The moiré effect lights that guide ships home

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  • Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
  • I'd never heard of moiré effect beacons until I got an email asking me about them. It seemed like a really clever idea - but it was really hard to research. Or at least it was, until I stumbled upon one magic phrase that revealed its history.
    It turns out this thing's called an "Inogon leading mark" or "Inogon light" -- Inogon, not Inogen -- and it's a Swedish invention from the 1980s. But there's still a question: why is being used to mark an undersea cable, instead of guiding people home?
    (Full disclosure: there were some weird strobing effects from the light that only showed up when I got the footage into the edit, so the image you see here has been digitally stabilised so it appears the same way on screen as it does in person!)
    Thanks to Andrew Stine for suggesting this!
    References:
    The original Wikipedia article: en.wikipedia.o...
    The patent: patents.google...
    The US military analysis [PDF]: www.dtic.mil/dt...
    🟥 MORE FROM TOM: www.tomscott.com/
    (you can find contact details and social links there too)
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Комментарии • 2 тыс.

  • @TomScottGo
    @TomScottGo  6 лет назад +8536

    I'm getting emails from people who've misunderstood what I'm asking at the end of this video. Don't waste your time copying what I've already done! To be clear: I'm looking for solid evidence of why this particular light was chosen for a use that doesn't seem to make sense: flagging something to avoid. I don't need more information about where it is (Southampton) or what it's pointing at (a pipeline)!

    • @Robert-rt9ho
      @Robert-rt9ho 6 лет назад +74

      Tom Scott great video love it and all the ones you make

    • @noahgershoff3241
      @noahgershoff3241 6 лет назад +117

      +Tom Scott I have an idea as to why its there and a good idea as to what it's protecting, both of which involve the surrounding BP Oil UK, but I'm going to need more time to finalize research.

    • @jasongurr
      @jasongurr 6 лет назад +91

      Sent you email about one that is over 1000 years old

    • @JmanNo42
      @JmanNo42 6 лет назад +38

      Avoid drop anchor upon the subs, preferably avoid talking about the sub marina too...
      It never daunted upon you there could be a reason that information was so scarse?

    • @joanbohlman1679
      @joanbohlman1679 6 лет назад +308

      Watched a video on RUclips today that said this light is in Southampton and is used to indicate where not to drop anchor and is pointing to a pipeline.

  • @shawniscoolerthanyou
    @shawniscoolerthanyou 3 года назад +4595

    Imagine being the person that typed "inogen" instead of "inogon" and wasted precious hours of Tom Scott's life.

  • @TomScottGo
    @TomScottGo  6 лет назад +9547

    I tried for ages to fit the ♫ If new lines hit your eyes when two patterns combine, that's a moiré ♫ joke into my script, but couldn't figure out how. I put it here instead.

    • @JohnJeiJei
      @JohnJeiJei 6 лет назад +428

      Your effort is appreciated.

    • @Falcrist
      @Falcrist 6 лет назад +691

      I remember it as "When a grid's misaligned with another from behind, that a moiré"
      EDIT: This isn't my joke. I think it's Randal Munroe's (XKCD).

    • @MeneerBobRoos
      @MeneerBobRoos 6 лет назад +58

      In some placed in The Netherlands the use this kind of arrows along to rode to indicate a sharp turn.

    • @imveryangryitsnotbutter
      @imveryangryitsnotbutter 6 лет назад +314

      ♫ When the difference is slight and the spacing is tight, that's a moiré ♫

    • @BryanTaira
      @BryanTaira 6 лет назад +15

      It makes me happy to know you had that thought hahah

  • @OfficialMGMusic
    @OfficialMGMusic 6 лет назад +6549

    The cool thing about this community is that within minutes after the video went online somebody updated the wikipedia article and noted that they're called Inogon lights.

    • @shellashitsa5369
      @shellashitsa5369 5 лет назад +683

      and added tom scott to the citations

    • @AureliusR
      @AureliusR 5 лет назад +576

      Unfortunately that was the wrong thing to do. In almost all cases RUclips videos are *not* valid citations on Wikipedia.

    • @tommypetraglia4688
      @tommypetraglia4688 5 лет назад +51

      What do you except from a bunch of Incel gamer Barneys sitting in their mothers' basement who haven't been outside in over a year.

    • @AureliusR
      @AureliusR 5 лет назад +766

      @@tommypetraglia4688 lmao, you don't need to talk about yourself _everywhere_ you go, you know.

    • @TheAkashicTraveller
      @TheAkashicTraveller 4 года назад +270

      The hell would they do that? Tom even gave his primary source in the video, that being the patent.

  • @reynaldneron9012
    @reynaldneron9012 5 лет назад +2114

    Hi Tom, in maritime navigation, navigation aids always shows where the danger is. Since people have been going to sea, they have placed fires on dangerous peninsula, that are now light houses. Nowadays, there is a navigation aid called "isolated danger" (red and white marker - to simplify). That marker indicates where the danger is, and leave it to the seafarer to decide what is the best way to avoid it. Based on that principle, the arrow shows where the underwater cable is, and not where the boat should be going, that is a decision left for the responsibility of the seafarer. Hope that helps. (If they - the organisation in charge of managing those navigation aids- tell you where to go, then their responsibility is engaged, that is why they never do it).

    • @ipodtouchiscoollol
      @ipodtouchiscoollol Год назад +77

      Very interesting by telling you where not to go instead of where to go you are not liable for any damage caused.

    • @chadportenga7858
      @chadportenga7858 Год назад +45

      That makes complete sense. The same thing holds true with navigation lights on a ship. The lights tell you which way it is heading and the rules tell you who has the right of way. But the actual navigation is left to the captain.

    • @ndschwartz
      @ndschwartz Год назад +23

      Not necessarily true- while most markers do represent obstacles, these lights generally fall into the category of “range marker.” Range markers are more often two markers offset by some distance, and when they’re aligned you know exactly where you SHOULD be- falling too far outside the guidance of a range marker will put you in danger. This light is typically used for the same purpose but in situations where it’s not possible to place two markers distanced apart.
      Edit: autocorrect typo

    • @checkyourfax
      @checkyourfax Год назад +4

      You're right, if you check a video of an inogon light, you can see the pattern show an arrow TOWARDS the inogon light, not away from it. So if the arrow is pointing to the left or right, that's where the inogon light (danger) is.

