h a l f b a k e r yA dish best served not.
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Foucault's Penguin is a giant mechanical penguin that
illustrates the same principle of the famous Foucault
pendulum except using a different more visually
animated
method.
In the case of the new Penguin version, a deep conically
shaped excavation houses the swinging, rigid, powered
pendulum,
which hangs from a freely rotating bar. This entire
arrangement is able to turn
in a complete circle, facilitated by precision engineered
bearings.
Extending above the pendulum is the actual 3
dimensional
penguin. When the pendulum swings forward, the
connected penguin tilts backwards, and vice versa, the
net
effect is the creation of a nodding, action for the
penguin.
As the pendulum generates a precession below the
surface,
the connected penguin above repeats the action.
An ink delivery system located inside the penguin means
that every time it lunges forward, its beak delivers a tiny
dot to a calibrated circular strip of paper positioned
around the perimeter of the viewing/visitor room.
This paper is periodically removed and replaced
following
each rotation of the pendulum/penguin.
Elaborate miniature versions of Foucault's Penguin are
for
sale in the shop.
Inevitable deluxe version lays an egg at the end of each
complete precession.
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Annotation:
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Don't these poor, well-dressed, long-suffering characters already go through enough, what with the erratic weather patterns interfering with their feeding and breeding grounds?! |
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Can we eat the penguin afterwards? |
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"is a giant mechanical penguin...." The penguin is more likely to be modified to eat you. |
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//The penguin is more likely to be modified to eat you// |
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I can help with that. With minimal tinkering, I can reactivate
some dormant penguin genes and - gadulka! - penguin with
teeth! |
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I'm sure we can license you to construct that
version for the usual exorbitant fee. |
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I'm going to hazard a guess that due to diet, penguin tastes much the same as gull. |
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For reference reading, try the true story "The Raft" (Robert Trumbull). |
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"When a plane carrying three airmen fails to return from its bombing mission on January 16, 1942, the U.S. Navy can afford only a brief search before giving the men up as dead" |
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