this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] Trigger2_2000@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

With sufficient voltage, everything is a conductor.

With insufficient voltage, everything is an insulator.

Neither may be conducive to those roles, but everything has some conductivity and some resistance (super conductors being a possible exception).

[–] big_fat_fluffy@leminal.space 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

How about in vacuum? Do you get fancy arcs or glows or what?

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

In typical conditions, an electrical arc forms when the electric field strength exceeds the dielectric strength of the medium (like air). In a vacuum, there is no medium to ionize, which theoretically makes it difficult for an arc to form. However, electricity can still arc in a vacuum under certain conditions, such as when high voltages are involved or when the electrodes are extremely close together.

https://peacepower.ca/faqs/can-electricity-arc-in-a-vacuum#%3A%7E%3Atext=In+typical+conditions%2C+an+electrical%2Celectrodes+are+extremely+close+together.

[–] big_fat_fluffy@leminal.space 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I was thinking neon lights. I mean that's basically an arc, just spread out. I think I heard that there's a glow in vacuum too, just not as nice as with neon.

Well, a quick search turned up this: Vacuum Arc

However, like the above comment, it seems to refer to freeing electrons from the conducts, so, IMHO, you no longer have a vacuum.

If you could somehow maintain a perfect vacuum; I wonder how this concept Virtual particle would come into play (or if it would at all).

[–] OceanSoap@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Oh hey, I design those. Though I design them so that there's an incredibly low risk they do that.

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Boorring, we want sparks ✨️

...and DEATH

[–] OceanSoap@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'll see what I can fit into my next design

[–] RegalPotoo@lemmy.world 76 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Everything is a wire if the voltage is high enough.

Every machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.

[–] veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 22 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

I was interviewed for a position where lady handed me a pen and asked if it was a conductor.

I replied: "if the voltage is high enough, yea. She scoffed. Needless to say, I didn't get the job.

[–] Zink@programming.dev 27 points 2 days ago

Honestly I think you gave the experienced adult answer to what was a high school or even middle school science question.

[–] KreekyBonez@lemmy.world 16 points 2 days ago (2 children)

that just sounds like a weird interview.

"you're qualified for this position if, and only if, you can answer a useless question with only a rudimentary understanding of the subject and no critical thought"

if true, you dodged a bullet

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[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago (4 children)
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[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

High frequency! It Mega hurtz!

Low frequency! It kill a hurtz!

Ultra high frequency! It giga hurtz!

Pretty much any high voltage high frequency thing really hurtz. It'll kill you at different rates but it'll hurt the entire time.

[–] IDew@lemm.ee 124 points 3 days ago (2 children)
[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 114 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Low voltage: "Oh no, there is a tiny spot of corrosion on the contact surface, I think I need to lie down..."

High voltage: (rips line of coke) "I'M GONNA MAKE MY OWN WIRES WITH BLACKJACK AND HOOKERS!"

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[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 116 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (7 children)

This is particularly applicable around downed power cables. Do NOT approach. You don't need to touch it to become the wire.

For example: in LA right now

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 101 points 3 days ago

dO nOT toUch the DoWn wIres uuuum I have MY RIGHTS to turn myself into a gas station hotdogs thankyouverymuch

[–] EtherWhack@lemmy.world 33 points 3 days ago (5 children)

You have to keep in mind that the resistance from one foot to your other is going to be less than dry earth between your strides. This means if you are walking toward a downed power line, you may inadvertently walk within its path to its ground and the voltage could actually travel through you.

https://youtu.be/7BbGzTqTNxc

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[–] Etterra@discuss.online 37 points 2 days ago

When you cast Chain Lightning at nothing.

[–] originalfrozenbanana@lemm.ee 82 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Everything is wire if the voltage is high enough

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 19 points 3 days ago

iS iT Up tO cOde??? <--- stupidass city council 🙄

[–] Churlish_Witness@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago
[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Pshaw, even at LV, it's a lay theory that is, at best, vastly incomplete and, at worst, demonstrably false.

Electricity will flow through all paths, the most electricity will flow down the path of the least resistance.

That arc is going up because the plasma is hot and the air is turbulent.

[–] Zink@programming.dev 12 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Yeah, maybe it needs a Hedberg-ism to get it across to people.

Electricity takes the path of least resistance. It takes the other paths, but it takes the least resistance path too.

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[–] frank@sopuli.xyz 46 points 3 days ago (18 children)

"it's current not voltage that kills you"

High voltage: "Por que no los dos?"

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 44 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

High voltage: “hey bestie, how would you like a ✨️new and improved ✨️ nervous system?”

