5 ms·
This is actually one of the most fascinating aspects of modern society to me. I can't resist opportunities to tour local infrastructure. I think it's NYT who a
by AceJohnny2 10y ago
This is actually one of the most fascinating aspects of modern society to me. I can't resist opportunities to tour local infrastructure.
I think it's NYT who a few years ago had a series of articles about the work of maintaining the underground aqueducts that bring water to NYC, and in building a new one. [1] It was to me a more engrossing read than any OS deep-dive article, despite the latter being more in-line with my passion and work.
It's also why I loved the fantasy book "Two Serpents Rise" [2] by Max Gladstone, because it's basically about the water infrastructure of Los Angeles. Which has a fascinating real-world history of its own! [3]
[1] can't find NYT, but here's a related article: http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/19/4853636/underground-with-manhattans-new-water-tunnel-three-photo-essay http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/19/4853636/underground-with-...
[2] http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16059411-two-serpents-rise http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16059411-two-serpents-ris...
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Water_Wars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Water_Wars
- thomasvarney723 10y agoDoesn't California City have something to do with Los Angeles's water infrastructure history?
- theoh 10y agoI didn't know about California City, but the parent post also makes me think of the classic movie Chinatown, inspired by the California Water Wars. On the same topic, another inspiration for fiction is the book Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Desert https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Desert
- NegativeLatency 10y agoGreat book.
- theoh 10y agoOne of the most prominent academic theorists of infrastructure, Susan Leigh Star, based some of her work on a study of computer systems and their interfaces ("information infrastructure"): e.g. her papers from the 90s Steps Toward an Ecology of Infrastructure: Design and Access for Large Information Spaces https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f0c2/2ec49e87aecec1bd54506bf017bad852fbf9.pdf https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f0c2/2ec49e87aecec1bd54506b... The Ethnography of Infrastructure http://www.imtfi.uci.edu/files/articles/Star.pdf http://www.imtfi.uci.edu/files/articles/Star.pdf
- prions 10y agoOne of the most satisfying parts of my job is getting first hand access to seeing so much interesting infrastructure. I specialize in water, so getting access to the treatment plans is my favorite. Drinking water plants are mostly off limits for the public but I've gotten tours of a few. If you're around the NYC area try visiting the Brooklyn Wastewater Treatment Plant. Those egg shaped digesters are really well designed. I even heard of a couple getting married there.
- dugmartin 10y agoThe treatment plant on Deer Island in Boston is a pretty cool tour too.
- mccoyspace 10y agoI can see them from my window! They are great. There is also an interesting public artwork their made by the artist/architect Vito Acconci.
- AceJohnny2 10y agoThere doesn't seem to be a Brooklyn Wastewater Treatment Plant on GMaps. I assume you mean the Newton Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant? It appears to have the eggs you refer to: https://goo.gl/maps/uRMK83bhqyA2 https://goo.gl/maps/uRMK83bhqyA2
- a3n 10y ago> This is actually one of the most fascinating aspects of modern society to me. I can't resist opportunities to tour local infrastructure. Two of my favorite books: The Works: Anatomy of a City https://www.amazon.com/Works-Anatomy-City-Kate-Ascher/dp/1594200718/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480655266&sr=8-1&keywords=the+works+anatomy+of+a+city https://www.amazon.com/Works-Anatomy-City-Kate-Ascher/dp/159... What Do People Do All Day https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Scarrys-What-People-World/dp/0553520598/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480654549&sr=1-1&keywords=What+Do+People+Do+All+Day https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Scarrys-What-People-World/dp/...
- computator 10y agoI wanted to browse your first link, but Amazon shows the preface, table of contents, and the index, which are the only parts of the book I don't really care about when I'm flipping through a book! I wish Amazon would show a few random pages from the middle--the actual content of the book--so we can see what we're going to be reading. It seems like common sense.