2020 New Random Pics

[GH85Carrera]

The arms that grabbed the SpaceX Starship rocket out of midair, with people on top, for scale.
(photo: Shaun Gisler)


Coils of the world's largest superconducting magnet are lowered into their steel yoke at Argonne - 1969


Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists in history, was a man whose contributions to physics, mathematics, and astronomy laid the foundations of modern science. However, in a curious twist of history, his legacy is not only tied to his groundbreaking theories but also to a peculiar incident involving one of his teeth. In 1816, nearly 90 years after his death, one of Newton’s teeth was auctioned for an astonishing price. The sale of this tooth highlights the strange ways in which relics of famous figures from the past have been sought after by collectors.
Born in 1642, Isaac Newton is best remembered for his laws of motion and universal gravitation, which transformed our understanding of the physical world. He also made significant contributions to the field of optics and developed the mathematical principles of calculus. Newton’s intellectual achievements cemented his place as one of the most significant figures in the history of science. It’s no wonder, then, that any artifact associated with him would hold great value.
The story of Newton’s tooth is an unusual chapter in the broader phenomenon of historical memorabilia. In the early 19th century, long after his passing, a tooth attributed to Isaac Newton was put up for auction in London. Despite its humble nature, the tooth fetched a remarkable price of £730, which was an extraordinary sum for the time. When adjusted for inflation, that amount is estimated to be equivalent to around $62,000 in today’s currency. This astronomical figure for a single human tooth speaks to the fascination and reverence that surrounded Newton’s legacy, even more than a century after his death.
What’s particularly fascinating about the auction of Newton’s tooth is not just the amount it sold for, but the story that followed. The tooth was reportedly purchased by a nobleman, whose identity has been lost to history. According to accounts from the time, this nobleman had the tooth mounted in a ring, a common practice in the 18th and 19th centuries when personal relics were often turned into keepsakes or symbols of status. Owning a piece of Newton, even in the form of a tooth, would have been seen as a powerful statement of both wealth and intellectual admiration.
The Guinness World Records recognizes this sale as the most valuable tooth ever sold, a distinction that it continues to hold to this day. While there have been other notable sales of human remains, particularly those of saints and historical figures, Newton’s tooth remains one of the most unusual examples of such a transaction. It underscores the lengths to which collectors and enthusiasts will go to acquire tangible connections to figures who shaped the course of history.
This incident also speaks to the broader culture of collecting historical relics, which reached its height in the 18th and 19th centuries. During this period, the emerging middle and upper classes, particularly in Europe, became fascinated with objects associated with famous individuals. From locks of hair to pieces of clothing, personal effects of historical figures were highly prized. In a time before modern museums were widespread, owning a relic of a famous person was a way for individuals to engage with history in a personal and intimate manner. It gave them a direct, physical connection to the past.
Newton’s tooth, while certainly an unusual artifact, fits into this broader pattern of collecting. It reflects the 19th-century obsession with celebrity and the desire to possess something that had once belonged to a great person. Today, similar obsessions can be seen in the world of celebrity memorabilia, where items like clothing, jewelry, and even more personal effects of famous individuals can fetch enormous sums at auction.
Yet, there’s something particularly strange about the sale of human remains, especially when it comes to figures like Isaac Newton. While we often think of Newton as an almost mythic figure, it’s important to remember that he was, after all, a human being. The sale of his tooth reminds us of his mortality and the fact that even the greatest minds are subject to the same physical realities as the rest of us. It also raises questions about the ethics of such sales. In the 19th century, there were few if any regulations regarding the sale of human remains, and the practice was not uncommon. Today, however, such sales are generally frowned upon, and many countries have laws in place to prevent the trafficking of human remains.
Despite these concerns, Newton’s tooth has become a part of his legacy, albeit a strange and macabre one. It serves as a reminder of the fascination that continues to surround historical figures long after they are gone. While most people remember Newton for his scientific contributions, the story of his tooth adds a layer of intrigue and oddity to his already remarkable life.
In the years since the auction, the fate of Newton’s tooth has become a mystery. It’s unclear what became of the ring in which it was set, or if it still exists today. It’s possible that the tooth remains in a private collection, its whereabouts known only to a select few. Alternatively, it may have been lost to history, its significance forgotten over the years. Whatever the case, the sale of Isaac Newton’s tooth remains one of the more curious episodes in the annals of history.
In conclusion, the sale of Isaac Newton’s tooth in 1816 for what would now be considered an extraordinary sum reflects not only the reverence held for the great scientist but also the broader cultural practices of collecting historical relics. While the story may seem bizarre to modern sensibilities, it offers a unique insight into the ways in which people have sought to connect with the past. Newton’s tooth, now recognized by Guinness World Records as the most valuable tooth ever sold, serves as a strange yet fascinating footnote in the life of one of history’s greatest minds.


