Unlimited Power...Finally?

I have always maintained that God provides the things that mankind needs to move to the next level at the appropriate times.  In terms of energy, He has ramped up our expertise and energy sources to match each other over the ages.

First, wood.  For a 100,000 years, man used wood to fuel fires and cook food.  It was available almost everywhere and simple to obtain.  Still in use.

Next came coal.  To power the burgeoning industrial revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, coal and the technology to mine it and burn it efficiently took over from wood in a huge hurry.  It lead to transportation machines, factories and so much energy that peoples lives, and working conditions literally changed overnight.  The abundance of energy meant whole civilizations could progress to the next level.

Then came oil and natural gas.  These wonderful, energy intensive fuels gave us cars and trucks and tractors and airplanes.  They so changed the world that population explosions occurred everywhere.  Our lives are so much easier and better because of them.  And we hardly recognize the amazing and indispensable difference after only 100 years.

Then in 1945 came nuclear power.  Of course it took another decade after the bombs to harness it into something that could power the electricity grid.  But that of course happened and now the US has about 104 plants and the world about 350 plants.  France produces 75% of its electricity from nuclear plants.  Unfortunately, as the technology to produce energy cleanly became more abundant, the risks became larger.  I do maintain that the risks are manageable, especially with today's plant designs and risk management systems, so the hysteria caused by Fukashima is a terrible backward step.

But is that all?  For 60 years we have known how to make fusion warheads. It only took ten years to go from fission warheads to power plants.  But the step to fusion power plants has always seemed to be 50 years away, even with marvelous advances like the National Nuclear Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore Lab. 

Of course, the naysayers keep telling us we will run out of oil and gas soon. And out of nuclear fission fuel after that, if we don't irradiate ourselves first.  But my optimism on this is that God has provided these resources in a timely manner to be what we need to make the next step forward.  And the next level of innovation in energy will come in time before we run out of the preceding one.

Now, see the video of Charles Chase in this link.  Maybe the promise of clean, safe, non-irradiating fusion power is a lot closer that we have thought, maybe only ten years.  Maybe the whole world can be a "first world."  Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Popular Science:  Fusion-power-could-happen-sooner-you-think

Lockheed Skunkworks is talking about a working model of a fusion reactor in 5 years and a 100MW truck mounted plant in 10 years, and powering the world by 2050.  This date gives us a pretty nice cushion before running out of oil and gas and uranium.  Imagine the whole world with all the electricity it can use.  Imagine clean water for all, Imagine 100% literacy rates.  Imagine good housing for everyone. Imagine...Truly a wonderful future for mankind!  The ultimate gift from God!

The political ramifications, as discussed by PJTV:  Fusion Power in a Box

Unfortunately the boys may be too close to the mark on the political hurdles we still face.  Energy is civilization.  Let's hope the Green Luddites don't get their way.

Update on Oct 14:  The November, 2013 Popular Mechanics Magazine has an article on breakthrough technologies.  The Leadership award went to Peter Diamandis, creator of the X Prize Foundation.  This quote is from Peter:  "Over the past 100 years, the human life span has more than doubled, the cost of food has dropped thirteen-fold, energy has dropped twenty-fold, transportation has dropped a hundredfold, communications has dropped over a thousand-fold.  All of these things have been enabled by technology - and the rate at which innovation is occuring is accelerating, not slowing down.  I think we are heading toward epic, extraordinary change. I think we're going to transform the way we live, the way we govern.  I think every aspect of society is going to fundamentally change over the next 30 years."

And I think he is right, as long as we can supply abundant, economic and hopefully clean energy.  Fusion is the future, and I hope it is closer than we have been thinking.

10 Best Apocalypse Movies? Plus...Zombies

We've started watching Amazon Prime to get movies and TV shows.  We had thought the DSL connection would be too slow, but turns out it works pretty well for regular definition TV.

The first series I happened to pick is "Jericho," a mid-2000s show about a small town in Kansas after the nuclear bombs destroy a dozen US cities.  Entertaining but a little bleak.

So, that new viewing habit joins nicely with this link that I just got from a Guns and Ammo magazine:
10-best-apocalypse-movies-of-all-time

Enjoy.

And while we're at it:

Best gun movies:  what-are-the-best-gun-movies-ever?

Best war movies:  The-great-war-on-film-10-best-world-war-1-movies

Best calibers for zombies:  Calibers-for-zombies

Best guns for zombies:  The-8-best-guns-for-zombie-killing

And of course one needs to know their zombies types:  Know-your-undead-5-need-to-know-zombie-types

Zombie facts:  10-things-you-didnt-know-about-zombies

Ultimate zombie ammo:  Hornady-zombie-max-ammo

Lastly, don't miss this one:  Viral-video-the-walken-dead

Gun Control Fantasies

Here are some links that talk about reality in gun control.

First, Bill Whittle from PJ Media:   Mr Virtual President on Guns

Second, Wild Bill:  liberals-with-guns-wild-bill

Third:  Chief hoplophobe Dianne Feinstein's rhetoric goes over-the-top:   feinstein-legal-hunt-humans

And here, unfortunately is why gun control may do a lot of damage to our liberties this time around:
I-just-voted-for-obama-because-hes-black

Gas Prices Explained

I get teased a lot about gasoline prices.  One friend jokes that I get free gasoline from my former company.

Herewith, an explanation on gas pricing:  Gas Prices Explained

And furthermore:  Is Big Oil to Blame?

And this:  Who Owns Big Oil?

More details here:  Gasoline-Prices-Primer

Taxes:  (Federal plus State)  And California added another 3.5 cents in July to then be firmly the highest in the nation.

Firearms Companies Affirm 2nd Allegiance

Firearms companies are affirming their commitments to the Second Amendment and to free enterprise.  Decisions by politicians, in knee-jerk response to complicated and difficult news items like mass-killings, have consequences.  Some of the largest companies in the field are taking action.

See here:   gun-control-protests

If I had a daughter...

...I would hope she could do this:

shes-armed-fabulous-meet-13-yr-old-shooting-star-katelyn-francis


Any more questions about high cap magazines?

Preceptions of Beauty

THE SITUATION In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly. At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32. After 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music. This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. This experiment raised several questions: *In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? *If so, do we stop to appreciate it? *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . . How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?