this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
145 points (95.6% liked)

Technology

59457 readers
3512 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

The world's largest aircraft breaks cover in Silicon Valley::As dawn breaks over Silicon Valley, the world is getting its first look at Pathfinder 1, a prototype electric airship that its maker LTA Research hopes

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] _Analog_@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (10 children)

Ha, yes let’s use a limited resource (helium) to save the earth!

No, I don’t have a better idea… and maybe the improvement is worth it. After all I’ll be dead in 100-200 years when helium runs out on Earth, but climate change is already having a huge impact.

[–] jasory@programming.dev 4 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I concur. This is really fucking stupid. The only actual advantage that airships have is loitering time, and solar aeroplanes can already loiter for months albeit with a small payload.

If you really care about the environment, make it an unmanned post and use more efficient (because it's lighter) and abundant hydrogen. Chance of explosion is pretty low, and if it does who cares.

[–] DrRatso@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Afaik they want to use hydrogen, it is actually pretty safe with modern understanding, but regulations make it hard to pursue.

[–] ekky43@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 year ago

Right? I'm embarrassed that we still think hydrogen to be more dangerous than gasoline and other fossil fuels.

I mean, hydrogen is dangerous, as are most things, but it likely won't ever kill 5~10 million people per year from pollution alone.

And regarding airships, hydrogen doesn't just explode as some like to think, and won't just plummet In case of fire if sealed in multiple metallic and flame resistant compartments like in modern airships, at least not without a freak accident.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)