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[–] unbanshee@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I think that still is actually from this video of a switch opening. Sound on, it's real neat.

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[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 48 points 3 days ago (5 children)

“Danger! Danger! High voltage.

When we touch, when we kiss”

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[–] elekitty@lemmy.world 32 points 3 days ago (1 children)

modern metal band logos are really getting out of hand smh

[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 19 points 3 days ago (5 children)

This is so accurate. Try reading this without knowing what it is. It's impossible

Answer"Femtanyl" as it's the artists name

What about this one?

AnswerLITERALLY NOBODY KNOWS 😭😭

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[–] justme@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Still the path of least resistance

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[–] MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io 33 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Į̴̶̴̨̧̧͓̱̞̣͈͇̠͙̭̯̹̗̩̺͉̪ͪ͑̓ͪ͋̊̿̿ͥ͆̅ͨͩͦ͘͘͠͠ͅ A̧̝̻̮ͨ͗́̍̀̑͘͘͞͡M̠̣͈̮̱̼̥̗̳͚͙͎͚ͭ̅͌͆̄̍̿͐̓ͨͮ̎̅̚͜͟͝͠ B̸̲̞̗̭̹̯͓̠̝̯͈̊͌͒͜͡Ḛ̫̝̦̜̖͕̣̞͚̲̦̯̬̩̝̠̖͉͕͔̟ͨ̀̏ͭ̈ͨͩͨ̓̌̊̉̏ͦ͆̂͒ͨ̽͟͠C̴̷̵̨̗͈̺͓͖̳̭̬͚̹̠͕͇̝̠ͬͣ͋͂ͨͥͧͯ͛̏̏̊ͫ̓ͮͤ͘͢͡Ò̴̷̸͍̼͕̪̦͍͎͚͖͇͎͎̱̙̖͕̰̲͋̈́ͤ̔̄ͦ̌͑͒̇͟͝M̲͇̱̝̣̳̳̟̟̠͎̞͂̆́ͥͯ̾͠E̷̸̢̡̢͉̣͓̳͉̻̲̰͇͕͌̒̈́͌̍ͮ͌̋ͮ̄̉ͮͭͯͣ̏̐̕ Ẁ̩̥͇̬̼̻͙̦̬͙̂̓̍ͮ́̃̎̎ͪ́̃́̀̽ͧĮ̧͖̠͙͎̫ͧͯͥ̄̆ͧͦ̅̕͜͜͝R̴̶̢̧̨̛̘͖̜͔͙̼̼̂̇ͬͪͩ́ͯ̅ͯ̆̍̀ͥ͠͞͞E̶̝͙̯͔̹̦̽̌͊̈̐̅͌ͨ͆ͥͫ͆͛̓̕͜

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 24 points 3 days ago (5 children)

B̷̨̛̲̩̥̺͉̜̘͖̦͑́̀̎̊̂̒͐͘Ẻ̵̛͎͎͑̎̉̾͛̌͒̆̓ ̸͙͍̟͇̬̩̩͍̮͇͓̰̏́͒̇̽̎́̃͘N̸̦͈̒̏͌̐̀O̴̧̳͕̣̒̂̋̾̂̎T̴̡͓̪̰̙̀͒̓͐̉͗̓̈̍͒ ̴̭̈͊À̵̡̢̼͍̮̞͍̯̙̙͉̙̫̽̃͆́̈́̈́̈́̌̀̚͘͜͝͝F̶̛̛͎̒̿̈́̆̏̽̅͐͝͠R̸͔͖̪̖͉͎̀̾̔̕͝͝͝͝A̶̰̮̜̻̹̓̐̂̅̀ͅI̶̛͔͓͌̑̄́̅͌̂͝͝D̸̢͚̯͈͇̜̞̳̣͉̹̬̣̆͜

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[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 27 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I don't know too much about HV, but I thought that even the crazy path shown in the picture was still the path of least resistance. Is that wrong?

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 39 points 3 days ago

Dielectric breakdown, literally carving its own path of least resistance through the air.

[–] jjagaimo@sh.itjust.works 15 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

You might not like it, but this is what peak conductivity looks like

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[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)
[–] JargonWagon@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Looks like a mad scientist cackling a maniacal laugh.

[–] jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 23 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

From what I've seen, nothing will make a bunch of linemen hit the deck like the sound of high voltage switchgear opening when they weren't expecting it.

"NNNNYYYYYYAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT"

[–] bitwolf@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 days ago

Its funny because the arc looks a bit like Louise Belcher laughing maniacally

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