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Space Elevator

(neal.fun)
1773 points kaonwarb | 5 comments | 20 Oct 25 04:42 UTC | HN request time: 0.814s | source
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cyode ◴[20 Oct 25 07:05 UTC] No.45640748[source]▶
A beautifully executed project here, I bought Neal a coffee.

What evolutionary advantage, I wonder, is there to Ruppell's griffon vulture flying at 11400 meters?

edit: units

replies(3): >>45640782 #>>45640807 #>>45645415 #
1. iberator ◴[20 Oct 25 07:17 UTC] No.45640807[source]▶
Feets are actually just fine in anything related to aviation.
replies(2): >>45640902 #>>45641458 #
2. actionfromafar ◴[20 Oct 25 07:36 UTC] No.45640902[source]▶
I prefer to call them "footsies" or, sometimes "feet".
replies(1): >>45642955 #
3. delta_p_delta_x ◴[20 Oct 25 08:50 UTC] No.45641458[source]▶
> Feets are actually just fine

Non-SI legacy units have been grandfathered in and 'accepted for common use', but ICAO recommends that SI units should be used[1] (eventually). China and quite the majority of the ex-USSR, for instance, use metre flight levels[2].

There have been at least two aviation accidents and incidents relating to unit mis-conversions. This is two too many. As an SI absolutist, everyone should switch to SI or units purely derived from SI (so domain-specific stuff like parsecs, electronvolts, and binary prefixes, if appropriately symbolled are OK). It is an internationally-recognised, and nearly universal standard that permeates every aspect of human lives.

[1]: https://aerosavvy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/an05_cons.p...

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_level#People's_Republic...

4. balamatom ◴[20 Oct 25 12:06 UTC] No.45642955[source]▶
I think you've accidentally invented the antidote to the Imperial system: using diminutive/silly synonyms for units, and speaking in baby talk to people who insist on using it.

Unironically oughtta work better than that stuff with the barleycorns and fortnights.

replies(1): >>45642982 #
5. actionfromafar ◴[20 Oct 25 12:10 UTC] No.45642982{3}[source]▶
Great idea! I’m for it. Be the change you want to see in the workplace!