Teriyaki Hairpiece posted:

Europe's not real, but it can hurt you.

christmas boots posted:

For some reason this all reminded me that up until 2019 the mass of a kilogram was defined in reference to a single prototype housed in Paris.

Dareon posted:

What happened in 2019?

I'm almost certain it's not "an evil genius stole it in a daring heist and threatened to shave bits off if it wasn't ransomed quickly," so anything else will surely be disappointing.

Platystemon posted:

The International Prototype Kilogramme’s mass was unstable relative to copies kept at various institutions around the world.

On the whole, its mass was dropping relative to them. That’s not something you want in a standard.

Arsenic Lupin posted:

I remember reading that, and I remember wondering how the hell that happened. Iridium-craving ants?

Arsenic Lupin posted:

I remember reading that, and I remember wondering how the hell that happened. Iridium-craving ants?

Arsenic Lupin posted:

I remember reading that, and I remember wondering how the hell that happened. Iridium-craving ants?

quote:

Note that if the 50 μg difference between the IPK and its replicas was entirely due to wear, the IPK would have to have lost 150 million billion more platinum and iridium atoms over the last century than its replicas. That there would be this much wear, much less a difference of this magnitude, is thought unlikely; 50 μg is roughly the mass of a fingerprint. Specialists at the BIPM in 1946 carefully conducted cleaning experiments and concluded that even vigorous rubbing with a chamois—if done carefully—did not alter the prototypes' mass. More recent cleaning experiments at the BIPM, which were conducted on one particular prototype (K63), and which benefited from the then-new NBS‑2 balance, demonstrated 2 μg stability. Experiments on prototypes No. 7 and 32 in January 2014 showed less than 0.5 μg mass lost from a third complete cleaning and washing cycle.[16]

Many theories have been advanced to explain the divergence in the masses of the prototypes. One theory posits that the relative change in mass between the IPK and its replicas is not one of loss at all and is instead a simple matter that the IPK has gained less than the replicas. This theory begins with the observation that the IPK is uniquely stored under three nested bell jars whereas its six sister copies stored alongside it in the vault as well as the other replicas dispersed throughout the world are stored under only two. This theory is also founded on two other facts: that platinum has a strong affinity for mercury, and that atmospheric mercury is significantly more abundant in the atmosphere today than at the time the IPK and its replicas were manufactured. The burning of coal is a major contributor to atmospheric mercury and both Denmark and Germany have high coal shares in electrical generation. Conversely, electrical generation in France, where the IPK is stored, is mostly nuclear. This theory is supported by the fact that the mass divergence rate—relative to the IPK—of Denmark's prototype, K48, since it took possession in 1949 is an especially high 78 μg per century while that of Germany's prototype has been even greater at 126 μg/century ever since it took possession of K55 in 1954. However, still other data for other replicas isn't supportive of this theory. This mercury absorption theory is just one of many advanced by the specialists to account for the relative change in mass. To date, each theory has either proven implausible, or there are insufficient data or technical means to either prove or disprove it.

sebmojo posted:

it's actually insane to spend 200 hours over two weeks doing sometihng you don't enjoy as a leisure activity.

Waste of Breath posted:

So tell me more about being a mod

Inexplicable Humblebrag posted:

lol i thought you were talking about the big wank/big poo post

Kaiju15 posted:

Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:

I mean they're consistent in size here, and everyone's seen them so it makes sense. Doesn't work for European football where there's a lot of variance in field size.

Pope Hilarius II posted:

I don't know if that was a baitpost but for anyone believing this: this is bullshit, football (or association football as 4% of the world calls it) fields are absolutely standardized. We use them for size comparisons all the time in popular media.

christmas boots posted:

Not sure I believe it. Sounds like something a Brit would tell right before giving a measurement in “stone”

ellasmith posted:

carpets before vacuums existed? were they just perpetually disgusting?

gleebster posted:

You had them taken outside and beaten. For small, light, dry spills,you could also use a Bissell sweeper.

ellasmith posted:

did carpets that were just part of floors and could not be removed not exist?

gleebster posted:

They were nailed down, if they were, with short tacks. They called them carpet tacks.

Full Metal Jackass posted:

Gleebster the loving carpet historian or something

EorayMel posted:

something just occurred to me. how the gently caress were you supposed to clean

Blue Footed Booby posted:

I'm trying to imagine what someone's life looks like that they haven't absorbed that carpets predate vacuums. Like, what did they call the flying textile in Aladdin?

Blue Footed Booby posted:

I'm trying to imagine what someone's life looks like that they haven't absorbed that carpets predate vacuums. Like, what did they call the flying textile in Aladdin?

Captain Hygiene posted:

I mean it was still a carpet, the stories just gloss over exactly how much gross pet hair and food crumbs were in it

Zulily Zoetrope posted:

please don't conflate brits with europeans, that's even ruder than referring to a canadian as an american

Deep Space Hitler posted:

What the gently caress is with this games graphics being used as a selling point... poo poo graphics being dragged down by the console stone of petrified feces with garbage models and low res textures bleeding bloom made to be viewed from 15 feet away sitting alone on your cum stained couch watching on your 3 foot 3d casual vision hd money toilet with pregnant horse cocks burned into the screen as you puke your killstreaks and prestiges into your bloodstaimed jizz towel because you are casual human garbage

Rascar Capac posted:

https://twitter.com/flea333/status/1516826934402961409?t=XqRYU-9kZFB9w0ejY1a9zQ&s=19

Mozi posted:

on the other hand his calls will all be much more secure now that they'll be scrambled

Patrick Spens posted:

I mean it's probably just that they mentally separate wall to wall carpets from rugs. And yeah, wall to wall carpets predate vacuums, but they are hardly ancient.

Splicer posted:

TIL I'm the only person on SA who knows what a carpet brush is.

Robobot posted:

I’m no big city carpet expert or nothin, but I reckon that would be some sort of brush used to clean carpets?

Penisface posted:

honestly “ill just fund the climate destroying scam vortex a little bit maybe i make it
big” is maybe even a dumber take than going all in trying to make it in crypto, because the latter implies that you’ve got a drive to achieve something - no matter how stupid - whereas the former reveals a completely spineless limp dicked existence that somehow has netted you 500 real dollars to burn

Desert Bus posted:

I am I seriously the only person who owns an antique carpet beater? You just drag them outside, hang them up on your clothesline and whack all the dirt and grime out of them.

Desert Bus posted:

I am I seriously the only person who owns an antique carpet beater? You just drag them outside, hang them up on your clothesline and whack all the dirt and grime out of them.