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Giant 'Real Time' Telescope Connects London to New York

cnn.com — In all its optical brilliance and brass and wood, there stood the Telectroscope -- a 37 feet long by 11 feet tall dream of a device allowing people on one side of the Atlantic to look into its person-size lens and, in real time, see those on the other side via a recently completed tunnel running under the ocean. Think 19th century webcam.

Who dugg this? Made popular May 23, 2008

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166 Comments

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  • sjug, on 05/23/2008, -8/+132Great, now the British can monitor New Yorkers as well.
  • infinity777, on 05/23/2008, -5/+122This has got to be the coolest thing serving absolutely no practical purpose
  • phargarten, on 05/23/2008, -4/+84See, it is a real telescope that uses a transatlantic tunnel to connect London and New York. But the tunnel, see, it isn't real. And the telescopes. Those are fake too. But they did dug a tunnel though across the Atlantic. With drill bits. But, see, the tunnel is actually not a tunnel but just cable. HD cable. The telescopes are real though. They are cameras actually. So they aren't real telescopes. I am really good reporter for cnn.
  • iizh, on 05/23/2008, -2/+69You know people are just going to use it moon the other country.
  • inactive, on 05/23/2008, -0/+55if you flash someone on that have you broken the laws against public nudity in 2 countries or just one?
  • 9bpm9, on 05/23/2008, -9/+61That article pissed me off.
  • billbugger, on 05/23/2008, -0/+51I thought cnn.com was syndicating an onion article for a minute.
  • ethomas046, on 05/23/2008, -3/+49That author confused me. Nevertheless, very cool. I will definitely be going to check this out!
  • omgstfu, on 05/23/2008, -0/+45That article is a reading comprehension exam for Digg users.
  • Suricou, on 05/23/2008, -4/+44For all those complaining that this isn't a real tunnel under the ocean, you don't get the point. Anyone could set up a public videoconference - but this isn't a videoconference, it's the realisation of a victorian dream. True, it works by a piece of modern technology hidden inside - but, if you do not acknowledge that, then it becomes the device envisioned so long ago.
  • ethomas046, on 05/23/2008, -2/+36The pictures on the website of the drill bits is pretty amusing

    http://www.tiscali.co.uk/telectroscope/cn/gallery/ ...
  • beabis, on 05/23/2008, -2/+35Worst written news story ever.
  • cybrjoe, on 05/23/2008, -3/+36Can you imagine when our civilizations are found after years of extinction? Nothing will ***** work. The aliens will just stand around looking through the black telescope and go, wtf? At least ancient marvels are still marvelous without power. We need more cool analog *****.
  • dodgejon, on 05/23/2008, -1/+33My webcam that cost $15 dollars on Woot does the exact same thing. Only I dont have to wear pants when Im using it...

    Not sure why I had to mention Im not wearing pants...
  • luke16, on 05/23/2008, -0/+22Pictures inside the scope.
    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/2513359855_b05 ...
    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/2512722319_acf ...
  • wacomwacoff, on 05/23/2008, -0/+21You didn't read the article, did you?

    They didn't actually drill a tunnel. It's imaginary.
  • DonnieMarco, on 05/23/2008, -0/+19What a load of *****. If you are going to complain about wasted taxpayers money, then trust me, there are far more egregious bureaucratic money pits to be concerned with.

