post-petroleum energetics and sea water agriculture, with dennis bushnell

8/14/2019 POST-PETROLEUM ENERGETICS AND SEA WATER AGRICULTURE, with Dennis Bushnell

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Precis of Post-Petroleum EnergeticsIncluding Seawater

Agriculture

Dennis Bushnell

Chief ScientistNASA Langley Research Center


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The (Economic) Ages of

Humankind Hunter/Killer groups (~1 Million - ~5K BC)

Agriculture (~5K BC - ~1850 AD) Industrial (~1850 AD - ~1950 AD)

Information/BIO/NANO(~1950 AD - ~2030

AD) Virtual (~2030 - ?)


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Hunter-Gatherer - Nature Provided

Agriculture - Controlled Nature(Plants/Animals)

Industrial - Mechanized Agriculture

[1800-97% Farmers,Now-2%]

IT/BIO/Nano - Automating

Industry/AgricultureVirtual - Robotization of

IT/Bio/Nano/Industry/Agriculture


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Humans Have Taken Over and Vastly

Shortened Evolution

[Human Engendered~E7 times Natural]Of the Planet

Global Warming/Pollution/Deforestation

Huge Public Works (e.g. 3 GorgesDam)

Of the Human Species

Genomic Design and Repair

Mind Children (Moravec)

Products/Life Forms

Cross Species Molecular Breeding

Directed Evolution (Maxygen etc.)


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Human Environment changing from

Natural [before],to Manmade [Now]

To VIRTUAL [Evolving Future]


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- CO2 levels are NOW greater

than at any time in the last650,000 Years

- Tundra Melting,Releasinghuge amounts of Methane.- European Gulf Stream

Heating reduced by 30%[overlying fresh water from

melting glaciers?].


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Prevention of collapse of theEcosystem has now become

the overwhelming issue

European Commission on KeyTechnologies for Europe,2005


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Rational[s] for Going Green

Escalating Price of Petroleum

Warming [ Including Acidic

Oceans]

National Security/Geo-Politics

Economics/ Balance of Payments

Personal Economics/Independence


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THE KEY TECHNOLOGIESTHE KEY TECHNOLOGIES(highly synergistic / at the frontiers of the small / in a

feeding frenzy off each other)

IT (comms/computing/sensors/electronics/machine

intelligence)

Bio (genomics/molecular biology/designer life forms)

Nano (coatings/barriers/computers/sensors/materials/

assemblers)

Energetics (HEDM (various)/revol.

solar/biomass/explosives/propellants/storage)

Quantum

[crypto/computing/sensors/optics/Electronics]

Societal Technological Systems (motivational


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The [Major] Societal Problems

Warming [Anthropogenic CO2-Induced,Attendant Arctic and Ocean MethaneRelease]

Consequent Green EnergyConsequent Green EnergyRequirementRequirement, Simultaneous Demise ofCheap Oil

Shortages of Water & Arable Land An Increasing Food Shortage


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Current Worldwide Energy Usage

Petroleum - 140 Exojoules Natural Gas - 85

Coal - 90

Biomass - 55 [ Potential to 4,000+ ]

Nuclear Fission - 28 Hydroelectric - 9

Geothermal - 2 [ potential to 5,000 ]

Solar - .2 [ Potential to 1,600+ ] Others [Wind, etc.] - ~7

P t l [T t ti


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Petroleum [TransportationFuel] Outlook

In General,Cheap Oil Production is peakingor has peaked.Residual supplies will havegreater production costs.IncreasingPetroleum demand,particularly from the

developing world ,will ensure ever increasingoil prices and shifts,from purely economicdrivers, to Alternatives [H2,Biomass]

Demand Example - U.S. has 745 vehicles per

1,000 population.China,the second largest oilimporter, has 3 vehicles per 1,000population.If China goes to 5 Vehicles per1,000 Population they will have to DOUBLE

their Oil Imports to 10 Million Barrels/Day


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Energy and Warming 75% of Energy Usage is releasing climate-

changing amounts of Fossil Carbon asCO2

This Fossil CO2 warming is releasingFossil Methane from the Tundra andseabeds,Methane some 22X more of awarming gas than CO2,A WarmingAccelerant

Of the Renewables,only Solar [viaBiomass and Other Approaches] has thepotential to provide the requisiteCapacity [Wind,Hydro,Conv. Nuccannot.]

