Where are the new concepts going to come from if this is the best there is?

[Tom Cloud]

>> Terry Martin wrote:
>> >
>> > Fuel injection is one of those concepts that make you go DOUGH! However,...

>Michael McBroom wrote:
>>
>> Thank you for that, Terry.  Now go away.  And start practicing what you
>> preach from now on.  Pedal your blinkety-blink bicycle to work.

and Terry retorted:
>Hmmm. Methinks you didn't. I also posted this.
>
>Yeah, I would be impressed if the carburetor by itself could do 100mpg.
>According to my weed eater, you can carry it and it gets about 4mpg.

   [ snip ]

>doesn't cover himself in the entrapments of heat engines. With a gallon
>of gas, he probably wouldn't make it back to the car without a Coke.
>
>Terry

Terry, you appear to be a very smart man .... perhaps you
don't belong here   ;-)   .... one very redeeming item though,
you did mention Coke and not Pepsi   8^)

I would like to interject a couple of things

 1 - I'm not a very smart man (thought I'd clear that up
right away  8^)

 2 - I have a major in Philosophy and Greek ... don't
remember nothin'  'bout nobody's razor

 3 - following your logic, walking must be the least
efficient form of energy, since it was "accidental"  (well,
I guess crawling is mebbe even less efficient)

 4 - I sincerely respect your thoughts on the energy thing
but, when will we get that the global warming crisis is
a bunch of crap (a 1 degree rise during the short time we've
measured temps is nothing to a planet that has experienced
some pretty serious warming/cooling trends long before
anyone ever heard of R12 -- in fact long before there
WAS anyone !!  ).   I look forward to the development
of something not nearly so crude as a reciprocating
engine or the burning of petroleum products to power it,
and I concur that it will happen some time, but ....

        I remember when I was in elementary and junior
        high looking at the Popular Science mags (this
        was back in the 50's) .... there was lotsa
        articles on anti-gravity devices and nuclear
        power and much discussion about how we were
        going to have problems controlling the airways
        since EVERYBODY was going to have a personal
        flying saucer (or something like that) -- sorta
        a George Jetson kinda world.  And this was pre-
        dicted to happen in less than 20 years  .... it's
        been over 40 years and I haven't seen any movement.
        My 1949 Ford and my '52 Studebaker Champion are
        not far removed from the technology of today,
        as also the aeroplanes (well, there has been
        some major movement in turboprops and jets)

I guess what I'm saying is that (a) I (honestly) recognize
the intelligence of our list members -- and of yourself
but (b) I don't see us moving away from the reciprocating
engine and fossil fuels in the near future (no, not even
during the lifetimes of our children) unless forced to do
so by an international nanny (read UN) run by people who
know oh-so-much-better than the rest of us low-life slugs.

Tom Cloud