(no subject)

[dreamer_easy]

Nellie is an elephant. Planes are a major contributor to greenhouse. All elephants are pink. Nuclear power produces less greenhouse. Therefore, Nellie is pink. And nuclear powered passenger planes are a good idea.

Comments

[purplecat]

*puts on logician hat*
The forms of the two arguments and the flaws in them are not exactly the same.

The Nellie argument is wrong because of a false premise. The nuclear-powered planes one is wrong because of missing information (or possibly the lack of an adequate default logic).
*takes of logician hat*

Sorry! It's just logical argument is my thing and I can't help getting technical and geeky about it.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

You're quite right - it was just the silliness that was irresistable. :)

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Actually IIRC the Nuclear B-36 project was dropped because the weight penalty from carrying sufficient shielding to protect the crew outweighed any benefits from unlimited range. That would go double for passengers who are worried about getting an in-flight tan.

Hydrogen is a more realistic alternative. Yes you would need bigger fuel tanks for the same range, but that's just a matter design. The cube square law being what it is, use might be limited to larger planes (like that monster Airbus that's coming online or even bigger) but it's still doable.

[lordalius.livejournal.com]

Wow... "The Omega Project" as a name is a bit disconcerting for a project like this.

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought. It sounds like the sinister government organisation in a 1970s BBC technothriller.

[nevryn.livejournal.com]

Wha?

“The risk of reactors cracking open in a crash could be reduced by jettisoning them before impact and bringing them down with parachutes.”

Coz most aeroplane crashes occur with proper planning, forethought, and more importantly, enough altitude to jettison something very large and heavy so that it'll slow down enough with a parachute before impact.

"He said that, in the worst-case scenario, if the armour plating around the reactor was pierced there would be a risk of radioactive contamination over a few square miles."

If the data here (http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm) is to be believed (the source is only for commerical aircraft and from Boeing) then those few square miles are most likely to be airports and their surrounds. Real smart.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Quite. I'm sure the nieghborhoods around Heathrow will be completely reassured.