I posted this due to the interestingly worded 'honest disclaimer'. The software licence is pretty good too. Sorry for the confusion - the link was originally to the disclaimer, but that and the post title were changed.
1,178 karma · joined February 28, 2010
It's also a common anecdote that having your ear syringed by a professional is one of the most pleasurable non-sexual feelings. So yes, it's a thing. It's definitely a key part of the reason I [mis]use q-tips. I'm surprised by your comment that you had no idea it was seen as pleasurable!
The cities however are very edgy, dangerous and of no charm whatsoever.
This article of course is talking about a very ugly and horrific side of the culture, albeit one that flares up once in a while rather than being ever present.
As it discusses, in the highlands the people didn't even know the rest of the world existed until the 20th century. They hardly ever went to the next village. It was extraordinarily isolated. It's also an incredible story, I strongly recommend the (out of print) book First Contact that describes how both the explorers and locals reacted to this incredible moment - all expertly documented, and recent enough that the authors could interview people who remembered it first hand.
The true highlands are not the towns this article discusses. Mount Hagan is a large bustling town with a main airport. It no doubt has much more occurrences of this ugliness, with communities thrown together more and the chaos of large town living.
The villages in the highlands, where I visited, don't have this kind of vibe, though I'm sure sometimes events like this could occur. They have a sense of community that we in the west have lost. For instance, all the children play together in one big bundling group of fun. The 8 year olds, 5 year olds and 3 year olds (with 1 year olds on their hip) all being kids, without parents (let alone a helicopter one) - though any adult might interact if required. When this type of community setting goes wrong you get the 'immune system' response this article describes, but this doesn't paint any of the daily positives when things are normal.
Like the author I'm optimistic that education will make the bad parts a think of the past. But don't think PNG is a country of savages - the highlands that I and my father knew, whilst transitioning in an exceptionally unique way are full of humanity as wonderful as anywhere in this world.
Now, electric doesn't mean battery. Fuel cells, solar, or even hybrid might all play a part. I believe a large proportion of energy consumption is during takeoff - what if you could draw take off power needs from the airfield rather than from the aircraft? What about hybrid - use gas to get to 30,000 feet, then turn on electric to go higher than that? Yes battery energy density is miles away currently, but if we avoid batteries in part, and improve them too, where might things be in 50 years time? The point is we are on the journey with electric planes, and the goal is a good one for reasons stated. Major problems to overcome - absolutely, but this is not a short or medium term prediction. But 'Magical thinking' required, more so than Dyson spheres? That's harsh.
I think Musk said he'd like this to be a far future project for him. He said he's driven by not wanting to go backwards - how space travel was worse than the 60s, as is air travel (no supersonic public aircraft any more). Electric planes - if possible - would be the solution to faster air travel. With Tesla and SpaceX under his belt, he'd certainly got the necessary chops to tackle it.
Incredible man.
-awesome acceleration due to instant torque and no gearbox
-amazing handling due to low centre of gravity (heavy batteries at the bottom)
-quieter
-minimal servicing / repair costs due to much simpler drive train with fewer moving parts and no fluid
-more internal space (no crank shaft etc - especially in the back row this makes the middle seat so much more comfortable without a big bulge between your feet)
-more external space (e.g the Tesla S has a front trunk (frunk) where the engine normally is)
-safety factor - extra crumple space with the frunk and no engine to go into your legs in front on collision
-cheaper to run especially in high gas cost areas like Europe
-some areas have perks like using the HOV or bus lane
-convenience factor of 'filling up' at home
The environmental stuff is all goodness (and other responses have illustrated how this still holds even in coal dominated areas) but for many is not the driving factor.
Obviously EVs are not for everyone. My analogy is that they are like SSDs - better in every way except size (range) and cost, and therefore not viable for some...but that will rapidly change as the technology moves on.
Germline cells are immortal, in the sense that they have reproduced indefinitely since the beginning of life. This is largely due to the activity of the enzyme known as telomerase. This enzyme extends the telomeres of the chromosome, preventing chromosome fusions and other negative effects of shortened telomeres. Most somatic cells, by comparison, can only divide around 30-50 times according to the Hayflick limit. Certain somatic cells, known as stem cells, also express telomerase and are potentially immortal.
I did some work for p&o cruises, on a ship that focused on round the world trips. These was one old lady there in her 80s who had swapped a nursing home for the ship - and had been there for 3 years or so. The food was incredible, she had diffent company every night due to other guests coming and going, was treated like royalty by the crew (unlike normal nursing home residents), and had an onboard doctor and nurse when needed. And all this was cheaper than any nursing home. Inspired idea.
'The recognition and financial support will enable us to expand our vital research work and protect many more rural farming families from elephant invasions.'
I was friends at university with Lucy - she's amazing and the success and expansion of this work will definitely be her main motivator. She's doing it because she adores elephants and spending the money on protecting even more of them will be her main priority.
Like all 'overnight successes' (she's been working on this for over 10 years) it's the result of many years of tough grind and convincing skeptical people you have a viable idea. It's great to she's getting the recognition she deserves.
It's also (unsurprisingly) really complex and I'm sure very far from their wine marketplace technology!