Hacker News Reader

Comment by thirsteh | Hacker News Reader

"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." — Terry Pratchett

RIP

View on HN

"The pen is mightier than the sword if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp." — Terry Pratchett

'He was the sort of person who stood on mountaintops during thunderstorms in wet copper armour shouting 'All the Gods are bastards.' - Terry Pratchett

If you're encased in copper, wet or not, you have a fair chance. The copper provides a conductive path around you that is better than through you.

Lightning rods and their cables also get wet, and are touching the building, which is also wet.

I wonder if Terry knew that and had taken into account. Even if he didn't, it resonates strongly with the audacity implied.

Only if the copper creates a contiguous channel around you. If you wore armour like say the old Greek breastplate-and-shinguards, there's a lot of space to travel with no copper conduit. Likewise the helmet may not be in contact with any of the other armour, so the next port of call for the electron stream is your scalp...

I don't know. The armor is a bit too close to the skin for comfort. There will be quite a bit of heat dissipated, to say nothing of purely mechanical shockwaves and deafening noise.

"He says gods like to see an atheist around. Gives them something to aim at."

I love Small Gods :-(

“Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” - Terry Pratchett

RIP, thank you for the perspective.

Very applicable actually. He lived a life that impacted millions of people around the world, and made his mark upon the world. RIP Terry Pratchett.

"Noli Timere Messorem"

"It only kills monsters" - Susan, on why her poker passes right through Death.

    'Oh, that's the Adjustable Device for Winning Ontological Arguments,' said Shawn. 
    'The King asked for it.'
    'Works, does it?'
    'Er . . . if you twiddle it properly.'

– PTerry

I've never been able to remember where I read that. Thank you.

One more reason to regret him passing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com