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Somewhat related to another thread today - if I was creating a series of knowledge resources that would describe how to rebuild the world's technology from scra

Somewhat related to another thread today - if I was creating a series of knowledge resources that would describe how to rebuild the world's technology from scratch, in addition to the detailed blueprints, and background descriptions - I'd also have a series of animagraffs included with each one - these animations tell a very complex story very quickly.

themodelplumber 12y ago
Have you read Lucifer's Hammer? There's a guy in the book who kind makes this his mission.
- ghshephard 12y ago
  One of my favorite books. But, he wasn't using animagraffs, was he? I seem to recall him burying a bunch of books in plastic, possibly in the ground? There's a pretty well known concept around writing "Restart Civilization" texts (They make an appearance in another niven/pournelle book, The Mote in Gods Eye) - I just think the animagraffs would be a useful addition to the tools in which to do so.
Argorak 12y ago
I'd start with animation technology ;).
justin66 12y ago
> I'd also have a series of animagraffs included with each one - these animations tell a very complex story very quickly. If this is typical of animagraffs, it might be a really weak starting point. Someone went to all the trouble of making drawings, animations, and written copy without even explaining the difference between blowback and locked breach operation. Someone taking in all that text and looking at the drawings might have some serious delusions of understanding. In the case of a pistol it's especially weird: it really is simple enough that it seems like you could explain how it works using these methods. This kind of problem deserves its own word. I suggest we call it pseudodetail.
- Paul_S 12y ago
  The animations are really neat but I was thinking the same thing. It's science porn with emphasis on porn. But I don't think they're meant to be educational - "just" impressive.
  - calvin_c 12y ago
    But I'd imagine that if a society were starting over there would still be a lot to be learned, even with whatever guides were left behind. These animations could serve as a starting point for engineers to work from, discovering problems and solutions along the way. As far as sheer information density goes, I think these get a large amount done even if there is much left out.
- icegreentea 12y ago
  Agreed. For the benefit of those who don't know, blowback and locked breached operations are the two primary operating methods of semi-auto pistol actions. In a blowback action, the recoil spring and mass of slide is sufficient to keep the breech closed until after the bullet as left the barrel. It's important to wait for the bullet to leave, so that pressure can sufficiently decrease, you else you might get all sorts of nasty stuff - like the casing bursting and possibly damaging the weapon and/or the shooter. Blowback is appropriate for lower power rounds. As power increases, the mass of slide and stiffness of spring must increase, and at some point may become impractical. So for locked breech actions, some other mechanism is used to lock the breech closed until after the bullet as left the barrel. In the case of the 1911, is the combination of the locking lugs and and the pivoting link. The locking lugs lock the barrel into the slide, so that when fired the barrel and slide initially travel together rearwards. The pivoting link (that thing behind the recoil spring) allows the entire barrel to drop down as it travels backwards. As it drops, the lugs disengage with the slide, allowing the slide the continue to the rear and open the breech. All of this is calculated so that the pressure is safe when this occurs. There are a variety of ways to do locked breech. The 1911's action (tilting barrel) is particularly influential.
  - rdl 12y ago
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themodelplumber 12y ago

Have you read Lucifer's Hammer? There's a guy in the book who kind makes this his mission.

ghshephard 12y ago
One of my favorite books. But, he wasn't using animagraffs, was he? I seem to recall him burying a bunch of books in plastic, possibly in the ground? There's a pretty well known concept around writing "Restart Civilization" texts (They make an appearance in another niven/pournelle book, The Mote in Gods Eye) - I just think the animagraffs would be a useful addition to the tools in which to do so.

Argorak 12y ago

I'd start with animation technology ;).

justin66 12y ago

> I'd also have a series of animagraffs included with each one - these animations tell a very complex story very quickly. If this is typical of animagraffs, it might be a really weak starting point. Someone went to all the trouble of making drawings, animations, and written copy without even explaining the difference between blowback and locked breach operation. Someone taking in all that text and looking at the drawings might have some serious delusions of understanding. In the case of a pistol it's especially weird: it really is simple enough that it seems like you could explain how it works using these methods. This kind of problem deserves its own word. I suggest we call it pseudodetail.

Paul_S 12y ago
The animations are really neat but I was thinking the same thing. It's science porn with emphasis on porn. But I don't think they're meant to be educational - "just" impressive.
- calvin_c 12y ago
  But I'd imagine that if a society were starting over there would still be a lot to be learned, even with whatever guides were left behind. These animations could serve as a starting point for engineers to work from, discovering problems and solutions along the way. As far as sheer information density goes, I think these get a large amount done even if there is much left out.
icegreentea 12y ago
Agreed. For the benefit of those who don't know, blowback and locked breached operations are the two primary operating methods of semi-auto pistol actions. In a blowback action, the recoil spring and mass of slide is sufficient to keep the breech closed until after the bullet as left the barrel. It's important to wait for the bullet to leave, so that pressure can sufficiently decrease, you else you might get all sorts of nasty stuff - like the casing bursting and possibly damaging the weapon and/or the shooter. Blowback is appropriate for lower power rounds. As power increases, the mass of slide and stiffness of spring must increase, and at some point may become impractical. So for locked breech actions, some other mechanism is used to lock the breech closed until after the bullet as left the barrel. In the case of the 1911, is the combination of the locking lugs and and the pivoting link. The locking lugs lock the barrel into the slide, so that when fired the barrel and slide initially travel together rearwards. The pivoting link (that thing behind the recoil spring) allows the entire barrel to drop down as it travels backwards. As it drops, the lugs disengage with the slide, allowing the slide the continue to the rear and open the breech. All of this is calculated so that the pressure is safe when this occurs. There are a variety of ways to do locked breech. The 1911's action (tilting barrel) is particularly influential.
- rdl 12y ago

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