How many Soyuz launches have killed their crew because the rocket failed? Zero.

And if the death rate is the same, would you rather spend more money or less?

As an example:

Go to http://www.google.com.hk/
and put in
tiananmen square massacre

It'll show those three words in red everywhere on the page.

I can imagine sending the other vehicles the "signal" to head to my place for unloading. The security implications are tremendous.

The biggest single group of victims of Islamic terrorism and militantism is, by a long shot, Muslims. Even Palestinian suicide bombers are/were very indiscriminate and would often kills as many Arabs as Jews in the attacks.

You want a practical route? Buy a car or convert one to run on natural gas. There's tons and tons of it being pumped, for dirt cheap, and this will continue for decades until the easy to frack reservoirs are drained. One way or another all that methane is going to be used, you might as well burn it when it is cheap.

1. That's what I am saying. For the system as a whole, LESS resources are used if you do some skilled labor for someone and trade that labor for solar cells than if you were doing hard labor in your own backyard. Sure, people USED to do everything on their own lands, but the population has been too high for this to be possible for centuries now.

2. I'm saying that anyone BUT a hillbilly with no education or capital will get more usable energy, faster with solar cells than wasting time with ethanol.

3. The thermoelectric effect is useless for energy production of any noticeable quantity. Go take a few math and physics classes. http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/

Yes, but you can't grow nearly everything else needed for you to survive in your back field, either.

The point is that in the long run, cheap solar cells will be produced that need very little in the way of resources to make (whether it be skilled labor, materials, or energy). The fact that China can make a profit (albeit yes with some cheating such as a deflated currency, and no OSHA standards) selling them this cheap means that the resources in them are already down to moderate levels.

Silicon is pretty darn common an element. The rare earths aren't, but some solar cells types need very little of those.

Infinite states? Doesn't the universe have a finite resolution?

Also, doesn't quantum uncertainty and noise mean that regardless of the large number of states the transistor is capable of, only a far smaller number of states are actually distinguishable or matter in a working system.

It is a Skyhawk. They discontinued it at some point, but you can find lots of info on the web:

http://www.princetonwatches.com/shop/jr3000-51f.asp

When I'm launching my rockets full of explorers from the planet Kerth, we don't do aborts! If the engines are still attached to the ship, I'm punching the throttle and hitting the stage selection control! We're going to the Mun (or at least leaving the ground) no matter what!

Also, I don't do any pansy ass "test flights" guided by computer to some orbiting tin can! Every one of my flights is crewed by red blooded, beer chugging, motorcycle riding Kerbals who LOVE it even when it all goes wrong.

SpaceX and NASA could learn a lot from my experiences...