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Earth Sandwich

yourhotneighbor writes "If you haven't seen Ze Frank's hilarious videoblog, it's worth checking out. A few weeks ago he challenged visitors to create an "Earth Sandwich" where two pieces of bread are placed exactly opposite each other on the globe. Google mashups showing what's on the opposite side of the Earth and a live GeoRSS-based bread gallery were provided. A piece on NPR this Saturday details the concept and a team from New Zealand and Spain completed the challenge. Then on Friday he allowed his show to be written by his viewers who battled out 2,000+ script revisions in a Wiki. Sunday's New York Times describes the results."

158 comments

  1. Oh boy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    Ocean. Yay, interesting.

    Seems most of the places you put it, the opposite side has ocean.

    Wonder if this even accounts for the aspherity of the earth.

    1. Re:Oh boy... by geoffspear · · Score: 1, Informative

      It doesn't. It uses longitude and latitude, which assume the Earth is a sphere.

      --
      Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
    2. Re:Oh boy... by belg4mit · · Score: 2, Informative

      Which is close enough for government work.

      Seriously, at this scale it's not really an issue. Especially if you're willing to consider the
      Earth's ellipsoid symmetric across the equator.

      --
      Were that I say, pancakes?
    3. Re:Oh boy... by belg4mit · · Score: 1

      Sorry, equator *and* axis. That is, it's an oblate spheroid and not an egg.

      --
      Were that I say, pancakes?
    4. Re:Oh boy... by ironring2006 · · Score: 1

      Longitude and latitude doesn't necessarily assume that the Earth is a sphere. It does however, assume that the Earth is symmetric about the equator (which is a better assumption). So corresponding lat and long coordinates will still work for a spheroid in that a line connecting the two points will pass through the center of the earth. However, the surfaces at those points won't necessarily be perpendicular to the line.

    5. Re:Oh boy... by modeless · · Score: 5, Informative

      It uses longitude and latitude, which assume the Earth is a sphere.

      Not true: there are actually several types of latitude and longitude. The most common type (used by most maps) is Geodetic latitude and longitude, which does take into account the oblate shape of the Earth. What you are talking about would be geocentric latitude and longitude; in reality pretty much everybody prefers and uses geodetic.

      There are a lot of interesting problems in the area of defining coordinate systems for maps and navigation. Reading about WGS84 would be a good place to start learning more.

    6. Re:Oh boy... by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 4, Informative

      What somebody needed here, was a good understanding of antipodes. Could have saved a lot of time, and Google's bandwidth.

      --
      May the Maths Be with you!
    7. Re:Oh boy... by ScottLindner · · Score: 1

      Which is close enough for government work.

      Do you know what WGS84 is, who created it, and why?

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    8. Re:Oh boy... by belg4mit · · Score: 1

      Why yes, yes I do actually. Do you know what CEfGW is? It's an idiom.

      Nobody's going to be using this thing to pinpoint the exact location of a trans-terran tunnel;
      particularly given the problem of crossing the core, only chords and not diameters are appropriate.

      --
      Were that I say, pancakes?
    9. Re:Oh boy... by ScottLindner · · Score: 1

      I'm merely trying to be clear on the facts. Why post CEfGW when you know it to be otherwise in this case?

      It really doesn't matter. But for those that don't know.. the government does care about being very very close when it comes to the Earth. Much closer than anyone else.

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    10. Re:Oh boy... by belg4mit · · Score: 1

      Because, as I said, "at this scale" (and for this use) it does not matter.
      Clearly governments care see: GPS, Gallileo, GLASNOS, etc.

      More interesting topics of discussion are:

      How smoothly the interface works if you zoom all the way out.

      The resizing of the scale bar as you scroll N-S

      P.S> The Earth is not, in fact, a sandwich. Though it may soon be demolished
                to make way for a hyperpace bypass.

      --
      Were that I say, pancakes?
    11. Re:Oh boy... by geoffspear · · Score: 3, Funny

      I think you'll find that there are actually several governments on the Earth, and that your use of the singular is incorrect.

      I think you'll also find that a vast majority of the Earth's goverments couldn't care less about precision in measurements of the Earth.

      But thank you for introducing pedantry into a discussion of Earth sandwiches. Have a nice day.

      --
      Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
    12. Re:Oh boy... by ScottLindner · · Score: 1

      Why are people such jerks on Slashdot in the past week? What happened in the press that got people so ornery?