After a catastrophic volcanic eruption over 760,000 years ago, the Crowley Lake stone columns in California began to form. Geologists discovered in 2015 that as cold snowmelt seeped into the hot volcanic ash, tiny holes were created, producing steam and boiling water. This led to the formation of convection cells, which gradually filled with minerals more resistant to erosion than the surrounding ash. The result is these incredible stone pillars—a fascinating natural wonder shaped by time and unique geological processes.




SpaceX's super-heavy-lift Starship uses Raptor engines in its Super Heavy booster (the base of which is shown here) and in the Starship second stage. Super Heavy is powered by 33 Raptor engines, which are housed within a dedicated shielding compartment. The outer 20 engines, arranged in a single ring, are fixed in position. The inner 13 engines are equipped with gimbal actuators and can be reignited for the boostback and landing burns.
The current version of the booster produces a total of 69.9 million N (15.7 million lb) - more than double that of the Saturn V first stage. This total is expected to increase to 80.8 million N (18.2 million lb) for Block 2 boosters and later up to 98.1 million N (22.1 million lb) with the Block 3 vehicle. These later versions may have up to 35 engines.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads26/021729543783.jp
The arms that grabbed the SpaceX Starship rocket out of midair, with people on top, for scale.
(photo: Shaun Gisler)

[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads26/011729543783.j
Coils of the world's largest superconducting magnet are lowered into their steel yoke at Argonne - 1969


Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists in history, was a man whose contributions to physics, mathematics, and astronomy laid the foundations of modern science. However, in a curious twist of history, his legacy is not only tied to his groundbreaking theories but also to a peculiar incident involving one of his teeth. In 1816, nearly 90 years after his death, one of Newton’s teeth was auctioned for an astonishing price. The sale of this tooth highlights the strange ways in which relics of famous figures from the past have been sought after by collectors.
Born in 1642, Isaac Newton is best remembered for his laws of motion and universal gravitation, which transformed our understanding of the physical world. He also made significant contributions to the field of optics and developed the mathematical principles of calculus. Newton’s intellectual achievements cemented his place as one of the most significant figures in the history of science. It’s no wonder, then, that any artifact associated with him would hold great value.
The story of Newton’s tooth is an unusual chapter in the broader phenomenon of historical memorabilia. In the early 19th century, long after his passing, a tooth attributed to Isaac Newton was put up for auction in London. Despite its humble nature, the tooth fetched a remarkable price of £730, which was an extraordinary sum for the time. When adjusted for inflation, that amount is estimated to be equivalent to around $62,000 in today’s currency. This astronomical figure for a single human tooth speaks to the fascination and reverence that surrounded Newton’s legacy, even more than a century after his death.
What’s particularly fascinating about the auction of Newton’s tooth is not just the amount it sold for, but the story that followed. The tooth was reportedly purchased by a nobleman, whose identity has been lost to history. According to accounts from the time, this nobleman had the tooth mounted in a ring, a common practice in the 18th and 19th centuries when personal relics were often turned into keepsakes or symbols of status. Owning a piece of Newton, even in the form of a tooth, would have been seen as a powerful statement of both wealth and intellectual admiration.
The Guinness World Records recognizes this sale as the most valuable tooth ever sold, a distinction that it continues to hold to this day. While there have been other notable sales of human remains, particularly those of saints and historical figures, Newton’s tooth remains one of the most unusual examples of such a transaction. It underscores the lengths to which collectors and enthusiasts will go to acquire tangible connections to figures who shaped the course of history.
This incident also speaks to the broader culture of collecting historical relics, which reached its height in the 18th and 19th centuries. During this period, the emerging middle and upper classes, particularly in Europe, became fascinated with objects associated with famous individuals. From locks of hair to pieces of clothing, personal effects of historical figures were highly prized. In a time before modern museums were widespread, owning a relic of a famous person was a way for individuals to engage with history in a personal and intimate manner. It gave them a direct, physical connection to the past.
Newton’s tooth, while certainly an unusual artifact, fits into this broader pattern of collecting. It reflects the 19th-century obsession with celebrity and the desire to possess something that had once belonged to a great person. Today, similar obsessions can be seen in the world of celebrity memorabilia, where items like clothing, jewelry, and even more personal effects of famous individuals can fetch enormous sums at auction.
Yet, there’s something particularly strange about the sale of human remains, especially when it comes to figures like Isaac Newton. While we often think of Newton as an almost mythic figure, it’s important to remember that he was, after all, a human being. The sale of his tooth reminds us of his mortality and the fact that even the greatest minds are subject to the same physical realities as the rest of us. It also raises questions about the ethics of such sales. In the 19th century, there were few if any regulations regarding the sale of human remains, and the practice was not uncommon. Today, however, such sales are generally frowned upon, and many countries have laws in place to prevent the trafficking of human remains.
Despite these concerns, Newton’s tooth has become a part of his legacy, albeit a strange and macabre one. It serves as a reminder of the fascination that continues to surround historical figures long after they are gone. While most people remember Newton for his scientific contributions, the story of his tooth adds a layer of intrigue and oddity to his already remarkable life.
In the years since the auction, the fate of Newton’s tooth has become a mystery. It’s unclear what became of the ring in which it was set, or if it still exists today. It’s possible that the tooth remains in a private collection, its whereabouts known only to a select few. Alternatively, it may have been lost to history, its significance forgotten over the years. Whatever the case, the sale of Isaac Newton’s tooth remains one of the more curious episodes in the annals of history.
In conclusion, the sale of Isaac Newton’s tooth in 1816 for what would now be considered an extraordinary sum reflects not only the reverence held for the great scientist but also the broader cultural practices of collecting historical relics. While the story may seem bizarre to modern sensibilities, it offers a unique insight into the ways in which people have sought to connect with the past. Newton’s tooth, now recognized by Guinness World Records as the most valuable tooth ever sold, serves as a strange yet fascinating footnote in the life of one of history’s greatest minds.

[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads26/031729543783.j
After a catastrophic volcanic eruption over 760,000 years ago, the Crowley Lake stone columns in California began to form. Geologists discovered in 2015 that as cold snowmelt seeped into the hot volcanic ash, tiny holes were created, producing steam and boiling water. This led to the formation of convection cells, which gradually filled with minerals more resistant to erosion than the surrounding ash. The result is these incredible stone pillars—a fascinating natural wonder shaped by time and unique geological processes.

[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads26/051729543783.jp]


SpaceX's super-heavy-lift Starship uses Raptor engines in its Super Heavy booster (the base of which is shown here) and in the Starship second stage. Super Heavy is powered by 33 Raptor engines, which are housed within a dedicated shielding compartment. The outer 20 engines, arranged in a single ring, are fixed in position. The inner 13 engines are equipped with gimbal actuators and can be reignited for the boostback and landing burns.
The current version of the booster produces a total of 69.9 million N (15.7 million lb) - more than double that of the Saturn V first stage. This total is expected to increase to 80.8 million N (18.2 million lb) for Block 2 boosters and later up to 98.1 million N (22.1 million lb) with the Block 3 vehicle. These later versions may have up to 35 engines.

I didn't realize that they used Ford truck engines

[GH85Carrera]

The staircase designed by Leonardo da Vinci in 1516 AD, is located in the Château de Chambord in France.
It is a double-helix structure, featuring two spirals that ascend the central tower without intersecting, allowing people to go up and down simultaneously without meeting. This innovative design exemplifies Leonardo's mastery of engineering and architectural principles.
The staircase was commissioned by King Francis I, who invited Leonardo to France in his final years. It remains one of the most remarkable examples of Renaissance architecture, showcasing Leonardo's genius and the grandeur of French royal residences.
Credit: ArchaeoHistories


The Gilligan's Island radio was actually NOT a prop.
It was a working radio...Packard Bell model AR-851 table-top AM radio...previously purchased by show creator Sherwood Schwartz to listen to Dodger games in his office. Schwartz didn't like the black radio used in the pilot...thought the white radio would show better. (He had the prop department add the handle and antenna for effect). When the show wrapped after the 3rd season, Schwartz took the now iconic TV prop back to his office, plugged it back in, and continued to listen to Dodger games on it for decades....





