Cool Science thread

**iceman** · 10-15-2015, 06:48 PM

Yeah I saw that too, you beat me to it. Pretty freaky.

**NoPostholio** · 10-15-2015, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by Harry

This is interesting....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...aborative_1_na

Thanks for posting - maybe we need to send jodie foster to check it out.

PB · 10-16-2015, 09:44 AM

Or the UCB prof/exo-planet expert that so good with the ladies ......

**NoPostholio** · 10-22-2015, 07:54 PM

More of the engineering genre, but cool non conventional bridge work going on tomm night on TZ bridge. On westchester side they will be pushing paired girder spans from pier to pier over the countries arguably busiest commuter RR. They will have approx 6 hrs of outage to complete the move, and rail service cannot be restored w/o unworkable restrictions if they do not land the span. I am sure the chances of success are very high, but I have done enough of these to know that they have a super long "point of no return" to deal with where dozens of things can keep this from happening. Web cam overlooking the area - don't be surprised if it goes blank tomm night @ about midnight.

http://newnybridgegallery.com/webcam.php

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/tran...ight/74282134/

Any enginerds want to compare worst case scenarios for this or troubleshoot my list?

**TomCrac** · 10-22-2015, 09:26 PM

I live near it and gotta friend that's working on it. I don't know how much congestion it will actually alleviate in the end but it has been pretty cool watching this thing take shape as it's going up.

**gravitylover** · 10-23-2015, 05:32 AM

I don't usually use the TZ but I've gone that way a few times over the last yearjust to watch what's going on with the construction. Cool stuff...

**iceman** · 10-23-2015, 07:06 AM

Maybe I'm way off on this but it doesn't look like it should be that hard to do*. They have to slide that blue truss across until they get to the next pier. Then later they'll do it two more times when they have the additional trusses ready and the three pieces together make the bridge deck across the tracks.

*for people who do this shit and are smart and have the right equipment etc. etc. etc.

**NoPostholio** · 10-23-2015, 08:22 AM

^^^that's a nice shot that makes sense of things. The move itself wouldn't be at all concerning anywhere else on the bridge, but being on the clock with a four track outage is no easy thing. A regular one or two crane pick is only fouling tracks for 30 minutes - this will be for many hours, and you cannot restore rail service without landing it on pier 2. I think it is fascinating from the sidelines, but last year this time I would have had a lot of sleepless nights as the person giving the red or green light. It is no fun making 30 phone calls at 6am to explain why trains won't be operating. Will try and link the video that shows process for tonight.

Viddy of the work tonight
https://youtu.be/G-45FaNWDHc

**NoPostholio** · 10-23-2015, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by TomCrac

I live near it and gotta friend that's working on it. I don't know how much congestion it will actually alleviate in the end but it has been pretty cool watching this thing take shape as it's going up.

Their thought on easing congestion was taking out the roller-coaster ride on West approach. That should be a lot straighter shot. Main determining factor was that maintenence of existing structure was getting close or over 100 million a year depending on what they were replacing. In theory this new bridge will reduce that hudgely with only routine maintenance and inspections needed for 30+ yrs.

The straight up retarded part was designing the sub structure to be ready to accept rail (capacity wise), but not building the piers in a way to easily accept that. Re - staging this whole operation at any point to add rail would be virtually unpossible b/c they didn't add pier support for additional superstructure. Dumb.

**TomCrac** · 10-23-2015, 08:54 AM

I've been on that thing in bumper to bumper because we had to navigate around a hole in the road almost the size of a manhole. When I inched past, you could see straight down to the river.

They did a $20+ million study to determine that a new bridge should be built. Then they replaced the entire deck with a new concrete deck to the tune of $10's of millions. Once that was done, work on the new bridge was fast tracked by Obama and Cuomo. Of course we can't afford to put a light rail on it so they sold us the (bs) idea that it will be light rail ready for a future date when we can afford to add it.

The estimated toll to cross was @ $14.00 but some are saying that it will be higher. They should have just raised it to $14, most people would find an alternative, thus relieving the strain on the bridge and save $6-7 billion on the new bridge.

The east and west sides are pretty maxed out lane wise, I don't see how this will actually relieve the congestion clusterfuk that this bridge is known for.

**old goat** · 10-23-2015, 10:01 AM

This is the only bridge they replaced around here--duplicated the old one. Occasionally we get traffic jams when bikes and cars are trying to cross at the same time. I've had to wait as long as 30 seconds. Glad I don't live in NYC.

Click image for larger version.

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**NoPostholio** · 10-23-2015, 02:45 PM

Since they are cheating, success is imminent b4 5am

Got it across

Video from the girder push
https://youtu.be/t-WrhBZJOaQ

**Tippster** · 10-29-2015, 02:39 PM

Cool stuff dump:

Space-time near Earth
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news...11/04may_epic/
Tattoo removal cream
http://globalnews.ca/news/1832096/ha...removal-cream/
New antibiotic
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...akthrough.html
First artificial heart transplant
http://www.medicaldaily.com/woman-re...l-heart-341182
Wasp venom destroys cancer cells
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-brazili...cer-cells.html
Stem cells helps MS
http://www.healthline.com/health-new...ability-012215
Blood testing for every virus ever contracted
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-.../#.VjIZAberTDc
Foam that slows bleeding
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pr...ave-lives.html
Computer that runs on water
http://www.sciencealert.com/engineer...water-droplets
Crashing a probe into asteroid
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...er-course.html
MircoRNA helps slow/reverse cancer
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...cientists.html
New treatment for brain cancer
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0921153501.htm

**Meathelmet** · 10-29-2015, 05:11 PM

oh for fucks sake? the embedding is even more fucked than before...

**Harry** · 10-29-2015, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Meathelmet

oh for fucks sake? the embedding is even more fucked than before...

Here you go:

**NoPostholio** · 10-30-2015, 02:10 PM

This is very interesting stuff

NASA Adds to Evidence of Mysterious Ancient Earthworks
http://nyti.ms/1Ocn9KR

sb · 11-04-2015, 08:30 AM

a protein taking its fishing bobber out for a walk

PB · 11-04-2015, 01:34 PM

Hey .... is that a spinach lasagna treadmill?

**cat in january** · 11-04-2015, 02:07 PM

I think it is one of Dave's kids

**cat in january** · 11-30-2015, 07:50 PM

3rd solid phase of Carbon (graphite, diamond) found that is ferromagnetic.

http://phys.org/news/2015-11-phase-c...mperature.html

**iceman** · 11-30-2015, 11:10 PM

practical science: why have I not heard about this thing? http://antigravitybatteries.com/microstartxp3/

Sounds awesome. Just read a long thread about it on another forum, it is as advertised apparently. And the price has recently come down substantially. I'm buying one.

edit: try this link instead: http://shop.antigravitybatteries.com/micro-start-xp-3/