[ExI] Explaining technical matters

[Ben Zaiboc]

Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't know how to express non-linear equations to where
> the masses
> (or even technically astute people) are going to appreciate
> the
> difference in performance between laser heated water and
> laser heated
> hydrogen without looking into the "rocket science" of the
> situation.

...
> I don't have a clue as to how the concepts could be
> explained.
> 
> Any ideas?


Perhaps you don't need to explain the ideas in detail.  Perhaps it would be enough to just state the facts, make it clear that you have the science to back your statements up, and anybody who wishes to know the details can see them here... (link to a page with the gnarly details).

The vast majority of people (not the people reading this, of course!) don't have an engineer's or a scientist's mindset, they aren't interested in the details, they just want to be told 'the truth'.  If this wasn't the case, religions wouldn't have the hold that they do.

Saying something like "We can get a lot more speed out of hydrogen than out of water, because it's lighter" might make you cringe, but it makes enough superficial sense to satisfy most people, I reckon (and 'science journalists' will love it).  Or it might be better to just state the fact, Hydrogen = faster, and leave it at that.


Ben Zaiboc