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    13. Re:Oh boy... by jessecurry · · Score: 1

      I'd be curious to see just what percentage of time being on land on one side places you in the ocean on the other. It'd seem like 2/3 of the time would be a good estimate, but looking at the distribution of land I think that's probably quite a bit off.
      Sorry if that got covered in the article, I didn't get a chance to read it all over yet.

      --
      Those who know, do not speak. Those who speak, do not know. ~Lao Tzu
    14. Re:Oh boy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Well it's not the full moon

      % pom
      The Moon is Waning Crescent (46% of Full)

    15. Re:Oh boy... by Cyberscythe · · Score: 1

      Yeah, Marle and Lucca have been doing that for years now.

    16. Re:Oh boy... by ScottLindner · · Score: 1

      I'm well aware that there are numerous governments on Earth. The vast majority of which care a great deal to be accurate on the globe we call Earth. If you are a reasonably proficient English speaker or from a nation that has the technical capacity to reach the SlashDot website there is a very high likelihood that your government (singular) is one of the governments (plural) that is very very concerned with being highly precise when placing things on the Earth. If you are from any other nation that buildings road, buildings, or bridges, your government is only very interested in being very precise in placing things on the globe. Only a few governments/nations on this planet could care less... those.. are still in mud huts and probably most citizens do not have access to the Internet.

      Still.. there is a chance you are one of rare few that live in one of these countries and are wealthy enough to afford a computer and Internet access and spend your free time on SlashDot. There must be like a total of 3 of you in the world. I apologize for being presumtuous in your case.

      Thanks for being pedantic about governemnts of this planet. I thought we were talking about a technical discussion.. and not the merits of how I formed my sentences that as a collective were used as my singular post and point. Thank you much for being the pedantic prick.

      --
      Slashdot.. where people join together in deliberate ignorance.
    17. Re:Oh boy... by geoffspear · · Score: 1

      You seem to have misspelled "governments", "Slashdot", and "presumptuous".

      Hope this helps, and good luck with your therapy!

      --
      Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
  2. Fantastic.. by JD52 · · Score: 3, Funny

    What good is that? The only person with a mouth big enough to eat it would be Al Roker.

    1. Re:Fantastic.. by CUatTHEFINISH · · Score: 2, Funny

      You may joke, but considering it's an Earth sandwich; Al Roker would be eating you too.

    2. Re:Fantastic.. by Digital+Autumn · · Score: 3, Funny

      You may joke, but considering it's an Earth sandwich; Al Roker would be eating you too.

      In Communist Russia, you would be eating Al Roker too!

    3. Re:Fantastic.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is it possible to fuck up a Soviet Russia joke that badly??? Were you dropped on your head as a child???

    4. Re:Fantastic.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ann Coulter. I bet she could suick a golf ball through a garden hose with that thing on her face. Now, if only she had a vagina she'd be perfect. Okay, that was mean... lol

    5. Re:Fantastic.. by -Brodalco- · · Score: 1

      Him and Steve Ballmer.

      --
      I regret spilling a glass of ginger ale on an achritect!
    6. Re:Fantastic.. by cliath · · Score: 1

      Maybe he was disoriented from reading Slashdot comments with excessive punctuation.

    7. Re:Fantastic.. by superyooser · · Score: 1

      Uncle Sam :-D

    8. Re:Fantastic.. by Zaatxe · · Score: 1

      And also Galactus.

      --
      So say we all
  3. Who knew by OSS_ilation · · Score: 0

    Who knew that the "wonder" in Wonder Bread was actually referring to the 8th Wonder of the World!?

  4. condiments by Faustust · · Score: 2, Funny

    Got Mustard?

    1. Re:condiments by ET_Fleshy · · Score: 1

      How quaint, I only do gray poupon. Have a good day, sir.

    2. Re:condiments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      stupid troll response for a stupid story. guess it is appropriate.

    3. Re:condiments by EugeneK · · Score: 0

      Dijon mustard is great...for me to Poupon!!

    4. Re:condiments by QuantumPion · · Score: 1

      hold the austrailonions, please.

  5. Mashup by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    If I have to read or hear the word 'mashup' or any variation of it, ever again, someone is going to pay with their life.

    1. Re:Mashup by mpathetiq · · Score: 5, Funny

      Mashup some potatoes for me, please.

