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Ike
7/19/2006, 02:03 PM
So the "Fermilab Operator" just came over the loudspeaker with this announcement:

"The National Weather Service has just issued a Thunderstorm watch for this area from now until 3 pm. Please be prepared to move to a safe location if the situation worsens"

jiminy frickin christmas. We are getting buzzed for a damn thunderstorm watch?!?! tell me when its a SEVERE thunderstorm WARNING. not just a thunderstorm watch.




naturally, rather than preparing to move to a place of safety, I am preparing my camera for the oppurtunity for cool pictures if the situation worsens.
1stTimeCaller
7/19/2006, 02:05 PM
So the "Fermilab Operator" just came over the loudspeaker with this announcement:

"The National Weather Service has just issued a Thunderstorm watch for this area from now until 3 pm. Please be prepared to move to a safe location if the situation worsens"

jiminy frickin christmas. We are getting buzzed for a damn thunderstorm watch?!?! tell me when its a SEVERE thunderstorm WARNING. not just a thunderstorm watch.




naturally, rather than preparing to move to a place of safety, I am preparing my camera for the oppurtunity for cool pictures if the situation worsens.

if anyone ever doubted Ike's Okie roots.
Petro-Sooner
7/19/2006, 02:12 PM
Your Fermilab Operator must watch from Mike Morgan and other weather dorks on OKC TV. The sky is falling, the sky is falling. UGH
IronSooner
7/19/2006, 02:13 PM
Be sure the television station helicopters get you on camera while you're outside photographing the storms. ;)
Ike
7/19/2006, 02:15 PM
Be sure the television station helicopters get you on camera while you're outside photographing the storms. ;)


check. I'll be the one on top of the 15 story building. ;)


should I wave?
1stTimeCaller
7/19/2006, 02:21 PM
check. I'll be the one on top of the 15 story building. ;)


should I wave?


do the downwards hook em horn thingy. That'll be soooo :hot:
Ike
7/19/2006, 02:39 PM
do the downwards hook em horn thingy. That'll be soooo :hot:


oh thats money...


but since nobody here knows what the hell that means, it might get interpreted as a gang sign...
IB4OU2
7/19/2006, 02:42 PM
check. I'll be the one on top of the 15 story building. ;)


should I wave?

While you're up there taking pictures measure the speed of the lightning bolt to ground....it should = @ the speed of your sig. :)
Ike
7/19/2006, 02:44 PM
oh my bad...he said it would last until 8, not 3...and it is a severe tstorm watch, not just any old tstorm....which only means more time for pictures of cool lightning awesomeness. there was some of that here on monday night, but my camera batteries were dead. :mad:
Ike
7/19/2006, 02:50 PM
While you're up there taking pictures measure the speed of the lightning bolt to ground....it should = @ the speed of your sig. :)


unfortunately, with only a camera, I won't have the proper instrumentation to carry out a precision measurement.

But I can tell you that it would actually be significantly slower, due to the fact that lightning involves the travel of massive particles (electrons) through a medium, which are also subject to muliple scattering...

http://wsx.lanl.gov/Publications/lightning_bolt.html

this link gives a nice analysis of a random lightning strike, and they estimate the speed to be about 1x10^5 m/s, which is about 0.0003 times the speed of light (3x10^8 m/s)

still, thats pretty frickin fast.
mdklatt
7/19/2006, 02:53 PM
it is a severe tstorm watch, not just any old tstorm

They don't issue watches for just any old thunderstorms.
Ike
7/19/2006, 03:08 PM
They don't issue watches for just any old thunderstorms.


I don't pay attention to how weather people work...and this is illinois, where everyone tries to blow anything and everything way out of proportion...
IB4OU2
7/19/2006, 03:11 PM
unfortunately, with only a camera, I won't have the proper instrumentation to carry out a precision measurement.

But I can tell you that it would actually be significantly slower, due to the fact that lightning involves the travel of massive particles (electrons) through a medium, which are also subject to muliple scattering...

http://wsx.lanl.gov/Publications/lightning_bolt.html

this link gives a nice analysis of a random lightning strike, and they estimate the speed to be about 1x10^5 m/s, which is about 0.0003 times the speed of light (3x10^8 m/s)

still, thats pretty frickin fast.

That is a cool publication, Thanks Ike!
NormanPride
7/19/2006, 03:12 PM
Why do I always think Fermilab produces Fembots? Are you hiding something from us, Ike?
Ike
7/19/2006, 03:17 PM
Why do I always think Fermilab produces Fembots? Are you hiding something from us, Ike?


I wouldn't be surprised if we did.

remember that this is a lab which is home to some 1500-2000 PhD's in physics...

statistically speaking, their mating habits are not what you would call 'normal'

but the official line is that we do not produce fembots.
NormanPride
7/19/2006, 03:22 PM
What was the saying? Give enough physicists enough fembots...?
Ike
7/19/2006, 03:26 PM
What was the saying? Give enough physicists enough fembots...?


heh. and we'd have had the bomb in 1933 instead of 1945?