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

The channel tunnel claims to have broadcast radio, actually two channels, classic and pop. I have tried to pick it up with my radio on four occasions, but found absolutly zip zilch. Anyone ever managed to pick it up?

No, but Cambridge Railway Station plays classical music over it's P/A and I've listened to that. Makes waiting for the train far more interesting (though Cambridge Railway Station does also usually have a lot of attractive and devastatingly intelligent female students on the platform so maybe that's why it's interesting... )

After reading this conversation my brain is slowly turning into a pulpy mush... or perhaps I've been using the microwave too much.
If a metal mesh stops microwave radiation, is there any reason why phone companies can't put a wire mesh in mobile phones on the side you talk to?
On the same note, have you noticed that people nowadays use headphone & microphone extensions to avoid frying their brain with mobile phones. However, they often put the phone itself in their trouser pockets, thereby exposing an equally critical part of their body to the radiation.
Human beings are clever, aren't they.

Perhaps these people are wearing metal underpants?

My brother told me that the reason water heats faster in a microwave is that the frequency used in microwaves is close to the one that water vibrates at.

I thought that had something to do with any polar molecule becoming aligned in the microwave's field and vibrating with it.
Or maybe if we put a bag over our heads, will that help?

Re posting 23: the wire mesh would only work if it extended beyond the antenna, and thus would hamper the design of a mobile phone (you know, these days design goes over function )
Even *if* there was a mesh, and it extended as a half circle around the antenna then the shielding properties were limited: (1) the whole thing would form a reflector antenna which most likely has a 'backlobe' right opposite to the main lobe (which points away from the whole structure), and (2) within 10xlambda (lambda being the wavelength, some 7.5cm in the case of GSM1800), the head would still remain in the 'near field' zone where a directional pattern doesn't exist, that is, energy is present and will be absorbed if a lossy medium (your head) is present.

But all in all, another good reason to wear tinfoil hats.

I'm afraid this would only work if the hat was closed at the bottom too, right through your throat. There could be a resonance point within the hat which only makes matters worse

Oh, and to another point of posting 23: GSM phones will transmit mainly while having a phone call. Unless you're transmitting sounds which emanate from within your trousers while having a call, the phone only goes on transmit every 20 minutes or so, in order to check the connection. But it's a different story if you're outside the coverage area of a base station. At least my phone *constantly* tries to connect in such a case, and sucks away battery power within minutes.

Tin foil hats ! Now there's a concept. I wonder if they make them in my size, though...

Hmm... It's been almost 2 full years since I last posted to this thread (Sep 13, 1999) ... I thought it was much longer, though.


anyone?

I have to admit to only posting in this thread in the hope that Douglas might post after me, thus allowing me to boast to my mates.

I can´t remember if I have ever seen DNA post on here. Or at least not under his own name, I have wondered if he had an alter ego. Perhaps that can be revealed now.

Unless I'm losing my mind (which is entirely possible) he started the whole forum, with post number 1!

Oh my, I think I accidently started reading this post at 21 so I never saw it. Dammit.

And he never posted again, I was hoping to get a reply too, or some engagement from DNA. But the thread lives on in memory I guess.

When my daughter learns to type I'll let her post here too.

I just wish I had joined h2g2 when DNA emailed me inviting me to participate after buying the Starship Titanic game.

But I was such a newbie to the net that I was too scared to follow up the invite!

Then I invented my alta ego and the rest is history!

The length and depth of tunnels must play a part too in the equation.

Personally I prefer bridges, such beautiful things.

IRC was actually my first internet activity.. even before browsers.. In fact, I learned about browsers -on- IRC.

I never could figure out why people said I had jumped right in the deep end... didn't seem so deep to me.

The first site I ever visited sold sunglasses! I was using CompuServe...

Nuking came from the association with radiation. Microwaves are much too short to hear as they are near the infra red end of the spectrum.