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| Circlotron:
Unusual that the traffic would be backed up in both directions at the same time. Generally everyone is either going to work or coming home. Not impossible of course, just unusual. |
| themadhippy:
--- Quote ---Not impossible of course, just unusual. --- End quote --- youve never been on the M25 then,especially the bit from the M40-M3,its unusual if 1 carriage way is free running let alone both |
| MK14:
--- Quote from: james_s on June 08, 2023, 12:19:26 am --- --- Quote from: MK14 on June 07, 2023, 11:32:46 pm ---Pity we can't just invent something, which can turn heat (temperature) as opposed to temperature differences, into electricity. Saving burning so much fossil fuels and reducing the global temperatures (maybe or maybe not, as that electricity would eventually be turned back into heat, when it is used, typically). --- End quote --- That's kind of how physics works though. Heat is a bit like static electricity, unless the heat (or electricity) is flowing somewhere, no work is getting done. --- End quote --- My understanding, is that it might be theoretically possible. Example: You use a very high efficiency heat pump, to turn the existing temperature into a temperature difference, perhaps using a fifth (or hopefully higher) of the electrical energy, that would have been needed, to create the heating (temperature increase) using resistive heating elements. You then use that temperature difference to power a thermopile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generator with perhaps an ... --- Quote ---efficiency is approximately 33-37% --- End quote --- can be used. Then it might be possible, eventually, to make realistic ones, which can 'profitably' extract electricity, out of pure/fixed temperature. Just that they need to invent, practicable heat-pumps and thermopiles, with the necessary high enough efficiencies, over compatible temperature ranges. But don't worry. I've heard about and/or spoken to one or more people, who strongly think that the Physics of what I just said, is relatively impossible and it would never work. Anyway, as a backup solution. Perhaps fusion power will be invented one day (by that I mean our own fusion generators, excluding calling solar cells/panels fusion as they use the suns natural fusion energy system). |
| IanB:
--- Quote from: james_s on June 06, 2023, 10:31:05 pm ---I was chatting with my British friend recently and he was complaining about the warm weather and not being able to open windows because of all the bugs getting in the house so I asked if he needed new window screens and he said he didn't have any and that they aren't really a thing there at all. --- End quote --- Your friend is correct about screens not being a thing. Firstly, your friend is a wuss. There are a few people who jump up and down and scream: "Ooh, a little flying insect, oh no, how scary!" Most people just shrug and ignore them. Secondly, most British windows are on hinges and open outwards, making screens impractical to fit. If you tried to open the window, it would hit the screen. Sliding windows are not that common. Thirdly, flying insects really aren't a thing (at least, not compared to the Eastern USA). Things that come inside during the day: Wasps--not that common, and if they come in you just shoo them out again, or swat them. Flies--same deal. Things that come inside at night: Mosquitoes--depends on the location. Rare in most of the country, but if you live in a mosquito zone, then very annoying. Moths: yeah, well, just ignore them. Crane flies (daddy longlegs): pretty annoying in the season, but harmless. Just ignore them unless you are a girl. Otherwise, squealing is entertaining. My perspective: I have never cared about having open windows in the summer in Britain, except the one time that I lived an a mosquito area. And then, it was really annoying to splat a mozzie and get a blood stain on the wall :( |
| CatalinaWOW:
--- Quote from: IanB on June 08, 2023, 03:14:37 am --- --- Quote from: james_s on June 06, 2023, 10:31:05 pm ---I was chatting with my British friend recently and he was complaining about the warm weather and not being able to open windows because of all the bugs getting in the house so I asked if he needed new window screens and he said he didn't have any and that they aren't really a thing there at all. --- End quote --- Your friend is correct about screens not being a thing. Firstly, your friend is a wuss. There are a few people who jump up and down and scream: "Ooh, a little flying insect, oh no, how scary!" Most people just shrug and ignore them. Secondly, most British windows are on hinges and open outwards, making screens impractical to fit. If you tried to open the window, it would hit the screen. Sliding windows are not that common. Thirdly, flying insects really aren't a thing (at least, not compared to the Eastern USA). Things that come inside during the day: Wasps--not that common, and if they come in you just shoo them out again, or swat them. Flies--same deal. Things that come inside at night: Mosquitoes--depends on the location. Rare in most of the country, but if you live in a mosquito zone, then very annoying. Moths: yeah, well, just ignore them. Crane flies (daddy longlegs): pretty annoying in the season, but harmless. Just ignore them unless you are a girl. Otherwise, squealing is entertaining. My perspective: I have never cared about having open windows in the summer in Britain, except the one time that I lived an a mosquito area. And then, it was really annoying to splat a mozzie and get a blood stain on the wall :( --- End quote --- Outward opening windows make fitting screens a bit more difficult, but not that bad. Simplest solution would be a screen hinged on the same side as the window. Open window with screen lying against the window (the stowed position), then close the screen. I wonder why annoying insects are less common in Britain. Certainly all climates in the US have them. Many are totally harmless, but some are very noisy. Others like June Bugs and Cicadas and grasshoppers are generally a total non issue, but the overwhelming numbers for a week or two each year is a real pain. If a percent get into the house you are talking about hundreds or thousands of insects with a very significant total volume. Outdoors they are literally shoveled up for disposal with snow shovels. You don't have to be a wuss to prefer the bugs outdoors. Large houseflies can interfere with sleep from noise and they tickle/irritate if they are walking on exposed skin. And if you know their life cycle (they lay their eggs in dung and the larvae eat it before transforming into the adult fly, which ends up walking around on the same material before going on its merry ventures) having them walk around on your dishes, counters and food is distasteful. Bees and wasps are a non-issue until one gets trapped between you and a chair or bedding. And then is life threatening if you are sensitive. I became sensitized one summer when we had an unusually heavy infestation and was stung on seven separate occasions. The first was a non issue, and not even particularly painful. But by the seventh my entire hand and forearm became swollen to more than twice its normal size. I am not interested in finding the next step in the progression. |
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