    2. Re:Mashup by Urusai · · Score: 3, Funny

      I feel your pain. The blogosphere is rife with Web 2.0 leveraged mashups.

    3. Re:Mashup by tyler.willard · · Score: 3, Funny

      Indeed. If we absolutely have to have trendy neologims, can we at least have some that don't sound so infernally stupid? Asinine != 'ironically hip'.

    4. Re:Mashup by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I synergize in your general direction! Your mother was a paradigm-shifter and your father smelt of mashups!

      Now go away or I shall productize your infrastructure a second time!

    5. Re:Mashup by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 4, Funny

      And when you're done with that, could you put my video of "M*A*S*H" up on the third shelf?

    6. Re:Mashup by iamlucky13 · · Score: 1, Funny

      It turns out that the original poster's threats were serious, and the above two punsters found they were in quite a mash upon clicking the "submit" button.

    7. Re:Mashup by Cappy+Red · · Score: 1

      We apologize for the mash up with the previous posts. The current poster wishes you to know that the posters responsible have been sacked.

      --
      This is my sig. It's prescription, I swear. I need it for reading things... on the other side of things
  6. Not really... by Recovering+Hater · · Score: 2, Informative

    It isn't a sandwich by the usual standards. The bread wasn't cut. It was just the earth in between two baguettes of bread.

    --
    My humor is probably your flamebait
  7. there is an old russian joke... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... which can be (more or less) translated like this:

    an elephant steps onto a slice of bread, puts a slice of bread on his back, looks in the mirror and sais:
    - gosh, that's one big sandwitch!

    --
    Conservatism: The fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is your inferior is being treated as your equal.
    1. Re:there is an old russian joke... by zlogic · · Score: 1

      Although I'm Russian, I've never heard that joke...

    2. Re:there is an old russian joke... by Elvis+Parsley · · Score: 1

      Ah, well, that's because you're not an old Russian.

    3. Re:there is an old russian joke... by Kent+Simon · · Score: 4, Funny

      perhaps you heard it like this

      a slice of bread steps onto an elephant, puts a back on his slice of bread, mirror looks in and says:
      - big sandwitch, that's one gosh !

      --
      Kent Simon Multitheft Auto
    4. Re:there is an old russian joke... by zlogic · · Score: 2, Funny

      In Soviet Russia, joke laughs at you!

    5. Re:there is an old russian joke... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1
      --
      Conservatism: The fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is your inferior is being treated as your equal.
    6. Re:there is an old russian joke... by ultramk · · Score: 1

      an elephant steps onto a slice of bread, puts a slice of bread on his back, looks in the mirror and sais:
      - gosh, that's one big sandwitch!


      After hearing that joke, your signature suddenly seems less insightful.

      Ironic.

      M-

      --
      You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
    7. Re:there is an old russian joke... by yet+another+coward · · Score: 1
      When I cut and pasted into babelfish, I got

      The elephant of vyvalyalsya in the flour, approaches the mirror and speaks: "not fig to itself pelmeni!"
    8. Re:there is an old russian joke... by KylePflug · · Score: 1

      I think I like it better that way.

    9. Re:there is an old russian joke... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      the signature is more or less an insider joke, you have to watch "this is spinal tap" to get it.

      --
      Conservatism: The fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is your inferior is being treated as your equal.
    10. Re:there is an old russian joke... by ultramk · · Score: 1

      Heh, i thought it sounded familiar. Haven't seen that one in 5 years or so.

      --
      You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
    11. Re:there is an old russian joke... by maxume · · Score: 1

      And they lost the cold war?!?

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    12. Re:there is an old russian joke... by Atilla · · Score: 1

      ok, more "direct" translation:

      An elephant rolls around in flour, then looks at himself in the mirror and proclaims: "damn, that's one hell of a dumpling!"

      yes, it sounds retarded, but you kind of have to be russian to understand the humor.

      --
      --- sig moved for great justice.
    13. Re:there is an old russian joke... by Patrik_AKA_RedX · · Score: 1

      A wise man who lived on the top of a large mountain once said: "Don't translate jokes. Translated jokes suck ass.". Since many people have climbed that mountain to seek his advice it must be correct. Hundred people who climb mountains to seek advice from some weird old guy can't be wrong, can they?

    14. Re:there is an old russian joke... by Blue+Lozenge · · Score: 1

      Damn lilliputians!

