If you are turning out the lights tonight. . .a consideration. . .

[stellanoir]

I just got an e-mail from someone who is far more electronically sophisticated than I, which doesn't say much really.

Actually he's a bit of a wizard. I won't bother going into his background but here is what he said.

"Boy, I hope all those people do not turn their lights back on at the same second. It could cause a power surge that would take down the grid."

Consider perhaps staggering your illuminations a bit past 9 o'clock.

This has been a Public Service Announcement.

Now you can return to your regularly scheduled incessant agenda of trashing each other's candidate.

Have a nice blackout and maybe light a candle for the future and some global unity.

on edit- Here's the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_c5K7Jdw9E

thanks to babylonsister

[tjwash]

1. Sounds like another version of the "super bowl flush" urban myth.

And surges are caused by a massive spike in demand at the same time, not when demand is reduced.

[stellanoir]

3. No he was talking about everyone turning them back on simultaneously.

[tjwash]

5. Yeah...the "super bowl flush" myth.

[rabbit2484]

10. I don't a thing about electricity

But wouldn't everyone turning their lights back on at the same time be a spike in demand?

[Kurovski]

25. Doesn't everyone turn their lights back on everyday, when it gets dark?

[stellanoir]

14. The variable in this hyperbolic "super bowl flush" myth may relate to the

vastly varying sizes of bladder capacity more than anything else.

Once you've made your own Tesla coil, designed and installed award winning windmills, and solar panals, I may take your snarkiness seriously.

The concerns about the synchronization of time pieces down thread are far more relevant than your toilet obsession.

have a nice day

[truedelphi]

28. A friend of mine used to have a digital meter in his computer store

It showed the variance in the voltage that runs during a typical day in the Silicon Valley area.

SOmetimes there would be around 123 to 124 volts available (like at 2Am)

Other times there would be like 116.

I think what your friend says may be true.

[gateley]

2. K&R --

[havocmom]

4. | perfer few, if any lights on at night anyway, so I feel I am not doing enough sacrifice

In my RED county, I will be the only one with lights out anyway

[Hubert H. Hubert]

6. I seriously doubt people's watches/clocks are that accurate.

And standing by your light switch at 8:59 counting 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...? That's just plain weird.

[stellanoir]

20. yet another self deleted inadvertent duplicate

[stellanoir]

21. Well a lot of people get the time of day off their cell phones some of which I'd

guess are synchronized through the servers with the atomic clock.

Try to get a teenager to lay off video games for an hour on a Saturday night and yeah it'll be a "5. . .4. . .3. . .2. . .1. . .?" scenario,I assure you.

Weird yeah but true.

[Hubert H. Hubert]

24. Hell, *I'm* weird enough to try the countdown thing

I'm an atomic clock freak. I have a GPS receiver hooked up to a Linux box running gpsd/ntpd. Every computer on my network has its clock slaved to it. I have one of those radio atomic clocks on my wall (it's never more than a second off from the GPS). I need professional help.

One of my UPS units has a voltmeter in it. It might be interesting to watch it around 9pm. I'm not betting on seeing anything out of the ordinary, though. Now, if everyone turned on their AC and plugged in their refrigerators at the same time...

[stellanoir]

26. I only had my computer hooked up to the atomic clock when I had a home birth

for an EXACT birth time.

I had the kid's chart in my hand while he was getting checked out by the midwives to be sure he was anatomically correct.

I looked at the chart and thought, "woh this kid's parents really don't get along." LOL Wasn't even identifying with the fact that I was like. . .THE MOTHER.

"Turning off the AC and turning on the fridge." OMG you ARE a trouble maker.

I think most are just intending on shutting down the lights, not the appliances though.

[Warpy]

7. That didn't happen in Oz last year

when it's estimated that 2,000,000 households participated.

I doubt the surge will be a significant one. After all, they're not exactly pushing the idea here like they did there, even though MSNBC had it on their front page.

Consider also that most people already have clocks that are a little off from each other.

[Midlodemocrat]

9. Check out Google

www.google.com

Very, very cool.

[Warpy]

13. Ooooh, neat! Thanks!

I guess we geeks can be counted upon. Joe Sixpack will undoubtedly still be gawping at sports, lights blazing, while Mrs. Sixpack does electrically aided chores, lights blazing.

[Midlodemocrat]

16. I will do it. I am ultra conservative with lights anyway, but

tonight at 9PM, I will be in the backyard star gazing and enjoying a nice fire and a glass of wine.

I think the fact that people are even talking about this is important. Anything to raise awareness of the issue of global climate change.

[realisticphish]

8. but demand wouldn't go up

it would just return to the same level as before :shrug:

Anyway, we don't turn our lights on very often anyway, because we're poor. We keep lights on in the room we're in, and turn them on/off as we move around the house

[stellanoir]

11. It could spike suddenly.

[alarimer]

12. It doesn't do a lot of good to turn out the lights if the TV is still on.

Or the computer, etc.

Silly idea anyway.

[stellanoir]

17. Consider watching the video edited into the OP.

From what I gather, some are considering shutting everything down.

Every little bit helps though.

[lligrd]

15. Would Be Nice If That Would Really Be A Problem

but not enough will participate to make it one. It has barely gotten any attention in the USA.

[misanthrope]

18. Believe me, that won't be a problem in Mobile, Ala.**nm

**

[L. Coyote]

19. And remember if everyone lights just one little candle

a lot more homes may go up in flames!

[stellanoir]

23. lol

glad I have metal candle holders on marble top services

Maybe Smokey can help



on edit- first smokey image was way too big

[magellan]

22. This happens in the UK during important football matches

At half time, everyone runs to the kitchen and switches their kettle on to make tea (another great British pasttime!). Electric kettles are as common in British homes as fridges and draw a lot of juice, making "kettle spike" of interest to the electric companies.

I'm not sure "lights out" will be observed by enough people for this to be a problem in any one area, though I'd be thrilled if it did because it would mean a lot of participation.

[stellanoir]

27. Figures that Brits would be making tea while

Yanks are more concerned about pissing away their beers during this alleged "super bowl flush" upthread.

I remember those electric kettles very well. I liked them far better than those ridiculous looking knitted tea cozies. LOL

[kickysnana]

29. Having a senior moment I participated last night (LOL). n.t

[stellanoir]

30. Not to worry at all

You still helped and it's all about intent really.

You didn't blow out the grid at least. LOL

You were just unwittingly part of the advance team is all.