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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → Plane-crash on a remote island
12
Plane-crash on a remote island
2008-08-10, 8:17 AM #1
Okay, so I was having this Lost-inspired daydream.. If I survived a plane crash onto a remote island, how could I work out where I am? Assume that I can't guess just by the plane's route (it went wildly off course, or something), I have no idea where in the world I have landed.
What sort of measurements (time of sunrise, sunset, tides) would I have to take to work out which hemisphere I'm in, and maybe whereabouts in the world I might be. Such information would be vital for communicating for rescue, and maybe even in fighting off the inevitable big black smoke monsters.

And even if I'm not on an island, are there any practical calculations I can do to estimate my location?
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. " - Bertrand Russell
The Triumph of Stupidity in Mortals and Others 1931-1935
2008-08-10, 8:25 AM #2
You'd just pack a Garmin Nuvi and use that to identify where you are.

Problem solved. :colbert:
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2008-08-10, 8:35 AM #3
Originally posted by Wolfy:
You'd just pack a Garmin Nuvi and use that to identify where you are.

Problem solved. :colbert:


:P
Attachment: 19852/Clipboard02.jpg (17,244 bytes)
woot!
2008-08-10, 8:35 AM #4
Your most foolproof option there is gonna be identifying planets, stars, and constellations. I'd say. And I'm a wilderness plane crash survival expert.
2008-08-10, 8:41 AM #5
Well assuming you have no idea what hemisphere you're in, constellations would be the "easiest" way to figure that one out. (You only see the big dipper and north star in the northern hemisphere, and the Southern Cross in the South.)
[01:52] <~Nikumubeki> Because it's MBEGGAR BEGS LIKE A BEGONI.
2008-08-10, 8:50 AM #6
I can't help but wonder...if you have no idea where you are, how exactly are you going to be able to communicate with anyone anyway? :confused:
woot!
2008-08-10, 8:54 AM #7
Well maybe the radio equipment in the plane still works, so I say:
"Help me! My plane crashed on a remote island!"
"Where are you?"
"Erm... I'll get back to you."
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. " - Bertrand Russell
The Triumph of Stupidity in Mortals and Others 1931-1935
2008-08-10, 9:00 AM #8
well, what type of fish/coral/other aquatic life, also wildlife/plant life may be useful.
Welcome to the douchebag club. We'd give you some cookies, but some douche ate all of them. -Rob
2008-08-10, 9:01 AM #9
Originally posted by Mort-Hog:
Well maybe the radio equipment in the plane still works, so I say:
"Help me! My plane crashed on a remote island!"
"Where are you?"
"Erm... I'll get back to you."


Tell them to triangulate the signal and find you. :P
woot!
2008-08-10, 9:05 AM #10
Build a makeshift sextant?
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2008-08-10, 9:37 AM #11
Find an abandoned toilet that's washed up on the beach and flush it.

Or ask the unexplained weirdos on the other side of the island/the polar bears.
nope.
2008-08-10, 10:07 AM #12
I don't think the Coriolis effect is powerful enough to overcome the natural contours of the toilet bowel and other random variations that determine the direction of the spin.
2008-08-10, 10:10 AM #13
I think the real question is: why would you want to be found?
? :)
2008-08-10, 10:18 AM #14
Originally posted by Obi_Kwiet:
I don't think the Coriolis effect is powerful enough to overcome the natural contours of the toilet bowel and other random variations that determine the direction of the spin.


Ah, see that depends on the flush-release angle and the architecture of the toilet bowl.
nope.
2008-08-10, 10:18 AM #15
Originally posted by JediGandalf:
makeshift sex


Giggidy
"Oh my god. That just made me want to start cutting" - Aglar
"Why do people from ALL OVER NORTH AMERICA keep asking about CATS?" - Steven, 4/1/2009
2008-08-10, 11:08 AM #16
If it's anything like the show Lost, I think that you should be more concerned with when you are, rather than where you are.
2008-08-10, 11:22 AM #17
Originally posted by Baconfish:
Ah, see that depends on the flush-release angle and the architecture of the toilet bowl.


Even minute variations in any number of other factors would be more powerful that the Coriolis effect. You'd have to have a very controlled situation to get that to work.
2008-08-10, 11:24 AM #18
I love how you haven't even mentioned that the toilet wouldn't even be plumbed.

:P
nope.
2008-08-10, 11:27 AM #19
Originally posted by JLee:
Tell them to triangulate the signal and find you. :P


Or ask them for constellation finding advice...
2008-08-10, 1:26 PM #20
Originally posted by Baconfish:
I love how you haven't even mentioned that the toilet wouldn't even be plumbed.

:P


Plumbed?
2008-08-10, 1:49 PM #21
Originally posted by Obi_Kwiet:
Plumbed?

