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At Commonwealth Games, the World's Largest Aerostat

Posted by timothy on from the more-interesting-than-the-sports dept.

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."

44 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. It's a balloon by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's a big balloon.

    For those of us who live in America, these things are pretty run of the mill.

    1. Re:It's a balloon by cappp · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yeah and Pamela Anderson just had a pair of breasts. For those of us who live on Earth, those things are pretty run of the mill.

    2. Re:It's a balloon by pegasustonans · · Score: 3, 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.

      --
      And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. --Will
    3. Re:It's a balloon by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 1

      The Irish?

  2. Aerostat not the only thing of note by jrumney · · Score: 3, Funny

    The video projections on the aerostat were pretty, but more remarkable is the size of Prince Charles's codpiece in photo number 4.

    1. Re:Aerostat not the only thing of note by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

      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.

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
  3. Helium by TD-Linux · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So for the last month ./ has been running stories about how we are quickly depleting our remaining helium supplies, and now we're floating a TV with 20,000 m^3 of it?

    ... I don't know what to say.

    1. Re:Helium by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      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.

    2. Re:Helium by lxs · · Score: 1

      Going to waste.

    3. Re:Helium by flyingfsck · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It is only the US that is running out. The rest of world doesn't have a problem.

      --
      Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
    4. Re:Helium by Sockatume · · Score: 2, Informative

      The US accounts for 80% of the current supply. If they're running out, the rest of the world has a problem.

      --
      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    5. Re:Helium by sempir · · Score: 1

      Best not to say anything then!

      --
      A closed mouth gathers no foot.
    6. Re:Helium by Iskender · · Score: 1

      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.

    7. Re:Helium by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      We're going to run out of helium in 100 years at the current rate. Given that it's one of the most common elements in the universe, actually running out of it seems pretty unlikely. If anything, helium is going to become less attractive for this kind of use. It provides less lift than hydrogen, but is used because of the lower risk of fire. Monomolecular carbon balloons (which have been made in the lab, but not yet mass produced) can store hydrogen with zero leakage, making hydrogen safe for use in this context.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    8. Re:Helium by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      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.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    9. Re:Helium by modecx · · Score: 1

      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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    10. Re:Helium by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      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.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    11. Re:Helium by treeves · · Score: 1

      If this is what you mean by monomolecular carbon "balloon", I'd add a note to let people know not to look for them at the next birthday party they attend.

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
  4. nothing new.... by advocate_one · · Score: 1

    reminds me of this

    --
    Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
  5. Let me guess: by deathtopaulw · · Score: 1

    "The chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure.

    Let's go to The Colonies!"

    1. Re:Let me guess: by TheLink · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So why doesn't the US join in the games? They were a colony once right? ;)

      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?

      --
    2. Re:Let me guess: by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      actually better to/for the local population
      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 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'.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    3. Re:Let me guess: by Chrisq · · Score: 1, Troll

      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.

    4. Re:Let me guess: by Chrisq · · Score: 1, Informative

      Try telling that to the Sikhs. The murdering mozzies killed thousands

    5. Re:Let me guess: by tanveer1979 · · Score: 3, 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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    6. Re:Let me guess: by stiggle · · Score: 3, 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

    7. Re:Let me guess: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      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

    8. Re:Let me guess: by TheLink · · Score: 2, Funny

      Got to hand it to the Brits, now they've even got noncolonies wanting to join the exclusive excolonies club.

      Jolly good show and tally ho :).

      --
    9. Re:Let me guess: by slack_prad · · Score: 1

      Read about the siege of Chittor

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      Sent from my desktop computer
    10. Re:Let me guess: by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Does anyone actually say 'mozzies' and expect to be taken seriously?

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    11. Re:Let me guess: by Chrisq · · Score: 1

      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 tollerance to everyone else don't they

    12. Re:Let me guess: by kuthkameen · · Score: 1

      Why the hell did someone mod me troll?! I doubt if Babur, Humayaun, etc were as bad as Aurangazeb.

      --
      "Do not confuse the unusual with the impossible" - Psmith
    13. Re:Let me guess: by metlin · · Score: 1

      Well, hey. Good luck trying to be reasonable and not bigoted. Who'da thunk that Slashdot had its share of racist religious nuts?

  6. Anonymous Coward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkSWE9UZjdE

    here's the video

  7. Re:Would have been more interesting... by rapiddescent · · Score: 1

    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 fully reported by the press. The training pool is full of raw sewage, massive inconsistency with how things are finished and travel chaos -- and that's after a budget over run of many many times the projected costs.

    It's just as well that we don't allow a culture like this to build complex computer systems...

  8. And afterwards... by clickety6 · · Score: 1

    ...I hope they recycle that helium. It's not like it's a renewable resource.

    --
    ----------------------------------- My Other Sig Is Hilarious -----------------------------------
  9. Next time... by nicc777 · · Score: 1

    ... put down the slideshow first - I'm really not interesting in reading the story :-)

    --
    Need an ISP in South Africa?
  10. Good information by winch44 · · Score: 1

    You can find more here http://secure.tracteurpool.fr/fr/advert

  11. Someone should... by 6Yankee · · Score: 1

    ...tie an iPhone to that and let it go, see if it makes it into space :P

  12. Re:Is anybody watching? by slack_prad · · Score: 1

    Last week called...

    --
    Sent from my desktop computer
  13. Helium cost by cyberfunk2 · · Score: 1

    What with the rising cost of helium... what a terrible waste of a resource we're running out of ! It also must've cost a fortune.

  14. Re:Good to see resources put in the right directio by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    I'd like to sign this of as An honest troll.

    That's called "flamebait"

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  15. Not the largest. by molo · · Score: 1

    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

    --
    Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
    1. Re:Not the largest. by molo · · Score: 1

      Gah, that is supposed to be m^3. Slashdot stripped of the superscript 3 char.

      -molo

      --
      Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.