More liberal propaganda to justify our loss of lightbulb freedom

re-engining is completely doable, you can do a google search and you'll find some examples of B52s being used as testbeds for alternate engines. Because a B52 is a high wing design, ground clearance is not an issue.

Jet engines have come along way in the last 60 years. If the AF spent the time and money to actually do this (and yes, it would lots of both), they'd have a plane that's safer (even going down to 4 engines, the MTBF is so much greater in a modern engine it more than makes up for it), much more efficient (the B52s immense range would be that much longer, or alternatively leave more weight for bombs), and cleaner if you are a touch-feely environmental type.

Still, all these benefits aside, a combination of the serious up-front costs, and an Air Force who would rather spend their money elsewhere means it will probably not happen.

There actually has been talk of replacing the 8 50's era engines of the B52 with 4 modern engines (the same that Boeing puts on the 767)
Such an upgrade would give the B52 more thrust, better range, and a much more robust supply chain for spares.

As far as I know it has never gotten out of the proposal stage.

The only place that I know "disabling" shots are taught as a practice is in the prison system.
The system just isn't that concerned if the convict being "disabled" ends up dying. If the correctional officer "misses" and the disabling shot goes center mass, the only thing that is going to happen to him is some more range time

Its a really bad idea on the street though

The problem is that's where everybody lives. The great lakes states, which have plenty of water, nobody wants to live there.
As the rust belt continues to empty out, and loses political clout, I expect more proposals to get water from there.

Actually, over the years, automotive mechanical transmissions have gotten very very good. No, you are not going to match the efficient of a modern 6 or 7 speed transmission with a generator, a run of cable, and an electric motor.

electric motors are very very good at variable speeds and acceleration, but at a constant highway speed it makes no sense to turn mechanical energy into electrical energy, just to turn it right back into mechanical energy.

yes! that's how they do it in trains, but the automotive application is much simpler to manage in a purely mechanical! or mechanical/electrical hybrid setup.

It's especially bad with cars because of the emotional attachment. The reality is that across the scope of brands cars are better, much better, than they have ever been.

Getting a car to 100,000 miles without major drivetrain work used to be nothing short of a miracle, now the consumer gets pissed if it doesn't happen.

One thing is to look at stock photos of traffic from the 60's and 70's and earlier. The vast majority of the vehicles would be within a few model years of the photograph date. Go into a parking lot in a middle class area now, and you'll see no shortage of cars from the late 90s and early 00's.

I'm an active trader, on the order of about a dozen trades a month, not a "day trader" or a high frequency trader. I'd gladly pay a nickle a trade in tax, with the proceeds to go to better regulation. It would also have the effect of seriously hampering the high frequency traders business model, which is a great side effect IMHO.

Yes it does

That is simply not true, automatics will engine brake, but it might require locking out the higher gears as your speed decreases.

I had an "engine quits at high speed" scenario on a very busy interstate in Atlanta a few years back. The fuel filter on my Toyota Corrola (auto trans) plugged, it was completely fine one moment, and then it was like the hand of god reached down and killed the ignition. It was a white knuckle experience, but I was able to get over to the shoulder.

Coal is actually a little less an 50 at this time, and it's going down, not up, mostly due to nat gas, but also to renewables. Iowa is closing in on 30% from wind alone.

The number I've seen quoted is that requires the burning of 0.7 barrel equivalent of Natural Gas just to get 1 barrel of gasoline from Canadian tar/sludge.

Begs the question, why don't we just run our cars off the natural gas and leave the tar in the ground.

Your CRX is a dangerous deathtrap, the Prius is not, the NIHS wouldn't even let a company bring it to market.

It is also far worse in every single pollutant save CO2.
Also the way MPG is calculated is different now, more strict.
Also the new Prius is, if you go by the specifications a "midsize". I don't know about that, but I know my 6'2" self can sit in the backseat of one in reasonable comfort. You could not say that for a CRX. Don't get me wrong CO2 is bad, I'm not a climate change denialist, but the other stuff coming out of the tailpipe of 25 year old (and greater) cars is far worse.

Yes this is a peeve of mine, "why don't we just build cars like we did in the (fill in decade here)?"... No, actually don't want that, even if you think you do...

I've always been surprised that as progressive as Europe is about most things, their vehicle emissions standards are not up to American vehicles built to a 50 state (i.e. "california emission") which most are these days.

There is some usage of disks (be they CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray) in WORM archives.

A previous place I worked at provided an online service for medical data that was supported by a huge, custom built DVD "jukebox"
At some point in the last decade the economics of large hard disk arrays rendered this technology effectively obsolete.

If the dollar per GB economics of these disks were attractive enough, they could, potentially, make a comeback in applications that are willing to put up with the latency of mechanical part of the solution.

"their friends, family member and colleagues also reported that the psilocybin experience had made the participants calmer, happier and kinder."

In pharmaceutical parlance, Psilocybin appears to be a potent Assholeimase inhibitor