
Dean Kamen Making the 'Segway' into Hybrid Cars - gibsonf1
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,449303,00.html
======
gibsonf1
"I think what Darwin was really saying was: It's not the fittest, not the
smartest, not the strongest; it's the ones that can adapt to change. And big
industries that have long histories, particularly successful long histories
and a lot of ingrained infrastructure become the least adaptable to change."

~~~
dangoldin
Very similar to the Innovator's Dilemma argument.

------
khafra
This is interesting, if it's truly practical (Kamen's brilliant, but sometimes
has an unorthodox view of "practical"). Stirling engines have traditionally
been more efficient, but also more expensive(1) and much heavier(2) than
competing technologies. The second factor, especially, impacts automotive
applications.

(1)
[http://www.gulfcoastchp.org/WhatIsCHP/Technologies/Power/Sti...](http://www.gulfcoastchp.org/WhatIsCHP/Technologies/Power/Stirling)
(double the $/kw of ICE)

(2)
[http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=n...](http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=APCPCS000880000001000466000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes)
(even NASA only hopes to develop a 77lb, ~7hp Stirling, not the greatest power
to weight ratio).

------
StrawberryFrog
Worst headline today: this is not a segway car with two side-by-side wheels,
it is a car with a new (Stirling) engine, from Dean Kamen, whio is the
Segways's inventor.

~~~
josefresco
Dude ... that went right over your head.

~~~
noonespecial
He might not be a native speaker.

For the many here who are not, its a word play using this word:

se·gue (sgw, sgw) intr.v. se·gued, se·gue·ing, se·gues 1\. Music To make a
transition directly from one section or theme to another. 2\. To move smoothly
and unhesitatingly from one state, condition, situation, or element to
another: "Daylight segued into dusk"

~~~
StrawberryFrog
I am a native speaker. "segue" is pronounced like the "segway" scooter?
(Wikipedia concurs - it's apparently from the Italian)

That's what I get for reading English at a higher level than it is spoken to
me.

------
josefresco
Completely and utterly way off-topic but who else enjoyed watching Fox news
the day after the election just to watch in pure joy the 'news anchors'
talking about how Obama won?

I don't think I've ever watched so many hours of Fox news with a bigger smile
on my face.

\--

Back on topic, I think this current vacation from oil price increases is
obviously temporary, and is only delaying the inevitable move to new
technologies until the economies around the world fully recover. Expect to see
prices rising again fast as soon as economic indicators start improving, which
will cause everyone once again to start looking into alternative energy.

