What is "magical thinking"? And other philosphical confusions.
POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Thursday, June 11, 2026 03:47
VIEWED: 3564
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Quote:In our household I'm the one who is deeply skeptical about Musk, but that has more to do with his neurochemical defect (IMO) of mania, where he proposes, pushes, or has even claimed NYC and Philly etc approval for his Hyperloop. City planners denied he had ever gone thru a approval process, or even spoken with them.
Originally posted by JAYNEZTOWN:
6IXSTRING and SIGNYM I will avoid politics because I see it mostly as a web of lies be the news from the British or French or Russian or news from the USA it is mostly a mix of distortion so there is no point to discuss 'the truth' of these propaganda broadcasts.
SIGNYM sometimes you need to learn when you were wrong, for example you got it almost completely wrong with Elon Musk's rockets. I also admit I have got stuff wrong and made bad predictions but we can still learn and admit our own errors or admit when we might have seen something not entirely true. Elon Musk has done something amazing for the Private Spaceflight Commericial Sector
AFA rockets, SpaceX makes a VARIETY of rockets, many of them conventional. It's his methan-powered reusable rocket that I question. The idea of using methane for fuel is sound (instead of rocket fuel, which is highly refined jet fuel but cokes up the rocket engine parts, or hydrogen which is wildly hard to handle) but the problem seems to be landing and recovery. Also, I don't have the data to do a cost analysis, but I'm not sure that reusing rockets will save much since I think the biggest cost is boosting it into space.
I applaud Musk for taking on the rest of social media. It's a monumental fight and I hope he wins.
Quote:HOW??
even while being politically hated by the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Admin he has shown his value like Ford, Howard Hughes, Alexander Graham Bell, Benjamin Franklin, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Jefferson, Wernher von Braun, Mary Anderson, Ann Kiessling, Samuel Morse and so many other free market ideas and thinking people. [
If you want to talk logic and wishful ideas and politics then Both you and SECOND agree with each other on Fusion... and when did SECOND and you agree on anything of late?
"Originally posted by SIGNYM:
"Fusion will save the world"
OK... how?"
Its not 'magic' and I for one never claimed it would save the world but it can make life easier,
Right now it can't be done It COULD make life easier if we could get something more than just a smidgen of energy from it that's so tiny they're STILL.... two weeks later... calculating how much (little) energy they got out of it, just to make sure that they really did get a net gain
Quote:Aside from the ?? of whether EVs actually reduce fuel use (after all, you still have to generate electricity from SOMEthing) their batteries wear out after 7 years and can't be repaired. There is a more durable technology out there that includes the use of iron and lithium that can take many more charge cycles, but still requires lithium.
but EVs ... I will hold out for now as I'm not sure its good or bad at the moment, the electric car does also give pollution with those nasty acids and mining and batteries but it does offer different energy security than depending on islamist jihadi Saudi.
Anyway, yes, we need to develop our energy seccurity bc we've used up all of our easily accessible oil and are now fracking or doing deep sea-drilling to recover more, but that too will come to an end. It's too bad we can't just capture all of the methane from the melting permafrost.
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Sources of power? The Sun is an almost never ending Nuclear bomb, the USA tested some big bombs but Tsar Bomba is the single most physically powerful device ever tested by Soviets the shock wave went around the world three times, the Sun's bomb is much bigger or 1,820,000,000 Tsar Bombas – I guess you could put a station on Mercury and just beam power from the Sun to the Moon or Earth...but that's another complexNOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by second:Quote:I have too much experience with "geniuses" making false claims because of their enormous egos about breakthroughs that are almost, but quite, here. After a few hundred billion dollars of research spending, I'd expect more from the fusion energy community than what they have actually accomplished. Meanwhile, solar energy technology is generating fusion power right now. And battery technology to store the fusion energy is moving along at a reasonable pace. But we live in a world where people are unexcited by real tech that works and the world prefers "magical" tech.