    • @melody3741
      @melody3741 Год назад

      “Not my job” pisses me off more than just about anything else.

  • @LuizAlexPhoenix
    @LuizAlexPhoenix 3 года назад +223

    That is named an Anomalous State of Knowledge (ASK), when you are aware of a need for knowledge but cannot find it because knowledge is cumulative so to find specialized knowledge you require previous knowledge, such as terminology. It's a very important part of Information Science that we make knowledge available to the most people possible and not only specific demographics, because often times people seeking information and explicit knowledge are those without the tacit knowledge of how to search for it.

    • @melainewhite6409
      @melainewhite6409 3 года назад +7

      Hmmm, this was my experience with a "passive microwave relay" which is a large blank billboard located where a scant few people would see it if it ever had an ad. Then two yahoos tried stealing it for scrap metal and it was named in the newspaper account of the crime.

    • @FrozenBusChannel
      @FrozenBusChannel 2 года назад +6

      I like the ASK acronym, perfectly fits the theme

    • @VestinVestin
      @VestinVestin Год назад

      > _"That is named an Anomalous State of Knowledge (ASK) (...)"_
      I thought this was just called "the hermeneutic cycle", where you (tragically) need to (somewhat already) understand before you can try to understand (more).

    • @circuit10
      @circuit10 7 месяцев назад

      ChatGPT can be helpful for this sometimes

  • @hignaki
    @hignaki 6 лет назад +6461

    The back of our old humvees in the Army had something similar (but different) to these using fresnel lenses. When driving with blackout lights, it is normally difficult to maintain a convoy, because you can't really tell how close the vehicle in front of you was. The humvees had special blackout taillights that showed two dots when you were the proper distance away, three dots when you were too close, and one dot when you were too far away. In addition, if you were off to either side too far, you'd see only one dot "streaked" towards the direction you were supposed to go, like a comet with a tail.

    • @padiyar
      @padiyar 6 лет назад +97

      Amazing

    • @BiskviLover
      @BiskviLover 5 лет назад +33

      Coolio.

    • @buddyclem7328
      @buddyclem7328 5 лет назад +104

      Do you know what these lights were called? It sure was a great idea!

    • @DILLIGAF2101
      @DILLIGAF2101 5 лет назад +177

      Those particular blackout markers were not only on HMMWVs, but on all tactical vehicles for a very long time. Like WWII.

    • @sed6
      @sed6 5 лет назад +46

      I knew about the distance indicator, but the left right arrow is new to me. 👍

  • @aantonop
    @aantonop 6 лет назад +3587

    Have you looked at PAPI lights at airports? Not Moire effect, but using narrow beams of light to change color depending on whether you are observing them from above or below the 3deg glideslope on approach. Similar concept, observer-angle-based variation in picture.

    • @batt3ryac1d
      @batt3ryac1d 4 года назад +135

      Such clever inventions. Its cool when you see something like that instead of an overcomplicated solution.

    • @augustoalvarez6766
      @augustoalvarez6766 3 года назад +69

      PAPI means DADDY in Spanish. The more you know

    • @mael3527
      @mael3527 3 года назад +29

      @@augustoalvarez6766 and grandpa in french

    • @electeng6481
      @electeng6481 3 года назад +4

      It's light though

    • @roblamb8327
      @roblamb8327 3 года назад +8

      @@electeng6481 but not as we know it!

  • @OrigamiMarie
    @OrigamiMarie 6 лет назад +2456

    I call this issue with researching things the Rumpelstiltskin problem. Once you have the name, you have the power to understand it. Until then, it has power over you.

    • @PregnantOrc
      @PregnantOrc 6 лет назад +102

      That is a good name for it

    • @SimonS44
      @SimonS44 6 лет назад +78

      You mean Rumpelstilzchen?

    • @felipevasconcelos6736
      @felipevasconcelos6736 5 лет назад +38

      Simon S, no, they mean Rumplestiltskin

    • @General12th
      @General12th 5 лет назад +8

      I approve of this name.

    • @Dukfaar
      @Dukfaar 5 лет назад +74

      @@felipevasconcelos6736 Rumpelstilzchen is the german name

  • @Styrola
    @Styrola 4 года назад +527

    This was fun to see. When I was in high school Inogon had their "innovation factory" in our village. They made other moire pattern things like a spirit level with a circular moire "window" that also produced arrows if it wasn't aligned.
    They also experimented with a silicone graphite pressure switch. And even fluorescent light to see if it could be useful to make traffic safer.
    The innovator Bergkvist also was a uncle to one of my classmates.

    • @PoorImagination
      @PoorImagination Год назад +6

      woah

    • @JfromUK_
      @JfromUK_ Год назад +3

      Wow, how did you even find this video? I think Tom would like to meet you!

  • @KPTHR3
    @KPTHR3 6 лет назад +5222

    That’s a lot of research for an arrow

    • @Goldmos1
      @Goldmos1 6 лет назад +300

      One could say it' a narrow research

    • @namewarvergeben
      @namewarvergeben 6 лет назад +83

      If only there had been one of these lights to guide him in the right direction.

    • @andymcl92
      @andymcl92 6 лет назад +14

      Cue an "Arrow? I didn't even see the Indians" joke...

    • @redredroze
      @redredroze 6 лет назад +15

      And that’s why we love him

    • @PH4RX
      @PH4RX 6 лет назад +25

      But the signs were all there, pointing him in the right direction!

  • @antonymitchell3385
    @antonymitchell3385 6 лет назад +2240

    When the light, changes signs, when you're on the right line, that's a Moiré..

    • @Medved290
      @Medved290 6 лет назад +45

      ***MYSTERY BISCUITS!!!!!**** ... Oh Yeah!!!!!

    • @blindleader42
      @blindleader42 6 лет назад +24

      So where's my Pizza Pie?

    • @EditEraseRewrite
      @EditEraseRewrite 6 лет назад +33

      This. This needs to be higher.

