Are there other reasons besides beam divergence to use a laser to transmit power? Is the atmospheric transmission better (my guess is no) or energy conversion efficiency better for the laser than a microwave?

Now, now, there is no need for insults. Let us give him the benefit of the doubt. Yes, the chemical energy contained in gallon of gasoline is 33.6 kWh, but there is no engine in existence capable of using 100% of that chemical energy. (As I am certain you know, the total energy available in a gallon of gas is probably much higher, E=mc2 and all.) How about we amend the comment to "The amount of energy extracted from a gallon of gas entirely depends on the efficiency of the engine burning it." I think that is much more constructive.

If an EV-1 uses 33.6 kWh of energy, that is equivalent to an internal combustion engine using 100% of the chemical energy in a gallon of gas in the same instance.

The amount of power delivered to the Earth from the sun is more than sufficient. The problem is, and ever has been, efficient conversion of that energy into a useful form.

Alaska's fucked.
Wasn't it bad enough when she was in office?

I might pick this spot to note that "losing a year to school" is not losing working experience. I was credited with two years of experience when I entered my job (Software Engineer, so maybe it does not apply) with a M.S. degree. It got me hired as a level 2 and I have two years on the promotion curve.

But yeah, go back to school and have sex with as many college chicks as possible.

Making later versions of software run more efficiently on a baseline piece of hardware may also make the software run more efficiently on lesser pieces of hardware. Does the increase in possible install base (since your software now runs on hardware slower than your baseline) justify a concerted effort to write software that runs more efficiently?

That is probably true, but their rounds of research cost $2M, not $2B. They are researching technology they do not fully understand, not building a machine they do not understand.

If any project was threatening to come in 5 years late at double in cost, should money just be thrown at it? Do not let the clean energy siren lull you out of common sense and good engineering practices. These delays and cost overruns are a clear signs of an incomplete design. Collect the designs, gather the lessons learned and start over. Return to an earlier stage of development, incorporate the wisdom gained from this project. Fix the gaps in the original design with real solutions, not stop-gap measures. And figure out your supply chain because "an unanticipated increase in staffing to manage procurement" screams extra support staff and middle management flotsam. Nothing makes project costs soar like additional, non-budgeted support staff and middle management. Stop pouring the concrete and fix the blueprints!

It always seemed ITER was started a little early, before enough was known to build a practical device. That is now clearly apparent.

Housekeeping / Chores 32%
Running Errands 2%
Research / Information Gathering 4%
Representing Me In Public 3%
Depends, Does It Look Like Tricia Helfer? 36%
Visiting Evil Upon My Enemies 10%
I'd Never Use Such A Device 2%
It Will Probably Use Me 7%

64% of you are liars.

How about the ousting and murder of the Targaryen royal family and the rise and return of its last daughter, Daenerys. Lord Robert Baratheon, Lord Eddard Stark and Lord Tywin Lannister, all betrayers to the Royal House, have all died betrayer deaths. Robert is betrayed and poisoned by his cuckolding wife, Eddard is forced to admit treason and is betrayed by his king and Tywin is betrayed and murdered by his sons, Jaime for freeing Tyrion and Tyrion for committing the deed. The question is whether Daenerys will return in time to kill any traitors left at King's Landing and whether she will be in time to save Westeros, for Winter is coming.

For what it is worth that always struck me as the main story.

Does kakro = buf?

If you go to his website, he has a large number of awesome reading selections to tide you over until Winter comes. I would also recommend trying out the Wildcards collection for something completely different.

How is the PVP? Can I get form a band of Merry Men and duke it out with a Nefarious Alliance of Evil? If captured, will my goodie be dragged back to an evil scientists lair for examination? Will my baddie be thrown into an asylum to be drugged and psycho-analyzed? Can I then do an escape quest with my main or run a rescue with my alt? I am just curious, because those elements would be huge selling points for me.

And why, may I ask, does fusion beat "the hell out of fission" in the department of long journey manned space flight? Neither provides thrust, just energy to run a thrust producing engine, e.g. an ion drive. Both power sources would very heavy, because of shielding in the fission case and magnetic containment field generators in the fusion case. If you want a long lasting, nuclear reaction power source, an existing, mature solution exists.

So, killing it after people have invested 5 years of their life at 98% completion is better PR than doing it earlier in the process?