47 replies to this topic

[NapisaurusRex]

Maybe I should've been clearer, I'm talking about interesting facts that you've learned. Things the general populace isn't aware of. Like the pills-on-the-ground fact, or the darker can't-wash-out-blood thing.

 

Oh. 

 

Some of the natural gas lines in Oklahoma are made of wood and from the 1800s and still in use today. The reason they can still be used is because the clay dirt is so tightly compacted around the pipes that oxygen can't get down to them and they can't leak gas. The gas companies there don't necessarily want Oklahomans to know that because it's kind of scary to think about, even though it's safe.

[Syntax]

 

Awesome!

 

They should teach history like this.

 

Awh. :3

 

I was basically taught the Cold War like that. My teacher constantly pointed out how the USA was a dick but at the same time the USSR was kinda asking for it. Like an asshole bf and a passive agressive bitch. There were animated powerpoints.

[Melchoire]

Crouching tiger hidden dragon.

 

What? Are you even trying?

Oh. 

 

Some of the natural gas lines in Oklahoma are made of wood and from the 1800s and still in use today. The reason they can still be used is because the clay dirt is so tightly compacted around the pipes that oxygen can't get down to them and they can't leak gas. The gas companies there don't necessarily want Oklahomans to know that because it's kind of scary to think about, even though it's safe.

 

That is actually pretty cool. Did you learn this at work?

[NapisaurusRex]

That is actually pretty cool. Did you learn this at work?

Yeah, I did computer mapping for almost five years. Over two of them were mapping natural gas pipelines.

[Adam]

Don't get questions wrong on a test. I got 4 wrong out of 60 questions, and I had to do 20 different push-ups for each: 1 Handed, diamond, decline and wide angle. 

 

Here's something of slight interest that is more pertinent to my job. I'm a C-130 mechanic in the US Air Force, so I need to know pretty much everything that pertains to my air frame.

 

The C130 uses 3 hydraulic systems to operate features throughout the plane. The Utility system powers flight controls, the Auxiliary system powers the cargo ramp and door. Tying both of these systems through what is called the 'ground-test checkout valve', this allows us to operate the flight controls (Ailerons, Rudder, Flaps & Elevators) on the ground. The third and final hydraulic system that is used, is the Booster system, and well...it boosts shit.

 

I don't think I can tell you the exact fuel distribution we use in all 8 of the tanks, but for every flight, we use around 34,000LBs of fuel. My aircraft is one of the smallest cargo planes in the fleet, something like the KC-135 holds like 200,000LBs of fuel. 

 

On a regular day, I have around 20-30 people's lives in my hands. If I don't do the best I can to take care of my plane, people may die.

 

Oh and don't argue with a Master Sergeant as an A1C (Airman First Class), that never turns out in your favor x.x

Edited by Adam, 01 June 2013 - 07:07 AM.

[Sweeney]

Adam, didn't you just make a status update about being unable to wire a subwoofer into your car?

[Adam]

Adam, didn't you just make a status update about being unable to wire a subwoofer into your car?

Haha indeed I did! I don't do electrical work on my plane, that's what ComNav (Communication & Navigation) troops are for. I can change a $3.4million engine on a plane like a champ, but a woofer sucked. It took me 9 hours to wire the woofer into my car, but alas it's done. It was actually a pretty complicated job.

Edited by Adam, 01 June 2013 - 07:18 AM.

[Melchoire]

Don't get questions wrong on a test. I got 4 wrong out of 60 questions, and I had to do 20 different push-ups for each: 1 Handed, diamond, decline and wide angle. 

 

Here's something of slight interest that is more pertinent to my job. I'm a C-130 mechanic in the US Air Force, so I need to know pretty much everything that pertains to my air frame.

 

The C130 uses 3 hydraulic systems to operate features throughout the plane. The Utility system powers flight controls, the Auxiliary system powers the cargo ramp and door. Tying both of these systems through what is called the 'ground-test checkout valve', this allows us to operate the flight controls (Ailerons, Rudder, Flaps & Elevators) on the ground. The third and final hydraulic system that is used, is the Booster system, and well...it boosts shit.

 

I don't think I can tell you the exact fuel distribution we use in all 8 of the tanks, but for every flight, we use around 34,000LBs of fuel. My aircraft is one of the smallest cargo planes in the fleet, something like the KC-135 holds like 200,000LBs of fuel. 

 

On a regular day, I have around 20-30 people's lives in my hands. If I don't do the best I can to take care of my plane, people may die.

 

Oh and don't argue with a Master Sergeant as an A1C (Airman First Class), that never turns out in your favor x.x

 

Holy shitballs! What does it need with 34,000lbs of fuel? How long does it stay in flight? And why aren't we measuring it in volume units?

[Adam]

Holy shitballs! What does it need with 34,000lbs of fuel? How long does it stay in flight? And why aren't we measuring it in volume units?

The fuel is needed to fly various missions from: humanitarian missions around the world to delivering supplies to allied troops in the middle east. I'm currently stationed in a training wing, so our pilots fly around (wherever the hell they go) in order to train and become comfortable with flying.

