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

OMG

do you mind if i pull that forward to this new page?

So vase (dropped) string, A PENCIL and a feather.

Go ahead, - you now have all you need to save the vase from a smashing conclusion - what I'm after is how?

All notions of Napoleonic Hopi chickens can now be discarded, that was the scaffold to get you here, across this chasm of quiet interestingness.

I don't know what this is called but there is an instrument you set up on a tripod and which then draws on a chart when the counterweight is dropped ~ inscribing an arc on your chart.

I don't know what it's for either, but I'm guessing it could be used to measure the angle of the ground your tripod was standing on.

Possibly


or not

Stand upright, shoulders back, back straight - that's the ticket - now take a glass vase, hold it out arms length at around about shoulder height and drop it.
You are saying somehow a string( from hopi dreamcatcher), a feather
(from chicken) and a pencil (from Napoleonic Scientist) used together will prevent the vase from reaching the ground.
thoroughly puzzled.

Yup. I've seen it done - and I'll provide proof. It's dead easy really.

No tripods. Just those four things.

hmmm

okay i am guessing its a vase rather than any other shape
because a vase usually has a narrowed neck with a flared lip
so you tie the string to the middle of the pencil...
put the pencil inside the vase below the neck of the vase... horizontal

hold the string in your teeth? what about the feather? arrrggghhh

Are we talking whip and top ?

>>okay i am guessing its a vase rather than any other shape
because a vase usually has a narrowed neck with a flared lip<<

Yup, yup.


>>so you tie the string to the middle of the pencil...<<

Nope.


>>put the pencil inside the vase below the neck of the vase... horizontal <<

Nope nope.

I don't know are we?

Probably not

So -

Use the pencil to draw round the mouth of the vase, tie the feather to the base of the vase and drop it mouth downwards.

>>Use the pencil to draw round the mouth of the vase<<

Nope.


"tie the feather to the base of the vase"


Yup + 3



"and drop it mouth downwards" - how would that work? erm.. nope.

Tie the string to the pencil twice, at each end. Loop the string around the lip of the vase. Knock me over with the feather.

I think I lost it towards the end there.


Geggs

is the pencil used as a pencil... drawing or writing
or is it used in a nontraditional way?

>Tie the string to the pencil twice, at each end.<

The string isn't tied to the pencil.

Is the pencil used as a pencil

No not really - non traditional - good for diameter, length weight etc.

... drawing or writing
or is it used in a nontraditional way?

Stand the pencil on the ground, positioned so the feather tied to the vase will land on the point of the pencil, cushioning the blow. It probably won't balance, but it should reduce the momentum, so that when it does arrive at the ground it won't smash.


Geggs

ohhhhhhhhh

And where does the string come in? Some sort of guideline?

B