    • @wrnchhead76
      @wrnchhead76 6 лет назад +7

      LMAO

    • @emiliehans5225
      @emiliehans5225 6 лет назад +120

      When a grid's misaligned
      with another behind
      That's a moiré...

  • @SciManDan
    @SciManDan 3 года назад +1327

    I know that when I ran past it the other day I thought it was going to burn me to a crisp!

    • @kjhcvfggrrgh327
      @kjhcvfggrrgh327 3 года назад +36

      the flat earth guyyy

    • @aaronrobins3013
      @aaronrobins3013 3 года назад +14

      ooh dans wearing his tin foil hat haha

    • @trueblue862
      @trueblue862 3 года назад +13

      It’s not a 5G tower 😜

    • @Erikakaisermd
      @Erikakaisermd 3 года назад +16

      It the US we would say that it's going to burn you to a potato chip.

    • @nyawul
      @nyawul 3 года назад +23

      @@Erikakaisermd in the US we want to leave the US

  • @liamcrabbe8606
    @liamcrabbe8606 3 года назад +807

    “When a grid misaligns with another behind, that’s a moire!”
    (Credit to xkcd)

    • @Quasilobo
      @Quasilobo 3 года назад +1

      Clever!

    • @carlbennett2417
      @carlbennett2417 3 года назад +7

      ..xkcd

    • @olibob203
      @olibob203 3 года назад +2

      this is excellent

    • @kwkgold
      @kwkgold 2 года назад +44

      "When the spacing is tight, and the difference is slight, that's a moire..."
      ( also credit to xkdc )

    • @narmale
      @narmale 2 года назад +2

      ffs... thanks dean martin xD

  • @marinepilotchris3048
    @marinepilotchris3048 3 года назад +103

    Well, I’ve got to admit that after 20 years at sea, with 7 of those years as ships Captain followed by 5 years and counting as a Marine Pilot, I have never heard of these things ever!
    I know about the more modern sector leading lights that change colour to indicate position in a channel, and also the simple transit leads but before today I’d never heard of Moiré or Inogon. Every day is a school day it seems!

  • @RandomGeko
    @RandomGeko 6 лет назад +586

    Looking forward to see a spin off series of "Things You Might Not Know" called "I Don't Know..."

    • @RainaRamsay
      @RainaRamsay 6 лет назад +2

      I would definitely like that.

    • @dublowduck7823
      @dublowduck7823 6 лет назад

      Me too

    • @dannosaur7
      @dannosaur7 6 лет назад +36

      "Things not even I know"

    • @mala_sova
      @mala_sova 6 лет назад

      Make this a series please!!

    • @vRackham
      @vRackham 6 лет назад +15

      Clearly the title of the series should be "Things You Might Know; if you DO, please tell me."

  • @lettersnstuff
    @lettersnstuff 6 лет назад +237

    I absolutely love that you would take the time to go out and find one of these lights, and make a video on it, just to say “I think this is really neat, if people know more about it, I’d like to learn” because it really does feel more like a 2-way relationship with viewers, as opposed to just a presentation to us.

  • @JonTheGeek
    @JonTheGeek 6 лет назад +25

    I love that someone has finally told the world how hard it is to search for obscure things when you have no idea what it's called. I've had that feeling too many times before.

  • @Window_Hero
    @Window_Hero 6 лет назад +486

    Please do make the "I Dunno" series. As much as I feel like it will leave me with a feeling of incompleteness, Weird research dead ends that don't make sense are interesting, and you might just use your vast viewership to answer some weird questions like this.

    • @Window_Hero
      @Window_Hero 6 лет назад +34

      On second thought, "Things I Don't Know" might be a better name.

    • @CHDean
      @CHDean 3 года назад +4

      This is a GRAND idea.

    • @bragapedro
      @bragapedro Год назад +8

      "Things you might know"

    • @Bentroen_
      @Bentroen_ Год назад

      @@bragapedro brilliant

  • @aidanhill4085
    @aidanhill4085 6 лет назад +73

    When you're in line with the light and you see the middle line that means you are right on top of extremely close to the pipelines. The arrows are used to guide people in towards the pipe mostly for divers and repairers. We had this same setup in my town but has since been removed due to GPS.
    If you can see the arrows or line then you can damage the cables/pipes that are layed underneath.

    • @DarkestMirrored
      @DarkestMirrored 2 года назад +5

      This was my assumption as well. That it's used as a guide more for maintenance teams.

  • @rahulkayastha6844
    @rahulkayastha6844 6 лет назад +1246

    You are perhaps one of the best content creators on youtube. Thanks for everything you do.

    • @jnwms
      @jnwms 6 лет назад +8

      Perhaps..He is the Best!

    • @jonaslundholm
      @jonaslundholm 6 лет назад +25

      Tom Scott is the essence of Internet’s potential.

    • @RSpudieD
      @RSpudieD 6 лет назад +1

      he is the absolute best.

    • @GegoXaren
      @GegoXaren 6 лет назад +1

      Nah, PewDiePie is the best.

    • @QuantumLeclerc
      @QuantumLeclerc 6 лет назад +20

      IS THIS LOSS

  • @inathh5243
    @inathh5243 6 лет назад +193

    One common example of the frustrating feeling of trying to research something you don't know the name of is classical music.
    As a musician, it is one of the most painful things, and usually I just resort to asking an expert if I can't figure it out. Shazam and similar apps just aren't good enough at recognising classical pieces unless they're the most famous ones.

    • @bragoria
      @bragoria 6 лет назад +9

      Have you ever tried using Parsons codes to search for classical music?

    • @dannyash3805
      @dannyash3805 5 лет назад +7

      @@bragoria this! It's on a website called Musipedia.

    • @zacmumblethunder7466
      @zacmumblethunder7466 5 лет назад +23

      I always used to go into a record shop and say "I don't know what it's called it who it's by, but....."
      Ah, how the assistant's face would light up at the challenge. Sometimes they'd see me coming and decide to let their colleagues share the fun by pretending to be busy with something else.

