3 comments

  • metalman 15 hours ago
    not good, not good at all, as this is how ALL bridges and towers are supported, the basic engineering bieng that any cable end will be stronger than the cable itself and will last longer than the cable itself, except now, when it isn't, not good, not easy to inspect, not easy to service.
    • ceejayoz 1 minute ago
      > Long-term low-current electroplasticity, induced by the electromagnetic waves from the Arecibo telescope itself, may have sped up the zinc creep, it says.

      I presume we aren't using most bridges as interstellar antennas.

    • msandford 36 minutes ago
      They also mentioned that this is the first example of the unknown phenomena that caused the creep. This technology has been in use quite successfully for more than 100 years.
    • sanex 43 minutes ago
      Bridges probably shouldn't be subject to the same electromagnetic radiation that gets focused by the telescope though so ideally not a problem there.
  • snypher 1 day ago
    (2024). Here's the report 'Failure Analysis of the Arecibo Observatory 305-Meter Telescope Collapse'

    https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/26982/chapter/1#vi

    • jacquesm 19 minutes ago
      This is the better link. The meat is on page 2.