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Hamster-Powered Night Light
An anonymous reader writes "Though Skippy the Hamster powers this night light by running on his excercise wheel, the same concepts and low-rpm alternator design could be applied to a school science project using different energy sources! A small wind or hydro turbine could easily power this alternator. The Otherpower.com staff thought of building a hamster-powered nightlight a couple years ago at a rather, uh, soused company Christmas party. Then recently Analise, an 8th grader from Albuquerque, NM, contacted DanF through the AllExperts.com Science For Kids forum, asking 'Can a rodent generate enough electricity to power a light by running on it's wheel?'"
As the great EE and philosopher Bob PEase has said: "Only problem with a solar-powered night-light is the 12,500 mile extension cord"
Just a theory, but here's how I see society evolving:
1. Hunter-gatherer
2. Agricultural
3. Agricultural, with some cities and cottage industry.
4. Industrial
5. Technological
6. No more superstition or religion, ready to move on to other things/better places.
Superstition and religion are, in my opinion, vestiges of the caveman days when nothing was understood and explanations were just pulled out of someone's ass so that the rest of the tribe felt better. That might come acrost as flamebait, but I really do think that's how it happened. Faith (which is an odd word in and of itself) in something that can't be seen, does you no day to day good, and certainly can't be proven makes no sense to me. Let alone killing someone because they have a different faith/set of irrational beliefs. It's time for the human race to grow up.
Dude, fucking excellent post. :) You beat me to the punch with that joke. I wish I had some mod points...
Err...Wermacht had "Got mit Uns" on their beltbuckles... I think you got Adolf there by mistake. He claimed to be on a mission from God and was supposed to be a devout Christian (hence his hangup on Jews, you know Judas and all that jazz).
Additionally, as far as I know, Tzarist Russia was just as bloody and insane as the October revolution crew who were aiming at getting rid of the feudal lords, so Lenin is out. Stalin came later and had no excuse.
Face it atheism as a religion is no better than christianity
All religions, or religion like-dogmas can be made to serve evil people, Christianity (as proven many times throught history) included. What makes a difference is a conscience and that is not related to any religion, although most religions would like to claim that only they have a monopoly on it.
Ever see that old George Carlin routine about how god has been one of the leading killers of man throughout the ages?
If religous zealots don't believe in Evolution, then why are they so worried about bird flu?
Some would rather just shoot the hamsters, and you can too with Hampsterdeath, part of freepuzzlearena.
Please understand, this isn't intended as a flame by any stretch of the imagination. It's simply a criticism of a few of your points.
Superstition and religion are, in my opinion, vestiges of the caveman days when nothing was understood and explanations were just pulled out of someone's ass so that the rest of the tribe felt better.
This is still occuring it serves a purpose a very important purpose, actually. I hate to break it to you, but contrary to what you may desire it isn't going anywhere soon, and is in fact something you may participate in.
That might come acrost as flamebait, but I really do think that's how it happened.
I really hope it doesn't come across as flamebait, I personally don't see it that way.
Faith (which is an odd word in and of itself) in something that can't be seen, does you no day to day good, and certainly can't be proven makes no sense to me.
First point on this comment would be that religion/superstition do people ALOT of good in general on a day to day basis emotionally, at least the majority of the religous people I know.
The problem with this comment overall is that science is essentially a form of faith. You have to have faith that:
A) your measurements are accurate.
B) that the model you are using is correct
C) that what you, I, or anyone else considers to be reality is in fact real.
Now, the list above isn't all inclusive, I am sure I could find some other things were I to actually sit down and consider it at length, but those are pretty much essential, so I will stick with those for the time being while I actually get some coffee in me.
Science tries to cover the first two by making sure that measurement equipment gets better, that results get verified by people elsewhere, and that models are modified/thrown out as new information is discovered. Unfortunately, point C is kind of a kick in the nuts. Also unfortunately, A and B mean basically nothing unless C can be proven. Much like the existence or non-existence of a God, there is only one way I can think of to prove it, and that is to be omniscient. Problem being, that unless you know everything, you can't say for certain that:
A) There is no God!
B) Any of this is actually real.
In other words, you take it as a matter of faith that what you observe is real, and upon that faith you decide that one model or the other is correct. If you are one of the many who doesn't believe in a God, then you take it as a matter of faith that there is no God, and may be trying to help the rest of the "tribe" feel better about that belief by asserting that there is proof that all of this is real, that the models are correct, etc. Again, the models, the existance of this reality, and everything else are a matter of faith. If it isn't a matter of faith, prove that any of this is actually real. Though it may seem well supported, it really is simply a house of cards. Maybe it is real, maybe it isn't. None of us, so far as I have seen, can either prove it or disprove it, ultimately.
Now, please don't misunderstand me, I am not saying there is or isn't a God. There may or may not be a God. Eventually we will either find out or we wont. Personally, I am cool with that setup.
Let alone killing someone because they have a different faith/set of irrational beliefs. It's time for the human race to grow up.
I completely agree, but I would like to point out that it seems from your post as though you, at least in part, look down upon those who are religous because they are holding onto something which is based on "vestiges of the caveman days". The problem being that in a way even approaching things from a scientific standpoint is the same thing, just in a different package. It is still based on faith, and it could be correct or incorrect. Without that messy omniscient thing, none of us can know. Maybe you are omniscient, personally I doubt it, but I myse