I constantly ask why, what, where, who, and how...
 |
| Gratuitous curious internet cat image, although she's probably wondering why you haven't delivered her next meal yet... |
... yes, that means I'm as curious as a cat, but if you read this blog, you're probably equally curious.
Today's Challenges are about those moments when you're wandering around and you spot something that you just don't understand. I my case, I usually take a photo and then SearchResearch it when I get home.
Here are three images I took recently that I had to think about. Can you figure these out as well? Perhaps you see things like this and wonder, curiously, what's going on. Let's figure these out together.
1. What's going on here? Or, more properly, what happened here? This seems a bit... unusual, no?
 |
| Link |
2. And what's this thing? This is from Southern California, and you see them everywhere... but I've always wondered what they're doing. What it this and what does it do? (They usually have the yellow warning post, but not always...)
 |
| Link |
3. Finally, this is a common thing to see along roadsides in more rural parts of the state. What is that silver canister with the orange label? What does it do?
 |
| Link |
These are full, clickable images (if you want to download them at full resolution).
Let us know what you think they are--and, of course, HOW you figured it out!
We want to learn from the best of our SearchResearch practice.
Search on!
For Q 2 tried [Pipeline color meaning] and similar. I think it's very basic but at the moment it's the only way I think. The color gives us what substance is below.
ReplyDeleteFor Q3 and the others, tried searching by image. However for Q3 Yandex give us a similar image. The site with the image mentions they are : T-? repeaters. Now I am working on that because with the name I don't understand anything about them.
With Q3 photography by Dr. Russell, Searched by Image and later adding "t-? repeaters"
DeleteResults links to Reddit, saying they are telecommunications repeaters. I'm still reading. Apparently, used to repeat Internet in old technology
With [pieces on electric lines] searching in images, found parts of electric lines. Maybe insulators? And also:
DeleteWhat Are Those Colorful Balls That Are Attached To Power Lines? Not what we are looking for. However, very interesting
Searched Image 1 in Yandex. Found images with different objects. At the moment nothing conclusive. However, found people in zipline and a high voltage meter aerial.
Delete…they seem familiar, but I can't put my finger on where I've seen them…
ReplyDeleteTin Man gas… & comm lines
1. power pole burned away leaving only the wire and its shackle insulators. Once I figured this out--I had thought they were splices at first -- it was easy to verify by Images.
ReplyDelete3. Is an amateur radio repeater unit. Found by {SLC RPTR) by Coast Highway 1 near Sea Ranch by Bosun's Lane.
2. vent pipe from buried petroleum line.
These were good...j
when I used "SLC RPTR" to search with I kept ending up in Utah…
Deletehow did you come up with the CH 1 location - Bosun's Lane?
you were very succinct on all three, nicely explained.
EXIF-recall that Dan offered up full images for this mighty Challenge.
DeleteHi Jon! I didn't notice the burned pole until you mentioned. I thought it was part of scenery and not part of the possible answer. I think Q1 and Q2 have more than we think. For example, why make the electric pole with wood? Why it got fire? Why is not yet repaired? I know lots of these questions will never know the answer
ReplyDeleteWhy wood? Cheap and effective. Why burned ? Maybe car ran into it, maybe part CA wildfires ? Why not repaired? You'll have to ask the owners I guess. Adios.
DeleteThe repeater: there are 1746 of them in CA. Several sites with lists and locations
ReplyDelete2. Further details [petroleum pipeline vent] finds https://www.zngc.com/~zngc/?page_id=205 points out: this curved top indicates this is called "Casing Vent Marker — This marker indicates that a pipeline (protected by a steel outer casing) passes beneath a nearby roadway, rail line or other crossing." and "Most pipelines are buried underground to protect them from the elements and minimize interference with surface uses. Pipeline rights-of-way are clearly identified by pipeline markers that identify the approximate — NOT EXACT — location of the pipeline. Every pipeline marker contains information identifying the company that operates the pipeline, the product transported, and a phone number that should be called in the event of an emergency. Markers do not indicate pipeline burial depth, which will vary. Markers are typically seen where a pipeline intersects a street, highway or railway. You will also find them at river crossings, fence lines and property boundaries"
ReplyDeleteThis is olde tyme technology according to https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=7149 where the pipeline say crosses a road it used to be inside a bigger heavier pipe. This caused more trouble (see above) Now they mostly just use stronger pipe to cross the roadway and not a tiny pipe inside a bigger one. The curved pipe is indeed a vent in case there was leakage from corrosion.