Originally posted by JAYNEZTOWN:
'homopolar motor' might have been the wrong direction it needs more than one technique perahps or maybe the 70s was too early and today we are on a different path since the 90s, breakthoughs in Japan, Italy, the DOE, US Army and Airforce and NASA with pleas for funding and many people have ignited the spark using a variety of methods. Do you think some of the highest mechanical engineer minds the French, China, European Union, Russia, Switzerland, the British, Thailand, Australia, Canada India, Japan, South Korea, United States are burning all this money just to feel good about 'magical thinking' if you did graduate in 1977 then science has moved on since those days.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
Well, amazingly SECOND, we agree!!!!
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
Loving America is like loving an addicted spouse - SIGNYM
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Speaking of EV's, here's another I TOLD YOU SO from my limitless bag of them.
Electrify America Is Completely Changing Its Pricing Structure
Pass+ members will pay a higher monthly fee, consistent pricing across the network is going away, and idle fees will soon be enforced.
https://insideevs.com/news/678257/electrify-america-raises-prices/
Quote:
In addition to updating its terms of use and arbitration rules, there are three significant changes that will affect how much you pay to use the Electrify America network once the new rules take effect.
Three main pricing changes:
1. The monthly fee to be a Pass+ subscriber is going up from $4.00 to $7.00. That translates to an additional $36 per year ($84 per year compared to the previous $48/year), Pass+ members will still get a 25% discount on the per-kWh or per-minute price, depending on what state they are charging in.
2. Electrify America is transitioning from set pricing across the country to a station-specific pricing model that is subject to change. The Electrify America app will show the station-specific prices, the company is urging its members to always check the station for pricing when they arrive because it's possible the price listed in the app may be incorrect.
3. Electrify America will begin to charge idle fees at most of its locations nationwide. After a ten-minute grace period, the customer will be billed $0.40 per minute until they unplug the vehicle from the charger.
You've been conned, son.
And that's only the beginning.
Not only will it be far more expensive and inconvenient to charge your car than fuel it with gas, but by putting all of these coal-burning cars on the road they're going to raise everybody's monthly electricity costs to live in their homes and apartments 10-fold.
You will own nothing and like it.
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How you do anything is how you do everything.
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Quote:Electrify America is price gouging its customers because it has only 822 charging stations, the only one for many miles around.
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Speaking of EV's, here's another I TOLD YOU SO from my limitless bag of them.
Electrify America Is Completely Changing Its Pricing Structure
https://www.electrifyamerica.com/
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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Quote:
Originally posted by second:Quote:Electrify America is price gouging its customers because it has only 822 charging stations, the only one for many miles around.
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Speaking of EV's, here's another I TOLD YOU SO from my limitless bag of them.
Electrify America Is Completely Changing Its Pricing Structure
https://www.electrifyamerica.com/
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
LOL...
I'm sure the one you've got is one of the good guys who won't price gouge their customers.
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How you do anything is how you do everything.
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Lettuce sea.
In order to "prove" or "Identify" that a person has Acquired IMMUNE DEFICIENCY Syndrome, we only need to perform a test which we will call the results "HIV Positive" - and this label of "HIV Positive" is the test which proves that the body's IMMUNE SYSTEM worked perfectly by creating the ANTIBODY after exposure to the unrelated HIV.
Yes, the "HIV Positive" designation merely defines that the ANTIBODY of the HIV is present in the blood - which would not happen if the IMMUNE SYSTEM was not working.
To prove that the IMMUNE SYSTEM is NOT working, we test and prove that the IMMUNE SYSTEM IS working.
Magical Thinking?
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Quote:Hey, the immune system consists of A LOT MORE than just antibodies. There are all kinds of immune cells (Bcells, T cells, macrophages) and chemicals (cytokines, chemokines, globulins, tumor necrosis factors etc) and various "signaling factors" and auto-shutoff mechanisms.
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Lettuce sea.
In order to "prove" or "Identify" that a person has Acquired IMMUNE DEFICIENCY Syndrome, we only need to perform a test which we will call the results "HIV Positive" - and this label of "HIV Positive" is the test which proves that the body's IMMUNE SYSTEM worked perfectly by creating the ANTIBODY after exposure to the unrelated HIV.
Yes, the "HIV Positive" designation merely defines that the ANTIBODY of the HIV is present in the blood - which would not happen if the IMMUNE SYSTEM was not working.
To prove that the IMMUNE SYSTEM is NOT working, we test and prove that the IMMUNE SYSTEM IS working.