  8. Oblig. Song by Faustust · · Score: 4, Funny

    "I've got the whoooole world in my sandwich,
    I've got the whoooole world in my sandwich!"

  9. interesting results.... by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The interesting part of the experiment was that the slices always fell the earth-side down...

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  10. Need a boat by Old+Duck · · Score: 1

    Looks like most of the US will need to charter a boat, as the opposite side of the globe is in the ocean. At least I know now not to try to dig that hole to china.

    --
    There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
    1. Re:Need a boat by geoffspear · · Score: 2, Informative
      You can still dig a hole to China. You just need to curve the hole a bit.

      You're really better off doing that anyway, to avoid having to dig through the solid iron in the center. That stuff can wreak havok on a shovel.

      --
      Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
    2. Re:Need a boat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, you'd flood the whole country when the ocean comes pouring through.

  11. Re:What's next? by Roofus · · Score: 1

    Easy: A meatball hoagie, made of planets!

  12. Tropical Fruitness by 955301 · · Score: 1


    So if a team from Hawaii and Botswana did this I suppose it would have to have a pineapple ring on it as well. If China and Argentina did it, would would it be garnished with? Dirt?

    --
    You are checking your backups, aren't you?
    1. Re:Tropical Fruitness by Assassin+bug · · Score: 1

      Dirt?? Have you ever been to Argentina? The sandwich would be the best cut of beaf on Earth topped with bean sprouts. And a side of rice of course!

    2. Re:Tropical Fruitness by mottie · · Score: 1

      don't forget olives..

    3. Re:Tropical Fruitness by Gareth+Williams · · Score: 1

      You guys aren't thinking about this real hard are you?

      All that stuff is already in the current sandwhich :-P

      --

      --Gareth
    4. Re:Tropical Fruitness by Assassin+bug · · Score: 1

      Certainly! Giant olives with big seeds in them. ;-)

  13. Next week: Earth Soup by The_REAL_DZA · · Score: 1

    Of course, as any Seinfeld fan could tell you, it still won't be a meal...

    --


    This space intentionally left (almost) blank.
  14. But what about the tetrahedron? by Myself · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Dave Barr has been there, done that,years ago. He placed four marble tetrahedra at points on the globe (New Guinea, South Africa, Greenland and Easter Island) so that they describe a giant tetrahedron inside the earth itself.

    1. Re:But what about the tetrahedron? by Red+Flayer · · Score: 4, Funny
      so that they describe a giant tetrahedron inside the earth itself.
      Well, that's still inferior to the sandwich. After all, the tetrahedron is inside the Earth, so it leaves off the tasty corners, whereas the sandwich includes the whole thing.

      Then again, if you're the type of person who likes the crusts cut off their sandwiches, then I guess Barr's work takes the... erm, cake.

      On the down side of the sandwich, of course, is the fact that it may have have awakened the Devourer of Worlds, Cthulhu. Nothing like a nice sandwich to go with your galactic soup, I always say.
      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    2. Re:But what about the tetrahedron? by chochos · · Score: 1
      Then again, if you're the type of person who likes the crusts cut off their sandwiches

      You're the Anti-Crust? (with apologies to Scott Adams)

  15. Is this slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this digg or slashdot?

    1. Re:Is this slashdot? by v3xt0r · · Score: 0

      diggdot? =/

      such a senselessly-worded post, smells like digg for sure!

      --
      the only permanence in existence, is the impermanence of existence.
    2. Re:Is this slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      This is Slashdot
      Glad I could help :)

    3. Re:Is this slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      +1 Informative.

  16. Murphy's Law by Anonymous+Meoward · · Score: 1

    So if you drop a piece of buttered bread in this case, will it always fall buttered-side down, since your chances are proportional to the value of the Earth?

    Or not, since that would be a good thing in this case?

    Or do you need to stand on a carpet to do this?

    Must go. My head a-splode.

    --
    --- The American Way of Life is not a birthright. Hell, it's not even sustainable.
    1. Re:Murphy's Law by stratjakt · · Score: 1

      They did the buttered toast thing on Mythbusters. From a height, they determined that when you butter the toast you cup it somewhat, so it tends to land butter side up - falling like a leaf.

      --
      I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
    2. Re:Murphy's Law by mcmonkey · · Score: 4, Interesting
      They did the buttered toast thing on Mythbusters.
      Yeah, they completely botched the job.

