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I would be proud if the Prius was an American development

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by alanmushnick, Jun 14, 2005.

  1. KTPhil

    KTPhil Active Member

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    "Acceleration is brisk - 0 to 60 mph seems to occur in the 13- to 14-second range that GM quotes"

    Wow, and some criticize the Prius' 10 second figure...

    Interestingt piece of engineering-- I guess GM "Business-cased" it out of existence, rather than pursue a production version.
     
  2. kazu88

    kazu88 New Member

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    Re: I would be proud if the Prius was an American developmen

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hybrid_Dave\";p=\"99237)</div>
    Yup, heard that too...I know what he's concerned about, he's concerned we're going to look like chumps if this thing actually proves to cure diseases.
    Dave.[/b][/quote]

    From what they have accomplished so far, we will see the dramatic change in the way we treat almost all diseases using E-stem cells (I'm a medical doctor).

    First, we'll be able to cure most "blood cancers," ie Leukemia, Lymphoma etc.

    Next, growing pancreatic cells (that produce insulin) to cure or alleviate type 1 and severe type 2 Diabetes patients.

    Growing human cartilages may cure most arthritic conditions (aches and pain in joints).

    Nerve cells are more tricky, but the Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, Multiple sclerosis are the conditions that may benefit from the stemcell research.

    Those twisted prolife/neo-con/Bush people will tell you that the cure is "hundreds of years away," but it is simply untrue. I think we'll start seeing the break-through treatments within 10 years; altough it may not come from the US reseachers, thanks to the artificial federal restrictions imposed by the Bush Administrations.

    I think more and more people are talking the "I" word. (Impeachment!)

    Have you seen the Downing street memo? George W wanted to invade Iraq and changed the intelligence to make it happen!
     
  3. Hybrid_Dave

    Hybrid_Dave New Member

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    Re: I would be proud if the Prius was an American developmen

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kazu88\";p=\"99463)</div>
    Yup, heard that too...I know what he's concerned about, he's concerned we're going to look like chumps if this thing actually proves to cure diseases.
    Dave.[/b][/quote]

    From what they have accomplished so far, we will see the dramatic change in the way we treat almost all diseases using E-stem cells (I'm a medical doctor).

    First, we'll be able to cure most "blood cancers," ie Leukemia, Lymphoma etc.

    Next, growing pancreatic cells (that produce insulin) to cure or alleviate type 1 and severe type 2 Diabetes patients.

    Growing human cartilages may cure most arthritic conditions (aches and pain in joints).

    Nerve cells are more tricky, but the Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, Multiple sclerosis are the conditions that may benefit from the stemcell research.

    Those twisted prolife/neo-con/Bush people will tell you that the cure is "hundreds of years away," but it is simply untrue. I think we'll start seeing the break-through treatments within 10 years; altough it may not come from the US reseachers, thanks to the artificial federal restrictions imposed by the Bush Administrations.

    I think more and more people are talking the "I" word. (Impeachment!)

    Have you seen the Downing street memo? George W wanted to invade Iraq and changed the intelligence to make it happen![/b][/quote]

    Great post Kazu...yes, I did see the memo, and heard all the news about Tony Blairs involvement in intelligence reports as well. Bush wanted a war, plain and simple. Blair helped make it happen. The saying by most Republicans was "four more years"...I always thought about it as "well, at least it's ONLY four more years"...

    It just aggravates me that over 80% of our fellow citizens support embryonic stem cell research, yet Bush still has the nerve to say he'll veto the bill. Hell, even the scientists that have been working on it in Korea say it makes no sense for Bush and his supporters to act the way they're acting, and they know more of what they speak of than Bush or his right wing cronies do.

    I get frustrated when the questions come up about curing disease, and Bush and his supporters say that we're doing everything we can to advance scientifically and medically. It makes me sick. If we were doing everything we can to advance, we'd have a cure for Diabetes and other diseases, or at the least, be much closer than we are now. Don't get me wrong, advancements as far as Diabetes and the Insulin pump are fantastic. I'm on pump therapy, and have been for over 4 years. Nothing was better than going from 3 shots of insulin per day for over 15 years, to being able to control things much better and sticking myself with a soft set syringe only once every 3 or 4 days for the past 4. Well, I'm glad you as an MD spoke up to offer your support, as I think a lot of the medical community is finally realizing that we've hit a wall medically, and it's time for change.

