Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

Category Archives: Sci-Tech

THE STATE(S) OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

AN ARTICLE IN The New York Times, December 24, 2018, by Nadja Popovich, asks “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” Alas, its graphics seem not to be reproducible here. Instead, … Continue reading

January 2, 2019 · 2 Comments

PROGRAMMIC ADVERTISING—BENEFICIAL OR A BANE?

HOW DO YOU feel about programmic advertising? At this point I am of two minds, though I’m occasionally creeped-out when my computer or cellphone seems to know what I really, … Continue reading

December 28, 2018 · 8 Comments

BEGONE, YE AULD SOD

ELIMINATING PEAT from the Irish energy picture sounds more than a little heretical. But even Ireland’s Bord na Móna, its state-owned peat harvesting and energy company, is in favor of … Continue reading

December 26, 2018 · 1 Comment

IS THAT WHAT’S TROUBLING YOU, BUNKIE? PART 2

AS RECENTLY AS yesterday here at SimanaitisSays, I cited Ann Gibbons’ Science magazine article “Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive.’ ” What with one thing and another, … Continue reading

December 10, 2018 · 2 Comments

IS THAT WHAT’S TROUBLING YOU, BUNKIE? PART 1

SOME MIGHT SAY that 2018 has to be the worst year ever. No, bunkie, I’m here to tell you there was a year that topped 2018 by a long shot. … Continue reading

December 9, 2018 · Leave a comment

A 21ST-CENTURY WRIGHT FLYER

A PROTOTYPE AIRPLANE with ion drive has made its first successful flights. Its EAD (electroaerodynamic) propulsion has no moving parts; rather, it depends on high voltage generating thrust via an … Continue reading

December 8, 2018 · 2 Comments

IS THE INTERNET BROKEN?

“FIXING THE INTERNET” is the title of a thoughtful Editorial in the November 23, 2018, issue of Science, the weekly magazine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. … Continue reading

December 7, 2018 · Leave a comment

ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE OF SAUDI OIL

TRUMP’S RECENT exclamation-point-endowed pandering to Saudi Arabia suggests the need for an update on countries supplying oil to the U.S. To avoid yet further trumpery (Merriam-Webster: “crapola, hogwash, rubbish”), I … Continue reading

November 23, 2018 · 3 Comments

ON NORWEGIANS, A MAZE, AND A PARTY FOR “MATH’S NOBEL”

NORWEGIAN MATHEMATICIAN Hans Munthe-Kaas helped to design a new botanical garden at his institution, the University of Bergen. As reported in Science magazine, October 12, 2018, “The result debuted on … Continue reading

October 24, 2018 · Leave a comment

HACK MY TESLA? EASY-PEASY FOR A WHILE THERE

ALL IT TOOK for Belgian researchers to unlock and drive a Tesla Model S was the car’s weak encryption code, $600 of minicomputer hardware, and two seconds of effort. Rest … Continue reading

October 18, 2018 · 1 Comment