      Their final experiment involved dropping a vertically-held slice of bread from the roof of their building. This is a great set-up--if you routinely eat your breakfast toast on the roof of a warehouse.

      Strangely, they actually built the perfect apparatus for testing Murphy's Law, if memory serves designed by Adam, but for some reason didn't use it for the final test. This set-up involved the slice of bread on a table top, pushed slowly over the edge until it was far enough off to tumble down.

      Scientific American had an in depth article on Murphy's Law about 7 years ago. It was basically proved the toast-landing-butter-side-down phenomenon was tied to the fundamental constants of the universe, and for any bipedal species evolving on any planet, toast will always tend to land top-side down. The only way around it is to butter the bottom of your toast.

      Or move to another universe.

    3. Re:Murphy's Law by bohemian72 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Or some how attach the buttered toast to the back of a cat thus creating the spinning, buttered cat, perpetual motion, anti-gravity machine.

      --
      The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.
    4. Re:Murphy's Law by dmatos · · Score: 1

      Toast falling butter-side-down only applies (in the case of that study, can't find the original article) if the toast teeters on the edge before falling. If you do happen to see toast about to fall, and can't catch it in time, consider giving it a healthy whack across the room. This changes the proportion between the rotational speed and the vertical speed, making it more random as to whether or not it falls butter side down.

      --

      It may look like I'm doing nothing, but I'm actively waiting for my problems to go away.
      --Scott Adams
    5. Re:Murphy's Law by Thuktun · · Score: 1

      If you do happen to see toast about to fall, and can't catch it in time, consider giving it a healthy whack across the room. This changes the proportion between the rotational speed and the vertical speed, making it more random as to whether or not it falls butter side down.

      And, I would imagine, more likely to splat up against the wall, butter side in.

  17. And like everything else by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Earth sandwich tastes like chicken...

  18. The only thing this shows... by johnlcallaway · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...is that there are far too many people with way to much time on their hands.

    Including me for reading and posting to this article.

    --
    I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
    1. Re:The only thing this shows... by foo52 · · Score: 1

      It would be nice to have that much time to waste...

    2. Re:The only thing this shows... by Firehed · · Score: 1
      Don't even talk - I went and pinpointed my house. Apparently if I tunnled straight through the Earth, I'd end up about a thousand kilometers off the southwest coast of Australia. Well, if I don't melt or get gravitated into a tiny little ball of pain.

      I suppose this would be a great way to find out where to go to get as far as possible from the in-laws/parents/ex/other.

      --
      How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
    3. Re:The only thing this shows... by UserGoogol · · Score: 1

      Gravity doesn't work that way. If you were at the center of the earth and "somehow" it wasn't lethally hot and full of solid iron, the net gravitational force on you would be zero because the mass of the earth would be evenly distributed around you. More generally, the surface of the earth is in fact the point where the force of the Earth's gravity is the strongest.

      --
      "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor
    4. Re:The only thing this shows... by Firehed · · Score: 1

      I'll bet you $5 it hurts regardless.

      --
      How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
  19. Mama Mia! by RubberChainsaw · · Score: 1

    That's a spicy meatball!

    --
    I welcome our new 99% overlords.
  20. I do not believe in no antipodes by zanderredux · · Score: 1
    Saint Augustine (354-430) argued against people inhabiting the antipodes:
    But as to the fable that there are Antipodes, that is to say, men on the opposite side of the earth, where the sun rises when it sets to us, men who walk with their feet opposite ours, that is on no ground credible. And, indeed, it is not affirmed that this has been learned by historical knowledge, but by scientific conjecture, on the ground that the earth is suspended within the concavity of the sky, and that it has as much room on the one side of it as on the other: hence they say that the part which is beneath must also be inhabited. But they do not remark that, although it be supposed or scientifically demonstrated that the world is of a round and spherical form, yet it does not follow that the other side of the earth is bare of water; nor even, though it be bare, does it immediately follow that it is peopled.

    He almost got it. If you look at the map in the Wikipedia page, you'll see that some 95% or more of the dry land meets an ocean on the other side (no ground credible indeed). As for the rest, well, you know.

    1. Re:I do not believe in no antipodes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, combine Augustine's arguments with yours, and you're essentially arguing against mermen?

