This is NOT my idea, but it's great so I'll spread it! Imagine a bus with foot pedals by each seat, so passengers, if they want to, can pedal away and have the energy generated be stored in some kind of fuel cell for the bus to use. If a passenger peddles for their whole journey, they get a reduced/free fare. The bus would have selectable electric or 'normal' fuel options, depending on how many passengers have been pedalling to build up the energy stores. I have no idea if the whole concept would be physically/mechanically possible, but it was a great thought when I was told it, so... here I am spreading it!
Actual ideas and inventions that will change the world for the better. (sorry... pretty vague)
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A comment on Conversation: What do you think is the biggest mistake corporate America has made in the last 5 years
Control + Money = Disconnection = Abandonment of the people.
A reply on Conversation: Is the US an imperialistic power? Why or why not? And if it is, is it benefiting the world as a whole, or simply the US's own interests?
Money = control = pressure to do what the money dictates.
It just so happens to be that the big money is in the US, and the US has the most resources, so the big money manipulates the US to do things for the sake of the big money people. This is turn leads to smaller follower countries such as the UK diving into it all too.
Money talks, war is business, etc.
I'm not American.
I know what you were saying - it's true that people are blind to their own country's problems. A lot of British people (I'm British) think our military is somehow different from the others in the world. It's some kind of knock-on effect from the stuff they teach us in school about the greatness of the British Empire and the heroics of world war 2. Modern day Britons live in a pretty dark shadow, and it's only the general stereotyping and propaganda that gives them this strange pride for such awful things. And so I conclude that Americans are the same. They aren't stupid, they're just unaware. Same goes for religious people, actually. As much as I hate religion, it's just down to accidental ignorance.
Anyway just think about what I said...
Money is imperialism.
Why? Because the only motivation for any kind of war is for personal gain for the attacker. Capitalism, acquisition, imperialism, etc - all general derivatives of a system where people want more.
And so... of course there needs to be more strength in the people of governments, but money, without questionable doubt, is the controlling factor, and that is why bad things happen.
Consider most of Africa, with all it's poverty advertised daily. Try telling me a continent the size of Europe (or bigger?) doesn't have enough fertile land to feed its people. So... why are they all starved? It's probably something to do with the big money from foreign investors taking all the resources.
Money, money, money. That's the problem.
A reply on Conversation: Is the US an imperialistic power? Why or why not? And if it is, is it benefiting the world as a whole, or simply the US's own interests?
Hmmmmm.......
A comment on Conversation: Is the US an imperialistic power? Why or why not? And if it is, is it benefiting the world as a whole, or simply the US's own interests?
A comment on Conversation: What is the true purpose of religion?
Even Buddhism, which is supposedly quite a good one to 'choose' because it's all just philosophy, is now, I've noticed, rather ruined by the people who choose to worship 'Lord Buddha'. I don't think that was his intention at all - to be called a Lord and have people worship him. It totally goes against the idea of the religion itself. Such is a the simplicity of people who need a leader to provide mental security.
'Oh I'm from Thailand and therefore I'm probably Buddhist so I'll worship this guy"
"Oh I'm from american so I choose God and the bible"
"Oh I'm Indian so I choose Lord Brahman and his other godly extras"
It's quite a labelling thing, hence it's use in wars across the world.
Religion creates community and moral goodness, but it also exacerbates blind idiocy on the international level.
I hate religion. And what I mean by that is that I think it's possible to do all the moral things that all the holy books suggest without even classing yourself as being connected to any religion at all. It's just about knowing right from wrong. So... how does religion help in that case? It doesn't really. We could learn to be good people without the extra supernatural baggage.
I conclude... there is no use to religion at all.
A comment on Conversation: I want to become a Theoretical physicist, how can i become one? (Thank you for your time and kind consideration.
I do agree there is INSANE poverty in India, but also I reckon education can be had by anyone with a true, TRUE, interest in what they want to learn. We all have free time around whatever work or life we lead, and that free time can be filled with whatever interest we have. Be it cars, cricket or astrophysics.
I used to hate the ridiculous division and inequality between rich and poor - actually I still do - but I've realised the rich ones are no better than the poor ones. People with money tend to waste it anyway. The whole 'if I had a million dollars I would...' question often comes up with stupid answers, like, 'I would go on the holiday of a lifetime'. I mean... I don't mean to sound too self-righteous but if I had that kind of money I would use it to educate myself as much as possible. Lifetime holidays, big houses, flash cars and other things are hugely trivial.
Not having the money isn't stopping me from learning though. I'm just working towards it in whatever way I can. I figure that if I'm good enough at what I do, or if I go in the right direction, the opportunities will present themselves anyway, even if I have to spend more time 'waiting' for it to happen.
Another way to see it is that in the world of money, it's all an act and anyone can make it if they bullshit their way through enough interviews and meetings. But the education world is way more knowledge based, so if you're clever you make it. There's no acting in that.
So all I can say is... keep going! Never believe there is anything at all holding you back.
Oh and have a look at www.coursera.org
A comment on Conversation: Do introverts make better leaders?
I reckon extroverts are the best leaders if the thing they are leading is worth leading. They have more passion and power to bring people together. Whereas for more 'general' leadership, introverts would normally do a better job because they are more considerate of the whole situation, as opposed to anybody's individual ideas or motives.