What is a platform? Detailed analysis

In every living and developing language there are words that have several meanings. Russian is no exception. Even the usual word "language" can be interpreted in different ways. This is a speech, a way of communication between people, and an organ in the mouth of a person, and some elongated terrain that has an elongated shape, and even a captured prisoner in war who can provide many valuable information. But in this article we will consider what a platform is. What are the meanings of this word? We will try to understand this.

Railway platform

The platform refers to a certain elevation, a platform that serves to land passengers or load goods into trains. Usually it is located above the ground level, level with the entrance to the cars. Platforms are both passenger and freight. They are also arranged in the subway.

In addition to ground, they can be high-rise, as well as used in monorail transport, whose lines are located much higher than the ground level. This is just one aspect of the question of what a platform is.

Digital technologies

In addition, the word "platform" is also used in the technological sphere (phones, tablets, etc.) What is the platform on the phone? This is the name of a set of computing or software technologies that are used, for example, in computers, smartphones and tablets. Most often, this name refers to the operating system of the device. As in any technological sphere, there are many phone platforms, but the most popular among the population or developers are such as Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. And recently all of them have received wide distribution both in desktop PCs and laptops, and in tablets with smartphones.

They differ, in addition to appearance, with their functionality and purpose. For example, Android is used not only in tablets and phones, but also in many other devices - navigators, smart TVs with Internet access, auto registrars, etc. This is facilitated by the fact that this operating system is free and has an open source. And iOS is a closed system, and although third-party developers can create applications for it, it is not as flexible and multifunctional as Android.

Oil

One of the most important natural resources, without which mankind can no longer do, is oil. This is so popular product that sometimes for the sake of owning its deposits wars were arranged. It is believed that the oil reserves on the earth are huge. But active mining, which grows every year, gradually exhausts them. If 50 years ago oil was beating from the ground with fountains, now even large deposits have to be pumped out compulsorily, pouring water in there so that it pushes the product out.

Now many developed countries are gradually trying to completely abandon oil, building wind and solar power stations, producing electric vehicles and so on. But the value of this resource is not only in the fuel that it receives. A wide range of materials is produced from oil, for example plastic. Oil is in demand so much that it is extracted everywhere, even in the oceans, by building complex technological platforms.

Oil Platform

So called special drilling rigs, which are not only equipped with tools for the extraction of raw materials, but also serve as housing for shift workers, a helicopter pad, etc.

The construction of such platforms began in 1938, the first of which was built in the United States. Since then, oil platforms are used by many countries, including Russia. But they are especially active in Scandinavian countries, for example in Norway.

Oil platforms sometimes become the culprits of severe environmental pollution. As a result of accidents, an oil spill occurs on them , which, being lighter than water, rises to its surface and begins to drift, carried away by the current. This leads to the mass death of many marine creatures, birds caught in an oil stain can no longer fly up and slowly die.

Since this is a rather complicated technical structure, it needs constant, attentive service, in order to prevent the leakage of oil or other raw materials, for example gas.

The largest accident occurred in 2010 on the floating drilling rig Deepwater Horizon. This accident claimed the lives of several people and caused the largest oil spill in the history of the United States. According to those years, even there was a threat of a stop because of the oil slick of the Gulf Stream - a warm current that warms Europe. But, fortunately, this did not happen.

This is another aspect of the question of what a platform is.

Equipment

Also, a platform is a certain construction of a technological nature, for example, a forklift platform. There is also this word in geography, it means a large section of the earth's crust, which is distinguished by increased tectonic stability.

As you can see, there are many answers to the question about what a platform is. The most frequently used meanings of this word we tried to present in our article.