Post in GD about the crushing ignorance of people about the natural world

[XemaSab]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3715029

Edit: two posts:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3715200

[NNadir]

1. I thought this was going to be an article about the great solar breakthrough.

What's amusing about the great solar breakthrough de jour is that it wasn't even about solar energy. It was about electrolysis.

Sigh...

The more you learn, the scarier the general public seems.

[XemaSab]

3. Last night I was sifting through the E/E archives from 2005 and dude...

the more things change... :P

[NNadir]

5. I've started keeping a file of the funniest "solar breakthrough" posts.

Of course, my hard drive is less than 100 GB, so I couldn't possibly keep them all.

It's still fun to come here and chat with friends, but then again, there's a real life.

I wish that I had a nickel for every time the topic of "solar breakthroughs" and "world's largest solar" installations included a relevant point about how there were no molten salt reactors in New Jersey, but my pockets couldn't hold the money.

[XemaSab]

6. I was chuckling at all the "GM set to roll out a brazillion electric cars in 2006" threads

My electric car must have gotten lost in teh mail. :P

[NNadir]

7. Back in the early years of the website, they used to come with great scifi graphics.

I think we could all use a dose of the maglev wind tower or the solar power tower that reaches halfway to the moon.

[Dead_Parrot]

8. I still want the Salton hydro scheme...

As close to perpetual motion as we're going to get. No graphics, though.

Sigh. Happy days...

[NNadir]

9. It needed big glossy graphics and "world's largest" stamps all over it.

Then it could have been a "solar breakthrough," a "wind breakthrough," and a "geothermal breakthrough.

Oh yeah, I forgot hydroelectric breakthrough and tidal breakthrough.

[XemaSab]

10. You also forgot "energy storage breakthrough"

:P

[Dead_Parrot]

2. I know how the kids feel

I grew up being able to identify blue-tits in oak trees, but now I'm surrounded by Pīwakawakas in Kowhais and have to start from scratch.

"What's that, daddy?"
"A bird."
"Silly daddy. I mean what sort of bird?"
"Err, a small grey one with a stripy tail. C'mon, let's get some ice-cream."

...is how it tends to go. :(

[XemaSab]

4. I hear ya. I wouldn't know what it was either.

New Zealand field guides are hard to come by... in California. :P