Ken Fabian

Not sure 'free' is possible. Our PV + battery fitted home uses almost no electricity from the grid - and sends more than twice what we use to the grid - but we paid for the hardware and will face replacement costs down the track. Too cheap for profitable commercial investment suggest that 'socialising' - treating energy supply as a government provided essential service - could be appropriate. I can envisage roofing manufacturers including some kind of cheap and easy PV coating as a no-extra-cost inducement but even so called plug and play doesn't quite cover all that is involved in installing it with the associated wiring and hardware.

As one of the most staunchly Republican US states, how much would an 'anything but renewables' energy choice be a necessary condition for government support for such a massive project in Utah, despite of - even because of - so much energy in Utah already coming from solar and wind ? How much is the massive energy demand of AI seen as a spanner in the spokes of renewable energy growth - an opportunity to shift away from that course - by people who don't really know much or care about AI? My cynicism - full disclosure here - runs very deep.

Here in Australia it is an offense - hands-free (bluetooth with on-the-steering wheel or verbal switching) is fine but holding the phone isn't. It does make sense. The danger isn't so much the talking part, but more from locating a ringing phone, looking to see who the caller is, finding the 'answer' option or conversely, the process of making a call out. Those do require a lot of attention and looking at the phone. >>Considering all the recent discussions about AI lying to us to satisfy its programming, how should we consider evidence of wrongdoing provided by AI ? For the topic itself I am more concerned for AI as 'expert witness' than for faking of evidence; it could become problematic (more so with news media than courts) but I think identifying fake images or documents may be less so (probably using a form of AI?) than assessing the competence of AI giving expert testimony. I don't know whether how cross examination might work. One AI 'expert opinion' seems insufficient for a court but the same 'testimony' across several different, independent AI's may be seen as sufficient - whilst differing testimony would see it rejected.

This did make me think about utilising that kind of expansion and contraction to make a solar powered 'motor - pushing pistons on an axle - perhaps for water pumping. I think it could be made to work (and someone probably has); I just don't think it would work very well. The versatility of electricity and effectiveness of PV seem to do these things very well already, yet are still a long way from the learning curve topping out. The hardware is not for home workshops but innovative ways of putting the components together can be.

They are slaters here in Australia. I haven't encountered any that roll up but haven't looked hard. No response from Ulrich so far. Given how easy to find information about evolution of tetrapods I am not convinced the OP was sincere...

I typed "Why are reptiles, birds and mammals four limbed?" into a search engine and got abundant references to Tetrapods and their evolution. Amongst those near the top were links to explanations of why that body plan is so prevalent and has persisted so strongly. I find it odd that you have not found and read any of those. Lots of links and references from a simple search to the fact that most species of extant fish are not tetrapods, despite the four fins if you don't count the tail form is very common. But six fins and tail are common too. Most living fish are 'ray finned' and are not tetrapods. Early tetrapods 'fish' (fish being a body style rather than a taxonomic category) were 'lobe finned'. Lungfish and Coelacanths are examples of 'lobe finned' fish more closely related to tetrapods - but aren't descended from them.

Should be useful for science fiction writers who are wanting to make their stories sound credible.

Hydrofoils ran regular services on Sydney Harbour for a couple of decades, up into the 1980's I think, ultimately replaced with catamarans. I think there were a few collisions with floating debris, that didn't stop the service, but I don't know to the extent that played in choosing the catamarans to replace them. Seems to me a high speed catamaran - any vessel at any speed - would be at risk too. Hydrofoils may be the better at lowering their working surface area to reduce drag and maximise speed but catamarans do well too. Hovercraft have the least of all I suppose but they have other problems.

I learned that hydrofoil boats are not only faster with smoother ride, they use less energy. But I also learned that their use is limited where there are things in the water, like floating logs washed down rivers or animals like whales and dolphins. Will we get better radar/sonar to navigate those shifting hazards? And drones come to my mind as a way to track the hazards. https://cleantechnica.com/2026/04/15/fast-hydrofoils-floating-logs-canadas-ferry-electrification-challenge/

I do think that batteries are going to do a lot more and sooner than most people think. Here there are almost more battery projects than solar and wind ones, with them becoming a ubiquitous inclusion in new wind and solar farms. They will give a huge boost solar and wind by increasing their effectiveness and reduce reliance on gas peaking plants (which have a price setting/price inflating role around here even without oil and gas supply crises) but also provide (already providing) solutions to grid chokepoints and (with grid forming inverters) giving voltage/frequency instability/system strength and provide quick and convenient and versatile solutions to inadequacies within the grid, often in spite of relative costs compared to grid upgrades. I think quick and convenient as short term fix in the face of planning indecision and uncertainty will continue work in their favour - and become a long term fixture. Lots of EV's in the system are potentially grid stabilising and decentralising too, especially with proliferation of charger fitted parking spaces at workplaces (which may have rooftop solar too), shopping centres and street parking; a plugged in EV being potentially a lot more than a passive load. And when a lot of EV's charge elsewhere during the day and plug into homes at night they will cut down the evening peak loads. I do think lot of overnight low cost power and EV charging like that has been a consequence of coal plants. And convenience. That won't persist and may depend on wind for overnight charging to remain dominant - or just convenience. People appear willing to pay quite a bit extra for convenience and if charger fitted parking is commonplace, especially if it is wireless and hands free, that will be able to take advantage of and better utilise daytime solar.

Whilst cherry blossoms in Japan by themselves are more a regional indicator than global similar records within horticulture with a variety of species - spring budding, flowering, Autumn leaf falls etc - showing that same warming trend around the world. We are not short of clear indicators of a major climate shift being in progress, just short on commitments to doing much about it. I think that if solar/wind/batteries had failed to break the cost barrier and begin to scale we would be in a much worse position, with much less progress on decarbonising energy. Arguing about nuclear, doing it at inadequate scales, with higher levels of 'but decarbonising transport is too hard and our industry is essential to the economy' (without battery EV's)?

We should be using PPE for every kind of timber and it seems like a case of some being worse than others but no wood dust being benign, even without timber preservatives or sealers. Around here the much prized but now rare Australian Red Cedar is known as a particularly bad one to breathe, as is Camphor Laurel (that smells nice), which was introduced here and in some areas has become a seriously invasive pest. There are others of concern. Use of silica coatings does seem to present heightened health risks and even use of air filtration for the workspace won't eliminate all dusts.

The Common Law system seems somewhat similar - not a written out set of laws (although Common Law rulings often lead to legislated laws) but legal precedents from past cases (initially cases without precedents) that can be revised case by case in the face of changing arguments and new evidence.

Whilst some jazz has made it into my listening it hasn't been the largest part so I still get some surprises encountering Jazz greats I wasn't aware of. I acquired a copy of a Monty Alexander album "Threesome" and was blown away especially by the bassist. Long time jazz fans most likely all know of (the late) Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen but he was a surprise to me. This guy just playing normally comes off as showing off, an Art Tatum of the double bass. Not necessarily my first choice for easy listening for enjoyment but well worth it for the jawdropping virtuosity... (couldn't find vids of him with Monty Alexander, did find astonishing classical bass solo but have included a jazz one with Oscar Peterson) -

An exception to my mostly live music videos has been viewing animations of biochemistry processes, eg this one for mitosis and the kinetichore -