Biomass Produces Liquid Fuels and isless expensive than other Solar


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[Direct] Solar EnergyUtilization Spectrum

Biomass

PV [emerging Plastic/Nano PV,1/10th thecost., to 70% efficiency?]

H2 from Photosynthesis [GenomicBiologics and artificial Photosynthesis]

Photo-Catalytic Disassociation of Water

Solar Furnaces/Concentrators/Direct

Heating [including Zn production for H2Storage/ Generation..]


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Biomass Benefits

Renewable Nearly CO2-Neutral

No New H2 infrastructure Required

Minimal Sulfur Relatively Inexpensive

Energy costs of biomassproduction/Processing up to an order of

magnitude less than Energy Yields- Capacity/Tonnage Currently limited by

sweet water and arable land


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Bio-Refineries

Bio-Chemical,EnzymaticBio-Chemical,EnzymaticHydrolysis/Fermentation of BiomassHydrolysis/Fermentation of Biomassinto Sugars,Lignin,alcohol and Methaneinto Sugars,Lignin,alcohol and Methane

Thermochemical,Pyrolysis/gasification,

Conversion to gas/liquid/solid mix,catalysisproducing Biopolymers and Liquid orGaseous Fuels

Chemical,Biomass Oil conversion toBioDiesel etc. fuels

- Due to costs of Biomass transportation, Bio-refineries should be Distributed/Scalable,Products largely delivered/deliverable viaPipelines


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Sampling - BiomassUtilization Archipelago

Transportation/Liquid Fuels [Distill/Refineit]

Direct Heat Generation [Burn it]

Direct Electricity Generation [Bio FuelCells]

Food [via Genomics]

Petro-Chemical Feed-Stock [Plastics etc.] Direct H2 Production [e.g.

Fermentation/Algae feeding]

On Site Micro-Power/Co-[electricity]

Generation


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Biomass Energy Potential[s]

6% of U.S. land mass producingBiomass could supply the U.S. with

current Oil AND Natural Gas Usage Estimates indicate that Biomass

grown on the Sahara [only] could

supply the Worlds EnergyRequirement[s]


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Water Scarcity is now thesingle greatest threat to

Human Health,The

Environment and the Global

Food Supply


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The Emerging Desert MantraThe Emerging Desert Mantra[Some 44% of land worldwide is

Wasteland] Desert Area Characteristics

- Sunlight

- Brackish/Saline Ground Water

- Many near/on seacoasts

Utilize these Resources For:

- Nano-Plastic PV

- Saline-Seawater Agriculture forBiomass/Energy and Food


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Conventional/Historical Wisdom -Seawater/Saline

incursions/occurance Detrimental-to-Disasterous for Agriculture

Unconventional -Saline/Salt water

Agriculture a Viable-to-Desirable Alternative to

Conventional

Agriculture


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Saline/Seawater Agriculture

Quasi-Conventional:- For Food & Fodder

- Reclaim/Desalinate land via Biologics

Unconventional- For

Land,Water,Energy,Warming,Minerals,Food and Terra-Forming/enhancedRainfall i.e. STRATEGIC Not Tactical,to Contribute to ALL the MajorProblems,not just food


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Advantages of Seawater AG

97% of all water is seawater,will not Run Out

Seawater Contains:- wide variety of important minerals

- ~ 80% of Nutrients required for Agriculture[need to add Nitrogen,Phosphorus and Iron]

In proximity to a number of Dry/DesertAreas

Mi l E t ti f


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Mineral Extraction fromSeawater

- [Conventional] mining is one of the mostenvironmentally damaging activities carriedout by Humans

Seawater AG puts missing/trace Minerals

back into Food Supply Current Seawater Mineral Extraction -Current Seawater Mineral Extraction -Magnesium,Bromide,Salts,Phosphorites,Magnesium,Bromide,Salts,Phosphorites,Metallic Sulfides,Metallic Sulfides,

Seawater and Brines appear destined toreplace Mineral Ores as the main source ofLight Metals

Nascent [low cost/energy] Bio/Algae

Extraction Approaches.


