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I love how professionals who work at that facility and have probably deeply understood those principles for decades still display so much wonder at seeing this

I love how professionals who work at that facility and have probably deeply understood those principles for decades still display so much wonder at seeing this experiment with their own eyes.

deleted 12y ago
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hudibras 12y ago
I might be cynical, but I think they were putting on a show a bit. They already had some sort of apparatus set up to do the simultaneous drops. My guess is that it's a standard demonstration for visiting dignitaries and the like.
- JTon 12y ago
  Perhaps their excitement no longer stems from the experiment itself, but from the reactions of the newcomers. Probably a terrible analogy, but sort of like witnessing a child's first experience hearing a musical instrument live. It can be energizing.
- aylons 12y ago
  I agree you're being a bit cynical. They are used to the chamber and with experiments in the chamber, but this simple experiment with a feather and a iron ball is very different from what they usually see. They probably usually see only heavy objects and mechanisms for space projects being tested there. Such a graphic and basic experiment must be well outside the norm.
- smackfu 12y ago
  >They already had some sort of apparatus set up to do the simultaneous drops. Why do you say that? They could have easily made the apparatus for this experiment.
  - Too 12y ago
    The button he pressed when dropping had a label that said something like "launch jet sequence" (don't remember exactly). They probably have a modular set of actuator and rigs they can easily mess around with . :)
- HCIdivision17 12y ago
  You'd be amazed how a simple experiement can be fun. These guys work on this enormous vacuum chamber to build space ship things, and that's their day job. As in, at some point, it gets routine and a bit dull. (Ever find high power lasers boring? You will after your safety training...) Now, they are recreating an experiment last performed at this scale on the moon. It's an unusual break from the norm, and I'm sure half of their grins were the phenomenal waste of power to perform such a silly experiment. (Seriously, that chamber was hauled down to a couple torr in three zarking hours!) Professionally goofing off is immensely fun. (Tiddlywinks with a forklift would be another, and there was a guy who used the armor coating a Blackbird uses in a robot wars competition.)
thorntonbf 12y ago
This was my favorite part of the video, and I think it was genuine. The guy in the blue shirt and the one with grayer hair immediately afterward seemed like school kids seeing something amazing for the first time. I'm sure their day-to-day work is quite serious. Sometimes maybe it takes something simple to make you step back and realize that you really have some things in your life that are quite amazing.

I love how professionals who work at that facility and have probably deeply understood those principles for decades still display so much wonder at seeing this experiment with their own eyes.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

hudibras 12y ago

I might be cynical, but I think they were putting on a show a bit. They already had some sort of apparatus set up to do the simultaneous drops. My guess is that it's a standard demonstration for visiting dignitaries and the like.

JTon 12y ago
Perhaps their excitement no longer stems from the experiment itself, but from the reactions of the newcomers. Probably a terrible analogy, but sort of like witnessing a child's first experience hearing a musical instrument live. It can be energizing.
aylons 12y ago
I agree you're being a bit cynical. They are used to the chamber and with experiments in the chamber, but this simple experiment with a feather and a iron ball is very different from what they usually see. They probably usually see only heavy objects and mechanisms for space projects being tested there. Such a graphic and basic experiment must be well outside the norm.
smackfu 12y ago
>They already had some sort of apparatus set up to do the simultaneous drops. Why do you say that? They could have easily made the apparatus for this experiment.
- Too 12y ago
  The button he pressed when dropping had a label that said something like "launch jet sequence" (don't remember exactly). They probably have a modular set of actuator and rigs they can easily mess around with . :)
HCIdivision17 12y ago
You'd be amazed how a simple experiement can be fun. These guys work on this enormous vacuum chamber to build space ship things, and that's their day job. As in, at some point, it gets routine and a bit dull. (Ever find high power lasers boring? You will after your safety training...) Now, they are recreating an experiment last performed at this scale on the moon. It's an unusual break from the norm, and I'm sure half of their grins were the phenomenal waste of power to perform such a silly experiment. (Seriously, that chamber was hauled down to a couple torr in three zarking hours!) Professionally goofing off is immensely fun. (Tiddlywinks with a forklift would be another, and there was a guy who used the armor coating a Blackbird uses in a robot wars competition.)

thorntonbf 12y ago

This was my favorite part of the video, and I think it was genuine. The guy in the blue shirt and the one with grayer hair immediately afterward seemed like school kids seeing something amazing for the first time. I'm sure their day-to-day work is quite serious. Sometimes maybe it takes something simple to make you step back and realize that you really have some things in your life that are quite amazing.