• Wilzax@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Because they definitely had a good supply of helium and/or hydrogen laying around to fill these balloons with, when levers and wheels were too advanced.

    Right.

    • IggyTheSmidge@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      3 months ago

      Clearly they used methane.

      Crowds of farm labourers during flood season, all lined up just waiting for their turn to fart into the balloon.

      • HonkyTonkWoman@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        It would be another age before they realized they could fill the balloons twice as fast using camel farts.

    • gmtom@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      You know you can make hydrogen out of water right? You just need high voltage electricity.

      • ivanafterall ☑️@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Likewise, why would they bother with balloons, at all? We know they were highly advanced, it seems more likely they’d just skip to planes?

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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        3 months ago

        I’m assuming you subscribe to the Baghdad battery idea? Even that would produce only a tiny amount of electricity if it did at all. It definitely couldn’t be used for this or even the lighting idea some crazy people support. It may have produced a tiny jolt and have been used for religious purposes as they couldn’t explain the small shock.

      • HeckGazer
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        3 months ago

        You need high current, not voltage. Electrolysis of water starts somewhere around 1.5V