Don't think Batman has ever had bullet-proof armour, apart from special-purpose battle-suits. The bright yellow emblem is armoured but the batsuit itself is only good at resisting knife attacks.

PS: I don't count the suit Jean made/wore to beat Bane as a batsuit.

"People who spend a lot of time visiting hospitals are more likely to die shortly thereafter, Slashdot scientists said on Wednesday. These 'hospital visitors' suffered proportionately more illnesses, ailments and injuries, CmdrTaco said. They also had a higher incidence of moderate to fatal conditions than normal people."

Sigh. I thought the point of research was to discover, inform and enlighten. Not just "research for research's sake".

- Edward -

Strangely enough, I think that two of the Scaled Composites test pilots are brothers.

In Manchester there is a franchisee of the Virgin group that operates a store selling bridal apparel and accessories.
It's called "Virgin Brides".

You sound like the author of the "Black Swan". You are both:

- correct on almost all points
- speaking in language that makes it hard to distinguish jargon, allegory and hyperbole
- going to be ignored

Such a shame.

I'll just comment on the batteries issue. Hot-swapping batteries to speed up battery recharge times is unnecessary unless you insist on recharging from a standard household plug/voltage. Also, you should not run your electrical car until battery depletion. That means that most of the time you will be doing a top-up charge, going from about 20% to about 70% battery capacity, which is quicker.

Batteries need some improvement but they are not the only electricity storage solutions. Capacitor based systems may ultimately be the future direction.

I have personal reservations about hot-swappable batteries. If it is possible for someone to do at home, somebody will try it. The prospect of a fully/partially charged battery pack being accidentally discharged by a weekend tinkerer is frightening. Anything that can release that much energy that quickly should be left to experts.

The first half of you post had merit, but you lost it (and my interest) from then on. The following quotes are the problem:

- British/American enlightenment devotion to the Rights of Man
- inflicts Hell on Earth on its own citizens because they might think there is a mystical element to some forms of exercise
- hardcore socialist (chortle) Barack Obama(snicker)
- Second Coming of Karl Marx

Each of those statements is factually wrong and would be misleading even if intended as hyperbole. You were doing well until then, stick with what you know.

I think the parent poster is confusing a memory protection feature with multi-tasking. With memory protection the independent tasks could be prevented from stomping on each others memory spaces.

Your requirements are absurd. To summarize, a feasible replacement car for you must:

- take no more than 60 quid to charge (or fuel)
- carry 4 or 5 large adults + luggage + 200kg of equipment
- reliably handle being driven for 3 hours at 100mph (average speed) on a single trip

From these specifications I surmise your current "ordinary car" is substantially bigger, more powerful and more fuel efficient than any Range Rover (or equivalent).

Every car, electric or otherwise, is a compromise in Speed, Carrying Capacity and Cost (Price and Fuel Efficiency). Don't conflate your requirements when evaluating electric cars, look at your typical usage and go from there.

By the way, building an electric car with those specifications is well within the capabilities of current technology. However, I doubt that you would be willing (or able) to pay the price required.