Jones Beene wrote:
My worry is that, even with wind and certainly with nuclear, we have not done our 'homework' and may still be at a premature stage in the developmental process, and that the turbine is perhaps not the optimum way to proceed, long term.
This is a serious concern with nearly every technology and commercial venture. Corporations must decide when it is time to freeze the design and proceed to production. The decision is seldom easy. If you commit to one designed too quickly, the product is soon obsolete. If you wait, the competition may begin production, grab market share, lower its costs, and beat you even though they have an inferior, older technology. Many inferior and obsolete designs remain dominant long after they would be retired if optimum engineering excellence were the only criterion. The IBM PC computer architecture is a prime example. Mass production of the obsolescent DC3 aircraft design during WWII is another.
See also Arthur C. Clarke's short story, "Superiority" (1951). - Jed
