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could be. but lots of things that we see as common sense engineering werent thought of thousands of years ago.look at chariot wheels. took thousands of years for those to develop the obvious optimal dedign we see today.

or think about the various seige engines that were cocked by wonding a rope or string around a drum. the interface was always a set of handspikes for the operator to pull on, because the crank wasnt invented until modern times.

or early versions of sprocketed drive chains consisting of simple long links articulating around a pentangular drum.

seems obvious now how to do it better, but we have an advantage

Miscellaneous / Re: Build the Pyramid

Last post by Old Seer - Today at 02:03:41 PM

The devise is referred to as a "djed pillar", which seems to me to be a wine press of some type rather than a force multiplier. The lower part would make a very poor bearing as perpendicular force would tend to move the pillar up out of the base. The pillar would make a better axial means if it were same as top bearing.

Current Events / Re: Israeli-Hamas war

Last post by Asmodean - Today at 12:19:42 PM

Quote from: Dark Lightning on April 24, 2024, 01:58:24 AMHow about all the people on both side who are "openly aflame" calm the fuck down?

The Book of Divine The Asmo, the very first chapter and verse... Well, after hundreds of pages of His self-aggrandising. Still, it's there.

I see some news about the police removing college campus protesters. Personally, I'd say "leave them to it," [the protesters, that is] but then it has been stated that there was private property damage and/or voilence, in which case they probably ought to be dispersed.

Life As An Atheist / Re: On the subject of atheism.

Last post by zorkan - Today at 11:41:05 AM

The debate about faith schools in Britain has resurfaced again this week.
They provide kids with good morals and values, and are a great start for any young life.
There are of course counter arguments.

https://www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2021/02/the-evidence-against-faith-schools-is-overwhelming

Do they teach Big Bang cosmology? I don't think so.
Do they teach evolution by natural selection? I don't think so.
Two of the greatest ideas in the last 150 years are ignored which could inspire young minds.

My conclusion is that kids would have a better start in life by teaching facts and not fiction.

Life As An Atheist / Re: This is serious. This is r...

Last post by zorkan - Today at 11:33:35 AM

I'm arguing that the denial of science should itself be at least a caution, but it never is.
While you are free to believe in what you like (Flying Spaghetti Monster, for instance), you should not be intimidated by the religious mainstream.

How many Presidents of the USA (Christians with their hands on the nuclear button) have believed that the world is only 6000 years old?

Laid Back Lounge / Re: Jokes Thread (Was named An...

Last post by Recusant - Today at 04:20:32 AM

More a brief absurdist cartoon than a joke . . .

#10

Current Events / Re: Floods in Rio Grande do Su...

Last post by Dark Lightning - Today at 03:09:02 AM

I have a dim recollection of the same. I hope she and her mother are OK.

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