Technology, Science and the Environment.

[The Bear]

"The technology giant's Sycamore quantum processor was able to perform a specific task in 200 seconds that would take the world's best supercomputer 10,000 years to complete."

 

Was it, working out why the Kardashians are famous? 

[The Bear]

On 23/10/2019 at 02:46, leicsmac said:

Another example of a Brit working in the shed to change the world. The better we get at energy storage, the more easily renewable options will become viable due to efficiency.

Reminds me of this I read a few days ago. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7592485/amp/Father-eight-invents-electric-car-battery-drivers-1-500-miles-without-charging-it.html

 

 

Great news if his claims are true. 

[WigstonWanderer]

5 hours ago, The Bear said:

Reminds me of this I read a few days ago. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7592485/amp/Father-eight-invents-electric-car-battery-drivers-1-500-miles-without-charging-it.html

 

 

Great news if his claims are true. 

Really hope this is true and doesn’t turn out to be another “cold fusion”

[Strokes]

6 hours ago, The Bear said:

Reminds me of this I read a few days ago. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7592485/amp/Father-eight-invents-electric-car-battery-drivers-1-500-miles-without-charging-it.html

 

 

Great news if his claims are true. 

That would change everything regarding electric vehicles in a commercial sense. 
I need a van for work, it’s essential tool to my job. I do 45-50k miles a year and the limitations of current electric powered vehicles would make it near impossible. Interesting that he is talking of a cheap conversation kit too.

[Vacamion]

 

The picture of him holding up a box looks suspiciously like on The IT Crowd where they had the internet in a box. 

 

 

[The Bear]

On 24/10/2019 at 21:49, Strokes said:

That would change everything regarding electric vehicles in a commercial sense. 
I need a van for work, it’s essential tool to my job. I do 45-50k miles a year and the limitations of current electric powered vehicles would make it near impossible. Interesting that he is talking of a cheap conversation kit too.

You could easily do it now as long as you have somewhere to charge it safely overnight. You can get 200+ miles of charge in 8 hours nowadays. You're not going to do that sort of mileage every day. 

Edited 27 October 2019 by The Bear

[Strokes]

9 minutes ago, The Bear said:

You could easily do it now as long as you have somewhere to charge it safely overnight. You can get 200+ miles of charge in 8 hours nowadays. You're not going to do that sort of mileage every day. 

That’s the thing though, charging it whilst stopping away in hotels is not really possible. 
Also you won’t get that sort of mileage in a big van pulling a heavy load, with ladders on the roof affecting aerodynamics.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49774339

 

Still trying to figure the mystery of what makes the Universe expand as fast as it does.

[leicsmac]

In Anthropology Today:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50210701

 

Out of Botswana, it would seem.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-50213846

 

The more we learn about ancient civilisational structure, the more advanced it seems to get.

[UniFox21]

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/oct/31/measles-wipes-out-immune-systems-memory-study-finds?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

 

In unvaccinated people (4-17yr olds tested), measles seems to be able to reduce the number of memory cells they have, meaning they lose immunity to other diseases they may have developed over the years. Majorly weakening your immune system. Whereas in a vaccinated person, this phenomena isn't seen witnessed. MMR produces immunity to measles, but also prevents this anti immunity effect from happening. 

[The Bear]

I wonder if that property could be used to help treat severe auto-immune diseases? 

[UniFox21]

1 hour ago, The Bear said:

I wonder if that property could be used to help treat severe auto-immune diseases? 

If they identify the mechanism, potentially could do. If they're able to target the B cells that are destroyed rather than a large amount removed, you'd potentially be able to target the memory cells behind auto-immunity. Would possibly reduce the severity, but you'd then need to target the initial T cells that target the identify the 'self' as a foreign object

[The Bear]

I see... 

 

He said lying as though he understood! 

 

I have Ulcerative Colitis which is an auto-immune disease, though it's not as bad as others like AIDS. 

Edited 1 November 2019 by The Bear

[leicsmac]

I learned something new today. Thank you both!

 

In other news:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50092540

 

It's interesting that both sides want to solve the problem but approach it from different directions - tbh I'll take whatever one is proven to be effective.

