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MigL

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Everything posted by MigL

  1. Here is the way I envision it working. The nuclear power plant is sized to provide a median output, between the low draw periods ( like at night ), and the peak draw periods ( during the day ). The excess power generated during the low draw periods is used to charge a battery, heat steam, or pump water to a higher reservoir. When power isn't enough to supply the peak draw, it is topped-up from the battery, steam driven turbines, or water driven hydroelectric from the elevated reservoir ( dam ? ) The same can be done with renewables, but instead of high and low power draws, you have to consider high and low power generation. You generate more when wind/sun/tides are favorable, store the excess, and draw from it when conditions are unfavorable. As I said, I can see batteries for small scale applications, but to power a city they might not be feasible.
  2. A regular PC power supply is approx. 6 x 6 x 4 inches and will put out 300-400 watts. At least 5v@12a and 12v@12a with trivial amounts on the -5v and -12v rails. You can easily find smaller power supplies made for small form factor PCs that are about3 x 3 x 6 in., and will do about 180 watts; that should be able to supply you with plenty of well regulated 5v and 12v for your needs, without trying to step-up a 5v supply to 12v.
  3. Both nuclear and renewable energy sources need good storage solutions. Nuclear cannot do variable power output ( too quickly ) so it cannot ramp up for 'peak' times. While renewables cannot supply continuous power ( intermittent, depending on Sun, wind, tides … ) While lithium or solid state may be cost effective for smaller applications, laptops, cars, etc., I don't think they'll cut it for large scale power applications, such as power to a city. I would think more in terms of pressurised, insulated vessels of superheated steam ( which would slowly lose temperature and pressure, and literally be potentially dangerous bombs ), or pumping water to higher gravitational potential, and retrieving the stored power through Hydroelectric.
  4. In a medium, depending on its properties, light is effectively slowed down by absorption, and re-emission, by the electrons in the constituent atoms. This process adds time; In 'between' atoms, light travels at c. There is no time dilation. If by 'variable' you mean relative, both time and length are relative and 'related'.
  5. The CMB is an Electromagnetic phenomenon. We don't expect Dark Matter to have any EM effects that can be detected.
  6. This is probably off-topic but it has to do with your assertion of how gas particles behave. Particles in a gas have a mean free path ( before a collision ), and a mean free time ( before a collision ) from which we can get mean free velocity, which is a measure of their kinetic energy, or temperature, and the density, or pressure, of the gas. If a particle is 'pushed' at a velocity LESS than its mean free velocity, it has time and speed enough to reach the next particle and 'communicate the 'push', through a collision ( and momentum conservation ). No such thing as action at a distance. If a particle is 'pushed' at a velocity GREATER than its mean free velocity, a particle cannot reach the next to 'communicate' the 'push, rather, it is 'pushed into it, and the next, and the next, and so on. This is what a shock wave is, and what happens when you have 'supersonic' flows, and the particles are pushed together into contact ( that is the only time you are right ). Supersonic means faster than the mean free velocity of the gas particles, and is dependent on temperature and pressure ( density ). Mean free velocity is, then, an indication of the speed at which pressure pulses, where each particle communicates with the next, propagate through the gas; our ear drums pick up these pressure pulses as sound. Sound is, therefore, a longitudinal pressure wave in the gas ( air ). Incidentally, if you had ^.02 x 1023 bullets ( in a mole of bullets ) they would act the same way. Welcome to Statistical Mechanics 101.
  7. So you are saying that because the Government considers it beneficial for the economy, people working, and off social assistance, it is right for them to keep subsidising fossil fuels ? Then if some other Government gets elected, that considers climate change more important than the economy, they can subsidise green energies ? Or is it only when you personally agree with the direction the Government takes with their favoritism ?
  8. None of the above makes any sense. But the one that really stands out... You do realize 'sound' is a pressure wave, don't you ? Do you actually know ANY Physics ?
  9. MigL

    Political Humor

    Sorry Joigus… Just like the Speculations forum has a requirement to back up assertions, the Humor forum has a requirement that at least one person laughs out loud. I believe Swansont is writing that in the rules as we speak . I'm sure they'll take them down once the statue's ready. retty sure the flags will be down soon. But when are all those clowns going to stop wearing those red MAGA caps ? Don't they know everyone looks even sillier wearing a cap ?
  10. I'm not suggesting the free market should be the sole arbiter, but it is one of them. And you've answered every other question except the most pertinent one to this topic. If a company came up with a zero emission scheme for burning fossil fuels, would you still object to it out of purely ideological reasons, and do you think Governments should try to make it less attractive to consumers by fining its users, or rewarding users of other energy sources ? Or do you think that is a 'decision' for the markets to make ?
  11. That's the signal from the beacon set up to warn interstellar civilizations that they are getting close to Earth. Home to a belligerent, self-absorbed and uncaring civilization … of dolphins! ( always blame someone else )
  12. MigL

