NationStates

Nobel Hobos 2 wrote:

Slavakino wrote:We cannot let the Chinese further in further technology. They are too dangerous

The "we must stop China" spiel usually relies on the idea that the US is such an important market for the US, that Chinese industry will just collapse if Americans stop buying Made in China.

Sometimes it get a bit closer to reality, eg if America and all it's allies stop buying ...

But let's talk about what we're talking about. China is building several new designs of nuclear reactor. They're not just fooling around trying to make fusion work, because they know just from looking at the history of fusion that they'll need a lot of electricity before that happens. They're building sodium-cooled reactors for instance. Micro-reactors. Spent fuel reactors.

All of these are to provide power to the Chinese market, which is of course huge.

The US meanwhile is building 4 new reactors. They're all pressurized water reactors (tried and true! Good enough for your grandpa good enough for you!).

So what are you going to do to stop China getting further ahead? Just sit on your throne of being the world's largest nuclear generating nation ... until you're not any more? Refuse to buy Chinese and then threaten other nations who want to buy Chinese reactors instead of Westinghouse? You've got to come up with a smarter plan than sanctions, those are not going to work.

Novus America wrote:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPCOT_(concept)

Bombadil wrote:

Novus America wrote:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPCOT_(concept)

You need to URL that correctly.

Nobel Hobos 2 wrote:

Australian rePublic wrote:Oh Nobel Hobos, why do you assume I am against public transport? I am very pro-public transport. It's just that people should have a choice


How's that different from our current system? I'm not saying we should get rid of public transport. Eff no. I love public transport, and we should definately be improving it, but we do need alternatives. In fact, I don't think our governments are doing enough to improve public transport. Sydney's rail network, should, at absolute least be doubled, for starters. Gladys was even looking into exempting people from parking fines because of Covid (or was that Jodi McKay?) Besides, the vast majority of people can afford cars


Public transport is not shit. Public transport is great. Congestion and parking prove that. I hardly ever drive to the city because of those reasons. (And, when we don't have Covid), I go to the city a lot. A lot.


I don't trust driverless cars. But, that's another discussion

I like public transport too. But it has known drawbacks, like being point to point when neither point is your house or where you're going, like having to share an enclosed space with strangers*, and actually being quite polluting at times of low capacity.

Driverless electric pods are public transport done right. Anyone can use it. It's cheap. It's as flexible as a car in start and destination (actually more flexible, you don't need to park), and you don't need to share an enclosed space with anyone. If what you like about public transport is the public ownership: we can do that too!

The pods would still cause pollution. Electricity doesn't come from nowhere and it doesn't come from fusion any time in the foreseeable future. But the more things we convert to electricity the more demand we create for low-emission electricity, I think we get emissions from energy down even if the short term consequence is just to replace oil by gas.

I'd have to do some sums to say if the driverless electric pod option uses more energy than public transport for all (which I know you didn't say). I think it probably does. But a fairer comparison is against what we've got: a whole lot of cars AND public transport. It would definitely be better.


*One-person pods would be great from a road congestion and pollution point of view. But I favor two-person pods, or four-person with a boot option instead of the back seats, because families like to travel together, and friends do too. Two or more seats would also allow an economy option: cheaper travel providing you don't mind getting in with a stranger.

Australian rePublic wrote:

Nobel Hobos 2 wrote:
I like public transport too. But it has known drawbacks, like being point to point when neither point is your house or where you're going, like having to share an enclosed space with strangers*, and actually being quite polluting at times of low capacity.

Driverless electric pods are public transport done right. Anyone can use it. It's cheap. It's as flexible as a car in start and destination (actually more flexible, you don't need to park), and you don't need to share an enclosed space with anyone. If what you like about public transport is the public ownership: we can do that too!

The pods would still cause pollution. Electricity doesn't come from nowhere and it doesn't come from fusion any time in the foreseeable future. But the more things we convert to electricity the more demand we create for low-emission electricity, I think we get emissions from energy down even if the short term consequence is just to replace oil by gas.

