@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk
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MattMastodon

@[email protected]

My screen is cracked so apologies for the tŷ pos

Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg a gaelic hefyd

he/him,
#immigration is not a crime
#noborders
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#uk #uspol #authoritarianism
#union #strike #alternativeNation
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#Climate #climatebreakown #green
#india #asia #China #bristol #cymru #skibbereen #bristol
#photo #blackandwhite
#uk #royalenfield
#astro #mastodon
#nuclear

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MattMastodon,
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@PersnickityPenguin @tomi000

Or Tofu 👍👍

ChrisMayLA6, to bookstodon
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

This week I've been mainly reading, no 91.

Taking the form of an extended mission message to earth from an intergalactic exploratory mission, Becky Chambers' novella, To be Taught if Fortunate (2019), is a quick read. While lacking narrative fireworks its a pleasing matter-of-fact description of space exploration & the ethical dilemmas it will encounter. While ultimately rather melancholy, it is an interesting afternoon's read if you like procedural
@bookstodon

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 @bookstodon

I like Becky Chambers but why is almost all sci-fi set in ultra-capitalist dystopias?

MattMastodon,
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@Klepsis @ChrisMayLA6 @bookstodon

I suppose there is also Ken McLeod, Dorris Lessing or Le Guin.

But this is a hanfull of writers. I've always thought modern -fi is coloured this way partly because early US sci-fi became popular during and after the great depression

But the remorseless backdrop of ultra liberal capitalism can be damaging. Just look what it has done to .

MattMastodon,
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@Klepsis @ChrisMayLA6 @bookstodon

In retrospect he has a lot to answer for.

MattMastodon,
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@Klepsis @ChrisMayLA6 @bookstodon

But to be fair, I think Heinlein would have been OK with gender reassignment. He was just a bit overkeen on guns and the 'free' market.

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@DharmaCurious @empireOfLove

10?

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@DharmaCurious @empireOfLove

And 2+2=11

New physical cosmological model

With a mechanism that continually creates matter in the universe we don’t need a big bang. Creation of matter and gravity fields, (net zero) could somehow increase the expansion of the universe. 3d interference pattern of gravitational waves would create rogue waves at specific points in SpaceTime that would create matter and...

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@FelipeFelop @A_A

I'm not an expert but pulsars do this I think. Stars spinning around each other sending ripples through space time.

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@A_A

Black holes spinning?

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@Ardubal @Sodis

We have to be careful. Different counties have very differnt energy make ups. I live in the UK where nuclear is

I don't understand where you got 40% from. This seems arbutrary.

In the UK Nuclear is 15% and renewables about 40% (over the last year) we mainly burn gas for the rest.

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@Ardubal @Sodis

Mostly we don't use energy at night. In the UK there is a peak in the morning. In the UK we mainly use gas to fill this. We will have to find a storage solution as nuclear can't be upscale that quickly. Gas was meant to be used just to fill the gaps but it's quickly become a staple.

We need to find a way of smoothing the graph. Energy storage is the best option in the short term.

Or we can vary use.

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@Ardubal @Sodis

OK so I have googled the men capacity factor and of course has nearly 100% and only 40%.

But this just means it produces on average 40% of it's capacity. You'd need a sunny windy day to get 100%

What I've read about is a (Solar wind and battery) system with massive overcapacity

So biomass, hydro and battery can take up the slack when needed. Or gas - which has a very low mean capacity factor <10% but is usually used as a last resort

Cheap

MattMastodon, (edited )
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Ardubal @Sodis

So

One power station will buy about a million cars. Most have a 300km range but most days go <30km.

So the mean available capacity of all these cars would run the for 24 hours using (Vehicle to grid)

This could be a massive share scheme with a couple of EVs on every street

Or

All the energy could come from or and the fills the gaps when there is no wind

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@Claidheamh

That's a big claim, and having watched a power station being built I struggle to agree. Especially if you look at full life cycle from mining uranium to disposal.

Also most of the work with a is establishing the site. Once done repairs and upgrades are cheap.

And are quick. Chuck a spare at it and you'll have useful energy in a few months. The main problem in the UK is government obstructing them.

And they're still being built.

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@Claidheamh

Well zeros can make a big difference and the cost is not to be sniffed at. Our local reactor is looking to cost 40 billion. You could run every school and hospital in Wales for 2 years with that amount of money and have spare change to build a couple of tidal lagoons.

You can easily build 1000 wind turbines for the cost of one reactor and do it in less time.

Of course, when they get fusion going...

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@Claidheamh

We certainly need to spend the money now on to get and mitigate breakdown.

I assume you are talking about energy and found this.

But I would say embodied energy of renewables or is almost irrelevant as it is a one off. It's an investment so will reap a massive reward in CO2 reduction year on year.

However, cost is a real problem for nuclear. And in terms of scaling up fast, & seem best.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/solar-wind-nuclear-amazingly-low-carbon-footprints/

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@Claidheamh

Because there are a number of problems with

It's so expensive it requires state support to even get the financing off the ground. And a wealthy state at that.

Safety issues mean the risk has to be underwritten by a government as no insurer will touch it

Disposal costs destroy the economic viability so this has to be underwritten by the state

They consume huge amounts of water

So, even China is backing off from nuclear

https://www.colorado.edu/cas/2022/04/12/even-china-cannot-rescue-nuclear-power-its-woes#:~:text=There%20are%20accident%20risks%20and,China%20can%20expand%20nuclear%20energy.

MattMastodon,
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@matthewtoad43 @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis

In terms of filling in the gaps in production we could do some fun maths. Imagine massive overcapacity and see what storage we need.

Just move the yellow and green lines up x3. This is a typical summer week but we could also look at winter months (less more ?)

image/jpeg

MattMastodon,
@MattMastodon@mastodonapp.uk avatar

@matthewtoad43 @BrianSmith950 @Ardubal @Pampa @AlexisFR @Wirrvogel @Sodis

You got there too quick for me to add this

Here in Europe (yes the UK is still in Europe, brexiteers can't change geography)

Here in Europe we can help each other out and sice we have such varied systems, Norway with it's France the UK can easily pick up a few % or lend a few % when needed.

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