What is a "shot tower"? Don't ask Simon Dallow. He does not know.

[Roscoe]

If you have been watching the midday news on TV1 you would have seen the story about the shot tower in Mt Eden and the possibility of it being blown down, so they evacuated people from around it just in case, despite the fact that it has been there for decades with no concern.

What got me about that story was that Simon Dallow admitted on air to the entire country that he did not know what a shot tower was. Alright. I accept that, but it is one thing to be ignorant of a fact but it is another thing entirely to admit your nescience to the nation. You would think that if he did not know - and you cannot be expected to know everything - that he would ask somebody instead of showing he was unenlightened.

And I'm certain there will be many of you who do not know what a shot tower is, so I will elucidate.

Everyone will be aware of the shot in a shot gun cartridge - especially farmers, but how many people know how it is made? Small pieces of molten lead are dropped from the top of the tower into a vat of water below. As they drop they form themselves into small perfectly spherical balls. And that is how shot is made. Simple, really. 

You would have thought that someone would have told Simon Dallow. After all, I'm certain that TVNZ is seen as an authority by many and so to show your ignorance like that is just not in keeping with TVNZ and how it is regarded.

I think that you will agree - it's bad form and not what you would expect from TVNZ.

[king1]

I had to look it up...

[harm_less]

Lack of general knowledge and historical events seems to be increasingly common in our news media presenters nowadays. I'm constantly amused and surprised by ignorance of such matters by the younger announcers on RNZ National. Both Jesse Mulligan and Wallace Chapman often are oblivious to background information for stories they are reporting on with resulting comments seeming ignorant and flippant. Very much contrasts with the extremely well versed colleagues also on RNZ such as Kathryn Ryan, Kim Hill and Jim Mora.

[Lilith7]

I didn't know either - just goes to show, you really do learn something every day..

I'm now wondering though - which clever bugger first worked it out that it could work...& had to go & look that up!

It was one very clever chap named William Watts of Bristol in 1782.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_tower...ot%20tower.

[Roscoe]

I had to look it up...

So I wonder why Simon Dallow did not look it up? Google is a great resource. Or surely he could ask one of his colleagues. I'm certain someone could have enlightened him. Granted, it's not a topic that most people could discuss but you would think that he would ask around rather than tell the nation that he did not know. I thought it was very remiss of him and not very becoming of a tv announcer of his stature.

And thank you for the link, Lilith7. Appreciated.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I knew. But I was educated by a soldier father. And even more so by a husband who liked to reload his own shells.

[yousnoozeyoulose]

Amused when he asked what it was to the young reporter that had to be assigned to stand in front of it, and the reporter avoided answering the question. Nobody knew.

TBF, I'd never heard of a shot tower before now, but I'm young and stupid. None of my computer games had shot towers in them, and they'd never been referenced by The Simpsons - so how else would I know about them...

I was more surprised that it hadn't been bowled over to squeeze in a few more shoebox apartments.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Hang on though... Why are we poking borax at people who don't know something, and ask questions? The only stupid question is the one not asked. And the wisest answer is 'I don't know, but I know how to find out...'

[Lilith7]

I'd not heard of them before, but the words Mt Eden' & 'shot tower' immediately made me think of a tower from which wardens could shoot any would be prison escapers...

Yes, I know - slightly weird.
And you're right Hunni; the stupid question is the one not asked. That's one of the ways in which we learn.

[king1]

I'd not heard of them before, but the words Mt Eden' & 'shot tower' immediately made me think of a tower from which wardens could shoot any would be prison escapers...

TBH my first thought was something you might buy at a cocktail bar... 

that probably speaks volumes about something .

[Olive]

Hang on though... Why are we poking borax at people who don't know something, and ask questions? The only stupid question is the one not asked. And the wisest answer is 'I don't know, but I know how to find out...'

Yes. I happen to know what a shot tower is, but there are millions of other thing I don"t know. I bet there are many things that Dallow knows that the OP doesn't. It's unreasonable to expect a tv news presenter to know everything, that's not what his role is.

