There are no laws of science that you can’t convert moonlight into electrical energy, though there is a set of laws (called physics) that will render this incredibly unproductive. The moon produces a very small amount of power per square meter, around 0.0034 watts. This is approximately 300,00 times less than sunlight, which can reach 1,000 watts per square meter.
I think the average 10-year-old child, and probably 99% of high school students understand this intuitively. If I were interviewing a young person and trying to coax them along, I might proceed as follows:
Craig: When you go the the beach, what do you rub on your exposed skin?
Kid: Sun screen.
Craig: Why?
Kid: Otherwise you’ll get a sunburn.
Craig: Right. Do you know why?
Kid: The sun’s energy somehow “cooks” our skin.
Craig: Exactly. Now, what about the moon? If you were playing on the beach at night, would you be worried about getting a “moonburn?”
Kid: I don’t think so.
Craig: Why not?
Kid: The moon is just a piece of rock that reflects a tiny bit of the sun’s light.
Craig: That’s great! You can think! Be grateful. Many Americans have lost their ability to use their minds. You haven’t. That’s terrific.
Consider the meme here, and then remember that the nine of the ten poorest states in the U.S. (Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virgina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and South Carolina) are all bright red.
How do they get away with stupidity like this?
Well, there’s the bottom of the state rankings for education:
- 46. Mississippi
- 47. Kentucky
- 48. Louisiana
- 49. Arkansas
- 50. West Virginia
Do you see any correlation?
Republican Operatives Are Tenacious as Messaging–And Truth Has No Bearing on It
Good question here at left.
To me, it depends.
If the person seems intelligent enough to be able to hold a thought in his head that opposes his current beliefs, I’d actively encourage the discussion. Otherwise, I’m out. No need to raising someone’s temper for no reason or gain.
To the jackass who sent me the meme here: What about the 5 million Americans who moved to Canada? What about the steady flow of Americans expatriating to Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland and Northern Europe?
My wife and I have two kids and a grandchild in the States, and we have a gaggle of medicos to address the various health conditions associated with aging. If that weren’t the case, I’d be writing this from Stockholm or Aukland.
I wouldn’t be looking for a “utopia,” just an escape from the frustration, anger, and sadness that I feel every day, as I watch the country I love deteriorate into authoritarianism.
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