5 ms·

Looks like it passes close to null island, 0 long, 0 lat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_Island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_Island aka

perihelions 4y ago
I think they should make it wind a loop around at that point and see which GIS apps crash.
- linuxlizard 4y ago
  You joke, but I worked on a GPS app that would crash when crossing over the zero meridian. We didn't handle negative zero. The Degree/Minute/Second (DMS) near the meridian will be +/- 0 when degrees is zero. Signed zero is a thing.
  - perihelions 4y ago
    I'm not sure if I was joking. It'd be a free unit test for everyone. I remember there was a fighter jet that crashed (*software* crash) trying to cross the other meridian in the Pacific, https://www.engadget.com/2007-02-27-f-22-raptors-systems-crash-mid-flight-over-pacific.html https://www.engadget.com/2007-02-27-f-22-raptors-systems-cra...
    - colechristensen 4y ago
      Oh man I’ve actually written unit tests for aircraft navigation in these circumstances before.
    - Rygian 4y ago
      One would think they had that kind of stuff figured out much before: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28969323 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28969323
  - yazan94 4y ago
    Can you elaborate some more please? This is blowing my mind right now, -0?
    - BrandoElFollito 4y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signed_zero https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signed_zero for the CS version. This is common in maths when you approach a number 0 in this case) from either side. Your results may be dramatically different, such as "what happens when you approach 0 for f(x) = 1/x"
megablast 4y ago
So there is a buoy there on a 5km cable??? wow.
- therealdrag0 4y ago
  That’s also amazed me. “The depth of the seabed beneath the Soul buoy is around 4,940 metres (16,210 ft).” Didn’t realize people did that sort of thing…
- speedgoose 4y ago
  One of the old referenced article is interesting. They talk about the buoy attracting small fishes, and then bigger fishes, and then fishermen. And some buoys being stolen by fishermen and tracked on their return trip. https://www.liberation.fr/sciences/1998/12/01/apres-le-pacifique-l-atlantique-equipe-de-bouees-de-surveillance-l-ocean-maitre-du-temps-debut-novem_254860/ https://www.liberation.fr/sciences/1998/12/01/apres-le-pacif... You can use DeepL.com to translate French to English if needed.
  - BrandoElFollito 4y ago
    I had to have a look at the date of the article when I saw that the price of the thing is 200000 FF. 1998, all is good.

perihelions 4y ago

I think they should make it wind a loop around at that point and see which GIS apps crash.

linuxlizard 4y ago
You joke, but I worked on a GPS app that would crash when crossing over the zero meridian. We didn't handle negative zero. The Degree/Minute/Second (DMS) near the meridian will be +/- 0 when degrees is zero. Signed zero is a thing.
- perihelions 4y ago
  I'm not sure if I was joking. It'd be a free unit test for everyone. I remember there was a fighter jet that crashed (*software* crash) trying to cross the other meridian in the Pacific, https://www.engadget.com/2007-02-27-f-22-raptors-systems-crash-mid-flight-over-pacific.html https://www.engadget.com/2007-02-27-f-22-raptors-systems-cra...
  - colechristensen 4y ago
    Oh man I’ve actually written unit tests for aircraft navigation in these circumstances before.
  - Rygian 4y ago
    One would think they had that kind of stuff figured out much before: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28969323 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28969323
- yazan94 4y ago
  Can you elaborate some more please? This is blowing my mind right now, -0?
  - BrandoElFollito 4y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signed_zero https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signed_zero for the CS version. This is common in maths when you approach a number 0 in this case) from either side. Your results may be dramatically different, such as "what happens when you approach 0 for f(x) = 1/x"

megablast 4y ago

So there is a buoy there on a 5km cable??? wow.

therealdrag0 4y ago
That’s also amazed me. “The depth of the seabed beneath the Soul buoy is around 4,940 metres (16,210 ft).” Didn’t realize people did that sort of thing…
speedgoose 4y ago
One of the old referenced article is interesting. They talk about the buoy attracting small fishes, and then bigger fishes, and then fishermen. And some buoys being stolen by fishermen and tracked on their return trip. https://www.liberation.fr/sciences/1998/12/01/apres-le-pacifique-l-atlantique-equipe-de-bouees-de-surveillance-l-ocean-maitre-du-temps-debut-novem_254860/ https://www.liberation.fr/sciences/1998/12/01/apres-le-pacif... You can use DeepL.com to translate French to English if needed.
- BrandoElFollito 4y ago
  I had to have a look at the date of the article when I saw that the price of the thing is 200000 FF. 1998, all is good.