From my extensive experience with rechargable batteries (ie: TV remote controls , if a rechargable battery recently died, and you don't have any fresh ones, you can remove the batteries for a few seconds, then plug them back in and it will work for a burst. This can be verified with a volt/amp meter. It also seems to help if you rotate the order of the batteries if they're in pairs. (Battery #1 swaps with Battery #2.)

Why? I'm guessing this allows the chemicals in the battery to build up a relatively large charge within the battery, instead of trickling the current through the circuit boards. Sort of like charging a capacitor.

(Of course, I could be completely wrong.

Alcohol doesn't create heat when you drink it.

It seems to be popular lore that it somehow helps the body in freezing weather. I did a quick search on the subject and apparently alcohol is bad to drink when it's freezing out based on the physical effects to the body, but then again maybe this is offset enough by the dulling of the senses.

I recall a popular story about some guy on the Titanic who's survival in the frigid waters was partially attributed to him being stone drunk. I dug up a quick link to a discussion on this very story, so you can be the judge on whether to believe it or not:

http://www2.abc.net.au/science/k2/stn/july2000/posts/topic100662.shtm

As for the link of the day, it sounds like mostly like the "artistic license" that the news media often uses to make their stories more appealing to audiences. There's just something fishy about the story in general.

That story sounds kind of like BS to me. How does he get cellular reception in the middle of the Andes mountains? Also, what about that gaining heat from drinking brandy? Alcohol doesn't create heat when you drink it.

I thought you could always call 911 on any cell phone even if you hadn't paid

I guess not when you are in the middle of the Andes... Do south and central americas even have an emergency service number (911)?

I thought you could always call 911 on any cell phone even if you hadn't paid

at least seems like you should be able to

You guys musta all been rich.

I remember recharging batteries in the freezer. but we were poor.

In my experience, I've had a variety of batteries seem to recharge themselves over time. Granted, it was extremely small, like say if my flashlight had dead batteries and I was too lazy to change them, in about a month I'd have earned myself a few seconds of light. But a month is a long time to wait for a few seconds.. I'm no scientist, but making batteries cold does extend their life, and *maybe* speeds in their apparent recharge.. or I could be nuts My brother's more scientific minded than me, and his best guess is something about diffusion.. the battery's use drains a lot of molecules in the battery, and over time the few unused ones spread over the whole of the battery or some other thing like that.. I must be real bored if I'm trying this hard to figure this out

--Infantryman

======================================
"640K ought to be enough for anybody."

Fist off......the Boeing....the whole blended wing/tail/fusealage idea has been around since the 50's...this is not some *new* idea.....original designs were prop powered (and soon after jet) however never readily adapted.


with the frigid temperatures acting as a natural recharger for his cell phone batteries.

"I remembered that when I was a boy I put batteries in the freezer," Diaz said in a newspaper interview describing his late May adventure. "So, I took off (the dead) battery and flung it into the snow. After half an hour, it was working again."

I hate stupid people!!......since when has a lack of kinetic energy in air provided a supply of electrons to a battery?!?! Could this just be that the cold caused the chem reactions in the battery to occar more slowly, and therefore the batt discharged more slowly?!?!?.....

There is my pissing and moaning for the day.....glad to get it out of the way






Kiss my shiny metal butt

The main character of the Hitchiker's Guide is named "Arthur Dent". I think that's the only significance, as I've read the series and can't think of anything else involving the title.

Not being overly familiar with Hitchiker's Guide, could someone please explain the signifigance of this headline (aside from the obvious pun which isn't all that clever, so I'm assuming there's more to it). Thanks.