China will figure all that out for us, they're like 30 years ahead in adoption of high speed rail

https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infogr...

Especially since the construction of the rail line is in a race with the electrification of cars and the transition to green energy, both of which are making rapid progress in California every year.

I've heard there are long lines at the recharging stations between LA and Las Vegas on big weekends. Obviously that's not great in itself, but it shows that 400,000 tons number is set to shrink. Of course you'll still never beat a train for efficiency in moving a bunch of people along the same route at the same time, like for a raiders game.

You think you can tell. Experimentation does not bear that out. I'm not claiming you can never tell. But you said 95%... not a chance, not even close:

https://www.timeshighereducati...

Interesting that AI is being used to accomplish this, yet if you ask ChatGPT4 itself what happens when milk turns sour, you get nothing but a straight answer:

When milk turns sour, it is undergoing a process of fermentation, primarily due to the action of bacteria. Here's what happens in more detail:

1) Bacterial Growth: The primary bacteria in milk that cause souring are lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria are naturally present in the environment and can find their way into milk from the air, from milking equipment, or from the containers used to store the milk.

2) Lactic Acid Production: As these bacteria consume the lactose (milk sugar), they produce lactic acid as a waste product. The increase in lactic acid lowers the pH of the milk.

3) Change in Taste and Texture: The increase in acidity gives the milk a sour taste. Moreover, the acid affects the milk proteins (mainly casein), causing them to coagulate or curdle, which changes the texture, making it thicker.

4) Preservation and Spoilage: While souring can act as a form of natural preservation (in products like yogurt and sour cream), further bacterial activity can lead to spoilage, where the milk develops an off smell and flavor and may become unsafe to consume.

The souring process is essentially a form of fermentation and can be both desirable and undesirable. In controlled conditions, it leads to the production of various dairy products. However, when unintentional, it indicates that the milk has gone bad and should not be consumed.

You can at least see the silver lining - the regulatory firewall being constructed to block high-tech globalization hurts Apple's sales in China, but in exchange they got protection from Chinese competition, namely Huawei.

Let's back up to step #1 where you claim Apple didn't make massive profits on the iPhone.

I dunno man. Hydrogen aside, Toyota's foot-dragging on full electrification in favor of hybrids is currently working very, very well for them. They are a conservative company for conservative buyers who want a low-risk and economical transportation.

Toyota Cashes In on Booming Hybrid Sales
Updated Feb. 6, 2024

TOKYO - Gasoline-electric vehicles are flying off dealer lots in the U.S. and generating a windfall for the reigning hegemon of hybrids, Toyota.

A couple years ago I was more bullish on Tesla leaving them in the dust technologically, but Tesla seems much weaker now after going all-in on the Cybertruck and now self-driving Taxis which they can't actually make.

I don't necessarily think it's "wrong" for these people to protest until they get fired, but I do think google has the right to fire them and I don't they should be able to sue over it.

China's birth rate is down to 1.16 - about half what is needed for population stability. The median age in China was 18 in 1970, 37 in 2020, and will hit 50 in 2050. All of this will make younger workers even more of a hot commodity, but they will simply be forced to relent and accept more older ones over time.

https://www.statista.com/stati...

And your response is, "don't look up!"

Tell me why you think animators in the West deserve exclusivity in creating anime.

Oh, I thought Stalin died from a stroke. But I like your version better.

People want to keep using air travel. And if making them (us) pay for carbon sequestration to offset the jet fuel burned renders it carbon-neutral, why not?

seems to be a problem for a univariate measure.

Does that come up in chess?

In "Infinite Jest," (1996) David Foster Wallace recounts a fictional history of video phones in which people eventually quit using them because people couldn't resist the temptation to increasingly embellish their appearance until it was all fictional and served no purpose.