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Alternative Seawater AGEmployment Approaches

Desalinization [in General,tooexpensive for Agriculture]

Cold/deeper Ocean water to [via heatexchangers] precipitate moisture fromthe atmosphere

Seawater Greenhouses [involvevaporization/re-precipitation]

Direct Plant Seawater Irrigation

S N b


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Some Numbers Sahara some 2E9 (2 billion) Acres

1.2 Acre Meters Required for Agriculture/Irrigation

[per year] Average Sahara Elevation some 450 Meters

~ cost to pump 1.2 acre meters of Seawater to 450Meters altitude [vertical lift only] some $1200/Acre

1 Acre produces 10-to-40 tons of dry Biomass peryear

I Ton of dry Biomass provides 16E6 BTUs = 2.75Barrels of Oil

@ $60/Barrel of oil,1 ton of Biomass worth [afterrefining] ~ $165 [other estimates,which includeAddit. Goodness factors [e.g. countering warming]are as high as $300-$700/ton]

@ 20 Tons/Acre and $165/ton Value of an Acre of@ 20 Tons/Acre and $165/ton Value of an Acre of

Biomass = $~3300Biomass = $~3300


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Irrigation Influences UponRainfall

Irrigation can Represent an EnormousPerturbation of the Regional AtmosphericWater and Heat Balance

Cool,Wet Surface increases low levelAtmospheric Instabilities,incites Storms

Various Studies Indicate -

- 18%-25% precipitation Increase [from only .4

acre meter Irrigation]- Irrigation increased Rainfall by 91%

- Irrigation and Vegetation changes areclear dominating factors with direct

influence upon atmospheric water content


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Halophyte [Salt-Plant]Utilization [Per Yensen]

Patents issued for Halophyte Crop[s][Genetics,Genomics]

10,000+ Natural Halophyte Plants,250 ofthese are potential Staple crops

Research ongoing on/for Halophilic [Salt-LOVING] Halophytes,The more salt thefaster the growth

Huge areas worldwide are already salt-affected [1 B Hectares] and another BillionHectares overlie Saline Aquifers.

Over 100 halophyte plants now in trials

for Commercial applications


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[Sample] Countries withSaline AG projects

China

Mexico

Eritria

India Pakistan

Israel

Libya

Jordan Tunisia

- Current Status,PrototypeFarms/Experiments forFOOD

Egypt

Iran

Morocco

U.S. Saudi Arabia

Syria

UAE

Kuwait Australia

Sudan


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Chinese Seawater AGChinese Seawater AG

ReportingReporting Genetically Modified [grown on Beaches

using Seawater]:

- Tomato- Eggplant

- Pepper

- Wheat- Rice

- Rapeseed


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The Potential[s] for enhanced

[Halophyte] Plant Growth viaNano/Bio Technology thought

to be Large, 60%improvements thus far,Only Beginning

- An Example Requisite Capability -Nitrogen Fixation

[utilization/extraction from the air]


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On-going Research Areas

Enhanced Plant growth rates andenhanced Salt-Loving

Reduced water/nutrient Requirements

Irrigation Efficiency Improvements

Plant /Lifeform tailoring for specific Bio-Conversion/Refining Processes

Safe/Contained Saline/SeawaterIrrigation Practices,Avoid-to-ObviateFresh Aquifer Contamination


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TerraForming -1

Altering a Planetary Surface to make itsuitable for Terrestrial life

Seawater AG for Biomass Energy can beof sufficient magnitude to qualify as Terra-Forming

Humans have long practiced Anti-Terraforming with neither plan nor

prediction It appears timely/necessary to attemptterraforming but with both Plan andPrediction


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[Obvious] Terraforming


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[Obvious] TerraformingModeling/Computation

Requirements/Inputs Irrigated Land Area

Type of Vegetation/Evaporation Rate

Vegetation Coverage Atmospheric Particulate details [allow

cloud formation at .1% super-saturation]

Utilization of both Boundary LayerMeteorology and Global Circulation/EarthSystem Models

ETC


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Bottom Line Enablers/Pull -Saline/Seawater Biomass

Irrigation Oil Prices now high enough [and going

higher] to make the economics worth looking

into [again] H2 Infrastructure Costs & Storage issues

Potential Halophyte Genomic improvements

Global Warming,Green Energy Requirements Increasing shortages of Sweet water/ArableLand

- Requires SERIOUS Forecasting

Advantages of Shallow Sea/Desert


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Advantages of Shallow Sea/DesertProduction of Biomass (Via Seawater

Irrigation - energy, warming, food,land,

water) Closed CO2 Cycle (Obviates GlobalWarming)

Food

Petro-chemical feedstock [plastics etc.] ENERGY

Terraforming, alter desertification etc.

