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

WHAT AN ODD LANGUAGE ENGLISH IS

AEON IS a not-for-profit digital magazine “committed to big ideas, serious enquiry and a humane worldview.” Founded in London in 2012, it publishes thoughtful essays, ideas and videos on all … Continue reading

June 19, 2017 · 3 Comments

WHAT IF ROBOTS UNIONIZE? PART 2

YESTERDAY, I shared robotic tidbits from Isaac Asimov and an Automotive News story about mirror specialist Gentex’s closure of its Mexico facility. Today, we pick up with Gentex’s business in … Continue reading

June 18, 2017 · Leave a comment

WHAT IF ROBOTS UNIONIZE? PART 1

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is making robotic devices smarter every day. The societal implications of this are profound in the near, as well as long, term. Here are two days of my … Continue reading

June 17, 2017 · Leave a comment

TWO WINSTONS—AND A FAMILY PORTRAIT

A TWO-PERSON biography described in The New York Times Book Review, June 11, 2017, reminded me of a family portrait in one of our bookcases. The common theme is the … Continue reading

June 16, 2017 · 1 Comment

ROBERTS 6X AEROPLANE ENGINE

THE ROBERTS Motor Company of Sandusky, Ohio, manufactured advanced aircraft engines in the early part of the last century. Indeed, according to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, more … Continue reading

June 15, 2017 · 1 Comment

WHAT AN IDIOT! WELL, IF THE POLL FITS…

I LOVE learning word origins. The New York Times, June 12, 2017, carried “Trump and the True Meaning of ‘Idiot,’ ” an interesting etymological piece by Eric Anthamatten. What brought … Continue reading

June 14, 2017 · 4 Comments

A GUY’S STUFF, PART 2

IL VITTORIALE, Gabriele D’Annunzio’s villa along the shore of Lago di Garda in northern Italy, is opulent to the extreme in design and furnishing. Here I continue yesterday’s tour of … Continue reading

June 13, 2017 · 1 Comment

THIS GUY HAD STUFF! PART 1

GABRIELE D’ANNUNZIO was an Italian poet, patriot, soldier, aviator, hypochondriac, scoundrel, libertine, thrill-seeking meglomaniac, womanizer, proto-fascist and, some say, even worse. Il Vittoriale degli italiani, loosely, the shrine of Italian … Continue reading

June 12, 2017 · 1 Comment

GOT ENERGY? KNOW HOW TO STORE IT? PART 2

THIS CONTINUES a discussion of energy-storage concepts, begun here at SimanaitisSays. The New York Times, June 3, 2017, “The Biggest, Strangest ‘Batteries’ ” is a primary source, along with my … Continue reading

June 10, 2017 · Leave a comment

GOT ENERGY? KNOW HOW TO STORE IT? PART 1

AS THE COST of renewable energy comes down, a significant challenge remains in its inherent intermittency of supply. It is well known to science (you’ll excuse the S word) that … Continue reading

June 9, 2017 · Leave a comment