One more step toward perfection

IBM is still the top dog in computing research.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmGsbd4_Oas>

On 11/27/22 11:11, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno@decadence.org wrote:
> IBM is still the top dog in computing research.
> 
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmGsbd4_Oas>

I see some Veritasium videos waiting over at the right, so it wasn't
entirely a waste of time.

corvid <bl@ckb.ird> wrote in news:tm0nl0$s0b$1@gioia.aioe.org:

> On 11/27/22 11:11, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno@decadence.org wrote:
>> IBM is still the top dog in computing research.
>> 
>> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmGsbd4_Oas>
> 
> I see some Veritasium videos waiting over at the right, so it wasn't
> entirely a waste of time.
> 

Yeah, sure...  they have a grip on reality...  maybe.

  Did you actually watch the video?

On 11/28/22 19:59, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno@decadence.org wrote:
> corvid <bl@ckb.ird> wrote in news:tm0nl0$s0b$1@gioia.aioe.org:
> 
>> On 11/27/22 11:11, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno@decadence.org wrote:
>>> IBM is still the top dog in computing research.
>>> 
>>> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmGsbd4_Oas>
>> 
>> I see some Veritasium videos waiting over at the right, so it 
>> wasn't entirely a waste of time.
>> 
> 
> Yeah, sure...  they have a grip on reality...  maybe.
> 
> Did you actually watch the video?

I did! The disclaimer hinted that the video was meant only for
entertainment! Their go-to punctuation mark after every sentence didn't 
impress me that much! Bang! I spotted several other videos from that 
same channel, all of which appeared to be aimed at Skybuck!

Veritasium had something about electrical power not traveling
quite the way we think it does. One thing that stuck with me from that
one was an explanation that power lines are high overhead so that the
large air gap between them and the earth prevents energy from being lost
into the ground. Is that so? I thought it was just the more cost
effective place to put them.

On Monday, November 28, 2022 at 9:24:04 PM UTC-8, corvid wrote:

> Veritasium had something about electrical power not traveling 
> quite the way we think it does. One thing that stuck with me from that 
> one was an explanation that power lines are high overhead so that the 
> large air gap between them and the earth prevents energy from being lost 
> into the ground. Is that so? I thought it was just the more cost 
> effective place to put them.


Yeah, air is a lot less electrically conductive than soil; AC magnetic
field generates eddy currents in soil.   Plants aren't entirely devoid of
conductivity either, and big AC power trunks usually have defoliant applied 
(annually?) to their pathways.

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 5:16:32 PM UTC+11, whit3rd wrote:
> On Monday, November 28, 2022 at 9:24:04 PM UTC-8, corvid wrote: 
> 
> > Veritasium had something about electrical power not traveling 
> > quite the way we think it does. One thing that stuck with me from that 
> > one was an explanation that power lines are high overhead so that the 
> > large air gap between them and the earth prevents energy from being lost 
> > into the ground. Is that so? I thought it was just the more cost 
> > effective place to put them.
> Yeah, air is a lot less electrically conductive than soil; AC magnetic 
> field generates eddy currents in soil. Plants aren't entirely devoid of 
> conductivity either, and big AC power trunks usually have defoliant applied 
> (annually?) to their pathways.

Really big power links are high voltage DC, and that doesn't generate eddy currents.

The cost of AC/Dc conversion has gone down a  lot in recent years, and lower power links may be moving over to DC too.

-- 
Bill Sloman, Sydney

corvid <bl@ckb.ird> wrote in news:tm44vk$1n4m$1@gioia.aioe.org:

> On 11/28/22 19:59, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno@decadence.org wrote:
>> corvid <bl@ckb.ird> wrote in news:tm0nl0$s0b$1@gioia.aioe.org:
>> 
>>> On 11/27/22 11:11, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno@decadence.org
>>> wrote: 
>>>> IBM is still the top dog in computing research.
>>>> 
>>>> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmGsbd4_Oas>
>>> 
>>> I see some Veritasium videos waiting over at the right, so it 
>>> wasn't entirely a waste of time.
>>> 
>> 
>> Yeah, sure...  they have a grip on reality...  maybe.
>> 
>> Did you actually watch the video?
> 
> I did! The disclaimer hinted that the video was meant only for
> entertainment! Their go-to punctuation mark after every sentence
> didn't impress me that much! Bang! I spotted several other videos
> from that same channel, all of which appeared to be aimed at
> Skybuck! 
> 
> Veritasium had something about electrical power not traveling
> quite the way we think it does. One thing that stuck with me from
> that one was an explanation that power lines are high overhead so
> that the large air gap between them and the earth prevents energy
> from being lost into the ground. Is that so? I thought it was just
> the more cost effective place to put them.
> 

  They do leak across the insulators to the grounded towers.  They 
are eleveated because of the abilty of high voltages to arc across a 
span.  Think of increased air conductivity in heavy fog or rain.  
They also need to be separated from each other.  Then, there is the 
corona effects and Ozone generation.

