Ponderings of a Scientist

A bit of lunch time food for thought:

1) The companies Timberland, Bank of America and Google now
give their employees cash incentives to purchase hybrids. If you work for Bank of America, within 90
miles of Boston ,you get $3000
extra in your paycheck when you buy a hybrid.

While I think this is GREAT, I do want to point out that the
term “hybrid” has morphed from “environmentally sound vehicle utilizing batteries
to minimize gasoline use, reduce emissions and increase mileage” to “anything
with an electronic engine component, possibly used for the above purpose, but
more likely used to 1) make SUVS more powerful while only slightly improving mileage
(say from 15 to 19 mpg) and 2) satisfy the desires of the public to be trendy
(read: have a hybrid) while still maintaining the yuppie, soccer mom appeal.

The short of it is: tax breaks, cash incentives, use of special
traffic lanes, all benefits given to hybrids, should instead be given based on
fuel efficiency/emissions not on hardware. It makes no sense for a Ford SUV hybrid to get
these benefits, while a standard Honda Civic or Accord or any other small,
ultra low emissions vehicle or a biodiesel vehicle is excluded.

2) I was listening to the radio show “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Quandry
Phase” yesterday and I found this funny and TRUE (think cell phones with cameras/tvs/video
recorders/email devices/mp3 players):

“… Ford
uses these overly complex yet useless electronic devices, because of the joy he
fills when he actual gets it to work. He’s
so happy he neglects to realize the uselessness of the product. Essential the superficial defects of the
product mask the major defects…” (or something like that)