Intel's Ronler Acres Plant

Pergelator

Silicon Forest
If the type is too small, Ctrl+ is your friend

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Photos by Wire


How Photographs Were Transmitted by Wire in the 1930s
The Shell

Given the number of technologies involved in getting a photograph from the other side of the country and into the newspaper it's amazing it worked at all. And this video just glosses over how the printing plates were made, another complicated process.

Obscure


Top 5 Private Militaries That Are Stronger Than Most Countries
WittyMatter

The only one I've heard of is Blackwater, and they've changed their name. I don't know, but I suspect that some of the larger outfits are only doing logistics and support, not actual combat. Still, a bunch of big outfits that I've never heard of.


Saturday, March 16, 2024

Shellac


Why Melted Bugs On Candy And Lemons Fuel A $167 Million Industry | Big Business | Business Insider
Business Insider

Weird. I remember in middle school shop class we used shellac to finish our woodworking projects. That would have been around 1965. Don't think I have used it since.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Balance Beads


GoPro Inside a Car Tire (With Balance Beads)
Warped Perception

I enjoyed the heck out of this video. Comment from @GlutenEruption explains how they work:

They work because the tire is rotating around its *center of mass*. If the tire has a heavy spot, the center of mass is going to be offset towards it, Meaning even though the heavy spot itself wants to be flung outward from a static reference frame, from the rotating reference frame of the tire, the heavy spot is actually staying closer to the center and the light spot is being flung outwards the farthest. The beads, which are free to move and not a connected to the tire at all only move via centripetal force of the tire trying to pull them back to the center, and they'll collect in the high spot which is the light spot.

 

Good Morning Mafia

Hot thought for this morning. All governments are mafia-like organizations. They project a facade of serving the people, but behind the scenes they are all busy stuffing their pockets with cash. If you are a member of the ruling cabal, you've got it made. If you're not, you're screwed.

That's the way it is all over the world no matter whether the government is a democracy, a republic, an oligarchy or a dictatorship. The problem is not the form the government takes, but whether it is competent at taking care of the things governments are supposed to take care of, like ensuring that the food supply, the infrastructure and the military are all up to snuff.

If the government is incompetent we get the mess we're in right now.