--- Jed Rothwell <jedrothw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> As I wrote repeatedly, we can LOTS about volcanoes.
> We can't stop
> them, of course, but we can prevent them from
> killing people or
> damaging equipment unnecessarily. We can mitigate
> the danger and
> financial loss. Horace Heffner also reiterated this.
Same with volcanoes as it is with asteroids: we can
save lives if we know ahead of time. If the thing
blows (or enters atmosphere) without warning, people
die. Only difference is, with our technological level,
we CAN stop asteroids. Unless something happens a la
Jack McDevitt's Moonfall.
> The notions that volcano monitoring is only good for
> doomsday
> prediction or that the intention is to "do
> something" to stop the
> volcano are ludicrous, and unscientific.
I didn't say this. I said, asteroid defense makes more
sense in light of the fact that we can do something
about it. AFAIK, we can't stop eruptions. We should
still keep an eye on them, but the point is, if we can
spend money on vulcanology, we can spend it on
asteroid defense.
> We should also keep an eye on asteroids, and
> possibly develop a
> method of deflecting them. Cold fusion and
> antigravity would be a
> great help in deflecting them.
Assuming cold fusion ever amounts to anything. Look
guys, it is time we stopped messing with making the
most sensitive calorimeter in the world, and try to
make the stuff simply work. Make a coffee pot with the
thing, using whatever materials work, and brew up some
Maxwell House. Then Park et al can choke on their
java.
This applies to all claims of overunity (whatever it
is), antigravity (whatever it is), and so on. Doing la
de da de da is for later. Just make a coffee maker
with the thing, using raw heat, and that'll get people
interested. Why can't we do this? If it is so well
proven, as you assert, why can't anyone seem to
reproduce it? Why are we doing experiment after
experiment, changing things? Find one that works,
stick with it, and heat some water.
That aside, there is also no funding in the bill for
antigravity or cold fusion, or anything of the sort.
What's so wrong with nitpicking the damn thing?
--Kyle
