Replies

Well, these speculations are not all that uncommon. There was quite a bit of publicity in the last century in respected, mainstream journals about the impending "end of the age of steam". What was going to replace it? Something called "caloric". But, it was the same old process of heat flow dressed up in different garments, and didn't prove practical.

Still, one must not totally discount the value of dreaming (its just that I don't think we should base public policy on it). I'll be honest and admit to indulging in such whimsical flights of fancy. My pet notion, which I have discussed on FR before, involves ushering in the hydrogen age and the replacement of carbon-based fuels. The Achilles' Heel of hydrogen-based systems has been the production of the "fuel" (really an energy transport medium)from electrolysis of water, but you need an energy source, and some (not me) find that unacceptable. But, why not use thermal cracking? What is the thermal source? Why, sunlight, of course. Too diffuse? Well, yes. So, intensify it. With what? Why, a sunlight-pumped laser, of course. Now, not being a laser physicist, that's easy for me to say, another matter entirely to do. If only someone would help me build one of sufficient power to do the job on a large scale...