this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 218 points 2 months ago (8 children)
[–] Goun@lemmy.ml 106 points 2 months ago (3 children)
[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 95 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Makes download speeds great, but upload drops off a cliff

[–] Goun@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 months ago

You another fan behind your phone facing towards the router

[–] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 5 points 2 months ago

not if you mount the fan on the ceiling, and let it lift up the air

[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

...never stops buffering.

[–] Redfox8@mander.xyz 4 points 2 months ago

I sell the truth, that is my fan. Mits off! You now owe me $5.

[–] Gyroplast@pawb.social 56 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I still have a soft spot for troll physics. Needs more magnets, though.

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 11 points 2 months ago (2 children)
[–] Sidyctism2@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 2 months ago

would you be interested in talking to a scientist?

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[–] cmgvd3lw@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 2 months ago

What astounds me is despite being a crappy drawing, the person drew that fan with proper perspective and proportion.

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yeah, but that makes the waves more choppy and stormlike which increases degradation of the equipment on the other side as the waves collide more strongly against it.

[–] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The moving parts could disturb MIMO

[–] Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So better use a fanless Dyson fan? 🤔

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[–] agegamon@beehaw.org 4 points 2 months ago

NSFW

~~Only~~ Wififans 😳

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[–] zxqwas@lemmy.world 101 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It will probably reflect some of the radiation. Wifi reception will be poorer behind the aluminium and possibly better in front.

A cheapskates version of a directional antenna.

[–] raltoid@lemmy.world 43 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

Indeed, although this type of thing was more common with older wifi generations, so I'm not surprised kids these days wont know.

For example: We cut the top off an old beer can, poked a hole and stuck it onto the antenna to have stable download speeds across a courtyard.

[–] Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

I remember like 15 or 20 years ago the popular thing was printable papercraft doohickeys that you'd cut out and glue together with aluminum foil on the backside that were like little satellite dishes that mounted on the antennas that were supposed to boost/aim your wifi signal. I gave them a try, but if they made a difference it wasn't big enough to be noticeable.

[–] Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 2 months ago

Reminds me of the diy antenna made out of copper wire, an empty CD spool and a single CD on its back. Those antennas could work as far as 1km if there was no obstruction, or 400m through light obstructions. It was awesome.

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[–] Clearwater@lemmy.world 77 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I unironically do something similar to this. In my area, the only options are a dogshit local WISP, Starlink/other satellite, or (where possible) cellular.

I am one of the "lucky" people who are able to use cell for my internet, however whether it's the cell company having a craptastic network, software/hardware bugs on the my customer equipment, or a combination of both, there is only ONE cell tower I can connect to which yields a useful connection.

All other towers result in the equipment failing to connect to the tower, connecting but failing to get an internet connection, or only yielding download speeds 5Mbit of less.

I have found that by shoving sheet metal around my ISP's equipment, I can quite easily block off the non-functional towers and ensure they're never connected to. I don't think speeds are any better, but it does help with reliability.

[–] justme@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I wonder if it's not only boxing the other towers but also boring the signal to the one you are aiming at, because you put a big mirror behind

[–] knightly@pawb.social 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Both to some degree, realistically. I used an old collander as a signal reflector for a wifi dongle on the end of a USB extension cable and was able to boost the signal up to about 4x, or maybe half the range of the purpose-built and highly directional Yagi antenna I eventually bought to replace that kludge.

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[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 42 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Long live the Pringles cantenna

[–] fullsquare@awful.systems 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

~~pringles can is too small for 2.4ghz cantenna,~~ it's near cutoff frequency but just barely, you need 10cm-ish diameter can or shorter 16cm-ish can

[–] Pencilnoob@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (4 children)

I once made one of these with a bigger can and mounted it on an old 10' satellite dish. Managed to get Wi-Fi across several thousand yards without issue

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[–] fubarx@lemmy.world 29 points 2 months ago

Keeps out the conspiracy-based posts and only lets facts through.

[–] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 25 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] Etterra@discuss.online 5 points 2 months ago

I can't tell if this is legit or an elaborate troll.

[–] roserose56@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 months ago

I did this back in 2010-13, to get better internet in my house! It was a video from a youtube, where he used cereal box with aluminum.

[–] three@lemmy.zip 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 24 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

In all different directions...

Back in my day, we used a Pringles can.

[–] MrJameGumb@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

When I was a kid we would connect a coat hanger to the TV to get the news from 2 towns over

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

We still do. It's a fun trick.

[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

I still go war-driving from time to time. 🙂

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[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 17 points 2 months ago

I have put my router in a 4 m parabol antenna, with this the signal has also improved somewhat, it only prevents me from using the sofa that is next to the router.

[–] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Remember windsurfers? You put them on the single antenna of your old linsky router.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not as effective as the anti-5G wire cages.

[–] Glitterbomb@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I stumbled onto these on Amazon last night actually. The user submitted video reviews are insane. I was screaming. I got to the head scarf that blocks the 5Gs and I had to stop.

EMF BLOCKING BASEBALL CAP

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[–] loomy@lemy.lol 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] Evilsandwichman@hexbear.net 12 points 2 months ago (3 children)

That is indeed a photograph of something someone has done

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