  • @juandenzer637
    @juandenzer637 6 лет назад +37

    "And normally I try to discourage messages like that. I am not Google or a reference Librarian"
    Thank you. You sir are awesome.
    A Librarian

  • @joonamatilainen1699
    @joonamatilainen1699 2 года назад +30

    I just realized that this is genious. I've many times seen a warning sign that warns about an underwater pipe or so and usually there's one on each side of the river or lake or whatever. But if you're far away from shore it might be hard to figure out the "line" of the underwater pipeline from a sign. Especially if the shore is not straight but naturally random in shape. So in my opinion this light is brilliant in telling you when you're directly perpendicular to it, even at quite far distances, so you know that now you are on top of the pipeline.

    • @ruzziasht349
      @ruzziasht349 Год назад

      I think you mean "ingenious" which means - clever, original, and inventive. Not being able to spell it would mean the opposite - dull, foolish and stupid.

    • @AA-eq2zq
      @AA-eq2zq Год назад

      ​@@ruzziasht349 Or that they're not a native english speaker, didn't have access to decent education, or have neurological issues. Either way, hurting people's feelings and social standings for having harmless flaws is immature and damaging. Treat people how you wanna be treated.

  • @CGastro
    @CGastro 4 года назад +2

    Came over UK to live and work 6 years ago. My work is a few yards from that beacon and I noticed that 'thing' but nothing came out of my research. How cool I finally bumped over your video.

  • @DomenBremecXCVI
    @DomenBremecXCVI 6 лет назад +1069

    "Do get in touch!" would be a much better title for a series... Like a research based show, based on some of the viewers looking it up and giving their reasoning and you pick out the best ones... Or maybe "Homework" would be an even better title

    • @dascientist8443
      @dascientist8443 6 лет назад +61

      Calling it homework would just put people off; do get in touch could work though if he wanted to continue a series.

    • @RainaRamsay
      @RainaRamsay 6 лет назад +57

      I like "Do get in touch!" although you'd probably have to get a personal assistant to sort through the garbage you'd get.

    • @thryduulf
      @thryduulf 6 лет назад +11

      I'd apply for that job

    • @DomenBremecXCVI
      @DomenBremecXCVI 6 лет назад +1

      Chris McKenna I don't think you would be payed.

    • @MaraK_dialmformara
      @MaraK_dialmformara 6 лет назад +34

      I’d watch “Do Get In Touch!” I would also watch “Nerdsniped.”

  • @desia.brimou
    @desia.brimou 6 лет назад +33

    "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back" -- I feel like this video is an excellent example of that.

  • @rcnrbn
    @rcnrbn 6 лет назад +802

    You should name the new series, "Things I don't know either", or if you're feeling less cheeky, "Things you might know".

    • @JarthenGreenmeadow
      @JarthenGreenmeadow 5 лет назад +63

      "Things someone probably knows"

    • @NjHourquebie
      @NjHourquebie 4 года назад +24

      "Things I don't know... but you might"

    • @88Timur88Bahmudov88
      @88Timur88Bahmudov88 4 года назад +13

      @@NjHourquebie or "Things you might know, but I don't"

    • @questioner1596
      @questioner1596 3 года назад

      Someone Knows Something is already taken.

    • @thecianinator
      @thecianinator 3 года назад +5

      Things Tom Scott Might Not Know

  • @ihavenoideahere
    @ihavenoideahere 6 лет назад +15

    “Things we know so far” would be a good name for a spin off series. Then we could all go and try and find out more about the subject, report back to Tom, and make he’d follow up videos as more information is discovered.

  • @jeffirwin7862
    @jeffirwin7862 6 лет назад +47

    ♪♫♬ when a grid's misaligned with another behind, that's a moire ♪♫♬

    • @voorth
      @voorth 3 года назад +10

      ♫ When the spacing is tight / And the difference is slight / That's a moiré ♫

  • @OrangeC7
    @OrangeC7 6 лет назад +800

    This is really cool! I also totally get that sometimes you just have no idea where something is and have to put in _SO_ much research just to find out the right search term. It drives me nuts when it happens to me. =P

    • @alexandreriou1577
      @alexandreriou1577 6 лет назад +28

      OrangeC7 its like trying to find a song from just two words of lyrics you know

    • @Nurator
      @Nurator 6 лет назад +61

      Try being a professional researcher... you come up with that one genius idea, think its new, because you cant find anything about it. Then someone says "oh yeah, I know that its called "idea name you have never heard of" ". You google it and see that there are thousands papers about it which solve the problem way better than you could...

    • @OF01975
      @OF01975 6 лет назад +6

      Would be a great app idea, you put in a few pics maybe and some text and u submit it it checks the databse and gives u what u need would be lit be the next steve jobbs with that ye would

    • @DagarCoH
      @DagarCoH 6 лет назад +23

      I ran into that problem as well sometimes. Let's create a trend and call it the "Inogon problem" or "Inogon effect".

    • @OrangeC7
      @OrangeC7 6 лет назад +19

      DagarCoH But what if someone can't remember the name of the Inogon Problem and is trying to look it up?
      👀

  • @danieldonkersloot3565
    @danieldonkersloot3565 6 лет назад +65

    That is really cool!
    Somewhat related, you may be interested in a lighted navigation aid used in aviation called a VASI - Visual Approach Slope Indicator. It is basically a white and red light in a box with a few small openings which will allow a pilot to align on a 3 degree descent angle to the runway. It is quite a clever and simple little thing used all over the world. A slightly more advanced version is called a PAPI - Precision Approach Path Indicator.

    • @JG_Fit
      @JG_Fit 6 лет назад +4

      Daniel Donkersloot yeah as soon as I saw this I thought about a PAPI light system at my local airport.

    • @evansemerad
      @evansemerad 6 лет назад +4

      they actually use these inogen lights in aviation for parking aircraft

    • @leardvr
      @leardvr 6 лет назад +1

      Evan Semerad I believe KLGA had these for the longest time. I haven't been there in almost 15 years now.

    • @JarthenGreenmeadow
      @JarthenGreenmeadow 5 лет назад +1

      Red is dead white is too much height.

    • @xyz.ijk.
      @xyz.ijk. 5 лет назад +1

      @@JG_Fit I was about to write something similar.

