#early warning system

[stone-cold-groove]

New radar sky-watch to guard arctic frontier. Western Electric ad - 1952.

[daeronisdreaming]

Early Warning System

Fandom: Twisters (2024)

Pairing: Tyler Owens/Scott

Rated: E for Explicit!

Excerpt:

There’s a roll of thunder in the near distance when Tyler begins clumsily unhooking the buttons of his neatly starched shirt.

🌪️ ⛽️

[elegantzombielite]

"History is a vast early warning system."

Norman Cousins, editor and author (24th June 1915-1990)

[startswithabang]

This Early Warning Signal Could Successfully Predict Betelgeuse's Supernova

“Sure, it's only a few hours of warning time, but it would represent one of the most spectacular achievements of modern science: the ability to know precisely when the most visually stunning astronomical event in centuries would occur. We could have a series of multiwavelength observatories all pointing at Betelgeuse even before the moment of its supernova, just waiting to observe whatever signatures come out, and catch them all in the act of emerging for the first time.

It's true that the big flux of neutrinos, which occur at the moment of core-collapse, will still arrive and herald the arrival of the supernova itself. But for a brief window beforehand, there's an observable signature that would tip us off to what's coming. If you've got a spare ton of water lying around and the technology to build a neutrino detector, an impending supernova would deliver you 2-to-3 neutrinos per hour once the critical antineutrino energy threshold was crossed. With the right technology, this fascinating theoretical work demonstrates that even a supernova can be successfully predicted.”

At some point, although we don’t know exactly when, Betelgeuse will certainly go supernova. Although we’d absolutely love it if there were some sort of early warning signal we could see through our telescopes, nature doesn’t quite provide us with one; the dimming we’re seeing is almost certainly indicative of processes taking place in the outer layers, rather than the center of the star.

However, the elusive neutrino could hold the key to exactly that warning, with a unique and detectable signature emitted hours prior to detonation. Here’s how we could know a supernova is coming, after all.

[bluescreening]

The UK’s Cold War Early Warning System

Have you ever wondered what the UK’s early warning system looks like? Me too, and I live here. We haven’t had an occasion to use it, and the current details of the plan are obviously a secret. However, the (thankfully unused) strategy for impending nuclear war developed during the Cold War is now public knowledge. Here’s some info on its history and what it would have looked like.

The UK’s early warning systems were first conceptualised during WWII when a national network of air raid sirens was built to warn people of incoming air raids, and later of other disasters such as imminent flooding. If you’ve never heard one of these suckers in action, they’re truly terrifying. Anyway, sirens in urban areas were connected to telephone lines so they could be remotely operated. In rural areas they were operated by postmasters or other community leaders. The siren network was dismantled in the 1990s in favour of cheaper modern warning systems. Up until that point, it was a base part of the Four Minute Warning.

Four minutes would apparently be the time between an incoming Soviet nuclear missile being detected, and its impact. This was based on the time it would take for RADAR dishes at Fylingdales, Yorkshire to detect incoming missiles, the main system in place from the 1960s. Later in the Cold War, infrared detectors aboard US satellites were also used. Fylingdales would have been able to give the US 30 minutes warning about incoming missiles, so funding also came from the states. In practice we would probably end up with less than three minutes before impact.

Aside from the sirens, another key part of the Four Minute Warning was the BBC’s Wartime Broadcasting Service. Also originally conceptualised in WWII, it was intended to keep the Beeb up and running in the event of widespread destruction in major cities. Various facilities were constructed in rural areas, with a secondary system of 54 low-powered transmitters in case the usual transmitters were being used for navigation by the Soviets.

Originally, the Wartime Broadcasting Service was going to provide "instruction, information and encouragement as far as practical by means of guidance, news and diversion to relieve stress and strain" 24 hours a day, with news broadcasts and warnings being supplemented with music and TV. However, later on the entertainment was removed from the schedule to encourage conservation of radio batteries. Programmes included The Sound of Music and I’m Sorry, I Haven’t A Clue among others. It was also planned that various Protect and Survive films would be played in the days leading up to and after an attack, detailing how to survive in a nuclear fallout zone.

