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User: CaptMathtastic

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  1. Re:Where do you think H2 comes from? on Nucular Hydrogen Economy · · Score: 1

    This plant is going to use the HTGR to generate heat for a thermochemical water-splitting cycle.
    Thermochemical cycles are sets of reactions whose steps are carried out at different temperatures to achieve a net (thermodynamically "infeasible") reaction. This is necessary because water doesn't spontaneously thermally decompose until it hits 3200 K.

    There are many cycles that achieve the net reaction of 2 moles water -> 2 moles hydrogen + one mole oxygen. The one specifically referenced in the article is the General Atomics Sulphur-Iodine cycle which uses the cyclic de- and re-composition of sulfuric acid and hydrogen iodide.

    There's no methane or electricity involved in the actual hydrogen generation steps of these cycles, although power can be co-generated using the additional heat gained from the HTGR. The beauty of them is that there's no net waste of the intermediate compounds in the cycle; the only waste is from the reactor itself, which can be powered by whatever you wish (nuclear, coal, oil, solar, etc.) as long as the source can generate the maximum temperature required by the cycle.

    So, in response to the hydrogen powered vehicle comment: this plant produces pure hydrogen for storage by metal hydride, liquifaction, or high pressure containment; there's no methane involved unless it was used in the HTGR.

  2. Depends on what your definition of "is" is. on Are Programmers Engineers? · · Score: 1

    Is a programmer:

    1. A member of a military group devoted to engineering work? No.
    2. A designer or builder of engines? Not unless you count search engines (I don't.)
    3. A person who runs or supervises an engine or an apparatus? Not unless you count computer programs as apparatus (I don't.)
    4. A person who carries through an enterprise by skillful or artful contrivance? Well yes, definitely. But I think that definition would also make Kobe Bryant as much an engineer as a programmer.
    5. A person who is trained in or follows as a profession a branch of engineering? Depends on whether you count computer science/software design as "engineering." I don't.

    So is a programmer an engineer? No. He's a programmer. My gut feeling is that the term engineer implies a certain application/understanding of physics which programmers don't (as a rule) undertake in their day to day activity. Let the flaming commence.

  3. Cartoon Physics! on Physics Books for the Novice? · · Score: 1

    Larry Gonick's "Cartoon Guide to Physics" is fun and entertaining.

  4. MOO3 better be better than MOO2 on Master of Orion III · · Score: 1

    The only complaint I ever had about MOO2 was that the endgame AI (most technologies found, most of the galaxy discovered, etc.) was piss poor. I hated spending 2-3 hours building a good civilization, and then sweeping through the galaxy unopposed because the computer is too stupid to realize that plasma cannons are way better than death rays (which, on a side note, can bite my ass.)

    My request to the game developers: make the AI better. Make it kick my ass without it having more race points or faster manufacturing. Make it play better than me. Then, I will love you forever.

  5. I want a patent too. on Patents: Two For The Road (To Hell) · · Score: 1

    Does this mean I can patent the gene that causes large breasts?
    Imagine the possibilities. . .
    "Can you lift up your shirt, ma'am? I've got a patent on those."

  6. Competition my arse on The Celeron Casts Aside Its Crutches · · Score: 1

    Competition? The point of the Anandtech article is that there exists no competition between the two processors; the Duron is clearly, without a doubt, the superior part. It sucks that motherboard manufacturers can't get their heads out of the protective womb that is Intel brand name recognition and start supporting the BETTER technology. What's the point of capitalism if you're too scared to try it out? Balls to the new Celeron. It had it's day, and now Intel needs to think up something original.