Thursday, August 31, 2006

useless fact for today:

the linux kernel if(2.6.17, 39m compressed)

encoded to punchcards would make a stack approx 1242 feet high.

roughly 124 stories tall or 10 ft shorter than the empire state building.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

enviromentaly correct ways to blow oneself up

Started very simple pyrolitic gas production today (pyrex flask full of paper on a small electric burner) in an attempt to demostrate proof of concept. It worked and frankly better than expected

Paper works well as do wood chips. The real surprise was printer toner which really puts off the hydrocarbons (and is quite possibly the most expensive non-nuclear fuel source ever )

This has a huge don't do this at home label on it as it can be both toxic and explosive (and with my current reaction vessel would include flying glass shards) so I wear a welding mask in the lab.

Based on the wikipedia article on wood gas I should be able to run a straight reactor to engine system but i'd rather contain,filter and purify before feeding it to the lab rat (my 1969 lincoln)

on the other hand the idea of holding the world speed record for a toner powered vehicle is amusing, Maybe I'll do it to my hearse, build a coffin shaped reactor and name it cremetoria

Sunday,sunday ,sunday see the garbage burning funny cars.