This is pretty hilarious.
[Update a few minutes later]
Yeah, I should have put up a “slightly NSFW” warning on that.
Category Archives: Technology and Society
How Smoggy Is Beijing?
So much so that they’re showing sunrises on outdoor big screens.
The Heinlein Award
Congratulations to Geoff Landis.
I don’t always agree with Geoff, but it’s great to see him getting recognition for all that he’s done over the years.
Remember Peak Oil?
Out: Peak Oil.
In: Peak oil demand.
And it’s good news for the airlines and travelers, and bad news for the aircraft manufacturers:
The losers in this scenario would be aircraft manufacturers, which have built up record backlogs on a cocktail of high fuel prices, low cost of capital, and new technology. Lower oil prices mean new aircraft models promising 15-20% fuel consumption reduction are not as attractive from a financial perspective. Coupled with the current trend of increasing cost of capital, this could mean a wave of cancellations of sexy new aircraft models. Or it could mean manufacturers need to revisit pricing assumptions. What is a fair price for a new widebody like the Boeing 777X, for example, in an $85/barrel world where its annual fuel cost falls by $3-4 million?
All is happening as I have foreseen.
3D Printing Advances
Printing aircraft structural parts.
A Private Railroad
…is born in Florida.
I think a high-speed rail between LA and Vegas could potentially make sense, if they tunnel through the mountains.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Here’s an older article about the project. The FEC line runs a couple miles blocks from the house we own in Boca Raton.
Aspiring To Be Elon
Capitalism
Some thoughts on the false history of its evils.
Half-Price Gasoline
Manufactured from cheap natural gas?
That would be a huge breakthrough.
XCOR
An interesting interview about spaceflight regulation with COO Andrew Nelson.
[Update a couple minutes later]
I should note that much of this is ground that I cover and justify in the book.