Fingal's Cave, located on the uninhabited island of Staffa in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, features striking hexagonal basalt columns formed from cooled volcanic lava. Measuring about 72 meters long, it boasts remarkable acoustics that create a cathedral-like ambiance. Named after the Irish hero Fingal, it has inspired many artists, including Felix Mendelssohn, who composed "Fingal's Grotto." Its beauty continues to draw tourists and explorers globally.

[GH85Carrera]

HE DIDN'T LIKE THE AVAILABLE CAMPERS OF THE TIME SO HE DESIGNED AND BUILT HIS OWN!
(And invented the pop-top camper concept!)
The 1934 Thompson House Car.
Arthur Thompson of Ontario, California, created his House Car over a seven year period in the 1930s.
It is built on a Studebaker chassis and has a six-cylinder engine.
The roof raises much like that on a pop-up camper with a system of gears that raise all four corners simultaneously.
When the roof is fully raised, campers could use an upper bed in the vehicle.
Up to four people could sleep comfortably inside.
For the kitchen, there is an icebox, sink with running water, and a stove.








Kink (or chevron) fold, Sot de Chera, Spain. (credit: L. Recker)

[Steve Carlton]

[GH85Carrera]

MTV in the 1980s when they played music videos.


Grocery shopping in 1969








An early vacuum tube crystal oscillator used as a wavemeter to check the frequency of the first radio broadcasting stations in 1925. The crystal oscillator was invented in 1921 by Walter Guyton Cady at Bell Labs. By 1925, a few US broadcasting stations had switched to crystal control, but most controlled their frequency with an LC oscillator, with a tuned circuit consisting of an inductor and capacitor, which could drift in frequency or be misadjusted so the transmitted signal could be at the wrong frequency, possibly interfering with other stations. The crystal oscillator offered a way to check the frequency against an extremely accurate standard, a quartz crystal. In this picture the wavemeter is set next to a radio transmitter (right). The operator is plugging a crystal of the correct frequency into the front panel. The wavemeter has a wire loop (black, right side) which picked up the transmitter's signal and mixed it with the oscillator's signal in a vacuum tube. If the frequecies were different, an audible heterodyne frequency, a "beat" tone, would be heard in the earphones. The operator adjusted the transmitter frequency until the beat frequency got lower and went to zero. At that point, the transmitter was exactly at the crystal frequency.
Caption: "AN APPLICATION OF PIEZOELECTRICITY IN RADIO - The property of quartz crystals, by virtue of which they become electrified under pressure or strain, has been applied in this piezo-electric oscillator, designed for use as a standard wavemeter, and constructed by the General Radio Co. In the small case between the fingers is a tested quartz crystal. It will oscillate at one definite frequency only. Resonance of this difinite frequency with that of any oscillation entering through the coupling coil at right is indicated on the panel meter"
Date June 1925

[Captain Ahab Jr]

[GH85Carrera]

The last four images: In 1946, one of the world’s first electronic computers was unveiled in Philadelphia, in the US.
It was called the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC, and was initially designed to do calculations for ballistics trajectories.
It was programmed by six female mathematicians. But it wasn't going to be easy.
"There were no manuals in those days. They had not yet been written," says Kay McNulty, one of the programmers.
To make things even harder, the work was top secret - and the programmers initially weren't even allowed to see the machine.

