How fast does a fly have to fly into a speeding locomotive to stop it?

[samoth]

From a railroader, here are some things to consider....

1. Engine weight alone is 400,000 - 420,000 lbs. "Train" weight can be above 10,000 ton. "With their 4000-6000 hp per engine, even a car or truck does not slow them down, even if we are dragging them along. We could drag a car 100's of miles no problem."

2. There are two feul shut off buttons. One in the cab, one by the fuel tank. Each has to be held in for several seconds to be operated.

3. Trains are not aerodynamic, they will push air infront of them, therefore we get very little bug splatter on the windshiel. Unless the bug is very heavy.

4. IF, the emergency brake is applied and we are going fast enough, we WILL derail. That is why it takes so long to stop a train. If we hit a car and going 50+ , we DO NOT hit the emergency brake. It would be an even bigger mess and most likely kill more people. "Also, it isn't easy to accidentally put a train in emergency"

5. This is a silly ass question with only one answer, not possible.

Whiskey

The professional speaks!

... good points, I never thought of #3 at all. Very good point.

 

[redguru]

Haven't really directly mentioned it publicly.

My advisor recommended a surgeon in the area here, and when I saw him, his first words were, "well, that doesn't look good." Ugh. He recommended another surgery right away, and my advisor agreed. My response was kinda "WTF, you're supposed to be on my side!"... I didn't actually say that, but, ... lol. I weighed the options for a couple weeks and decided to go along.

I feel pretty worthless being here not attending classes, so I've been on EF more, and I'm reading the stuff Matt posted, lol. Hence the poem.

You'll get back to being a slave to a PhD in no time, I'm sure.

 

[samoth]

You'll get back to being a slave to a PhD in no time, I'm sure.

I'm still trying to finish my undergrad

I got the tumor diagnosed at the same bloody time I transferred schools; I've made little progress the last year due to this crap. This is my fifth year, I should be done by now! *grumbles*

 

[redguru]

I'm still trying to finish my undergrad

I got the tumor diagnosed at the same bloody time I transferred schools; I've made little progress the last year due to this crap. This is my fifth year, I should be done by now! *grumbles*

Can you survey some courses while you are on the mend?

 

[samoth]

Can you survey some courses while you are on the mend?

Funny thing is my advisor didn't think I was living on campus, so we started the whole drop thing... and come to find the admin said that if I wasn't enrolled, I couldn't live here... an oversight on everyone's part... so I'm enrolled for a credit in our Outreach program which I've been active in anyway. I'll be out for 2-3 weeks, as this is will be the most intrusive surgery... and as I've learned from the past, lingering effects from the surgery can persist for some time afterwords. But staying in a structured, scheduled course isn't really an option... I don't want my transcript reflecting below-par effort or work. I'd rather take it later when I can do it right. Two or three weeks is a lot of material, then there's the issue of missing an exam, ad nauseum.

I'm hoping they can take care of it so I can go through next semester without any problems. But then again, I said the same thing last semester... lol.

 

[Razorguns]

If i drive my car 2mph into a building -- i cause little damage.

If i fly into at 150mph -- i blow a hole right through the wall.

So assuming this fly is going at ludacris (if you watch Spaceballs!) speed -- it should technically have a combined force equal to quite a few megatons of force (joules of energy)

No?

 

[BrothaBill]

If i drive my car 2mph into a building -- i cause little damage.

If i fly into at 150mph -- i blow a hole right through the wall.

So assuming this fly is going at ludacris (if you watch Spaceballs!) speed -- it should technically have a combined force equal to quite a few megatons of force (joules of energy)

No?

Youve gone plaid

 

[BrothaBill]

OKAY, you fuckers, PICK3 Just Pmd the missing classnotes. The FLY is made of Tritium and the Locomotive is made of deuterium. all it took was a bit more info


or for the laymen, the fly is a neutron and the locomotive is made of U-235


and Pick, just print out this discussion for your prof and had it in

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

"BTW, virtual particles can appear out of nowhere by borrowing energy from the universe, but they don't violate the energy conservation law as long as they give the borrowed energy back to the universe in a small enough amount of time."

Isn't that really just a logical construction that follows from the law of conservation of mass and energy? i.e. an idea that doesn't violate the law so therefore cannot be ruled out?

Just because it could happen in accordance with understood principles, does not imply that it does happen.

 

[BrothaBill]

Isn't that really just a logical construction that follows from the law of conservation of mass and energy? i.e. an idea that doesn't violate the law so therefore cannot be ruled out?

Just because it could happen in accordance with understood principles, does not imply that it does happen.

Yes, but really, nothing can be ruled out in science given its the very essence of empiricism in a perfect world, or perhaps, in a virtual world given that this particle he describes as a virtual particle. Meaning.....it virtually could given the right factors and calculations that we have not yet fully imagined. I think therefore I am or the particle exists. Given that I actually travel through dimensions and time and space.. I have a certain unique perspective that I can bring to the table. Virtual reality