeayt said:

Modern flat Earth societies

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

I find the fact of this page's existence flattering

I always assumed these were an elborate joke?

[SystemParanoia]

mrtwisty said:

Veeayt said:

Modern flat Earth societies

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

I find the fact of this page's existence flattering

I always assumed these were an elborate joke?

Like the hollow earthers lol

[Samcat]

SystemParanoia said:

mrtwisty said:

Veeayt said:

Modern flat Earth societies

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

I find the fact of this page's existence flattering

I always assumed these were an elborate joke?

Like the hollow earthers lol

Flat Earth Wiki said

'As of July 2014, over 500 people from all around the globe have become members'

The irony is strong with this lot

[Brother D]

Samcat said:

SystemParanoia said:

mrtwisty said:

Veeayt said:

Modern flat Earth societies

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

I find the fact of this page's existence flattering

I always assumed these were an elborate joke?

Like the hollow earthers lol

Flat Earth Wiki said

'As of July 2014, over 500 people from all around the globe have become members'

The irony is strong with this lot

Then you have major US celebrities endorsing the theory

http://www.iflscience.com/brain/shaquille-oneal-th...

[Blown2CV]

mrtwisty said:

Veeayt said:

Modern flat Earth societies

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

I find the fact of this page's existence flattering

I always assumed these were an elborate joke?

i don't think they are. The general premise (as kind of hinted at by a friend of mine... i think he may be a FEer) is that they have never seen proof that the earth is round. Why is the horizon straight, you can't tell it's round from photos of the earth etc etc.

[DocJock]

Ask him why, if it's flat, can't you photograph all of the continents at once, from space?

[Hugo a Gogo]

DocJock said:

Ask him why, if it's flat, can't you photograph all of the continents at once, from space?

NASA are the ones organising the whole conspiracy, obviously

but you wouldn't even need to be in space, there is no 'horizon' obviously, everything on earth can be seen from a plane, if you had a good enough telescope....

[mrtwisty]

The Harvey's Casino Extortion Plot.

I wrote a precis of this, but thought it would be better for you to find out for yourselves - fascinating stuff. Would make a brilliant film. (I would recommend reading the Damn Interesting link first).

https://www.damninteresting.com/the-zero-armed-ban...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey%27s_Resort_Ho...

[Jonnny]

That is interesting, thanks.

Good accompanying website too.

[Sway]

Very, although it does surprise me that the FBI are apparently willing to let it be known that a device given such a detailed description is still considered to be virtually impossible to defuse...

[Tiggsy]

Brother D said:

Then you have major US celebrities endorsing the theory

http://www.iflscience.com/brain/shaquille-oneal-th...

Thats an NBA gag at the moment...not what he really thinks!!!

[Jimmy Recard]

Sway said:

Very, although it does surprise me that the FBI are apparently willing to let it be known that a device given such a detailed description is still considered to be virtually impossible to defuse...

I thought that too. The description and picture is clear enough that loads of people could make one, assuming they could get hold of dynamite (I don't know how hard/easy that is)

Interesting tale. I suppose that being an act of extortion rather than terror is why it's not so infamous.

[KAgantua]

Sway said:

Very, although it does surprise me that the FBI are apparently willing to let it be known that a device given such a detailed description is still considered to be virtually impossible to defuse...

Theres a comment in the 'Damn interesting' link that says even though it was one of the biggest bomb explosions until the first WTC attacks in '95, its not really widely known.

And I think that's for a reason. No problem talking about the WTC attacks as they were volume attacks using terrorist organisations. You don't want to draw too much attention to this though, especially as they have described the bomb quite well....