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Looks like a soapbox derby racer to me.
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The mountain in Sri Lanka is described by Arthur C Clarke in his book "The Fountains of Paradise" where it is used to anchor a space elevator.
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i think a soapbox like that competed in the red bull soapbox race in belgium, aprox five years ago.
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The house is in Amsterdam and is housing for elderly people. Building is named Wozoco http://maps.google.nl/maps?q=zeewoelf&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ll=52.363885,4.794473&spn=0.001237,0.002511&t=h&z=19&om=1
http://www.bk.tudelft.nl/students/b1205943/internet/Essay.htm (Dutch)
http://www.mvrdv.nl/_v2/projects/015_wozoco/index.html (Engl)
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WOZOCO
The Western Garden Cities of Amsterdam built in the 1950s and 1960s, are now confronted with big increases in density that continue to threaten their open green spaces, the most important quality of these areas. As part of this operation, a block of 100 apartments for people over 55 years was proposed to mark the end of a facility strip for the elderly.
To still provide adequate sunlight into the surrounding only 87 of the 100 units could be realised within the block. Where could the remaining 13 dwellings be positioned? If they were put elsewhere on the site, the open space would be further reduced.
By 'cantilevering' the remaining 13 units from the north façade, they are literally suspended in the air. The hanging East-West orientated types complete the North-South dwellings in the block with a view over the adjacent polder. By hanging the extra units on the north façade, the ground plane is kept as open and green as possible. A prototypic increase in density for the garden cities is achieved.
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I think it is New Holland's entry for the Goodwood Festival of Speed downhill race.The annual event was discontinued after motoring ex-world champion Barry Lee had a bad accident a couple of years back.
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The picture with the apartment blocks "flying" away, is made by a friend of me: S. Stessens (Belgian)! It's a real coincidence to find it here!!!
Greetz
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Hercules, not Rhino beetle.
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ust over a year ago? For some reason, I thought you'd been around a lot longer. Anyway, it's been a great year for you! I've enjoyed visiting here. Thanks for all the cool stuff!
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Thanks!! cool site!!
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the iceship would be unstopable even today
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Mixing sawdust with the ice was not to slow down its melting, it was to make the ice stronger. A normal block of ice disintegrates when hit by a bullet, but when mixed with sawdust ice is nearly as strong as steel and the bullets just bounce off. You could imagine the damage caused by a torpedo on a lump of ordinary ice that big.
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Related to what Smokes said, the version of the Mountbatten story that I remember reading was that he wanted to demonstrate the strength of Pykrete to a group of skeptical Royal Navy officers, so he pulled out his pistol and shot at a slab of it. The bullet ricocheted around the room and hit an officer in the leg.
Don't know if either or both of those tales are apocryphal, but they both sound in character!
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Many years ago, I was traveling with friends and stopped to check out a frozen lake (unfamiliar to us from Southern California). We drove out on the ice, and in a fit of perverse genius, decided to test the thickness of the ice by firing a .44 magnum into it, straight down. The ferocious blast of the "world's most powerful handgun" (at the time)left an insignificant little crater in the ice- after the 2nd round we finally saw what was happening: when we fired into the ice, the bullet would bounce straight into the air (about 6 feet) and then land, still spinning rapidly, but completely undamaged. We gave up after 5 or 6 rounds- we were getting nowhere. Sawdust was not necessary for this result.
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Geoffrey Pyke? Or....Gordon Freeman?
"Gordon Freeman, in the flesh - or, rather, in the hazard suit. I took the liberty of relieving you of your weapons. Most of them were government property." --The G-Man
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the ice ship is a brilliant idea. absolutely brilliant. the simplest ideas are often the most clever. that would even make a cheap alternative for shipping or personal boating.
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The Gerald Pawle (SP?) book _The Secret War_ details the efforts of the Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development during WWII. Habbakuk was only one of the projects he writes about.
Some others are The Great Panjandrum, intended to clear obstacles during the Normandy invasion; anti-aircraft flame throwers; and aerial mines.
Though long out of print, this is very much worth looking for in used book stores and eBay.
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wow, guys... thanks for all the info
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Mr Anonymous, you *shot* the ice? And after seeing the bullets bounce off the ice, you continued to shoot at it? That's... Well, a darwin award in the making, isn't it?
I'm going to try mixing sawdust with ice, though. Sounds very interesting!
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"Geoffrey Pyke? Or....Gordon Freeman?
"Gordon Freeman, in the flesh - or, rather, in the hazard suit. I took the liberty of relieving you of your weapons. Most of them were government property." --The G-Man"
Or Dr.House!? :O
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I teach a class an undergraduate class in biophysics, and near the end of the term was always start discussing composite materials... with "Pykrete" as one of the in-class demo. Actually we do it outside, but it's instructive to make two identical pieces of material, one from pure water ice and one from pykrete, and then take turns trying to smash them with hammers. The pykrete is remarkable stuff... and yes, it melts significantly slower as well.
