From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Sun Feb 09 2003 - 11:42:15 MST
From: "Kai Becker" <kmb@kai-m-becker.de>
>
> That's it. Its structure that matters, not mass. What is more efficient
> for chopping wood, an iron axe or a wooden club of the same mass? Hitting
> along the fibers or across? Why can a small bullet go through a steel
> plate, but not through a ligher Kevlar vest?
### The ratio of the total cost of ownership divided by the total amount of
fun and utility, is what matters. If 5000$ worth of Kevlar armor in the car
gives the same protection as 200$ worth of steel plus 100$/year in added
fuel costs, the answer is simple.
-------------------
>
> To look on mass alone seems to be one of the positive feedback loops
> which normally lead to unwanted extremes. "Always drive a heavier car
> than the others" would probably lead to everyone driving a tank and
> therefore outweight the safety with several other disadvantages - e.g.
> heavy protective gear for pedestrians...
### Once thanks to the free markets and technological progress we all get
much richer, we will be able to afford 15-ft long Mercedes cars armored with
Kevlar, 2-in thick windows and 5mpg fuel efficiency. Fatal car crashes will
be quite rare. Until then we have to make do with steel, unless high taxes
rob us of this option, too.
Rafal
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