Random Photos

  • Thread starter Thread starter Point Conception
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Photos Random
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
3,858 replies · 225K views
duckies.jpg
 
Reply
  • Like
  • Love
Likes   Reactions: Rive and DennisN
Physics news on Phys.org
Today I was at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds for a coin/stamp/postcard show. Nearby was one station of the "State Fair Flyer" chairlift ride. I noticed the station's name is "Wilbur".

IMG_0439.jpeg


Hmmm. I thought, I bet the other station's name is "Orville". I hiked to the other end, and sure enough...

IMG_0440.jpeg
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DennisN, Rive, collinsmark and 2 others
Well clearly I'll need to do more reading about this encoding...

1710107050641.png
 
Reply
  • Like
  • Love
Likes   Reactions: DennisN, Rive, collinsmark and 1 other person
berkeman said:
Well clearly I'll need to do more reading about this encoding...
One channel pushes the needle left/right and the other up/down, IIRC. I think the arrows may be trying to point out vinyl structures that are "mostly a ridge" and "mostly a joggle".

Edit: or possibly the orthogonal directions are the two diagonals - that might make more sense.

Edit 2: apparently it is the diagonals: https://www.stereophile.com/content/how-does-stereo-vinyl-record-work.
 
Reply
  • Informative
Likes   Reactions: berkeman
And in the 1970s there were quadraphonic (4-channel) LPs, with the four channels encoded into the two physical LP channels in such a way that they could be decoded on playback. There were several incompatible schemes for this, and so the whole concept was never very successful commercially.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadraphonic_sound

IIRC some audio receivers or preamplifiers had multiple quad decoding circuits, with a selector knob that you set according to the type of quad LP you were playing. This was high-end stuff that I couldn't afford in my poor student days.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: dlgoff, DennisN, nsaspook and 2 others
berkeman said:
Well clearly I'll need to do more reading about this encoding...
One of my previous workplace tried to dabble into touchless digitalization of wax recordings. (Some 20+ years ago, when it was still relevant/revolutionary). Not something simple...
 
jtbell said:
There were several incompatible schemes for this, and so the whole concept was never very successful commercially.
The neat thing about the stereo system in @berkeman's photo is that both diagonal channels have a component in the horizontal direction that a mono player expects. So if you only have a mono player you get an average of the two channels, but a stereo player plays the two independently. So I think it still works for the less affluent customer. I'm guessing the quadraphonic system did not...
 
Reply
  • Like
  • Informative
Likes   Reactions: BillTre, berkeman and jack action
On my way home from Raleigh today, I stopped in High Point NC. This is billed as the "World's Largest Chest of Drawers".

IMG_4349.jpg


Just outside town, the Furnitureland South complex has what looks like an even larger chest of drawers, but it's only a façade.

IMG_4345.jpg


Nearby Thomasville has "The Chair".

IMG_4366.jpg


If one could climb on it, it would be a great place for railfans to sit and watch trains. :cool:

IMG_4364.jpg
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Point Conception, Rive, DennisN and 3 others
I obviously can't take credit for this gif but the large chest of drawers posted by @jtbell sure made me think of Seinfeld. Room for more than just a tourist per drawer. 😆

UhP41w.gif
 
Reply
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: Rive, DennisN and jtbell
A little bit of Texas style smoked corned beef for my great-great grandpappy, on my mothers side. :biggrin:


1710707002154.png

1710707021182.png


To make a proper corned beef and cabbage later and a few drinks waiting for that to be done.
1710707047823.png
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DennisN, Rive, Point Conception and 1 other person
Always a photo after a cappuccino.
IMG20240318121411.jpg
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DennisN
Part of grab food ad poster on bus. Looks like the same girl.
Screenshot_2024-03-18-14-37-17-186_com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.jpg
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DennisN, Rive and docnet
Two different photos taken recently...

Leaves in spring sunlight:

Löv i vårsol (Canon nFD 50mm f1.4).jpg


...and a car in hard rain:

Bil i regn (1) (c).jpg


(luckily I had my weatherproof camera with me at that time :smile:)
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: collinsmark, Rive, jtbell and 2 others
DennisN said:
luckily I had my weatherproof camera with me at that time
Did it startle the driver when your flash went off? I'll bet they thought they had been caught by a speed camera... :smile:
 
Reply
  • Like
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: Rive and DennisN
berkeman said:
Did it startle the driver when your flash went off?
No, I didn't use flash (a fast lens (f/1.4 in this case) and high ISO is often sufficient for me). Actually I almost never use flash.

Edit: By the way, I also like to draw as little attention as possible to myself when I'm shooting (and flash is pretty much the opposite :smile:). One thing I have clearly noticed after I started shooting with system cameras is that nearby people very often take notice of me.

I guess nowadays people are so used to smartphones so when the see a system camera they may think, well, he's doing something unusual. And in fact I've been asked quite a few times what I am doing :biggrin:.

And if I'm going around in the city with a big zoom lens, it's even worse, then people REALLY take notice :biggrin:.

And it does not fit my personality at all, I usually don't want to be noticed. But no pain, no gain, I guess. :smile:
 
Last edited:
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Point Conception and berkeman
DennisN said:
By the way, I also like to draw as little attention as possible to myself when I'm shooting (and flash is pretty much the opposite :smile:).
I take the opposite approach... :wink:

1711148450988.png
 
Reply
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Love
Likes   Reactions: Rive, Borg, BillTre and 2 others