this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2026
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[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

No. I'd guess a lot of people who don't work with it think diesel blows up, even.

What the basic kinds of petroleum are, and which vehicles they go in, is one of those things any reasonably educated person should know, but the majority of the population actually won't.

[–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I don't think they do. I'm a person that likes aviation and I never think about jet fuel.

[–] prex@aussie.zone 54 points 1 day ago
[–] glimse@lemmy.world 66 points 1 day ago (12 children)

Probably not because it's extremely useless for 99% of people lol

Does the average person know that a stalagmite is mostly calcium carbonate?

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Just like how their government works, or what climate change is.

Like, people aren't actually dumb, but 1% of their attention on anything that they aren't paid to do can sure give that appearance.

[–] concerned@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I knew both! AuDHD for the win.

Umm...what were we talking about again?

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Maps, I think? Or ships. Possibly trains...

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[–] lagoon8622@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Well no, why would they remember that? They've got to remember the chemical formula for one or two quartzes

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

I need that brain space for the Windows XP activation code

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[–] nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago

does that mean you could use a chunk of a stalagmite as a tums in a pinch? (I think that's what tums is maybe its a different calcium)

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[–] psud@aussie.zone 4 points 21 hours ago

I knew, but only because I read a lot of cold war stories, and for war becomes hot stories. Running a jet on cooking kerosene was a plot point in one

I have since read about just engines and jet fuel

I don't work in that industry at all. I'm an IT systems analyst

[–] WesternInfidels@feddit.online 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't know how easily it blows up, I'm too cool to turn around and watch the explosion

[–] Tiral@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago (3 children)

No. Most people think you can throw a lit cigarette or lighter on it and it will go up instantly too because of movies. I think Die Hard 2 was the worst lol, he like threw a zippo in the puddle of her fuel and then it followed the plane in mid air to blow it up.

I don't think people know how octane level works either. I think they assume higher octane is easier to combust when it's the exact opposite.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 hours ago

Of all the media out there, action movies might be the worst for rotting brains. People can actually seperate porn or cartoons from reality.

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[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago (8 children)

The entire point of jet fuel is that it DOESN'T "blow up easily", though.

unlike gasoline, It actually takes quite a bit of effort to ignite avgas in it's liquid form because it's designed to be aerosolized before being ignited.

[–] gastroglizzy@piefed.social 1 points 21 hours ago

Avgas and jet fuel aren't the same thing. Avgas is leaded gasoline used in airplane engines. Jet fuel is specially formulated for use in turbines.

[–] expletivedeleted@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 day ago (4 children)

And... Is this post about 9/11?

[–] snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)
[–] expletivedeleted@lemmy.zip -1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

Um...

Think things through.

[–] snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 2 points 14 hours ago (1 children)
[–] expletivedeleted@lemmy.zip -1 points 13 hours ago

Um, another one? I am pretty sure I solidified this one.

Are you talking about Second Life, or are you promoting a new MMORPG?

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[–] chunes@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Does the average person know that it costs $2500 in fuel to get a boeing 747 off the ground?

[–] myyass@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

So like four people in Business class cover it...

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

Yeah, I thought it was supposed to be the main expense for airlines.

Edit: Oh, that's literally just takeoff.

[–] myyass@lemmy.world 1 points 40 minutes ago

Yeah I can imagine the rest of business class pays for the flight and economy is just a cherry on top. I mean they keep making the seats smaller to can in more fish. Some older planes you can tell they were fitted with the modern small seats. Paid for the window view? Enjoy your wall view. Then overbooking. And the kicker, your luggage requirements keep shrinking, so they can ship things.

https://liveandletsfly.com/united-airlines-f35-parts-israel-passenger-flights/

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 5 points 1 day ago

I would have guessed more, and I have a pilot license!

[–] snoons@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I bet the average person knows it can't melt steel beams.

[–] neidu4@piefed.social 36 points 1 day ago (9 children)

And the average person should also know that steel doesn't need to melt to lose a lot of it's load bearing capacity. At 500-600 Celsius, only 50% of steel strength remains.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Which, going right back around to jet engines, is why superalloys are a thing.

They aren't stronger or even more refractory than normal steel, just more expensive, but they don't soften at all until they're about to melt.

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[–] the_fuckler@nord.pub 8 points 1 day ago

Are we still doing 9/11

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