What Is It? Blog

What Is It?

What Is It? is a place for engineers to test their knowledge (and sense of humor). Each week (or month, or...) the CR4 team will post an unidentified picture of an object, tool, animal, something. We're looking for your best (or funniest) guesses at what it might be in the comments.

Yes, we take [appropriate] submissions. Send them to cr4admin@ieeeglobalspec.com.

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What Is It? for 4/22/12

Posted April 22, 2012 12:00 AM
Pathfinder Tags: What is it?

This week's image (what are the things in the background?):

Click here for the answer!

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#1

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/22/2012 12:57 AM

It's the annual Lake Placid horse show...The structures in the background are the 90 and 120 meter ski jumps built for the 1980 Olympics..

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#2
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Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/22/2012 11:31 AM

They've been integrated into the horse show, I hear.

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#5
In reply to #2

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/22/2012 12:26 PM

Ah the good ol' days....yeah we get some retired jumpers down here, put out of work by PETA...

Cats don't like em much....

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#3

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/22/2012 12:04 PM

They are early versions of the top secret military rail gun systems.

Unfortunately due to government official intervention in the design stages they were built in fixed locations with only one trajectory and firing direction. As long as the enemy comes directly from the east and at an exactly 45 degree incoming angle to this exact spot they are 100% effective.

However if the enemy deviates by any more than +- 1% in any direction or goes someplace else their effectiveness quickly drops to zero.

All in all on paper they are well worth the $25 Trillion spent.

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#4

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/22/2012 12:26 PM

Trees

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#8
In reply to #4

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/22/2012 11:12 PM

Nice avatar Hendrik.

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#9
In reply to #4

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 3:13 AM

"What Is It?"

Not all the trees, silly, just that one tree, right there.

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#6

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/22/2012 6:28 PM

It could be a horse but I prefer to think of it as just being dog food in its pre processed form.

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#7

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/22/2012 10:58 PM

Is that the new CR4 trebuchet? Cool!

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#24
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Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 2:23 PM

the new CR4 trebuchet

And it's the prize for the best answer to this week's 'what is it' challenge.

You have to arrange for removal, at your own expense, before next Thursday.

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#27
In reply to #24

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 3:10 PM

Remove it? Why would I want to remove it. I want to see if I can break the speed record for a Yugo with it.!

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#10

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 4:21 AM

Three UFOs in formation....

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#11

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 4:27 AM

Are they parts of the new roller coaster rides at the KrisDelTM "Never-never-land" theme park?

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#12

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 4:28 AM

It is the first stage of construction on the Lake Placid Bridge. It will go from nowhere to nowhere but the administration can justify the enormous cost based on the number of jobs created to build it.

As these jobs are only temporary, when it is completed there will be a major enquiry into a waste of taxpayers money. The enquiry itself will create many more long term jobs.

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#13

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 5:11 AM

A perfectly normal summer's day somewhere. Grass, people, horses, trees, fences, props from Avatar, the usual.

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#14

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 9:07 AM

No doubt those are the two Ski Jump towers from the 1980 Olympics staged at Lake Placid NY.

Both are open to the public, and you can go to the top of them.....pretty kewl looking down that ramp and wonder what the hell the jumpers are think launching off the freaking end of it???! Crazy steep!

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#15

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 9:26 AM

December 21st, 2012 emergency Earth escape rail systems.

Don't have your reservation yet? Too bad. They're all taken up by top Republican and Democrat luminaries.

Hooker

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#16
In reply to #15

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 9:40 AM

The end is NEAR!! (wink wink) Quick, let's launch all the politicians into space!!

BEST. IDEA. EVER.

-A-

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#17
In reply to #16

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 9:44 AM

Works for me. Even if they fail to make orbital or escape velocity it's a win-win for us.

Hooker

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#26
In reply to #17

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 2:31 PM

I think it's better if they don't make escape velocity. That way they will be recycled, and contribute something green to the environment.

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#20
In reply to #16

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 11:19 AM

DON'T FORGET THE LAWYERS TOO!!!!

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#25
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Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 2:27 PM

Might's well, since about 99% of politicians are lawyers (including those who have lost their licenses).

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#18

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 10:08 AM

Punkin Chunkers! LOL

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#19

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 10:36 AM

The spawn of.....Bagger 288.

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#21
In reply to #19

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 11:22 AM

Now, that's one big a*s mama!!! It's a coal excavator, right?

Where is that monster located anyhow?

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#22
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Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 11:25 AM
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#23
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Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 11:47 AM

Now that's impressive!

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#28

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 3:29 PM

These are Ski Jumps.

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#29

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/23/2012 9:19 PM

Launch ramp for the new improved space-shuttle

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#30

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/24/2012 5:17 AM

Launch ramp for the new improved space-shuttle Thunderbird 2?

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#31

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/24/2012 6:14 AM

Silence! Zey are ze secret V1 launch ramps.
Ve vill zay nosing about zem ya?
Del

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#32
In reply to #31

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/24/2012 10:09 AM

Silence! Zey are ze secret V1 launch ramps.Ve vill zay nosing about zem ya? -sez Werner Von Braun

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#33

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/25/2012 7:18 AM

This week's image (what are the things in the background?):

Clouds.

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#34

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/25/2012 7:28 AM

Several people correctly guessed that those are the ski jumps at the Olympic center in Lake Placid. http://www.whiteface.com/facilities/ojc.php

Someone also correctly guessed that there are some clouds in the background.

Edit: Trees are also correct!

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#35
In reply to #34

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/25/2012 1:50 PM

Don't forget, someone also guessed trees......

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#36

Re: What Is It? for 4/22/12

04/26/2012 7:40 AM

What my dad traded for that 1961 VW Microbus.

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