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the problem is the amount of sawdust neaded, and all the pipe for the cooling system
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The "Seadrome" concept inspired at least one science fiction film. "F.P.1 Antwortet Nicht" was a black and white "technothriller" about a floating airport in the Atlantic, filmed in 1933. It was written by Curt Siodmak, who later went to Hollywood and wrote "The Wolf Man."
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I'm trying to picture the sailors slipping and falling all over the place as they walk on the ice deck.
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<< jhonny_paradox said...
Paul said...
"Geoffrey Pyke? Or....Gordon Freeman?
"Gordon Freeman, in the flesh - or, rather, in the hazard suit. I took the liberty of relieving you of your weapons. Most of them were government property." --The G-Man"
Or Dr.House!? :O
>>
Why, obviously, the good Mr Pyke was the (great-)grandfather of one, or both of those men.
A brilliant and wonderful ship, a titanic variation of which should by all rights be a British Superweapon in some RTS.
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That would be a very cold weapon platform manned by brave men with shrink-ed nuts.
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Large portions of this post is stolen word for word from the uncle john's bathroom reader series. The rest of it appears original however and very informative. Just do a little more of your own work next time please.
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Thank you very much for your comment but you might want to do some research before making any accusations: both this Dark Roasted Blend post and the article in Uncle John's Bathroom reader were written by M.Christian, who originally wrote the piece for a now-defunct site. So they are not copied but instead the same article.
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The HMCS Habbakuk would have been a really cool ship to have served on. Guaranteed to not get hot inside due to the needed A/C! Keep in mind that it was only about 30 years after the Titanic disaster and attempts were made to sink icebergs before Geoffrey Pyke dreamed up this deathstar of a ship. If we Yanks were to build one, it probably would be named USS Deathstar. Dictators everywhere would have nightmares of this gem pulling up and parking just off their beach.
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The toy robots in that last picture are not vintage Russian. In fact they are of current Chinese manufacture. The one in the back is a reproduction of the Atomic Robot Man, which the original was one of the first toy robots ever made and originated from Japan.
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I am missing one particular event wich shaped history: The great tornado that struck the English invaders in France in the 14th century: It eventually led to a ceasefire wich in turn gave french the oppertunity to regain strenght.
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The Dunkirk Evacuation Pic is linked wrong, in stead of the setting (or rising?) sun you see a drawing for some kind of retro futuristic automobile.
just thought I'd let ya know
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Your brief summary on the Dunkirk story leaves out the important bit - the sudden calming of the weather that allowed all the small boats (even canal barges) to safely cross the Channel.
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The overwhelming bias seem to be toward for recent and less significant events. In 1588 the Spanish Armada was the most powerful military force in the world. Its invasion of England was unsuccessful partly due to some clever maneuvering on the part of the English. As the Spanish were trying to escape, the decisive blow was dealt from a powerful storm that wrecked many of their ships on the Irish coast. This would be a welcome addition to the Weather Channels's 'history shaping' narrative, one that truly helped shift the balance of power from the Spanish to the English. Or maybe when they said History they meant something else.
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"Recent and less significant" = "Americans are a billion times more important than anyone else."
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from the book Washington Weather: http://www.weatherbook.com/order.html
During the summer of 1814,4,500 British soldiers landed and marched towards Washington. A force of 7,000 Americans was hastily assembled near the Potomac River to defend Washington. During the afternoon of August 24, in 100°F heat, the two armies clashed. The British Army quickly routed the less disciplined American volunteers. It was noted that the 100°F temperatures added to everyone’s discomfort.
After the battle, the British Army marched quickly into Washington. The British admiral ate dinner in the White House, then gave the order to set fire to Washington. Within hours, the White House, the Capitol, and many other public buildings and residences were burning.
On the morning of August 25, Washington was still burning. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, the British soldiers continued to set fires. As the soldiers spread fire and destruction throughout the city, the early afternoon sky began to darken and lightning and thunder signaled the approach of a thunderstorm. As the storm neared the city, the winds began to increase dramatically and then built into a “frightening roar.” A severe thunderstorm was bearing down on Washington, and with it was a tornado.
The tornado tore through the center of Washington and directly into the British occupation. Buildings were lifted off of their foundations and dashed to bits. Other buildings were blown down or lost their roofs. Feather beds were sucked out of homes and scattered about. Trees were uprooted, fences were blown down, and the heavy chain bridge across the Potomac River was buckled and rendered useless. A few British cannons were picked up by the winds and thrown through the air. The collapsing buildings and flying debris killed several British soldiers. Many of the soldiers did not have time to take cover from the winds and they laid face down in the streets. One account describes how a British officer on horseback did not dismount and the winds slammed both horse and rider violently to the ground.
