Xena and Brian, check this out

Wenda said:
*grin* you have one-upped me :p
Nah, I was *this* close to building one of the systems out of Nexus magazine, when I sat down and worked through the chemistry and physics of it.

It sounds sooooo good when you read it, but so bad when you do the sums.
 
Shannow said:
especially when it comes time to drag the fuel tank out.

It went into the store so easily, 10Kg of sheet steel, pressed into a rectangular shape that fits the floor of the car.

Then on the way out, it's got 50 or 60 kilos of oil in it. The fucking thing weighs a tonne.
Wouldn't it weigh 60 or 70 kilos?
 
Actually, it's suprising how much from Nexus comes to pass.

I've observed (on the science front, not the "we are descended from alien reptiles") that there are some whacko theories that are getting denounced by mainstream scientist, that make the pages on Nexus.

Three to four years pass, then they appear in New Scientist.

Three to four days pass, then they appear in SMH.
 
THe problem I have with Nexus is that it's not a scientific publication. It allows any crackpot who can put a sentence together to publish theories on anything, without requiring them to back their ideas with any kind of research. There are valid things in Nexus but for the most part it's a resort for members of the lunatic fringe to thumb their noses at science. As an engineer, you must see this for yourself.
 
I pretty much agree with you, and feel that it's much like the internet in that regard. There's very little peer reviewed stuff online in comparison to the great swathes of rubbish that's around.

I get Nexus, New Dawn, New Scientist, and occasionally Scientific American if it's got $12 worth of interesting stuff in it. I am often amazed at how much crackpot theory eventually comes to fruition 'though.