Friday, December 31, 2021

Miniature flying robots



Insect-sized robots made from very thin layers of  elastomer made into low-voltage, power-dense high-endurance soft actuators. 

Tesla Crash Lab



Crash testing is based on actual crashes recorded in the fleet, allowing fine-tuning of exactly what crash severity triggers the airbag. Their simulations predicted exactly where each vehicle would end up after the impact. 

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Vehicles vs deep water compilation



It's amazing to me how many drivers think "If I go fast, I'll have enough momentum to get through," not realizing that the bigger bow wave they create floods their engine, ruining it. Imagine how many dollars damage was done at that one crossing! It seems to be an agent neighborhood because most of the cars are pretty expensive. 

Monday, December 27, 2021

First Class Bus "The JET"




3:53 Gimbal-mounted seats cancel the bus motion. Gets a high rating from this reviewer. 

How to Fold a Shirt in Under 2 Seconds

Almost Every Town In America Has a Thai Restaurant



0:21 There are ten times as many Thai vs Ethiopian restaurants despite similar populations - maybe because their food is better?
A conspiracy theory that the Thai government secretly funded Thai restaurant establishment around the world.

Engineering of the 787 Dreamliner

A remarkably well-informed and illustrated documentary on the innovative engineering of the 787. 



9:40 during testing, the plane has to withstand 50% more than it's absolute maximum weight, for 3 full seconds.  Doing so in the 787 caused the wingtips to deform by 7.6 m! 

15:18 "The fibers of the wing have even been laid in a specific pattern to tailor the stiffness of the wing...so it deforms exactly as the engineers want it to...the wing's shadow actually changes during flight to better suit the needs at different speeds, known as aereolastic tailoring." 

16:43 hybrid laminar flow control - a top-secret system that sucks air into the wing through microscopic holes to promote laminar flow

23:12 first airplane to use 3-D printed titanium to minimize metal waste generated during machining of parts

27:54 electric (vs forced air) de-icing on the wings' leading edge allows deicing without spraying glycol over the surface


Sunday, December 26, 2021

Graphene in concrete




Stronger more flexible and durable concrete and asphalt that incorporates graphene. 

The Real Reason NYC Is Always Covered In Scaffolding



Because NY landlords are cheap. 
2:50 a loophole for a law passed to inspect facades for loose masonry is to leave the scaffolding up permanently over a sidewalk rather than repair the actual masonry. 
And, oddly, 4:06 all scaffolding "sidewalk sheds" must be painted a specific shade of Hunter green. 

Friday, December 24, 2021

747 total engine failure, glides to safety


White volcanic ash at high elevations is remarkably abrasive, damages all instruments, sandblasts the turbines and windscreen, and then turns to molten glass inside the engine's heat. 
After this, 37:46, pilots learned to turn 180 (to exit the ash cloud) descend and slow engines to minimum thrust (to prevent glass formation at high temperatures) 

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Making a 13600 horsepower Diesel Engine



11:29 the crankcase takes two full weeks to cool down after casting before it's removed from its mold. 
16:58 to clean the molding sand off, millions of 2.5mm steel pellets are fired at the casting at 200 kmph (130mph) - this also helps to harden the steel. 
27:12 each piston-connecting-rod combo (a "power unit") weighs 750kg (1600lb.)
48:25 it will operate for up to 35 years, maintenance-free. 


Monday, December 20, 2021

Abstract: Costume design

32:30 Costume gives you information about the character, in a way that services the story. 

Sunday, December 19, 2021

How long is milk good in the fridge?

"it is actually best to store fresh milk in the refrigerator at 4°C and consume it within three days after opening."

"there's even a specific location in your fridge where you should be keeping your milk — and it's not on the door's shelves...milk should be stored at 38° to 40°F in the same container it came in, and far away from the door."

"Once opened, all milk can last for 4-7 days after the milk expiration date."

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Morning routine in the Coldest Village on Earth, Yakutia



No plumbing - outdoor toilets, and melting snow to wash his face. 

How Airlines Quietly Became Banks



This really surprised me - airlines loyalty programs make them so much money that they're willing to fly people at a slight loss just to keep them in their loyalty programs. 
15:15 "airlines have nearly complete unchecked control over a currency with which they are the only entity which can convert it to cash. Frequent flyer programs are genius financial instruments because it's nearly impossible for the airlines to lose." 

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Around The World Travel By Private Jet: Private Jet Travel | National Geographic Expeditions

24 days for $95,000 all inclusive
The jet, converted just for this expedition: 
-Instead of the standard 233 seats, the jet’s interior has been customized to accommodate just 75 passengers in two-by-two, VIP-style leather seating.
-Flying direct and avoiding layovers.

Road Scholar
21 days, $60,000
  • Take your business-class seat on a spacious 767 plane and jet from one iconic destination to the next over 21 days, staying in four and five-star hotels at each destination.
  • Accompany top Road Scholar instructors to learn about Stonehenge, the Great Pyramids, Petra, Angkor Wat and the temples of Borobudur.
  • Travel by private Boeing 767-300ER jet airplane featuring 54 passenger seats with dual aisle, 2 by 2 by 2 configuration and ‘lie flat’ Business Class seating
  • Road Scholar
Aman tours - jet converted from 130 seats to 19
22 days, $153,000, stay at Anan resorts in JAPAN - LAOS - VIETNAM - CAMBODIA - THAILAND - BHUTAN - INDIA - GREECE - ITALY

Around the World with Geoffrey Kent: An Inspiring Expedition by Private Jet 2022

24 days from $165,000 per person, Limited to 46 guests
PRESIDENT'S JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD 
20 DAYS, $122000 
AIRCRAFT: AIRBUS A321NEO-LR 
SEATS: 52 FULL FLATBED RECLINE

CNBC article on other tours


Friday, December 10, 2021

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Stop Closing Apps on Your Android Phone

Closing apps may just use more resources as you reopen then the next time. Android is designed to keep them ready in the background and the OS will close then only when necessary. 

