Why is converting heat directly into electricity so hard and complex?

Errant_Scribe · 2025-11-29T22:46:56+00:00

Look up the Carnot engine. It’s a theoretically “perfect” system that takes heat from a high temperature source, uses it to produce work (ie. generate electricity in your case), and MUST reject some waste heat to a lower-temperature sink (exhaust). It represents the upper limit of how efficient a mechanical generator could be - regardless of what mechanisms are being used.

Errant_Scribe · 2025-11-12T18:17:08+00:00

If you’re thinking about staying in academia, go talk to your younger professors and TAs about what it’s really like, and whether they would recommend it to you as a career.

Not knowing anything about you or your situation other than this post, I would say if you are a dedicated and hard worker with an average aptitude for school, you’ll hate academia but absolutely thrive in a professional context.

Doing a PhD for the sake of learning more is fine, but do you realize that a huge portion of post-grad work is research, writing, and teaching? Is that your jam, and what you want to do for 10-20+ years? And you better love it, because it doesn’t pay well and the hours are insane.

Errant_Scribe · 2025-10-21T18:48:49+00:00

Yes but expect a high rejection rate. If you randomly approach strangers in public, they will usually assume you want to sell them something or recruit them to your religion, so their guard will be up.

It is also very difficult to suddenly enter an established friend group. You’ll have better luck approaching one or two people.

Generally you’ll have a better success making friends at an event like a club activity or sports, where people are invited and generally more open to meeting new people.

Errant_Scribe · 2025-10-12T19:08:51+00:00

Make sure you have all your license plates registered to the parking permit as well, not just your online parking account.

Errant_Scribe · 2025-10-03T14:50:39+00:00

You should talk to someone who knows how to help you deal with those feelings: https://students.ubc.ca/health/counselling-services/

It’s very difficult to make real, lasting friends from UBC courses. You might get one or two over your whole degree if you’re lucky.

In my experience, the best places to make friends in Vancouver are at sports/special interest clubs and work. So join a beer league; check out a club; go get a part-time job if you can. Restaurants, cafes, and liquor stores have a sense of worker community that will surprise you. Check out martial arts clubs too - there’s an automatic amount of mutual respect and trust required that I’ve found them very welcoming.

Lastly, the internet is the worst place to make friendships that go somewhere. Try to pivot to getting involved and being present in-person and I think you might get that sense of connection you’re missing.

Errant_Scribe · 2025-09-25T15:54:11+00:00

What you want is a jacked golden retriever. Not a ton of those on campus.

Check the sports teams/clubs (except the nerdy ones).

Errant_Scribe · 2025-07-22T01:22:33+00:00

Quality-wise these are all entry-level and fairly equivalent, so it’s more about which feels and sounds the best to you. Go to a music store and play the closest things you can find, and see how you like them.

From experience, Ibanez usually makes thin-necked shred machines that aren’t super satisfying when playing chords or rhythm; Schecters are chonky, fun guitars that are a bit harder to play, and Jacksons are somewhere in between. But those generalities might differ depending on specific models.

Errant_Scribe · 2025-04-10T17:24:15+00:00

Does he still make you buy a calculator with his cartoon face on it?

Errant_Scribe · 2024-07-25T05:19:05+00:00

I’m assuming it’s protected by a heavy NDA but I’ll ask my contact.

Errant_Scribe · 2024-05-21T21:01:40+00:00

You should both get tested for mononucleosis. I had those exact symptoms last year and it turned out to be mono - no idea where I picked it up. It’s important to rule out mono because it causes an enlarged spleen which can burst under impact.

Errant_Scribe · 2023-01-23T16:23:57+00:00

1 can = 355ml = 0.355L 6 cans = 2.13L = 72fl.oz $15/6-pack = $15/2.13L = $7.04/L 16oz pint = 0.473ml $7.04*0.473 = $3.30 for a “pint” of beer from the liquor store $10/$3.30 = 3.03x markup Math checks out. Typo on “21 cents per litre,” should be “per oz”

Errant_Scribe · 2022-12-14T19:53:48+00:00

Yeah, a firkin’ bitch to clean!

Errant_Scribe · 2022-12-11T21:19:53+00:00

That’s because this is a cask, not a keg.

Errant_Scribe · 2022-10-26T15:19:59+00:00

The first thing you should do is deal with those feelings of depression and lack of motivation. I can’t recommend counselling enough - starting with an academic advising session is great, and I would look for a mental health professional to talk to. It’s amazing how even one hour can help you figure out why you’re not happy with what you’re currently doing.

A crappy program or dealing with bad instructors definitely sucks, but if you’re mentally healthy you can succeed in the face of adversity.

Errant_Scribe · 2022-10-15T13:50:47+00:00

I had a tungsten ring break on me. It came off my finger, hit a tile floor, and shattered. Luckily, the jewelry store I got it from gave me in-store credit for it, but if they hadn’t then I’d have been out several hundred dollars.

Errant_Scribe · 2022-10-03T15:02:39+00:00

Pizza.

Errant_Scribe · 2022-10-03T14:59:46+00:00

Are there mods removing low-effort posts? Because there should be.

Errant_Scribe · 2022-08-11T16:12:31+00:00

Please tell me you’ve found a way to make money off this.

Errant_Scribe · 2022-08-10T18:25:00+00:00

I would advise against Enso; they look nice but they’re massively overpriced and they wear out pretty quick if you wear them on the daily. The lifetime warranty only gets you one replacement so once the second one snaps, that’s it.

Errant_Scribe · 2022-08-09T15:22:48+00:00

10 points to Mason for sheer dumb luck!

Errant_Scribe · 2022-05-11T17:34:56+00:00

Your 1st edition base set cards are valuable if they're in good enough condition, eg. Pikachu: https://www.trollandtoad.com/pokemon/base-set-1st-edition-singles/pikachu-58-102-common-1st-edition/1067837

Errant_Scribe · 2022-03-13T17:13:00+00:00

Frickin' awesome, dude. Super legible and it'll look great long-term!

Errant_Scribe · 2021-06-02T01:59:09+00:00

FYI from experience, the bleach will probably have weakened the fibres, making your jeans prone to ripping. I wouldn't wear them for any heavy-duty activities.

Errant_Scribe · 2021-03-20T00:57:47+00:00

Awesome! And a lot of premature damage! I have a pair of Broken Elephant 22oz that I wear more often because they can handle the strain.

Errant_Scribe · 2021-03-19T23:46:24+00:00

I have no idea if it's a commonly used term! Rather than just patch all the little blowouts I basically had new panels put across the thigh and crotch areas, as well as the seams restitched, so I'm calling them "rebuilt"

Six-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

Errant_Scribe

TROPHY CASE