Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 3]

[Chestrockwell]

Rostfritt said:

glazbagun said:

Although that's largely down to our own government, who recieved more Marshall aid than the Germans, but pissed it up the wall trying to maintain superpower status.

This I believe. Germany and Japan had huge restrictions on how big their militaries could be after the war, so could spend the money elsewhere. Hence they have high speed trains and huge motor industries and we just struggled along.

My point exactly, I knew there would be a correlation, I just didn’t know that the answer was right in front of me!

The difference wasn’t the smartest diverting their attention, it was the financial side like funding & what not.

Makes you wonder what us humans can achieve if we have world peace and use the defence budgets for other things like supersonic jets or....even space travel!

[Dr Jekyll]

Rostfritt said:

glazbagun said:

Although that's largely down to our own government, who recieved more Marshall aid than the Germans, but pissed it up the wall trying to maintain superpower status.

This I believe. Germany and Japan had huge restrictions on how big their militaries could be after the war, so could spend the money elsewhere. Hence they have high speed trains and huge motor industries and we just struggled along.

The fact that the Germans had thousands of British and American troops assisting their defence must have saved them a few marks.

Also, don't forget they had Ludwig Erhard

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

[captain_cynic]

Ayahuasca said:

captain_cynic said:

In mid 1945 Truman was faced with a choice. Invade the Japanese home islands which would cost millions of lives, use the atomic bombs with warnings or use the atomic bomb without warning.

What about the third option - sit on the territories taken from Japan, surround and isolate the home islands, and just let Japan run out of resources?.

I dont think this option was presented. The meeting where Truman chose to drop the bombs was about ending a war, rather than prolonging it.

Plus with the war in Europe over, the Soviets began invading Manchuria and the western allies wanted to limit their influence in Asia.

[Speed 3]

With the move to polypipe/pushfit connectors at the end of the last century where sealing relies on rubber/nitrile o-rings, will there come a time when masses of houses need fully re-plumbing in the same way as old houses need re-wiring now ? Can't see the system having the same longevity as solder joints or even compression fittings, the o-rings must deteriorate.

[RizzoTheRat]

Chestrockwell said:

Makes you wonder what us humans can achieve if we have world peace and use the defence budgets for other things like supersonic jets or....even space travel!

We already do, the only operating supersonic jets and reusable space plane are currently military

While I agree with you, there is the argument that war breeds innovation. There's just over 11 years between the Lancaster and the Vulcan for example, a huge amount of innovation in a short period of time. Would NASA have gone to the moon without the cold war?

[glazbagun]

Tango13 said:

glazbagun said:

AstonZagato said:

Chestrockwell said:

Why didn’t the US use atomic bombs in Germany in the war? What was different about Japan?

I always thought that it was the US experience in the South Pacific where the Japanese fought fanatically and to the death. The concept of a seaborne landing on the Japanese homelands raised the issue of huge casualties - at a point when the assumption was that the war was won. The Japanese knew that the US were reluctant to take the loses that an invasion of Japanese soil would entail and so were being intransigent.

The atomic bombs were the (brutal) solution. Effectively giving an ultimatum "surrender now or we can kill you all before we invade"

Plus Russia had joined in and were rapidly pushing the Japanese back through Asia. Ending the war quickly meant slowing the spread of communism and less of Asia falling under the Soviet sphere of influence.

Rubbish.

You are, of course, completely correct!

[Bright Halo]

glazbagun said:

Tango13 said:

glazbagun said:

AstonZagato said:

Chestrockwell said:

Why didn’t the US use atomic bombs in Germany in the war? What was different about Japan?

I always thought that it was the US experience in the South Pacific where the Japanese fought fanatically and to the death. The concept of a seaborne landing on the Japanese homelands raised the issue of huge casualties - at a point when the assumption was that the war was won. The Japanese knew that the US were reluctant to take the loses that an invasion of Japanese soil would entail and so were being intransigent.

The atomic bombs were the (brutal) solution. Effectively giving an ultimatum "surrender now or we can kill you all before we invade"

Plus Russia had joined in and were rapidly pushing the Japanese back through Asia. Ending the war quickly meant slowing the spread of communism and less of Asia falling under the Soviet sphere of influence.

Rubbish.

You are, of course, completely correct!

I strongly believe the Americans wanted to test the real world affectiveness of the A bomb and also send a clear message to the Russians that they were the world super power in the new post war world.

[Exige77]

Was the A bomb developed at the time the US were fighting the Germans ?

I though after collapse of Germany, the US got some missing bits needed to make a viable bomb ?

