Today I Learned

[fresh_42]

So,... how many people have actually walked it without being robbed, kidnapped for ransom, raped, imprisoned, beaten almost to death, dehydrated, frost-bitten, etc, etc,...? It looks like a seriously dangerous journey.

The second half has actually been done, even though in the other direction.

'As far as your feet can carry' is a novel by Josef Martin Bauer (1901–1970), first published in 1955, about a German prisoner of war who escaped from an East Siberian prison camp in 1949 after World War II and embarked on an adventurous escape home. ...
The novel is based on the experience report of a former Wehrmacht member and prisoner of war, whose identity the author Josef Martin Bauer kept secret according to the contract.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_weit_die_Füße_tragen

 

[Keith_McClary]

So,... how many people have actually walked it without being robbed, kidnapped for ransom, raped, imprisoned, beaten almost to death, dehydrated, frost-bitten, etc, etc,...? It looks like a seriously dangerous journey.

Start from Magadan:

Siberian Times

 

[Astronuc]

One does not simply walk
from Cape Town to Magadan.

I can imagine some problems in DRC (unless one is traversing the east side of Lake Tanganyika through Tanzania, then Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, which have their own set of problems), S. Sudan and Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey (because of Syria), Azerbaijan, Abkhazia. After those places, Russia will be a piece of cake.

 

[strangerep]

Start from Magadan: [...] Siberian Times

Ah yes -- I forgot about "being eaten".

 

[strangerep]

[...] After those places, Russia will be a piece of cake.

This made me think... anyone who sings: "...and I think to myself, what a wonderful world", has clearly not visited very much of it.

Now I'm wondering how far one could theoretically walk in Americas?
Say from Prudhoe Bay to San Isidro Lighthouse?

 

[jack action]

Say from Prudhoe Bay to San Isidro Lighthouse?

It seems there are no walkable roads crossing the Panama-Colombia border. The most southern city would be Yaviza, Panama, "only" 11969 km from Prudhoe Bay. And Google gives an itinerary by car, but not by foot. Which would mean that some roads are highways that are not "walkable".

Assuming you "jump" to Apartado, Colombia (~ 125 km apart), you will have 9955 km of walkable roads to reach San Isidro Lighthouse; For a grand total of 22049 km.

 

[Astronuc]

Say from Prudhoe Bay to San Isidro Lighthouse?

From Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, one would walk highway 11 to Livengood, Alaska, then highway 2 to Fairbanks. However, one could start further north in Point Barrow, and one would have to walk across the tundra (no roads) southeast until one finds highway 11, maybe cutting through the mountains (Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve) at Anaktuvuk Pass. One has to follow the river valleys - and not get eaten by a black or brown bear.
https://www.nps.gov/gaar/planyourvisit/bearsafety.htm

IF IT IS A BROWN BEAR, PLAY DEAD:

• Lie face down with your hands clasped behind your neck and legs spread apart so the bear can’t turn you over.
• Do not move until the bear leaves the area. If the attack is prolonged and the brown bear begins to feed on you, fight back vigorously! The encounter has now likely changed from a defensive one to a predatory one.

IF IT IS A BLACK BEAR, DO NOT PLAY DEAD:

• Fight back vigorously!
• NEVER PLAY DEAD WITH A BLACK BEAR! Most black bear attacks are predatory.
• FIGHT ANY BEAR THAT ATTEMPTS TO ENTER YOUR TENT! If an unprovoked aggressive attack occurs (if you are sleeping in your tent and you feel a bear scratching or biting through your tent) you should fight back!

 

[Keith_McClary]

black or brown bear

Grizzly bears and brown bears are the same species (Ursus arctos), but grizzly bears are currently considered to be a separate subspecies (U. a. horribilis). Due to a few morphological differences, Kodiak bears are also considered to be a distinct subspecies of brown bear (U. a. middendorfii), but are very similar to Katmai’s brown bears in diet and habits.

 

[mfb]

The Panama/Colombia border region is known as Darién Gap. It's possible to walk through it, but it's not very advisable. Some people managed to get through, some people disappeared trying...

 

[DaveE]

The Panama/Colombia border region is known as Darién Gap. It's possible to walk through it, but it's not very advisable. Some people managed to get through, some people disappeared trying...

That Wikipedia page is surprisingly entertaining. Seriously, Chevy Corvairs?

 

[strangerep]

[bear safety...]

... and if approached by a koala bear, quickly don a plastic apron, or other plastic smock, as its attack by urination is both unpleasant and guaranteed. The koala reserves its most pungent liquid for tourists with cameras...

Then there's a larger, far more dangerous, subspecies: the dreaded Drop Bear. If camping, don't place your sleeping bag under a gum tree, especially if you're a female Sandinavian tourist!

