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Category Archives: Technology
ABM: Under The Dome – Safeguard
U.S. ABM system still fail tests. No dome of protection from current ABM choices? Another test of our antiballistic missile defense system this last June; it failed again. AviationWeek&SpaceTechnology, began its coverage with “another test failure casts doubt …” … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged ABM, Antiballistic Missile, GBI, GMD, HiBEX, ICBM, missile defense system, Safeguard, Spartan ABM, Sprint ABM
4 Comments
The MFTF-B story – Fusion or conFusion?
The $1 billion MFTF-B fusion experiment was built, then dismantled before it was turned on — our first sign of the politicization of fusion. Energy independence should be an issue important to everyone. Instead, it has been a p0litical issue … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged fusion budget history, fusion energy research, Fusion Petition, fusion programs, LLNL, MFTF-B, White House Petition
8 Comments
Open Letter to the OFES of the DOE
63 young fusion energy research professionals plead with the D.O.E to not end fusion research in America. The American Physical Society pleads for public support of physics research in general. The fate of American research will be decided in the … Continue reading
Darkside of the Moon – or of American Society?
There is no Darkside for the moon, but maybe there is for American understanding of science. Kenneth Chang, a respected science writer for the New York Times has an article in the 2012 Dec 14 issue called “Two Space Probes … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Darkside of moon, GRAIL, Kenneth Chang, lunar farside, Michigan legislature, new york times, Park College
1 Comment
Without action we lose our energy future
Want to change the future history of energy? Political pressures are dictating what your grandchildren will study about the decline of American technology. But we can still change the text in their books. Current options for future energy supply … … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged 47%, Energy future, Fusion, fusion budget history, income inequality, Mitt Romney
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Fusion Energy – Kill the beast
Fusion research will yield nothing if current U.S. “starve research” policy is continued. Fusion development must fail under this self justifying strategy. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory got all its parameters lined up in a … Continue reading
Energy Independence – Can Exploitation Bring Success?
Harold Hamm proclaims energy independence by 2020 – No not unless we stop driving. On 2012 Sep 13, Romney’s Harold Hamm proclaimed to the House Energy & Commerce Committee the the U.S. could have total energy independence by 2020. Mr. Hamm … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged bakken, Bakken Oil, Continental Resources, energy independence, Harold Hamm, Mitt Romney
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Biggest laser fails at fusion
NIF failed in its promise for ignition when driven by fully operational laser. Should this be a surprise? The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory delivered its entire laser beam energy to its target and the fuel … Continue reading
The Web Of Privatized Space 1 – Crew and Cargo
So many commercial players in space – Are they “private?” Can they survive? Today, there is a complex array of spacefaring private entrepreneurs, people who dream of making a business out of space related activities. It is easy to become … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged CST-100, Cygnus, DreamChaser, Energiya, Excalibur Almaz, Lifting Bodies, MPCV, Orbital Sciences, Orion, Skylon, SpaceX, WSPC
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Dreams – Deferred or Lost?
Strangulation of technical achievement indicates a more general social crisis. Not to ignore SpaceX successes, May was a difficult month to be positive about American future technical and social directions. These comments indicated problems: 2012-0506 Edward Conard was in … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Dennis Overbye, Dreams Deferred, DUSEL, EUCLID, LHC, new york times, SSC, Steven Weinberg, Tevatron, WFIRST
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Privatized Space – SpaceX
SpaceX delays launch to ISS again. Looks like they actually want to be successful. The hard-tech news these days is that SpaceX plans to launch a resupply mission to the International Space Station to test their man-rated Dragon capsule. This … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Dragon Capsule, Elon Musk, Falcon 9, ISS resupply, N1 rocket, SpaceX, Vanguard Rocket
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Fusion Wins Reprieve
House ignores Obama, grants required fusion research budget, but it will not be over until after the elections. Last week, we saw an astounding finish to the congressional budget assignments. Rather than finding its coffin lid nailed closed, at this … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged 2013 congresional budget, Alcator C-mod, David Malakoff, DIII-D, Fusion, ITER, MFE, MIT, NIF, Science Insider
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American Fusion – Twilight of the Gods?
The American fusion effort needs help to defend against planned budgetary destruction. “Bigger Contribution to ITER Erodes Domestic Fusion Program” is the headline in this week’s Science Magazine report by Adrian Cho. It refers to the 2013 budget decisions at … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Alcator C-mod, DIII-D, Fusion Energy Budget, GA, NSTX, PPPL, Science Magazine, Spherial Tokamak, Spherical Torus
3 Comments
Has NIF been retasked?
Have U.S. laser fusion goals been delayed by the atomic weapons establishment? In the news this week NIF (National Ignition Facility) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has had its fusion energy test plans slowed an unknown number of months, … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Daniel Clery, icf, laser fusion, livermore, LLNL, national ignition facility, NIF, Science Magazine
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Paul Wheaton, CFLs and Huh?
CFL superiority is tested. Here is the report I ran across this blog post by Paul Wheaton, a Wyoming permaculturist (his main thrust is about agriculture that is fundamentally sustainable and permanent), decided to get financed and do some tests … Continue reading
Mercury, Power Plants, poison
Remember our discussion on mercury pollution and fluorescent tubes? We pointed out that power plants emit about 60 tons of mercury into the environment every year, the nation’s biggest mercury polluters. EPA has just passed regulations to almost halt all … Continue reading
Posted in Natural Resources, Technology
Tagged mercury polution, polution, power plants, rand paul, sen. ben nelson, sen. joe manchin, The Hill blog
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Update — Fluorescent Lights / China
This is an update on the law banning incandescent lighting, see Using Fluorescent Lights -A Compilation. The New York Times (2011 Sep16) had an article by Keith Bradsher in the Business section, China Consolidates Grip on Rare Earths. The Chinese … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged Bradsher, CFL, China, Fluorescent, incandescent, new york times, NYT, rare earths
2 Comments
Using Fluorescents – A Compilation
This concludes the very long series evaluating our turn from incandescent to fluorescent lighting. This is a summary of the 6 posts. Acronyms:1. Efficiency Fluorescents-1 Efficiency From the manufacturers ratings, we found that CFL lamps used about 4 ½ times … Continue reading
Fluorescents-6 Environmental Impact
Mercury and heavy metals discarded into the waste stream have a strong impact on our ways of live. Here, we consider how discarding fluorescent lights impacts environmental contamination. This post is more heavily documented than our other posts because the … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
Tagged CFL, energy, environmental policy, Fluorescent, incandescent, mercury, mercury pollution, rare earths
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