[at-l] New Hydrogen Process (OT)

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

At 08:52 AM 12/1/2004 +0000, camojack@comcast.net wrote:
>As much as I hate to get into one o' these scientific debates, I feel 
>strangely compelled to point out that things undreamt of in some posters' 
>lifetimes are currently FACTS of modern life. Mathematics, probability and 
>statistics aside...look at all the advances in the size of the devices 
>upon which we are utilizing this venue.

LOL. I'd switched to responding off-list in deference to those who object 
(not unreasonably) but I hope everyone will get a chuckle or two out of this.

Take a look at this from a 1954 issue of Popular Mechanics which predicts 
what the home computer will look like in 2004 
<http://www.jimbullard.org/temp/2004_computer.gif>. I'd be willing to bet 
that my 5 YO Palm Pilot has more computing power than they projected for 
this monster.

>Why then, is it INCONCEIVABLE that solar power can be harvested 
>efficiently enough someday to be a viable resource on a grand scale?

It's not inconceivable "someday" but we're a long way from it being a 
"grand source" at this point. What is lacking is the push to develop the 
technology. Until there is motivation to go after it the way we developed 
the computer, it will remain a loooong way off. As long as we keep 
dedicating our efforts to chasing diminishing supplies of fossil fuel, it 
will remain a loooong way off.