6?

mtopper

Mercury - The advanced mercury controls are referring to the ability to capture the mercury from the incineration vapors. The mercury still exists it's just not (hopefully) being dumped into our enviornment. Yes, as we move away from coal produced electricity less mercury will be produced. Perhaps in another decade or so we will have another light bulb that has the advantages of florescent bulbs without the mercury.

Art - Yea, personally I think it's art. It may not be great art, but it's still art. (and I thought the thousands of naked people posed around a city was damn cool art.)

Baud - I ran a Green Machine BBS off a TRS-80 model III going at 300 baud when I started. That was the good ol'e days (until the FBI showed up with some questions).

Doggiedude

Stoodo

I believe we all have the inherent capacity to potentially produce "art" in virtually unlimited forms.

The idea that "art is beauty" is ancient history.
The perception that "well-painted"" = "art" is likewise irrelevant.

It seems to me that "Art" isn't just an inherent quality of an object but rather the effect on the conciousness of the perceiver created by BOTH creator and perceiver.
That effect is a kind of power transfer or enlightenment that alters the way the perceiver who "get's it" sees the world and his place within it - that being said, if the perceiver doesn't "speak the same language" as the creator there can be no "art".
It just so happens that traditionally, visual, musical, oral, written and movement forms have produced the most widely felt "art" experiences throughout human history.
That doesn't mean that a field of 1,301 florescent bulbs cannot foster an "art experience". In this case it does for me, because it is uniquely of our time and especially in that the invisible, almost magical transfer of power that illuminates the bulbs parallels what I have been blabbing on about.

/art rant over

ANoel

gibson042

NO THEY ARE NOT LIGHTING UP DUE TO 'MAGNETIC FIELDS'!

They are lighting up due to the AC electrostatic field between the lines and the ground. Those lines are typically 330,000 Volts AC. The wires are maybe 30 meters up. That's a field gradient of 11,000 V per meter. Reversing 60 times a second (50Hz some other countries.) That field strength is way higher than the ionization 'strike' voltage of the low pressure gas in a fluoro, but way below the breakdown strength of air (luckily!)

Note that the V/m of the field is high, though due to the large insulating gap of air above, the 'impedance' of the field is large too, so it doesn't take much of a conductor to 'short out' sections of the field. Which is why the tubes only glow dimly - the very small current of ions flowing in the tube gas diminishes the local field strength, to an equilibrium point. If you take a fluoro tube out into a field with a few shrubs under HV lines, you can map the E field contours around the shrubs - just the poorly conducting twigs are enough to zero the field. Which is why you have to hold the tube over your head - if you hold it near your body, it doesn't glow. Your big bag of salty fluids (body) shorts out the field too. Notice the 'dead' tube in the picture foreground? The cameraman is too close to it, so it's 'off'.

How can all you people have not spotted that 'magnetic' error? The magnetic field around a current carrying wire is circular around the wire, and so perpendicular to the long axis of those tubes. Nor will a low frequency magnetic field ionise a gas. Sheesh!

Oh, and no, EM (radio wave) effects are not significant in this case. At 60Hz, this is all 'near field' in which there is no significant interaction of the E and M fields. The tubes will glow the same whether the lines are carrying zero amps, or several hundred amps - its the voltage only that's doing it.
Near a radio transmitter antenna - that's quite a different case.

The massive fail in this thread reminds me of a story I heard once. A radio ham was testing his rig, and got up on the roof with a fluoro, moving it around near his antenna, estimating the field lobes. A neighbor saw him, and called the police. He was arrested, and charged with practicing witchcraft. Only in Queensland! (I thought. Maybe could happen in America too now.)

Btw, quiz time. At 330KV, how many amps current is a megawatt? Surprised?

TerraHertz

Eptin

Here's a good summary of the reasons to not be so concerned about florescent bulbs...

