Interesting Links for 28-10-2019

[andrewducker]

'Supernatural' Bronze Age find could shed light on one of London's greatest prehistoric mysteries

(tags:london prehistory religion )

Can anyone tell me what Jeremy Corbyn actually wants here?

Because you can't take No Deal entirely off the table without revoking Article 50, which he's not in favour of...
(tags:uk politics europe labour )

I need this videogame feature so very badly

(tags:games design adult )

Block on GM rice has cost millions of lives and led to child blindness

(tags:rice poverty genetics blindness )

Wait eight seconds longer for your kettle - and cut your carbon bill

(tags:electricity uk )

The decision by the Irish Times to review the Paw Patrol movie through the lens of Michael Foucault is inspired

(tags:review movies dogs children society funny )

"We played Crusader Kings 2 in real life and it got weird"

(tags:games history europe )

The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK's request for a Brexit flextension until 31 January 2020.

(tags:europe hope )

Britain is getting more socially liberal

(tags:uk liberal society lgbt )

Johnson tries power grab worthy of Henry VIII

(tags:BorisJohnson democracy UK OhForFucksSake )

Comments

reduced mains voltage

[fanf]

I'm sure the experts know more about this than I do, but I would have thought that energy usage is approximately independent of mains voltage, e.g. switch-mode power supplies are effectively constant wattage, slowing down kettles doesn't reduce the energy they need to boil water, thermostatic heaters will adjust their duty cycle to compensate for reduced voltage too. And isn't the transmission equipment tuned to be most efficient at 240V? So I wonder where the savings come from.

Re: reduced mains voltage

[andrewducker]

My understanding is that kettles use the same power (hence taking longer), but lights will work fine with the lower voltage, so they save power there.

If your TV, PlayStation, desktop, etc all also work at 220v then that should be quite a saving.

[calimac]

How about that. The EU27 (read: France) had the UK in a tight spot, and now they've released it.

As for Corbyn, I'm just confused. I'd thought "take No Deal off the table" meant "get an extension long enough to either enact a deal or hold an election, after which a new government [if elected] could either direct another referendum [with another extension] or revoke A50."

[andrewducker]

It did. Apparently it now means something nebulously more than that.

Nice quote here:
https://www.lbc.co.uk/politics/the-news-explained/mps-vote-boris-johnsons-general-election-plan/
"Now, Mr Corbyn is saying Labour will only vote for an election once no-deal had been taken off the table.

An extension, in Labour's view, does not do that, whether it's to 31st January or even longer."

But no indication of what _does_.