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2006-12-10 Science & Technology

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Posted by Classer 2006-12-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Once again proving German engineering superiority over the Saudi compass-rug.

Posted by ed 2006-12-10 00:19|| 2006-12-10 00:19|| Front Page Top

#2 Engineering expertise is only superior if the local religious leader says it is. I've probably told this story before. In the early 1970s, a conference center with a mosque was built near what was to become "Embassy Row" in Riyadh. The British contractor's civil engineer employed the best survey technigues to assure the the Mosque was oriented towards the Qiblah in Mecca. After the foundation was laid and the building had begun to rise, the local Imam came by and said NO. He then pointed in a direction about 10 degrees from the alignment of the mosque. Back to square one. Tradition triumped over truth and knowledge.

Posted by GK 2006-12-10 01:01|| 2006-12-10 01:01|| Front Page Top

#3 Great-circle technology? Or mere cheap-ass compass direction?

Posted by Shipman 2006-12-10 06:41|| 2006-12-10 06:41|| Front Page Top

#4 GK - maybe that Imam is right, and it is the Qiblah that is in the wrong place. Why don't we move it? With enough explosive power such that there is sure to be some piece of the rock in whatever direction a mosque points.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2006-12-10 09:37|| 2006-12-10 09:37|| Front Page Top

#5 An asteroid would be an excelent moving device.

Posted by 3dc 2006-12-10 11:54|| 2006-12-10 11:54|| Front Page Top

#6 Qiblah
Is that the big, black meteor? Or is it the source of the word "quibble"?

Posted by Richelieu 2006-12-10 12:05|| http://larsonian.blogspot.com]">[http://larsonian.blogspot.com] 2006-12-10 12:05|| Front Page Top

#7 So if anybody builds cruise missiles they want to lob towards Mecca, they know where to get the nav system. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Posted by Dar">Dar 2006-12-10 12:20|| 2006-12-10 12:20|| Front Page Top

#8 Do they have to figure magnetic declination into the mecca thing. Prolly changes 2 degrees a year for the last 900 years.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2006-12-10 12:31|| 2006-12-10 12:31|| Front Page Top

#9 Muslims in orbit or living on the Moon would go nuts. Errrh, nuttier than they are now, I mean.

The International Space Station has an orbital period of about 90 minutes. Makes finding the direction to Mecca an interesting calculus problem.

Posted by SteveS 2006-12-10 14:27|| 2006-12-10 14:27|| Front Page Top

#10 When you're in orbit, which way is Mecca?

Program: Muslims in Space

Words fail me.

Posted by KBK 2006-12-10 16:40|| 2006-12-10 16:40|| Front Page Top

#11 Allan is on the earth, so when you are in outer space, Allan is up your ass. Therefore, lift your knees past your ears and pray your balls off.

Posted by wxjames 2006-12-10 19:03|| 2006-12-10 19:03|| Front Page Top

23:47 Rafael
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23:06 JosephMendiola
22:59 Zenster
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22:42 Atomic Conspiracy
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22:19 Rafael
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