From [www.instructables.com]

Even the CFLs that are discarded in the trash are unlikely to release much of their mercury. Although most of them break under current trash disposal methods, some remain unbroken, and will not release any mercury. But those that do break are not likely to release much mercury. EPA estimates that only 0.2% of the remaining mercury in a spent bulb is elemental vapor. The rest of the mercury is in the glass, the phosphor coating, and the electrodes of the bulb. Mercury absorbed in these areas is not readily released. In fact, an EPA study found that only 6.8% of the total mercury in a broken bulb will be released. Since the average bulb on the market today contains only 4 mg of mercury, it will release only about 0.27 mg, even if it breaks when it is thrown in the trash.

The only disposal option that could lead to the release of any significant amount of mercury is incineration. Today, many incinerators have advanced mercury control technologies. CFLs disposed of in such incinerators would release up to 90% of their mercury, but those emissions would then be removed by these technologies. Incinerators without these technologies are not capable of removing the mercury. But even after accounting for all of the emissions that occur via all of the routes listed above, CFLs represent a mere 0.01% of total U.S. mercury emissions annually.

It is important to note that even if CFLs released all of their mercury, the environment would still be better off than it would be if nobody used CFLs. This is true because the average power plant releases 5.67 mg of mercury to power each 75W incandescent bulb. In short, replacing incandescents with CFLs is a great way to save energy, reduce mercury emissions, and save money (see "Discounting CFLs").

kmbear

This is totally art. Perhaps not a form of art you feel is legitimate, but it is art. Have you ever seen Koyanisqatsi? Is that Art? Of course it is.

JimmyLi

Hear hear!

Awesom-o

ANoel

When I flip a light switch in one room of my home, it makes random electronic gadgets in a 5 foot (or so) radius go off. Sometimes the smoke alarm beeps, sometimes other things. And there's a helluva static shock and pop. I dread answering the phone in my home, too. Static enough to be f-ing painful.

Coaster

bvicarious

get some tubes, wait for dark, and have a freaking lightsabre battle!!!!!!

godwhacker

infmom

If you live in the Los Angeles area, a simple trip up to the top of Mt. Wilson will do. Take a bulb with you and drive past those transmitters and light yourself up. (There's a nice park up there that you can enjoy while being irradiated.)

infmom

Coal accounted for 49% of United States electricity generation in 2006, and has been slowly declining. So whether CFLs or incandescents are responsible for more mercury is entirely dependent on the fraction of CFLs that get recycled. In 2006, incandescents were worse if more than 7% of CFLs were recycled. When coal is at 20%, 62% of CFLs will have to be recycled. And obviously, we'll need 100% recycling if coal is ever abandoned entirely.

gibson042

atbrown0717

You got me...I need to grammar check as well as spell check.

DWD

DWD

I thought I was hot shit crusin the BBS until I read about the newest latest, the mighty 14000 baud!

LoL. I think I still have one of my old spinich green Franklin 15' monitors around somewhere too.....

We've come a long way baby!

Out2gtcha

there is approximately 4.0mg of mercury in a CFL bulb, and the emissions from a coal fired plant to produce the energy to run the bulb over it's lifetime is an additional 2.4mg of mercury. Contrast that with 10.0mg of emissions for a conventional incandescent bulbs over the same 5 year lifespan of the CFL bulb. The incandescent is still producing more gaseous mercury contamination than the CFL. Also, the mercury contained in the CFL bulb remains in a form that can be recycled.

Monty

ANoel

For all the GREENIES out there, let's have a little common sense, ban incandescent light bulbs and force the world to use Mercury filled Fluorescents!?! Now, I for one would rather have more Carbon Dioxide in the air than Mercury in my water.

You clearly are ignoring the many times higher amount of mercury created in the creation of the electricity the bulbs are using. The amount of mercury in a CFL is extremely small compared to the mercury created to power a single incandescent in it's lifetime at a coal-fired power plant.

Monty

[dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com]

would this help? you could freeze some seed

mtopper

ANoel

[www.imdb.com]

FThorn

drewheyman

Pensador

LOL...actually, yes. But, also the whole just doing stuff equals art thing is a pet peeve of mine.

DWD

kodo

mthrndr

Cute vid. But how dare you criticize my post...I mean my art-post. I crafted my comment out of my inner most being, I bared my sole, expressed my feelings and succeeded in evoking a response in the viewer. My post was art!

