Author Topic: Interesting "stuff" (Read 1310534 times)

Renegade · « **Reply #475 on:** December 12, 2014, 05:08 PM »

TIL: Brazil has some very prolific serial killers.

http://www.presstv.c...dmits-to-42-murders/

A serial killer in Brazil has confessed to killing 42 people for fun over the past decade, making him one of the country’s most prolific murderers.

Arizona Hot · « **Reply #476 on:** December 15, 2014, 04:10 PM »

A Game Designer Explains the Counterintuitive Secret to Fun.jpg

A Game Designer Explains the Counterintuitive Secret to Fun WIRED

Renegade · « **Reply #477 on:** December 17, 2014, 06:45 AM »

Here's one for those that love math, numbers, and computing. Or the ADHD OCDs out there.

tl;dr - The leading number in any distribution of sets of numbers with many orders of magnitude skews towards 1 and slopes down to 9 at the lowest. And the rule works for any base (10, 2, 16, 8, 60, etc.).

That's pretty damn cool to know. I'd never thought about it, but it makes perfect sense.

40hz · « **Reply #478 on:** December 17, 2014, 11:05 AM »

Laserhacker.com - one of the better alternative power project websites I've ever visited. I'm in the process of gathering materials to try out the crystal power cell project detailed here - and thinking of adapting the supercapacitor boost pack project for a friend's powerboat.

Check it out. It's time well spent.

superboyac · « **Reply #479 on:** December 17, 2014, 08:19 PM »

Laserhacker.com - one of the better alternative power project websites I've ever visited. I'm in the process of gathering materials to try out the crystal power cell project detailed here - and thinking of adapting the supercapacitor boost pack project for a friend's powerboat.

Check it out. It's time well spent.
-40hz (December 17, 2014, 11:05 AM)

You just sounded like "Doc" there!

Renegade · « **Reply #480 on:** December 18, 2014, 06:24 AM »

Laserhacker.com - one of the better alternative power project websites I've ever visited. I'm in the process of gathering materials to try out the crystal power cell project detailed here - and thinking of adapting the supercapacitor boost pack project for a friend's powerboat.

Check it out. It's time well spent.
-40hz (December 17, 2014, 11:05 AM)

Dammit 40! I've got clients bum-rushing me with projects, and hard pressed for time, and then you post that and POOF~! There goes my time!

I watched all the vids there, and did even more research... and dammit... I'll have to spend more time in January!

I've been following John Hutchison for a few years, and this is an extension on what he's been doing. It's bloody darn cool stuff!

What I really want is a commercial version of all this stuff... I don't care if I have to build it myself or buy it - I just want to NOT rely on grid electricity.

FWIW - I've spent far too many weeks looking into all manner of these things. Solar, geothermal, crystal, wind, tide, magnetic, etc. etc. etc. My current train of thought is that the plasma cosmologists/physicists are on the right track. We live in an electric universe, and not a material one -- the material universe is just an illusion.

Renegade · « **Reply #481 on:** December 18, 2014, 07:39 AM »

If you get off on math, physics, chemistry, electricity, magnetics, acoustics, sound, frequency, and music, you have to see this.

I already posted this in the music video thread, but it's just way toooooo interesting to not post here.

Like, FFS... Where can you see someone actually use a FARADAY SUIT?!?!

Faraday suit? Tesla coils? That's just awesome beyond awesome!

Standing waves. And standing waves of flames!

It's damn hard to beat that for coolness!

Be sure to follow up and check out the "how we did it" videos. They give more insight, like how video frame rates relate to what you see.

A FARADAY SUIT!

40hz · « **Reply #482 on:** December 18, 2014, 09:59 AM »

Laserhacker.com - one of the better alternative power project websites I've ever visited. I'm in the process of gathering materials to try out the crystal power cell project detailed here - and thinking of adapting the supercapacitor boost pack project for a friend's powerboat.

Check it out. It's time well spent.
-40hz (December 17, 2014, 11:05 AM)
You just sounded like "Doc" there!
-superboyac (December 17, 2014, 08:19 PM)

LOL! But which one? Who? Savage? Or the Disney dwarf?

superboyac · « **Reply #483 on:** December 18, 2014, 10:24 AM »

Laserhacker.com - one of the better alternative power project websites I've ever visited. I'm in the process of gathering materials to try out the crystal power cell project detailed here - and thinking of adapting the supercapacitor boost pack project for a friend's powerboat.

Check it out. It's time well spent.
-40hz (December 17, 2014, 11:05 AM)
You just sounded like "Doc" there!
-superboyac (December 17, 2014, 08:19 PM)
-40hz (December 18, 2014, 09:59 AM)

Why this one of course!

The Flux Capacitor!
LOL! But which one? Who? Savage? Or the Disney dwarf?

40hz · « **Reply #484 on:** December 18, 2014, 11:38 AM »

@Ren - if you didn't want to get bogged with Laserhacker, you definitely don't want to check out this guy's YT channel.

More seriously, if you're thinking of going off the power grid as much as possible, you'll need to know about the stuff he's demoing. Not sexy or bleeding edge like Laserhacker's site. But he's rock solid on whole house inverters and battery tech. Something you'll need to know about if you plan on disconnecting from the utility mains. Good product reviews too.