  • @MadeinHell2
    @MadeinHell2 6 лет назад +94

    I both love and hate falling into research holes in google and in other search engines. Very often it ends with me screaming the phrase "what does that even have to do with my terms!" at my monitor.

    • @k.r.baylor8825
      @k.r.baylor8825 6 лет назад +3

      After having to manually look up research topics on paper indexes in university libraries at a glacial pace in the 1980s, I can never say anything bad about Internet search engines. They are simply fantastic. Even Google.

    • @5up3rp3rs0n
      @5up3rp3rs0n 6 лет назад +1

      Nillie
      Well you can turn off the personalized ads or search history checking, granted you don't have those Google now stuff that forces you to have it
      The bad thing is that the ads are now 80% adult content.

    • @BigOlSmellyFlashlight
      @BigOlSmellyFlashlight 5 лет назад

      I could never related to a comment any more

    • @iainburgess8577
      @iainburgess8577 3 года назад

      Yep. Professionally experienced these difficulties while searching for air tools & parts (best example was a British WW2 impact wrench being used in rural Australia)
      But I chimed in to note that changes to search terms are the ones I find most frustrating. You know what it is, you know what it Used to be called, but now you can't find it.
      Book cover film. Used to be able to search for Contact (brand name).

  • @alorachan
    @alorachan 4 года назад +14

    This is the most amazing thing I've seen in a while (and I've been binging your videos). I LOVE analogue technologies that solve big problems so simply. This is brilliant and needs to be more well-known.

  • @Snowfighter12
    @Snowfighter12 3 года назад +14

    In Gemany we have two individual Triangles on sticks. One points downwarts, one upwarts. If the triangles match up, your in the right path to enter harbours.

    • @rainerminusunfug
      @rainerminusunfug 2 года назад +1

      Had the same thought. The only downside of this system is, that you have to know which of the two posts is in front to know which direction you have to steer. Seeing a literal arrow maybe over engineered but it's quite intuitive.

    • @yoongilimerence
      @yoongilimerence 2 года назад +1

      @@rainerminusunfug I imagine it'd be standardized. Up triangle is always in front or vice versa. Not hard to require captains to learn it, just as they do with red and green channel markers

    • @SD_Alias
      @SD_Alias 2 года назад +1

      @@rainerminusunfug The lower is always in front

  • @evergreenappreciator
    @evergreenappreciator 6 лет назад +11

    Tom,
    I am a merchant mariner from the US, and I can say that I've never seen or heard of these moiré marks. Far more common are simple sets of range lights (night), or range markers (day), that let you know if you are on the centerline of a dredged channel or fairway.
    They work by having two sets of lights, one behind and above the other, the other in front and below. If you are on the centerline the two lights will be above/below each other. If you are off center, the front range light will be either to the left or right of the rear one.
    I imagine range lights are much cheaper than this Inogon setup. I do agree that this is an ingenious invention, and is much easier to understand with only a glance. One question I have - are these Inogon units illuminated? If not, then clearly they're day-use only and thus only half as useful as the neon-paint-and-lightbulb contraptions we use so often. It figures, it comes down to money.
    Thanks for sharing this with us, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for them now!

    • @pirat87pl
      @pirat87pl 6 лет назад +2

      Same here. I'm a mariner from Poland. Never heard or seen this as well.

    • @buddyclem7328
      @buddyclem7328 5 лет назад

      "Inogon Lights" would be illuminated, by lights. Sometimes the smartest among us are stuck stubbornly pushing on the door that says pull, because we're busy contemplating more important things.

  • @OscarRattray
    @OscarRattray 6 лет назад +91

    Definitely my favourite channel

    • @desia.brimou
      @desia.brimou 6 лет назад +3

      Oscar Rattray same

    • @Oliver-pi4wd
      @Oliver-pi4wd 6 лет назад +3

      Same

    • @caitthenerd7470
      @caitthenerd7470 6 лет назад +5

      There are two types of people in the world: those who enjoy Tom's videos, and those who haven't discovered his channel yet.

    • @calteran
      @calteran 6 лет назад +2

      Seriously? 12 hours and nobody has noticed that this could be a maritime pun?

  • @GermanScientist
    @GermanScientist 6 лет назад +51

    The surprise when the name of the small village in Sweden I'm from shows up in a patent in your video...

    • @Sondelll
      @Sondelll 6 лет назад +3

      Själevad, sidensjö? Är det en öviksgrabb vi har att göra med? :D

    • @SioGG
      @SioGG 6 лет назад +7

      The surprise when I'm reading this and your name is GermanScientist

  • @cjbael
    @cjbael 5 лет назад +4

    I'm addicted to watching these videos now. I'm learning some fascinating, interesting, unusual things I've never even heard about before.
    Thanks Tom! (And the rest of the team there)

  • @FrankfurtAvgeek
    @FrankfurtAvgeek 2 года назад +3

    We had the FMT docking system at Terminal 2 at Cologne/Bonn airport. But they were withdrawm from use a few years ago. In Frankfurt they are still using the AGNIS system (Azimuth Guidance for Nose In Stands) together with PAPA (Parallax Aircraft Parking Aid) at some stands.

  • @quillmaurer6563
    @quillmaurer6563 4 года назад +5

    I was just sitting messing with some combs and found that I could actually demonstrate this effect very clearly with them, I encourage anyone trying to understand this Moire effect to try this: Hold two fine-toothed combs together with a 30° angle between them along the long axis (perpendicular to the tines). Look through them with one eye, patterns of light shining through will be visible. Tilt the combs (still held the same position relative to one another) side to side along their short axis, the angles of the light patterns will appear to shift, centered they will be vertical, as you angle it side to side it will form diagonal patterns. Sort of hard to explain, but really cool.

  • @JoCronje129
    @JoCronje129 6 лет назад +9

    I like how you manages to pronounce patent and patented two entirely different ways within 2 seconds

  • @AwesomeBrony
    @AwesomeBrony 6 лет назад +198

    If you look up "inogon light" in RUclips, you would only see this video and nothing else. 😂

    • @legendp2011
      @legendp2011 6 лет назад +1

      Wow!

