2007/11/20
21:59:54

Random things

Drinking 2 cups of coffee daily reduces your risk of liver cancer by 43 percent
The best way to appear smart when you feel dumb is to ask intelligent questions
Cluelessness is only a temporary condition
Befriend anyone you find strange or creepy or just a little off
Simple truths: dads and dogs die

There was also a comparison of the economies of Corn vs Cane Ethanol, men who care about college sports, phosphoric acid and metabolic acidosis, and something about major drugs of abuse.

All as seen on TV tonight, so I can't say anything about accuracy. Except apparently that first one.

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By jeff on 2007/11/21 at 08:53:57

What about men who care about college sports?

By Jeremy on 2007/11/21 at 18:29:33

% of men who care less about college sports: 45
Unfortunately I don't have more context.

By Brent Nordquist on 2007/11/21 at 08:59:25

What about corn vs cane ethanol?

From a documentary I watched some time ago, it's my understanding that corn ethanol efficiency is appallingly close to 1:1 (takes just about as much energy put in as you get out), whereas cane sugar gives you more like 2:1, and this new prairie grass is more like 10:1 -- it made me wonder whether farmers growing corn for ethanol in Minnesota is going to be a fairly short historical blip.

By Jeremy on 2007/11/21 at 18:33:33

Yea, I think the corn being used is basically because of all the subsidies, and it being something to do with the corn where the government isn't paying (at least as directly). Again not really much context, but:

Corn Ethanol
US Production
4.86 Billion Gallons
US Cost
$1.09 per gallon

Cane Ethanol
Brazil Production
3.96 Billion Gallons*
Brazil Production Cost
$0.87 per gallon
*Carthage

I have no idea about the note on the Brazil production stats.

By Brent Nordquist on 2007/11/27 at 05:59:38

"the corn being used is basically because of all the subsidies"

Don't get me started on farming subsidies. I can already feel thin wisps of smoke emerging from the ears... must... leave... site...

By Jeremy on 2007/11/27 at 08:51:15

Farming subsidies? How about subsidies in general. :)

By JoeBuck on 2007/11/21 at 10:45:31

I attended a banquet at the U of M and a researcher from the east coast was saying that cellulose based fuels, such as that made from prairie grass, is the future. The density is much better, the crop is more hardy and the water requirements are much less. (current refinement of ethanol takes way too much water for it to ever be feasible on a large scale from what he said/I've read)
We should start buying up all those ghost towns in South Dakota and wait for the grass-fuel revolution.
In the mean time we could grow hemp, we'd fit right in.

By Brent Nordquist on 2007/11/27 at 06:00:02

"In the mean time we could grow hemp, we'd fit right in."

LOL