h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Also it's not being forced up under pressure.

Have another listen....

http://www.divshare.com/download/10368473-38b

A water mill?


Geggs

It's not a mill.

So an aqueduct is involved.

To prevent evaporation, presumably the water needs to be stored somewhere enclosed, out of direct sunlight.

Is the noise coming from some type of cystern?

Bottle shaped, but with a vent to allow the cystern to be filled?



GT

I think the rate of lift and therefore amount of water able to be distributed overcame the problem of evaporation - this was a very successful technology spread out over a wide area which wasn't superseded for a long while.

So - no it's not a kind of cistern.

The only other system for raising water in that part of the World was a Shadoof.

But a 65' Shadoof seems a little far-fetched to me.....




GT

I've killed some time - and done some marking - so we're now just waiting for someone to piece together all the pieces.

Also - just for Gandalf'sTwin - I earlier awarded a +3 for "roughly circular". I've decided that it's more fitting for that to gt a DGI +1 instead, and to hold back the +3 for the person who says what IT is first.

GT

>>The only other system for raising water in that part of the World was a Shadoof.<<

Ha-Ha - not the *only* other system.

Indeed I think this would qualify as the Shadoof's replacement as it didn't require manual operation.

They've been knocking about since the 1st century and there's evidence of one of these being active well into 1970. *that's* how successful it was.

But it would need some kind of power, surely!

You said, 'Not wind', now you say 'Not manual'


WTF???????



GT

The mystery deepens - but it will all make sense, I promise - I have a figure for you, that will make more sense of your evaporation issue, I think:

This machine was so efficient it has been calculated to be capable of lifting 95 litres of water a minute.

And it's done without wind, without animals and without people.

Blood yell, you lot can move along when it suits you.
This member was sleeping. - and then trying to catch up.

Part way through, I thought of this (but then had it no-noed):

In (on) Bahrain/Bahrein is the Virgin's Pool of about that size
Tourists may visit nowadays, we did, as a curiosity, when stationed there in the 60s.

It's the end of an underground river from I'm not sure where, after those years.
From the mainland it goes undersea and in places fishermen can drink the water, which is brackish, as is the water in the pool - ie it's fresh mixed with sea ~water.

Bahrain has been suggested as the original Garden of Eden and could, if you're so inclined, be believable if only because of that pool - drinkable water in plentiful supply on a dry island.

I say drinkable and so it is but not entirely wholesome to western taste.

Interestingly, when (when!) it rained, council workers were out with hoses, washing down the green grass areas around town (Manama) - with more of the brackish water that was used for irrigation. That was to wash off the accumulated salt.

I've been desperately trying to recall any sound associated with it but have concluded that it'd be auto-suggestion.



There now.

That may be QI (I hope) but not the answer, judging from recent posts.

Well, if it is not water powered, which I cannot see at the moment, I am blind.


GT

Sink-holes, if that's the right description

I think gt and Rob share that particle of inspiration.

It is water-powered / by a river.

DGI +1

DGI +1


So what is it?

Rod not Rob.

A water-powered system for raising water?


Without violating the Laws of the Conservation of Energy, ie, getting something for nothing???


Now I am puddled!




GT

A water-powered system for raising water?

Yup.

That's the doohicky.

>Without violating the Laws of the Conservation of Energy<

Yup. And it works. Really spectacularly well. You'd be amazed. And it makes this noise like whrrr-whrrrr-whrrrrr-click-hmmmmmm-whrrrrr-whrrrr

Okay, not a water mill, but how about the principle part - a water wheel.


Geggs