 

Not so interesting to see so many neo-Malthusians going "too many people" in the comments, though.

[UniFox21]

2 hours ago, The Bear said:

I see... 

 

He said lying as though he understood! 

 

I have Ulcerative Colitis which is an auto-immune disease, though it's not as bad as others like AIDS. 

Sorry I did a lot of immune system in my degree so get a bit carried away 

 

So the mechanism would potentially be able to remove the memory cells which cause the big immune response against yourself, which would be great. But the issue is then if you'd take out your antibodies for various other diseases, so could leave you open to an attack from things like tetanus etc 

 

But, you'd then need to somehow hit the

cells that start all your immune responses which think the part of you is foreign and needs removing. 

 

It's all fairly long winded and looks to be a fair bit down the road for now

[WigstonWanderer]

Good to see fracking has been banned.

[leicsmac]

8 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Good to see fracking has been banned.

Good to see that the UK government is more willing to listen to data produced by its scientific thinktanks than governments elsewhere.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50264797

 

Some more good news, too.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50302392

 

This is not an insurmountable problem - and there are solutions.

[MC Prussian]

5 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50302392

 

This is not an insurmountable problem - and there are solutions.

See, there's two issues here with that list

a) It includes a large amount of people that have little to no expertise in climate science

b) All the people that have signed up on it believe we are facing a climate emergency, but they do not know - "declaring" it is just another way of twisting words, as does the use of the word "emergency" for populist reasons

 

In the end, I'd say the study's just another measure in order to instill public fear and argumentation based on emotions, rather than facts.

[UniFox21]

6 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50302392

 

This is not an insurmountable problem - and there are solutions.

Considering the amount of data that study had, it's hardly used and not well presented.

 

It isn't a great paper, but the message is clear enough, the problems aren't colossal and we can do something about it. 

[The Bear]

1 hour ago, MC Prussian said:

See, there's two issues here with that list

 

a) It includes a large amount of people that have little to no expertise in climate science

 

Maybe its because most sensible scientists know to trust those who are experts in the field.

 

And when you reference scientists or authors who are sceptics but AREN'T climate scientists, then that point still must be valid.

[UniFox21]

16 minutes ago, The Bear said:

 

Maybe its because most sensible scientists know to trust those who are experts in the field.

 

And when you reference scientists or authors who are sceptics but AREN'T climate scientists, then that point still must be valid.

It annoys me when scientists do that. Any one with knowledge of the field will be able to see what they've done, but those alien to the subject won't and its those they try to fool. 

[MC Prussian]

22 minutes ago, The Bear said:

Maybe its because most sensible scientists know to trust those who are experts in the field.

 

And when you reference scientists or authors who are sceptics but AREN'T climate scientists, then that point still must be valid.

Maybe it's because bandwagonery is better than sticking out of the crowd individually.

Climate Activism to me is just the newest fad.

[yorkie1999]

On 24/10/2019 at 15:24, The Bear said:

Reminds me of this I read a few days ago. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7592485/amp/Father-eight-invents-electric-car-battery-drivers-1-500-miles-without-charging-it.html

 

 

Great news if his claims are true. 

"Jackson gave me a demonstration. He cut off the top of a can of Coke, drained it, filled it with the electrolyte, and clipped electrodes to it, powering a small propeller."

 

 Aluminium cans are lined with a baked on lacquer to prevent contamination from their contents.

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, MC Prussian said:

Maybe it's because bandwagonery is better than sticking out of the crowd individually.

Climate Activism to me is just the newest fad.

Couple of things:

 

First off, you didn't answer The Bears point about expecting a burden of proof that is not only unrealistic but above anything that you offer in refutation to the original idea, which isn't brilliant considering the burden of proof for this idea (that climate change is somehow a con) lies with you anyway.

 

Secondly, though there is a nonzero probability that you are right and the vast majority of climate scientists are either inept or corrupt, while there is no certainty either way the actions laid out in the Beeb article are *still* the most sensible and risk averse to take - because their cost if not needed pales in comparison to the cost if they are needed but not applied (Pascals Wager), and because applying such ideas will help the world in manifold other ways anyway.