Magical Thinking?
Antibodies are produced by B cells. HIV infects T cells. HIV doesn't infect, or affect, the ENTIRE immune system, just a part of it. But because it hides in T cells it's hard for the immune system to attack, bc it has to attack itself.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/antibody-deficiency-disorders-5094611
Sometimes the question "how" leads on a complex path bc sometimes reality is complicated. In this case, it's not as simple as you are.
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
Loving America is like loving an addicted spouse - SIGNYM
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In firefly board discussion. Sometimes 'Hopium' in thread is talked of, I think it is far more destructive to see another Bush Jnr or Obama as the next Moses or Jesus Christ type 'Hopium' figure that will solve all your problems
They put a bunch of people on stage they do a clown debate show and you have Hopium these Warlocks or Good Witches or Fairy will come along and fix all of the USA's and the Western problems, huge problems that even been building up for decades upon decades. The Hopium show says they on the political stage will cast a magic spell and corrupt politicians will not be corrupt but fix all with a magical policy
and when that magic spell doesn't work, you guys return to the Left vs Right, Conservative Rightist vs Progressive Leftist clown show...that is the true hopium
turning a man or a woman, be it Obama or Bush jnr or Bill Clinton or Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair, Macron, making them idols, almost praying to them, turning these people into your new 'savior'
Political Hopium of thinking the next Party Will be your savior they will fix the debts, fix the wars, make friend with islam, fix the environment, a new leader fixes the Border Wall and illegal immigration alien invasion, they will fix the crime on your street this type of truly insane 'magic think' is probably far more destructive than investing in the science and physics of humanity and having a little optimism for our scientific future and working to fix real life energy and power needs.
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Meanwhile, solar energy technology is generating fusion power right now. And battery technology to store the fusion energy is moving along at a reasonable pace.
Solar is great if you live in parts of Africa, California, Mexico, the Gobi Desert China, Chile South America, the Middle East, Australia or Texas but the rest of the USA Idaho, New York, Oregon, Maine, Ohio, the city of Chicago, Indiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, the Great Lakes, Kentucky, Minnesota, the entire of Canada and Quebec Solar isn't going to cut it also the US population and power demands are increasing not decreasing and increasing beyond the capacity of Solar power
also America does not build the stuff, a lot of it made in China
Second another problem I have with your writing is I do not know if you truly believe anything, from one day one week to the next one year to next you can flip flop between anything.
Maybe you are somewhat delusional or maybe its a memory thing, weed and booze or maybe age, maybe your memory is foggy but you have wrote so many contradicting stories over the years I do not know what to truly believe anymore with you.
I don't think its drugs and I do not think you are old like Biden but I do know much of what you write is not your own
You often do not write your own words, constantly quote others and parrot what others happen to be thinking and writing that day.
Sometimes you do write what you truly think and feel but that usually is only when I get under your skin and you start blasting out a rant at me in 'ALL CAPS' like your political arc enemy Trump does on his truthsocial
but a lot of what you write are not your words??? Or maybe its the fact you copy and paste words of other people
One time you told me you had read the Quran or Koran and the 'War on Terror' you compared it all to America bombing Buddhists or some crazy analogy
then another time you wrote this
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Until people recognize and admit that all of these are, in fact, “real Islam”, the issues underlying the problem of jihadi militancy cannot be addressed. If the violence is “not real Islam”, the implication is that Islam – as practiced by most Muslims – needs no reform. But that is manifestly not the case. The scourge of violence in the name of Islam will be removed only when Muslims in general come to reject all instances of violence in the name of Islam, including those that are celebrated in scriptuNOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
JAYNZE, maybe the problem is that English isn't your native language, or maybe you just can't grasp what I'm saying.
Look at all the words you've used around fusion
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'Cold Fusion' the Taboo Clean Energy Topic
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... and maybe if there was less fear of Nuclear they could have invested in [a] future possibility like 'Fusion'.
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Does it require Faith or Not...maybe Optimistic and Logic thought and not Pessimism and Nihilism
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i for one never claimed it would save the world but it can make life easier
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Fusion does really require 'Faith' it can be done it it requires investment and optimism
RELIGION requires 'faith'. Ideology (political religion) requires "faith".