    I would be all for the I word...in the eyes of many, Bush may be the greatest thing to happen to us, but if the greatest thing we have is a dishonest president, then I'll take Clinton back anyday over Bush if all we're getting is lies and deceit. Clinton may have lied, but at least our country was better off when he was in the White House lying to us :wink:
    The lesser of two evils I guess you could say.

    Dave.
     
  4. Emilyjohn

    Emilyjohn New Member

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    What evidence is there that embryonic stem cell research is making any gains? All that I've read is that embryonic research has been non-productive and uncontrollable, even though it's had lots of private funding, as well as Federal funding. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, have produced significant results and show significant promise.
     
  5. Hybrid_Dave

    Hybrid_Dave New Member

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    Re: I would be proud if the Prius was an American developmen

    The usable lines of adult stem cells are worthless, and do no good at this point. Of course the Republican parties and pro-life fanatics say they're showing promise, but only because it takes attention off the fact that developing new Embryonic stem cells is working. The proof you need to see that Embryonic stem cells are making breakthroughs in studies is all available in scientific and MSNBC reports on the web. You can find it all by googling. There is plenty of evidence that developing stem cells embryonically to reproduce and be controlled and manipulated is all in black and white. If it takes me going to another country and looking for a cure elsewhere, only because my own country's government refuses to see the evidence, then I will gladly give and donate to another country's advances and open mindedness. The only point is, our country's government sees the advancement potential. It's a handful of radical conservatives, our own President included, who decide to turn a blind eye to the fact that that COULD help. Everything is a risk...and the President will say it's an unnecessary risk to explore without knowing the outcome. If only he had the same attitude about the Iraqi War and the "weapons of mass destruction"...by the way, I think we're still looking for them.
     
  6. prius04

    prius04 New Member

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    EJ, you once mentioned in a post about how you see Faux News and the Washington Times as credible news sources. Thus, it would make perfect sense that you would think that adult stem cells have shown promise, while embryonic haven't.

    Those are agenda news sources. That agenda being making Bush look good. Thus, if an academic journal says something good about embryonic stem cells, the story stays in the journal. If a journal says something even remotely good about adult cells, you hear about it again and again. It's about the agenda.


    For the next 2 years, everything Bush does is about the 2006 elections. And although "80%" of the public favor widening stem cell research -- as you say, not all of them will vote that way. But if Bush were to embrace widening stem cell research, he would definitely LOSE that 20% -- not for him, but for his party. Lives are irrelevant

    '''
     
  7. Hybrid_Dave

    Hybrid_Dave New Member

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    Re: I would be proud if the Prius was an American developmen

    Prius04...that's why I was a little shocked to see MSNBC point to their article where they were defending embryonic stem cell breakthroughs...see, even a little good news gets through the media dungeon every once and a while :p
     
  8. kazu88

    kazu88 New Member

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    Re: I would be proud if the Prius was an American developmen

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hybrid_Dave\";p=\"99513)</div>
    I woundn't say the adult stem cells are useless, but they are severely limited in terms of therapeutic possibilities. Embryonic stem cells can be transformed to just about any human cells and organs. It's not the case with the current contaminated stem cell lines that are "allowed" to use under the Bush Administrations in the US.

    Do you think in-vitro fertilization & "tube babies" are okay? Thousands of embryos are "disposed" in the process every year. How is it unethical to use them for the research purposes?
     
  9. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    GM isnt the only one who can build a great hybrid system.

    http://priuschat.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=799

    and if you really wish that an american company would have built a hybrid, you may cry when you find out how close we were to having each of the big 3 building passenger hybrids years ago.

    the "SuperCar" project was the pet project of Gore. he was instrumental in getting it going and screwing up the prospects of keeping it going. its a foregone conclusion that if he had been elected, he would have continued this agenda. as it stands, the project died immediately after Bush took office and decided that hydrogen was the future.

    so if you are looking for someone to blame, blame a crooked political system in the state of Florida
     
  10. Hybrid_Dave

    Hybrid_Dave New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA\";p=\"99573)</div>
    Wait a minute...you mean there actually is a functional political system in Florida?!?!??!?! That's just crazy talk. :p
     
  11. prius04

    prius04 New Member

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    There is definitely a functioning system in Florida. It just has little relationship to the voters.

