Southerly by David Haywood

From the PA Radio discussion thread...

Emma Hart wrote:

I may be shallow, and I am, but I really wanted visuals for this.

Well, I can't help but agree that it would make life a lot easier. Science/engineering is totally visual for me, so it really gives me gyp to try and do it on the radio.

However, bonus visuals are actually available in the transcript.

Andrew Feltoe wrote:

David this is brilliant -- I was reliving my high school physics classes through your podcast. Keep it up and well done.

Dude, if it was anything like my high school physics class -- then my sincere apologies!

... although it does give me an idea for my next programme: "Can anyone remember the definition of energy? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?", etc.

But very glad if it all made sense...

E = mc squared (no superscript available) where m = mass and c = the speed of light.

And I didn't even do high school physics.

Proud to be a Nerd!

Hmm, isn't that the formula for the relationship between kinetic energy and mass etc - a mechanism for measurement rather than a definition? A definition of energy would depend on the kind of energy, kinetic, chemical, gravitational etc and would describe the effects of energy...

E=mc^2

It's the equation that tells you how much you get if mass is converted into energy (or vice versa). I seem to remember that the mass of the original atomic bomb was one gram less following explosion (i.e. if you gathered together all the bits of exploded bomb and weighed it) -- that gram of mass having been converted into energy.

In other words, you get a very large amount of energy from a very small amount of mass.

[But, actually, I was (jocularly) referring to the definition of energy given in my programme. In which case, you guys fail my listening comprehension test (just kidding).]

Sorry David, got distracted by trying to be a know-it-all (and failed)!

BTW, if anyone wants an easy intro to the theory and a very entertaining read, David Bodanis's E=MC2 is a fantastic book. It is the "biography" of the the theory of relatively that explains the current understanding of each element of the equation through an overview of its historical development.

I did read your transcript, but only after I posted my reply.

I guess I fail the test. I'm going to attribute that to my mind being addled by eclipse watching.

Deborah wrote:

I'm going to attribute that to my mind being addled by eclipse watching.

Fair enough, dude! My mind was so addled by a screaming baby (so loud that even hardened Plunket nurses cover their ears and go: "Oh my God, that's loud") that, alas, I didn't even manage the eclipse.

By the way, did anyone see the 'Campbell Live' piece on the lunar eclipse -- where the journalist interviewed an astrologer. I believe this is the worst piece of television journalism I have ever seen. It makes me think that death penalty advocates might actually have a point (in the case of TV3 journalists, at any rate).

yeah, I'm a long time 3 News watcher, but lately ... WTF?

[Sound of thunderstorm]

"Thunder. Enter the three Witches".

Not saying I was disappointed with the rest of the transcipt, just that my expectations had been heightened somewhat.

By the way, did anyone see the 'Campbell Live' piece on the lunar eclipse -- where the journalist interviewed an astrologer.

No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the viewing public - to paraphrase Henry Mencken.

So how much energy was consumed getting David to Auckland to climb the sky tower? Always presuming he actually did climb that tower?

And as a matter of curiosity and in the interest of encouraging home science experiments

How much energy does a screaming baby use?

ooo and is there a way of capturing that energy? Visions of the looming energy crises solved....

cheers
Bart

Speaking of TV3, Samantha looks like she has the right stuff for journalism these days,
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10460522
I wonder if John's promo shot will feature him in his undies next?

I wonder if John's promo shot will feature him in his undies next?

Assuming you mean John Campbell, we can hope. I know some women who have some serious mind-pron issues with that suit.

Science/engineering is totally visual for me, so it really gives me gyp to try and do it on the radio.

Honestly, I just wanted to see how knackered you really were.

Bart Janssen wrote:

Always presuming he actually did climb that tower?

Bart, I believe you would be termed a radio-presenter-climbs-Skytower denier. It was (ahem) over a year ago, so the first sentence was added in afterwards, but I did it all right (and with measurements -- see graph in transcript).

I refer you to an extract from my diary of that day...

I was slightly disconcerted when Sally (the Skytower manager) asked some detailed questions about my medical history. She finished off by saying: "But I suppose you’ve been training for weeks to do this?"

Me: Um, not exactly... [then to reassure her] but I've climbed stairs before.

The possibility that I might have underestimated the amount of physical fitness required was underscored by Graham -- the chap who was delegated as my minder for the climb -- who asked if I wanted to do stretching exercises beforehand.

Graham looked young and extremely fit, and mentioned casually that he spent an hour at the gym every day. I had unhappy visions of him telling his family about how he took some fat guy up the Skytower, who walked at the rate of a sloth, and died of a heart attack half-way up. And they would all have a big laugh about it.

But, happily, he was a wreck by the end of the climb, and had to go home to recover in bed. And surprisingly –- despite a lifetime of zero physical activity and a pint-a-day habit –- I felt pretty good. So good that I ran up the last three flights of stairs just to see if I could.

[Sound of thunderstorm]

I love the way you use props & sound effects...

By golly I may have to listen to it! But is it anything like the piece I once heard of this guy eating a HUGE bacon sandwich (or two) and then using his new iPOD thingy to measure exactly how long to work the calories off with a run?

Halfway through "Bleeurgh... I'm throwing up now... "

Priceless.