Little things that make you wonder why and how?

[Norman Potting]

Our local Tesco has a sign saying "trolleys will stop if taken beyond this point".
I tried it with one once, and it did. How?

 

[skipper734]

Nobody knows apparently, it's a secret. Only the inventor, who is becoming a multi millionaire from his invention.

 

[Icy Gull]

Found this which seems to solve the mystery

As a Tesco trolley collector (just part-time while at uni I hasten to add) I can confirm that these merely refer to the wheel locks on the trolleys. They operate when they pass over the buried magnetic surface at the car park boundary. This drops what is basically a small rubber chock in front of the wheel, stopping it almost immediately. They do not need to be sent away to be unlocked, all of us carry "keys" which reset the mechanism

 

[Mellotron]

Finally they have created SENTIENT trolleys.

The Tesco's invasion is coming sooner than we thought!

 

[Giraffe]

Flippin eck, this is scary. There is a bag lady in Worthing who pushes a Tesco trolley around laden with full black bin bags. If she edges it into the zone she may never get out!!!

 

[Box of Frogs]

I preferred it when I didn't know the answer and could marvel that it just happened due to some unknown factor.

The real reason relegates this particular wonder to the 'boredom' pile.

 

[sam86]

Magnets. Innit.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

As it was Tescos, I assumed that it would be because their trolleys are so crap that none of them can be pushed more than a feet feet without breaking/jamming/falling over. Passing a sign stating the fact that they would stop, was just a reasonable assumption based on the odds.

 

[Kumquat]

Found this which seems to solve the mystery

As a Tesco trolley collector (just part-time while at uni I hasten to add)

Nothing to be ashamed of......were there no cashiers jobs going?

 

[Durlston]

The Tardis in Doctor Who.

 

[Icy Gull]

I preferred it when I didn't know the answer and could marvel that it just happened due to some unknown factor.

The real reason relegates this particular wonder to the 'boredom' pile.

Yeah, sorry about that. I was intrigued so went looking, you're right I should have just left it

 

[folkestonesgull]

Found this which seems to solve the mystery

As a Tesco trolley collector (just part-time while at uni I hasten to add) I can confirm that these merely refer to the wheel locks on the trolleys. They operate when they pass over the buried magnetic surface at the car park boundary. This drops what is basically a small rubber chock in front of the wheel, stopping it almost immediately. They do not need to be sent away to be unlocked, all of us carry "keys" which reset the mechanism[/Q

This is how- clever stuff.

 

[skipper734]

I preferred it when I didn't know the answer and could marvel that it just happened due to some unknown factor.

The real reason relegates this particular wonder to the 'boredom' pile.

No it doesn't. The next time I go to Tesco's I shall take a magnet with me. Hours of endless fun magnetising trolley wheels and causing mayhem when people can't push their trolleys around cos I have fixed their wheels.

 

[Gazwag]

....

 

[Box of Frogs]

I still wonder at how the 'touch-screen' on devices such as iPhones works.

I'm sure somebody tried to explain it to me once but it went over my head.

 

[Mellotron]

Had 'em for ages but I still find it pretty mind-boggling how planes stay in the air.

 

[Icy Gull]

No it doesn't. The next time I go to Tesco's I shall take a magnet with me. Hours of endless fun magnetising trolley wheels and causing mayhem when people can't push their trolleys around cos I have fixed their wheels.

Do you think that might work? You could indeed have hours of fun "fixing" trolleys in store whilst their owners were off getting other items to put in them and then watch the rage when their trolley refused to budge on their return

 

[Safeway]

When you go swimming, how come the water doesn't go up your bum?

 

[Mellotron]

I still wonder at how the 'touch-screen' on devices such as iPhones works.

I'm sure somebody tried to explain it to me once but it went over my head.

Just found this online, explains how one type of touchscreen works in a fairly easy to understand manner;

There are three basic systems that are used -

Resistive
The resistive system consists of a normal glass panel that is covered with a conductive and a resistive metallic layer. These two layers are held apart by spacers, and a scratch-resistant layer is placed on top of the whole setup. An electrical current runs through the two layers while the monitor is operational. When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact in that exact spot. The change in the electrical field is noted and the coordinates of the point of contact are calculated by the computer. Once the coordinates are known, a special driver translates the touch into something that the operating system can understand, much as a computer mouse driver translates a mouse's movements into a click or a drag.

 

[pasty]

Had 'em for ages but I still find it pretty mind-boggling how planes stay in the air.

On a similar theme, how do f*** off great big ocean liners float?