this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2025
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No Stupid Questions

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[–] Shardikprime@lemmy.world 61 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Steam from the steamed hams we're having

[–] habitualcynic@lemmy.world 22 points 6 days ago (1 children)

And you call them that even though they are obviously grilled?

[–] kSPvhmTOlwvMd7Y7E@lemmy.world 11 points 6 days ago

excuse me for a minute

[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 69 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Old steam heating system. They vent it when they’re working on a section.

Side-note: surprised by all the fellow New Yorkers i’m seeing in this thread. I thought yous were still at the other place.

[–] DelightfullyDivisive@discuss.online 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yep. Detroit has this, too.

[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 12 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Yeah it’s common enough I figured most knew, but a few years ago I went ice skating at the bryant park rink with someone who refused to walk anywhere near the steam. They thought it was toxic and didn’t accept my explanation, so we had to walk an extra few blocks to get around the steam work. Shrug

[–] TBi@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I wonder if they could make it more efficient by running at a lower temperature and installing water source heat pumps in buildings. https://youtu.be/abGiNL9IT54

[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

That’s a good idea! My understanding is that the old steam network is slated for decommission and replacement by this program, basically a large distributed geothermal heat pump network that also harvests from major heat producers like data centers and provides both heating and cooling.

It will end the era of the steamy-street Sin City aesthetic but should be many, many times more efficient than the old steam system. Phase-change thermal transfer in HVAC systems is nearing 400% efficiency, so 4 times more efficient than the theoretical limit of direct heating, because it only uses the energy necessary to move heat from one place to another rather than produce it, and it works for both heating and cooling.

Right now I believe they’re piloting the system in NYCHA buildings (public housing) of neighborhoods outside the old steam network, like Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, but supposedly the plan is to expand to the rest of Manhattan.

Edit: corrected coefficient of performance

[–] Cocopanda@futurology.today 56 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Believe it or not. Very old infrastructure in the city. Still runs on steam power.

[–] ByteJunk@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I swear I thought this answer was about as accurate as the one that said "dragons".

How steampunk for probably the largest city in the world to use steam in this day and age? I love it...

[–] PanArab@lemm.ee 12 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

I’m going to have to interject, NYC is the 11th [or 35th] largest city.

[–] LordWiggle@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

11th, OR 35th? Could you explain?

[–] PanArab@lemm.ee 2 points 5 days ago (4 children)
[–] gt5@lemm.ee 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I don’t know why they include the surrounding areas as part of the city population. The 5 boroughs is roughly 8 million people. If you live in jersey city, you shouldn’t be counted as part of nyc population

I don't know why they care about population https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_cities_by_area clearly land is more important because land votes not people.

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[–] WordBox@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Or 3rd or 76th.

[–] Hupf@feddit.org 4 points 4 days ago

It's from the streamed clams they're having.

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 33 points 6 days ago

That's the steam from the melting pot

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 26 points 6 days ago

There's a really good explanation here:

https://youtu.be/QRKzA8JlYBU

[–] h3mlocke@lemm.ee 13 points 6 days ago (3 children)
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[–] Rosscameron@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

Ah yes, the classic New York fog machine. Turns out it’s not for dramatic effect—just the city’s 19th-century steam system still doing its thing. Who needs modern infrastructure when you’ve got built-in Gotham vibes?

[–] Notorious_handholder@lemmy.world 14 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

You know how when rockets take off in Florida there's lots of smoke?

Yeah there's a tunnel that goes from Florida to New York that the smoke goes through to help heat up the New York streets. So anytime you see smoke in New York it's cause a rocket was recently shot up in Florida. ~~Technology~~ Infrastructure is incredible!

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 15 points 6 days ago (1 children)
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[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago

Hundred plus year old infrastructure.

[–] Cornpop@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

They use a lot of steam for heating still

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 16 points 6 days ago

Teenage mutant ninja turtles barbeque

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago

Volcano under the city

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago (3 children)

The CHUDs are having a BBQ. Guess the markets closed for the day.

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[–] Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

That's not smoke. It's a space station.

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[–] udon@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

yo mama's farts

[–] Lexam@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

See it in Kansas City usually in the winter.

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