 

[Keith_McClary]

Drop Bear

 

[fresh_42]

TIL that I suffer from autosomal dominant compelling helio-ophthalmic outburst (ACHOO) syndrome. O.k. it is a self diagnosis ... Why do doctors always sound as if you have only hours to live?

 

[Keith_McClary]

I suffer from

So, you've seen the light?

 

[fresh_42]

So, you've seen the light?

Seems to be a wide spread phenomenon:
"A study conducted by the School of Optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that females represent 67% of photic sneezers, and Caucasians represent 94%."

 

[mfb]

That quote makes no statement about how widespread it is.

 

[fresh_42]

That quote makes no statement about how widespread it is.

I know. The German version does (17%-35%) but I was too lazy to translate it, so I took what was closest to it.

 

[strangerep]

TIL,... well,... I'll describe as it actually happened...

I was ordering lunch from my favorite cafe. The waiter is a Frenchman named,... well,... I'll just call him "T", who often relapses back and forth in a mixture of French and English when talking.

Me: Could I have a smoked salmon bagel and a pure blonde, please? ("Pure Blonde" is a brand of beer in this part of the world.)

T: Oui, Une Blonde... (?)... hmmm...

Me: What's French for "pure"?

T: Also "pure", (but a slightly different pronunciation).

Me: OK,... je voudrais une Blonde Pure, sil vous plait.

T: Mmm, non, that doesn't really makes sense.

Me: Oh? So what's French for "virgin"?

T: (Laughs.) Pffft! That doesn't exist!

 

[Keith_McClary]

Avocados are toxic to almost all animals (including cats and dogs). Humans are a rare exception. It is the only fruit to contain persin, a fatty acid, which, when eaten by animals causes vomiting, diarrhea, and other nasty symptoms. Consumption of large quantities can cause death within twelve hours.
(I didn't learn it the hard way.)

 

[Keith_McClary]

While shopping with a mask:

And how on Earth are you supposed to open the produce bags?
The latter may not seem immediately concerning, but it’s a frustrating problem for those used to licking their fingers to help pry the thin, translucent plastic bags open.

I can't embed the video, but you can watch it here (1 min). (Applied physics!)

 

[Tom.G]

Yup! I started doing that a couple years ago. It works.
But you have to rub it in the direction shown in the video, if you rub it across the bag width it usually doesn't work.

 

[jtbell]

Today I learned that Oscar Mayer is hiring drivers for the Wienermobile.

Frankly, this could very well be someone's dream job.

Interested candidates should get their buns online and apply by January 31 to be considered.

 

[diogenesNY]

TIL...
...about a dump truck. It may not be capable of perpetual motion, but as dump trucks go, it looks to be about as close as you are likely to get.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1124478_world-s-largest-ev-never-has-to-be-recharged

This also happens to be the world's largest electric vehicle, and has a major cool factor, IMHO.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/16/...rcharged-spt-intl/index.html?no-st=1563995476

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a30873539/electric-mining-truck/

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/08/26/edumper-electric-mining-truck-self-charging/

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/elektro-dumper-is-worlds-largest-electric-vehicle/

---diogenesNY

 

[Keith_McClary]

dump truck

In the video they just drive it in circles (until they drop the camera). Is that how they get rid of the surplus battery charge?

 

[diogenesNY]

Keith_McClary, Interesting question. I _suspect_ that it just burns off, like on a Prius or a Volt (unless that _isn't_ how it works for them..._). FWIW, the motorbiscuit site has a whole bunch of long videos and photos.

 

[Keith_McClary]

Spencer Lisenby flew a remote control glider at 882 km/hr !

 

[jtbell]

Today I learned which wine goes with Cheetos: white Sancerre. (No, I haven't tried it yet.)

 

[Algr]

Today I learned which wine goes with Cheetos: white Sancerre. (No, I haven't tried it yet.)

Usually this sort of thing is intended as an insult to the wine. :/

 

[Drakkith]

Today I learned that online dating is the ability to get rejected over and over again and keep going back for more pain.

 

[PeroK]

TIL something about SR which is actually useful here on PF:

Travelling time to Andromeda with 1g acceleration and deceleration (Einstein): 28 years boardtime
Travelling time to Andromeda with 1g acceleration and deceleration without the c constraint (Newton): 2,800 years boardtime
Reason why it won't work either way: CMB will work as resistor and additional energy meant for acceleration will be turned into particle production instead and arbitrarily close to c will be physically impossible, regardless which engine we constructed.

These easy arguments could shortcut many fruitless discussions on space travel.

What, then, is the maximum possible speed of a spacecraft ?