spicy pancake

u/janus2@lemmy.zip
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on Solar Power Tower · c/wikipedia · 4 pts · 8d

you could probably rig up a steampunk sun-following mirror positioning system by just using a shitload of math and astronomical data to pre-program a daily turning system for each individual mirror

the mirrors themselves probably(?) get hot enough that you could put a steam or Stirling engine with its hot side on the back of the mirror surface & power each mirror's sickass cog-analog pivot system

then you just need someone with a handlebar moustache and/or wild frizzy hair to ride a mechanical horse around the mirror field punching in the set points for all the mirror turners every morning, mumbling under their breath about the astronomer's numbers being slightly off and having to compensate with the mech-horse's built in calculator, which naturally takes forever as the horse can only display the numerical results by tapping its hoof

but maybe you could also do it semi-automatically and non-electronically by designing a mechanical feedback system that uses mirror surface temperature as its input data? like if the temperature drops enough, a bimetallic strip or fluid-filled piston engages a gear clutch or something

on Solar Power Tower · c/wikipedia · 3 pts · 8d

modern photovoltaics have these beat in absolutely every category except maybe coolness factor

on This is reality · c/memes · 4 pts · 9d

I mean, unless you wanna be unhygienic about it, the amount of preparation involved and gadgets/accessories available to make it easier certainly lands it in hobbyist friendly territory

they're usually standalone lingerie pieces and don't clip to anything. also this type isn't designed to be load bearing so no carabiniers are involved. unless the person wearing it is also into carabiniers

on Quiet down · c/comicstrips · 1 pts · 13d

also thank you

I usually scream into my pillow when I need to (after giving the roommates a heads up haha)

on Tenants union · c/wikipedia · 2 pts · 14d

if one tenant refuses to pay rent, the landlord does several months of housing court paperwork to evict them and loses a few months' rent. if they have a significant number of units, that's just business as usual

if all the tenants in a whole building refuse to pay rent at the same time, the landlord is in a financial chokehold. not only would fees for multiple eviction proceedings likely drain their business account, the business account also won't have new money coming in until all the evictions are completed and a fuck ton of new tenants are found. that's unrealistic for all but the most gigantic corporate housing conglomerates. the threat of bankrupting the business is the bargaining pressure