Woo-ha! Ain't science something?

[Good Intentions]

Well, I don't have the engineering drafts in front of me, but I think that there are a few things that factor. It can't be a problem if it's an inefficient form of generating power, since it taps into a pretty much limitless source of energy. Given that it's Japan, it would slot into a very well-coordinated national grid that covers a relatively small area, so I don't see it as an inefficient because of trouble with distribution. I gather that in the US transmitting power over long distances is a problem, but the infrastructure in Japan is far better and the distances far smaller. Also, Japan is pretty resource poor, so they don't have coal or oil to burn in large quantities, and I imagine they're sick to their stomachs of shoal.

Anyway, the projections are that the electricity generated this way would cost one sixth of the current price of electricity in Japan (so, still more than four times as expensive as South African electrility). Here's the kicker: the first one is supposed to generate the same amount of power as a mid-sized nuclear power plant (without mentioning that the technology would likely improve quite a bit after a few iterations). Now, if you ask me which I feel more comfortable with, giant space lasers beat out nuclear reactors by an embarrassing margin (hell, it beats old coal generators and aluminium smelters as well).

[andronicus]

shoal

shale?

[Good Intentions]

shale

[YojimboMonkey]

I am in favor of giant space lasers

[Dee]

I feel bad for that spectacled bear on the previous page. She's probably thinking, 'Wtf, it's getting colder. Winter coat don't fail me now!' And also, 'Why are more people coming to stare at me? Leave me alone. '

I had a poodle once who was so ashamed of getting his haircut that he would hide all sullen-like. I wonder if the bears are feeling sad without their hair.

Spectacled bears are the coolest.



Also, anyone down for a meteor shower?

[coldforge]

shoal

shale?

shoah

[Andrew_TSKS]

Given that it's Japan, it would slot into a very well-coordinated national grid that covers a relatively small area, so I don't see it as an inefficient because of trouble with distribution. I gather that in the US transmitting power over long distances is a problem, but the infrastructure in Japan is far better and the distances far smaller.

This totally explains the discrepancy between what I'd heard and, well, this happening, since what I heard was part of a discussion about the US's renewable-energy problems.

[Good Intentions]

The US really needs to improve its power distribution infrastructure, though, from what I've heard.

[Andrew_TSKS]

You name a US infrastructure, we need to improve it. That was another way, in addition to massive deficit spending, that Ronald Reagan screwed future generations in the name of short-run prosperity. Infrastructure updates that were on a regular timetable from when Eisenhower created said infrastructures (think our interstate highway system) until Regan came into office were permanently put on hold under Reagan, and have never been restarted. Now we have a shitty obsolete power grid that causes rolling blackouts during California heatwaves and a shitty interstate highway system that causes bridges in Minnesota to collapse during rush hour. Whee.

[elpollodiablo]

Huh. I'd never really heard that before. Makes sense, though.

[diesel_powered]

PRIVATE ENTERPRISE WILL FIX THAT YOU COMMIE BASTSRD! INVISIBLE HAND! INVISIBLE HAND!

[Antero]

See the market is going to ensure that resources are distributed most efficiently, so if the infrastructure seems broken it's okay because this is actually the most efficient infrastructure possible!

Leibniz ---> Friedman

[The_Tourist]

don't forget our hundred and something year old water system.

i swear a major pipe bursts in l.a. on a weekly basis these days.

[Greg Nog]

Extremely gruesome pictures of a dude who got his finger crushed by magnets.

Like you smash a hammer on a frikandel (is a Dutch snack, a sort of minced-meat hot dog).
...
with every beat of my heart some blood was pushed out.

[YojimboMonkey]

That is gross.  Magnets Attack! is kind of cool though

[C of heartbreak]

This website that I buy science stuff from used to have a horrifying cautionary tale about a kid who's hand was crushed by extremely powerful magnets, but they seem to have taken it down.

[cold before sunrise]

attempting to locate articles testifying to the fear response in plants and how they are known to act as a community, proven by following the charcoal dyed isotopes from one plant to another as they feed and support one another, to beat on vegetarians a little... they've also found that mushrooms contain collagen, which puts them in the same league as animals. am sadly coming up empty handed although i've seen articles on the emotional - namely fear - responses of plants covered by both major science publications:

http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-04/plants-and-powders
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=vegetables-contain-antibiotics

[Bernard]

So I read the label on the baby's formula.

1st ingredient: corn syrup
2nd ingredient: vegetable oil

So, yeah. She's getting weaned off that shit ASAP, and I had better not get any resistance from anybody in this house.

[C of heartbreak]

I didn't know they made a baby version of Mountain Dew.

[Bernard]

All it lacks are fizz and neon.

[clare]

Wow. Corn syrup as #1 ingredient? That's scary....good luck finding an alternative.

[jess]

Is it HFCS or just regular corn syrup?

I was curious about how the natural sugar content of milk, given that, and found out that human milk has about 7.5% lactose, which is more than cow milk (5%), but still I imagine way lower than formula that has corn syrup as a first ingredient. Also apparently the fact that lactose is less sweet than other sugars encourages babies to drink more milk and thus get more other nutrients including calcium, because I guess sweeter fluids (like milk dosed with glucose) satiate them more quickly or something? I only read about that from one website though, so who knows.

[Bernard]

I don't have the can in front of me right now, but I think it's regular corn syrup -- I don't recall seeing 'high fructose' on the label. But then again I don't recall what I did five minutes ago, so.

Yeah, the funny thing is that I was talking to a mom friend and she was reassuring me that my baby would survive formula, telling me that when her husband was a baby they couldn't afford regular formula so they gave him powdered milk with karo syrup, and I thought that sounded like -- I don't know, like they treated a fever by bleeding him or something -- just kind of old-timey and awful. Then I was reading labels, trying to figure out the difference between two cans of Nutramigen.

Internet says:

Since Nutramigen comes in various forms (powder, concentrate and premixed), the actual makeup of the product will vary slightly. In powder form, you'll find the mixture made up of predominately (46 percent total) corn syrup solids, which are basically sugars produced through the dehydration of liquid corn syrup. The process of dehydration is initiated by introducing sulfur dioxide and other chemicals to the corn syrup. After corn syrup solids, the next ingredient is vegetable oil, coming in at about 25 percent and consisting of a mixture of palm, coconut, soy and sunflower oils. From there you'll find casein hydrolysate (essentially protein-reduced cow's milk) at 17 percent and modified corn starch at 7 percent. The rest of the ingredients come in at less than 2 percent of the composition and consist mostly of vitamins (A, D3, E, K1, B6 and B12).

[elpollodiablo]

Corn syrup makes stout-hearted Americans

[Bernard]

Well, I can see what they're going for -- sugars, fats, proteins, vitamins -- but dang. Some red food coloring, sugar, citric acid, and water thickened with gelatin is really not an acceptable substitute for a strawberry.