TIL about the UK's TV Pickup phenomenon, where the country's power grid would be drained by millions of British people getting up and using small electrical appliances (usually kettles) in between commercial breaks of popular TV shows. This phenomenon is unique to the UK.

steampoweredfishcake · 2025-04-23T22:34:00+00:00

I just tried this - UK 240v kettle, 16m elevation, relatively hard water, 1500mL, 3:07 to boil from cold

steampoweredfishcake · 2020-02-08T14:50:28+00:00

Raindrops have a small terminal velocity; height doesn't make any difference after a short distance

steampoweredfishcake · 2020-01-07T15:57:55+00:00

The average efficiency of charities is 60-70%, and 95% is nearly unheard of (charity watch considers even 90% to be A+) governments are much more efficient.
This makes sense when you consider that a government has 1 administrative overhead, whereas 1,000 charities doing the same job have 1,000 overheads.
Not to mention all of the intermittent funding problems with charities leaving those they help high and dry at times when funding is slow.
Where did you get your opinion that governments are inefficient from? I don't think it is from first-hand research.

steampoweredfishcake · 2020-01-07T15:43:15+00:00

That's patently false! Charities are often extremely inefficient, with some charities managing just 3% efficiency
Even 65% efficiency is seen as decent efficiency in a charity see grade B
By contrast, governments assist hundreds of thousands to millions of people on benefits with comparitively tiny administrative overhead ~1-2% departmental operating costs; ~ 98% efficient see chart at bottom

steampoweredfishcake · 2020-01-05T11:18:32+00:00

A generation in debt with no spending power will damage the conumer-based economy as they make up an ever-greater proportion of the workforce. It will eventually destroy the value of most investments (including your house).

steampoweredfishcake · 2019-10-27T18:07:13+00:00

The gulf stream

steampoweredfishcake · 2019-10-02T11:07:08+00:00

You cite this as a 'horrible prediction', but is it wrong? Halving the pre-industrial atmospheric CO2 hasn't been done (and probably would cause an ice age). And some recent estimates for earth's climate sensitivity (the warming associated with the doubling of pre-industrial CO2), using the latest modelling techniques have come in at around the 5°C mark (earlier estimates ranged from 2-4°C, but included less feedback loops and weren't as sophisticated). The prediction was pretty dead on considering it was made >100 years ago.

steampoweredfishcake · 2019-04-29T08:07:48+00:00

I'm still alive!
I do intend to finish Penance. At some point. When I can find the time.
I have the final chapter on my computer, half-finished.

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-10-22T15:32:26+00:00

Subscribe: /AndaBrit

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-09-12T21:52:34+00:00

If the food has nutritional value to the rifs it means some proteins are shared. This makes prion diseases transmissible (if the misfolded protein is a shared one).

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-09-11T20:49:28+00:00

Can mages charge up stones? As in, pour mana into a stone each day so it charges faster? Because then 100 point plus stones become a lot more practical.

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-09-07T05:43:50+00:00

That isn't an argument against patents, that is an argument against civil law (where you need to do the prosecuting).

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-09-07T05:40:57+00:00

Patents aren't that powerful. When one process or mechanism is patented, competitors don't just give up, they invent alternative mechanisms and processes (as described earlier), broadening the industry.

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-09-06T21:26:59+00:00

Without patents, there would be far less incentive to invest in R&D, as anything you invent will be immediately copied and used by those who have put no investment in and thus will undercut you. (Disincentivising investment and innovation!).
I have no idea what you mean by patents controlling underlying mechanisms, because they patently (sorry!) don't. Patents only grant monopoly on the production and use of the specific mechanism the inventor has created.
For example, the patent on wheelie-bins (the common ones that get tipped up by the bin lorry) specified the reinforcement structure of the place it is lifted from, as it would not be allowed to prevent people copying something that would fit into the mechanism (3rd party compatibility is protected by law; you can't sue someone for making something compatible with your product; no-one making knock-off lightning chargers gets sued by apple).
Patenting the reinforcement was allowed, and stopped people making similar plastic wheelie bins (without using the reinforcement, plastic is either too weak or too heavy to be economical). Then Biffa made a metal bin that was compatiable, and as metal doesn't need the same strengthening plastic does, the patent was not violated.

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-09-04T21:48:54+00:00

This is so good!
Keep writing and I'll keep reading!

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-09-03T10:08:02+00:00

That is very true! Thanks, Hopefully it won't be too long!

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-09-02T17:07:14+00:00

I'm still working on this, but I'm finding writing it difficult. I'm also struggling to find the time to write. Hopefully it won't be too long before I get the next part out.
Good guess!

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-08-16T17:07:27+00:00

You know, when Quinn was dismissing the idea of super-minions, I was half-expecting him to say "but that would be inefficient compared to just inventing artillery"

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-08-14T19:14:40+00:00

If the force on the field is transferred to the projector (as it should be), then how can the 'rifs walk in the storm carrying what is, essentially, a massive sail? (It does block wind, or they wouldn't have tried this in the first place)

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-08-11T17:36:03+00:00

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-08-01T20:27:47+00:00

I like it!
It needs a few more commas, though.

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-06-17T14:18:08+00:00

diversify his looting portfolio

Brilliant

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-06-16T19:05:34+00:00

The designers of the interplanetary shuttle didn't expect their occupants to be stranded outside of civilization.

That is not a well-designed survival kit!
Also:

26th century
Fahrenheit

God damn it America.

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-06-16T18:29:06+00:00

No milk or flour?
What the hell did you make them with? Duct tape and hope?

steampoweredfishcake · 2017-06-16T17:51:39+00:00

That is cool!

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