* Posts by Doug

7 publicly visible posts • joined 17 Oct 2008

Smera tilting e-car debuts in Paris

Doug

@Kevin McMurtrie

So you're that annoying git weaving all over the road...

Never got into motorbikes, but on the pedal variety I can't say I've ever found the need to "turn left before right, or right before left" in order to "initiate the proper leaning angle". You turn, you lean - job done! This ... thing ... while narrow, does have the stability of 4 wheels, so no need for any kind of steering delay.

Virgin Galactic tests laughing-gas powered rocket motor

Doug

@LPF

"Sorry apart from brand name, what the hell does virgin bring to this?"

Um... a paying customer?

"Jesus Christ I'm sick of this parasite."

That's like calling British Airways, Cathay, JAL and all the other airlines parasites "leeching" off the plane manufacturers.

Darling's £0.5bn offshore windfarm 'leccy-bill stealth levy

Doug

Context

"As ever, the fact that most homes use a lot more energy in the form of gas or heating oil than 'leccy has been ignored"

Not unreasonable really, considering WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ELECTRICITY. Duh.

Since the entire discussion is about electricity generation, I don't think it's too much to expect that the vast majority of people without an axe to grind would correctly spot the context and interpret "...to power x homes..." as "...to supply the electiricity requirements of x homes...".

TfL cans mobiles on the tube plan

Doug

What's the problem?

I've never understood why people have a problem with mobiles on trains, busses etc. As far as I know, no-one's yet proposed banning normal conversations or mumbling nutters, so what's the problem - the fact that someone's talking or just that you can't hear the other end? Maybe if putting calls on speaker was mandatory.... :)

Seriously, there's full coverage in many places, and given the general level of conversation noise I don't think it makes the slightest difference.

Mobile phones to get universal charger

Doug

It's still yet another little black box

...that has to be plugged in somewhere.

With all the low-voltage devices we carry around and have in our homes these days, how about a low-voltage (12v DC?) "mains" system in buildings, derived locally from the 110/230v AC mains? Stick a handful of small connectors alongside each standard mains socket and design appliances to use it. Bye bye all those small and not-so-small black boxes that obscure mains sockets and collect in drawers and cupboards.

Mankind to detect alien life 'by 2025'

Doug
Alien

Absence of proof is not proof of absence

The argument "there's no other life out there because we would have seen/heard it by now" has the unfortunate side-effect of proving that we don't exist either.

We've only been messing around with radio for a hundred-odd years, and only the Voyager probes have ventured beyond the edge of our piddly little solar system, so to anyone more than 150 or so light-years distant or just not looking in exactly the right direction, we simply don't exist - and yet I'm resonably convinced that we do!

Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

Abu Dhabi emir rescues Thames Estuary mega-windfarm

Doug

Reasonable...

Since these things are designed to generate electricity it seems perfectly reasonable to me to talk about the number of homes that could have their electricity demands satisfied by the development. Where does gas and oil come into it?

We're still in the very early days of exploring non-coal/gas/oil energy sources, and this is how you advance - you try things. Wind energy may be viable, it may not. We'll know in a few decades. Likewise nuclear, solar, tidal, farting cows and all the other crazy or not so crazy ideas out there. The only thing we do know for sure is that fossil fuels are not viable as a long-term solution, If you accept that long-term extends beyond your own short stint on the planet.