Something Interesting Thread

[Dionysus]

Post something interesting on this thread. NOT POLITICS.

Here’s one. The Wuppertaler Schwebebahn is a suspension railway in Wuppertal, Germany. Its original name is Einschienige Hängebahn System Eugen Langen. It is the oldest electric elevated railway with hanging cars in the world and is a unique system in Germany. (wikipedia)

The official website is www.wuppertal.de/tourismus-freizeit/schwebebahn/schwebebahn.php (English translation of the site here).



click image to expand it / click it again to close

 

[Dionysus]

Der Kaiserwagen is a living and “floating legend” — Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife Auguste Viktoria once set out in it for a test drive of the new invention.

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

Elon suggested an elevated mass transit pod system to the city of Austin similar to this except individual smart pods going to your destination instead of trains. The narrow minded city council laughed him off. I thought it was pretty genius considering we have zero room to add in lanes for additional transportation. I belive Austin is intent on a subway system even though we are on a solid rock base.

 

[SabreHorn]

With Austin's forward-thinking leadership, it is just a matter of time until they ban cars from anywhere north of Town Lake, West of 183, South of 183, east of MoPac. Of course with all the high rises inside that, not to mention politicians, it will fail, but it will be hailed as the future of Austin.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Which, should it come to pass, would serve only to reinforce my pleasure with moving out of Austin 22 years ago.

 

[Dionysus]

I remain hopeful that someone will post an interesting thing.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Well, you did. We just have no idea what to say about it.

 

[Dionysus]

Well, you did. We just have no idea what to say about it.

You could say something like, hey, here's another interesting thing! and then post that thing and we will find it interesting and maybe talk about it or just continue posting more interesting things. Such is my dream for this nascent thread.

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

You could say something like, hey, here's another interesting thing! and then post that thing and we will find it interesting and maybe talk about it or just continue posting more interesting things. Such is my dream for this nascent thread.

Ok, let me try it.

Bristol, Tennessee is closer to Ontario, Canada than it is to Memphis.

 

[Dionysus]

Bristol, Tennessee is closer to Ontario, Canada than it is to Memphis.

Now we’re talking. See that wasn’t so hard.

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

Now we’re talking. See that wasn’t so hard.

But the important thing is if you found it interesting. I'm not really sure what others find interesting, but it was interesting to me. Maybe that's why we hesitate.

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

This Hubble telescope picture captures the oldest galaxy ever recorded (not sure which one it is). It is over 100 million light years away which means at the time of this picture being taken the galaxy may not even exist anymore and we may not even know for sure until many million years from now.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Space is an endlessly interesting subject. Here is a NASA photo showing rings around...(if I say it, this will have to go into the juvenile humor thread instead.)

 

[huisache]

my hometown is so far south in Texas that we go west to get to Mexico. Mexico City is less than half the distance from there as Washington DC is. In fact, there are at least four national capitals closer than DC.

Sorry, that is the best I can do right now. I think this thread has great possibilities, though, and thanks Dio for coming up with it.

Who is our only president to serve time in prison?

Who is our only president to serve in the US Senate after his presidency?








answers: Jefferson Davis and Sam Houston

 

[Dionysus]

Kjeragbolten is a boulder on the mountain Kjerag in Forsand municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The rock itself is a 5-cubic-meter glacial deposit wedged in the mountain’s crevasse, suspended above a 984 meter (3,228 ft) deep abyss. (wikipedia)

You are probably thinking, hm, I too would like to stand on this precariously suspended rock.

See also: Five Memorable Times on the Kjeragbolten Rock in Norway

 

[Driver 8]

You are probably thinking, hm, I too would like to stand on this precariously suspended rock

Yikes - that's a hard nope for me
Cool though

 

[Hideo Gump Jr.]

More people were killed in the final six hours of the First World War (after the armistice was signed) than were killed at Normandy June 6, 1944.

 

[Driver 8]

The balls are all the same color

 

[Chop]

The balls are all the same color

No way, and I’m telling ya that dress is blue!

 

[Chop]

Boston College is not a college. And it’s not in Boston.

 

[Chop]

Kjeragbolten is a boulder on the mountain Kjerag in Forsand municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The rock itself is a 5-cubic-meter glacial deposit wedged in the mountain’s crevasse, suspended above a 984 meter (3,228 ft) deep abyss. (wikipedia)

You are probably thinking, hm, I too would like to stand on this precariously suspended rock.

See also: Five Memorable Times on the Kjeragbolten Rock in Norway

Now all they need to do is start jumping up and down.

 

[Hideo Gump Jr.]

The balls are all the same color

 

[Dionysus]

The balls are all the same color

Speaking of optical illusions, here's one from underwater photographer Naomi Rose.

 

[mb227]

Ok, let me try it.

Bristol, Tennessee is closer to Ontario, Canada than it is to Memphis.

Along those lines...I discovered I can drive to South Dakota in fewer miles than my drive from Houston to Las Vegas.

(yes, I was looking at property in South Dakota...one very promising candidate that had three two-vehicle storage buildings as well as the muni airport sort of catty-corner to the property...did I mention the 150 acres that come with the house, which ALSO has a two vehicle garage and built-out basement?)

 

[HornHuskerDad]

As long as we're talking Texas geography - Dalhart, Texas, is closer to six other state capitols than to Austin. It is closer to Santa Fe, Denver, Oklahoma City, Topeka, Lincoln, and Cheyenne.

 

[SabreHorn]

El Paso is closer to LA than it is to Orange

Orange is closer to Jacksonville than it is to El Paso

Gruver is closer to Canada than it is to Brownsville

 

[Dionysus]

Visualization of a 1 kilometer “ball drop” showing the gravitational force on various solar system bodies.

Earth is similar to Venus, Saturn, and Uranus. There’s a joke in there somewhere.


1:28 video

 

[Dionysus]

German Chocolate Cake (originally “German’s chocolate cake”) was invented in Texas by an English-American chocolate maker named Samuel German.

On June 3, 1957, a recipe for “German's Chocolate Cake” appeared as the Recipe of the Day in The Dallas Morning News. It was created by Mrs. George Clay, a Dallas homemaker.

wikipedia

 

[Driver 8]

Lemons will float in water but limes sink

 

[Dionysus]

The Blanket Octopus gets its name from its female counterpart: rarely-seen and super-sized, the female blanket octopus has a long, fleshy ‘cape’ enclosing its tentacles. This cape makes the octopus appear larger and more intimidating to potential predators. The female blanket octopus is already large — growing to around 2 meters in length.

In contrast, the male blanket octopus measures a mere 2.4cm — smaller than a walnut — meaning the blanket octopus have the largest gender size discrepancy in the animal kingdom.