Did you know?

[Friesiansam]

If you are following another ship in orbit and want to catch up to dock, what do you do? Fire your engines to speed up, or slow down?

Might surprise some that the answer is the latter. A reduction in speed drops you into a lower orbit, which will mean you get around the moon or planet in les time, ergo you'll catch up. You can then speed up to, erm, slow down as it were.

Space is weird and wonderful.

On the other hand, the European Space Station, orbiting around 200 miles up, travels around the planet at about 17141 mph, whilst a satellite in geostationary orbit, around 32000 miles up, only travels at around 9400 mph.

 

[plastic penguin]

Christopher Lee's acting regret was not be asked to appear in any of the Carry On films.

Classic.

 

[jjbomber]

Did you know today's snow is far too dangerous for the schools to open for the teachers and healthy young kids, but the snow is perfectly safe for hospitals to open for the nurses, old, infirm and sick. Incredible!

 

[Friesiansam]

Christopher Lee's acting regret was not be asked to appear in any of the Carry On films.

Classic.

He would have been good in something like Carry On Screaming.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

On the other hand, the European Space Station, orbiting around 200 miles up, travels around the planet at about 17141 mph, whilst a satellite in geostationary orbit, around 32000 miles up, only travels at around 9400 mph.

The nearer you are, the faster you have to travel in order to avoid de-orbiting.

 

[Friesiansam]

The nearer you are, the faster you have to travel in order to avoid de-orbiting.

Just making the point, that not only do you lose altitude if you slow down, you also need to go slower to orbit at higher altitude. Such is the way of gravity and physics.

 

[plastic penguin]

He would have been good in something like Carry On Screaming.

Wouldn't he just...

"Oh Matron, can I bite your neck"🙂

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Just making the point, that not only do you lose altitude if you slow down, you also need to go slower to orbit at higher altitude. Such is the way of gravity and physics.

Or the conservation of angular momentum, as it's known!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Did you know today's snow is far too dangerous for the schools to open for the teachers and healthy young kids, but the snow is perfectly safe for hospitals to open for the nurses, old, infirm and sick. Incredible!

Having been a school governor, I can perhaps shed a little light. What happens if they open is that lots of parents end up being late (sometimes very much so) collecting their offspring. The kids can't make their way home (well, some can't - many wouldn't know what to do with their legs anyway), so the school ends up being an unpaid babysitter and staff can't go home. And if people don't go to hospital they might die - missing school ain't quite so consequential!

 

[Friesiansam]

Having been a school governor, I can perhaps shed a little light. What happens if they open is that lots of parents end up being late (sometimes very much so) collecting their offspring. The kids can't make their way home (well, some can't - many wouldn't know what to do with their legs anyway), so the school ends up being an unpaid babysitter and staff can't go home. And if people don't go to hospital they might die - missing school ain't quite so consequential!

When I were a lad, I lived on the Mendip Hills in Somerset and, went to school in Wells down below. One Winter the school closed early and we were just turned out, those of us living around 6 miles away up on the hill, just had to walk home. This was about 45 years ago, when kids were tough!!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

When I were a lad, I lived on the Mendip Hills in Somerset and, went to school in Wells down below. One Winter the school closed early and we were just turned out, those of us living around 6 miles away up on the hill, just had to walk home. This was about 45 years ago, when kids were tough!!

Nowadays they almost all get ferried around, even if they live in what I would consider very comfortable walking distance.

 

[WayneKerr]

Having been a school governor, I can perhaps shed a little light. What happens if they open is that lots of parents end up being late (sometimes very much so) collecting their offspring. The kids can't make their way home (well, some can't - many wouldn't know what to do with their legs anyway), so the school ends up being an unpaid babysitter and staff can't go home. And if people don't go to hospital they might die - missing school ain't quite so consequential!

Interesting. I thought it was maybe to do with the litigation culture we have become... Johnnie broke his arm in the icy school playground... sue the school!

I can remember back back in my school days actively constructing skating rinks in the snow-covered playground... so many broken arms... it was a right of passage and no one sued

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

so many broken arms... it was a right of passage and no one sued

Apparently the most common broken bone is the clavicle (collar bone) - I'd have incorrectly guessed one in the arm. (From one of Sue Black's books.)

 

[Friesiansam]

Apparently the most common broken bone is the clavicle (collar bone) - I'd have incorrectly guessed one in the arm. (From one of Sue Black's books.)

The most common broken bone injury in cycling accidents, is to the clavicle.

I did a great deal of cycling when I was younger, including time trialling. I had 3 accidents that involved broken bones, never broke a clavicle!

 

[WayneKerr]

Managed to get through my cycling days with no broken bones. I saved the broken clavicle for a motorbike accident

 

[Al ears]

Apparently the most common broken bone is the clavicle (collar bone) - I'd have incorrectly guessed one in the arm. (From one of Sue Black's books.)

I'd have guessed lower leg or finger even..

 

[Gray]

Never broken any bone.....so far.

Broke teeth (and subsequently the repaired teeth) - first, pavement bite, was my punishment for doing "no handed" on my bike as a stupid kid.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Never broken any bone.....so far.

One in my hand, and a fractured skull coming off a friend's Raleigh Chopper. Lethal machines - if you tried to turn too tightly, the front wheel could lock. Resulted in a bonce/kerb interface that I mercifully do not recall...

 

[Friesiansam]

One in my hand, and a fractured skull coming off a friend's Raleigh Chopper. Lethal machines - if you tried to turn too tightly, the front wheel could lock. Resulted in a bonce/kerb interface that I mercifully do not recall...

I managed to break, nose, right cheekbone, right ulna and 5th metatarsal in right hand, oh, and broke 2 front teeth. Apart from that I was fine...

 

[Gray]

One in my hand, and a fractured skull coming off a friend's Raleigh Chopper. Lethal machines - if you tried to turn too tightly, the front wheel could lock. Resulted in a bonce/kerb interface that I mercifully do not recall...

I managed to break, nose, right cheekbone, right ulna and 5th metatarsal in right hand, oh, and broke 2 front teeth. Apart from that I was fine...

You two have had your money's worth from the NHS 🤕

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

You two have had your money's worth from the NHS 🤕

Have diligently tried to avoid it ever since!

 

[WayneKerr]

You two have had your money's worth from the NHS 🤕

 

[DCarmi]

The centre of the galaxy smells of rum. Scientists have detected concentrations of ethyl formate, which gives rum its smell and raspberries their flavour.

They also detected propyl cyanide, so if you did indulge you'd be dead as a Dodo!

(As a bonus fact, scientists in the USA have sequenced the Dodo's genome and are planning attempt to recreate the Dodo by editing the genes of a close relative of the extinct bird.)

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The centre of the galaxy smells of rum. Scientists have detected concentrations of ethyl formate, which gives rum its smell and raspberries their flavour.

They also detected propyl cyanide, so if you did indulge you'd be dead as a Dodo!

I fear that would be the last of your worries if you found yourself there!

The universe is a pretty hostile place. Reminds me of this, from Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe - the idea behind the book is to explain complex things in simple language - sticking to the most commonly used 1,000 words in the language. The last paragraph of this is about all the ways Venus would kill you!

 

[plastic penguin]

Did you know coffee was first discovered by Ethiopian goat herders when they found their flock were acting strangely after chewing on berries. These berries came from a coffee plant. The herders were apparently quite happy to see their goats stoned.