    • @_vxpm
      @_vxpm 6 лет назад +1

      I TOLD YOU BRO
      I TOLD YOU DOG
      sorry just huh homestuck ok yeah

    • @Chris-jo1zr
      @Chris-jo1zr 6 лет назад +3

      So is that a "RUclipswhack" ?

    • @chasetherightenergy
      @chasetherightenergy 6 лет назад +23

      I imagine people now using this opportunity to randomly insert "inogon light" in their video desciption to get views

    • @Ink_25
      @Ink_25 6 лет назад +9

      bAWSM already done ._.

  • @kushagrasachan8933
    @kushagrasachan8933 6 лет назад +3

    I knew about the moiré patterns. And it has ever filled me with fascination. Even when I hadn't known this phenomenon's name. I had noticed it myself and sought to find out why it actually happens. Then, somehow I got to know about its actual name. I had been thinking of making an animation art work with this, but this use in navigation never quite striked me! Genius! Really!

  • @ianmlclm7044
    @ianmlclm7044 2 года назад +4

    The "Great ideas, that the World had ignored" series could be a bottomless well. Great video!

  • @abdulmuhaimin9780
    @abdulmuhaimin9780 6 лет назад +391

    We should learn moiré about Inogon lights.
    I'll see myself out

    • @Werdna12345
      @Werdna12345 6 лет назад +5

      Abdul Muhaimin 👏

    • @SGresponse
      @SGresponse 6 лет назад +5

      There is not enough thumbs down after youtube made the thumbs down button into a stress ball contraption.

    • @infinity26890
      @infinity26890 6 лет назад +8

      You brightened up my day with that light hearted Pun! I'm delighted you shared it.

    • @ocoolwow
      @ocoolwow 6 лет назад

      Please do

    • @Pining_for_the_fjords
      @Pining_for_the_fjords 6 лет назад +3

      Abdul Muhaimin With Inogon arrow lights to show you the way, you certainly can see yourself out.

  • @crooker2
    @crooker2 2 года назад +5

    How complex, confusing or downright nonsensical does one single thing have to be to stump Tom Scott??
    A LOT!
    Great video, Tom. As always.

  • @msamour
    @msamour 3 года назад +4

    Tom, have you talked to the port authority at all? When I was in the Navy, we used all kinds of markers and buoys to identify obstacles and other points of interest on marine charts. These Inogon lights are there to mark the obstacle under the water. Those lights are also used to mark transits to facilitate ship navigation.

  • @scottsmith4204
    @scottsmith4204 6 лет назад +1

    I have not done any research but it does make sense for marking the cables that you don’t want people to anchor over, as long as who ever is captaining the ship/boat knows the area and knows what that is marking, they would know that seeing the two lines is the no go area, if you just had something that was constant from every angle, that would give you no information about were you should not be. Doing the same thing with buoys would require many marking out the cables and then they might also be in the way of shipping or boat traffic.

  • @TesserId
    @TesserId 3 года назад

    Blown away. In high school, a T.V. repair guy (his hobby job, his day job was radar engineer) showed me a gadget for examining dot patters on T.V. screens. It was a Moire-based magnifier.

  • @zzthumper72
    @zzthumper72 2 года назад +4

    Because of what just happened in California with a ship waiting to be called into port to unload, dropped anchor to wait and the boat was dragged in bad weather OVER the pipeline and bent the pipeline over 105' out of plane into a semicircle. The pipeline eventually cracked and leaked thousand of gallons of oil. The crew should have been aware of the pipe via GPS. In closer quarters, like in England, a light like that would make it easier to see when you are too close to the pipeline.

  • @_Niels__
    @_Niels__ 6 лет назад +10

    There are some sort of street markers who (I think) use the same technique. I'm not entirely sure but i think they are used in tight turns on highways in Germany. The closer you get to them, the faster the arrow appears to be pointing you in the right direction. No source (yet) unfortunately. Just something that I remember from the top of my head

    • @607
      @607 6 лет назад +4

      Yeah, these are in the Netherlands as well, and other people here have posted about it.
      But none of us seem to be able to find a source... it's the same problem Tom had! :P

    • @_Niels__
      @_Niels__ 6 лет назад

      It is indeed! I'm from the Netherlands as well, but I haven't seen them anywhere except from Germany. Even someone from Germany I know didn't know how to name them...

  • @iainmillar1532
    @iainmillar1532 Год назад +5

    They are still used at a number of airports around the world for lateral guidance of the aircraft onto the gate. I had no idea what they were called though 😂

  • @Wakish0069
    @Wakish0069 2 года назад

    I appreciate your extreme interest in all of the topics you research

  • @yognut72
    @yognut72 6 лет назад

    I love the fact that like 5 websites made articles about this the day this video came out.

  • @ShwervinMervin
    @ShwervinMervin 6 лет назад +108

    Very informative.

  • @mrlilmatt123
    @mrlilmatt123 6 лет назад +4

    I LOVE finding things like this! Happened numerous times with FM broadcasting equipment/towers that don't seem to exist online etc.. I can't let it go until I know!! D:

    • @CCWSig
      @CCWSig 5 лет назад

      You really want to go down a rabbit hole, start researching who actually owns and operates antennas on things like water towers and tall buildings. It's both scary, and fascinating at the same time.

  • @ThisLittleCriticSanad
    @ThisLittleCriticSanad 6 лет назад +1111

    So what do they use now instead of these?

    • @georgplaz
      @georgplaz 6 лет назад +534

      i guess gps and various ultra sonic sensors which tell you quite precisely where your are

    • @kl0m0nst3r
      @kl0m0nst3r 6 лет назад +511

      2 poles in the ground

    • @StarManta
      @StarManta 6 лет назад +104

      I assume computer guidance and GPS has taken over a lot of this sort of functionality.

    • @fakenamington8570
      @fakenamington8570 6 лет назад +690

      This Little Critic just some guy named Dave who just shouts from the shore "oi dipstick your gonna crash what the hell ya doin". word is there was never anyone named Dave who lived in those parts but any sailor worth their salt will still listen for Dave.