Preservation/Production of Fresh Water Rich Mineral source (Seawater)

Utilization of Wastelands (Sahara, etc.)

Seawater has 85% of plant nutrients

Frontier Energetics


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Frontier Energetics(Production/Storage)

Biomass via saltwater agriculture

Solar H2 production

efficient visible light (vs. just ultraviolet)photocatalytic electrolysis of water

CNT H2 storage, Zeolite H2 storage Direct plant and bacteria H2 production

SMES/CNT magnets 2 to 20 X energy density of O2- H2 fuel (in a

battery) Efficient direct conversion (thermal to

electric), thermal diodes (~24%),Nano-Voids [~30%]

Advanced Geothermal

Frontier Energetics


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Frontier Energetics

(Production/Storage)

LENRS and nano-fusion (ala G. Miley,DOE/NAVY),Muon-Catalyzed Fusion

CNT Flywheels

Isomers/Quantum nucleonicsSeveral, ~105 X HE

Offshore methane hydrate

106 greater than known natural gasreserves

Hydrogen/Boron-11 Fusion - charged

particle/Direct conversion,Dense Plasma


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Aneutronic H-B11 FusionInertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion

[QED,IEC,IEF] Produces Protons,Direct MHD

Electricity Generation vice [Neutron]

Thermalization Reduced Radiation Hazard[s]/Weight

High Thrust-to-weight AND High Isp [via

reduced shielding,magnetics,HighPower Drivers]

For SSTO,Payload Mass Fraction is ~14%,Launch Cost Estimate ~ $100/lb

Frontier Energetics


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Frontier Energetics

(Production/Storage) Femto-second laser/other production of

anti-matter/positrons

Bose-Einstein condensate/Positronium

storage of Positrons

HEDM (MIC, SBER, nano-powders, cold

silicon, solid H2, atomic C/B/H, cubanes,

metastable He,Etc) Bacteria-based fuel cells

Plastic Nano PV,factor of 10 cost

reduction,2X Efficiency [Nanocrystals]

Antimatter Fuels/Propulsion


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Antimatter Fuels/PropulsionApproaches

Positrons - Stored asPositronium?,Gamma emission used forheating,also - via direct conversioncould yield Electrical Energy for 2000Sec. Isp High Thrust MHD Acceleration,negligible fuel fraction

Trigger Fission at 100% [vice < 5%] for

fission nuc Propulsion Antihydrogen - Stored as Bose-Einstein

Condensate,Harvest from Van Allen

Belts


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W ld id IT R l ti


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Worldwide IT Revolution

Comms/Computing/Sensors/Electronics

Factor of E07 since 59 [Moores Law]

Factor of E08 to E12 further

improvement [Silicon,Molecular/CNT,

Quantum, Bio, Optical]

Beyond Human Machine Intelligence?

Automatics/Robotics in the large

Immersive multi-sensory VR/Holodecks

Ubiquitous multi physics/hyperspectral

sensors [land/sea/air/space]

IMPACTS OF ONGOING


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IMPACTS OF ONGOINGREVOLUTION UPON SOCIETY

Work (at home telecommuting, reduced local/corporal

travel) Shopping (at home web based, (robotic?) delivery)

Entertainment/leisure (at home immersive 3-Dinteractive/multi-sensory via VR/holographicprojection)

Travel (3-D/interactive/multi-sensory tele-travel)

Education (at home low cost asynchronous, web basedon-demand, highly motivational, life-long distancelearning, .edu)

Health (at home interactive tele-medicine)

Politics (increased real-time virtual involvement of thebody politic)

Commerce (tele-commerce already ubiquitous)

Tele-Socialization Tele - onsite Manufacturin


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SOME IT PREDICTIONS

Quantum computing initiallyavailable in 5 years

15% of all power today is used bycomputers, will reach 60% by 2020?