I had an electrician I know vet the info this guy is presenting. She said he is correct - but be sure to check your local electrical and building codes. Because some of what he's doing gets into grey areas - and may be illegal depending on where you are. And in some places, you may also need to obtain a permit to do it even if it does comply with electrical and/or building codes.

She said if you have a fire or injury due to code violations, your homeowner's insurance won't cover you. And you could also be subject to fines - and possibly some community service or slam time - if someone got hurt as a result. She said it's always best check with a licensed electrician before you start mucking with your AC or house mains. If for no other reason than to avoid electrocuting yourself. She said it's a lot easier to do than most people think.

She also said it shouldn't cost much ($100-200 at most) for someone reputable and licensed to review whatever you plan on doing and let you know if it's kosher.

superboyac · « **Reply #485 on:** December 18, 2014, 03:44 PM »

I know for a fact that equipment that allows off grid power is a very sensitive issue with building and safety, and other code related agencies.

40hz · « **Reply #486 on:** December 18, 2014, 04:14 PM »

I know for a fact that equipment that allows off grid power is a very sensitive issue with building and safety, and other code related agencies.
-superboyac (December 18, 2014, 03:44 PM)

Yup. You still usually need to have utility mains attached to your house (making you subject to utility charges for "line maintenance" and various fees regardless of how little utility power you actually use) if you want to keep your CO. Most municipalities require electrical service as a condition of occupancy. You usually also, at a minimum, need to spring for an electrician to install a fairly expensive transfer switch for safety reasons. That, however, does make sense purely from an engineering perspective. So it's not entirely motivated by political considerations.

A 200A service main is not something to tinker with lightly. Screw up messing with that degree of electrical potential and you'll likely wind up as a cautionary tale on the local 6 o'clock news channel.

IainB · « **Reply #487 on:** December 19, 2014, 06:28 AM »

Look and play: http://sharejs.org/ --> A live editable wiki.

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #488 on:** December 19, 2014, 09:37 AM »

Look and play: http://sharejs.org/ --> A live editable wiki.
-IainB (December 19, 2014, 06:28 AM)

Maybe interesting concept, but looking at the sample the results look like ... uh ... the bottom half of YouTube!

Arizona Hot · « **Reply #489 on:** December 19, 2014, 05:38 PM »

Mom calls C-SPAN to yell at sons on live TV

Russian YouTubers call out Daily Mail in ‘Liquid Nitrogen Challenge’ copyright spat — RT News

Arizona Hot · « **Reply #490 on:** December 19, 2014, 08:06 PM »

10 Videos That Went Viral Before YouTube Even Existed

A Brief History Of The Dancing Baby Meme.jpg

Interesting "stuff"

A Brief History Of The Dancing Baby Meme TechCrunch

Arizona Hot · « **Reply #491 on:** December 19, 2014, 08:35 PM »

This Little USB Necklace Hacks Your Computer In No Time Flat.jpg

This Little USB Necklace Hacks Your Computer In No Time Flat TechCrunch

40hz · « **Reply #492 on:** December 20, 2014, 08:36 AM »

^Good old Sammy! I keep waiting for the day he gets just a little too cocky for his own good and the sky falls on him once and for all. Still, when "you da man!" - YOU DA MAN!

(Hmm...I wonder if that thing still works even with USB Services disabled.

)

IainB · « **Reply #493 on:** December 23, 2014, 12:39 AM »

20 Gifs That Teach You Science Concepts Better Than Your Teacher Probably Can - StumbleUpon

I'd not seen all these collected together in one place before.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #494 on:** December 23, 2014, 01:06 AM »

20 Gifs That Teach You Science Concepts Better Than Your Teacher Probably Can - StumbleUpon

I'd not seen all these collected together in one place before.
-IainB (December 23, 2014, 12:39 AM)

So... Are you going to share your C:\ drive with the rest of the class ... Or do you have a different link we should be using..

IainB · « **Reply #495 on:** December 23, 2014, 03:16 AM »

Sorry. That was my Scrapbook copy. I have corrected the URL now.
Trying to do too many things at once here.

ewemoa · « **Reply #496 on:** December 23, 2014, 07:28 AM »

20 Gifs That Teach You Science Concepts Better Than Your Teacher Probably Can - StumbleUpon
-IainB (December 23, 2014, 12:39 AM)

Mmm, very nice! Thanks for sharing

Arizona Hot · « **Reply #497 on:** December 23, 2014, 07:35 AM »

Science journals screw up hundreds of times each year. This guy keeps track of every mistake.

Dirty Secrets 12 Strange and Disturbing Phone Facts

Arizona Hot · « **Reply #498 on:** December 23, 2014, 07:39 AM »

The Smelliest Food in the World

Candwich sandwich-in-a-can.jpg

Candwich sandwich-in-a-can · Taste Test · The A.V. Club

The review is from 2011. Anyone want to get one and see if it has improved? Mwhahaha!

Arizona Hot · « **Reply #499 on:** December 23, 2014, 07:43 AM »

10 things that aren't illegal but should be.jpg

Interesting "stuff"

10 things that aren't illegal but should be