"There are countless horrible things happening all over the world and horrible people prospering, but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity or deflect us from our sacred duty to sabotage and annoy them whenever possible." -Auberon Waugh
Friday, July 12, 2013
Go, Canada!
Canadians invent human-powered helicopter (don't miss the video; the contraption is a thing of beauty).
That's a very elegant machine! Kudos to the young engineers for successfully pushing the envelope of technology. I rather liked their admission that the helicopter is always on the verge of falling apart in mid-air.
But .... their dream of having human power replace fossil fuel power? We've been there, and done that, before steam power was developed. And that's ignoring wind and water power. Thank you, no.
Bicycles are probably the zenith of human powered technology. And those require a pretty solid industrial base as it is.
Deborah .... If they want to build one without fossil fuel, then they are far from their goal. Let's see 'em build it without computers, use tools they've crafted by hand without modern technology, same goes for the harvesting of the sawgrass or whatever they're going to use for the thing. Make 'em go DaVinci.
Rman, beans meet blow torch.
Dave, no problem. They would have to carry a bar stool, pool cue, or a shotgun with a lot of rounds.
In those guys defence though they're just doing what they have to for their research - ie, appealing to the greenies who are likely to fund it. It is an ingenious contraption.
That's a very elegant machine! Kudos to the young engineers for successfully pushing the envelope of technology. I rather liked their admission that the helicopter is always on the verge of falling apart in mid-air.
ReplyDeleteBut .... their dream of having human power replace fossil fuel power? We've been there, and done that, before steam power was developed. And that's ignoring wind and water power. Thank you, no.
Bicycles are probably the zenith of human powered technology. And those require a pretty solid industrial base as it is.
Let them build one where I don't have to do any pedaling, and I'll be interested.
ReplyDelete"Yeah, ya can DO it, but why?"
ReplyDeleteCool. So, we've had a human powered airplane, and now a human powered helicopter.
ReplyDeleteThe next step: a human powered space ship.
Stuff enough beans into a person, r-man, add a parachute, and I think you've got the basics.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, might work Jeff, all you'd need is a source of ignition...a minor engineering challenge.
ReplyDeleteYeah, good luck trying to escape a sharknado in that contraption.
ReplyDeleteReplace fossil fuel power with human power? As JeffS notes, that's been done.
ReplyDeleteIt was known as "slavery."
Deborah .... If they want to build one without fossil fuel, then they are far from their goal. Let's see 'em build it without computers, use tools they've crafted by hand without modern technology, same goes for the harvesting of the sawgrass or whatever they're going to use for the thing. Make 'em go DaVinci.
ReplyDeleteRman, beans meet blow torch.
Dave, no problem. They would have to carry a bar stool, pool cue, or a shotgun with a lot of rounds.
Steve and Jeff took the words out of my mouth.
ReplyDeleteIn those guys defence though they're just doing what they have to for their research - ie, appealing to the greenies who are likely to fund it. It is an ingenious contraption.