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Absurd Uses Of Energy And Technology

Unread postPosted: Fri 01 Feb 2019, 12:18:18
by GHung
Being an off-gridder and conserver of energy, I often spot wasteful, and sometimes ridiculous, ways that people squander energy resources, made possible, of course, by what members of our civilization see as a vast surplus of energy and resources. This perception is largely enabled by the substitution of faux capital (conjured money) for real resources; what I call the Big Disconnect. If one looks, one can see it every day, in any advanced, wealthy country.

Anyway, I came across this one today. It's a company that wants to launch coffee beans into space and use the heat and microgravity of re-entry to roast the beans to perfection. They seem sure there are enough people who will fall for the novelty to fork over the big bucks for a cup or two of the best coffee ever ......

To inspire and unite people through space and science

Combining our love to space and coffee, science and engineering, innovation and design; we are the first to explore how space science and technology can improve Coffee Roasting in space.

Our team of expertise which is more than 27 enthusiast space expert in their field, coming from 15 countries is a prove how space and science is bringing people together

https://roasters.space/about-us/


..... or maybe it's just a joke, bringing people together over a cup of "space-roasted coffee".

Scott Manley (space buff) comments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iguAge6m8LA

Re: Absurd Uses Of Energy And Technology

Unread postPosted: Fri 01 Feb 2019, 12:46:05
by forbin
Smart phones come to mind - absurd cost and used by people who are mostly not Smart at all . They often do not know the power of such devices - just for face time FB and cat videos......

my 2 pennies worth

Re: Absurd Uses Of Energy And Technology

Unread postPosted: Fri 01 Feb 2019, 12:51:50
by Ibon
we just developed a dessicant dehumudifier in an inclosed box to dry our coffee. the challenge was that we budgeted 1kw for the design and we run this at night when we have access power from our hydro system. we roast with propane.

that article is pure indulgent BS. In the specialty coffee industry there are quite a few clueless folks full of themselves...

The tragedy Ghung is not the fools who thought this up. It is the decadent fools who will order this coffee.

Re: Absurd Uses Of Energy And Technology

Unread postPosted: Fri 01 Feb 2019, 13:32:11
by Zarquon
"Our team of expertise which is more than 27 enthusiast space expert in their field, coming from 15 countries is a prove how space and science is bringing people together"

Also, we launch der coffee in accordance of system designed from Swedish Cook from them Muppets. You're credit card number are safe with we are. Furthermore; we somewat cannot count to 28, sorry.

Re: Absurd Uses Of Energy And Technology

Unread postPosted: Fri 01 Feb 2019, 14:42:06
by Outcast_Searcher
Ibon wrote:that article is pure indulgent BS. In the specialty coffee industry there are quite a few clueless folks full of themselves...

The tragedy Ghung is not the fools who thought this up. It is the decadent fools who will order this coffee.

Given with coffee, we have Starbucks with $10 coffees common in major cities in many countries. Or that K-cups with incredible waste and cost are common for home brewing. (What happened to a tub of Folgers and spoons? When I checked this out years ago, you could save a ton and not have all that K-cup plastic waste idiocy. And all the special beans at MANY dollars a pound, shipped all over the planet, with the cost of coffee becoming some kind of a competitive sport.) It's just a BEVERAGE for crissake.

Somehow, I think we passed the "tilt" level on waste and idiocy on coffee quite a while back.

...

On this one I'm innocent. I like hot black tea, mostly. I can get the 100 bag Kroger brand (probably made by Lipton, etc) on sale for $1.99 a box, and that's when I buy it. Tea keeps for ages if kept dry. I get 2 large cups per bag, so it's a penny a cup, plus the cost of microwaving the tea and a cup of tap water. Given my electric bill is typically $60ish, somehow I suspect that's not overly expensive either.

...

People assume you have to make a huge salary to become financially independent. If I save $50 to $100 a week on tea vs. Starbucks, etc. coffee, that adds up fast. (Oh, and Tea is the only non-water beverage I drink, so add soda-pop, liquor, etc. so now we're talking REAL money, probably several thousand dollars a year, just on beverages).

Now, add real money pits like housing, cars, furniture, clothing, yadda, yadda, and suddenly common sense and frugality start looking FAR more important than a huge salary -- especially if that huge salary isn't used with some common sense and frugality.

I still think some sort of modern home-economics education with a focus on intelligent comparison shopping, budgeting, basic investment, etc. should be mandatory in first world high school public programs. That might well resolve more "financial hardship" in such countries than a huge pack of do-gooder left wing politicians.

Re: Absurd Uses Of Energy And Technology

Unread postPosted: Fri 01 Feb 2019, 19:11:11
by careinke
Outcast_Searcher wrote:
I still think some sort of modern home-economics education with a focus on intelligent comparison shopping, budgeting, basic investment, etc. should be mandatory in first world high school public programs. That might well resolve more "financial hardship" in such countries than a huge pack of do-gooder left wing politicians.


YES!!! +1

But I would start way earlier than high school. In government schools, I would start around fourth grade. Homeschoolers can start around 3. :-D.

When I volunteered helping fifth graders with science and math, it was obvious the kids didn't have a lot of practical experience in using math in a home or "real world" setting. It was especially apparent when I was preparing them for the annual BIZ TOWN, (a GREAT program), field trip.

Re: Absurd Uses Of Energy And Technology

Unread postPosted: Fri 01 Feb 2019, 20:27:01
by GHung
In an economy largely built on conspicuous consumption of things that don't matter much, I'm not sure how well that sort of tax-payer-funded behavior modification would fly. Production and sales of useless things is a big chunk of quarterly GDP figures.

Re: Absurd Uses Of Energy And Technology

Unread postPosted: Fri 01 Feb 2019, 21:04:26
by Outcast_Searcher
GHung wrote:In an economy largely built on conspicuous consumption of things that don't matter much, I'm not sure how well that sort of tax-payer-funded behavior modification would fly. Production and sales of useless things is a big chunk of quarterly GDP figures.

If GDP is reduced for a while, by eliminating the completely spurious, I think that's a good thing. After all, we live on a finite planet, and have excess population consuming too many resources, and thereby harming the biosphere.

It would be an adjustment involving some pain, but like some dental procedures, would result in a lot of benefit over time. (Less spending. More capital for investment in things that matter instead of trinkets. Maintaining quality infrastructure instead of paying on endless debt. Better education for a more productive society. Hey! This is too easy. :lol: )

Not that I see it happening, of course.

And careinke, you're right about starting much earlier. I was trying not to be too controversial in my remark.