Brownian motion is the random motion of particles suspended in a medium (a liquid or a gas). In 1905, Albert Einstein published a paper where he modeled the motion of pollen particles as being moved by individual water molecules, making one of his first major scientific contributions.
******************
From an Israeli newspaper comes a story with this title and sub-head: “Israeli study: Babies born to vaccinated moms have COVID-fighting antibodies. All 40 infants in Jerusalem research have antibodies, suggesting they are born with immunity to coronavirus, according to Hadassah doctors.”
The caveat that the presence of antibodies in newborns doesn’t prove they will protect against the virus is noted in the piece. However, Dr. Dana Wolf, head of the virology department at Hadassah Medical Center, strongly believes they will.
******************
Recently, most of the country changed the time on their clocks to move into Daylight Savings Time. According to a report from CarInsurance.com, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that the few days following the change is the second most dangerous period to drive in the US. Take an hour of sleep away from a sleep-deprived country and…
In general, driver fatigue, caused primarily by lack of quality or quantity of sleep, is among the leading causes of traffic accidents in America. My marvelous mom was an intelligent person. She used to rail against the bi-annual clock changes. The fact that Arizona doesn’t engage in the foolish practice was not a reason we moved here, but it is a nice bonus.
******************
I always knew I wasn’t the only WordPress blogger who disliked the Block Editor and favored the Classic. This post is called “[T]he tyranny of the new and shiny at wordpress.” By the way, the post author is way more adept at using a computer than I am. He has also been blogging on WordPress since 2013.
I have also thought that the WordPress push to move every blogger to the Block Editor–or Blockhead Editor, as I call it–smacked of tyranny, while granting this issue is not really important enough to use that description. Once again, I have to state that it is likely I will discontinue blogging on this platform if I HAVE to use the new editor.
******************
From BMW CEO Oliver Zipse via Phil LeBeau of CNBC: “BMW has no plans to stop developing internal combustion engines because demand for ICE vehicles will remain robust for many years to come.” Finally, an automotive CEO who understands the real world!
The “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” approach to EVs taken by so many car companies ignores reality. First, well over a BILLION ICE vehicles are being used all over the world with millions more still being manufactured every year. Second, some segment of the vehicle-buying public will continue to prefer them for “many years to come.”
Do we really want to put all of our transportation chips into the EV basket given that makes us extremely dependent on raw materials from other countries? In addition, upgrading the electric grid to accommodate millions of EVs being charged every night will not happen overnight. For the nth time, blind adherence to ideology is almost never a good idea.
A picture I took of an example of a very famous BMW, a car that influenced design and has become legendary despite only 252 examples ever being produced, the 507:
In what I consider to be a practical policy, BMW has committed to having half of its new vehicles being electric by 2030. Remember that, at present, EVs have only a 2%-3% market share and that share has not really grown much in the last few years. (Hybrid sales have increased, however.)
Although I won’t be around to see it, I think it’s very likely that EVs will become the dominant paradigm in personal transportation some time in the future. However, ignoring the realities of the present is fraught with peril. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Oh, history is replete with examples of the folly of human beings trying to predict the future.
#BrownianMotionThursday
#AlbertEinstein
#COVIDMoms
#DaylightSavingsTimeIsStupid
#SaveTheClassicEditor!
#BMWRealists
#BMW507
#somanycarsjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
If you like this blog please tell your friends and share the blog URL (https://disaffectedmusings.com). Thanks.
Disaffected Musings 
I remember in the 1960s, as a teenager, I was into two magazines, Popular Mechanics, and Popular Science (oh, and Mad Magazine, but that’s another story.)
I remember reading about a project that converted a gas-powered vehicle to electric power. I think the “engine” they used was an aircraft starter motor or some other heavy-duty electric motor. The trunk space was completely packed with lead-acid batteries. I can’t remember for sure, but I think the chassis was a typical compact car of the day.
As a teen, I drooled over this project and daydreamed that someday I would have an electric car. Now that it’s within the realm of possibility, meh… though I do like hybrid technology, and drive a hybrid to prove it.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing, JS.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Picture if you will this scenario. The United States moves away from natural gas and coal for the base load generation of electricity, thus seriously reducing its night time generation of electricity. Hundreds of thousands more electric vehicles are in use, thus increasing the demand for night time electric power generation. Soon you will have an overloaded, and thus unstable, electric grid. Think rolling blackouts and your electric car does not get charged overnight. One of the unintended consequences of the Green New Deal. Another problem with electric vehicles is their limited range. I do not believe that technology will be able to increase the capacities of batteries to the point of increasing their range sufficient to cover the long distances that make up a large part of the Western United States. Not everybody is an urban commuter with relatively short distances to drive everyday that would be able to make use of an electric vehicle. My first daily commute in Phoenix after college graduation was 30 miles one way. My last commute working for that electric utility was 72 miles one way.
LikeLike
Blind adherents of ideology almost never think through all of the potential consequences of their beliefs. By the way, Schmocasio Schmortez is not a scientist, Theta Grunberg is not a scientist and neither is GoreAl. If you want us to listen to science, then let scientists speak, not politicians and “activists.”
LikeLike
If the BMW ICE is replaced, the EV would be a VIP but could go MIA and we would end up on KP.
LikeLike
Too bad Robin Williams has been dead for 6 1/2 years…
LikeLike
If I was an urban dweller with a 20 or so mile commute to an office job, I would likely get an electric vehicle. Fortunately for me, my life is the total opposite of that. I have no animosity towards electric vehicles, they just don’t have a fit in my life. Mostly… I’m, kind of, restoring a late 60’s Cushman 3 wheel electric vehicle. It was built for use in large industrial facilities and uses 4 six volt batteries. It was acquired for free, with the original working charger, and the motor checked out fine. I have no real plans for it, it was/is just a neat looking miniature 3 wheel pickup truck.
As Phillip pointed out, the grid is not going to be able to handle the extra load of millions of electric vehicles. Out here in my county the local Electric Membership Company, has over the last 3 years embarked on a $100 million upgrade to their part of the grid, due to an increasing industrial/commercial presence. They expect to be finished in 2022. The only “fly in the ointment” is that there has NOT been an increase in any generating capacity locally.
I’m not sure where the additional power will come from. Maybe AlGore and AOC can get a crew together and come talk at some windmills. Of course, that will contribute mightily to global warming so maybe not a great plan.
LikeLike
Thanks, DDM. Yes, one size almost never fits all.
Since I am like every other human being, I cannot predict the future with absolute accuracy. However, I am far from being the dullest knife in the drawer. Just because I disagree with the “mainstream” doesn’t mean I’m wrong. As I have written, I think that much/most of the truth in this polarized country lies in the space that makes both sides angry.
LikeLike