> A pandemic of toxic individualism

Given the social constraints that the various lockdown measures imposed on us, I would argue that you are correct, but not for the reason you think. The response to the pandemic has, in a toxic and damaging way, turned us into atomised and isolated individuals.

Those demanding freedoms back, are actually requesting that we return to an integrated, social society.

I'm not sure I'd describe 2019 as an integrated, social society. "ships passing in the night" might be a more accurate description.

I agree with you. It would seem that the response to Covid has rapidly accelerated all that was going wrong with society, while largely halting all that was going well.

Are these the same people who insist that scientists are lying dirtbags and are trying to implant these freedom lovers with tracking devices?

You do yourself, and intellectual curiosity, a great dis-service when you paint with strokes that broad.

This is for small scale, family-sized units, where power and cost are the limiting factor, so brine will not be an issue at this scale.

As for condensation, the plate is hot, but colder that the vapor, and heated by the vapor only, so when it is too hot, condensation stops, the temperature drops quickly due to evaporation on the other side, and condensation can continue.

At equilibrium, each successive plate is colder than the next, the last one using the sea water as a heat sink.

This is actually innovative and the optimization of the design parameters (e.g. The distance between the plates) is not trivial.

I think you are overly dismissive of this solid piece of engineering.

For that to work, each successive layer will need to remain cool enough for water to condense on it.

It’s due to changes in pressure. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Ph...

At 5ATM water condenses at a higher temperature than it boils at 4ATM.

It's a struggle, looking for long-leg trousers in the UK. Next also has them, and their one-from-cheapest range is good enough for me.

I get nearly all my jeans from Next, they are the only retailer I trust to be consistent in their sizing across styles, makes buying from them online much easier. Other retailers could learn a lot I'm that area alone.

I'm 1.70m tall and living in the Netherlands with exactly the opposite problem. Most pants and other clothes are for taller men. I used to buy my clothes in River Island which had a good fit, but they closed the store last year. Buying men's clothes outside the norm is a pain.

For healthy people, Covid is not so bad. The data has shown this since early 2020, but try telling that to anyone.

I am so glad I got out of the whole game, and stopped using a smartphone. I'm also glad I live in a country where it is somewhat viable, although in our post-Covid world, everywhere seems to need a crappy app to get anything done.

So it turns out the original "disruptors", using scorched-earth business techniques, and despite adhering to the mantras of open-source software, have become uncontrollable monsters?

It should make you think a little about how things are done in Silicon Valley.

We just need new disruptors.

A little tougher now that the current companies have the government on their side.

They share at least one property - you go broke slowly, then very quickly.

If it really were about shifting energy usage from fossil fuels to a "renewable" power grid, there would be an equal enthsiasm for electrifying all home and hot water heating.

There isn't, for two main reasons:

1. Making resistive elements in a box will not enrich any mineral companies, perputrate planned obselecence, nor maintain R+D departments.

2. It would be very easy and cheap to do, and when the resulting droves of people convert to electric heating, it would very quickly become apparent that our grid just cannot handle the extra load.