this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 74 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (6 children)

This is particularly applicable around downed power cables. Do NOT approach. You don't need to touch it to become the wire.

For example: in LA right now

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 65 points 3 weeks ago

dO nOT toUch the DoWn wIres uuuum I have MY RIGHTS to turn myself into a gas station hotdogs thankyouverymuch

[–] EtherWhack@lemmy.world 20 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

You have to keep in mind that the resistance from one foot to your other is going to be less than dry earth between your strides. This means if you are walking toward a downed power line, you may inadvertently walk within its path to its ground and the voltage could actually travel through you.

https://youtu.be/7BbGzTqTNxc

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 8 points 3 weeks ago

Why is this not knowledge taught in school?

It is the first time i hear about it and i have never thought of it, yet it makes total sense and could make the difference between life and death in a storm damaged area.

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[–] Naich@lemmings.world 10 points 3 weeks ago

The safest way to do it is to get someone else to touch it first.

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[–] IDew@lemm.ee 72 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 63 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Low voltage: "Oh no, there is a tiny spot of corrosion on the contact surface, I think I need to lie down..."

High voltage: (rips line of coke) "I'M GONNA MAKE MY OWN WIRES WITH BLACKJACK AND HOOKERS!"

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[–] originalfrozenbanana@lemm.ee 45 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Everything is wire if the voltage is high enough

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

iS iT Up tO cOde??? <--- stupidass city council 🙄

[–] frank@sopuli.xyz 33 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

"it's current not voltage that kills you"

High voltage: "Por que no los dos?"

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 34 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

High voltage: “hey bestie, how would you like a ✨️new and improved ✨️ nervous system?”

[–] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I always thought that was a dumb saying because voltage is specifically what allows there to be a lethal current.

[–] candybrie@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I think people just don't understand ohm's law. They seem to think voltage and current are unrelated to each other.

[–] TheFogan@programming.dev 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I suppose it's half right. Obviously OHMs law is the triangle.

So you get a high voltage, running through a high resistance, it won't kill you. The problem is people interpret it in a way that seems to think raising the voltage without raising the resistance is just fine.

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[–] booly@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

Voltage and current are related, of course, but Ohm's law is just a simplification of circuit theory for static circuits, and the version most are taught early on assume zero inductance and zero capacitance in the circuit. Drop in an alternating current, some capacitors and inductors, and you've got yourself a more complex situation, literally, with the scalar real number representing resistance replaced with the complex number representing impedance.

And when you have time variance that isn't a simple sinusoidal wave of electric potential coming from a source, even the definition of the word "voltage" starts requiring vector calculus to even be a coherent definition.

So when I take a simple battery of DC cells to create a low voltage power source, I can still induce current using some transformers and inductors (which store energy in magnetic field) and abruptly breaking open the circuit so that the current still arcs across high resistance air. That's the basic principle of how a spark plug works. In those cases, you're creating immense voltages for a tiny amount of time, but there's never any real risk of significant current being pushed through any part of a person's body. And as soon as you draw off some of the current, the voltage immediately drops as you deplete the stored energy wherever it is in the system.

And anything designed to deliver an electric shock to a person (or animal) tends to be high voltage, low current. Tasers, electric fences, etc.

So it's current that matters for safety. A high voltage doesn't always induce a high current. And current can cause problems even at relatively low voltages.

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

Hence the signs saying "DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE"

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[–] Arrkk@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

10kV static discharge and 5kA @ 1mV would like a word.

[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 32 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

“Danger! Danger! High voltage.

When we touch, when we kiss”

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

😚🥰⚡️💀

[–] thejml@lemm.ee 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

“Fire at the disco; fire at the, Taco Bell!”

[–] InputZero@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

"Fire at the disco; fire at the, Gates of Hell!"

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 5 points 3 weeks ago

Don't you wanna know why we keep startin' fires

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 weeks ago

Dammit! I just got this song outta my head

[–] elekitty@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

modern metal band logos are really getting out of hand smh

[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

This is so accurate. Try reading this without knowing what it is. It's impossible

Answer"Femtanyl" as it's the artists name

What about this one?

AnswerLITERALLY NOBODY KNOWS 😭😭

[–] silverchase@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

First one isn't even metal. But yes. Not doing that is why anyone even remembers Party Cannon.

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[–] herrvogel@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

I can't see femtanyl in there even after you told me what to look for

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[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 19 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I don't know too much about HV, but I thought that even the crazy path shown in the picture was still the path of least resistance. Is that wrong?

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 29 points 3 weeks ago

Dielectric breakdown, literally carving its own path of least resistance through the air.

[–] jjagaimo@sh.itjust.works 14 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

You might not like it, but this is what peak conductivity looks like

[–] kerrigan778@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It is still the path of least resistance but it created it itself. It ionizes the air creating a channel for it and then makes the leap, creating a conductive conduit of plasma/ions, as air currents move that around the path of least resistance can get progressively more nuts because there's still a path through the ionized air.

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 4 points 3 weeks ago

It's a big example of a Jacob's Ladder (the climbing arc of electricity seen in science labs in movies).

[–] jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

From what I've seen, nothing will make a bunch of linemen hit the deck like the sound of high voltage switchgear opening when they weren't expecting it.

"NNNNYYYYYYAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT"

[–] RegalPotoo@lemmy.world 17 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Everything is a wire if the voltage is high enough.

Every machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago
[–] veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

I was interviewed for a position where lady handed me a pen and asked if it was a conductor.

I replied: "if the voltage is high enough, yea. She scoffed. Needless to say, I didn't get the job.

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[–] oo1@lemmings.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Every problem is a nail if you hammer it hard enough.

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[–] xia@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Does anybody else see the beastman with safety googles and clasped hands screaming into the sky?

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

Some clever person should figure out how to do this on purpose. Badass sky displays.

[–] RubberElectrons@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Always fun stuff to work with, DI water or oil are great insulators, though one sucks to clean up if you spill it 😓

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Just lather yourself up with that oil bb don't let it go to waste

[–] RubberElectrons@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Diala works great for... Cooking... Steaks. I don't know where to go with that because of how nope it is.

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[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Also High Voltage. This human body will do just fine.

[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

slaps head of a man This bad boy can fit so many volts!

“Gee, this squishy skin-sack full of water sure has a lot of tasty electrolytes. Might as well use this as a conductor!”

[–] bitwolf@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 weeks ago

Its funny because the arc looks a bit like Louise Belcher laughing maniacally

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
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[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
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