Tomasz Stasinski's past comments

  • 1

    Tomasz Stasinski

    I applaud the efforts to create this new type of battery that may revolutionize electricity generation. If I understand correctly, it will act as an intermediary step between power output and demand, storing electricity surplus when the latter is lower than the former. I'm not technically minded but I think it's right to say that storing electricity hasn't been possible at a large scale until now and that's a major roadblock to overcome on the way to renewable energy. Professor Sadoway's invention could make electricity generation more flexible and manageable allowing for an easier switch to solar and wind power generation. However, it's still not clear whether this invention will be really practical and profitable.

    While it's good to think critically and raise questions and doubts about some issues mentioned in the article, let's appreciate the invention for what it's worth.

    Posted in: The power of invention

  • 3

    Tomasz Stasinski

    The Bible doesn’t explain everything. It doesn’t explain how we can get pictures through fiber-optic cable, or how we walked on the moon.

    I don't mind that. I don't expect the Bible to explain everything. I mind that it explains things wrongly. If it was dictated by an omniscient god why couldn't it make it clear from the start that the Sun is just a star and the Earth is just a planet orbiting it with some species that have evolved enough to ask questions and seek explanations. We wouldn't have wasted a good few thousand years trying to get it right and Giordano Bruno wouldn't have had to die on stake for telling just that. Why the stupid creation myth and Adam and Eve BS? I know some people manage to believe both in evolution and the Bible but either they don't think about it at all or they do with a lot of convoluted mental gymnastics and quite a few jumps in logic, I presume.

    Posted in: The end of the evolution debate

  • 2

    Tomasz Stasinski

    I urgently need to stop walking into the door frame headers. Funnily, I didn't have this problem overseas, but I must have gotten dumber since moving to Japan. I'm not sure what the problem is, maybe they should be marked more clearly or padded with a header waffle?

    Posted in: How to stop kids from walking into door handles

  • 1

    Tomasz Stasinski

    May I remind whoever wrote it that spoilers, especially those regarding the ending, are very unwelcome. Please remove them or put up some warning. The finale won't be broadcast for most viewers in Japan until at least a few months from now.

    Posted in: 'House' closes after 8 seasons of healing and pain

  • 8

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Did he speak from experience? I mean I wouldn't know the first thing how to compare the two having tried neither.

    Posted in: Beat Takeshi compares same-sex marriage with bestiality

  • 8

    Tomasz Stasinski

    JeffLee, if only I could give you more than one thumb-up...

    Posted in: Japanese beer heads cause Westerners to froth at the mouth

  • 1

    Tomasz Stasinski

    I've read Mysliwski's Stone Upon Stone in Polish and it is a good book with rich language and engaging narrative. The translated version is gathering very good reviews on Amazon as well, so I presume that these values survived largely unscathed, even though it was definitely a challenge to translate.

    Posted in: Books from Japan and Poland win translation awards

  • 1

    Tomasz Stasinski

    According to CIA The World Factbook:

    Japanese electricity production: 937.6 billion kWh (2011 est.)

    Japanese electricity consumption: 859.7 billion kWh (2011 est.)

    The difference can be attributed to loss in transmission and distribution, but there definitely is some room for improved efficiency.

    Posted in: Efficiency can't replace nuclear power

  • -1

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Before Fukushima, nuclear power accounted for about** 10%** of primary energy consumption in each country.

    Last time I checked it was between 26 and 30% (depending on sources), so I'm really puzzled where that 10% comes from.

    Posted in: Efficiency can't replace nuclear power

  • 0

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Pozzy, as far as I remember, the dragon hoarded a treasure trove of gold and precious stones. Somebody roughly estimated its amount and worth in dollars. What puzzles me is the point of this exercise, but then I read the article out of sheer interest, didn't I?

    Posted in: Smart dragon tops list of fiction's richest characters

  • -2

    Tomasz Stasinski

    A: "This commercial encourages homosexuality" B: "So, you feel some attraction now toward the same sex after watching it?" A: "Of course, not. I'm straight and nothing can change that!" B: "So, what's all that hoopla about?

    Posted in: AKB48 candy ad criticized for encouraging homosexuality

  • 2

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Only 66 thousand downloads , yet over 1 million users exposed. Can someone do the maths for me here?

    Posted in: Personal info of over 1 mil smartphone users leaked

  • 0

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Does it come with a charger lead?

    Posted in: Smartpets from Bandai

  • 6

    Tomasz Stasinski

    What about refrigerators and cellphones? Don't they run purely on electricity? Aren't they thus tainted with the dreaded nuclear power? Dammit, now I know why my TV glows at night.

    You can't have cake and eat it. Stop blaming electric cars for what they are, unless you're ready to give up electricity altogether.

    Posted in: Electric cars risk losing green sheen in Japan

  • 0

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Can't wait to watch it on the Daily Show, it will sure make Jon Stewart's day.

    Posted in: De Niro: I meant no offense with first lady joke

  • 1

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Call me crazy, but to 'phase out' doesn't mean to quit cold turkey like it's being done right now. I'm all in favour of phasing out nuclear power by, let's say, 2020 (or a more realistic date when it actually can be replaced by another, safer source of energy), but not by this summer. Nuclear power plants supplied nearly 30% of the total power consumption in Japan and the missing quota will not magically appear out of nothing. Partly because Japan relied on nuclear energy too much and neglected developing other sources of energy, and partly because there's no such technology right now that could feasibly tap into clean energy at the required scale.

    Posted in: 80% in Japan support nuclear phase-out

  • 9

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Well, is anyone surprised? Avoid eating anything in excess, but refined carbohydrates in particular.

    Posted in: White rice linked to Type 2 diabetes, say researchers

  • 0

    Tomasz Stasinski

    That's a truism and I doubt those scientifically minded believe in the supernatural anyway, no matter how hard they find it to accept death.

    Posted in: Human beings find it very difficult to accept death, whether they are inclined by nature to superstition or are very scientifically minded.

  • 0

    Tomasz Stasinski

    KLM, welcome back to Sapporo. This is good news, just as I was thinking of visiting Amsterdam, though direct flights from Sapporo to Amsterdam were even more convenient.

    Posted in: KLM codeshares with Korean Air between Fukuoka-Seoul and Sapporo-Seoul

  • 2

    Tomasz Stasinski

    Right now there are 19 BBC productions available, most of them dating from at least a few years ago. Judging by the covers among fiction there is one series of old Doctor Who, old Torchwood, Life on Mars etc. Some good nature documentary series and joy of joys - Top Gear - 2 seasons are also included. No BBC Horizon, no Mock the Week, no Have I Got News For You, no Never Mind the Buzzcocks, the list of programmes not available is in fact too long to continue. But it is a good start. If they have a better choice and more recent BBC programmes in offer I will think about joining hulu.

    Posted in: BBC and Hulu tie up

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