Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 4]
Discussion
Fastchas said:
I heated a cup of water in a motorhome microwave once (the low wattage kettle just took too long).
I thought it must be hot enough now but when I took it out it wasn't bubbling. When I put the teabag in and pushed it into the water it reacted like a geyser!
Potentially dangerous. Worth leaving a chopstick or cocktail stick or similar in any plain vessel used to heat plain water in a microwave, to act as a nucleator.I thought it must be hot enough now but when I took it out it wasn't bubbling. When I put the teabag in and pushed it into the water it reacted like a geyser!
Or even just deliberately scratch the base.
I always thought that the "superheated water in a cup" thing was due to the way microwaves work - you can get a pocket of water that is superheated from the constructive interference of the microwaves, but unable to boil as it is surrounded (and insulated) by water. then when you disturb it, it expands, chucking hot stuff everywhere, rather than the lack of nucleation sites?
As an aside, you can use your microwave to measure the speed of light - if you take the turntable out, put some chocolate in and turn it on, it will begin to melt at certain points. The distance between these points in half of the microwave wavelength. Read the frequency off the side and apply some maths to get the speed of light.
As an aside, you can use your microwave to measure the speed of light - if you take the turntable out, put some chocolate in and turn it on, it will begin to melt at certain points. The distance between these points in half of the microwave wavelength. Read the frequency off the side and apply some maths to get the speed of light.
Parsnip said:
I always thought that the "superheated water in a cup" thing was due to the way microwaves work - you can get a pocket of water that is superheated from the constructive interference of the microwaves, but unable to boil as it is surrounded (and insulated) by water. then when you disturb it, it expands, chucking hot stuff everywhere, rather than the lack of nucleation sites?
As an aside, you can use your microwave to measure the speed of light - if you take the turntable out, put some chocolate in and turn it on, it will begin to melt at certain points. The distance between these points in half of the microwave wavelength. Read the frequency off the side and apply some maths to get the speed of light.
The answer is cAs an aside, you can use your microwave to measure the speed of light - if you take the turntable out, put some chocolate in and turn it on, it will begin to melt at certain points. The distance between these points in half of the microwave wavelength. Read the frequency off the side and apply some maths to get the speed of light.
HTH
warp9 said:
Who pays to put satellites up in orbit that provide GPS tracking and how does the income model for them work? I've just bought a Garmin activity watch that has GPS as does my satnav and phone, but I don't pay anything to access the GPS tracking system.
Governments. GPS = the Americans
GLONASS = the Russians
Galileo = the EU
What we think of as "GPS" is actually a combination of those, for most modern receivers. We call it GPS for much the same reasons as we use Hoovers and Biros.
LimaDelta said:
warp9 said:
Who pays to put satellites up in orbit that provide GPS tracking and how does the income model for them work? I've just bought a Garmin activity watch that has GPS as does my satnav and phone, but I don't pay anything to access the GPS tracking system.
Garmin do.In effect, a GPS device is akin to a radio, reading a signal that's there 'for free'. Or so I thought.
Happy to be corrected.
warp9 said:
Who pays to put satellites up in orbit that provide GPS tracking and how does the income model for them work? I've just bought a Garmin activity watch that has GPS as does my satnav and phone, but I don't pay anything to access the GPS tracking system.
GPS started as and still primarily is a US military project so they foot the bill. The GPS frequencies are public info so anyone can build hardware to use them.
Galileo is the EU's system, GLONASS is the Russian one.
Governments allow the civilian use of their systems, but can encrypt it to degrade or deny use of it.
The UK spent a lot of man hours and money on contributing to Galileo and, by leaving the EU, will be denied access to the high resolution version of Galileo (which will remain encrypted) and only be able to use the civilian resolution along with the rest of the plebs.
I spent around 6 months working exclusively on Galileo for one of my clients something like 10+ years ago, so you can imagine how much the UK has contributed.
The UK spent a lot of man hours and money on contributing to Galileo and, by leaving the EU, will be denied access to the high resolution version of Galileo (which will remain encrypted) and only be able to use the civilian resolution along with the rest of the plebs.
I spent around 6 months working exclusively on Galileo for one of my clients something like 10+ years ago, so you can imagine how much the UK has contributed.
Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Monday 20th May 16:55
Clockwork Cupcake said:
Governments.
GPS = the Americans
GLONASS = the Russians
Galileo = the EU
What we think of as "GPS" is actually a combination of those, for most modern receivers. We call it GPS for much the same reasons as we use Hoovers and Biros.