    • @tommclean9208
      @tommclean9208 6 лет назад +267

      Normally when you're coming into a channel there are two poles, one a few meters ahead of the other with different symbols on top of each one and you go on a course which aligns the two poles in front of each other

  • @brianartillery
    @brianartillery 6 лет назад +1

    You might try asking either: Trinity House, who are responsible for all navigation lights around the UK coasts, or Associated British Ports (ABP), who operate Southampton docks.

  • @svenswwis436
    @svenswwis436 2 года назад

    Your curiosity is contagious. Thanks for you efforts.

  • @dkpsyhog
    @dkpsyhog 6 лет назад +5

    “Things you might not know, but neither do I.”

  • @Elxroid
    @Elxroid 6 лет назад +6

    That is probably there for maintenance, but they just get told that the arrows show how far off the cable the maintenance team are.

    • @seraphina985
      @seraphina985 6 лет назад +1

      Well I think it's there because it's prohibited to drop anchor there, the marine charts for the area will of course clearly mark the prohibited zone on them the light along with it's accompanying sign saying clearly that it's a prohibited anchorage is just guidance to allow vessels to verify that they are a safe distance away from the prohibited area. Similar markers are used in some places for things like the marine fibre optic cables too as while well armoured against the elements they don't much appreciate having a 20 ton anchor dumped on them either.

    • @CLipka2373
      @CLipka2373 3 года назад

      @Seraphina I dunno, I find @Elxroid's hypothesis more convinving; this Inogon thingumajig seems to offer a level of precision that would be excessive if it were only about a no-anchoring zone. As a matter of fact, you rarely want to tell people "don't drop anchor exactly here" - to the contrary, you'll usually want to tell people "don't drop anchor _anywhere near_ here", and add some decent safety margin just to be sure.

  • @Ubba00
    @Ubba00 6 лет назад +17

    They are used when there is not enough space for a front and rear light to signal a restricted area.

    • @patrickmeyer2802
      @patrickmeyer2802 5 лет назад

      But at that point i'm sure you could really just install a sector light. Red in the middle, and white on each side. It would be much cheaper, and much more visible.

    • @jessedenwood3152
      @jessedenwood3152 3 года назад

      @@patrickmeyer2802 But with white on each side you won't be able to tell whether you were north or south of the prohibited zone.

    • @svennoren9047
      @svennoren9047 3 года назад

      @@jessedenwood3152 Sector lights are generally red-white-green, to indicate which way to turn to get into the correct line.

  • @PaulJohnson-lu3mj
    @PaulJohnson-lu3mj 3 года назад +1

    That was very interesting information, as a sailor I’m afraid to say I’d never heard of or seen one of these before. I will now be on the lookout for one! Thank you for your diligent research.👍

  • @DigitalAndInnovation
    @DigitalAndInnovation Год назад

    Most relatable video you have done! I can think of so many times I have spent hours trying to describe a concept or item to google- and it just dosn't get it- but then you learn a term like "fiducial marker" when you had been typing in "visual marker" "non retro reflective marker" "Marker that looks like QR code" etc. and you find the exact results!

  • @crispoman
    @crispoman 6 лет назад +5

    The question isn't *why* it's there, or even why it's *there* . The question is why *it's* there.
    I'm guessing it may be due to the lack of a suitable reversed arrows version.

    • @crispoman
      @crispoman 6 лет назад +1

      Obviously, I have no real idea. But thanks for the highlight. From what I can see, there shouldn't be *that much* difficulty in creating a "go away" version.

    • @dbeierl
      @dbeierl 6 лет назад +2

      Think of it as information rather than instruction and you'll see that a reversed version makes no sense at all. The arrows are telling you "the line that we're pointing out is on *this* side of you".
      On your chart the (in this case) pipeline zone will be indicated, with the range indicated by the beacon extending through it.

    • @buddyclem7328
      @buddyclem7328 5 лет назад

      @@crispoman I wonder if installing it upside-down would reverse the arrow indications, but that might cause the casing to no longer be watertight.

  • @-._.-._.-
    @-._.-._.- 5 лет назад +8

    We have them on the Dutch highway (A4 by Rotterdam)

    • @santidhammo
      @santidhammo 4 года назад +3

      Several other places in the Netherlands have them, such as the shoulder from the A30 to the A1 motorway towards Amsterdam

    • @krimke881
      @krimke881 3 года назад

      Why, and how do they work in that setting?

  • @courtney-ray
    @courtney-ray 4 года назад +4

    “Things You Might Not Know and I Don’t Either”

  • @heroicrockstar
    @heroicrockstar 5 лет назад +1

    These are some of the best videos on RUclips! 👍

  • @AndyR072
    @AndyR072 6 лет назад

    And now thanks to this its a lot easier to search for the correct name

  • @thataceguy7437
    @thataceguy7437 6 лет назад +133

    Epilepsy Warning. While not epileptic myself, my epileptic girlfriend tipped me off that the Effect animations really bothered her, stay safe everyone!

  • @mark347347
    @mark347347 6 лет назад +35

    Hey Tom, the description says "inogen, not inogen" haha

  • @passthebutterrobot2600
    @passthebutterrobot2600 6 лет назад +6

    A Moiré Effect light pointed me towards this video

    • @spoonikle
      @spoonikle 6 лет назад +2

      Pass The Butter Robot - watching videos on youtube is not passing butter. Get back to work!

  • @jackblack9208
    @jackblack9208 2 года назад +2

    The range lights that they currently use to guide boats down channels work better because you have a better reference of where you are in the channel. This is especially handy when meeting another vessel in the channel.

  • @mrbkkt1
    @mrbkkt1 3 года назад +2

    they are usually lighted in a harbor, where large ships could drop an anchor, and sever a line. usually, only signs, but I can see it being in use in harbors with bad weather common, where signs are not easily seen.

  • @BenStrainmtb
    @BenStrainmtb 6 лет назад +4

    I have this same problem, but when stalking people on facebook... Knowing the town they are from, the university they study at, their job but not remembering their name makes it hard...

  • @TechyBen
    @TechyBen 3 года назад +6

    RUclips compression "I'ma bout to end this whole mans..."
    Tom: "Oh you sweet summer child..."

