Monday 11 March 2013

Steampunk Contraption That The Vatican Uses To Announce The Next Pope

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Starting tomorrow, Catholic Cardinals from around the world will begin the process of voting on the next pope. Each day after the voting, the Vatican shoots up a puff of smoke into the air to reveal whether a Pope has been selected or not. Black smoke (fumata nera) means no Pope yet. White smoke (fumata bianca) means there is a Pope.

The device that shoots the smoke up is an awesome, Jules Verne-looking stove. All of the paper ballots along with a chemical (to produce either black or white smoke) are placed in it and burned, alerting the world where the College of Cardinals is at in the voting.

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