It's A Gas

[Steve James]

You think $4 p/gal is bad? It's $10 some places in Europe --though it's less than $1 in Venezuela and less than $2 in Russia. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24896249/?GT1=43001

I still say that the breathrough will be when we can transform human energy into more electricity. "Civilization" will be insured when necessary energy production can be done by individuals.
Anyway, from the beginning of the story.

"PARIS - Americans are shell-shocked at $4-a-gallon gas. But consider France, where a gallon of petrol runs nearly $10. Or Turkey, where it's more than $11.

Drivers around the world are being pummeled by the effects of record gas prices. And now some are hitting back, staging strikes and protests from Europe to Indonesia to demand that governments do more to ease the pain.

It's a growing problem in a world that's increasingly mobile and more vulnerable than ever to the cost of crude oil, which is racing higher by the day and showing no signs of stopping.

"I don't know why it is, but ... it hurts," said Marie Penucci, a violinist who was filling up her Volkswagen to the tune of $9.66 a gallon at an Esso station on the bypass that rings Paris.

As she pumped, she looked wistfully at a commuter climbing onto one of the city's cheap rental bicycles, an option not open to her since she travels long distances to perform."

[warriorprincess]

"I still say that the breathrough will be when we can transform human energy into more electricity"-Steve James

Do you mean we'll all have our own personal generators to peddle before we watch TV or use the pc?

I'm not having a go...just being a bit blonde

[Steve James]

Yep, personal energy generation. No utility companies except to provide for public things --like schools or buses.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

people would have no problem getting their exercise if you hooked up their houses to a treadmill with a battery bank.

[Buddy]

Hmm, I'm unconcerned about what others pay. That's their business.

[Craig]

We're paying about AU$6 a gallon here in Australia ($1.60 per litre)...kinda getting ridiculous now.

[qiphlow]

are your gallons the same size as ours, or do you use those wacky english measurements?

[Darthwing Teorist]

I still say that the breathrough will be when we can transform human energy into more electricity. "Civilization" will be insured when necessary energy production can be done by individuals.
Anyway, from the beginning of the story.

Be careful what you wish for...



http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/ ... 78131.html

[Steve James]

Don't worry. We'd treat you very nicely as a battery.

Nah, it's not the same idea at all. Who'd wish for machines to use us for energy?

[Steve James]

are your gallons the same size as ours, or do you use those wacky english measurements?

Their galoons are the same; but their dolars aren't.

[TaoJoannes]

What about something like a Dune stillsuit that would have hidden levers and wires and stuff that could charge a batterypak you could plug into various things, or maybe download to a master battery repository or something.

That would be cool, Plug your cellphone into your pants, heh.

[Walter Joyce]

Hmm, I'm unconcerned about what others pay. That's their business.

When it comes to what I pay for anything, I definitely want to know what others are paying.

Its basic and known as understanding the market for goods and services, making it my business as a consumer of goods and services without a doubt.

[Steve James]

What about something like a Dune stillsuit that would have hidden levers and wires and stuff that could charge a batterypak you could plug into various things, or maybe download to a master battery repository or something.

That would be cool, Plug your cellphone into your pants, heh.

Astronauts finding new Tang in their own brand
Posted 07.19.2006 by daphne

More than making sweet, sweet moonshine, distillation is the process of separating pure water from any other pollutant that might accompany it. Like urine. It's the stuff of science fiction -- like the stillsuits of Dune, as The Big Wiper discussed.

This technology, while not available in a suit, has now found its way into our country's space travel. But astronauts aren't sprinkling Tang into peewater -- no, they've taken the process one step further.

Space travel is hampered by our current ability to efficiently provide water and oxygen for the astronauts. Both elements take extensive real estate and planning when deep space travel is considered.

We need about 1.5 pounds of oxygen per day. When a shorter trip into space is planned, liquid oxygen is more efficient. But in order to keep oxygen liquid, it has to remain at a temperature of -297 degrees Fahrenheit -- and the cooling process just isn't practical when one is in space longer than three weeks. The old process of "firing up" contained oxygen (actually releasing it into the ship by burning it) has been mostly reliable, but problems with it can arise. And compressed air transported in tanks has proved too heavy to be practical.

Another alternative is using electrolysis -- the process of separating oxygen from hydrogen -- to create breathable oxygen. Russia's space program has done so for some years now using a device called the Elektron, which uses electrolysis to convert the elements present in water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen gets dumped overboard, and the oxygen gets breathed.

But electrolysis requires water, and water requires real estate. Which is why NASA is turning to a new source of water: wastewater from the ship's crew. Yes. Wastewater. This means pee.

NASA has finally given the OK to installing their Oxygen Generating System on the International Space Station. While it won't be actually employed as the primary source of oxygen until a urine-to-water recovery and distillation system has been implemented in the ship, the OGS's inclusion in last week's space shuttle flight forecasts its imminent utilization.

The urine --> H20 --> 02 method of supplying oxygen to a shuttle crew is so efficient and saves so much real estate that the number of people on a space project could double from three to six. Even more important, this process also clears a serious hurdle blocking off-planet colonization. Astronauts finding new Tang in their own brand
http://www.poopreport.com/BMnewswire/as ... _tang.html

Actually, I think there is already a generator that uses the flexion of the knees to generate enough energy to charge a cellphone. There are several that attach to bikes.

[Michael]

Why is cooling liquid oxygen a problem? Isn't space cold enough to do that?

[Ian]

We pay $6 here. No big deal, though, because we also have a safe, clean, fast, extensive public transport system that can sometimes even be a pleasure to use.

I am profoundly indifferent towards the gas plight in America. It's only hurting because government has done precious little to alleviate the costs, e.g. by prioritizing rail and coordinating road usage.