I'd have to do some sums to say if the driverless electric pod option uses more energy than public transport for all (which I know you didn't say). I think it probably does. But a fairer comparison is against what we've got: a whole lot of cars AND public transport. It would definitely be better.


*One-person pods would be great from a road congestion and pollution point of view. But I favor two-person pods, or four-person with a boot option instead of the back seats, because families like to travel together, and friends do too. Two or more seats would also allow an economy option: cheaper travel providing you don't mind getting in with a stranger.

And how does your stupid idea differ from self-driving cars. I friken hate everything about the concept of self-driving cars

Australian rePublic wrote:And how does your stupid idea differ from self-driving cars. I friken hate everything about the concept of self-driving cars

Australian rePublic wrote:

Nobel Hobos 2 wrote:
I like public transport too. But it has known drawbacks, like being point to point when neither point is your house or where you're going, like having to share an enclosed space with strangers*, and actually being quite polluting at times of low capacity.

Driverless electric pods are public transport done right. Anyone can use it. It's cheap. It's as flexible as a car in start and destination (actually more flexible, you don't need to park), and you don't need to share an enclosed space with anyone. If what you like about public transport is the public ownership: we can do that too!

The pods would still cause pollution. Electricity doesn't come from nowhere and it doesn't come from fusion any time in the foreseeable future. But the more things we convert to electricity the more demand we create for low-emission electricity, I think we get emissions from energy down even if the short term consequence is just to replace oil by gas.

I'd have to do some sums to say if the driverless electric pod option uses more energy than public transport for all (which I know you didn't say). I think it probably does. But a fairer comparison is against what we've got: a whole lot of cars AND public transport. It would definitely be better.


*One-person pods would be great from a road congestion and pollution point of view. But I favor two-person pods, or four-person with a boot option instead of the back seats, because families like to travel together, and friends do too. Two or more seats would also allow an economy option: cheaper travel providing you don't mind getting in with a stranger.

And how does your stupid idea differ from self-driving cars. I friken hate everything about the concept of self-driving cars

Bombadil wrote:

Australian rePublic wrote:And how does your stupid idea differ from self-driving cars. I friken hate everything about the concept of self-driving cars

Why? Sitting enjoying a coffee while catching up on the news or other on the way to work, a way that will have far fewer traffic jams in the peace and quiet of your little auto pod, or maybe some nice music if you prefer..

..seems far more pleasant than.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk2YRpLnmdU

Slavakino wrote:

Bombadil wrote:
Why? Sitting enjoying a coffee while catching up on the news or other on the way to work, a way that will have far fewer traffic jams in the peace and quiet of your little auto pod, or maybe some nice music if you prefer..

..seems far more pleasant than.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk2YRpLnmdU

Lazy and unexperienced population? Rather not. What's the point of owning a self-driving car besides "I'm too lazy to drive". Trains and Buses exist for a reason.

Shanghai industrial complex wrote:You don't need to be in the car

Slavakino wrote:

Shanghai industrial complex wrote:You don't need to be in the car

What. Then what's the point if you don't need to be in a car if you own a self-driving car? Its stupid, not to mention all this crap needs computers to do quick calculations which you have no control over with a fully-autonomous car and if it fails? You're screwed, driver experience is better than relying it on a computer

Bombadil wrote:

Slavakino wrote:What. Then what's the point if you don't need to be in a car if you own a self-driving car? Its stupid, not to mention all this crap needs computers to do quick calculations which you have no control over with a fully-autonomous car and if it fails? You're screwed, driver experience is better than relying it on a computer

No, it really isn't.

