Lucifer was brilliant loved the dark humour, sad to see it go.

A little gem has restarted on BBC2, "The Secret Genius of Modern Life", a documentary series that strips down one item of modern life, how it was invented, made, developed and used. Last night was on 'smartphones' and was fascinating! I never knew how a touchscreen worked.

As an aside bonus, the presenter, Prof Hannah Fry, is very easy on the eye...

I've been wondering whether that was a new series as I feel like I've seen parts of it before! 

Still well worth watching though.  Last weeks was on vacuum cleaners.  Very interesting.  I didn't realise how the Dyson cyclonic technology worked...or indeed how long ago it was discovered as a scientific principle.  

I've been catching the brain box that is Professor Brian Cox, some of it goes over my head, but he makes science interesting. It's when he starts talking about time I struggle putting it into context.

18 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

It's when he starts talking about time I struggle putting it into context.

Lol, I've yet to meet anyone who's tried to read Stephen Hawking 's "Brief History of Time" and got very far. I managed as far as page 29 before I gave up!😀

3 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Lol, I've yet to meet anyone who's tried to read Stephen Hawking 's "Brief History of Time" and got very far. I managed as far as page 29 before I gave up!😀

Wow, 24 pages more than me! LOL

will give the book a bash see if its available as an audiobook.

1 hour ago, Jimpster said:

will give the book a bash see if its available as an audiobook.

Might be helpful if you suffer from insomnia.........😀

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Might be helpful if you suffer from insomnia.........😀

mmm... not one for listening in the car then 🤣

Last nights 'Secret Genius' was on microwave ovens.

I had no idea the door mesh allowed it to create a full faraday cage inside the microwave!  Next time someone asks how to keep their keyless entry fobs safe at home, I know where I'll suggest!  

The reason the mesh works is that the holes are smaller than the wavelength of the radiation.

The latest was headphones. It was interesting seeing how noise cancellation works. I already knew it used microphones to pick up the ambient noise and phase-reverse it but didn't realse there was another microphone picking up the sound in the ear canal.

It was also enlightening hearing how Alexander Graham Bell screwed over the guy who was the first to invent the telephone. What an a$$hole! Sadly that seems to be the American way.

 

Must admit, I've noticed a high level of arrogance in many of the inventors on this type of programme.  Definitely not limited to the USA.  I'm grateful for the work they've done, but not the sort of people I'd want to be socially involved with.

On 4/10/2023 at 5:37 PM, alanfp said:

Yes! Whatever happened to the likely lads.

what about..... Last of the Summer wine? 

10 minutes ago, IrishFocus-ST-Line said:

what about..... Last of the Summer wine? 

An absolute unique show, a comedy series with no actual 'comedy' in it, genius!

1 hour ago, StephenFord said:

An absolute unique show, a comedy series with no actual 'comedy' in it, genius!

My dad loved it, forced us to watch it, Sunday evening bliss.  also, Dad's Army, iconic show. 

"It ain't half hot mum" was a classic,up there with dad's army, porridge and countless others. 

6 minutes ago, porkchop 64 said:

"It ain't half hot mum" was a classic,up there with dad's army, porridge and countless others. 

I use to watch it when 1st on, I saw a repeat recently - but it has not aged well, whereas Porridge will still make you laugh!

50 minutes ago, porkchop 64 said:

"It ain't half hot mum" 

Not very pc in today's environment. Quite a few of that era wouldn't be allowed to be shown on TV now. 

9 hours ago, iantt said:

...Quite a few of that era wouldn't be allowed to be shown on TV now. 

In the movie, 'Dambusters', the Wing Commander owned a black labrador called the 'N' word. Usually it's just blanked out on TV but last year Channel 4 broadcast it in full. Likely a mistake, but there was no outcry at the time over it. It's hard to block out every bit of history just because it offends modern thinking...

29 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

In the movie, 'Dambusters', the Wing Commander owned a black labrador called the 'N' word. Usually it's just blanked out on TV but last year Channel 4 broadcast it in full. Likely a mistake, but there was no outcry at the time over it. It's hard to block out every bit of history just because it offends modern thinking...

I have seen it again recently in the unexpurgated version. I think it was on "Talking Pictures TV"  who often screen classic movies in their original version, albeit with a "health warning"  for the wokerati.

Guy Gibson was a bit of a hero to lads of my generation, only 24 when he led the dams raid and lost his life at 26 and was undoubtedly of his time. I've seen it said that he was "not as nice a chap" as Richard Todd who portrayed him, but reading Gibson's own words in his book "Enemy Coast Ahead" I got the impression there was a lot of lost future potential there.

Wasnt that word the one sent from the planes to state a breach ? sent in morse ?

14 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

Wasnt that word the one sent from the planes to state a breach ? sent in morse ?

It was. I believe in reality they only used that for the Mohne dam, they used "Dinghy" to signify the Eder was breached. 

Incidentally I can recommend Max Hastings book "Chastise" which gives a pretty balanced view of the operations success or failure including the tragic loss of life in the air and on the ground. One thing thing the author leaves in no doubt is the courage of the aircrew involved.

Am undecided, on one hand it was a major success, on the other it made very little difference apart from killing a few humans and some cows. Although there's NO disputing the bravery of ANYONE that went to war and their bravado was to hide the fear and paint a good light.

23 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

Am undecided, on one hand it was a major success, on the other it made very little difference apart from killing a few humans and some cows. Although there's NO disputing the bravery of ANYONE that went to war and their bravado was to hide the fear and paint a good light.

It reduced the manufacture of materials the Germans were in short supply of, moved men and materials again that they were in short supply of to  repair the dams, factories, railways etc that would have being used on other projects such as the Atlantic wall, it did more to the war effort than kill a few people and cows.

On 12/8/2023 at 12:40 PM, mjt said:

 

The latest was headphones. It was interesting seeing how noise cancellation works. I already knew it used microphones to pick up the ambient noise and phase-reverse it but didn't realse there was another microphone picking up the sound in the ear canal.

 

If they could pick up my tinnitus and phase-return that I would be most grateful!