  21. Thats why by GmAz · · Score: 2, Funny

    So that is why when I was a kid I couldn't dig a hole to China. Apparently, you have to live in Chile or Argentina to dig a hole to China. At least a straight hole.

    --
    Click Click Bloody Click PANCAKES!
    1. Re:Thats why by dmatos · · Score: 1

      A chord would still be a straight hole, technically. Plus you'd avoid that nasty core, and just have to tunnel through the mantle.

      --

      It may look like I'm doing nothing, but I'm actively waiting for my problems to go away.
      --Scott Adams
    2. Re:Thats why by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      Isn't that where those huge diamonds are? Make sure your lady astronaught is up to snuff before heading through the mantle.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
  22. Saved some time.... by JD52 · · Score: 0

    They could have saved themselves half the trouble and made an "open faced" Earth sandwich

    1. Re:Saved some time.... by Digital+Autumn · · Score: 1

      I think that would save a little more than half the trouble.

      But bravo, good idea. It's this kind of thinking that's going to be required if America is to remain at the top when it comes to planet sandwich making.

  23. Two words..... by dickeya · · Score: 3, Funny

    shit sandwich.

    1. Re:Two words..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      THEY CAN'T PRINT THAT

  24. Security, guys! Security! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just make sure Galactus doesn't find out about this particular sandwich. He might get hungry.

  25. Are we in it? by Solder+Fumes · · Score: 1

    I wonder if we're considered part of the sandwich...maybe we're just the ants ruining this cosmic picnic.

  26. Geocaching by Bowling+Moses · · Score: 1

    It seems like you could call this a variation of geocaching. Or maybe an international (and IMO cool weirdness) version of the Geological Society of America's earthcaching, where the "unique geoscience feature" is the entire freakin' planet.

  27. Experiment link by mgabrys_sf · · Score: 1

    I never did see either in the summary or even at his site a quick link to the experiment's results - here it is - although he seems to be slashdotting as we speak...

    http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2006/06/06 0906.html

    It's actually fairly amusing. The edits make it very familiar to 99 percent of the threads around here. Almost makes you wonder what a decent video project involving slashdot exclusively would look like.

    1. Re:Experiment link by AigariusDebian · · Score: 1

      Take a look at Japanese tv series "The Train Man" = "Densha Otaku" there something very like Slashdot is giving dating advise.

    2. Re:Experiment link by jrockway · · Score: 1

      Good show, worth watching, but 2-ch (the forum that the show is based on) isn't like slashdot. 2-ch is like yahoo groups... it's non-technical and is 40% ASCII (erm EUC_JP) art, 50% slang, and 10% "insight". Slashdot is 50% flamebait and 50% insight, generally. (Slashdot.jp is even better. The only flamebait I've ever seen is one I posted :) Damn Americans muck everything up... :)

      But anyway, here's the original 2-ch thread that inspired Densha Otoko:

      http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milkyway-Aquarius/7075/ trainman.html

      (The real thread got taken down when it got popular. There was a book, manga, TV show, movie, etc... so I guess the traffic was too high.)

      --
      My other car is first.
  28. Not that difficult by InsaneCreator · · Score: 1

    Call me when someone manages to make a moebius strip sandwich.

    1. Re:Not that difficult by FormOfActionBanana · · Score: 1

      An open face sandwich would be easy on a mo:bius strip. Start peanut butter in location 0. Pick a direction and start spreading.

      Ham variant: toothpicks required, unfortunately.

      --
      Take off every 'sig' !!
  29. Ha! by catdevnull · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's dude's pretty funny. I wonder, before turning on that video cam, if he eats espresso beans or if he free-bases them ?

    Reminds of the fast talking guy who used to pitch Micro Machines.

    --

    I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
  30. Scale? by Andrewkov · · Score: 1

    Why does the scale of the map change as you drag it around?

    Looks like nowhere in North America is there land at the other side of the world (except Hawaii, does that count?)

    1. Re:Scale? by schizocat · · Score: 1

      Well...there's about a 40 sq/mi overlap between North Central Montana and something labeled French Southern & Antarctic Lands .....not that i think there are many people in either location to try.

      --
      Arsenic is natural. Hemlock is organic.
  31. Looks like the server is Digged by suds · · Score: 1

    or should it be Dug?

