Pierlüigi Fümi

MetalHead, aerospace engineer

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster!

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

The Pantheon, Rome

Built on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE), it was ordered by the emperor Hadrianand completed in 126 CE.

Hadrian chose not to inscribe the new temple but rather to retain the inscription of Agrippa's older temple: M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT

It has a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky, allowing rainfall through the ceiling and onto the floor. Because of this, the interior floor is equipped with drains and has been built with an incline of about 30 centimetres (12 in) to promote water runoff.

According to various studies and historians, the Pantheon functions as a giant spherical sundial: throughout the day, light from the oculus moves around in a reverse sundial effect, marking time with light rather than shadow.

Possibly the most interesting engineering feature, the unreinforced concrete dome survived the fall of an empire. Nearly 2,000 years later, nobody has ever built a bigger one: it still is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.

The structure has a diameter of 43.3 meters (142 feet), which is exactly the same as its height, creating a perfectly balanced and visually stunning design. The dome's construction technique, using lighter aggregate materials in the upper layers to reduce weight, has allowed it to stand the test of time, making it a true testament to the ingenuity of Roman architects and builders.

The secret of its longevity sits in the Roman concrete: produced with calcium carbonate lumps called "lime clasts", these were previously thought to be the result of poorly mixed concrete, but are now understood to provide "self-healing" properties. Water seeping in through cracks in the concrete has been shown to dissolve the calcium carbonate, creating a solution which then recrystallizes to plug the gaps.

An authentic jewel of the ancient engineering.

[DOOM @DOOM]

still an icon
hbd to DOOM II

[Pierlüigi Fümi @piefum]

@myMotorhead @MotorheadPhil ☝️

[Luna Rossa Team @lunarossa]

A distanza di oltre 20 anni dallo storico incontro in Nuova Zelanda, il Vespucci e Luna Rossa tornano a incrociare le prue nel golfo di Cagliari
@ItalianNavy
#MarinaMilitare #LunaRossaPradaPirelli #AmericasCup #AmerigoVespucci #LunaRossa

[Sofia Ventura @Sofiajeanne]

Prima di gridare al 'bellicista', leggetelo e fatevi qualche domanda.

Di Fatto, utili idioti di Putin. Il giornale di Travaglio e la disinformatija https://t.co/CkYTMs4Ia9 via @ilfoglio_it

[THIS DAY IN METAL @ThisDayInMETAL]

Watch Jason Newsted cover Metallica’s “Whiplash” https://t.co/dyWZpA572k

[The Cultural Tutor @culturaltutor]

Westminster Abbey isn't actually an abbey... and it hasn't been for 464 years.

It also has a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. and is home to Britain's oldest door.

So here's a brief history of this very peculiar place — and what its real name is...

[Daniele Vasilevski @Daniele_V94]

Facciamo una rapida analisi dell’evento meteo che ha colpito l’Emilia Romagna.
Dai dati di ARPAE vediamo come le precipitazioni più importanti hanno interessato una fascia di territorio che va dalla pianura alla fascia pedemontana, da Bologna a Forlì.

[Pierlüigi Fümi @piefum]

I just earned the 'Luck of the Irish (Level 4)' badge on @untappd! https://t.co/DnM3pXRIlT

[Pierlüigi Fümi @piefum]

I just earned the '2X (Level 16)' badge on @untappd! https://t.co/TXLvuBn0Yz

[Pierlüigi Fümi @piefum]

I just earned the 'I Believe in IPA! (Level 82)' badge on @untappd! https://t.co/fCQZKdUy2q #ibelieveinIPA

[Pierlüigi Fümi @piefum]

I just earned the 'Wheel of Styles (Level 31)' badge on @untappd! https://t.co/NgUUW45zAf

[John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch]

NEW: I’m not sure people fully appreciate how dire the US life expectancy / mortality situation has got.

My column: https://t.co/dBIhT9eZLv

And some utterly damning charts.

1) at *every* point on the income distribution, Americans live shorter lives than the English.

[All The Right Movies @ATRightMovies]

THE MATRIX was released 24 years ago today. One of the most iconic and groundbreaking movies of its generation, the making of story is a fascinating one.

A THREAD
1/25

[Intel @intel]

Today, we lost a visionary.

Gordon Moore, thank you for everything.

[Pierlüigi Fümi @piefum]

I just earned the 'Hopped Down (Level 39)' badge on @untappd! https://t.co/QQ02Bgm6lC

[DESI Survey @desisurvey]

What a pleasure to premiere our brand-new planetarium film “5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI” inside the wonderful dome of @ChabotSpace. (1/4)

[Mia Stålnacke @AngryTheInch]

The Milky Way crossing an auroral corona as a satellite whizzes by the Andromeda Galaxy (top left.)
And me, just standing there.