Fancy Scottish talk for "piping"

I.E. he is referring to the fact that no sort of water supply is present.
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2008-08-10, 2:48 PM #22
Originally posted by Mort-Hog:
Well maybe the radio equipment in the plane still works, so I say:
"Help me! My plane crashed on a remote island!"
"Where are you?"
"Erm... I'll get back to you."


If you gave your starting destination and your intended point of arrival, unless you were so hopelessly off course, couldn't the person talking to you able to figure out the islands you could possibly be on?
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
-----------------------------@%
2008-08-10, 3:09 PM #23
Originally posted by JediGandalf:
Fancy Scottish talk for "piping"

I.E. he is referring to the fact that no sort of water supply is present.


ive never heard anyone say piping.

its plumbing, >:(

o.0
2008-08-10, 3:12 PM #24
There used to be this rather fun PBS show called Rough Science in which they basically took a bunch of scientists, put them in the middle of nowhere, and asked them to do random things like Make a battery and electric light, or make fireworks.

One of the first episodes they had to figure out the latitude and longitude of where they were dropped off. You can read a middle-school esque description of how they did it HERE.
"Well, if I am not drunk, I am mad, but I trust I can behave like a gentleman in either
condition."... G. K. Chesterton

“questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself”
2008-08-10, 3:55 PM #25
"Piping" is on clothes.
2008-08-10, 4:02 PM #26
What?

[http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/5656/ryangodskings888embedca4.jpg]
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2008-08-10, 4:15 PM #27
Originally posted by JediGandalf:
Fancy Scottish talk for "piping"

I.E. he is referring to the fact that no sort of water supply is present.


Oh, yeah, the island. Although I've never heard it phrased that way.

You could just pour a bunch of water into it though.
2008-08-10, 9:16 PM #28
interesting thought. assume there is an island that spans the equator. you build two toilets. one at 1 second north, and another at 1 second south. they are now 202.5 feet apart from each other. do they flush in different directions?

(how sad is it that i spent ten minutes finding out how far a second of latitude is?)
My girlfriend paid a lot of money for that tv; I want to watch ALL OF IT. - JM
2008-08-10, 9:51 PM #29
I see you have discovered my secret island. Now that you have discovered it, tanks and soldiers are on their way to your area.
2008-08-10, 10:16 PM #30
Originally posted by mb:
Well assuming you have no idea what hemisphere you're in, constellations would be the "easiest" way to figure that one out. (You only see the big dipper and north star in the northern hemisphere, and the Southern Cross in the South.)

incorrect, if you are near the equator, you can see at least parts of both, though possibly not at the same time of the night.
Snail racing: (500 posts per line)------@%
2008-08-11, 5:02 AM #31
Originally posted by Ford:
one at 1 second north, and another at 1 second south. they are now 202.5 feet apart from each other. do they flush in different directions?

No because the coriolis effect on toilets is entirely a myth. Even if the jets in a toilet weren't angled, and you just poured water in, it would not matter.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2008-08-11, 9:08 PM #32
To answer the original question: Get a sextant and learn how to use it.
Little angel go away
Come again some other day
Devil has my ear today
I'll never hear a word you say
2008-08-11, 9:29 PM #33
Quote:
And I'm a wilderness plane crash survival expert.


That totally reminded me of the book hatchet. Ever read it? Good book.
"They're everywhere, the little harlots."
-Martyn
2008-08-11, 9:53 PM #34
I loved that book.
2008-08-11, 10:38 PM #35
Me too, that and My Side of the Mountain.
"They're everywhere, the little harlots."
-Martyn
2008-08-12, 9:29 AM #36
A friend and I were just comparing My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet the other day.

Kinda random aside, but if you wanna read a good book about Hippies and Wilderness Survival, check out Drop City by T.C. Boyle.
2008-08-12, 1:40 PM #37
Originally posted by Obi_Kwiet:
Oh, yeah, the island. Although I've never heard it phrased that way.

You could just pour a bunch of water into it though.


You've never heard of Plumbing? Or plumbers?

:psyduck:

Also that isn't how a toilet flush works. :P
nope.
2008-08-12, 6:41 PM #38
Originally posted by Baconfish:
You've never heard of Plumbing? Or plumbers?

:psyduck:

Also that isn't how a toilet flush works. :P

:eng101: Plumbum!

Where the **** did :science: go???
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2008-08-12, 7:34 PM #39
:science: died. Died alongside Kedri, Moonboots, and the Sega Dreamcast.
"Oh my god. That just made me want to start cutting" - Aglar
"Why do people from ALL OVER NORTH AMERICA keep asking about CATS?" - Steven, 4/1/2009
2008-08-12, 9:11 PM #40
I thought we only had :hist101: and :eng101: . I wasn't aware we ever had :science:
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
-----------------------------@%
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