[GH85Carrera]

Did you know the Goliath beetle is one of the largest insects on Earth? Found in the tropical forests of Africa, this beetle can weigh up to 100 grams and grow nearly 4 inches long! Its striking appearance and strength make it a true giant of the insect world. Fun Fact: These beetles are so strong they can carry up to 850 times their own weight!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Did you know the Goliath beetle is one of the largest insects on Earth? Found in the tropical forests of Africa, this beetle can weigh up to 100 grams and grow nearly 4 inches long! Its striking appearance and strength make it a true giant of the insect world. Fun Fact: These beetles are so strong they can carry up to 850 times their own weight!

diabolical ironclad beetle

The diabolical ironclad beetle is like a tiny tank on six legs.

This insect’s rugged exoskeleton is so tough that the beetle can survive getting run over by cars, and many would-be predators don’t stand a chance of cracking one open. Phloeodes diabolicus is basically nature’s jawbreaker.

Analyses of microscope images, 3-D printed models and computer simulations of the beetle’s armor have now revealed the secrets to its strength. Tightly interlocked and impact-absorbing structures that connect pieces of the beetle’s exoskeleton help it survive enormous crushing forces, researchers report in the Oct. 22 Nature. Those features could inspire new, sturdier designs for things such as body armor, buildings, bridges and vehicles.

The diabolical ironclad beetle, which dwells in desert regions of western North America, has a distinctly hard-to-squish shape. “Unlike a stink beetle, or a Namibian beetle, which is more rounded … it’s low to the ground [and] it’s flat on top,” says David Kisailus, a materials scientist at the University of California, Irvine. In compression experiments, Kisailus and colleagues found that the beetle could withstand around 39,000 times its own body weight. That would be like a person shouldering a stack of about 40 M1 Abrams battle tanks.

Chrysina limbata

Chrysina limbata is a species of scarab beetle found only in mid-altitude forests in Costa Rica and western Panama. It is in the genus Chrysina, in the subfamily Rutelinae (shining leaf chafers). It is notable for its metallic reflective silver color.

Adult C. limbata measure between 24 and 29 mm (0.94–1.14 in) in length. They have a reflective silver metallic appearance which is achieved through thin film interference within layers of chitin. These layers of the chitin coating are chirped (in layers of differing thicknesses), forming a complex multilayer as each layer decreases in depth; as the thickness changes, so too does the optical path-length. Each chirped layer is tuned to a different wavelength of light. The multilayer found on C. limbata reflects close to 97% of light across the visible wavelength range.

Physicist William E. Vargas believes that the metallic appearance may act like water, appearing only as a bright spot to predators. The rain forest of Costa Rica where C. limbata lives has water suspended from leaves at ground level. Light is refracted in different directions, and it allows metallic beetles to fool predators.

[GH85Carrera]

Oklahoma City...1938


A modern banana vs a pre-domestication one.
The process transformed a fruit completely full of seeds into a parthenocarpic seedless fruit that develops in the absence of pollination.
The earliest archaeological evidence of domesticated bananas was dated to 7,000 years ago.

[jcwade]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Oklahoma City...1938

That picture is actually Signal Hill California in 1944. Taken by Andress Feininger.
You can see the address at 6014 Atlantic Ave in the uncropped version.
The position of the cars are different, so it was taken from the same tripod position but a different negative.
I drive by there often, but it looks a little different today.

[GH85Carrera]

From the top of Mt., Scott, Oklahoma.


An electrical engineer test equipment at the Air Force Test Center (Försökscentralen) in Malmslätt. In the background stands nose- and tailcones from a RB-04 anti-ship missile. January 31, 1964

[Steve Carlton]

Quietly tiptoeing up from behind with a paper bag full of air...

[GH85Carrera]

[john70t]

[GH85Carrera]

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jcwade

That picture is actually Signal Hill California in 1944. Taken by Andress Feininger.
You can see the address at 6014 Atlantic Ave in the uncropped version.
The position of the cars are different, so it was taken from the same tripod position but a different negative.
I drive by there often, but it looks a little different today.

A lot of the cool old photos that Glenn posts with blurbs like this, I believe, come from Facebook. I often see the same photos and blurbs that he posts within a couple/few days± of him posting the photos. A lot of the photos are verifiable (if there of famous people or places, but I do occasionally see photos that seem a little unbelievable. I figure that they are probably usually real photos (not AI generated) but potentially with erroneous blurbs either to make them seem more interesting or just because the person didn't know or made something up or was quoting someone else that was wrong.

[Racerbvd]

[Racerbvd]