Tuesday Overnight Open Thread - September 15, 2026

Mystery click courtesy of Cow Demon

Howdy Hordelings! The Tuesday ONT has arrived. On time, as always. Open thread, as always. Ready to be whelmed?

[Top photo: Lake Matheson, New Zealand]

Wholesome Content

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This looks fun!

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Disappointing to say the least

Trump-appointed FBI Director Kash Patel echoed Trump's recent sentiments on Flock cameras and defended the FBI's access to and use of the cameras, telling the Senate Judiciary Committee he believes Flock license-plate cameras are not mass surveillance because they are in public places, so people should not expect privacy there.

He also argued the FBI does not get constant access to the data and only asks for information after it already has a lead, such as a photo of a car.

However, in Carpenter v. United States, the Supreme Court said people have a privacy right in the record of the whole of their movements, even if each trip is on a public road.

A large camera network that stores old license-plate hits can show where a person has been for days or weeks, including which doctors they visit, which protests they may attend, whether they go to gun stores or visit gun ranges for target practice, and much more.

That kind of stored travel history is closer to the cell-phone location records the Court said generally need a warrant.

Kash Patel has his moments where he shines - like during recent exchanges with members of Congress. But this is a reprehensible take on his part. We really have nobody on our side, do we?

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Those of you who have traveled in mountainous areas have probably seen runaway truck ramps on the side of the road. But have you ever actually seen anyone use one?

Colorado troopers share video of semi truck using runaway ramp on I-70

The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) shared a recently-captured video of a runaway semi truck using an escape ramp along I-70.

CSP said that the video was captured a few days ago on westbound I-70 coming down Eisenhower Pass.

Troopers shared the video to encourage drivers to use the ramps if necessary and to educate motorists on how to respond if they see a commercial vehicle that needs to use a ramp due to brake failure.

“If you are driving down the road and observe a runaway semi-truck coming towards you in your rearview mirrors, stay calm and attempt to merge to the left, as all runaway truck ramps in Colorado are on the right shoulder. This will allow the truck to safely enter the ramp without colliding with anyone,” CSP said.

Video at the link

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I guess it's a Star Trek thread now

Physicist proves famous ‘Star Trek’ combat strategy works

The most impressive science fiction stories emphasize “science” over spectacle. The Star Trek franchise has featured plenty of examples since the original series premiered 60 years ago this month, but one of its most famous sci-fi moments may prove even more fascinating than fans realized. At Brazil’s Federal University of ABC, physicist Níckolas de Aguiar Alves determined that an early episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation demonstrates an aspect to the theory of relativity even better than its creators likely anticipated.

Season One’s ninth episode, “The Battle,” introduces a bit of backstory to Jean-Luc Picard’s illustrious career in the Federation. Years before he became captain of the USS Enterprise, Picard oversaw a ship called the Stargazer when it came under fire from an unknown assailant. Picard needed to navigate closer to the mystery attacker before responding, but the Enterprise’s shields were down.

The captain then quickly improvised what later became known as the “Picard Maneuver.” He ordered his crew to rush their foe at warp speed (faster than the speed of light) then quickly halt and begin firing. Relativistic physics dictated that if Stargazer traveled faster than visible light, it would technically generate two images of the ship from their attacker’s point of view—one Stargazer at the location just prior to warp speed, then a Stargazer where it halted. The operation was risky, but it gave Picard and his crew a 50/50 chance that the enemy would continue firing on an afterimage of Stargazer.

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In actuality, Picard’s Maneuver wouldn’t result in two Stargazer ships; it would make three of them. This is because Picard’s crew didn’t travel at a constant speed during the gambit–they first sped up, then stopped closer to their opponent. That means Stargazer technically accelerated not once, but twice. This makes all the difference.

This mean something to you, Trekkies?

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Some of you should get outside tonight

How to Watch the Northern Lights from 12 States Tonight

Two fast-moving streams of solar wind, along with up to two passing bursts of charged particles from the sun, could make the northern lights visible late on Tuesday, Sept. 15, into early Wednesday, Sept. 16.

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Look north after dark on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and keep an eye on the sky through the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The most promising window is generally the darkest part of the night, after a crescent moon has set.

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At G1 levels, the best odds are across Alaska and northern parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.However, if activity briefly reaches G2, the auroral glow could extend further south, including parts of Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York.

DJ Doof - Lights Edition

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posted by Doof at 10:01 PM

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