At Commonwealth Games, the World's Largest Aerostat 76
GillBates0 writes "Last weekend saw the world's largest aerostat of its kind featured at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The helium balloon or aerostat measures 40x80x12 meters, contains 20,000 cubic meters of helium and features lights, mirrors, cameras, a 360 degree projection screen, projectors and a reflective underbelly. During the show, it was raised 25 meters off the ground and transformed into a giant Bodhi Tree and a meditating Buddha, with giant puppets to complement the cultural performances beneath. These slideshows tell the story."
It's a balloon (Score:2, Funny)
It's a big balloon.
For those of us who live in America, these things are pretty run of the mill.
Re:It's a balloon (Score:4, Funny)
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Obviously not #1 in Wooshing, because your country now holds the crown.
Re:It's a balloon (Score:4, Insightful)
It's a big balloon.
Although it seems jaded, I have to say I agree.
The photographs clearly illustrate a large decorative balloon.
There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not exactly earth-shattering.
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The Irish?
Aerostat not the only thing of note (Score:4, Funny)
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The video projections on the aerostat were pretty, but more remarkable is the size of Prince Charles's codpiece in photo number 4.
Actually, I am pretty sure that was a bong.
The director must have taken a hit as well, its the only way I could explain the giant creepy dolls.
Helium (Score:4, Interesting)
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It's okay. The audience was able to help themselves to a lungful upon the end of the closing ceremonies.
They were tweeting in real time.
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Going to waste.
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The US accounts for 80% of the current supply. If they're running out, the rest of the world has a problem.
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I think the controversy has mainly been about helium prices being kept artificially low.
This fits that perfectly - until the prices become real market prices we'll keep seeing things like this.
Of course, even with sane prices someone might splurge on helium like this as a stunt. But in that case the aerostat would likely be half the size at best. I'm not a big free market fan but raising prices on something is an excellent way to make people use less of it.
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Yeah, but that will lead to teenagers asking for balloons at their birthday parties. Oh, yeah - and a couple of matches.
Most states don't firecrackers, which don't have more than 50mg of flash powder. Hydrogen balloons - even small ones - make a much nicer bang; I don't see it happening until they figure out how to make H2 non-combustible.
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First thing I thought. I really hope that they'll at least recapture what helium is still in the balloon when they're done with it.
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Very much more helium goes to waste every second from natural gas production, because it's simply uneconomical to collect it all. There's only five or so gas processing plants in the US capable of distilling it out of natural gas--and I understand that even those few plants don't run at full production capacity because the market price of the stuff is so low.
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one of my family members went out 2 weeks ahead to view the accommodation and it was totally awful. Builders had been living there for months with no furniture and no sanitation and so had been toileting on the floor etc, In the end, my country's, management team went out ahead of the athletes and bought loads of cleaning fluid and protective gear and cleaned it up themselves (with no help from the games organisers).
The reports I'm getting is that so many things have gone terribly wrong and aren't being f
nothing new.... (Score:2)
Let me guess: (Score:1)
Let's go to The Colonies!"
Re:Let me guess: (Score:4, Insightful)
I find the Commonwealth Games rather amusing. After all how many countries would be able to pull the following off:
1) Take over other countries (often via military force)
2) Extract resources from those countries.
3) Get kicked out by those other countries.
4) Organize an event to celebrate the Commonwealth
FWIW, I think the reason why the Brits can pull it off is in many cases they were actually better to/for the local population and country than the local rulers were...
The other reason is you probably have to a Brit to be able to actually think this is such a great idea
Imagine the Belgians or Dutch trying to hold their own Commonwealth Games. How many would want to show up?
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The brits did a few population counts in India - the results where a massive drop. Something about very few doctors, trade goods had priority and the land conditions needed produce lots of one way trade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Leopold's_Ghost [wikipedia.org] shopws what other European powers tried, basically a locked down one way system of export, empty ships arrive, full depart.
Again massive population loss when 'counted'.
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I think the reason why the Brits can pull it off is in many cases they were actually better to/for the local population and country than the local rulers were...
Particularly India, where they took over from the Mhoguls, who were mozzies and naturally tried to follow the Qur'an and make non-Muslims feel subdued.
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Re:Let me guess: (Score:4, Informative)
The later Moghul rulers were the murderous ones.
Akbar was among the first, and is generally considered as a very good monarch.
The last one (Aurgangzeb) was pretty murderous, and also imposed taxes on non muslims to get them to convert.
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Read about the siege of Chittor
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Well, hey. Good luck trying to be reasonable and not bigoted. Who'da thunk that Slashdot had its share of racist religious nuts?
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Who the hell keeps modding this troll up?
If you don't have the decency to refer to a group of people as "Muslims" and insist on using the derisive term "mozzies", why the fuck should anyone listen to what you say?
And who keeps modding those who (politely) disagree with you "troll"? And the anti-Muslim ferver on Slashdot really that high?
After all the Mozzies show great [st-george-church.org] tollerance [juliagorin.com] to everyone [juliagorin.com] else [juliagorin.com] don't [fr-d-serfes.org] they [juliagorin.com]
Re:Let me guess: (Score:4, Informative)
Not all members of the Commonwealth were British colonies.
A number of other countries have applied to join anyway as they see a regional benefit to being a member.
Mozambique - used to be a Portugese colony. Now a member of the Commonwealth (since 1995)
Rwanda - used to be a Belgian & German colony. A member since 2009.
Algeria & Madagascar have also both applied to join having no prior links to the British overseas
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God forbid but France wanted to Join in the 1950s after London choked on the port at their request to consider becoming part of the UK, despite Churchill offering an act of union in 1940... go figure
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Jolly good show and tally ho
Anonymous Coward (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkSWE9UZjdE
here's the video
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I'd like to sign this of as An honest troll.
That's called "flamebait"
And afterwards... (Score:2)
Next time... (Score:1)
Good information (Score:1)
Is anybody watching? (Score:1, Flamebait)
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Last week called...
Someone should... (Score:2)
Helium cost (Score:2)
Not the largest. (Score:2)
Aerostats include airships. The Hindenberg had a volume of 200,000 m, this thing is small in comparison. Largest in current service, maybe? EGreen has a 16,400 m model.
-molo
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Gah, that is supposed to be m^3. Slashdot stripped of the superscript 3 char.
-molo