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Beautiful website of RV modifications


Sand Mining - A Major Global Environmental Crisis

Who knew this abundant material was in crisis - we're extracting far more than gets produced. 


Sand - the second most extracted resource on the planet, after water. 
6:15 there's actually very little regulation, monitoring, or enforcement around sand mining
We need to find alternatives - 11:45 perhaps harness the bio-mineralizing capability of photosynthetic micro algae. 

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Sprinter Schedule B Maintenance



5:30 get the right oil. Mobil 1 ESP 5W30

The OM-642 3.0 liter V6 takes 12.5 liters 13.2086 US Fluid Quarts.

Kit with filter, oil, drain plug and washer. $153

Oil filter Mann HU821x
Mercedes-Benz / Sprinter Engine Oil Filter Mahle Original OEM OX380D







Sunday, November 28, 2021

For the Best Boiled Corn, Don’t Boil It At All

This channel is great for cooking tips. 


6:02 boil the water, then turn the heat off just as you add the corn. This achieves the ideal temperature to gel the starch without making it chalky it starchy, yet not too hot to dissolve the pectin in the pericarp making it soft and sticky. 


Perfect crisp bacon every time by adding a bit of water at the beginning. This creates the perfect temperature to render the fat without burning the meat. 

Swabbing Subways in Different Countries



5:34 if we look at your shoe, for example, we can tell with about 90% certainty what city you were recently in, just from the microbes you're carrying with you. 

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Vienna's Radical Idea? Affordable Housing For All, designed in part by the residents




Moratorium on new public housing - limiting total units to the level at 1999 - 
5:40 "has led to the result of not a single US county having enough affordable housing for its current population."

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Knightscope


Those blue flashing lights in parking lots, touted as having lots of benefits...like: 

Armed Robbery – security robot provided the best evidence of armed robbery and theft of vehicle. 

Suspicious activity – providing high-definition video and license plate detections for 30 instances over the 4-month period 

Burglaries – elicited confession to...two burglaries 

Domestic Violence – captured eye level video of an assault that was used for prosecution

Feeling of Safety – improved sense of security  while walking to their cars after dark

Fire – identified heat anomaly... thermal camera on security robot helped to avoid a major fire

Fraud – assisted in stopping a fraudulent insurance claim

Hit and Run – helped identify a car involved in parking lot hit and run; security robot data was directly responsible for catching the suspect

Incident Reduction – 20 crime/security incidents per month down to 1 for the entire last year

Perimeter Expansion – extending signal detection perimeter capabilities to outside of facility and added eye level high-definition video at critical ingress / egress location

Sexual Predator – helped issue an arrest warrant for a sexual predator

Shooting – identification of a gunman in a shooting incident at a mall

Slip and Fall – avoiding a lawsuit over a slip and fall incident using eye-level video evidence

Stolen Bikes – numerous bikes stolen prior to deployment, and only one since

Thief – helped catch a thief in a retail store

Trespassing – prevented trespassers and substance abusers from living at locations. 

Vandalism – assisted in tracking down a vandal

Vehicle Break-Ins – 2 vehicle break-ins per week down to 0 in the last 10 month


https://www.knightscope.com/crime


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Sunday, November 21, 2021

Biology of: Ant Colonies




3:42 only 1 in 500 new queens survive to make a new colony. 
3:51 some species of ant queens lay 3E8 eggs in their lifetime. 

Can desalination end global water shortages?




3:10 less than 4% of the world's population currently relies on desalination for water. 
3:55 a new method of "temperature setting solvent extraction" uses lower temperatures than distillation requires, and temporary combination with a solvent to improve separation of salt allowing for a "zero liquid water discharge" process that avoids pumping brackish brine back into the ocean with attendant environmental consequences. 

Friday, November 19, 2021

Repair a destroyed car



Pretty impressive rebuild of a unibody car - stretched back into shape with chains and panels replaced. 
This can hardly be worthwhile unless you have wholesale prices for the parts you replace. I guess pricing is probably quite different in China.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Vertical farming



YouTube of how an indoor farm uses technology to grow 80000 pounds of produce per week.

0:28 seed varieties are optimized for flavor instead of weather- and insect resistance

0:40 uses 95% less water than regular farms, and no pesticides. Hundred-fold more productive outer square foot of land.

1:33 lighting costs wennt down 85%, and their efficiency doubled. 

How airports make money - Wendover



Because airport make substantially more from long-haul flights, and Heathrow is at full capacity per day...7:45 it's easier for UK residents to connect through Amsterdam than their own Heathrow airport in London! 

Monday, November 15, 2021

Canada's Northwest Passage




As the Northwest Passage becomes navigable over the next decades due to ice melt, it will be a welcome shortcut for shipping, but an expensive responsibility for Canadians. 

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Cars are lasting longer

2:22 Toyota models, especially the Land Cruiser, stand out in longevity. The graph shows the percentage of vehicles made that last to 200,000 miles.

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