Slavakino wrote:

Shanghai industrial complex wrote:You don't need to be in the car

What. Then what's the point if you don't need to be in a car if you own a self-driving car? Its stupid, not to mention all this crap needs computers to do quick calculations which you have no control over with a fully-autonomous car and if it fails? You're screwed, driver experience is better than relying it on a computer

Shanghai industrial complex wrote:

Slavakino wrote:What. Then what's the point if you don't need to be in a car if you own a self-driving car? Its stupid, not to mention all this crap needs computers to do quick calculations which you have no control over with a fully-autonomous car and if it fails? You're screwed, driver experience is better than relying it on a computer

Haha just a joke.Most of the developed autopilot cars now have manual operation functions.You can change the mode.They're equipped with rangefinders, radars, and networks.It will know ahead of time the road conditions and perceive the distance and speed of the obstacles ahead. Even in heavy fog or rainstorm, the perception error is less than 1 cm.No matter who is in the car, it has more driving experience than decades of experience of human drive，Because machine learning technology.When you can't pick up your daughter because of your busy work, you can say"Lightning, get my sweetheart back".
When you drive by yourself, you can only rely on your eyes and hands.Your physical condition will affect your safety.

Shanghai industrial complex wrote:

Slavakino wrote:What. Then what's the point if you don't need to be in a car if you own a self-driving car? Its stupid, not to mention all this crap needs computers to do quick calculations which you have no control over with a fully-autonomous car and if it fails? You're screwed, driver experience is better than relying it on a computer

Haha just a joke.Most of the developed autopilot cars now have manual operation functions.You can change the mode.They're equipped with rangefinders, radars, and networks.It will know ahead of time the road conditions and perceive the distance and speed of the obstacles ahead. Even in heavy fog or rainstorm, the perception error is less than 1 cm.No matter who is in the car, it has more driving experience than decades of experience of human drive，Because machine learning technology.When you can't pick up your daughter because of your busy work, you can say"Lightning, get my sweetheart back".
When you drive by yourself, you can only rely on your eyes and hands.Your physical condition will affect your safety.

Slavakino wrote:

Shanghai industrial complex wrote:Haha just a joke.Most of the developed autopilot cars now have manual operation functions.You can change the mode.They're equipped with rangefinders, radars, and networks.It will know ahead of time the road conditions and perceive the distance and speed of the obstacles ahead. Even in heavy fog or rainstorm, the perception error is less than 1 cm.No matter who is in the car, it has more driving experience than decades of experience of human drive，Because machine learning technology.When you can't pick up your daughter because of your busy work, you can say"Lightning, get my sweetheart back".
When you drive by yourself, you can only rely on your eyes and hands.Your physical condition will affect your safety.

If you can switch manually then its not fully-autonomous. Although for the old technology may benefit but for the young whats the point? Experience needs to be earned

Shanghai industrial complex wrote:

Slavakino wrote:If you can switch manually then its not fully-autonomous. Although for the old technology may benefit but for the young whats the point? Experience needs to be earned

The young can drive without hand.Later your granddaughter will wonder why you drive by hand.Manual mode is just a redundant backup.

Slavakino wrote:

Australian rePublic wrote:And how does your stupid idea differ from self-driving cars. I friken hate everything about the concept of self-driving cars

Semi-Autonomous cars are fine to an extent but full driving cars are to not be trusted

SD_Film Artists wrote:

Slavakino wrote:Semi-Autonomous cars are fine to an extent but full driving cars are to not be trusted

That and it takes the freedom out of driving.

Thepeopl wrote:

SD_Film Artists wrote:
That and it takes the freedom out of driving.

The freedom to drink and drive?
The freedom to kill other people?
The freedom to text/ phone while driving?
The freedom to speed and kill yourself?

Traffic in US killed 36,120 people in 2019

https://www.statista.com/statistics/485 ... y-country/

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN22H1OF

And non fatal accidents

https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety- ... -estimates

Shanghai industrial complex wrote:After being stolen, it will go home by itself

SD_Film Artists wrote:

Slavakino wrote:Semi-Autonomous cars are fine to an extent but full driving cars are to not be trusted

That and it takes the freedom out of driving.