We measure fuel specifically for documentation purposes. Each plane has a set of forms where all maintenance is documented. In what is called the 781H, the fuel load is listed and lbs is used to keep the records. We purchase it gallons, and the fuel truck driver writes us a receipt with how many gallons and pounds we took. I'm sure it's measured in other forms of volume somewhere else down the line, but I've only seen it in lbs and gallons.

 

Oh! And our pilots stay in flight for about 10 hours flying around the US.

Edited by Adam, 01 June 2013 - 01:34 PM.

[Melchoire]

This is something kinda cool that "clicked" in my head when I was doing my h/w the other day.

 

Y'know how the derivative of sin(x) is cos(x) ? I always wondered in the back of my mind how differentiating sinusoids always gives you sinusoids, but I just memorized the identities and accepted it.

 

There's another type of function that will return itself when you differentiate it: e^x.

 

How are these connected?

 

Well according to euler's formula:

e^ix = cos(x) + isin(x)

 

From this you can write both sin and cos as a sum of 2 exponentials. And it just so happens that when you differentiate them, the main properties of the function remains the same (since d/dx[e^x] = e^x).

 

And that's why integrating and differentiating sinusoids give you sinusoids.

[Adam]

I mean this in the kindest, most lighthearted way possible. What in the hell did you just say?

[Melchoire]

I mean this in the kindest, most lighthearted way possible. What in the hell did you just say?

 

You need a bit of calculus background to understand it

 

Have you taken any classes before?

[CFaLLs]

This Video 

 

 

[Adam]

You need a bit of calculus background to understand it

 

Have you taken any classes before?

I stopped taking math at Algebra 2 in high school. Closest thing I've come to calculus is chemistry and physics lol..

[Melchoire]

I stopped taking math at Algebra 2 in high school. Closest thing I've come to calculus is chemistry and physics lol..

 

Funny thing is I was doing h/w for electric circuits when I realized this. But then again circuits is basically applied calculus.

[LegitRSer]

High School Is Pointless. All You Need is A GED

[iblvuhvemystplr]

Today I learned the basics of javascript in my into to javascript class.

[nox]

Show up early

 

and

 

Do things right the first time

[Yung]

Haha indeed I did! I don't do electrical work on my plane, that's what ComNav (Communication & Navigation) troops are for. I can change a $3.4million engine on a plane like a champ, but a woofer sucked. It took me 9 hours to wire the woofer into my car, but alas it's done. It was actually a pretty complicated job.

 

>.> I could've helped you with that ya know...

 

 

Something interesting I've learned at some of my jobs includes:

 

• The City of Galveston Texas was wiped out in the famous Hurricane of 1900 but the pipeline remained. Most of the pipeline for their natural gas was replaced in the 1932-1936 years however some very old claytile pipeline still is in active use that was reportedly built in 1889 and is running under the highway. TNG (Texas Natural Gas) doesn't really want the people of Galveston to know that such old pipe is still being used because they've had issues with some of the the old iron pipes corroding from improper pipe charging (Natural gas pipes are electrically charged to prevent corrosion).
• At Silver Dollar City (Theme park in southern Missouri) there is a massive cave under the park, what most people don't know is that the Tablerock Dam (One of the chain of dams that turned the Missouri River -formerly the largest river in the U.S. - into the chain of massive lakes that exist today; Beaver Lake, Tablerock Lake, Lake Taneycomo, Bull Shoals Lake, and finally the Norfork Lake which runs into the Mississippi) runs underground and is actually in Marvel Cave far from the guest trails. The hike takes about 1 to 2 hours and involves one submerged passage that requires you to swim underneath a large rock and it takes about 30 seconds or so in pitch black lighting. I made the hike twice, the second time almost not making it back up from under the rock when I was returning. Fortunately Bruce Herschend (The Herschend's own Silver Dollar City) noticed I'd gone off from the main trail point and pulled me back into the correct direction.

 

[Mandie]

Lesson learned: You don't even want to KNOW how much nasty bacteria there is lurking on common objects. Wash your hands before you touch your face and eat. Seriously.

 

I cleaned hospital and operating rooms. I've cleaned rooms with bedbugs, lice, necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria), CDIF, MSRA, VRE...list goes on. Most are in an out of the hospital in a week. Sometimes a month. Some things you come across (usually spawned in hospitals) can kill you. Until I started working here, I didn't realize how prevalent and commonplace tuberculosis is. Every hospital staff member is tested for exposure every year.

 

I always clean a room as if my family member is staying in there. I cannot say the same for my co-workers. In fact, quite a few of them just pull trash out of the room and don't wipe anything down (if it doesn't look dirty). Use the sanitizing wipes in the rooms yourself just to make sure.

 

Also, brain matter comes out best with bleach out of shoes. Placenta comes out best with hydrogen peroxide.

Edited by Hypercube, 20 June 2013 - 04:17 AM.

[wesayhey]

Friends are important

[Chameleon]

Blood does not come out of clothing, no matter how much you wash and bleach it.

 

Also, the combined smell of blood and faeces in a small and confined space is the third worst smelling thing of all time.

Hydrogen peroxide on the blood stain.  And yes, I learned this on the job.

[Aradriel]

--> homosexuality was a mental illness until 1974

 

--> If you have an accident, the less people see it, the more likely it is to receive help

 

--> Smile when you feel unhappy, you should feel better! (facial feedback)