Stop kidding yourself. People with no talent who simply "do stuff" that any other person could do, are not artists. They are losers, parasites on society able to survive due solely to a pc culture of people too afraid to exclaim, "the emperor has no clothes!"

Don't just judge me, expand your horizons and judge the people who could make real contributions but instead proclaim themselves to be artists despite not having the ability to do anything that most everyone else couldn't do!

I put my proverbial brush down, the artwork of my reply is complete...I step back and admire...you may not criticise lest you be a dreaded "critic"!

DWD

Nobody compresses their web images anymore, so i have to sit for 10 minutes just to read the goddamn menu on a site that thinks it's fine to PS an image of a button that says "Home" at fucking HD resolution.

nutbastard

mxwjs

Fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury. The standard fluorescent lamp contains approximately 20 milligrams of mercury. While there are no known health hazards from exposure to lamps that are intact, improper disposal of fluorescent lamps can contaminate the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that over 800 million lamps are produced each year to replace 800 million lamps that are then disposed. Since 1 gram of mercury is enough to contaminate a 2-acre pond, there is enough mercury in those lamps to contaminate 20 million acres of water.

So PLEASE don't break Fluorescent lamps.

For all the GREENIES out there, let's have a little common sense, ban incandescent light bulbs and force the world to use Mercury filled Fluorescents!?! Now, I for one would rather have more Carbon Dioxide in the air than Mercury in my water. Let's wake up people, some corporation stands to make millions if the governments of the world ban incandescent bulbs.

The US EPA suggests not using Fluorescent bulbs around children, pregnant women or over carpeted areas for risk of Mercury contamination.

Nyle

bsgore

What it is

had bit too much coffee today?

mtopper

I have seen a picture of a man standing under power lines, holding two bulbs aloft, one in each hand, that glowed brightly. I think he was protesting against the power company.

mtopper

Ah memories.......... Good times. Good times. Slow times, but good times non the less.

Out2gtcha

The compromise... song by the Dead Bushes... "Too Cooked to Fuck".

ANoel

Yes, you, you stupid animal, can be a art critic!

+ Watch video

ANoel

Klappstuhl

+ Watch video

atomriot

It's NOT art...it's a decoration project, a science project, a justification of my existence because I'm a talentless hack project, anything...except "art".

Waterfalls under bridge, orange drapes around a park, hundreds of naked people laying around, or florescent bulbs under a power line...NOT ART!!!

DWD

nutbastard

MokuseiTora

toyotaboy

wjousts

[www.lightningfield.org]

I remember this from a Boing Boing posting about two years ago that talked about the copyright claim on the installation.

[www.boingboing.net]

astroglide

furryfrog

fallenturtle

TheAdAgency

However this display seems like it would be easily taken out by weather,roving animal or the like. Especially if left in winter conditions as it looks like it was. I wonder how long something like this would survive in tact out in the elements.

Out2gtcha

XJ_4x4

Xavoc

jetexas

PaleRider

GiltProto

"Hey Bob, was there a house here before? One with a massive inductor coil sticking out of the roof?"
"Uh, no, not that I know of."
"We should call someone..."

;)

DaOtter

nutbastard

cayton

Exactly. This is the myth that you can build a house under a high tension line and place a huge inductor loop in the attic to get "free" energy. The power company would find you and fine you.

FrankenPC

Xavoc

dichron

nutbastard

It's not "lost" energy. Normally, the field is stable, but when you put a bunch of CFL tubes across it (like putting coils) they glow with a bit of parasitic energy.

Nothing is free. Each one of those bulbs is taking a few watts from the hundreds of kilowatts flying on the high tension wire above. In fact, the power company will sense all those bulbs as a kind of "fault" in the supply line, and try to find it during a normal maintenance.

martinbogo

Maksimir

med

bradcg

HJTravels

nutbastard

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy

just wave it in front of the microwave while it's on. if it lights up spontaneously, just go ahead and forget about having kids right there.

nutbastard

kOtic

fsusmithc2

metalfist