We are well into the joyously warm parts of summer now, which means heat alerts for many of us here in the States, and that for our fellow far North Americans that likely most of snow has probably melted. There are those folks around that should really stay out of the kitchen, because when summer comes on they really just can’t stand the heat. As the temperature rises, these individuals get quickly burned out and unable to function outdoors. If you fit this description, then stay in and ponder this Quixotic Quantum Quandary!
Just as an interesting factoid for you all, I happen to be the opposite of the wilting summer flower. When the mercury starts to dip below around 80 °F (26.6666667 °C) I start casting my eyes about to locate my coat. I never go anywhere without a trusty sweatshirt to don after about 10 minutes in any air conditioned space, so I don’t get the chattery teeth. Once upon a time I worked down in South Texas with a fellow from Ohio, and he and I engaged in a fair amount of good nature razzing of each other about our temperature proclivities. I am quite sure that at least once or twice he was sweating outside while I was snug in a giant puffy jacket. As far as I have noted through years of careful observation, while most folks do seem to have a temperature sensitivity of some sort, my particular appreciation for the days when the warmth eclipses the Fahrenheit century mark seems to be a bit of a minority position.
Is this quandary causing your brain to overheat? Try the cool soothing refreshment of this little hint!
I’d like for you all to share in the fun of rooting around for prized nuggets for us all to ponder over, so if you have a super strange piece of some old or neglected technology, please send some photos my way! Just email HycoSpeed@gmail.com and throw Q³ in the subject line so I’ll see it.
Wow. I got nuthin' I even peeped the hint. There appears to be glass, metal and ceramic in there, but that's all I can wrap my eyes around right now.
Perhaps this is because I operate best on the other end of the ambient temperature scale. I was always a winter kid. Hockey, Downhill Skiing, Tobogganing. The Blizzard Of '78 in New England was just about the high point of my pre-adolescent life.
The top image looks like a cutaway of the Bionic Man's arm.
Something to do with RADAR?
It resembles a turkey fryer, to which the headline alludes, but it clearly has too many parts to be that simple device.
I'm guessing it is a glorified version of a turkey fryer in that it needs to produce a significant amount of heat, but with a higher degree of intensity and complexity. Unfortunately, I don't think a hot air balloon burner will normally reach the altitudes in the hint.
<img src="http://www.southafrica.to/transport/hot-air-ballooning/images/20100220/hot-air-balloon-burners-LARGE.JPG" width=500>
Oh wait maybe you are onto something there. Possibly a part of a high altitude weather balloon.
Transmitter of sorts?
I was thinking part of the burner but I haven't read the rest of the replies yet.
Is it a home planetarium projector of some sorts?
It appears to be a heater of some sort, although of what I'm uncertain. It's not drenched in oil and doesn't have the deposits that you get with a deep fryer heating element, plus I've never seen a deep fryer heater that has a submersible transformer, so that's out. The rods in the second picture appear to be a carbon/graphite substance and connected in a way that indicates that they get hot. If that is truly a glass casing in the first picture it would indicate that what ever it is heating is volatile. Hmmm.
A propellant heater, or possibly a liquified gas heater? LOX tanks will freeze or get slushy in very cold environments, like Earth orbit. But that's a pretty wild guess.
It's either the guts of the airline coffee maker from last week,
or a shipboard water-cooled power supply for a radar set.
WhAT do I win?
<img src="http://www.birthdaypartyshopping.com/images/Very_Special_Person.jpg" width="300/">
I already got one o' those! Gimme sumthin' else, mo betta……..
How about close-up of the guts of a vacuum tube?
Speaking of heat, I took this on my way home from work Friday just west of Toronto. Celsiusses are bigger than Fahrenheits. I think it's just over 100F. The snow was melting in rivers.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/D73Jh.jpg?1" width="500">
Victory is yours! Very nice.
<img src="http://atomictoasters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Q3-No24-Answerr-1.jpg" width=500>
Also, the Internets tell me 40°C is 104°F, sounds downright awesome for Toronto! You sir are a lucky man.