Wearable/implantable (on-person)electronics--comms, computing,sensory augmentation, healthmonitoring, brain stimulation

Global Warming Solutions


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Global Warming Solutions Green Energy

Conservation Genomic Biologics w/greatly increasedCO2 Uptake

Trigger Calderas [Nascent Volcanoes],Put

massive amounts of dust in theAtmosphere

Nano-Particulates spread on themonolayer of surfactant on the Oceans

Surface to alter Albedo Gigantic reflective films/membranes in

orbit

Seed Oceans with iron to provoke/enable

Phytoplankton Blooms


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Nominal Power Densities

ZPE..E108 X Chemical

Anti-Matter/Positrons.. E10 X Chemical

Fission/Fusion.. E6 X Chemical Isomers. E5 X Chemical

SBER E2 X Chemical

Hydrogen....38 KWH/Kg HC..14

Advanced Flywheels. .9 - 20?

Batteries.. . .04 - 10?

E ti Wild C d B i


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Energetics Wild Cards BeingWorked

Solitons for Low Divergence Power Beaming Positron Storage as Positronium

High Efficiency Plastic Nano PV

30%+ Thermo-Electrics High Efficiency [KW/KG] Fuel Cells

On-Site H2 Generation vice Storage [Zinc,.]

Room Temperature S-C

Tapping ZPE

Controlled Nuclear Isomer Release

SMES with CNT Magnets

Lithium Tantalate Crystals


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First-Order Impacts of Nano


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First Order Impacts of Nanoupon Energetics

[Improved Performance/Cost &Requirement Reductions] Fuel Cells

Photovoltaics H2 Storage [Casimir Forces?]

Supercapacitors Batteries

Structural dry weight reductions

[1/3rd-1/8th]

H d S


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Hydrogen Sources

Genomic Bio Photosynthesis Artificial Photosynthesis

Electrolysis:

- Direct visible light Photo-Catalysis

- Plastic Nano PV Energy- Bio Mass [Incl.Seawater Agric.] Energy

- Ocean Thermal,Wind Energy

- Usual Energy Sources [Hydro,Nuc,.] Reformation [JP,Methane,Ammonia.]

Coal Gasification[w/H20]

Sulfur-iodine Thermo-chemical Cycle[w/H2O]

H d St


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Hydrogen Storage Cryo [incl. Slush, Solid]

CNTs/Zeolites [Casimir ForceOptimization,Doping]] , CNT Structure

CNT Pressure Vessels,

Lithium Nitride,Graphite Nanofibers Ammonia,Ammonia Borane [PNNL]

Methane,Gas Hydrates

Porous Magnesium Alloys Titanium doped Hydrides

Glass/Polymer Microspheres

Metal/Organic Frameworks

[A ] O tl k f H2


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[An] Outlook for H2 Biologic H2 sources could provide a

Green H2 Supply H2 Infrastructure would take too long to

put in place [ compared towarming/petroleum problem[s] time

scales] and is exceedingly expensive Hydrogen Storage is still nascent, Nano

Tech including Casimir Force Engineeringcould help

- Bottom Line[s]Biofuel[s] [ usingexisting infrastructures] are/will be the

Green transportation fuel of choice.

Suggested Green Energy Best


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Suggested Green Energy BestBets/Ways Forward

Seawater Ag, Aquaculture - Biofuels

Nano Plastic PV

Advanced Geothermal

20%-30% Efficient Thermoelectrics[ Harvesting, cycle efficiency ]

SMES w/CNT Magnets [ 10X Chem storage?]

Positron storage as Positronium?BTW - Conventional Nuc Fission Fuel CycleWaste a Serious Problem [near term wastestorage approach is casks on an open

parking lot at an Indian Reservation]


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Physics Outlook/Issues

Quantum and Relativity do not Merge

They do not explain Dark Energy

They do not explain Dark Matter They do not provide an understanding

of Non-Locality

Where did the Anti-Matter Go?

Many other Unsolved Problems..


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E tant E planation Approaches


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Extant Explanation Approaches[Samples,Additional Degrees of Freedom,

Experimental Verification TBD..] Time Reversals/Retrocausation

Extra [Spatial] Dimensions

- Many Worlds/Multiverses- String/M/Brane Theories [ to 11 Dim.]

- 5 Dim. Larger Universe/ The Bulk

Larger Constructs

- Bohm Quantum Potential

- Holographic Universe

- Puthoff ZPAether

- The Bulk

What is Sought are


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What is Sought areExplanations for Dark

Matter/Energy and Non-LocalityEtc. which satisfy Occams

Razor.Once Found/Determined the

Ensuing/Enabled Technologies

should be SeriouslyRevolutionary,including wrt

post-petroleum energetics and sea water agriculture, with dennis bushnell

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