[Zurdo]

I'm surprised people from Auckland don't know about the shot tower and what it was for...I thought it was common knowledge. I did work in the area once, but have always known about the shot tower.

[Roscoe]

Hang on though... Why are we poking borax at people who don't know something, and ask questions? The only stupid question is the one not asked. And the wisest answer is 'I don't know, but I know how to find out...'

Yes.  I happen to know what a shot tower is, but there are millions of other thing I don"t know.  I bet there are many things that Dallow knows that the OP doesn't.  It's unreasonable to expect a tv news presenter to know everything, that's not what his role is.

I was not commenting so much on the fact that Simon Dallow did not know what a shot tower was. I was making the point that he admitted to the entire country that he was ignorant of the fact instead of doing a bit of research. As I have said, it's not difficult. EVERYONE has heard of Google. I would have thought that he would have either asked around TVNZ or had a look on Google rather than telling everyone that he had no idea. Why would you want to tell all the country that you were ignorant of the fact? He's a good announcer but, it seems by his own admission, not too knowledgeable.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Oh rubbish, it wasn't planned. He asked the on site reporter what it was, and neither of them knew. Bet they do now thanks to the world of nerds...

[Lilith7]

Oh rubbish, it wasn't planned. He asked the on site reporter what it was, and neither of them knew. Bet they do now thanks to the world of nerds...

Well then - imagine a future, where everyone knows absolutely everything thanks to google.

Slightly different to a past where some knew lots thanks to encyclopedias.

Or perhaps a future where everyone knows everything because we have AI at our beck & call....

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Or worse, imagine working at a job where your every move was watched, judged and commented on. Maybe an A I could do that. Bearing in mind AI is actually built and programmed by human beings and therefore could well carry all the biases, attitudes, and errors that humans are prone to.

Sometimes I think we forget we are all fallible and accordingly expect everyone else not to be, including AI. And our leaders, and celebs, and other tall poppies. Fame and fortune do not make us gods.

[Lilith7]

Or worse, imagine working at a job where your every move was watched, judged and commented on. Maybe an A I could do that. Bearing in mind AI is actually built and programmed by human beings and therefore could well carry all the biases, attitudes, and errors that humans are prone to.

Sometimes I think we forget we are all fallible and accordingly expect everyone else not to be, including AI. And our leaders, and celebs, and other tall poppies. Fame and fortune do not make us gods.

Thank the powers that be for that!



Although....possibly there's a case to be made for god status being attached to older people; the ones who make it to say just for the sake of a number, 65....

Could come in very handy, that.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Or worse, imagine working at a job where your every move was watched, judged and commented on. Maybe an A I could do that. Bearing in mind AI is actually built and programmed by human beings and therefore could well carry all the biases, attitudes, and errors that humans are prone to.

Sometimes I think we forget we are all fallible and accordingly expect everyone else not to be, including AI. And our leaders, and celebs, and other tall poppies. Fame and fortune do not make us gods.

Thank the powers that be for that!



Although....possibly there's a case to be made for god status being attached to older people; the ones who make it to say just for the sake of a number, 65....

Could come in very handy, that.

Do we get points for being post 65?

And can we exchange those for wine?

[nzoomed]

I noticed that on the TV too, they just called it a "tower" it's quite a historic landmark in Auckland and I think it was used for as long as CAC operated in Auckland.
The UK only has one remaining shot tower in operation owned by gamebore, they say it still makes the best quality shot.
And yes the 100+ year old tower stood up well!

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I noticed that on the TV too, they just called it a "tower" it's quite a historic landmark in Auckland and I think it was used for as long as CAC operated in Auckland.
The UK only has one remaining shot tower in operation owned by gamebore,  they say it still makes the best quality shot.
And yes the 100+ year old tower stood up well!

The thing that got to me though was the fact some people were ripping the red sticker off their buildings and just going on in, and business owners were expressing doubt about the reasoning behind the stickering, and the way information was being made available. No doubt, had buildings collapsed around their heads they'd be looking to blame someone for that too.

The meaning of the words 'state of emergency' seem incomprehensible to some.