Category Archives: Just for Fun

The unexplained, interesting Apps, aliens and more

The longest Lasting Civilizations

Education, History, Just for Fun

(that we know about)

The Maya civilization existed in Central America and the Yucatán Peninsula since at least 1800 B.C. and flourished for thousands of years. The Classic period of Mayan culture lasted from 250 A.D. to around 900 A.D. The civilization consisted of more than 40 cities, each with a population between 5,000 and 50,000. The Maya civilization collapsed between A.D. 800 and 1000. The Maya were conquered and destroyed by the Spanish invaders in around 1600 A.D. The Maya civilization was never unified and consisted of numerous small states, each centered on a city ruled by a king. Egypt was taken over by Alexanda circa 325 BC so their documented civilization lasted for less than 2,200 years while the Mayans lasted 3,400 yrs!  The Incas seem to receive much attention but their civilization lasted less than 200 years. While they are credited with much it seems to me that they likely inherited most of the amazing developments from earlier civilizations. 

Aliens (Ancient & Current)

Just for Fun, Science

I became a fan of Ancient Aliens almost immediately and I remember buying a DVD of the first season so I could watch all of the episodes several times. However, over time I have become disenchanted. If I here “Ancient Allien Theorists say yes” I will scream. In an effort to create more programming content they have the program has ventured off into any area with little or no evidence and considerable speculation. Big Foot – Aliens, Disasters – Aliens, Cults – Aliens, Geniuses – Aliens, Crystal Skulls – Aliens, The Ark of the Covenant – Aliens, Mysterious mountains – Aliens, Child prodigies – Aliens. I could go on but you get the idea. Recently I found a series that is much better and more informative. The name is called “Unidentified” and is available on Roku and Hulu. It contains interviews with credible individuals who have had alien encounters.

My view is that the subject is clear based on overwhelming evidence that we are being visited by Aliens. There are millions of unexplained sightings and thousands or reported abductions from reliable sources. Are they from other planetary systems, other dimensions or time travelers? Or Venus as in the case of Valient Thor? I have no idea but if you can suspend your belief for a few minutes let’s assume that I am correct. What does this mean?

Then our government surely knows quite a bit more than they are telling us and I think that makes sense. If I had access to advanced technology, would I want my adversaries (and likely my allies) to know it? Of course not. Other countries would take the same view. It’s like an alien cover up war and no country knows what the others have. You might think that if that is true then why hasn’t our technology advanced at a faster rate. While some of our advances might be a result of alien tech it might be much more difficult to reverse engineer than we imagine. Let’s say they are only hundreds of years advanced than we are. Go back two hundred years and ask them to reverse engineer a mobile phone. They would not know where to start. Now imagine a technology that is a thousand years ahead or a million.

Where does that leave Seti? Despite loving the movie “Contact” I’ve always thought that Seti was a crazy project. First, we are trying to communicate with “Intelligent Life” when much more intelligent Alien life is already here. Putting that aside, let’s assume what they are searching for is relatively close by (assume 50 light years). The first signals where transmitted in 1984. There are 10 years remaining before they will be received. Their response, if they have the same technology as us, will come to us in 2084. If they are much more advanced, they may show up sooner in person with good or bad intentions?

Despite my criticism of the Ancient Aliens series there are many episodes that stick to the facts and are worth the watch. Almost all that involve Linda Moulton Howe are good. On in particular that I highly recommend is Season 12, episode 9. Linda is an experienced, serious investigative reporter.

A

Amazing Hybrid

Education, Environment, Just for Fun

Chinese Tesla rival BYD says its new hybrid cars can go 1,250 miles without stopping for gas or charging

Article by Graham Rapier   May 28, 2024, 12:30 PM CDT

The BYD Seal 06 will be one of two models to get the new hybrid technology, which the EV maker says can enable a vehicle to travel more than 1,000 miles without stopping to charge or refuel. VCG/Getty Images

  • BYD says its new hybrid powertrain system lets cars go 1,250 miles without refueling or charging.
  • That’s nearly twice the range of some rival hybrids in the US.
  • Hybrid popularity has surged as EVs remain expensive and largely unprofitable.

Bottom of Form

Driving 1,250 miles without stopping to fill up? That’s a pipe dream for any car on the market right now, whether it’s powered by gas or electricity.

But the Chinese EV maker BYD says it can happen thanks to upgrades in its new hybrid powertrain system, which is set to launch on two recently revealed midsize sedans, Bloomberg reported. It’s the equivalent of about 81 miles per gallon, more than three times the US fuel-economy average for model-year-2022 cars. It’s also about 500 more miles of range than a hybrid 2023 Lexus ES gets, which last year topped Kelley Blue Book’s list of longest-range hybrids.

A leap this big in hybrid technology would boost an already fervent interest in these cars, with their impressive fuel economies, lower up-front costs, and mitigated range anxiety. The models are wildly popular with both automakers and consumers as a bridge between traditional internal-combustion engines and fully electric models, especially as electric-vehicle sales plateau in many markets.

In BYD’s case, hybrids make up the majority of its models sold, Reuters reported.

I have a 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and I have gotten slightly over 800 miles.

I went over 800 miles on this tank

     What is possible for 200 miles at 55 MPH