A script has been released for an announcement that would be broadcast after a nuclear missile has impacted. It was recorded by Richard Donaldson, who works with BBC Radio 4, the designated emergency broadcasting station. 

This is the Wartime Broadcasting Service. This country has been attacked with nuclear weapons. Communications have been severely disrupted, and the number of casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known. We shall bring you further information as soon as possible. Meanwhile, stay tuned to this wavelength, stay calm and stay in your own homes.

Remember there is nothing to be gained by trying to get away. By leaving your homes you could be exposing yourselves to greater danger. If you leave, you may find yourself without food, without water, without accommodation and without protection. Radioactive fall-out, which follows a nuclear explosion, is many times more dangerous if you are directly exposed to it in the open. Roofs and walls offer substantial protection. The safest place is indoors.

Make sure gas and other fuel supplies are turned off and that all fires are extinguished. If mains water is available, this can be used for fire-fighting. You should also refill all your containers for drinking water after the fires have been put out, because the mains water supply may not be available for very long.

Water must not be used for flushing lavatories: until you are told that lavatories may be used again, other toilet arrangements must be made. Use your water only for essential drinking and cooking purposes. Water means life. Don't waste it.

Make your food stocks last: ration your supply, because it may have to last for fourteen days or more. If you have fresh food in the house, use this first to avoid wasting it: food in tins will keep.

If you live in an area where a fall-out warning has been given, stay in your fall-out room until you are told it is safe to come out. When the immediate danger has passed the sirens will sound a steady note. The "all clear" message will also be given on this wavelength. If you leave the fall-out room to go to the lavatory or replenish food or water supplies, do not remain outside the room for a minute longer than is necessary.

Do not, in any circumstances, go outside the house. Radioactive fall-out can kill. You cannot see it or feel it, but it is there. If you go outside, you will bring danger to your family and you may die. Stay in your fall-out room until you are told it is safe to come out or you hear the "all clear" on the sirens.

Here are the main points again:

Stay in your own homes, and if you live in an area where a fall-out warning has been given stay in your fall-out room, until you are told it is safe to come out. The message that the immediate danger has passed will be given by the sirens and repeated on this wavelength. Make sure that the gas and all fuel supplies are turned off and that all fires are extinguished.

Water must be rationed, and used only for essential drinking and cooking purposes. It must not be used for flushing lavatories. Ration your food supply: it may have to last for fourteen days or more.

We shall repeat this broadcast in two hours' time. Stay tuned to this wavelength, but switch your radios off now to save your batteries until we come on the air again. That is the end of this broadcast.

Not much is known about the UK’s current emergency broadcasting system. The government still has the power to take over the BBC and ITV for emergency announcements and such, and mobile phones can also be used to send out emergency alerts, so that’s probably the best place to look in case the apocalypse develops any further this year. 

I’ll reblog this with my source (Wikipedia lol) and some other links you might find interesting, because Tumblr hates external links. I hope that was interesting!

[musicmakesyousmart]

Два Пустых Скафандра - Early Warning System

Minimalist Recs

2017

[daeronisdreaming]

I made Tyler/Scott into a series:

You Lost Me in the Rearview

Parts (3/?)

Fandom: Twisters (2024)

Pairing: Tyler Owens/Scott

🌪️

Part 1: Early Warning System E

There’s a roll of thunder in the near distance when Tyler begins clumsily unhooking the buttons of Scott’s neatly starched shirt.

Part 2: Selfish M

There’s no way to escape the swirling beast headed directly for him and the tiny country town beyond. There’s not enough time to run nearly a mile-wide.

Part 3: Impossible Things T ✨new!✨

On his back in a field somewhere, tall green grass swaying in a breeze about him, he thinks soberly that no one will find him here.

[cutest-silly-nb]

Sorry mutuals but kazuhira miller