    Political Humor

    The turtle joke is funny, Phi. Dictionary definitions are not, Joigus.
  13. Refraction is when incident light bends towards the normal, on entry into a denser medium; this is caused by the 'slowing' of light by absorption and re-emission. What do you think is length contracted ?
  14. Governments haven't favored vaccine developers, They have actually hurt them ( in a capitalistic way ). Can you imagine if only one company had developed a vaccine on their own? Can you imagine the price and bidding wars by Governments trying to secure vaccines for their people? They would become the biggest, most profitable company in the world, overnight. Exactly. And also like the example of 'extra' votes for under-representation in the past, which you are against. Did you misunderstand the point I was making with that post about unequitable voting rights to combat PAST inequitable voting rights ? Saying that something was wrong in the past, and using the same mechanism to 'fix' that past wrong, is still wrong in my opinion.
  15. Exactly. When the cost of the technologies to clean fossil fuel emissions becomes too high, consumers will no longer be willing to use them. And they decide when to switch, and to which new technology. no need for the Government to be involved in picking winners and losers
  16. I understand your point, and agree that is totally wrong. As is bailing out Big Banks and GM ( but not people ), because they are 'too big to fail'. But if there was a technology that would result in zero GHG emissions ( if that is the target set ), I would not have a problem using fossil fuels. Why should the Government have any further say in that ?
  17. MigL

    Political Humor

    I think you're confusing 'funny' with 'sad'. edit A lot of criminals will be able to spend Christmas and New Year's at home celebrating. He still has a month's worth of Presidential Pardons to go.
  18. J Biden has promised to rejoin the international community in the fight against increased GHG emissions. Whether that's done with renewable energy sources, or some other technologies ( one such being increased nuclear ) is to be decided. I personally don't like Governments 'picking' winners and losers in technology and industry, by financial incentives like rebates/grants or fines/taxes. That is not a Government's mandate. The Government should simply set rules/targets and it is up to technology/industry to meet them. I would not care if industry continued using fossil fuels, as long as they could meet reduced emission standards through scrubbing/containment ( or other ) technologies. If the cost of these containment technologies becomes increasingly high, and has to be passed on to consumers, THEY are the ones who will choose which industry thrives, and which goes extinct.
  19. Yet Swansont has just finished explaining to you that it doesn't. Einstein did NOT think light had mass and gas 'particles' are not 'stuck' to each other. And I hope you aren't hard headed and, at least, learn something from this, so that 10 years isn't totally wasted. Good luck in your pursuit of knowledge.
  20. The simple answer ? When they start acting like the current Republicans. Lying or hiding truth, manipulating people with fear, subverting voter's rights and democracy, putting military in the streets to quell protests or overturn legal elections, withholding help for people in a pandemic unless there is something in it for them and theirs, turning a blind eye to Presidential wrongdoings for fear of losing power, … How much time have you got ? Not claiming that the Democrats have done any of those things, like Republicans have, or have threatened to do, although they contributed to the impasse with the pandemic relief bill as much as they could, and they have manipulated the truth somewhat ( all politicians do, and call it 'spin' ), and voters with fear ( possibly justified ) of what D Trump might do. So overall, Republicans are 'mean', while Democrats are not perfect, but quite a bit 'nicer' to people/voters. A simplistic assessment, but far from untrue.
  21. A sound wave is a pattern of compression/rarefaction pulses ( of particles or molecules of gas ) arriving at a frequency. How is that any different from what you describe ? You have simply inserted a 'medium' for EM waves where none is needed. As this is in Speculations, you require some basis for this assertion, as it is not accepted Physics. Since these bits have mass this constant speed cannot be the speed of light. Whoa! So these 'small bits of mass' cause gravity, charge and magnetism ? How exactly do 'small bits of mass' cause charge ? And again, forces propagating at the speed of light are made of these 'bits of mass' ? This last statement of yours is very far 'off the beaten path' of accepted Physics. Sticking to it requires the overturning of almost all Physics and our best theories, and a lot of patchwork. That's a pretty steep mountain to climb. ( wow, that's a lot of metaphors )
  22. Ahh, but 8 million more people wanted a 'nicer' J Biden. ( or possibly a sane President )
  23. Bullsh*t about being nice … lol ? Are you laughing at me ? Americans are fairly even split on immigration, with almost equal numbers through the last several years for increasing, maintaining, or decreasing. So that is not a policy supported by a majority of Americans. https://news.gallup.com/poll/1660/immigration.aspx Yet only a 'mean' party, like the Republicans, would lock up immigrant children in cages. Certainly not very nice.
  24. How much is currently being invested in Nuclear ? As far as I know, while Nuclear power output has increased over the years through efficiency gains, new power plants were only constructed again starting in 2013. A 34 year break since the 1079 Three Mile Island incident.
  25. Are we replacing the wave nature of light ( the photon ) with a 'pattern' of corpuscles then ? I read that as a 'wave' of corpuscles. Only question is then, "What are these corpuscles ?" And why are they even needed ?
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