Author Archives: Michael S. Sargent

The Rain In Spain…

…falls mainly on the plain weekend.

(At least according to newly-published research by Arturo Sanchez-Lorenzo of the University of Barcelona as published in Geophysical Research Letters and described at New Scientist. Comments on the New Scientist page point to an article indicating that a similar pattern pertains in the U.S. (The Gist, Smithsonian, Feb. 4, 08 )

Neither weather report, though, rolls quite as trippingly off the tongue as good Professor ‘enry ‘iggins’ original exercise in broad velar enunciation.

MIT, Aussie Boffins Produce Cheaper Hydrogen

In last night’s Fast Forward Radio discussion of future vehicular fuel sources I tossed out a couple of bits of recent research that might make Hydrogen a bit more of an option in the intermediate future.

It seems that considerable advances have been made in the last few months in terms of generating Hydrogen from sources other than fossil fuels.

My claim of “near 100% efficiency” comes from this EETimes piece (via Instapundit and ChicagoBoyz) describing MIT research using a liquid Cobalt Phosphate catalyst to do the job.

“[W]ith our catalyst almost 100 percent of the current used for electrolysis goes into making oxygen and hydrogen.”

– Daniel Nocera, MIT Chemistry Professor.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Monash University scientists have succeeded in producing Hydrogen (and Oxygen) gas directly from sunlight and water, using a slightly charged (1.2V) Nafion (wikipedia) substrate doped with Manganese “clusters”. See this recent Gizmag piece (Artificial Photosynthesis provides clean, cheap Hydrogen) for additional details.

Oh, THERE It Is!

Last May, I reviewed Dr. Daniel Wilson’s “Where’s My Jetpack: A Guide to the Amazing Science Fiction Future that Never Arrived “. Apparently, the market heard this crie de coeur and has responded.

Gizmodo points to Jet Pack International’s new marketing video (set, you’ll notice, in a particularly picturesque Colorado locale) that draws attention to their new, improved, [as in 19 minutes of flying time, a 38-fold improvement over previous models] personal propulsion system. Available “early next year” for the low, low price of $226,000 (Hey, in the words given to Gus Grissom in “The Right Stuff”, “No bucks, no Buck Rogers!”)

Those not blinded by the Flash (Gordon) tech may recognize the picturesque Colorado locale chosen to play backdrop for our extreme commuter.

Those more familiar with Colorado geography will also note that 19 minutes of flying time at highway speed starting at this location would allow our commuter to touch down on home plate at Coors Field with fuel to spare. Given the ten-mile range quoted in the Gizmodo piece, our commuter is more likely to work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, though.

Looking Glass

Looking Glass Front Cover.jpg

Looking Glass is not the kind of fiction that generally drives discussions around this blog. It is a violent, introspective, dystopic, and darkly humorous look at a rough future through the eyes of a distinctly maladjusted anti-heroine, Dr. Catherine Farro.

Future Encapsulated

This Reuters article:
Centennial time capsule car found ruined | Oddly Enough | Reuters

Got me thinking about a couple of things. First, how might the time capsule have been done better (please confine speculation to approximately mid-century technology), and second, what would constitute

“an advanced product of American industrial ingenuity with the kind of lasting appeal that will still be in style 50 years from now.”

with respect to early twenty-first century technology?

Please discuss in the comments.

P.S. I think I’ll do some checking into how the economics of the capsule contents might have been improved. I’ll let you know if anything particularly interesting comes of that.

UPDATE (Moments later): a bit of searching yields a price range of about $900 to $11,000 for similar era Belvederes in conditions ranging from semi-restored to … iffy. A restored 1956 done by hot-rod legend Boyd Coddington’s shop goes for $29,500

UPDATE FROM STEPHEN:

I’m reminded of Doc Brown’s 70 year preservation of his time traveling Delorean:

buried_dmc.jpg

Notice how this was portrayed in Back to the Future III. Dr. Brown put the vehicle up on pylons. It’s covered. And it’s in a sealed room.

A mine would be far superior to a natural cave because caves tend to be damp (they’re usually formed by water). The preserver could choose a place in the mine where drainage is assured. Barring a cave-in or the renewed mining activities, this sort of time capsule would be perfect.

But even as portrayed in BTTF III, certain parts – like the rubber wheels – didn’t fare so well. Even a carefully preserved car would need a lot of work before it would be ready for the highway.

Where’s My Jetpack Flying Car? – Book Review

The moment I caught sight of this slim volume on the impulse tables in the front of my local Border’s, I knew three things and suspected a fourth. I knew that I would have to (one…) buy, (two…) read, and (three…) review it for this blog.

I (four…) suspected that I would be disappointed, one way or another, with what this book would have to say about those long-delayed dream gadgets of my childhood. But any book that cribs its title from the Speculist’s “Seven Questions About the Future”

Remodeling El Jef, week 1

Goaded Irritated Inspired by Phil’s year-long success on the weight-loss front (see here for the first and the most recent entries chronicling his progress), and not wanting my nickname to be changed from El Jefe to El Hefty, I’ve decided to embark on a program of my own to both reduce my overall weight, and to improve the measured composition of what remains.

(Please see the extended entry for progress to this point and other information.)