The winds subsided quickly, but the rain fell in torrents for two hours. (There may have been a second thunderstorm that followed quickly after the first thunderstorm.) Fortunately, the heavy rain quenched most of the flames and prevented Washington from continuing to burn. After the storm, the British Army regrouped on Capitol Hill, still a bit shaken by the harsh weather. They decided to leave the city that evening.
As the British troops were preparing to leave, a conversation was noted between the British Admiral and a Washington lady regarding the storm: The admiral exclaimed, “Great God, Madam! Is this the kind of storm to which you are accustomed in this infernal country?” The lady answered, “No, Sir, this is a special interposition of Providence to drive our enemies from our city.” The admiral replied, “Not so Madam. It is rather to aid your enemies in the destruction of your city.”
Hours later, the British forces left Washington and returned to their ships. The war ships that lay waiting for the British force had also encountered the fierce storm. Wind and waves had lashed at the ships and many had damaged riggings. Two vessels had broken free from their moorings and were blown ashore.
President Madison and other government officials returned to Washington and began the difficult process of setting up government in a city devastated by fire and wind. Never again would the British Army return to the city, and only rarely would Washington suffer damaging tornadoes.
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where do you get one of those Game Hiding Device things?
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The second picture from Salamanca, Spain is not from the cathedral but from the old university facade. The university facade is also well known for its hidden image of a frog sitting on a skull, said to give good luck to students on their finals if they were able to locate it.
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where do i get one of them cat turning signals?
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El astronauta de Salamanca fue incluido en la restaurancion de la fachada de la universidad en 1993.
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Those "unexploded bombs" may have been harmless drop tanks (for fuel), discarded when empty.
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I think the car pulling the sleigh in "Best transportation is the one you invent yourself" is a Toyota Camry, but I'm not sure.
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Yep it's a Camry
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I've seen that place with the bombs in Laos.
I also met and sat with a Lao guy in hospital who had made a barbeque between TWO unexploded bombs using a casing from a third as the barbeque plate.
UNFORTUNATELY the bombs on the bottom were NOT cleared and one of them promptly blew up!
He survived but in much worse condition than he had previously been in.
Bombs are however used for loads of thing across Laos. Most of them ARE cleared of UXO before being given back to the villagers and the majority of villagers and children are aware that bombs are bad, but some sadly still aren't and get blown up.
Brought back memories seeing that though.
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Those pictures of chains of transportation vehicles reminded me of my first summer as a camp counselor. The camp had received 30 or so new aluminum canoes to replace the remnants of the previous canoe flotilla. The problem was that there was no road into camp, and canoeing up three miles one at a time was an unacceptible solution. So they tied all of the canoes together, bow to stern, and tied them to the back of a power boat— with the waterfront director in the very last one as a rudder. It worked pretty well, actually.
And that reminds me of when we got the new fridge and freezer to replace the vintage 1950s ones, especially as they arrived on a Thursday afternoon and the entire staff, bar three of us, went across the lake to fetch them. Evening flags had the three of us doing the whole routine, and suddenly looking up to see the missing staff members, saluting— in the backs of tiny little power boats, with a large appliance barely balanced across the front. (They were all standing as far back as possible, so as not to lose the appliance off the front.)
Incidentally, the fridge and freezer wouldn't fit through the front doors. We had to move them into the kitchen through the side shed after removing the stairs.
Ah, memories. Pity I didn't have a camera on me either time.
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Those were in fact bombs; the yellow stripe is standard NATO colour coding for high explosives. Besides, external fuel tanks are made of much thinner metal and wouldn't last very long like that.
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Those are not "unexploded bombs" but empty cluster submunition tanks.
See examples of them here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_bomb
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Ivan Rerbrov is a German Singer. His real Name is Hans Rolf Rippert. Back in the 70s he also was on TV as a commedian. There is even an english Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Rebroff
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That 'strange Russian Army unit', as you are calling it, is a simple Bell SK5 Army hovercraft used in the Vietnam war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PACV
http://www.quicktechhobby.com/Hovercrafts/Hovercrafts/SK-5%20HOVERCRAFT.htm
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Thank you guys, I updated the info
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"QUANTUM SHOT" #346
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8 Comments:
That last one shows proposed moon vehicles.
Those walker-robots look similar to proposed Mars robots for transport, they have legs and small wheels at the end of the legs. They can also attach simple tools to the wheels..
Very cool. Have you seen the work of Theo Jansen? This reminded me of his kinetic sculptures. http://tinyurl.com/3xafep
More photos of the Machines available here
oh, it's grandiose mechanisms, thank u!
That looks like one amazing show. I take it the elephant doesn't actually "walk" right? That would be pretty amazing. The sewn cars is pretty awesome as well.
there are some cool walking machines designed by boston dynamics that have actually been built
Interesting blog you have so many wonderful items will go ...
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