    This is an innovative and fun project that will make perhaps thousands of people smile, and who knows, might spur some to learn more about art, history or technology. It may be the starting point for trans-Atlantic friendships or inspire people to visit London or New York. If that's not worth a few a quid I don't know what is. I'd rather see my tax money spent on this than bullets and bombs.
  • JazzFlight, on 05/23/2008, -3/+19Possibly the best Digg comment I've read in quite a while.
  • Arkitan, on 05/23/2008, -1/+16Finish reading the article
  • jmpeagle, on 05/23/2008, -1/+16they already have video conferencing
  • palehorse864, on 05/23/2008, -1/+15It says it's a camera in the article.
  • inactive, on 05/23/2008, -2/+16Ya I really wish they wouldn't waste our time with a fantasy before telling us halfway through the article; oh hey, it actually works in an entirely uninteresting way.
  • Ryan0617, on 05/23/2008, -0/+12Seriously the amount of people who are complaining about why they have drilled something startles me.
  • hokie47, on 05/23/2008, -1/+13Calm down is is not real
  • shortyjacobs, on 05/23/2008, -0/+12They'll be pretty ***** aliens if they don't know what the ***** electricity is.....
  • jpowlus, on 05/23/2008, -1/+13You should really consider RTFA before commenting...
  • foaf, on 05/23/2008, -2/+13burried for being an idiot
  • thebigtime, on 05/23/2008, -2/+13Thank god they didn't actually drill for this baby! it would have cost squillions
  • shakin, on 05/23/2008, -0/+11It would have been so much cooler had it actually been long-range optics.
  • snolan1990, on 05/23/2008, -0/+11I wish it was real.
  • inactive, on 05/23/2008, -1/+11A marriage proposal through this thing would be awesome!
  • KenOh, on 05/23/2008, -0/+9Right, it would have been useful a hundred years ago.
  • groovechamp30, on 05/23/2008, -1/+10Exactly! Why complain about this? When our governments spend billions yearly on killing people?
  • Steven8890, on 05/23/2008, -4/+12Had to read half way through just to find out I was lied to. Lame.
  • veryfishy, on 05/23/2008, -0/+8Like, say, a camera obscura perhaps.................?

    :s
  • inactive, on 05/23/2008, -1/+9They had HD videocameras and transatlantic broadband links in the 19th century?

    Still, it would be cool to see more of these. Maybe a collection in each city, like how the clocks are arranged in an airport/hotel. In say, NYC, there would be different ones for London, Paris, Tokyo, etc. Each city would have a screen for each other city in the network.
  • joeydoo, on 05/23/2008, -1/+8There are no laws against public nudity in the UK... so it's never going to be more than 1. ;)
    Now if you started masturbating that would be a different matter.
  • PabloIV, on 05/23/2008, -0/+7I was very disappointed. I really wanted this to be powered by some convoluted yet ingenious 19th century specs involving mirrors and lenses.
    And although I know that the fact that there is a global network of computers that allows for the near instantaneous delivery of HD video is significantly more impressive, I'm still disappointed.
  • palehorse864, on 05/23/2008, -1/+8I think the improper grammar was intentional. He was mocking the CNN reporter, though in a somewhat grade school-ish manner. By the way, you don't need to include the person's name. Just hit the reply button and it will nest your comment right under theeirs so it is clearly tied to their comment.

    Just like this one.
  • endlessoul, on 05/23/2008, -0/+7But, but, you can wave to policeman and street sweepers in Brooklyn!

    It pays for itself.
  • ripple123, on 05/23/2008, -10/+17nifty idea? yes. worth 400,000 pounds? no.
  • keith22, on 05/23/2008, -1/+7Here's a pic of the installation from the London side
    http://lburl.com/6jltv
  • btgoss, on 05/23/2008, -1/+7Yeah, and Santa is not real, the Easter Bunny is a marketing ploy and Tom Cruise is not really an action hero.... Are there any other fun myths or flights of fantasy you would like to crush while you are here?
  • inactive, on 05/23/2008, -3/+9This is just about the geekiest thing I have seen in a long time I want one for my backyard!
  • Jeffool, on 05/23/2008, -1/+7Genius idea, but the implementation was too limited in scope (even if by design.)

    It would be much cooler if mocked up as a brick wall with relatively little depth and a "window" in it, that would really just be a very high quality screen. Put up a sign that read "Window to London, where it is currently: xx:xx," and have one in London doing the opposite.

    In fact, call it "The World Wall," and have large panels from all around the world. Of course, then you'd need to keep security nearby... Because someone always has to be "that guy" and ruin everyone else's fun.
  • Kornstalx, on 05/23/2008, -0/+6and you, apparently, only read halfway through his comment.
  • 007isbond1, on 05/23/2008, -0/+62 words: 'Pure Win'
  • wacomwacoff, on 05/23/2008, -0/+5Yeah, who needs imagination and fun? Let's just sit around and troll on digg all day.
  • keith22, on 05/23/2008, -0/+5More pics of the London side http://lburl.com/3i3q0
  • Arkitan, on 05/23/2008, -1/+6So did I I even scrolled up to see if I was at the Onion's site.
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