  32. Re:Don't Bother Watching the Video by baadger · · Score: 4, Funny

    How long is this hair? Left or right toe? Do you blog about it? Awww comeeon where's the link dude.

  33. The only thing larger... by Chatmag · · Score: 1

    would be the doggie bag for leftovers.

    --
    Pete Carr Owner Chatmag.com
  34. Hawaii & Botswana by jimjamjoh · · Score: 1

    Of course, good luck telling the latter locale's locals, "Silly Botswananites, this bread's not for eating!!"

  35. Earth Manwich by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I propose we make an earth manwich instead. We'll use opposite points at the same latitude, which I believe will allow for more land-land bun placement. People between the points will then create the manwich filling.

  36. NZ superimposed on Europe by purplelocust · · Score: 1

    There aren't many sizable landmasses at antipodal points, but NZ has a good overlap with Spain, as shown in this map of NZ superimposed on Spain.

    1. Re:NZ superimposed on Europe by sheepoo · · Score: 1
      There aren't many sizable landmasses at antipodal points...

      1) China and Argentina

      2) Indonesia and Brazil

  37. Yeah, yeah...but... by Sans_A_Cause · · Score: 1

    ...did it land Australia-up or Austraila-down?

  38. Re:Next week: Earth Soup by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 1

    The second antipode is the key antipode. It literally makes or breaks the sandwich.

    --
    May the Maths Be with you!
  39. Supersize it please. I want a Uranus sandwich! by MooseTick · · Score: 1

    An Earth sandwich is OK, but what would be really good is if you could supersize it! Two pieces of bread on Uranus would be much bigger and therefore better.

  40. SO if I wanted to dig to China... by Chabil+Ha' · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'd have to go through Argentina! I knew my uncle was full of &*^% when he told me he was digging to China!

    --
    We're all hypocrites. We all have hidden parts, it's the contrast between them that make us more a hypocrite than others
  41. Unicron or Galactus? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who will eat it?

  42. map of possible antipodal land locations by call+-151 · · Score: 1

    This map shows possible locations for land-based antipodal points, which have large areas of Greenland and some of Siberia overlapping Antarctica, as well as the more reachable Argentina/Chile with China pairings. There are also some northern South America with Phillipines and other island areas possibilities. But it is no surprise that the NZ/Spain pairing was the first realized, as those are both close to reasonable cities that are likely home for people who visit his page.

    I remember a story a while ago about a man from northern Spain (Galicia) who went to visit the village antipodal to his, in NZ, but unfortunately he did not have the foresight to construct a sandwich. That could have been with two slices from the same loaf if he had planned ahead.

    --
    It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw.
  43. I am so disillusioned by Spackler · · Score: 1

    In the 70s, I had thought the China Syndrome could really happen. Jack Lemmon spouting off that our nuclear power plant would melt through the earth into the Indian Ocean just does not cut it. I want my 4 bucks back. The Indian Ocean Syndrome. Bah.

    PS: First person that corrects me by saying he corrected himself by saying it would only melt to the center gets a slap. It was the name of the freaking movie for fsck sake.

    1. Re:I am so disillusioned by WilliamSChips · · Score: 1

      The power plant could be in Argentina...

      --
      Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.
  44. Ok .. for the next trick by PriceIke · · Score: 1

    .. we need someone to drop a piece of bread on the dark side of the moon .. and figure out the exact opposite side of the earth from that point at a certain point in time ... That would really make it a sandwich. It's not a decent sandwich unless you've got at least two things between the bread. Of course it would be a very short-lived sandwich .. unless you kept moving the earth-bread to stay in alignment with the position of the moon as it passed. ze rules.

    --
    It's not a lie. It's the truth with lossy compression.
    1. Re:Ok .. for the next trick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Providing you're playing Pink Floyd during the experiment, it will be worthwhile. :)

    2. Re:Ok .. for the next trick by blues_shuffle · · Score: 1

      There is no dark side of the moon. As a matter of fact, it's all dark.

      :)

  45. Where's the GeoRSS feed? by Lord+Satri · · Score: 2, Informative

    The story is misleading. I feel like the submitter does not know what GeoRSS is. Which reminds me, there has never been any story on slashdot regarding GeoRSS at all, which surprises me (and yes, I did submit some but they all got refused :-)

    The first place to start is on georss.org, but you can also read the buzzy OGC press release. From which you'll learn: "A number of organizations have already implemented GeoRSS in open source and commercial mapping, blogging and other software products. Yahoo and Microsoft have expressed interest. Raj Singh, Director of OGC's Interoperability Programs and one of the original team that created GeoRSS explains why, "We designed GeoRSS to be easily implemented in software. Once GeoRSS is part of an application, it allows just about anyone to point a GeoRSS enabled feed at GeoRSS enabled software and instantly make a map.""

