ENvironmentally Friendly Inter City Aircraft powered by Fuel Cells

Recently, Bob Fry posted:

To actually solve a problem, regardless of money, takes insight and a
modicum of intelligence. As an American and engineer I'm seeing less
and less of both here, and it ****es me off. But we got about half
the country thinking our decline is caused because the other half
doesn't pray. Science? Engineering? Rational thought? That's for
the weird-sounding foreigns, 4-eyed geeks, and far-left libs. No, we
just need to return to God and Jesus and everything will be fine.

One of the most disappointing thing about last night's Republican "debate"
was the number of candidates that are completely clueless about what
science is and is not. At least Mitt Romney acknowledged that science and
religion are not in opposition to one another, but he then went off on a
tangent that completely failed to separate religious concepts from
learning the discipline of science. It left me with the impression that if
a Republican administration is elected from this bunch, we'll be
hopelessly bogged down in ignorance that, if nothing else, will lessen the
likelihood that their "Apollo Project" to solve our energy needs and
reduce global warming could ever become a reality. We won't accomplish
such a thing by praying for it.

Neil

Recently, Jose posted:

As another American engineer, I'm in agreement with you 100%.

It's not just engineering. Pure science, which is the bastion of
future engineering as well as an attraction to bright minds, is being
done offshore because research which violates superstition or offends
our superstitous leaders (such as stem cell research) is illegal here.

Not only is stem cell research legal here, some states have actually
started funding it because the feds won't. One of the better things about
this country is that it is big enough that a few states can actually have
a significant impact on such things compared to other countries around the
world.

Neil

"Neil Gould" wrote:
Recently, Jose posted:

As another American engineer, I'm in agreement with you 100%.

It's not just engineering. Pure science, which is the bastion of
future engineering as well as an attraction to bright minds, is being
done offshore because research which violates superstition or offends
our superstitous leaders (such as stem cell research) is illegal
here.

Not only is stem cell research legal here, some states have actually
started funding it because the feds won't.

And some states, such as South Dakota, explicitly make such research
illegal. Here's a table of of fetus research laws on a state-by-state
basis:

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/genetics/embfet.htm

Jim Logajan wrote:
"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote:
So, do you have another example of scientific research that
is being moved offshore because it is illegal in the US?

Sorry to butt in (but this _is_ Usenet!) but I believe it is illegal
in the U.S. to perform any scientific research on Schedule I drugs
(as defined by the Controlled Substances Act) unless one can "get a
Schedule I research license from the DEA, an investigating new drug
(IND) approval from the FDA, a licensed commercial laboratory who
will provide you with the drug, and obtain approval of your detailed
research protocol from the DEA, the FDA and the Institutional Review
Board (IRB) of the academic location where the study will take place.
[...]
What is one to fear if he wishes to eventually do this kind of work?
Aside from the medical risks of exploring new drugs in humans, the
only certain risk is the law. Work with a competent physician, and
also with a competent lawyer. Or work in a country such as
Switzerland where research of this nature is considered a medical
matter, not a legal one."[*]

[*]
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/shul...l_research.htm


Well we as a nation have decided that Sked 1 drugs are a bad thing and have
regulated them as such. Now I have no knowledge of the law in Switzerland
but if just anyone can "research" drugs that are otherwise illegal then
there is a huge whole in the law that I'm sure is used to get out of trouble
when you get busted.

Bob Fry wrote:


Really?? Rather, anybody can throw money at a problem, and...keep
throwing money at it. Like sending a flight loads of ca$h to Iraq
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1734939,00.html and many
other refs].


Bob... give me six million dollars and I will make a small electric
plane that flies with a fuel cell.

Will it be cost effective? who knows. Will anyone want it?

To actually solve a problem, regardless of money, takes insight and a
modicum of intelligence. As an American and engineer I'm seeing less
and less of both here, and it ****es me off. But we got about half
the country thinking our decline is caused because the other half
doesn't pray. Science? Engineering? Rational thought? That's for
the weird-sounding foreigns, 4-eyed geeks, and far-left libs. No, we
just need to return to God and Jesus and everything will be fine.


I'm an engineer too Bob. Taxpayers have spent many millions for
special development projects over the years. What I would find
interesting is to know if any of them ever made a dime out of
their "investment".

When you have to convince a group of private investers to put
up a lot of money for R&D of a potential new product you have
to do a lot of homewrok to convince them that what you are
doing will end up a viable product.

wrote:


Hi Bob,

As another American engineer, I'm in agreement with you 100%. Our
government is allowing, no incentivizing our corporations to take our
jobs overseas to China and India to save on salaries, medical, and
taxes.

Then wouldn't it be logicaol that government try to reduce taxes...
or do other types of things to "incentivize" them to stay here?


Then, when these same companies want to repatriate their U.S.
dollars, they get a special tax break cut for them by congress. Then,
because even college grads in engineering don't want to work for
peanuts, they claim that there is an "engineering shortage" because
they can't fill job requisitions that they post at below starting
salary market wages and scream to raise the H1-B visa limits so they
can bring in more slave-labor body shopper engineers from India and
China.

Really good engineers can pretty much name their own salary.
I've interviewed dozens that put a lot of buzz words on a resume and
really didn't know squat.


There is something seriously wrong with our country when an MBA
managing a Target or Walmart can make twice as much annually as an
engineering desiging multi-million dollar revenue generating
products. If this keeps up, more and more college age kids are going
to avoid this profession and corporations will get the shortage that
they are claiming. I know there is no shortage right now because
100's of good engineers are being let go by companies like HP as
recently as May 31. "Early retirement" at 48 years old? Yeah,
right...


sheesh... whine whine whine....

Neil Gould wrote:

One of the most disappointing thing about last night's Republican "debate"
was the number of candidates that are completely clueless about what
science is and is not.

Oh I totally agree... and so are all the democrat candidates. Most
of your politicians in Washington are totally cluless about a lot
of things, not just technology. We need some fresh meat/// people
who have held actual real jobs, or run companies.

At least Mitt Romney acknowledged that science and
religion are not in opposition to one another, but he then went off on a
tangent that completely failed to separate religious concepts from
learning the discipline of science. It left me with the impression that if
a Republican administration is elected from this bunch, we'll be
hopelessly bogged down in ignorance that, if nothing else, will lessen the
likelihood that their "Apollo Project" to solve our energy needs and
reduce global warming could ever become a reality. We won't accomplish
such a thing by praying for it.


Agreed. I see no one... from either party... who is worth voting
for. Like I said... We need some fresh meat. Fire every damn one
of 'em and start over. We certainly couldn't do any worse than
what we have now.

kontiki wrote:
Really good engineers can pretty much name their own salary.
I've interviewed dozens that put a lot of buzz words on a resume and
really didn't know squat.

What engineering discipline are you trained and licensed in?

"kontiki" == kontiki writes:
kontiki Then wouldn't it be logicaol that government try to
kontiki reduce taxes... or do other types of things to
kontiki "incentivize" them to stay here?

Probably not. America reached a technology peak in the 1960s, with
very high involvement by the feds and states (California at least) in
science and tech. There are lots of things that only governments can
properly take a risk with.
--
When you're riding in a time machine way far into the future,
don't stick your elbow out the window, or it'll turn into a
fossil.
- Jack Handey

"kontiki" wrote in message ...


Agreed. I see no one... from either party... who is worth voting
for. Like I said... We need some fresh meat. Fire every damn one
of 'em and start over. We certainly couldn't do any worse than
what we have now.

Interesting campaign he http://payattention.org/