Sixties view of the underwater future

[FranklinRatliff]

http://sciencemuseumofvirginia.blogs...of-future.html

[rwatson]

Hoo boy - some people have no idea of reality

[BPL]

Watching Jacques Cousteau when I was young with a popular mechanics open, I expected we'd have underwater adventure hubs and moon bases by the year 2000.

[rwatson]

I still haven't got my flying car :-(

[FranklinRatliff]

Originally Posted by rwatson

I still haven't got my flying car :-(

http://www.wired.com/science/discove...35&slideView=8

[rwatson]

I checked with my local dealer, but they haven't got any available.

Mind you, I was thinking the other day that I recently bought a new utility, with 4wd, turbo diesel, automatic gears etc, for the same price I paid for a similar vehicle over ten years ago, that was only 2wd, petrol.

Just to keep the same price after 10 years of inflation would have been a big job, but to increase the tech specs, and provide a much better vehicle for the same price is a major achievement.

I suppose I should not complain too much.

[FranklinRatliff]

Originally Posted by rwatson

I checked with my local dealer, but they haven't got any available.

Mind you, I was thinking the other day that I recently bought a new utility, with 4wd, turbo diesel, automatic gears etc, for the same price I paid for a similar vehicle over ten years ago, that was only 2wd, petrol.

Just to keep the same price after 10 years of inflation would have been a big job, but to increase the tech specs, and provide a much better vehicle for the same price is a major achievement.

I suppose I should not complain too much.

Wow!

(Originally, I only wanted to say JUST Wow! but stupid software demanded a nine character response.)

[masalai]

A new Chinese production? - Quite good by all reports, and less than half the price of the "popular brand" equivalent...

[beachcraft]

The Moller M200x reminds me of the iphone controlled AR drone quadricopter drones http://ardrone.parrot.com/parrot-ar-drone/usa I want one of those.


The Moller SkyCar has showroom appeal


Or the Terrafugia

http://www.terrafugia.com/

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by FranklinRatliff

http://sciencemuseumofvirginia.blogs...of-future.html

Early and mid years of the 20th century were such a great era for dreamers and inventors. And then, from the end of the 70's till our days things have changed. Something went wrong and the mankind have lost the motivation or the courage to carry on with innocent dreaming and thinking deep into the oceans and high into the space.

At what point did we get lost?

[rwatson]

Originally Posted by masalai

A new Chinese production? - Quite good by all reports, and less than half the price of the "popular brand" equivalent...

Hell no, I wouldn't buy any vehicle made in China

The first was a japanese built holden rodeo - Isuzu (which I 'hacked' a lot to get a canopy, poptop sleeper and canoe onto )

The second was another Isuzu - which I have yet to hack.

The latest Colorado is twice the car the first was in handling and performance.

[rwatson]

Originally Posted by daiquiri

Early and mid years of the 20th century were such a great era for dreamers and inventors. And then, from the end of the 70's till our days things have changed. Something went wrong and the mankind have lost the motivation or the courage to carry on with innocent dreaming and thinking deep into the oceans and high into the space.

At what point did we get lost?

I'm not sure that they have - they just got realistic, with knowledge.

In those days, landing on the moon was a 'big thing'. Nowadays its just a lot of unjustifiable expense that puts another few thousand tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

[FranklinRatliff]

Originally Posted by rwatson

I'm not sure that they have - they just got realistic, with knowledge.

In those days, landing on the moon was a 'big thing'. Nowadays its just a lot of unjustifiable expense that puts another few thousand tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

You realize, of course, the second and third stages of the Saturn V burned HYDROGEN?

[rwatson]

Originally Posted by FranklinRatliff

You realize, of course, the second and third stages of the Saturn V burned HYDROGEN?

No doubt - but space doesn't have a warming problem :-)

Actually - ALL phases burn Hydrogen (Kerosene, a thin, clear liquid formed from hydrocarbons) , and its the initial launch uses the lions share of the fuel.

The formation of the liquid hydrogen for the final stages, used a lot of power down here on earth as well.

[FranklinRatliff]

Originally Posted by rwatson

No doubt - but space doesn't have a warming problem :-)

Actually - ALL phases burn Hydrogen (Kerosene, a thin, clear liquid formed from hydrocarbons) , and its the initial launch uses the lions share of the fuel.

The formation of the liquid hydrogen for the final stages, used a lot of power down here on earth as well.

The main NASA source for hydrogen is natural gas wells, not electrolysis of water.