    But this doesn't tell you what GeoRSS is and why the story's summary is misleading. You can read this article about GeoRSS and read more about the georss standard woes here.

    GeoRSS is geospatially-aware RSS. There is a lot of applications, see the links above, like geotagging news items or sensors or podcasts or... I haven't seen any georss in the links above, only mashups and funny pictures. (maybe I should look harder? :-)

    1. Re:Where's the GeoRSS feed? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  46. Hey Farva... by iamlucky13 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Mac: Hey Farva, what's the name of the websites you like where they take $hit from other sites to make something new, like geo-caching with Google Maps?

    Farva: You mean a mashup?

    Mac: *Offers gun to Anonymous Coward*

    1. Re:Hey Farva... by Atilla · · Score: 1

      bwahahahah

      you went there...

      liter cola!

      --
      --- sig moved for great justice.
  47. Direct video links by yourhotneighbor · · Score: 1
  48. Nice idea, But... by kbox · · Score: 2, Funny

    I couldn't eat a whole one.

  49. You can't get to China from here... by brandizzle · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dammit. So when I was little I really should have been trying to dig to Australia instead of China. I'd need to go to Chile to get to China. Maybe that's why I never got anywhere.

    1. Re:You can't get to China from here... by The+Cydonian · · Score: 1

      On the other hand, I'm now struck by the notion that I'll emerge at the ruins at Machu Pichu if I take up digging as a serious hobby. (I'm in South East Asia). Then again, perhaps not as fantastic as it sounds if the Nazca lines turn out to be ancient markings for a planet-size kebab.

  50. China? by askreet · · Score: 2, Funny

    When I was young I asked my mother what would happen if I kept digging. She said, "Well, you'd come out in China".

    Thanks for 'what if earth were a sandwich' I now know I'd come out in the middle of the ocean, and i'd have to live in Argentina for her to be right.

  51. Wow. by celardore · · Score: 3, Funny

    That sandwich has everything I like in it!

    1. Re:Wow. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hookers and Mustard?

    2. Re:Wow. by kyle+mcready · · Score: 1

      You're welcome to it then. It has everything I don't like in it!

    3. Re:Wow. by 2008 · · Score: 1

      Not me. I'm with these guys.

      --
      I quit!
    4. Re:Wow. by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 1

      Definitely can't top it if you ask for a sandwich with "The Works"

  52. Re:Don't Bother Watching the Video by hoggoth · · Score: 1

    Is this what you were looking for?

    --
    - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
  53. use the poles luke by uberjoe · · Score: 2, Funny

    This shouldn't really be that hard. Bored Guy at South Pole Research Station gets on sat phone and calls Bored Guy at North Pole Research Station and asks if they have any bread.

    --

    The days of the digital watch are numbered.

  54. Barbequor, Eater of Worlds by Malluck · · Score: 1

    Haven't you seen that episode?

  55. Make the world healthy again! by Mister+Jimm · · Score: 1

    Put it in a pita! IT'S OKAY!

  56. First in United States by unjedai · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm going to be the first Earth sandwich maker in the USA by visiting "French Southern and Antarctic Lands", and Northern Montana. Looking for sponsors for this important trip. Please send money (cash only).

  57. hindsight by Atilla · · Score: 1

    y'know, this sandwich would make one big turd.

    --
    --- sig moved for great justice.
  58. I have no andipodal land, you insensitive clod by 21mhz · · Score: 1

    Too bad I'd have to hire a boat to go to a desolate point in the Pacific thousands miles from any shore in order to make such a sandwich.

    --
    My exception safety is -fno-exceptions.
  59. Soul Sucking Registration Required by ConfusedVorlon · · Score: 1

    What happened to the old warning on NYTimes links?
    I actually clicked on this one, assuming that I would now go to the story.

  60. Try northern Montana. by thealsir · · Score: 1

    There, you'll hit land - The French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

    --
    Do not downmod posts "overrated" simply because you disagree with them.