While searching for something else in my boxes of decaying paper files recently, I ran across a couple of articles I wrote for publication in 1987/88. … [Read more...]
More on Electrics and Hybrids
October 12, 2010 by
My post here has led to some interesting email exchanges. I'm reposting one of them here, which was triggered by someone criticizing the Chevy Volt as "just another hybrid" instead of a "real" electric car. … [Read more...]
Engineering Education in Georgia
October 11, 2010 by
I spent part of this evening at a great event sponsored by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce to commemorate the launch of ATDC Gwinnett -- a joint effort between Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. It's proof that the traditional rival universities can work well together. But, at every turn for the last few weeks, I've been asked: "What … [Read more...]
Charge!
October 7, 2010 by
You know what puzzles me? I live in the ideal demographic for the Chevy Volt: Midtown Atlanta, very environmentally conscious, lots of people who choose to live close to their jobs (Georgia Tech, Emory, CDC are all represented on my street), and lousy public transport. So a zero-local-emissions car with very limited range would actually fit … [Read more...]
Gubernatorial Succession?
September 24, 2010 by
So I'm reading the Georgia Constitution. Article V, Section I says, in part: Governor: term of office; compensation and allowances. There shall be a Governor who shall hold office for a term of four years … [Read more...]
Notes on Brazil
September 22, 2010 by
"Brazil is the country of the future... and always will be." People have been saying that for decades. It's not very nice, but certainly nicer than Charles de Gaulle's observation in 1963 that "Brazil is not a serious country." Well, five decades later, Brazil is certainly a serious country. … [Read more...]
My Talks at DragonCon 2010
August 28, 2010 by
DragonCon starts next week! Once again, I've been invited to speak in both the Space and Science tracks (which are over in the Hilton, across the street from the truly crazy stuff). I have three presentations: … [Read more...]
Notes on China
August 23, 2010 by
It's silly to try and summarize the thoughts and lives of over a billion people by visiting a handful of spots over a ten day period. But I thought it was worth recording some thoughts on my recent trip to China, broken up into blog-sized posts. … [Read more...]
2012
July 23, 2010 by
According to the Mayan calendar, the world will come to an end in 2012. Books and movies have been written about how this will happen... asteroid impact, alien invasion, hypervolcanoes, you name it. Maybe they were just predicting the U.S. economy: In 2012, every business, including sole-proprietorships, will have to issue a 1099 to anyone … [Read more...]
Ten Books Everyone Should Read
June 8, 2010 by
I was asked to provide a list of ten books that everyone should read. (Not a list of "my ten favorite books" or "the ten best books ever written"... that's hopeless.) I didn't put as much time into it as I'd like to, since the author is on a deadline, but here's what I came up with. What's your list? A Step Farther Out by Jerry Pournelle. … [Read more...]
