Interesting Links for 14-02-2012

[andrewducker]

• What I've Learned About Smart People.
  (tags: questions intelligence )
• A female apostle was erased from the bible during the middle ages.
  (tags: censorship christianity religion women )
• Metal substitutes are being tested to deter thieves
  (tags: materials uk crime metal )
• The Geek Social Fallacies of Sex.
  (tags: sex social geeks feminism )

Comments

[gonzo21]

Yeah, I was reading about that metal alternative thing the other day. What a weird world we suddenly live in, where people are stealing the plaques off war memorials for their metal content.

Or mains power cable. Just. Madness.

[danieldwilliam]

When I worked for an energy firm we had someone try and steal some cabling from our switching yard (which is the part of the power station that connects the power station to grid and converts 132 kilovolts into 440 kilovolts).

440 kv electricity will jump meters through the air and basically melt you.

We used to joke about putting up signs.

Warning. This site is patrolled by Daleks.

[gonzo21]

I'm actually a little bit surprised the number killed during metal thefts was as low as 10 last year. Human nature being what it is and all.

[danieldwilliam]

Yes there are many ways to die whilst stealing metal, most of which are really fatal.

Electricution, run over by a train, falling from a church roof, mauled by a guard dog.

After a few generations of persistantly high metal prices we should have evolved a sub-species of human who can sense electro-magnetic fields and industrial vibrations, who are immune to gravity and who smell of friendly dogs’ bottom.

[octopoid_horror]

Well, there are those people who claim that they are sensitive to wi-fi/other electronics (although mysteriously this "ability"/"curse" vanishes under controlled conditions). Perhaps they're the true transhumans and not just attention-seeking/crazy.

[danieldwilliam]

I for one *welcome* our new attention seeking crazy overlords.

[gonzo21]

You'd think there would be easier and safer ways of earning a buck. Particularly given the money they're getting for scrap metal ain't that impressive anyway. Given the hours and danger involved.

[danieldwilliam]

You'd think so but then when I think of the effort my younger brother used to put in to avoiding doing the washing up I'm not surprised.

[khbrown]

I miss the old don't fuck around with substations and electricty PIFs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-yGTrd4Z7I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ7eAAtz8jE

A few more reports of dead thieves would be good. Of course these days they'd probably sue because if the warning signs to stay away had been nicked... (Before anyone accuses me of being a Fascist, I have no sympathy since several thousands of pounds water damage has been done to one of my workplaces by thieves nicking lead worth a few hundred off the roof.)

[andrewducker]

Very common in developing countries - where one of the reasons that mobiles have taken off is that people steal phone wires for scrap metal.

But yeah, I hadn't been aware of it happening hear much before.

[brixtonbrood]

Theft of lead from church roofs is traditional in the UK - this just reflects the cost of copper increasing.

[channelpenguin]

when I worked for BR there was a problem with idiots stealing the fibre-optic cable thinking it was metal cabling. (BR had an entire country-wide network).

[ajr]

Very common in (parts of?) America too. If you read David Simon's The Corner, one of the most mentioned activities in it is various kinds of theft of metal for scrap. Ripping pipes out of empty houses, even stealing cars, as I recall.

[threegoldfish]

Definitely on the rise with the number of abandoned/foreclosed houses in the US.

[garunya]

Yep - some time ago, our internet here became excruciatingly slow after sections of an important cable connecting us to Hong Kong and Thailand were stolen from the sea floor!

[gonzo21]

It always used to be the lead from church roofs that went missing around these parts, every time the Gypsy's came through town, there was a wake of leaking church roofs behind them. But this trend of stealing every type of metal not nailed down is bizarre.

We lost a couple of old horse-drawn potato picking machines from the garden a couple of years ago. Big old heavy things, must have taken 3 or 4 guys and a pick up truck to shift. And just, gone in the middle of the night. No doubt for scrap.