[Tango13]

Exige77 said:

Was the A bomb developed at the time the US were fighting the Germans ?

I though after collapse of Germany, the US got some missing bits needed to make a viable bomb ?

The Germans were in possesion of some uranium ore they acquired when they invaded Belgium, can't remember how much though. When the Americans discovered it they immediately had it packed and flown back to the states. It only took a couple of days to be processed into useable bomb material and was used over Hiroshima.

[FN2TypeR]

Bright Halo said:

I strongly believe the Americans wanted to test the real world affectiveness of the A bomb and also send a clear message to the Russians that they were the world super power in the new post war world.

Also one of the primary reasons for the bombing of Dresden IMO - sending a message.

[FN2TypeR]

Tango13 said:

Exige77 said:

Was the A bomb developed at the time the US were fighting the Germans ?

I though after collapse of Germany, the US got some missing bits needed to make a viable bomb ?

The Germans were in possesion of some uranium ore they acquired when they invaded Belgium, can't remember how much though. When the Americans discovered it they immediately had it packed and flown back to the states. It only took a couple of days to be processed into useable bomb material and was used over Hiroshima.

IIRC that came from the Congo and they were shipping it Stateside prior to the USA joining the war, over a thousand tons.

[Morningside]

Using NASA calculations of risk. How much would it cost to drive a car from Lands End to John O Groats?

Taking into account oxygen, fuel, toilet, risk of breakdown, food, communication+tracking (mobile phone/gps not allowed), spare parts & a crew of four.

[MartG]

Morningside said:

Using NASA calculations of risk. How much would it cost to drive a car from Lands End to John O Groats?

Taking into account oxygen, fuel, toilet, risk of breakdown, food, communication+tracking (mobile phone/gps not allowed), spare parts & a crew of four.

Well first they'd have to get the car designed...by an aerospace contractor rather than an actual car manufacturer. This would involve several years of design studies and competitive tendering ( and political lobbying ) even before a contractor was selected. They'd also need to send several unmanned probes to map out the route, and an array of comsats to provide communications. Then a trial mission which would land a crew at Lands End and return them, before the actual manned mission could proceed. Not forgetting the crew selection and training...

I'm guessing a minimum of $5billion

Then the mission would fail because Devon & Cornwall Police would pick them up within a few miles for driving a car without SVA approval, no type approval, no licence ( or even license ), no insurance...

[majordad]

And speeding !

[Sheetmaself]

Here’s something which is confusing me.

If i have a car which weighs 1500kg but has 500kg downforce at 100mph, will this have the same grip as a 2000kg car at 100mph all other things being equal?

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Exige77]

Sheetmaself said:

Here’s something which is confusing me.

If i have a car which weighs 1500kg but has 500kg downforce at 100mph, will this have the same grip as a 2000kg car at 100mph all other things being equal?

Any help greatly appreciated.

You only want downforce when going around corners but then the heavier car will have more weight pushing it wide (centrifugal force).

So Lighter car with more downforce better !

[wst]

Speed 3 said:

With the move to polypipe/pushfit connectors at the end of the last century where sealing relies on rubber/nitrile o-rings, will there come a time when masses of houses need fully re-plumbing in the same way as old houses need re-wiring now ? Can't see the system having the same longevity as solder joints or even compression fittings, the o-rings must deteriorate.

Surely a full re-plumbing wouldn't be needed, just replacement of o-rings?

[Welshbeef]

If you have a Mum and Dad with 3 kids (under 6) why is it such an utter nightmare to find anywhere in Majorca for Aug 2 weeks? Without the price being £8-13k?

All inc and sandy beach and nice pool lots of shade

[Speed 3]

wst said:

Speed 3 said:

With the move to polypipe/pushfit connectors at the end of the last century where sealing relies on rubber/nitrile o-rings, will there come a time when masses of houses need fully re-plumbing in the same way as old houses need re-wiring now ? Can't see the system having the same longevity as solder joints or even compression fittings, the o-rings must deteriorate.

Surely a full re-plumbing wouldn't be needed, just replacement of o-rings?

Yes, I didn’t mean the poly pipe would be shot but just getting to those o-rings buried in cavity floors and stud walls will be a nightmare.

[Shuvi McTupya]

Welshbeef said:

If you have a Mum and Dad with 3 kids (under 6) why is it such an utter nightmare to find anywhere in Majorca for Aug 2 weeks? Without the price being £8-13k?

All inc and sandy beach and nice pool lots of shade

Just leave the kids at home?

1. triggered

ETA : are hashtags banned ??

Edited by Shuvi McTupya on Sunday 29th April 12:55