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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2009 : 21:22:12 [Permalink]
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First, I give no credence at all to observations of any "UFOlogists."
I more respectfully disagree with a comment in the article that, "To make one of these blades fall off, or to bend it, takes a lot." Indeed, these turbines are engineered finely to be just strong enough, to keep down weight, cost, and maintenance, while keeping efficiency high. Since these operate in remote areas without many people nearby, making them (usually) just strong enough makes good sense. The turbines are often made of cutting-edge composite materials, and problems such as delamination are common and still relatively poorly understood with many of these new materials.
A few months back, there was a widely-watched video of a wind turbine disintegrating in normal usage, with no collision involved.
I imagine that in this case, one blade broke off, then on the way down hit the other blade, which can be seen to be bent.
No mystery involved, except for the exact cause of the structural failure. The lies of woo "witnesses" don't enter into it.
On the other hand, OffC, that fellow in your sig looks capable of ripping up a wind turbine by main force.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 01/09/2009 00:38:49 |
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2009 : 22:59:24 [Permalink]
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| Ah, the old 'UFO of the gaps' fallacy. |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 00:39:31 [Permalink]
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| this was also front page news in "The Sun" (Britain's most popular newspaper). The main reason I suggested meteorite was because the missing blade has not been found and also 'strange lights' were seen. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 01/09/2009 : 02:58:18 [Permalink]
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From the link: The turbine is one of 20 at the Conisholme site, which has been only been fully operational since April 2008. The broken blade has been recovered and is being examined.
Local ufologists said they had received many reports of activity in the area and had teams searching for clues.
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And: He said that if the turbine blade was still, it would take the equivalent of a 10-tonne load to do that kind of damage, but if it was rotating, or hit by a moving object, the force could be a lot less.
He said of the possible cause: "It's definitely not a bird. It could be ice thrown from a neighbouring turbine that struck it.
"Most turbines have an anti-icing system on the blades and maybe it failed to prevent the ice build-up."
The Ministry of Defence said it was not looking into the incident.
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The blade has been recovered and being examined, and UFOlogists(?) always see lights in the sky -- it goes with the territory of woo-woo. In this case, there are too many other possibilities to blithely accept a Marvin the Martin conjecture.
At this point, I rather like the failed de-icing system hypothesis. It fits the known facts better, thus far.
We shall see.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 07:45:44 [Permalink]
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| When/If a rational explanation is offered, the ufologists will scream conspiracy, look to quotemine, and offer their own explanations without any proof. They and the creationists are twins separated at birth. |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 08:19:00 [Permalink]
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| Yes, it was the article in The Sun (Britain's most popular newspaper) that said the blade had not been found. |
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 08:46:58 [Permalink]
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| It's stupid to jump to the conclusion a UFO must have done this. The correct conclusion to reach when something happens you don't understand is god did it. What's wrong with these idiots? |
-Chaloobi
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 08:58:04 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
On the other hand, OffC, that fellow in your sig looks capable of ripping up a wind turbine by main force.
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Probably would use the left arm, since it is quite a bit longer than the right. But I thought a strong left arm/hand was a sign of the devil? |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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Hawks
SFN Regular
Canada
1383 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 09:43:40 [Permalink]
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| Why not invoke quantum effects - another favorite in woo-land. |
METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden! |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 10:06:54 [Permalink]
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I more respectfully disagree with a comment in the article that, "To make one of these blades fall off, or to bend it, takes a lot." Indeed, these turbines are engineered finely to be just strong enough, to keep down weight, cost, and maintenance, while keeping efficiency high. |
Half, I would imagine they would also be engineered to be resilient, especially in the face of harsh weather conditions. In the video from the BBC, the interviewee remarks that it would take something about the size and weight of a cow. |
Why continue? Because we must. Because we have the call. Because it is nobler to fight for rationality without winning than to give up in the face of continued defeats. Because whatever true progress humanity makes is through the rationality of the occasional individual and because any one individual we may win for the cause may do more for humanity than a hundred thousand who hug their superstitions to their breast.
- Isaac Asimov |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 10:31:20 [Permalink]
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| so you're saying that the only explanation is that a cow hit it. Possibly while being 'beamed' aboard a vehicle i.e. spacecraft etc? |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 11:25:52 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by On fire for Christ
so you're saying that the only explanation is that a cow hit it. Possibly while being 'beamed' aboard a vehicle i.e. spacecraft etc?
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Heh, I 'spect that we might hear such nonsense before it's over with. 
There are variables in play here. The speed of the blade as it turns lessens the amount of impact it would take to break it, and the speed of the object would lessen it still more, and then consider the angle of the strike and it's placement, and it might not take something anywhere near cow-sized to do it. That's assuming that there was not a manufacturing defect in the blade to start with.
Far too many other explanations that make sense to grasp the extra-terrestrial visitors straw.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 16:49:14 [Permalink]
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Until whatever hit that blade is identified it will surely be an Unidentified Flying Object.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 17:50:06 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Until whatever hit that blade is identified it will surely be an Unidentified Flying Object.
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True, unless it was a Spontaneously Delaminating Vane.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2009 : 02:38:58 [Permalink]
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I was looking for a film-clip of the flying cow from Monty Python's The Holy Grail on YouTube, but didn't find any short snippet of just the cow...
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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UFO hits wind farm