  That article you mention turned me off on ever watching anyhting 
they produce, because just from the title alone I feel that they are 
pure clickspam bullshit.

Anthony William Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> wrote in
news:2e9ce3bf-d7f0-4f46-8b0a-ddc1fd953978n@googlegroups.com: 

> Really big power links are high voltage DC, and that doesn't
> generate eddy currents. 
> 
> The cost of AC/Dc conversion has gone down a  lot in recent years,
> and lower power links may be moving over to DC too. 
> 

  They need to be kept high and away from ground because they WILL arc 
at specific distances at Megavolt values...  not good!

  All main grid generator to grid generator links of any legnth should 
be DC interties.

  We just have to get us and the world back on the efficiency bandwagon 
instead of this, if it works (even inefficiently), don't 'fix' it 
mentality.

  Did you even check out the processor video?

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 11:04:32 PM UTC+11, DecadentLinux...@decadence.org wrote:
> Anthony William Sloman <bill....@ieee.org> wrote in 
> news:2e9ce3bf-d7f0-4f46...@googlegroups.com:
> > Really big power links are high voltage DC, and that doesn't 
> > generate eddy currents. 
> > 
> > The cost of AC/Dc conversion has gone down a lot in recent years, 
> > and lower power links may be moving over to DC too. 
> >
> They need to be kept high and away from ground because they WILL arc 
> at specific distances at Megavolt values... not good! 

Many of the 500kV DC links are sub-sea cables.  You don't have to rely on air as the only possible insulator.
> 
> All main grid generator to grid generator links of any length should  be DC interties. 
> 
> We just have to get us and the world back on the efficiency bandwagon  instead of this, if it works (even inefficiently), don't 'fix' it  mentality. 
> 
> Did you even check out the processor video?

No. I'm easily bored, and videos usually bore me silly. And if IBM really still  were the top dog in computer research - if they ever ever were - Phil Hobbs would probably still be working for them. IBM bought some cute special purpose electron microscopes from Cambridge Instruments when I worked there, but every last one of them was a production tool, not a research tool.

-- 
Bill Sloman, Sydney

Anthony William Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> wrote in
news:1778e269-4ac1-4650-97a7-b517bb9bf706n@googlegroups.com: 

> On Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 11:04:32 PM UTC+11,
> DecadentLinux...@decadence.org wrote: 
>> Anthony William Sloman <bill....@ieee.org> wrote in 
>> news:2e9ce3bf-d7f0-4f46...@googlegroups.com:
>> > Really big power links are high voltage DC, and that doesn't 
>> > generate eddy currents. 
>> > 
>> > The cost of AC/Dc conversion has gone down a lot in recent
>> > years, and lower power links may be moving over to DC too. 
>> >
>> They need to be kept high and away from ground because they WILL
>> arc at specific distances at Megavolt values... not good! 
> 
> Many of the 500kV DC links are sub-sea cables.  You don't have to
> rely on air as the only possible insulator. 
>> 
>> All main grid generator to grid generator links of any length
>> should  be 
> DC interties. 
>> 
>> We just have to get us and the world back on the efficiency
>> bandwagon  in 
> stead of this, if it works (even inefficiently), don't 'fix' it 
> mentality. 
>> 
>> Did you even check out the processor video?
> 
> No. I'm easily bored, and videos usually bore me silly. And if IBM
> really still  were the top dog in computer research - if they ever
> ever were 

  Not been keeping up then, eh?

  Before they sold the division to Hitachi, IBM was the king of write 
density on a hard drive platter.  Very advanced physics and "computer 
research" went into their win in that realm.  Perpendicular magnetic 
recording made it possible for the drive densities and volume sizes 
we see today.

  And quantum computer research as well.

  And now these optical switches.

  That bores you?  OK, sure.

>- Phil Hobbs would probably still be working for them.

  I am reasonably sure he would / will / has found this interesting 
and or informative.  Single photon emmitters and detectors, etc.
Or very likely was already aware, because I am sure he gets Photonics 
and other top optical realm publications.