“Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic.” - Arthur C Clarke
“Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.” - either Larry Niven or Terry Pratchett
I think both apply to modern science.
Fucking magnets, how do they work?
Well when all of the atoms get together and unionize they can coordinate to point their charges the same direction.
I put lightening into rocks and trick them into thinking, then spend nights writing pages of cryptic runes to bend the rocks to my will. (Hobby electronics)
For I have gazed at the ancient and forgotten worlds with my craft. (I look through a telescope at distant objects).
Am I right in thinking the bottom right picture is of Cherenkov radiation, cause it definitely looks like it?
The eerily blue glow of photons and electrons moving faster than light through water, it’s fascinating stuff!
Wow.
Mercury arc valves remain in use in some South African mines and Kenya (at Mombasa Polytechnic - Electrical & Electronic department).
Amazing how we’re still using such old technology in some places when we have semiconductors.
Wellington turned off the last mercury arc rectifiers in its electric commuter rail about 2010.
Plenty of heritage tramways and historic railways still use them. Polytechs keep all kinds of long obsolete equipment running for training purposes too - one, there’s still a need for people to operate/maintain it, and two, older gear can sometimes be good as learning tools due to simplicity. That doesn’t really apply to diodes vs mercury arc though…
They were the only practical option to get DC from AC until maybe the 60s, and they’re pretty bulletproof. They’re usually replaced because of upgrades, not failure/obsolescence.
I’ve just seen the link @mustardman sent, and I had no idea a device like that existed. No idea how it works, but it looks interesting AF
