notes

Exponential wind loading near the atmosphere’s length scale for turbulence might prevent airships from getting much longer than about 400m.

We tried to use a cheap laser to grow carbon fiber directly from methane gas. It worked quickly and repeatably, but the carbon fiber wasn’t as strong as it’d need to be to make a good commercial product.

Justifying a focus on next-generation materials.

Microwave phased arrays seem to be a more realistic option than batteries or H2 for powering long-haul electric aviation. We still doubt anybody will build them.

~1% of global warming addressable at around $1/ton CO2 equivalent.

If it takes more than a calorie of fossil hydrocarbons to produce a calorie of food, should we just eat the oil directly?

Revisiting intriguing Soviet-era results showing efficient N2 oxidation in non-equilibrium plasmas. An intriguing approach to low-cost nitrate fertilizers without Haber-Bosch.

Powerful infrared lasers are getting extremely cheap. What should we use them for?