The Daily Nerd (February 4th, 2014)

The Daily Nerd (February 4th, 2014) #

Five Big Myths About Green Cars And Gas Mileage, Debunked

Every now and then we get a reader question that reminds us how many myths about green cars are out there. In the interests of helping you actually save money by using less gasoline, here are five of our favorites — with explanations as to why they’re myths. (1) Boosting gas mileage from 33 to 50 mpg saves more gasoline than replacing a 10-mpg vehicle with one that does 20 mpg. (2) Electric cars “burn coal,” so they pollute just as much as gasoline cars. (3) Solar-powered cars are right around the corner. (4) It’s greener to keep your old car than to buy a new one. (5) Turning off your air conditioning and rolling down your windows saves gas.

Five MORE Big Myths About Green Cars And Gas Mileage, Debunked

(1) Any green or high-MPG car will save you money (2) Owning one vehicle is always cheaper than owning two. (3) Big Oil is working quietly and nefariously behind the scenes to kill plug-in electric cars and keep the world enslaved to petroleum transportation. (4) Solar-powered cars are just around the corner. (5) Compressed-air cars are just around the corner.

Why Hawking is Wrong About Black Holes

A recent paper by Stephen Hawking has created quite a stir, even leading Nature News to declare there are no black holes. As I wrote in an earlier post, that isn’t quite what Hawking claimed. But it is now clear that Hawking’s claim about black holes is wrong because the paradox he tries to address isn’t a paradox after all.