I think most use GPS as standard and possibly an option to use others. My Garmin watch defaults to GPS but has the option of GPS+GLONASS or GPS+Galileo. Not tried them see if there's much difference in accuracy, would the extra processing be likely to make much difference to battery life?GPS = the Americans
GLONASS = the Russians
Galileo = the EU
What we think of as "GPS" is actually a combination of those, for most modern receivers. We call it GPS for much the same reasons as we use Hoovers and Biros.
RizzoTheRat said:
I think most use GPS as standard and possibly an option to use others. My Garmin watch defaults to GPS but has the option of GPS+GLONASS or GPS+Galileo. Not tried them see if there's much difference in accuracy, would the extra processing be likely to make much difference to battery life?
I don't know - I've not had any involvement for years. I was under the impression, though, that most modern receivers just switch between them like mobile phones can roam networks. ie. they are technically capable, but whether they actually do or not is down to various other factors.It's always annoyed me that in the UK our phones are all capable of roaming between 900MHz and 1800MHz but are prevented from doing so for commercial / regulatory reasons. But I digress.
Blib said:
What advantages would accrue if a wider range was allowed?
The reduction of "Not Spots" for a start. I have a dual SIM phone with one SIM on a 900MHz provider and the second SIM on a 1800MHz provider, and in areas of poor coverage it is common to have no signal on one SIM and a few bars on the other. Why, with none permitted development, are you home clear if it's not raised with planning in 4 years? Further up our road Victorian terraces are littered with front porches, some far too big.
This shouldn't be acceptable because 4 years has past. If I murdered my wife in 2014 (an extreme example, I know) they'd come after me today. And also about it setting a precedent for new applications, our neighbour has a terrible application in ATM, why should it set a precedent? If I went 70mph down our main road, and got away with it, others couldn't use this as an excuse.
It's absolutely bonkers.
Oh, and Equus, if you read, the back arrow is on the top left of your browser.
This shouldn't be acceptable because 4 years has past. If I murdered my wife in 2014 (an extreme example, I know) they'd come after me today. And also about it setting a precedent for new applications, our neighbour has a terrible application in ATM, why should it set a precedent? If I went 70mph down our main road, and got away with it, others couldn't use this as an excuse.
It's absolutely bonkers.
Oh, and Equus, if you read, the back arrow is on the top left of your browser.
Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:
Why, with none permitted development, are you home clear if it's not raised with planning in 4 years? Further up our road Victorian terraces are littered with front porches, some far too big.
Because they don't want a bunch of NIMBYs dragging up hideously cases that have stood for years and causing more work.Is not just planning, the limitations act limits the time period for bringing many civil cases, why should planning be different?
Not to mention are you seriously saying that people should be made to retrospectively apply for permission and potentially have to tear down porches that have stood for more than a decade because they offend your twee sensitivities? No wonder you get a poor reaction in some of your threads.
As for murder, criminal charges have a different set of standards to civil issues. Especially serious crimes.
Why, no matter how long the journey, am I practically wetting myself by the time I open my front door? Doesn't matter if it's s walk to the shop, a quick ride round the block, the drive home from work, anything - by the time I open my front door I can feel the liquid pressurising and by the time I've got to the loo it's practically erupting. Is it just relaxation at being home? It must be a mental thing?
OpulentBob said:
Why, no matter how long the journey, am I practically wetting myself by the time I open my front door? Doesn't matter if it's s walk to the shop, a quick ride round the block, the drive home from work, anything - by the time I open my front door I can feel the liquid pressurising and by the time I've got to the loo it's practically erupting. Is it just relaxation at being home? It must be a mental thing?
It's psychosomatic. it's because your parents always used to beat you when you got home for pissing your pants when they took you out.Flibble said:
Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:
Why, with none permitted development, are you home clear if it's not raised with planning in 4 years? Further up our road Victorian terraces are littered with front porches, some far too big.
Because they don't want a bunch of NIMBYs dragging up hideously cases that have stood for years and causing more work.Is not just planning, the limitations act limits the time period for bringing many civil cases, why should planning be different?
Not to mention are you seriously saying that people should be made to retrospectively apply for permission and potentially have to tear down porches that have stood for more than a decade because they offend your twee sensitivities? No wonder you get a poor reaction in some of your threads.
As for murder, criminal charges have a different set of standards to civil issues. Especially serious crimes.
If individuals have circumvented the rules, safe in the knowledge that they simply need to wait 4 years then they have 'got away with it' then that is wrong. If not on a legal level, most definitely a moral one.
Oh, and for the record, we visited the planning officer dealing with his submission yesterday, she's not in the slightest bit happy with it either, she says it would look hideous, but hey, we're the problem.
Edited by Fermit and Sexy Sarah on Tuesday 21st May 09:27
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