[ExI] Atlantic article on human reengineering with very strong reactions

[Kelly Anderson]

On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 10:10 AM, Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 08:12:48AM -0700, spike wrote:
> The average european car is about a ton, US is twice that. The problem
> is expensive fitness display, more weight for luxuries and also subjective
> perception of more safety.

I'm having trouble with the "subjective perception" of more safety. I
refer you to Sir Isaac Newton, who is a Sir for better reasons than
Sir Elton John...

F = ma

When competing with a 3 ton SUV, and you are in a half ton tin can of
an ape hauler, You experience six times the acceleration
(deceleration) as the other guy. It's just simple physics. I don't see
what's subjective about that.

If everyone ran around in little cars, then it would be equally safe
for everyone...

If that doesn't do it for you, then here are the real world statistics
from a source no less reliable than Edmunds. (That's a VERY reliable
source, btw)
http://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/are-smaller-cars-as-safe-as-large-cars.html

What's funny is that pickup trucks are apparently more dangerous than
cars... wonder if that number is skewed by all the Navajos in
Arizona... Hmmm.... food for thought. Seriously though, people try
things in pickup trucks that they should not try, and that's probably
the answer.

-Kelly