# Suppressed Power Techology since WW2?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressed-power-techology-since-ww2/75315>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 7, 2001, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressed-power-techology-since-ww2/75315 "2001-08-07T16:55:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressed-power-techology-since-ww2/75315/21 "2001-08-08T12:28:16Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mangetout \*  
> \*\*the best application for flywheels (I think) will be to transfer the kinetic energy of a vehicle into them (for braking) and re-use the stored energy for pulling away again when the lights change. (don’t some vehicles already incorporate this technology?) \*\*

Regenerative braking?  
yeah, in fact my Honda Insight has such a feature. Of course the energy gained is not equal to the energy used. (had to get moving in the first place and not everything is downhill. Just ask grandfather about his days walking to school 🙂 )  
Although every little bit helps right?

Osip

P.S. Car and Driver had an interesting aticle about the big 3’s RD cars aiming towards better fuel economy. Sorry no idea which issue of the top of my head.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressed-power-techology-since-ww2/75315/22 "2001-08-08T12:28:43Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MAXIMUMSTRENT1 \*  
> **Independent people are on the verge of sending people into space cheaper and faster than NASA.**

Yup, they’ve been ‘on the verge’ for a _long_ time now, I predict they’ll remain ‘on the verge’ pretty much forever.

When my dad was posted out to the RAF base at Akrotiri, Cyprus, there was a little shack on the beach, called ‘the hovercraft club’ - it was the dream of a few enthusiasts to build a small hovercraft and fly it across the bay; for all of the years that it had been there, they had been ‘on the verge’ of success, but they never _quite_ seemed to complete the working prototype. My dad returned a few years back and now (25 years on) there’s a nightclub there, called ‘the hovercraft club’ - out back there’s a little shack with a half-built hovercraft in it (I believe they are on the verge of success though :rolleyes: )

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**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressed-power-techology-since-ww2/75315/23 "2001-08-08T13:07:26Z")

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Troll. Closing thread. If you want to discuss this further, start a new thread.

Lynn  
Administrator  
For the Straight Dope

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