Ship's Locker: Out of the Closet

[Condottiere]

Kongsberg M52: A Line-Throwing Rifle (or Harpoon Gun)

The Norwegian Kongsberg factory has a history of making firearms-based tools for maritime use, and one of the more recent is the M52 line-throwing gun, introduced in the 1950s and sold through the 1970s. It uses a repurposed Mauser action paired with a new smoothbore barrel and a 12mm blank cartridge to fire a rescue line. A couple of different projectile heads were made, including a floating wooden one, a smaller solid steel one, and rocket-assisted ones to increase the range from about 100 yards to nearly 300 yards. Two versions of the same basic gun were made, one for throwing line (for maritime rescue, firefighting, and construction) and one as a harpoon gun for hunting whales. This example is line thrower, and particularly cool because it includes the complete original case and accessories.

 

[Condottiere]

This tiny hovercraft went viral.

Hideyasu Ito runs the Micro Hovercraft Laboratory, and I got to meet him and ride his incredible four-bubble hovercraft. ■ The Laboratory: @hideito9042 http://mhlabo.web.fc2.com/ or https://twitter.com/microhovercraft

1. Quad modules for balance.

2. Maybe gyroscopic correction for the double blower.

 

[Condottiere]

It's the Matrix, but for locusts.

At the Department of Collective Behaviour, part of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, researchers are putting locusts into simulated worlds, both virtual and physical, in the hope that they can figure out how devastating swarms form and move.

This is the most uncomfortable I've ever felt while filming, for a few reasons. First, of course, because of the locust swarm itself. Second, because animal research — even on creatures as simple and pestilent as locusts — always raises ethical questions. Now, the researchers are careful with the locusts, and I don't think many people could have a problem with this. Indeed, most of the world currently has zero ethical restrictions on insect experimentation — but it's still worth interrogating whether this is okay. And finally: because if we can do this so easily to less intelligent creatures... what's to stop something more intelligent coming along and doing the same to us?

Foodie inflewencers.

 

[Condottiere]

Antimatter Weapons: Threat or Ridiculous Pipe Dream?

This video delves into the true nature of antimatter and its potential use as a weapon. From the Big Bang to bananas, we explore the science behind antimatter and how it could cause unimaginable destruction. Find out just how powerful antimatter could be, and whether it poses a real threat to humanity.

1. Bananas.

2. More efficient.

3. One and one tenth kilogrammes of anti matter equals fifty megatonnes of explosives.

4. No radiation.

5. Storage.

6. Penning trap.

7. Two and a half quadrillion bux per gramme.

8. Seven years into the future?

 

[Condottiere]

Every Gun in Star Citizen - Weapon Overview

Star Citizen offers TONS of weapons to choose from for PVP and PVE FPS combat. This is a comprehensive overview of every gun in the game.

00:00 - Every Gun in Star Citizen
00:26 - Salvo Frag Pistol
01:06 - Yubarev Pistol
01:53 - Arclight Pistol
02:33 - S-38 Pistol
02:59 - LH-86 Pistol
03:25 - CODA Pistol
04:12 - Custodian SMG
04:33 - Lumin V SMG
04:58 - C54 SMG
05:18 - P8-SC SMG
05:40 - P4-AR Rifle
06:25 - Karna Rifle
06:46 - Gallant Rifle
07:14 - S-71 Rifle
07:54 - Ravager-212 Twin Shotgun
08:27 - Devastator Shotgun
08:51 - BR-2 Shotgun
09:13 - R97 Shotgun
10:09 - Arrowhead Sniper Rifle
10:34 - P6-LR Sniper Rifle
10:51 - A03 Sniper Rifle
11:08 - Atzkav Sniper Rifle
11:43 - Scalpel Sniper Rifle
12:13 - F55 LMG
12:46 - Demeco LMG
13:27 - FS-9 LMG
14:09 - Animus Missile Launcher
14:35 - Scourge Railgun
15:24 - Future Weapons
15:53 - Pick your arsenal

 

[Condottiere]

Melon Muskrat and Cessna

1. Textron Aviation goes bankrupt.

2. Muskrat acquires Cessna Aviation as Textron subsidiaries are auctioned off.

3. The exact dates are somewhat dependent on when gravitational motors move from prototype to production, at some point in technological level eight.

4. Muskrat transitions Cessna from building light aeroplanes to manufacturing air/rafts.

5. Trying to leverage exciting new solutions to power them, including batteries, solar energy, and/or fusion reactors.

6. Promises autonomous piloting, is just over the horizon.

 

[Condottiere]

Melon Muskrat and Cessna

7.

I'm rereading Interstellar Wars, and trying to reconcile the dates given.

In 2052, it was an UNSCA lab on Luna which produced the first practical “grav modules,” offering Terrans control of gravity for the first time.

That's technological level eight.

A UNSCA research station on Ceres also produced the first working reactionless thrusters in 2064.

That could be a prototype.

8. Let's say he's thirty when he buys Cessna, in 2055.

9. That means he's sixty three in 2088, when he kickstarts the Venture start up.