Reality check time?
I sometimes wonder if schools actually still teach physics these days or if that's all turned into "let's learn how to turn on the computer and ask our questions on Google", haven't these guys ever used their brains? Or studied on what they're trying to do?
Almost every year there's a World Solar challenge held in Australia and the idea is to build a solar powered car which will take the contestants around the continent. Here are some of the highlights of 2015, notice anything peculiar?
If you look closely you'll notice that most cars are literally packed with solar panels and batteries, often hardly providing any room for the driver. We're talking Australia where the sun is almost literally burning, it's hot there. Yet even here do you come across cars which despite all the batteries, despite the massive solar panels (which are state of the art, when a country participates you can bet that they got some solid government backup) and despite the seering sun cars still manage to fail due to lack of power.
And these are merely cars which are very aerodynamic (as you can see), and build solely for the race itself. Their only obstacle is (air) friction, and their challenge is power consumption.
Think about what would happen if they had to bring passengers along....
Think about what would happen if these had to become trucks to actually transport goods around the continent.
And then think about the challenge of defying gravity.
So yeah, time for a reality check I think...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