  • @TheCleric42
    @TheCleric42 5 лет назад +20

    The inogon light that works backwards, as in your video, is easy to find if you know it’s secret name. The backwards inogon is called the NoGoIn light.
    Ba-dump-dump.

  • @ChristopherTradeshow
    @ChristopherTradeshow 2 года назад

    this is my favorite video. its that feeling when you finally find out what something is and all the info you've been searching for comes up

  • @TheTransforcer
    @TheTransforcer 6 лет назад

    One of my absolute favorite videos.

  • @CaptainBobSim
    @CaptainBobSim 5 лет назад +4

    It's a little bit like PAPI lights at Airport Runways!

  • @baganatube
    @baganatube 6 лет назад +15

    I thought PAPI light (used for aircraft landing) was a brilliant invention, this is even better! No need to memorize color codes! You should have recorded it as you walked from one side to the other.

  • @teslawp
    @teslawp 2 года назад +5

    LET'S GO FORSEN forsenE

  • @travelertime4382
    @travelertime4382 2 года назад

    I'm a retired merchant marine officer and have never hear of this. That makes it cool. The usual means of knowing you are in the center of the channel is ranges. A short fixed beacon and light in front of and lower than it it's mate behind it. When they line up you are in the center of the channel. It's a low, a no, tech solution and very common. The use of this thing to keep from anchoring on a cable is very logical, especially if the arrows point the opposite way of if it were for ranging up a channel. If it were used like a no parking between the arrows sign. But barring any unstated draw backs it appears to only fix something that already works just fine. Ranges sometimes have red and green lights lower than the main white one to help with being port and starboard of the channel, but that rare and usually not needed. The lights on ranges are going to be as bright as required up to the point that if you can't see and read them then the visibility is too low to proceed. Angling and shielding the lower lights would serve to tell a mariner where it's safe to anchor. So , this things viable range, the brightness of it lights, its visibility and function in all conditions, especially in rain and fog, is where I'd look for why this of this new solution to the traditional fix ever caught on.

  • @asterisque9252
    @asterisque9252 3 года назад

    This idea was Genius! I wonder why there was not much info. You're a life saver...

  • @magic_cfw
    @magic_cfw 6 лет назад +9

    Genius which goes unrecognised...
    Pringle extraction using chopsticks.

    • @spoonikle
      @spoonikle 6 лет назад

      -CFW. Magic- - ez and convenient

    • @neutralspace-ishguy
      @neutralspace-ishguy 6 лет назад

      I just turn the can horizontal and let the pringles slide

    • @magic_cfw
      @magic_cfw 6 лет назад

      That's the problem, it gets everywhere. And you need to turn the tube horizontally and you can't hold the tube between your legs as you evolve into a potato... I am a potato btw.

    • @neutralspace-ishguy
      @neutralspace-ishguy 6 лет назад +1

      -CFW. Magic- When sliding the pringles, cover the top with the hand so it doesn't go everywhere. The problem with the chopsticks is that I can't use a chopstick

    • @magic_cfw
      @magic_cfw 6 лет назад

      And now try to relate this idea with the idea in the video. That was what I was trying to get at.

  • @davidhayward6382
    @davidhayward6382 4 года назад +4

    If new lines hit your eyes
    when two patterns combine
    that's a moiré
    When the lines on the screen
    Make more lines in between,
    That's a moiré!
    When new lines hit your eyes
    From two screens when they ply
    That's a Moire!
    When a grid's misaligned
    with another behind
    That's a moiré
    When the spacing is tight
    And the difference is slight
    That's a moiré

  • @macomputersuck
    @macomputersuck 6 лет назад +7

    This sounds similar to the glideslope indicators used at runways

    • @blindleader42
      @blindleader42 6 лет назад +5

      Same objective. Completely different principle.

    • @MottyGlix
      @MottyGlix 6 лет назад

      "VASI" lights ("Visual Approach Slope Indicator")

    • @Nikola16789
      @Nikola16789 6 лет назад

      vasi and papi ligts use red filter and lenses. Completely different than this. It can be used for aircraft docking system though.

  • @IanZainea1990
    @IanZainea1990 5 лет назад +1

    The power (or magic if you're fancy) of a name is something that you don't realize is real until you run into a problem like this. I taught myself my trade over the past 7 years and starting out it was nearly impossible as I coudln't find the right names for things. Or, I would find one name for it in a book/article, and while it was an accurate name, it was the less common or archaic name, so I could find some info, but not much. I appreciate and understand your struggle on this one! Glad it panned out :)

  • @emarr3720
    @emarr3720 2 года назад

    There’s elegance in simplicity!! I love these kinds of things where the effect is passive instead of active.

  • @andcrafter4790
    @andcrafter4790 3 года назад +4

    when the grids miss-align and they form brand new lines that's a Moiré

  • @joe-ib1wn
    @joe-ib1wn Год назад +4

    2:03 forsen

  • @SnOwBunZz
    @SnOwBunZz 6 лет назад +38

    forsen?
    F O R S E N B A J S

  • @poletooke4691
    @poletooke4691 4 года назад +1

    That’s... actually bloody brilliant.

  • @johnathanpocock2001
    @johnathanpocock2001 6 лет назад

    I love the level of commitment and research for this 4 minute video.

  • @zonagh6306
    @zonagh6306 2 года назад +3

    ivan forsen PagMan

  • @kirayoshikage4057
    @kirayoshikage4057 2 года назад +5

    Issues like this could be avoided if people just learned the proper words instead of making up their own to make it "easier"...
    Inogon isn't even a word that hard to roll off your tongue, or remember.

  • @lntellectuaI
    @lntellectuaI 2 года назад +3

    Ivan Forsen forsenE

  • @pslipisme
    @pslipisme 2 года назад

    Just saw this articles and I thought that this recent article would interest you. It takes it into a new level

  • @magmajctaz1405
    @magmajctaz1405 2 года назад

    RUclips just presented this video to me today. (It's been doing that a lot lately, showing me old videos.)
    Great video. I just wish we could have seen this from the ship's perspective to get the full effect!