There have been stories about Musks drug use. I think this may be one of them.
Dude. In under 5 years, we'll all be unemployed and robots will do * everything * yet we'll have universal income?!
Is this a Wall-E joke?
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Sunday, September 21, 2025
EV range extender
On the surface, this seems trivial. A guy wanted to be able to buy a Tesla range extender, which Tesla teased at some point, but never delivered.
[an EV has a battery pack that holds a charge, and allows for a "range" (ie, some number of miles that can be driven) based on the general characteristics of the car, climate conditions, speed of travel, etc. Like a gas powered engine, which needs to refuel when your tank is empty, an
EV needs to recharge when that battery is exhausted. A range extender would allow for you to go longer distances. It's like an extra battery pack - or in gas parlance, an extra fuel tank]
Since he still wanted one, he built it himself for $11,000, and can travel an additional 100 miles by using it. It's not integrated, so he has to stop and plug it in to his car.
As many pointed out, it's more efficient to simply go to a supercharger than to plug in this device.
But that's not really the point. This is about innovation and learning. He sees how (theoretically) it could be integrated. He also sees that he's had no change in the range he was getting, even though this device is fairly heavy and always in his car.
And he's stirred some creative thinking on the part of others. So there's potential for future growth of innovation.
Tesla Wouldn't Sell Me a Range Extender For Cybertruck, So I Built My Own, Giving Me Just Short of 100 Miles of Extra Range | Torque News https://www.torquenews.com/1/tesla-wouldnt-sell-me-range-extender-cybertruck-so-i-built-my-own-giving-me-just-short-100-miles
MIT’s Window-Sized Device Pulls Drinking Water From Thin Air, Even in the Desert
A while back, I found an article about a team of researchers that were looking at a lightweight graphene and calcium based concept for pulling water from the air.
Well, here's another team that has been testing a hydrogel solution that essentially does the same thing.
It's got a ways to go to scale, but they are already able to demonstrate it working.
Landing on Titan a look back
The headline of the story is misleading. Yes, scientists aren't quite sure what is happening on the surface of Jupiter's moon. But that's not really what the story is about.
This is more of a retrospective on landing on Titan, and what we learned about the atmosphere, the surface, and served as a leaning experience for the future.
Image of Titan taken 20 years ago continues to surprise scientists - Earth.com https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-cassini-huygens-mission-captured-this-image-on-titan-20-years-ago/
Disney announces new details for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets
I am still skeptical of whether this will come to fruition, but the plan at the moment is to give the muppets a new home in the Rock N Rollercoaster, which until now has featured Aerosmith. The new ride will just replace that band with the Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. And have a few preshow scenes with familiar muppets.
I happen to like the muppets, but here's another instance where they will be unavailable to me because I can't do rollercoasters. Thanks Disney. Not.
The New Meta Ray-Bans Might Be Your Next Disneyland Tour Guide
An intriguing use of technology. But (a) I would assume Disney will try and monetize it, and (b) what of us that wear glasses? I guess I'll miss out on that tech.
Aside: I am reminded of a scene from the first season of Star Trek: the next generation. Geordi loses his visor (allowing him to see) and his adversary makes a comment to the effect of "you have no sight and your parents let you live?"… it feels kind of like that sleight every time I see new tech that excludes me.
Friday, September 19, 2025
My conflicted views on Disney
I am still a fan of the theme parks. Though, I have to admit that the way they've changed bothers me in some way - because its become somewhat of a playground for the wealthy.
But the company on the whole often rubs me wrong. They are all about the bottom line, staying on top in entertainment (including sports), and currying favor poltically.
And then they made a decision to suspend (or is it fire?) Jimmy Kimmell from the show he hosts. Which a certain orange menace cheered about.
This should not be the accepted behavior of an entertainment company that has its hands in so many pots. There is still freedom of speech, and Kimmell's show was still profitable. But he made a political comment and that was the end.
Once again, here we are...
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