    It functions quite well for Jeb and George.
     
  12. Hybrid_Dave

    Hybrid_Dave New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius04\";p=\"99598)</div>
    I swear if it gets screwed up again in 2008, I think we should hand Florida over to Cuba :p :wink:

    No, nevermind, DisneyWorld is fun, and DisneyLand just isn't quite big enough for my tastes...guess we'll just have to keep 'em as one of the 50 on the map :lol:
     
  13. chrism07924

    chrism07924 New Member

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    some of japan's most exciting commercially released auto technologies were first pioneered by non Japanese but implemented and perfected by them.
     
  14. victor

    victor New Member

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    Re: I would be proud if the Prius was an American developmen

    Can you be 100% sure of that? Toyota have been working on Hybrids for some time, at least since 1977. From http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/environmen...ent/hsd/05.html

    1977 Toyota Sports 800 Gas Turbine (GT) Hybrid prototype

    1997 Coaster Hybrid Bus*
    1997 Prius launched in Japan (2000 in U.S., Europe & other regions)
    2001 Estima Hybrid*
    2001 Crown Hybrid*
    2002 Toyota FCHV (FuelCell Hybrid Vehicle) launched in Japan & U.S.
    2003 New Prius

    * Only for Japanese market
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well, that's why he said "...seems to be a common idea that's been around since the 1970s"
     
  16. Robert Taylor

    Robert Taylor New Member

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    This chat thread seems to have brought out the myths of the left to the forefront.

    First of all, does the government of Japan pay for the R&D costs that Toyota has in creation of hybrid vehicles? Why is it that there is a demand that the US government pay for R&D for corporate automotive companies, and the lack of such corporate subidies is somehow a right wing plot? Is not the Prius an example of what a free market can do? It is not the development of some government driven scheme, but the creation of a corporate entity that has profits as its goal. Toyota has the market share that it has because it builds the finest quality automotive vehicles in the entire world and brings to market vehicles that people want to buy.

    Doesn't the fact that the Clinton regime plan coming to nothing show that top down master planned Soviet styled scheme's don't work and that the competitive market does?

    And if stem cell research is so wonderful, why doesn't private money flow in rivers to it? Why the outcry for the government to subsidise R&D costs for corporations in medical markets and the lack of such subsidy is deemed a right wing plot?

    If Bush had proposed a Stalin styled master plan for stem cell research and hybrid vehicle development, the left would cry out about how such a plan is a payout to greedy corporations.

    Just like it has with the prescription drug benefit.
     
  17. tomdeimos

    tomdeimos New Member

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    Re: I would be proud if the Prius was an American developmen

    The myths are all in the minds of the right wingers here. Fact is lots of governments fund progress. And it can be done in lots of ways.

    And I'd be really surprised if there wasn't lots of direct government money contributing to our cars. I think of the Prius as just a good implementation of the American TRW designs from the 70's. Toyota did a lot to perfect it and make it affordable, for sure, but the basic concepts are clearly American, and probably with some kind of government funding, at least indirectly.

    And not to mention our government funded space programs helped lead to the semiconductor IC technology needed in our cars.
     
  18. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    the fact that most of the technology in the world is invented here and those ideas implemented sucessfully in a commercially viable product elsewhere is fairly common knowledge
     
  19. jfschultz

    jfschultz Active Member

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  20. Anonymous

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    Re: I would be proud if the Prius was an American developmen

    People were driving hybrids in the US (and elsewhere) as long ago as the early 1900s. EVs were also quite popular back then.

    Why have we regressed to internal-combustion-only cars for 90 years? Because oil became spectacularly cheap.


    [​IMG]
    A 1902 Pieper Voiturette: People were driving hybrids before most of us were born!