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The underground world of hobby tunneling

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Re: The underground world of hobby tunneling

#111

Post by cinntaile »

hackstack wrote: post #75
sharkweek wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m nearing 40 and when I’m at any beach with sand you better believe I’m gonna see how deep I can dig a hole. Brings back a lot of that childhood joy of being absolutely certain I was almost about to dig through the earth’s crust once it started to get hard. Only about 19.999 miles short if we’re talking about averages.

I’m in the same age bracket and hole-digging enthusiasm bracket as you but recently became aware of the dangers of this whimsical pastime! [1] That’s not to dissuade you or anyone else from doing it (I have continued!), but I think everyone should be aware of the very real danger. As they say, knowing is half the battle! 1 - https://www.npr.org/2022/05/19/1100068725/beach-holes-sand-c...

People digging holes on public beaches should fill them up again so other people don't risk getting injured.

Re: The underground world of hobby tunneling

#112

Post by slow_typist »

epiccoleman wrote: post #88
linsomniac wrote: post #31

I have a crawlspace under half my house, and made the mistake of watching a YouTube video about how to do "underpinning". Now I want to dig it out down to 10ft to use for some desperately needed storage space, maybe some gym space. Our local building office is amazingly supportive of DIYers, and I appreciate them double checking my work.

Oh man, don't send me down this rabbit hole! I've always been annoyed at the original builders of my house for the half basement/half crawlspace - I mean, how much could it have possibly added to the cost of construction to just dig that last 4 feet on the other half?!

The 4 feet can make a big difference, think of the highest possible groundwater table.

Re: The underground world of hobby tunneling

#113

Post by lioeters »

redcobra762 wrote: post #91

Philosopher Susan Wolf talks about the "meaningful life" as, "lives of active engagement in projects of worth." A classic example that is given about how important both are is the idea that while one can actively engage in digging a hole in their backyard, it won't lead to a "meaningful life" because it's not a "project of worth." This hobby I suppose could serve either as a strong counterpoint, or would reveal a who…

Is it ironic to pick up a hobby of digging a hole to fill that hole in your soul? For some of these people, it could be "meaningful" enough - after all, meaning and value are subjective. Or, perhaps the very meaninglessness has value for them, like a game without a practical purpose.

Re: The underground world of hobby tunneling

#114

Post by worldwidelies »

I wonder if there's DNA markers that predispose people to this type of "hobby". There's evidence that humans lived in caves and underground bunkers for extended periods of time. There's even ancient underground cities with dedicated water sources and ventilation systems.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derinkuyu_underground_city

Re: The underground world of hobby tunneling

#117

Post by victorbjorklund »

EA-3167 wrote: post #23
reactordev wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except she’s digging it in 200sqft of urban housing backyard in Herndon, VA USA. If you have 10 acres and want to dig a hole, go for it. But if you want to dig a tunnel in your backyard and your two neighbors houses are 100ft or less away… yeah, I would think twice.

Even if you're in the middle of nowhere, people expect to be rescued if something goes wrong... sort of like that Titan submersible. In the abstract it's fine to take huge risks, but it sucks when people implicitly turn those costs over when something goes wrong.

You can say the same about any hobby that is more dangerous than sitting in the sofa. We would need to make it illegal to do any type of diving, climbing of mountains, skiing off-pist etc.

Re: The underground world of hobby tunneling

#118

Post by alephnan »

redcobra762 wrote: post #91

Philosopher Susan Wolf talks about the "meaningful life" as, "lives of active engagement in projects of worth." A classic example that is given about how important both are is the idea that while one can actively engage in digging a hole in their backyard, it won't lead to a "meaningful life" because it's not a "project of worth." This hobby I suppose could serve either as a strong counterpoint, or would reveal a who…

The nihilistic view is that nothing matters anyways. The sun will die. It doesn’t matter if you are Bill Gates. In 1,000 years, most traces of our existence would have been forgotten. Look at the ancient kingdoms and rulers. Sure, the pharaohs we care about, but some random king elsewhere? Maybe not.

Re: The underground world of hobby tunneling

#119

Post by seafoamteal »

I remember when I was a kid, there was an empty plot of land next to my Grandma's house. My cousins and I took a shovel to it for a couple of days over the summer and dug out a decent sized hole (well, for kids, at least). There really is something just therapeutic about it.
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