What is it About a Shower?

For years now, I've noticed a pattern when I'm working on tough engineering problems: I'll work on it for some time (usually several hours) without finding an answer.  Then I'll go to sleep, wake, take a shower – and in the shower the answer will suddenly come to me, often without consciously thinking about the problem at all.

I'm not the only one who finds showers are a good place to solve problems, so you can't pin this on my (uncontested) oddness...

It happened to me again this morning.  Each time it happens, it feels quite odd, as though the answer just came to me out of the blue.  I'm guessing that what's really happening is that my brain is working on the problem somehow in the background while I'm sleeping, and then in the shower (which serves to wake me up each morning) the answer my sleeping brain came up with bubbles up to consciousness.  But that's just a guess...

These small, ultra low power computers we carry around between our ears are pretty amazing things...

Bumper Snicker of the Day...

Via my brother Mark:

You bet we can!

Promised Land...

Via my mom:

Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel “Pick up your shovel, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the promised land.”

Nearly 75 years ago, Roosevelt said, “Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the promised land.”

Now Obama has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels, and mortgaged the promised land!

I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, Retirement funds, etc...

I called Lifeline, the suicide help line. Got a freakin' call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal.

They all got excited and asked if I could drive a truck...

Healthcare Lessons...

Here's a depressing look at what's happened in Massachusetts since they implemented a healthcare program quite similar to ObamaCare...

Solar Power Breakthrough...

CalTech is reporting development of a new solar power material with 86% conversion efficiency (versus the 15% to 20% of conventional monocrystalline solar cells).  Further, they report that it should be subtantially cheaper to make.  If that all pans out when the material moves to production, that should mean kilowatt per square meter solar panels (1/5 the size of today's panels for a given amount of power).  Even at today's prices, that would mean 20 cents or less per watt – and maybe even less, if the developers are correct about the production costs. 

But the energy storage problem is still there, with no breakthroughs in sight...