"FAITH" is a belief in something despite lack of evidence, or even in the face of contrary evidence posed by the real world.
You seem to think that's what holding humans back is emotional - fear or lack of faith. That the topic is somehow "taboo" because 'they' want to keep 'us' from having cheap energy? But the problems with fusion aren't emotional, they're very practical, and people are working very hard to solve them. And I think it should still be investigated because, maybe, who knows? Somebody will unlock something, and it's a lot less waste of $$ than sinking it into killing machines and faraway wars, and it would go a long way to solving a whole lot of problems IF IT CAN BE MADE TO WORK.
The 'magical' part is the feeling that if we desperately want or need something to work (like, say, anti-gravity) and we put all of our efforts into that thing, we CAN make it work. All we have to do is have enough 'faith'. But sometimes, yanno, we just can't bend reality no matter how desperately we want or need something.
PS- I'm aware that at least three nations are working on fusion: USA, Russia (some kind of 'fission-fusion' reactor) and China, and that incremental progress is being made. Hooray for progress! When it gets past "bench level" and reaches pilot plant scale I'll pop a bottle of champagne.
PPS- It occcurs to me that your REAL fear is that lack of discussion, interest and enthusiasm on the part of the general public is holding research back. (BTW I wouldn't call it "investment" yet. "Investment" is putting money into something with the expectation of making more. Right now all of the $$ going into fusion research is a dead loss, 'investment' -wise bc all it's generating is data. So far, people have discovered hundreds of ways that fusion doesn't work.) I ackowledge that you've caveated fusion as a 'psssibility' many times.
But my reading of the the history of breakthroughs is that they don't always happen just because a crap-ton of money was poured into something. Do you remember "The War on Cancer"? I seem to recall it began -maybe under Nixon- with the idea that putting a lot of money into cancer research would unlock 'the cure'. But it really all depended on some fundamental breakthroughs that - btw- weren't particularly well-funded, like PCR technology.
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In 1983 a scientist by the name of Kary Mullis was driving along a Californian mountain road late one night and formulated a revolutionary way to make laboratory copies of DNA molecules https://passel2.unl.edu/view/lesson/d81d0eedbada/2
Routers were developed because one guy had a bug up his ass on how to do it.
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William (Bill) Yeager is 66 and still gets peeved when someone trots out the Silicon Valley fable about how the founders of Cisco invented the router. He was the guy at Stanford University who made it happen. https://www.networkworld.com/article/2309917/lan-wan-router-man.html
Their discvoeries began with asking the question "HOW?" It's a far toughe
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Quote:I signed a contract for electricity to drive a pipeline compressor station with Shell Energy, not with Helion Energy. Why? Because one company can guarantee power and the other one is built on the hope of fusion power being available in some distant future. I need something that is real and now. I don’t need worthless promises about a future that may never arrive.
Originally posted by JAYNEZTOWN:Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Meanwhile, solar energy technology is generating fusion power right now. And battery technology to store the fusion energy is moving along at a reasonable pace.
Solar is great if you live in parts of Africa, California, Mexico, the Gobi Desert China, Chile South America, the Middle East, Australia or Texas but the rest of the USA Idaho, New York, Oregon, Maine, Ohio, the city of Chicago, Indiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, the Great Lakes, Kentucky, Minnesota, the entire of Canada and Quebec Solar isn't going to cut it also the US population and power demands are increasing not decreasing and increasing beyond the capacity of Solar power
also America does not build the stuff, a lot of it made in China
Second another problem I have with your writing is I do not know if you truly believe anything, from one day one week to the next one year to next you can flip flop between anything.
Shell Energy: Access more than 1.1 GW of solar generation capacity from Shell-operated facilities and joint-venture partnerships – including Silicon Ranch, one of the largest independent power producers in the US, with more than 140 solar projects across 14 states.
https://shellenergy.com/business/products-and-services/energy-supply/r
enewable-power
Helion Energy: Software giant Microsoft on May 10 announced it has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with nuclear fusion startup Helion Energy to buy electricity from Helion as soon as 2028.
https://www.powermag.com/microsoft-has-deal-to-buy-fusion-power-from-h
elion/
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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