Little gas canisters all over parks

[vsonix]

Promised Land said:

vsonix said:

I imagine future archaeologists will have fun digging them up and guessing what they might have been used for.

No need for them to guess, with the www, it’s here forever more. That’s why time capsules are certainly a thing of the past, anything you want to find out about is a search away.

no, the web is incredibly impermanent. If there was a terrible cataclysm tomorrow there's no guarantee the web would still be working/accessible for long afterwards. The more advanced a civilisation gets, the less physical, permanent data we have about them. If the Rosetta Stone was made from papyrus and not carved into granite, we wouldn't be able to decipher most of the stuff we have managed to.

[Pericoloso]

I have seen them all over the place ,I knew what they were being used for but had no idea

what they are "supposed" to be used for ,until now.

[Goaty Bill 2]

Laurel Green said:

supercommuter said:

Robbo 27 said:

They cost about £1 each, they are for whipped cream and used in baking which must have become so popular that kids are making sherry trifles in the parks.

I blame Mary Berry.

Have another

and for good measure

[Berkshire bred]

Didn't realise they are laughing gas, they look identical to the ones that some of my air pistols use. Can't say I've seen any littered around the hungerford area.

[98elise]

vsonix said:

Promised Land said:

vsonix said:

I imagine future archaeologists will have fun digging them up and guessing what they might have been used for.

No need for them to guess, with the www, it’s here forever more. That’s why time capsules are certainly a thing of the past, anything you want to find out about is a search away.

no, the web is incredibly impermanent. If there was a terrible cataclysm tomorrow there's no guarantee the web would still be working/accessible for long afterwards. The more advanced a civilisation gets, the less physical, permanent data we have about them. If the Rosetta Stone was made from papyrus and not carved into granite, we wouldn't be able to decipher most of the stuff we have managed to.

Agreed, and when the next way of storing data comes along you have to hope that what's currently stored gets converted. Plenty of data hasn't made it across format changes in a few decades. Give it 100 years any how much of what's available now will still be there?

[vsonix]

98elise said:

vsonix said:

Promised Land said:

vsonix said:

I imagine future archaeologists will have fun digging them up and guessing what they might have been used for.

No need for them to guess, with the www, it’s here forever more. That’s why time capsules are certainly a thing of the past, anything you want to find out about is a search away.

no, the web is incredibly impermanent. If there was a terrible cataclysm tomorrow there's no guarantee the web would still be working/accessible for long afterwards. The more advanced a civilisation gets, the less physical, permanent data we have about them. If the Rosetta Stone was made from papyrus and not carved into granite, we wouldn't be able to decipher most of the stuff we have managed to.

Agreed, and when the next way of storing data comes along you have to hope that what's currently stored gets converted. Plenty of data hasn't made it across format changes in a few decades. Give it 100 years any how much of what's available now will still be there?

There's already loads of stuff gone from the internet - all the old communities sites like Geocities and Angelfire, all the old Wordpress blogs, websites run by people who used to pay for the hosting themselves but then stopped making the payments for whatever reason, or they simply lost interest.

I was reading somewhere that the next big thing for long-term data storage is going to be laser-etched artificial quartz crystals. But even if we save the most important bits of Internet onto hardwearing crystal media, there's no guarantee that those left after the cataclysm would ever learn to decipher the data.

[Jinx]

vsonix said:

98elise said:

vsonix said:

Promised Land said:

vsonix said:

I imagine future archaeologists will have fun digging them up and guessing what they might have been used for.

No need for them to guess, with the www, it’s here forever more. That’s why time capsules are certainly a thing of the past, anything you want to find out about is a search away.

no, the web is incredibly impermanent. If there was a terrible cataclysm tomorrow there's no guarantee the web would still be working/accessible for long afterwards. The more advanced a civilisation gets, the less physical, permanent data we have about them. If the Rosetta Stone was made from papyrus and not carved into granite, we wouldn't be able to decipher most of the stuff we have managed to.

Agreed, and when the next way of storing data comes along you have to hope that what's currently stored gets converted. Plenty of data hasn't made it across format changes in a few decades. Give it 100 years any how much of what's available now will still be there?

There's already loads of stuff gone from the internet - all the old communities sites like Geocities and Angelfire, all the old Wordpress blogs, websites run by people who used to pay for the hosting themselves but then stopped making the payments for whatever reason, or they simply lost interest.

I was reading somewhere that the next big thing for long-term data storage is going to be laser-etched artificial quartz crystals. But even if we save the most important bits of Internet onto hardwearing crystal media, there's no guarantee that those left after the cataclysm would ever learn to decipher the data.

It's ok we have hardened servers in multiple locations that will survive an asteroid strike - the cat pictures and porn must survive somehow......

[motoroller]

Is there any other use for them? How do so many get sold, obviously everyone is not whipping that volume of cream...

[Pericoloso]

motoroller said:

Is there any other use for them? How do so many get sold, obviously everyone is not whipping that volume of cream...

Have you read the other answers explaining the alternative use ?

[eldar]

motoroller said:

Is there any other use for them? How do so many get sold, obviously everyone is not whipping that volume of cream...

Used to be used for making soda water in the dark and distant past, though CO2. Sparklets.

[shed driver]

It's used as an anaesthetic in hospitals - Entonox (gas and air) for procedural pain, child birth, burn dressing changes etc. The little canisters are giving people a high lasting less than a minute. It's caused a major problem in hospitals as the gas cylinders and the delivery sets are now being stolen pretty frequently leaving staff a bit of a headache to find sets when needed. Ambulances are also being broken in to in order to steal the cylinders.

SD.

[steveatesh]

I need to get out more, I have not seen a single one of these at any of the places I walk out in this city!

[Johnnytheboy]

Reminds me of when I asked for one of those little tyre pressure gauges for my birthday about ten years ago...



My (very respectable) OH was given the third degree by the guy behind the counter in the car parts place as "people keep buying them to do drugs with".

To this day I am none the wiser as to what and how.

[Mr2Mike]

shed driver said:

It's used as an anaesthetic in hospitals - Entonox (gas and air) for procedural pain, child birth, burn dressing changes etc.

Possibly the most useless pain relief ever, I found it about as effective as an aspirin.

[FiF]

Johnnytheboy said:

Reminds me of when I asked for one of those little tyre pressure gauges for my birthday about ten years ago...



My (very respectable) OH was given the third degree by the guy behind the counter in the car parts place as "people keep buying them to do drugs with".

To this day I am none the wiser as to what and how.

Likewise, none the wiser. Though in the interest of general forum amusement, an ex girlfriend, long time ex, came home from her shift at the hospital one evening with a fit of the giggles as the last patient had been some old geezer with one of those tyre pressure gauges firmly lodged up his old chap. Apparently he was a regular and had fancied a change from his usual problem object, namely the inside of a Bic biro point end first.

[irocfan]

T1547 said:

Coincidence saw one of these on the pavement earlier and wondered what it was. Now I know. God we’re a strange species...

you and me both

[FiF]

Out of interest, why is nitrous oxide the gas of choice for Mary Berry et al to froth up the cream. What's wrong with a good whipping? Ooh er matron!

[Shakermaker]

Mr2Mike said:

Possibly the most useless pain relief ever, I found it about as effective as an aspirin.

Whereas my wife gave birth to our daughter with nothing more than Entonox and heavy breathing.. as much as she wanted an epidural, baby was not waiting around for that!

[Dr Murdoch]

I think they may have more than one use.

I'm pretty certain that cyclists use them when they get a puncture, hand pumps are old hat.

[Eric Mc]

Novichok dispensers.